Air Canada banning pets in passenger cabin
May 12, 2006

Air Canada will become the first airline in Canada to ban pets from its cabins, CBC News has learned... MORE»

murmur categories: travel, health

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism travel, airlines airplanes pets health allergies

posted by Tessa | 10:05 AM (ET) | Permalink

Airline complaints range from bad attitudes to bland fruit cups
May 11, 2006

Air passengers filed about 20 per cent more complaints with the Canadian Transportation Agency last year, griping about everything from the attitude of airline employees to lost baggage... MORE»

murmur categories: travel, service

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism travel, service, airlines airplanes

posted by Tessa | 10:35 AM (ET) | Permalink

Should you buy travel insurance?
April 28, 2006

It's the last thing most of us want to think of before we set out on that eagerly anticipated trip, but it's an unfortunate fact of travelling life that reality sometimes doesn't follow the posted itinerary... MORE»

murmur categories: travel, money, health

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism travel insurance health personal finanace

posted by Tessa | 10:21 AM (ET) | Permalink

Are airlines considering standing-room-only 'seats'?
April 27, 2006

As airlines join the chorus of complaints about rising fuel costs, one aircraft manufacturer is reportedly shopping around an idea to cram more bodies onto flights: a standing-room-only section... MORE»

murmur categories: travel

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism travel Airbus airlines airplanes fuel

posted by Tessa | 11:46 AM (ET) | Permalink

Gas pains: pump prices rise again
April 18, 2006

This won't come as a surprise to any motorist who's filled up recently - the latest survey of Canadian pump prices shows the cost of gasoline rose by almost four cents a litre in the past week... MORE»

murmur categories: cars, travel, money

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism cars fuel gas gas prices oil

posted by Tessa | 17:15 PM (ET) | Permalink

Get ready for sky-high summer gas prices
April 12, 2006

The looming summer driving season stands to be an expensive one for motorists in Canada and the United States as gas prices look to remain high... MORE»

murmur categories: cars, travel, money

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism cars fuel gas gas prices oil environment

posted by Tessa | 10:30 AM (ET) | Permalink

Wear your sunglasses to avoid jetlag
April 11, 2006

Researchers in Edinburgh say donning a simple pair of sunglasses can help a passenger battle jet lag on a long flight... MORE»

murmur categories: travel

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism travel research airlines airplanes jet lag

posted by Tessa | 2:00 PM (ET) | Permalink

Air Canada hikes fares on higher fuel charges
April 11, 2006

Air Canada said Tuesday it has bumped up fares on routes within Canada and to the United States citing high fuel prices... MORE»

murmur categories: travel, money

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism travel Air Canada airlines airplanes fuel

posted by Tessa | 12:49 PM (ET) | Permalink

Family files discrimination complaint against Air Canada
April 7, 2006

A Labrador family is accusing Air Canada of discrimination, after the airline refused to let their injured daughter board a plane in Fredericton... MORE»

murmur categories: travel

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism travel airline safety airlines airplanes

posted by Tessa | 9:49 AM (ET) | Permalink

Many kids too obese for car seats: study
April 3, 2006

A growing number of American children are too heavy to fit into standard car seats, a new study has found ... MORE»

murmur categories: kids, health/safety, travel, cars

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism car seats parenting travel children obesity

posted by Tessa | 11:33 AM (ET) | Permalink

Vancouver hotels warned not to gouge Olympic travellers
March 30, 2006

Some hotels in Vancouver have begun jacking up prices for travellers to the 2010 Winter Olympics; one is reportedly looking for $1,400 a night for a room that usually costs $289... MORE»

murmur categories: travel

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism travel Vancouver Olympics hospitality business tourism

posted by Tessa | 9:41 AM (ET) | Permalink

Airlines to post safety records
March 24, 2006

Air travellers worried about flying will soon be able to look up airline safety records online... MORE»

murmur categories: travel

tags: consumers, consumer news, consumerism, travel, airline safety, security

posted by Tessa | 9:28 AM (ET) | Permalink

When airport passenger screening fails…
March 23, 2006

Security guru Bruce Schneier has an opinion piece on his blog (originally published in Wired) that raises some interesting points regarding airline security measures... MORE»

murmur categories: travel

tags: consumers, consumer news, consumerism, travel, airline safety, security

posted by Tessa | 11:29 AM (ET) | Permalink

Lost your luggage? You've got plenty of company
March 21, 2006

The bad news: wayward luggage is one of an estimated 30 million bags lost by the world's airlines last year, Reuters reports. The worse news: 200,000 of those bags are never reunited with their owners... MORE»

