Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
ASK JOURNEYS: Pay toilets on airliner? Wouldn't surprise me
As you pick up this morning's edition of the Winnipeg Free Press, I am arriving back in Winnipeg after an exceptional week of golf in the state of Florida with my son, Carey.
Following in the footsteps of champions, we golfed a number of the courses at the PGA Palm Beach Resort, revelling in the environment so many tour winners have experienced before.
At the Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort and Club we covered the tracks where Annika Sorenstam defeated Paula Creamer in the 2008 Stanford International LPGA Pro-Am.
A couple of years ago, we took our first golf trip south to the Tapatio Golf Resort near San Antonio, Tex., around the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday.
Quite accidently, we discovered that there could be no better time to plan a pre-Christmas trip south of the border. Hotel rates are reasonable, as most Americans choose to stay with family during this important holiday when they travel.
The absolute bonus, however, came in the day after Thanksgiving, known as Black Friday. It is the day of ultimate sales in malls and retail outlets everywhere. This day has become the indicator for retailers of whether the holiday season will see the bottom line in profitable black or unhappy red.
QUESTION: I understand Air Canada is going to start charging for the leg room we should be getting in all seats for nothing. Can we expect even more charges of this nature?
ANSWER: It's going over the top. While I have dealt with this question in the past, it seems every week some airline has found a new unbundling charge.
Some examples of charges under consideration by worldwide airlines range from the interesting to the ridiculous.
Want to keep your new baby on your lap while you fly? It's a privilege you may soon have to pay for.
Do you want to be at the front of the line in boarding so you can use up the available overhead space? For a few dollars extra you may also be able to do that in the future.
How about a priority security screening line? It already exists at Heathrow for business class passengers.
These are just the beginning. Luggage restrictions are and being monitored more closely as a revenue-generation opportunity. An article I read recently highlighted Delta policy.
As stated on the website of Delta Airlines, the new owner of Northwest Airlines, you can be charged three times if you have an extra piece of luggage that is also over the individual bag weight limit and size limit. That triple charge, it should be noted, will be levied for travel in each direction.
The craziest still may be the Ryan Air idea to install pay toilets on their aircraft. You'll want to make sure you have the exact change in your pocket when you choose to fly with them.
QUESTION: Can you tell me why there are no direct flights to Holguin from Winnipeg this year?
ANSWER: At the beginning of the season we thought one of the tour operators was going to step in and market Holguin again. Holguin has never caught on like Varadero and I suspect the tour operators, in a time of economic uncertainty, were not willing to risk half- or even three-quarter-full flights.
While Westjet Vacations, Sunwing and Air Canada Vacations committed to using their own planes for each destination this season, the three other primary tour operators serving Manitoba -- Sunquest, Signature and Transat -- have chosen to share aircraft.
In a highly competitive market, this action speaks for itself about the fear that exists in the corporate boardrooms about this year's confidence in filling all the available options as it is.
Forward your travel questions to askjourneys@journeystravel.com. Ron Pradinuk is president of Journeys Travel & Leisure SuperCentre and can be heard Sundays at noon on CJOB. Previous columns and tips can be found on www.journeystravel.com or read Ron's travel blog at www.thattravelguy.ca.
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 28, 2009 E2
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