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First it was Boeing’s failed Connexion service (R.I.P.). But in recent months, inflight internet is making a comeback. There was JetBlue’s announcement of a Yahoo/Blackberry inflight internet service. Then last week, Southwest announced that they would be rolling out wi-fi internet access onboard a limited number of their planes in coming months. Then, this week, Continental followed suit with a JetBlue style TV and limited internet service. The similarity to JetBlue’s product isn’t coincidental: They’re buying the service from a JetBlue subsidiary.

The Southwest internet announcement was more interesting, because it was real internet, and not limited to Yahoo or Blackberry. Still, I had some questions. Today, I’ve got some answers from the heart of Southwest HQ.

The biggest deal: No voice. Not even Voice-over-IP. Just try and use your Skype connection. I dare you. Double-dog dare you. Southwest has got you blocked, sucka.

Q: Will passengers know in advance which routes will have the wi-fi capability?
A: Maybe. Noncommittal. “Nothing is concrete yet.”

Q: Will voice features, e.g., the portal for Skype, be turned on, or off?
A: OFF. Southwest will be blocking VoIP. “We’ll have more than enough bandwidth to support e-mail and IM…great SILENT communication options!”

Q: Any plans to consider cellphone capability?
A: Not at this time. (Whew!)

Q: Any plans to bundle wi-fi with the “business” fares now offered?
A: No word yet on the pricing. TBA.

Related:
- JetBlue starts testing inflight internet next week
- Feed the Internet addiction: American Airlines will roll out high-speed inflight wi-fi next year
- It’s official: Boeing pulling the plug on its inflight internet service, Connexion
- “No Cellphones” light to be added to aircraft interiors

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Reader Michelle sends in an e-mail she received from Expedia, in which she’s encouraged to pack her bags and depart frigid New York for warmer climes. Such as:

Click for larger view

Chicago??!

That’s some solid marketing right there. Maybe if this were sent as a fare alert to customers in Nome, Alaska. But New York?

Let’s take a quick peek at weather.com and see where things stand in Chicago right now. Hmm…

At least it’s sunny!

Boaz Shmueli of the excellent MileMaven.com website sends in this tip:

For those Alaska Airlines frequent flyers whose 2007 travels were insufficient to meet the threshold for MVP or MVP Gold, the airline’s elite status tiers, there’s a shortcut that can help you catch up.

If you want to requalify for MVP status, you can fly four paid segments on Alaska or Horizon between January 15 and March 15. Registration is necessary. Click here for full details.

To requalify for MVP Gold, you can fly eight paid segments during the same timeframe. Click here.

These links are “hidden” on the Alaska Airlines website, i.e., you won’t find them on the homepage or the MVP program promotions page. Completing the required flights will extend your status until December 2008.

Related:
- My mom is doing a mileage run
- Alaska Airlines (aff)

Our man on the inside at Spirit Airlines writes in with this warning:

Spirit airlines is rolling out a new reservations and check in system called Navitaire. The changeover will be happening on Feb 4th.

[…] These changes can cause as much commotion as they did when US Airways merged systems with America West. Except this time we are predicting a meltdown because the gate agents and employees have been “trained” on the new system, but by the time it is rolled out they will have forgotten how it works. I’ve surveyed several employees and the response is the same: “I don’t know what will happen, I have no clue how to work that system.”

Expect long lines, delays, and angry passengers…

Consider yourselves forewarned.

If you’re flying with Spirit, despite most advice offered here (see “related” links below), then check in early, leave yourselves extra time at the airport, and keep those fingers crossed.

For passengers’ sake, here’s hoping that the systems will have been figured out and operational by the launch date…

Related:
- Spirit Airlines’ CEO flips his customers the bird
- Is Spirit Airlines’ new club worth joining?
- Downgrades: Spirit Airlines to charge for ALL luggage, coffee, and soda
- Spirit Airlines to Democrats: Drop Dead

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Family friends recently returned from a trip to the Wynn Las Vegas, but the first story they had to tell wasn’t about luxurious accommodations, gambling, restaurants, or shows. It was about the snacks on top of their minibar.