murmur categories: travel

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism travel airlines airplanes luggage

posted by Tessa | 10:06 AM (ET) | Permalink

Want an aisle seat? It'll cost you
March 15, 2006

Cash-strapped U.S. airlines are inventing new ways to generate revenue, including charging extra to passengers who want to sit in the aisle seat... MORE»

murmur categories: travel, services

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism travel airlines airplanes service

posted by Tessa | 10:19 AM (ET) | Permalink

Long flights linked to blood clots
March 10, 2006

Being stuck in your seat on a long flight isn't the only factor that can trigger "traveller's thromobosis" in people who are prone to the blood clots, a study suggests... MORE»

murmur categories: travel, health

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism travel health thrombosis airlines airplanes

posted by Tessa | 10:08 AM (ET) | Permalink

Child car seat instructions confusing: police
March 6, 2006

Nearly 80 per cent of children's car seats are improperly installed, according to the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, but Toronto police say manufacturers should share some of the blame... MORE»

murmur categories: kids, health/safety, travel, cars

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism car seats parenting children travel children

posted by Tessa | 10:02 AM (ET) | Permalink

Are airports putting a cap on laptop power?
February 28, 2006

You're travelling to an important business meeting and during a layover you go to plug in your laptop to juice up the battery. But it seems all the airport's power outlets have been capped... MORE»

murmur categories: travel, technology, services

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism travel airports laptops technology energy business

posted by Tessa | 9:43 AM (ET) | Permalink

Passengers, crew exposed to air travel toxins: UK investigation
February 27, 2006

Thousands of travellers and airline crewmembers are exposed to potentially toxic gases, says an investigation by the Observer... MORE»

murmur categories: travel, health, environment

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism travel airlines health aviation airplane toxins air environment

posted by Tessa | 1:30 PM (ET) | Permalink

Travel service lets consumers share experiences via video
February 2, 2006

Once upon a time, there were travel reviews... MORE»

murmur categories: travel, technology

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism travel reference iPod video reviews

posted by Tessa | 11:22 AM (ET) | Permalink

Investigation highlights security concerns at Canadian airports
November 9, 2005

A special undercover investigation by the CBC's the fifth estate has exposed major problems with security at some of Canada's airports.

In the months following the New York, Washington and Pennsylvania attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, Ottawa committed more than $9 billion to security measures. More than $2 billion of that was earmarked exclusively for airport security.

But an investigation by the fifth estate found lapses in the security systems.

Airport security specialist Steve Elson showed how he could decipher access codes for restricted areas in less than 20 minutes. Using a hidden camera, the fifth estate team followed him as he walked through Toronto's Pearson International Airport, opening one door after the other.

The doors all appeared to have the same access code. "That means I can get access to airplanes, to the ramp, literally get into a jetway door in a few seconds," said Elson.

The fifth estate's program on airport security airs Wednesday at 9 p.m. on CBC Television.

More from CBC News...

via: CBC News Online

related Marketplace stories: Airport Safety, Testing the skies, Small plane safety

related Murmurs: Lighters to be banned on U.S. flights, matches still a go

murmur categories: travel

tags: consumers, consumer news, consumerism, travel, airline safety, security

posted by Tessa | 9:33 AM (ET) | Permalink

your turn: suggest a murmur | email a comment

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Air Canada scraps North American inflight meals
November 3, 2005

Hungry Air Canada passengers travelling on most flights within North America, in the lower-fare classes, will now need to pay for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Air Canada, which will charge up to $5 for snacks and sandwiches, says the move is an effort to keep up with customer demand for low fares. The change took effect on Nov. 1.

Complimentary meal service will only be offered on North American flights longer than 4.5 hours, says the company's website.

A spokesperson for Air Canada in Vancouver says the move is simply an extension of what the airline started in 2003 when it scrapped meals for short and medium-haul flights.

Spokesperson Angela Mah says the company needs to compete with airlines such as WestJet, which has always charged for meals.

