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Travel

Southwest Air’s $10 Boarding Upgrade

by Smithee

Southwest Air, which is the airline I consider when I feel like saving upwards of 50 percent off the price of a ticket, today introduced a new option for boarding before other people. If you’ve never flown Southwest before, you may not know that they don’t assign seats like, well, every other airline I can think ... Continue reading this article…

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Airline Fees for Checking Bags

by Luke Landes

Spurred on by Erica Douglas in response to my thoughts about airline fees for checked baggage, here is a list of the fees charged by airlines for traveling with this particular expected service. I should have done this research before embarking on my previous trip to Arizona. I might not have been able to avoid ... Continue reading this article…

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Airline Baggage Fees Increasing in Popularity

by Luke Landes

When I traveled to Arizona in April, I was charged $15 for each flight for checking my luggage. While I knew that many airlines had begun charging extra for services that were once “free,” like meals and baggage check, I didn’t recall seeing any warning when I originally booked the flight several weeks earlier. I ... Continue reading this article…

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JetBlue Now Charges for Pillows and Blankets on Flights

by Luke Landes

In order to remain competitive, airlines try to keep fare prices low. When that strategy starts to break down and airlines can’t compensate for the cost of flying in the normal way (increasing bookings, and decreasing flights) and they still resist raising fares, they look for new ways to earn revenue. So now we’re charged ... Continue reading this article…

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How Much My San Diego Vacation Might Have Cost

by Luke Landes

Last week, I spent several days in San Diego with family and friends, including my mother and her long-time boyfriend, my brother and his girlfriend, and my girlfriend. One benefit of visiting family for vacation every April is the fact that my mother seems quite willing to spend money to ensure everyone’s enjoyment, at least ... Continue reading this article…

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Get Ready to Pay More to Fly

by Luke Landes

As gas prices approach $4.00 nationally this summer, airlines are looking for ways to keep their profit margins without increasing ticket prices. Even though the average today is still “only” $3.20, some airlines have begun to make some changes. Carriers have been scrambling for ways to “up-sell” fliers, including selling first-class upgrades, fancy alcoholic drinks ... Continue reading this article…

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Anyone Fly Virgin America?

by Luke Landes

This weekend, I purchased tickets for the trip my girlfriend I will be taking to California in April. My general method of operation for purchasing airline tickets is to decide which dates will be best for traveling taking into account my schedule and my girlfriend’s schedule. She’s a teacher who doesn’t take vacations or sick ... Continue reading this article…

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Members Only: Discounts Offered When Flashing the AAA Card

by Luke Landes

I received a notice in the mail the other day reminding me to renew my roadside assistance service from AAA. For the last several years, I have been a member of AAA “Plus,” which offers the standard service and extra distance for free towing. I’ve decided to downgrade to the standard AAA plan. Before owning ... Continue reading this article…

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Stopping at a Gas Station for Directions Just Got Cooler

by Luke Landes

There’s a new kind of gasoline pump being shipped to gas stations, and it’s the kind of thing guys will like. If you need directions, just check the pump. These new devices are equipped with a stripped-down version of Google Maps, pre-loaded with locations hand-picked by the station owner. Once you find your destination on ... Continue reading this article…

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Proposal to Raise NYC Transportation Costs

by Luke Landes

If you travel in New York, get ready to spend more money. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is putting forth a new proposal to raise toll rates and rail fares. The toll and fare increases will help pay for a complete replacement of the PATH system and rebuilding the World Trade ... Continue reading this article…

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NJ Transit 10% Rate Hike

by Luke Landes

It’s time again for a 10 percent rate hike for commuters on NJ Transit bus and rail lines. I used to be a mass transit commuter, taking the train to Newark every day to work, but at some point when my work schedule was unpredictable, I started driving for more flexibility. I haven’t been working in ... Continue reading this article…

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Parking at Newark Liberty International Airport

by Luke Landes

I arrived back to New Jersey last night to the least frugal part of my trip: paying for parking at Newark Liberty International Airport. Parking for eight days in the daily parking lot cost us $192 ($24 a day). In the past, I’ve parked at work in Newark and taken the NJ Transit train, but ... Continue reading this article…

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Seats Not Available Online

by Luke Landes

Earlier this week, I purchased my airline tickets for the upcoming trip to California my girlfriend and I will take in April. I went through a number of steps to find the best price including tinkering with SideStep.com. The lowest cost non-stop flight for the dates and times my itinerary required was split between two ... Continue reading this article…

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Kayak.com Lets You Search for Cruises

by Luke Landes

I travel by airplane twice a year (plus or minus one) and it seems every time I fly, there are new online tools. First, years ago, Expedia allowed me to find low prices across multiple carriers. Then Priceline debuted, allowing travelers to “name their own price.” Although I’ve experimented with the tool, I never used ... Continue reading this article…

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US Airways and Delta Airlines Might Merge, My Flight Unchanged

by Luke Landes

This story attracted my attention because I am getting ready to flow from East Coast to West on US Airways next Monday. US Airways is looking to purchase Delta Airlines, which is bankrupt, for $8 billion in cash and stock. Any merger won’t affect my flight, although it would be nice if the airline lift ... Continue reading this article…

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Traveling for Thanksgiving

by Luke Landes

Once again, I’ll be traveling to California to visit my family for Thanksgiving. Last year, I wrote about my first flight on jetBlue. This year, the least expensive flight I could find was US Airways out of Philadelphia. I should have looked for tickets before Labor Day. This year, SideStep was a big help in ... Continue reading this article…

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