The motion-detector minibar wasn’t new to me. Those are bad enough: You move any item in the minibar, and if you don’t put it back within 60 seconds, you’ve bought it. So much for making room to store your own food or beverages in there.

But what the friends told us was about the outside of the minibar. Snacks were placed on a tray. Not inside anything, but out in the open. (Here’s a link to a photo of the display.) There’s a warning that the food is on an electronic scale, and moving the item means you bought it.

This is just absurd. What if you wanted to look at the nutritional information on the back? Or, as one Expedia review noted, what if you have kids who inquisitively pick stuff up? (Best not to take the kids to the Wynn!) And check your bill: As one TripAdvisor reviewer learned, after getting hit with $100 of minibar fees, even though they didn’t consume anywhere near that much, you need to watch your charges, to make sure you didn’t accidentally budge anything.

What’s next, a tripwire that triggers a fee if you use the bathroom?

Related:
- The hotel minibar is dead! Long live the hotel minibar!
- Upgrades and Downgrades: Pizza delivery to your plane, wi-fi minibars, why airport security wants to sniff your armpits, and more

Last weekend, the missus and I went out to see a film about a font. Yes, a font.

“Helvetica” was really a quite fascinating flick, and it’s got me noticing streetsigns, logos, and other public typefaces with a greater awareness. At least for the next few days, before the film “wears off.”

Why am I mentioning this? Because at one point in the film, in discussing the rise of the sans serif font in corporate literature, the film spotlights the designer Massimo Vignelli. Vignelli is the mastermind behind the New York City subway signage, as well as the American Airlines brand and logo. The AA logo was meant to convey modernity, and in contrast to some of the earlier iconography, it was a pretty revolutionary change.

But notably, American Airlines is cited as the only U.S. airline to keep the same logo and visual identity for the last forty years. If you review the timetable covers over time you’ll see the shift from the busy, 1950’s style to the modernist Helvetica base design you still see today. (Vignelli apparently was forced to include the eagle in American’s logo, despite his numerous objections.)

So what does the persistence (or lack thereof) of a logo say about a company? Consistency? Dependability? Dynamism? Conservatism?

Either way, there’s a whole lot of Helvetica out there.

American Airlines’ logo may seem staid by today’s corporate design standards, but it is positively gorgeous compared to some other logos in the travel industry. Here’s the lowest-hanging fruit:

Just awful. What says “luxury hotel” about that logo? Blechh.

Maybe they need a little Helvetica.

Upgraded: Inflight internet on Southwest
I’m convinced 2009 will be the year inflight internet really takes off, but 2008 is the year of inflight internet rollouts. Next to announce: Southwest! Partnering with Row 44, the airline plans to roll out inflight wi-fi — including VPN access, which is a plus for those hoping to hook up to the company network — in four planes this summer. So how about power outlets? Which leads us to…

Downgraded: London Heathrow Terminal 5
New terminal? Great! But the new facility has no power outlets for public use! What were they thinking? Clearly not designed with travelers in mind.

Downgraded: Non-EU residents on Ryanair
European zero-frills powerhouse Ryanair charges extra fees if you don’t check in online. But they don’t permit non-EU and non-EEA passport-holders to check in online. That’s most everyone in the world who’s getting a surtax. Oh sure, you can apply for a refund, but the burden is on you, the traveler. Lovely, as always, Ryanair. See here for the scoop.

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Reader Bruce applied for a US Airways Visa card, issued by Bank of America, looking to get the promised 25,000-mile bonus. He got a card that only offered 5,000 bonus miles instead, and he’s not happy.