Mah says there's another change as of Nov. 1. – passengers wanting pillows will need to pay $2.

via: CBC News

Related Marketplace stories: Air Travel Complaints, Testing the Skies, Airport Safety, Fair Flying

related Murmurs: Air Canada hikes fares to pay for fuel

murmur categories: travel

tags: consumers, consumer news, consumerism, travel, airlines, air travel, Air Canada

posted by Tessa | 9:07 AM (ET) | Permalink

Comments: 1) Air Canada!!!!! What can I say........I accept paying for meals, even though I don't know why you would, their food doesn't resemble anything I have ever tasted before.  So I will take my own lunch along.  What does gripe me, is paying $2 for a pillow.  Now that is something a traveller would not just tuck under their arm and take along on a flight.  How ridiculous are they going to get?  Shame on you Air Canada, after being bailed out of bankruptcy you are now bent on bankrupting your clients. Barbara 2) Air Canada has become a discount airline like West Jet, whether they admit it or not. To say they are cutting meals to compete with West Jet is ludicrous, when their latest profit figures say they earned $233 million in the third quarter of this year. If they continue to remove services and make people pay for the extras that you expect with a major airline, more people will fly with West Jet due to the lack of difference between the airlines. Richard

Women dominate travel biz
October 24, 2005

This snip from an ad for Four Seasons in Chicago successfully targets potential female customers, says Ad Age's Marti Barletta.

Ad Age has an interesting piece (registration required) about how women dominate the travel business.

Apparently we ladies make more than 75 per cent of all travel decisions (for our families, businesses and ourselves).

Ad Age says “savvy hotel chains are taking note of this and offering amenities, safety features and getaway packages with women in mind.”

Ad Age’s Marti Barletta laments that marketers and advertisers aren’t following suit – and provides examples of ads that she thinks hit and miss with potential female customers.

via: Ad Age

murmur category: travel, advertising

tags: consumers, consumer news, consumerism, women, travel

posted by Tessa | 10:41 AM (ET) | Permalink

your turn: suggest a murmur | email a comment

Fly me to the Moon, to the tune of $100 million
August 10, 2005

A private, U.S.-based company plans to launch a tourist trip around the Moon as soon as 2008.

While the trip's $100 million US price tag won’t fly with most consumers, Eric Anderson, chief executive of Space Adventures Inc., tells the New York Times that the inaugural trip will set an example for future trips that will be more attainable for us mortal, Earth-bound peons:

via Boing Boing

posted 9:58 AM (ET) | Permalink

Secrets of the Bed & Breakfast
June 29, 2005

An oldie but a goodie for those who might be on the lookout for a quaint B&B for their holidays this summer: 10 Things Your Bed & Breakfast Won't Tell You, from the folks at smartmoney.com. Among the secrets revealed: Most B&B’s pay to be listed in online travel directories – so don’t expect to find independent reviews on the websites. More from smartmoney.com.

via: Consumer World

posted 12:02 PM (ET) | Permalink

How to snag an upgrade on your flight
June 29, 2005

The folks at MSNBC have a top ten list of tips that can help you get a coveted upgrade to first class on your next flight. Some of the suggestions seem pretty obvious, but heck, doesn't hurt to try, does it? Among the tips:

• Dress smartly or in business attire.
• Travel alone.
• Be kind and courteous.
• Be early.
• Always ask about upgrades and prices when you book your ticket.
• More from MSNBC...

via: Fark.com

posted 11:00 AM (ET) | Permalink

Air Canada hikes fares to pay for fuel
June 21, 2005

As the price of crude oil touched a new high, Canada's dominant airline says it's raising domestic fares by $8 to $15 each way to offset what it called record prices of aviation fuel, CBC Business News reports.

Air Canada's price hikes — which start with tickets issued on Thursday — apply to all fares "including published, web and other special fares" for flights within Canada, the airline said yesterday. The increases also apply on regional carrier Air Canada Jazz and on so-called "codeshare flights" marketed jointly with other airlines. The cost of fuel is the second largest airline operating expense, after labour, Air Canada says.

Related Marketplace stories: Air Travel Complaints, Testing the Skies, Airport Safety, Fair Flying

via: CBC Business News

posted 9:48 AM (ET) | Permalink

Frommer pens guide to loos across U.S.
May 20, 2005

The second most frequent plea from the back seat during a road trip, after "Are we there yet?" is perhaps: "I've gotta go!"

But go where – when the family car is just outside of Barstow on the edge of the desert?

Beside children bursting after sucking back super-sized drinks, there may also be intense leg-crossing up front by some of the more than 33 million adults in the U.S. with the condition known as overactive bladder.

To the rescue is the unique travel tip book, Where to Stop and Where to Go: A Guide to Traveling with Overactive Bladder in the United States.

