In the Trenches: Turnover Hurts – Intuit Small Business Blog
We had someone leave Cranky Concierge in the last couple weeks and that has made things difficult in the short run.
If you want better airline service, vote with your wallet – CNN Out of the Office
It’s easy to complain, but if you really want to see airline service and policies change, vote with your wallet.
Save Yourself (a Bundle): The Day of Ultra Low Cost Airlines Is Dawning – BNET Headwinds
With low cost carriers moving upmarket, the day of the ultra cost carrier may finally be here. Think Ryanair blanketing the US.
Rules to Encourage Airfare Ad Disclosure May Make Things Worse – BNET Headwinds
New rules to require fee disclosure in airline ads might just make things more confusing than they already are.
Southwest Computer Meltdown Uncharacteristically Left Travelers In the Dark – BNET Headwinds
Southwest had a computer meltdown when the time came to switch over to its new frequent flier program. But the strange thing was that their communication with the public was virtually non-existent. It was very strange.
In the Trenches: Managing from the Road – Intuit Small Business Blog
I’ve spent the last week and a half on the road and that makes it hard to keep the business running.
Southwest recovers from 2 glitches, snarled flights – Chicago Tribune
I spoke with the Chicago Tribune about Southwest’s lack of communication during its recent meltdown.
Why Southwest Went Silent During a Meltdown: It Didn’t Want to Make Things Worse – BNET Headwinds
I spoke with Southwest after the computer melt down to find out why the airline chose the strategy it did. I still have trouble with the path they’ve chosen.
Travel Insurance: The Revolution Won’t Be Covered – Business Week
I was asked about travel insurance, and in general, I find the policies rarely cover what you want them to.
3 comments on “Cranky on the Web (February 28 – March 4)”
Brett,
I used Squaremouth to price a 5.5 week trip through SE Asia that my wife and I took in December. I’m going to take issue with Squaremouth’s assessment on their generalized insurance costs — they’re a bit, if not much, higher than the numbers quoted in the piece. Interestingly enough, we opted to skip insurance.
My wife and I paid for the largest expenses of our trip with Frequent Flyer miles, some of which I outright purchased. (I actually purchased almost $5000 worth of them.) But, when I went to get quotes for our trip, I asked for an insured value of $0. This will just provide trip interruption, delay, and medical coverage without any cancellation coverage — if I had to cancel the trip, technically I would actually get the miles back, even if I was out the cash.
The cost for the two of us was $200-$300 depending on the policy — for two relatively young people. This is the same cost as “full” coverage of a $5000 trip for two 60-year-olds. The dirt cheap policies only provide coverage for baggage loss or delay, limited medical and evacuation coverage, and a small life insurance policy. This is a lot less than the “same coverage without cancellation protection” as quoted in the article.
We opted to skip the insurance because I have good medical coverage through my job — I figured the only reason we’d end up in the hospital is because of an emergency, and my insurance would cover an ER visit at 100% minus a $75 deductible. So we would have been paying $300 for trip interruption/delay coverage and nothing more. I didn’t feel that it was worth it.
P.S. I realize you were just quoted in the piece, not the author. But this is still worth noting.
The fact that WN communications wouldn’t think to post a message on their website shows that they have lost the plot. Ma and Pa Kettle don’t read an airline’s blog or care that they have one. Most of the audience for such a blog are FFs and travel geeks. The fact that Southwest put out a post means nothing to most people. In their minds, Southwest was unreachable and unresponsive to their needs. A blog that someone doesn’t read, doesn’t exist.
Hrm, you missed this article over at the Chicago Tribune: As Southwest Airlines tries to cope with its success, problems at Midway will get team’s attention