U.S. Airways is handing out Bank Of America credit card applications that promise 25,000 bonus miles after first purchase, with a $50 annual fee. The problem is that in fact they switch the card when it issued to a lower level card which pays only 5,000 bonus miles after first purchase. Bank of America refuses to refund their fifty dollar annual fee if you use the card one time. But you don’t know about the switch until after the first purchase. This is nothing more then a bait and switch scam.
[…]
I talked to the bank a second time, and was told the following: You did not qualify for a “signature card” so we issued a lower ranked card which only gave you five thousand miles.
[…]
I escalated my complaint about the switch as far as I could go, and was basically told, “Tough.” I have had no response from U.S. Airways as to the problem.

I might also add, that the airline attendants push these applications very hard during the flight saying that they need the fifty dollars they get in order to live. U.S. Air does not pay them enough according to their statements on the flight.

Obviously, I can’t speak to the credit decision, but the bank should have been more forthcoming about the alternate card option. The 5000-mile card is offered alongside the 25000-mile card on the US Airways website, but nothing in the literature suggests that customers will be automatically downgraded if they fail to qualify for the Signature card. Maybe the downgrade was in the fine print of the paper application handed out on board, but I can’t find it online. That needs to be clarified, or the bank and the airline will find a lot more angry customers like Bruce.

Bruce also mentions that, when he received the card in the mail, he wasn’t actually told that the card he received wasn’t the one he applied for. The card featured the US Airways Dividend Miles logo, after all, so the confusion is understandable.

But one thing doesn’t check out here: The Signature card has a pretty steep $90 fee, not $50. Miscommunication? Misprint?

Bottom line: You need to watch the application literature like a hawk, both at the time of application and the time of card receipt. It’s sad, but we live in a “gotcha!” society, and you need to play lawyer before signing your name to anything that involves your finances.

Before you activate a new card and start using it, make sure that the card is actually the one you signed up for. If it’s not, you might politely decline. If you’re not sure, call the bank and double check.

Related:
- Reader mail: What kind of point-earning credit card is best?

Reader David writes:

I was on an American flight this week and noticed that the theme for their annual Road Warrior issue is the James Bond inspired “Miles Are Forever.” I found that particularly amusing given the new 18 month mileage expiration, which doesn’t exactly seem like forever to me…

Ha, indeed! I guess “Miles are 18 Months” didn’t have the same cachet.

Every year, American Airlines runs a contest to name their “ultimate road warrior.” I have to admit, the 007-theme of this year’s contest is fun, and the styling is good, but the irony that the miles aren’t actually “forever” is dynamite.

Look on the bright side: You might not be able to keep the miles you earned forever, but they’ll never be able to take away the hours and hours you spent on the plane. Those, indeed, are yours forever.

(…And to ward off nitpicking: Yes, I know that you can extend the life of your miles another 18 months by flying more or redeeming miles, so the award winners won’t risk losing their miles anytime soon. But still.)

Rental car add-on fees are already out of hand. But leave it to a Dollar Rent A Car franchisee in New Hampshire to kick it up a notch:

Some rental car locations are charging an extra fee to consumers who return their cars with a full tank. This “top-off fee” is being charged even if consumers present evidence they have that the tank is full.

Wow. Just… wow. Charging extra for a full tank??! Every time you think they’ve tapped out the possibilities for new fees, they come up with a new one.

And it was in the fine print of the e-mail confirmation that was e-mailed to the customer:

“Gasoline Policy: Vehicle must be returned with full tank or local refueling charge applies. If car is returned full a $2.00 top off fee will be applied.”

Topping off what, exactly? It’s full!

This isn’t a standard policy across any and all Dollar locations. Rather, “the fee was being test-marketed by Dollar at select locations in New England.” Well, great, then.

Note to Dollar Rent-a-Car: Customers don’t care if it’s a franchisee or a corporate-owned site. They just care that they’re getting screwed. If it’s the Dollar name on the door, customers will blame you.

If you want to charge a higher rate, fine, but don’t BS the customer with charges for fuel they aren’t using.