Penned by renowned travel guide writer Arthur Frommer, the 75-page guide highlights easy-to-follow restroom locations at key restaurants, museums, and other tourist attractions in 19 U.S. cities and four national parks.

Related Murmur: The Virtual Toilet Paper Museum and other online oddities

Via CBC Health & Science News

posted 12:39 PM (ET) | Permalink

Ticket to nowhere: Many Jetsgo customers are out of luck
March 11, 2005

Thousands of Canadians are scrambling to find alternate travel arrangements after Jetsgo, the discount airline, shut down operations overnight.

The airline has advised passengers, including people in the middle of a trip, that their tickets are worthless and they should book with another airline.

MORE: Passengers worried, angry at Jetsgo »

The federal government can do little to help passengers holding worthless tickets for the discount airline Jetsgo, says Transport Minister Jean Lapierre.

Meanwhile, an analyst is warning consumers to brace themselves for higher airfares as a result of Jetsgo's shutdown.

Rick Erickson, an independent aviation analyst in Calgary, says that until JetsGo dropped its bombshell announcement, summer travellers could have expected cheap prices and lots of options from a highly competitive industry.

But with the sudden disappearance of Jetsgo (it was the country's third largest airline and had from seven to 10 per cent of the domestic airline market) Erickson predicts travel options will drop notably.

MORE: Airfare hike forecast as passengers fume at Jetsgo »

In a press release, Jetsgo said clients who have paid for tickets should contact the Canadian Transportation Agency: 1-888-222-2592.

In Ontario, consumers who bought tickets through a registered travel agency should call their travel agent to make alternate travel arrangements. They can also call the Travel Industry Council of Ontario to request a claim form to get their money back from an insurance fund that's paid for by the travel industry. The number is 1-888-451-8426.

In Quebec, consumers who bought Jetsgo tickets through a registered travel agency are entitled to a refund from a new compensation fund set up by the Quebec government. Consumers can call the Office of Consumer Protection (L’Office de la protection du consommateur) at 1-888-672-2556 to find out how to obtain a refund. If consumers bought tickets directly from Jetsgo, they are not entitled to a refund under this fund.

In British Columbia, consumers who booked with a registered travel agency can call their credit card issuer first if they paid with a credit card to see if it will reverse the charges or they can call their travel insurance company if they bought separate travel insurance to see if it will cover the costs.

If those calls fail to produce results, B.C. consumers can make a claim to the Travel Assurance Fund administered by the Business Practices and Consumer Protection Authority, a not-for-profit organization that offers protection to consumers from the oversight of business practices in B.C. It handles problems previously looked after by the B.C. Consumer Services Division of the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General.

Via CBC News Online

posted by Tessa | 4:22 PM (ET) | Permalink

Lighters to be banned on U.S. flights, matches still a go
March 1, 2005

Is a match safer than a lighter at 30,000 feet?

As of April 14, 2005, passengers on U.S. flights will no longer be allowed to carry cigarette lighters past airport security checkpoints, the Transportation Security Administration announced yesterday.

In the climate of increased security awareness following the terrorist attacks of September 11th, the TSA’s curious omission of lighters from the list of banned items has certainly raised eyebrows. Especially in light of an attempted attack in December 2001, when a passenger on a Paris-to-Miami flight tried to set fire to his explosive-packed shoes with a lighter.

So why no lighter ban? Michael Moore blames the tobacco industry. Moore says an insider told him that lighters were on a to-be-banned list prepared by the Federal Aviation Authority -- until the Bush administration knuckled under pressure from the tobacco industry.

But now that we've gotten past the lobbying and lighters have been barred from the sky -- we can fly with confidence that some wacko’s not going to set the plane alight, right?

Um… Not really. Officials at yesterday’s announcement were quick to point out that the lighter ban is not an attack on smokers: passengers may still carry up to four matchbooks (at 20 matches a pack, that's 80 matches) past security checkpoints at airports, meaning smokers still can light up in designated areas.

And, presumably, wacko’s can still light their explosive-packed shoes with matches.

Via South Florida Sun-Sentinel

posted by Tessa | 1:14 PM (ET) | Permalink

Comment [thanks Glenn!]: So now the Americans are going to ban cigarette lighters from flights. Understandable, since they have an obscure possibility of igniting a low-tech explosive device. But tell me why, after all the checks and ex-rays and re-checks, do they hand you your duty-free liquor in glass bottles just before you board the plane? Seems to me a broken bottle has more chance of becoming a weapon than the nail clippers or cigarette lighters. I guess it still comes down to money!

