You know the drill: An airline hikes its fees, and within seconds travelers vent their outrage in response. JetBlue shows …
Fees
Why Banks Love Debit Cards Again
Debit cards were supposed to be toast. The industry started writing their obituary when financial reform targeted overdraft fees and interchange or “swipe” fees, which had made debit cards extremely lucrative for banks. So …
You’ll Never Guess What Banks Have Started Charging For Now
Banks are charging record-high fees for existing services such as account maintenance and overdrafts. But banks are also getting creative, rolling out services — and fees — that never existed before. For instance, at one bank, if you’re sick of waiting on hold to talk to a customer service rep, you can pay a fee to cut the line.
How to Get Friends and Family — And Perhaps Some Generous Strangers — to Buy You a New Car
How’s this for a millennial-friendly mashup: Take the gift registry and online crowdfunding concepts and apply them to the purchase of a new car. Dodge is trying out the idea with a new registry service that promises something …
American Airlines: Forget About Fees, These Are ‘Enhancements’
Struggling American Airlines, which has been forced to enter bankruptcy protection and recently suffered high-profile black eyes such as seats coming loose on planes in mid-flight, is hoping that customers will like the idea of paying more fees upfront—so that they won’t have to pay these fees down the line.
New Low for Flying? Standing-Room-Only Flights Possible
The term jet-setter is still applied to travelers heading to chic, exciting places. But by now, after years of enduring countless fees, painfully long airport waits and humiliation by way of clothing removal and body scans, travelers should know that the era when flying equated to glamour is long gone.
As Airline Fees Top $36 Billion, Is Relief in Sight for Fee-Weary Travelers?
A new study estimates that airlines around the globe will charge $36.1 billion in fees for things like checked luggage, seat reservations, and in-flight meals this year. That’s an all-time high, and an 11% increase over the 2011 total.
Coming Soon? Airline Tickets That Cost Extra After You Purchase Them
It’s become common for airlines to add fuel surcharges onto flight prices. Passengers pay these mandatory charges when they book tickets, which is sometimes months before they fly. During the time between purchase and travel, …
Hot Freebie List: Free ATMs, Free Lunch, Free Museums, Free Beer & More
Over the next few days, you’ll be able to grab a coffee, visit a museum, enjoy lunch out at a restaurant, rent some DVDs, and even throw back a bottle of beer for free. You’ll also be able to avoid paying fees while using an ATM …
Airline Introduces Perk Passengers Actually Want — And It’s Free
JetBlue is responding to the popular sentiment of passengers by introducing free Internet service on aircraft starting in early 2013
Occupy Wall Street, One Year Later: Did It Make a Difference?
A year ago today, a group of people angry about economic inequality, corporate greed and financial injustice staged a protest in Lower Manhattan’s Zuccotti Park, pledging to “Occupy Wall Street.” There was no overarching agenda …
That’s Some Quirky Marketing Strategy: CEO Calls His Customers ‘Idiots’
Michael O’Leary, the CEO of the fee-happy European airline Ryanair, isn’t scared of a little controversy. In fact, he seems to actively welcome it, periodically making outrageous statements (“The best thing you can do with environmentalists is shoot them”) and announcing possible new money-makers for the airline such as in-flight porn …