Related:
- Low mileage, high surcharges
- Car rental companies find new and innovative ways to screw good drivers
- Car rental companies hate New Yorkers — unless they live in Manhattan or Staten Island
- Wanted: Kinder, gentler gouging?
- Reader mail: What happened to car rental late-return grace periods?
- Rental car agent blows smoke up my backside, redux

(via Consumerist)
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Upgraded: Crash landing with skill and aplomb
Bad news: A crash landing. Good news: No fatalities. Crash landings are no one’s idea of a good time, but when a Boeing 777 loses all power mid-air on final approach, and the plane crash-lands at London’s Heathrow, with no fatalities, that’s some fine aviating. Still way too early to know what happened, but hats off to the pilots for bringing a powerless hunk of metal to the ground without any lives lost. We can all be thankful for that.

Upgraded: Wine on US Airways
US Airways is rolling out new wine on board. The choice: Beringer. I guess it’s better than the private-labeled Chilean plonk they were pouring. (Thanks to Dr. Vino, unsurprisingly.)

Downgraded: Your tax dollars
You may have caught this a couple weeks ago, but there’s been an interesting discussion of the federal government’s “Essential Air Service” program. Bottom line: It’s not that essential, and it’s doubtful that communities are really benefiting much from this. See both Cranky and Evan Sparks for thoughtful critiques. Evan suggests that, if you’re going to subsidize air travel at all, you consider the Small Community Air Service Development program instead. “Huh?” you say? Go read the posts.

Upgraded: Air taxi and microjet life chances
The microjet concept, which I’ve been skeptical of (no bathrooms on board!), was on the rocks. Now, Eclipse Aviation, one of the leaders in this lagging field, got an infusion of fresh capital. We’ll have the microjet / very-light-jet (VLJ) concept to kick around for a few more years, it seems.

Upgraded: Merger odds
Sigh. It’s confirmed: Delta is in talks with United and Northwest, to discuss a possible merger. I continue to root against these mergers, as they’ll raise prices, create mayhem, and improve nothing except the CEO’s paycheck.

(Photo credit: Fair use is made here of a reduced-size crop from a larger unattributed image on bbc.co.uk.)

Give a warm welcome to guest poster Ben Curtis, who spends half of every year traveling. Ben leads tours for Rick Steves, gives culture and history lectures onboard cruise ships, and recently started putting his passion for the Adriatic, one of his favorite destinations, into blog form at adriaticfanatic.com.

Today, Ben offers some feedback from his recent flight onboard Singapore Airlines’ super-behemoth Airbus A380.

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The A380 is changing passenger air travel as we know it. Once you’ve flown in it, you are forever changed. It’s a revelation, nothing less.

Or so the hype would have it. My reaction, having flown Singapore Airlines’ route between Sydney and Singapore back in December? It’s just a plane. A ridiculously well-hyped plane.

Boarding and disembarking however many hundred passengers proceeded very smoothly and quickly. But don’t expect to get a peek at the high life. Those flying in cattle class like me can’t even get a peek at infamous suites; they are totally cordoned off from the hoi polloi.

The overhead comparments are spacious, but when they’re down it’s very easy to bonk your head on them.

I was on the lower deck, in the back not far from the stairs to the upper level. If you fly the A380 and in you’re in economy, try to get a seat on the upper level. There are fewer people up there so it’s just a bit more “intimate,” if you will.

Also towards the rear of the plane there was a relatively decent-sized area by the galley for standing and stretching. The drawback is that if you’re seated way back in economy, the WC doors open right into this standing area and I found that people had a habit of opening the door before the toilets were finished flushing. That means noise.

The seats were comfortable enough, and Singapore Airlines’ entertainment system is the best I’ve ever encountered. There are noticeable air vents all along the ceiling in coach class, so I’m hoping that translates to better air circulation. I also did enjoy the simulated dawn lighting effects as we got closer to Sydney–but other newer planes have that as well.

All in all, it’s a plane. Probably not going to change your life. Unless perhaps you’re fortunate enough to be in a suite…

— Ben Curtis

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