Airplane Geeks Podcast

Max and Court Interview Cranky - July 9, 2008

This week, Max and Court welcome Brett Snyder of the Cranky Flier blog. Brett brings his insight to the industry, and discusses Allegiant and Frontier in detail.

Things with Wings Radio Show

Benét Wilson Interviews Cranky - June 30, 2008

This week’s guest on the Things With Wings Radio Show is Brett Snyder — aka proprietor of The Cranky Flier blog. Brett’s blog is a humorous, snarky yet informative and insightful look into the wonderful world of airlines. The blog was chosen as the U.K.’s Observer newspaper as #29 of the 100 most influential blogs, and he’s won 2 Travvie travel writing blog awards. Oh, and he worked in various capacities at America West and United Airlines.

In our chat, we discuss the spate of recent capacity cut announcements, Southwest Airlines’ alleged plot to push Frontier Airlines out of Denver (Brett believes it) and what the industry will look like a year from now.

Peter Greenberg Worldwide Radio Show

Peter Greenberg Interviews Cranky - June 7, 2008

This week, Peter is broadcasting not from a hotel, but from Cornell University’s Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art in Ithaca, New York. . . .

Brett Snyder, aka The Cranky Flier, who has worked in the travel industry since he was 12, will discuss cell phones on international flights—love it or hate it, it’s happening.

Blogs on a Plane

Video Podcast with Cranky for Current TV by Dave O’Brien - May 22, 2008

Alitalia - the soap opera masquerading as an airline

Addison Schonland Podcast Interview with Cranky - April 18, 2008

Brett Snyder, from CrankyFlier.com, shares his thoughts about the airline he (and many others) refer to as the world’s worst. Pay attention to his comments about the new LAX-Rome flight launch event; read about here (http://crankyflier.com/2008/04/18/alitalias-lax-reception/).

This airline has become such a bad joke, one wonders how it has survived this long. Can one measure brand values in negatives?

Turbulent season ahead for summer vacationers

Beth J. Harpaz - April 17, 2008

Staying informed also helps you juggle options. Last week, when American Airlines grounded 300 MD-80 planes for maintenance, Brett Snyder recommended that passengers find out what type of plane they had tickets for, and “start looking for connections that aren’t on MD-80s.” Snyder, who blogs about air travel at CrankyFlier.com, also urged passengers to “bring a lot of patience with you to the airport. … Being nice can only help you.”

My Big Fat Airline Merger

Evan Sparks - April 9, 2008

As Brett Snyder, author of the popular “Cranky Flier” blog (which includes a regular feature entitled “Alitalia: Worst Airline Ever”), writes: “Somebody get this guy an economics textbook. If there’s demand for flights between Rome and China or India, you know there will be nonstop flights there regardless of who owns the airline. … If you do a good job of making your country a center for commerce and tourism, people will go to and from there.”

Flying tips for cranky passengers

Marnie Hunter - April 8, 2008

If you have to catch a connecting flight, try to get a connection in an airport that tends to be less crowded, suggests Brett Snyder, a former airline industry employee and author of a blog called Cranky Flier. Smaller hubs such as Cincinnati, Ohio; Memphis, Tennessee; and Salt Lake City, Utah, often are less prone to delays, Snyder said. . .

Fly in the morning, especially during the summer, to avoid getting caught in a series of weather-related delays, Snyder advises. . .

Having a list of flight alternatives also helps in the event of a stampede of frustrated passengers toward the gate agent, Snyder said. . .

Snyder agrees. “If you can fit everything into a carry-on, absolutely do that.”

Residents Let Feelings Be Known

Jeremy Oberstein - April 2, 2008

While there is much support in Burbank for the curfew, not all have welcomed the proposal, Gill said.

“People are starting to blog about this and it’s not all positive,” he said.

Gill referred specifically to CrankyFlier.com, a Web site devoted to airline news that former airline marketing and sales manager Brett Snyder writes.

Snyder wrote about the curfew on March 25, advising people not to fly into Burbank near the proposed curfew hours based on the steep fines airlines would be forced to pay if they land or depart before 7 a.m. or after 10 p.m.