Funny Air Canada typo
February 28, 2005

Apparently the job of being an Air Canada baggage handler comes with some perks, if this Air Canada luggage sticker (captured on Flickr) is to be believed. It reads:

"This baggage has been x-rated at point of origin."

Via Boing Boing

posted by Tessa | 3:32 PM (ET) | Permalink

Will cruise ships be the old folks home of choice for boomers?
February 16, 2005

Related Marketplace story: Nursing Homes

Back in November, two physicians from Northwestern University published a report in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society proposing a new model for old-age living.

Lee Lindquist and Robert Golub found that “cruise ship care” may be an affordable (and more enjoyable) way for the elderly to spend their old age.

The pair compared the costs of old age homes and cruise ships for more than 20 years (including illnesses and treatments), and found that living on a ship costs about $2,000 US more ($230,000 vs. $228,000) than facility living – but that $2,000 buys a higher quality of living.

While many dismissed the thought of seniors passing their final years on a perpetual high seas adventure as fantasy, the folks at Iconoculture (the self-professed "leader in consumer trend research and advisory services") say the notion may be more than a pipe dream for many boomers who “get goosebumps at the mention of an old folks home”:

Seniors requiring minimal care would live permanently on cruise ships. With services comparable to, or better than, long-term living facilities, seniors could partake in hearty buffets, 24/7 medical care, regular new faces, and social activities galore.

Via Iconoculture

posted by Tessa | 10:05 AM (ET) | Permalink

Underwater resort wants guests to sleep with the fishes
February 11, 2005

Interior rendering of what the view from a room at the Poseidon Undersea Resort might look like

A while back I told you about a resort in Germany that recreates the joys of a Caribbean holiday in a defunct zeppelin hangar. Now a submarine builder has announced plans for an equally odd resort experience – for this one, fun-seekers will have to venture to the bottom of the ocean floor to find their hotel room.

ABC News reports that sub-maker Bruce Jones has invested $40 million US on the venture, and guests will have to pony up $1,500 a night to stay in his Poseidon Undersea Resort:

Each room will feature fortified, transparent acrylic walls that look out onto coral gardens. There will be controls in each room that guests can use to adjust the lighting of the underwater worlds outside their windows and to release food for fish swimming just outside. The rooms will also feature individual Jacuzzis for those who may be inspired by their surroundings to get wet.

Jones is hoping his wealthy adventure-seekers will be able to check into the Poseidon, which he intends to build off Eleuthera Island in the Bahamas, by 2006.

Via we-make-money-not-art and ABC News

posted by Tessa | 9:35 AM (ET) | Permalink

Comment [thanks Sean!]: That's quite the profit margin, I must say. Evidently the undersea resort business is the way to get rich quick! I think you meant $40 _million_. [Mea culpa - I've fixed that mistake - Tessa]

Air miles trump dollars as top currency
January 10, 2005

Unredeemed frequent-flier miles are the most voluminous currency in the world, worth more than the cash supply of dollars and pounds combined.

By the end of 2004, almost 14 trillion frequent flyer miles had been accumulated worldwide. The global stock is worth more than $700 billion (US), more than all the US dollar bills in circulation.

For more, see this article in The Guardian Unlimited.

Also from this weekend’s Guardian is an interesting article on fortified food. There are now hundreds of food supplements on the shelves and they're even being added to our food. But do we really need them and could they be doing us harm?

posted by Tessa | 9:41 AM (ET) | Permalink

Pleasure dome
December 21, 2004

"Tropical Islands" is the latest in "lifestyle experience" leisure, says its creator.

What do you get when you mix a deep-pocketed entrepreneur, a vacant zeppelin hangar and a bunch of summer-starved Germans? Enter Europe’s largest leisure resort, offering chilled Europeans a chance to laze about on the sand while lapping pina coladas and watching well-oiled bathers wade in the lagoon – all while the snow blows sideways outside.

According to its creator, Malaysian businessman Colin Au, “Tropical Islands” is the latest in “lifestyle experience” leisure. Au is banking (a reported $120+ million) that his beach theme park will herald a new era of tourism – allowing consumers sun-kissed leisure without the trouble or expense of travel.

The resort, located in a zeppelin hangar (which was abandoned when the zeppelin-maker went belly up) boasts a Balinese lagoon, pristine white sand (not to be confused with the white stuff on the ground outside), a rainforest, and a tropical sea about the size of four Olympic swimming pools. [picture]

posted by Tessa (Online Producer, Marketplace) | 11:21 AM (ET)

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