Sharp Practices At The Car Rental Counter

My husband and I were told today at an Avis car rental counter in the Norfolk, Va., airport that we could pay in advance to have the tank refilled on return of the vehicle at the rate of $2.60 a gallon, the same as we’d pay at a gas station.

It sounded convenient, but the offer was both misleading and untrue.

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Huge Cruise Ship Fails To Impress Arthur Frommer

Arthur Frommer writes that the sight of the mammoth new Oasis of the Seas cruise ship makes him gag. He ties it to an entertainment-driven consumer culture that doesn’t really embrace real travel. It’s a refreshing point of view, and one that reminds us that Arthur treats the travel industry without fear or favor.

Fixing The Airline Industry Means Compromising

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is going to create a panel to “to restore health to the ailing airline industry,” the Associated Press reports.

The airlines, which keep pointing out that they didn’t get any federal stimulus money, want the government to fully fund the NextGen air traffic control system. But that’s not going to be enough.

The government has to step in to make sure that cut-throat competition on fares doesn’t endanger the safety of passengers. And that means a lot of people have to accept things they don’t want to:

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Pilots Are People, Too

There’s been a spate of bad publicity recently for airline pilots. One was arrested at Heathrow and charged with attempted drunken flying and another was arrested after a bizarre episode with a private plane in Georgia.

(The actual charge in the first case is “being aviation staff, performing an aviation function whilst exceeding the proscribed alcohol limit.” This sounds both very British and rather confusing because it seems to imply there’s something shady about being aviation staff, at least until you get to the end of the charge.)

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Free Wi-Fi For The Holidays

Google, Yahoo, eBay and Microsoft are providing free Wi-Fi access for travelers during the holiday season, the Associated Press reports.

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Who Is Too Sick To Fly?

The swine flu puts airline staff in a tough position. Enforcing vague policies about sick travelers without a medical degree is not a way to make friends and get good publicity.

Enter Mitra Mostoufi, who was thrown off a United Airlines flight in Tampa because the crew thought she might have swine flu, as Tamba Bay Online reports. She said she just had an upset stomach from medication she takes for a non-contagious disorder.

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State Tourism Promotion Budget = $1

The state of Connecticut has reduced its annual budget for promoting tourism statewide to $1 for each of the next two years, the New York Times reports. This will make it difficult to get across the state tourism slogan, which is “Closer than you think.” Or the new slogan: “We can’t afford a slogan.”

Some Democrats Move To Block Cuba Travel

Some U.S. politicians think they can bring freedom to Cuba by denying freedom to Americans. There’s some irony there.

A group of 53 Democrats in the House of Representatives has signed a letter declaring opposition to lifting travel restrictions that prevent most Americans from visiting Cuba, McClatchy Newspapers reports. Their argument, that allowing tourism to Cuba would support the dictatorship of the Castro brothers, is as irrelevant now as it has always been.

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Has Your Luggage Been Lost — Or Stolen?

Are airlines losing your bags or are airports letting thieves walk out the door with them?

Police in Phoenix said they tracked a man from the airport back to his house, where they discovered nearly 1,000 stolen bags, the Arizona Republic reports. The man and his wife were arrested and the airport is reviewing its security procedure.

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New Blog: Fun With Carbs

Leeanne Griffin

My former colleague and very good friend Leeanne Griffin has started a wonderful new blog called Fun With Carbs.

Leeanne is an accomplished and open-minded cook, an adventurous and knowledgeable eater, and a lively, talented and entertaining writer.

Leeanne also likes to travel. That’s her at left, hiding behind a big glass of white wine on her recent honeymoon on the Greek island of Santorini.

Please check out the blog. And get a plastic cover for your keyboard because her food photos will make you drool.