Breaking the curfew would cost an airline $3,671 for the first violation, $7,342 for the second, $11,013 for the third and $14,684 for the fourth violation over a 12-month period, officials said.

“With penalties that steep, airlines will be less willing to schedule any flights near that curfew time at night for fear that they’ll miss it,” he wrote. “I don’t necessarily have a disagreement with the curfew in general but with its rigidity.”

Frommers.com Podcast: Flying the Cranky Skies

David Lytle Podcast Interview with Cranky - January 31, 2008

Do you find yourself frustrated by the trappings of modern travel? Does flying make you cranky? Brett Snyder, airline industry insider, addresses these issues every day on his blog, The Cranky Flier (www.crankyflier). For this week’s podcast, Snyder joins host David Lytle to discuss some of the most annoying and most hopeful developments in the industry, including fuel surcharges, security, congestion pricing, customer service and new terminals.

To download this episode to your hard drive, click here.

Wisdom of the Web

Jane Levere - January 29, 2008

Brett Snyder, director of new products for the comparison-shopping site PriceGrabber.com and author of Cranky Flier, one of the nine blogs, hopes the portal will do more than earn him and Mr. Petersen money.

“It will help with exposure,” he said. “Business travelers will be able to come and read not just my blog, but others. I’m a big fan of sharing traffic, getting conversations going across blogs.”

Essential Air Service - a 30 year boondoggle

Addison Schonland Podcast Interview with Cranky - January 11, 2008

The Crankyflier, AKA Brett Snyder, has a post on his blog that makes good reading.

Brett brings up one of those government programs set up decades ago that continues to run, this one costs $100m per year, and it’s not clear what tax payers are getting for their money. The EAS program is in the news lately because of the pending closure of Big Sky Airlines. This airline basically lives off the EAS program, otherwise it might not be shutting down. Like big empty sky?

It is tough when people lose their jobs anywhere. But why do rural communities get this benefit? What’s in it for the rest of us?

Turbulence - The unforgettable flight

Sean Redmond - January 10, 2008

Snyder worked in the airline industry for several years and is currently the author of the blog, “Cranky Flier.” He still remembers that afternoon flight as his worst experience with turbulence.

Virgin America lifts off in rough weather

Dan Reed and Ben Mutzabaugh - August 8, 2007

Brett Snyder, a former airline marketing executive who writes The Cranky Flier blog, says Virgin America’s transcontinental route provides it a large market to grow but that “keeping their operation running on time will be a challenge, because those markets are choke points.”

Virgin America takes off

Dan Reed - August 7, 2007

“There’s a lot of mystique in the Virgin brand,” says Brett Snyder, a former airline marketing executive who writes The Cranky Flier blog. “That will help (Virgin America) bring in a lot of customers the first time to try it out.”

What You Need to Know About Summer Airline Flights

July 2007

As soon as you find out that your flight has been canceled or you’ll miss a connecting flight, call reservations rather than stand in line. “A lot of people on your flight will have the same problem, but you’re going to beat them to the punch,” says Brett Snyder, a former airline employee who now pens the Cranky Flier blog. Most frequent fliers who qualify for preferred status have a dedicated number to reach the airline.

Another tip from Snyder: “Be nice. If you scream at someone, they’re not going to go out of their way to get you where you need to go.”

Air-travel etiquette: How to avoid hassles

Beth J. Harpaz - June 21, 2007

“When you go through security, treat it like you’ve been pulled over for speeding,” advised Brett Snyder, who writes an online column about air travel at CrankyFlier.com. “Be polite, answer any reasonable questions, and just keep thinking about being done with it so you can move on with your life.”

Avoiding Missed Connections

Alexander Eule - March 27, 2007

Brett Snyder, who directs Pricegrabber.com’s travel site, says flyers, in winter months, should try to connect through airports in warmer areas of the country. “Go through Phoenix or Houston,” he suggests, “where you probably have a better shot than if you’re trying to go through O’Hare.”

Hang on, fliers, as LAX rips up its 2nd-longest runway

Laurie Berger - July 30, 2006

“Carriers will consider it an air-traffic-control delay,” said Brett Snyder, director of travel for PriceGrabber.com. “And because that’s not a carrier’s fault, fliers will not be compensated.”