We Don't What To Say We Told You So... BUT WE TOLD YOU SO!

Sure enough.. if you read down in our post about United starting to charge for a second checked bag, we mention that that move would just open the flood gates. As a matter of fact, we said, "...which we all know means the others will follow suit now that the door has been opened." Well, sure enough it was announced today that Northwest would follow suit starting.. May 5th. Wow, just so happens to be the same day United set for their start date for this new wrinkle in travel bogusness. The charge will be.. drum-roll please.. $25. Wow, just so happens to be the same amount United announced.

According to Northwest, and United and everyone else (rumors of US Airways as well) that will follow suit as now that one opened the door and the other slipped their foot in at the same time, the $25 charge applies to each-way on two-way USA trips.

Also similar to United, they have their caveats for their coveted high-end frequent fliers and the dubious 'full-fare' passengers in that they can still check two bags without paying extra fee while First-class passengers get three bags for free. Additionally, it is also going to start charging 100% more than it did for bags over 50 pounds as the old fee was $25.

We wonder where this is going to stop. What the flash point will be. New fees; fairs & rates increasing; cutting back on in-flight services; smaller over-head bins; tighter luggage restrictions; less luggage space; fewer flight options; worsening customer noservice; long delays; cancellations; no official bill of rights for travelers...

D'ohhh... Set Back for the Airline Passenger Bill of Rights

In a follow up to a post we had at the end of January concerning a Passenger Bill of Rights for flying... it took a bit of a hit today in NY. The New York state law looking to gain approval for seeking better treatment of passengers stuck on grounded airplanes was thrown out Tuesday by an appeals court, which essentially said air travel is already regulated by the federal government.

"While the state's so-called Passenger Bill of Rights was laudable, “only the federal government has the authority to enact such a law,” the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals said in a written ruling."

Last year NY passed the first state law on air passenger rights in part thanks to rising passenger backlash at poor treatment by the ever less caring airlines. The law was adopted after JetBlue Airways mishandled an ice storm in New York in February 2007 that left passengers stranded on the runway at JFK Airport for up to 10 hours. The law required airlines to provide passengers who are confined to a grounded airliner for more than three hours with basic necessities, including food, drinking water and clean bathrooms.

It was reported today the the Air Transport Association of America, which represents major U.S. airlines, had challenged the law, saying it is preempted by federal regulations, and that a U.S. District court in Albany had rejected the group's lawsuit, but the 2nd Circuit overturned that ruling today.

Essentially, it comes down to state versus federal level of control of these types of issues. And as usual, we are stuck in the middle as this peeing match moves forward. So, I will end this post with a very true and telling quote on the day from the law's lead sponsor, Democratic Assemblyman Michael Gianaris of Queens, concerning this topic, "This decision strips the public of even the barest protections against a very wealthy and powerful industry."

If You Can't Workout at the Airport.. Why Not Surf?

In leu of having access to an airport gym or fitness center near your airport, it might be nice to know just which US airports are 'most' hip to the Internet craze and offer internet access for those that - rather than watching the TV or sitting on ones rump watching odd airport people - would rather get some online time in.

Of course, the point of this blog is to spread the word about where to find gyms in and around airports. But in the absence of a gym or fitness center, and the fact the story is some what relative and industry related, what is one to do if there just is not an option to workout? Well, we know we could walk the terminals, sit in a bar, watch the tv, do some push ups, calve raises and sit ups... but better yet, why not surf the web and answer some eMails, check the weather, buy some goodies, or get some work done?

Well, according to a recent story by MSNBC, here is a list of the 9 most wired US airports. (They originally had 30, which consisted of US and International options, but we scaled it back to just US options here.) Their criteria was as follows, they rated "the breadth of Wi-Fi coverage, whether they charged for the service and how much, and how many providers they offered as options. Finally, we looked at the comfort and convenience factor. That included checking out whether the airport offered workstations, adequate seating and electrical outlets, as well as facilities like computer rooms and business centers for travelers looking to get online without their own laptops."

*No. 1: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
*No. 2: Denver International Airport (DEN)
*No. 3: [Las Vegas] McCarran International Airport (LAS)
*No. 5: Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)
*No. 9: Orlando International Airport (MCO)
*No. 11: Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
*No. 13: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
*No. 16: Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD)
No. 20: Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)

*NOTE: those with an asterisk also have an airport gym listing at AirportGyms.com in case you would rather workout than surf the web.