Expedia just announced they're waiving their $20 fee for the 7% of Americans who book their itineraries over the phone, establishing themselves in a niche and sticking a finger in the eyes of competitors. Airline centers mostly charge $5-$35 for telephone bookings—Southwest is the only exception—while Orbitz and Travelocity charge $25 per ticket. Priceline doesn't even offer that option.

This won't be much use to us, since our calls to booking agents are limited to rants about the impossibility of reserving rewards travel these days. But Expedia had already eliminated flight booking fees online, and it's nice to see anyone cutting any fee for any reason, no matter how marginal or symbolic the gesture:]]> Omri 2009-11-06T17:24:23-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/9/12/141958/015

Is a visit to the U.S. worth ten bucks? The U.S. Senate seems to think so. According to the AP, the Senate voted on Wednesday to charge a $10 fee to international visitors, with the proceeds funding a nonprofit corporation to promote tourism to the country. In order for the bill to become law, the House of Representatives would also have to approve it, but if they do, foreign visitors who do not need visas to enter the country would have to pay the fee each time they register online in advance of a trip. ]]> Victor Ozols 2009-09-12T14:19:58-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/7/2/123028/8894

When we got our June credit card statement the other day, we discovered a mysterious charge for about $52. Upon further investigation with the help of the credit card company, we learned that the charge was for a phone call we’d made from a pay phone at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris…in April. Thanks to some wonky phone battery issues, we’d had to use one of those phones that accepts credit cards in order to leave a friend a voicemail that we’d arrived. The call lasted under two minutes, and cost more than a good meal out.
]]> EricRosen 2009-07-02T16:24:16-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/7/1/13118/69507

Renting a car in a foreign country can be a wonderful way to see a lot of off-the-beaten path places you could not otherwise reach. It can also be an expensive, dangerous, and fraudulent experience. Chances are it won’t be, but just in case, here are a few extra charges to look out for next time you rent a car abroad.

A Little Insurance Policy
Many credit cards offer rental car insurance that extends to international rentals. Often, this insurance is better than what the rental agencies offer, and covers medical care as well. Educate yourself on your cards’ policies, then choose the best one for coverage of your rental. Just be sure to opt out of the rental agency’s (usually expensive) insurance program or your own will be void. For more about rental insurance and what to do if something goes wrong, check out last month’s article, “What Happens When You And The Rental Car Agency Don’t Speak The Same Language.”]]> EricRosen 2009-07-01T17:57:20-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/3/16/162028/836

Oh Orbitz. Why do you keep making us publish these stories? Via Technologizer:

I ended up at Orbitz, which offered some attractive-sounding package deals for a flight and hotel room. I started clicking my way through to buy... Orbitz had added a $14 bus pickup and dropoff to my order. One I hadn’t asked for. And it told me it was doing it "for my convenience." ...

Keep reading to what other optional upgrades Orbitz thinks are "convenient" for you. ]]> Omri 2009-03-17T08:45:23-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/5/27/73349/4194

Wallet up for an adventure? Frontier is your airline. Not only is the carrier flying under the dark veil of bankruptcy protection, but it also just bumped up fees on everything from scuba equipment to pole vaulting poles to dry ice. (There's also a new fee, as you've no doubt heard, for antlers.) Basically, when you arrive at the airport you'll have no idea how much it'll cost to board the plane--assuming it's still parked at the gate.

The ever popular second-bag fee is now present, too, meaning you'll pay an additional $25 if you've got a bunch of gear. Frontier has also eliminated the pets-in-the-cabin policy, and overweight or oversized bags will set you back $75. How soon before the carrier starts charging "combo fees," like the overweight, checked second-bag of antlers charge?

Related Stories:
· Fees--The Final Frontier [DMN]
· Frontier Airlines Baggage Fees Chart [Official Site]
· Frontier Airlines coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Cubbie_n_Vegas]]]> kjb 2008-05-27T13:35:02-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/