We tried to warn you about the traffic jam in New Orleans due to the Super Bowl victory parade, but apparently some didn’t listen to our advice. It seems like there were a couple people not looking to party, and they just wanted to get to work for their scheduled shift. After all, it’s pretty important for pilots to punch in on-time.

Last Tuesday a United Airlines flight was supposed to get out of The Big Easy at around 7pm; however, the pilots weren’t able to make it to the airport due to celebration shenanigans that took up much of the city’s streets. The pilots finally got to the airport like two hours later, but that’s when things got even stranger. ]]> kjb 2010-02-15T12:30:17-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/12/8/82644/4160

Over the summer, travel hell rained down upon about 50 passengers stuck aboard a Continental commuter jet with nowhere to go. They eventually reached their final destination, but not without a substantial delay and probably some on-board claustrophobia attacks. Thankfully the responsible parties are now going to pay up to make everything right—or at least less bad.

The US Department of Transportation has issued a fine for a cool $175,000 for the whole incident. Along with the fine, the three carriers involved also got called out for violating a law regarding deceptive practices. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood hopes that this will send a signal to the industry that this kind of stuff is not going to fly while he’s in charge. Maybe he’ll even finally light the fire under legislators to get that whole Passenger Bill of Rights thing off the ground. ]]> kjb 2009-12-08T09:59:40-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/12/4/7359/79926

Here’s a not so good story if you’re in charge of marketing or PR for Jetstar. Apparently a blind couple was attempting to board a flight to get out of Melbourne—hopefully en route to somewhere fun—but they weren’t allowed on the plane because of their guide dog. The airline’s policy states that’s it’s totally fine to bring service dogs on the flight; however, the agent wasn’t too familiar with this.

The couple reached the check-in area at the airport, but weren’t offered too many solutions. The agent at the desk just shouted “no dogs, no dogs, no dogs,” which doesn’t sound like a response right out of the customer service manual.

Eventually the couple took a flight on another airline and finally did get an apology from Jetstar. They also got a couple of free flights, but we’re thinking the couple will be a little hesitant to try out Jetstar again in the future. Maybe they can call ahead to get the all clear for their furry friend helper. ]]> kjb 2009-12-04T09:14:37-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/8/29/132635/141

I don't know why, but I've always liked the word tarmac. Before I even knew what it meant, I knew it was something important, a place where powerful people went and big things happened. Maybe it was from snippets of the TV news I'd overhear about presidents being greeted on the tarmac, or my airline pilot father making conversation with his friends about a recent flight, but I was sure that a tarmac was far more exciting than my suburban backyard. When I finally figured out that tarmac referred to the runways, aprons, and ramp areas of airports, it lost none of its allure. Sure, the golden age of flight is over, but big things still happen in airports, journeys begin and end. And for some reason, the word tarmac perfectly describes the big, flat open space that serves as as a mini-purgatory for fliers, whether coming or going. ]]> Victor Ozols 2009-08-29T13:26:35-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/8/21/11951/8634

We've already expressed our repulsion at the baggage fees that airlines keep piling on passengers these days but we were appalled at this fee that we saw United Airlines leveraging on passengers at the Kahului Airport (OGG) in Maui, Hawaii yesterday.

The sign says,

$125 charge for checked bags over 50lbs.

Usually, we understand that overweight bags should be dinged for their heftiness but $125? That is just thievery. And according to United's website, oversized baggage costs $175. Ugh. Better consider shipping that luggage instead.

Got an outrageous checked baggage fee experience? Unlike the stone-faced check-in agents, Jaunted is ready to listen to you! Send us your story.

Related Stories:
· The Airlines Are Just Not That Into Us: New Baggage Fees Announced [Jaunted]
· Oversized, overweight and excess baggage [United Airlines] ]]> juliana 2009-08-21T10:42:32-05:00 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/2009/3/14/142117/416

Great Britain has 9,447 miles of coastline, and Current U.K. contributor Holly Walsh hates every inch of it. She makes her feelings known in a hilarious "pod" that calls out resort areas like Brighton, Blackpool, and Worthing as depressing, decrepit places that exist solely because people are convinced that they're supposed to enjoy them. ]]> Victor Ozols 2009-03-14T14:21:17-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/