Downgraded: American credit cards
For several years now, a pet-peeve of mine as an American traveling abroad has been the challenge of using a swipe-and-sign credit card in a country where chip-and-PIN is the norm. (Consider previous posts on chip-and-PIN challenges. I even wrote a piece for National Geographic Traveler on the issue.) Now the New York Times revisits the issue and finds that it’s getting worse, not better, for American cardholders. When will US card issuers catch up with the rest of the world? (Thanks, David!)
Downgraded: US Customs and Immigration
Did the gruff face of US immigration kill the city of Chicago’s bid for the Olympics? It was apparently a contributing factor, if reports from the IOC are to be believed: “Syed Shahid Ali, an I.O.C. member from Pakistan, in the question-and-answer session following Chicago’s official presentation, pointed out that entering the United States can be ‘a rather harrowing experience.’” Somehow, it’s not a shock that the guy from Pakistan had this particular critique of entering the US. But he’s hardly alone.
Downgraded: Cockpit decorum
When I draft my list of minimum requirements for pilot competence, I think “not getting into fistfights in the cockpit” goes unspoken, an assumed background condition for commercial travel. Apparently, I need to be more explicit with my expectations. An inflight cockpit brawl on Air India, anyone?
Upgraded: Hotel promo deals
Over at View from the Wing, read up on an ongoing Hyatt promotion “the best hotel promo I’ve ever seen.” The deal: 13,500 United Airlines miles and a free Hyatt night for a two one-night stays at a Hyatt property, including discounted Hyatt Place properties.
Downgraded: Brazilian justice
Three years ago, NYT columnist Joe Sharkey was onboard a plane that survived a midair collision over Brazil. He subsequently criticized Brazil’s fractured air traffic control system and came under nationalistic fire for refusing to go along with the official Brazilian line that the (American) pilots of the surviving business jet were solely at fault for the accident. Now, Sharkey is being sued for $250,000 for defaming the entire population of Brazil. The lawsuit is offensive and absurd. For more background on the case, see here and here.
Downgraded: Helicopter service in Manhattan
Helicopter service from downtown Manhattan to JFK, canceled? I’m shocked, shocked!
Upgraded: Electronic cigarettes on airplanes
Back in February, I posted about a report of an impending deal between an electronic cigarette manufacturer and an unnamed airline. Immediately, I thought it would be a European low-cost carrier. Sure enough, it’s the granddaddy of ‘em all: Ryanair. For €6, you can buy a pack of 10 (disposable, I assume) nicotine-vapor sticks.
Upgraded: Clear’s life chances
Clear / Verified Identity Pass, the subscription-based service that promised shorter airport security lines, before it died an abrupt and refund-less death, may be back. I was a skeptic from the get-go — frequent travelers already get shorter lines, without having to give up their personal information. I’m still a skeptic.
Upgraded: Bloggers branching out
Brett Snyder of CrankyFlier is expanding the Cranky franchise: He’s launching a new service, dubbed CrankyConcierge. For $30, he’ll help you find a low fare, track your flight status for you, look for alternatives in case of rebooking, and aid you in post-trip dispute assistance. At the same time, Gary Leff of View from the Wing is now charging $150 to help travelers book frequent flier tickets. I’m looking forward to seeing these business ideas develop. Good luck, guys!
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October 5th, 2009 at 9:39 pm
What is it that the US credit card companies need to do? When I first contacted you about my experience in Denmark, the card I was using was American Express. The Danish AmEx rep put me thru to a US rep, who said I was basically S.O.L.
In the meantime, it looks like the best option for Americans is to get a bank who doesn’t charge you too exorbitant of ATM fees and only carry cash?
mp/m
October 6th, 2009 at 1:29 am
Re Air India — unbelievable!
I’ll have to keep a copy of that story in my carry-on, just in case some other Star Alliance carrier should get the idea of rerouting me on Air India in irregular ops.
October 6th, 2009 at 2:03 am
I remarked to my wife just the other day that I bet the reason Chicago lost the games was exactly that – it can be pretty intimidating to enter the US. Since becoming a US citizen, I find it rather easier but I still remember, vividly, the sense of being under suspicion every time I waved my greencard at passport control.
Fortunately the mismatch between my accent (Australian) and the US passport hasn’t caused any problems. Indeed, I quite enjoy greeting them with g’day and it’s never failed to get a smile in response.
October 6th, 2009 at 11:23 am
I think the chip & pin issue is overblown. In every trip to Europe over the past 5 or so years, I’ve never had a swipe & sign card denied from a merchant. Yes, they can be problematic with some automated machines. And yes, it would be nice if the U.S. joined the rest of the world. But bottom line is that our U.S. Visas and MasterCards are still very widely accepted.
October 6th, 2009 at 7:52 pm
@Mike, I would argue that US credit card companies (and not just card-issuing banks — I include the Visa and MasterCard motherships, alongside Amex) need to work toward reinstating global standards of some kind. That may mean the creation of a cross-national chip-and-PIN system — remember, cardholders from France may not be able to use their card at vending machines in Denmark. Or, card issuers could start issuing “travel” cards, enabled just for travel purposes, upon request. It’s a thought.
@Ken, I’ll politely disagree. If you don’t use vending machines or self-service fuel dispenser, you’re fine, true. But if you do… Your view is aligned with Michelle Higgins’ in the NYT. But it strikes me as a bit too glib:
As someone who has pulled their rental car into a gas station in Holland on a Sunday afternoon, hoping to fill up a tank that went from quarter-filled to below-the-E in two minutes, only to find that none of my cards — even a Germany-issued ATM card! — didn’t work, this IS a problem.
@Oliver, forward it to Star Alliance HQ…
@Rob, And you had a green card, which is probably friendlier than the non-resident line…
October 7th, 2009 at 6:30 pm
Re chip and pin, perhaps I don’t know enough about the technology, but is the reverse also a problem? That is, do folks with chip and pin cards run into problems in the US where the machines are strictly the magnetic swipe kind?
October 7th, 2009 at 7:27 pm
@Brian,
The reverse is not a problem for swipe-and-sign transactions. Cards with chip-and-PIN still have a magnetic stripe that is accepted at US locations. However, it’s often difficult to use a foreign credit card online in the US.