How to get compensated for flight delays

Worst Airport Nightmare! Well there is an app to the rescue! 

AirHelp is on my phone and it should be on yours. I’m reprinting this article by Gilbert Ott* so that you have all the details on this great service. I hope we never have to use it, but what a great service if we do.

What is AirHelp?
AirHelp is a free app available for Android and iPhone that automatically tracks flights for delays, cancellations, and any other unforeseen circumstances that could mean compensation for passengers. Rather than sending people to a customer service phone number that gives you smooth jazz and automated options instead of a human being, the company does all the work necessary to file and win a claim on your behalf. In fact, they only get paid when you win. Their simple interface automatically tracks all flights around the world for potential claims, making it seamless for users to definitively find out if there's any undiscovered airline money hiding in their inbox, or on their boarding pass. To date, AirHelp has assisted more than 900,000 passengers recover north of $85 million from airlines—and counting.

Don’t Throw Away Your Boarding Pass

OK. But how does it actually work? In early June, Airhelp launched a new boarding pass scanner, meaning you can now file a compensation claim with a single photo of your boarding pass. That's right—even if you're still sitting on the plane and landed more than three hours late, a single picture can initiate a claim, letting you know what you're eligible for. Those old boarding passes? They work, too, up to three years, even potentially for flights where the airline has already denied you compensation.

With the click of a button (on desktop or mobile) you can also sync past travel reservations from Gmail, TripIt, Yahoo, or Outlook with AirHelp's system, which will automatically search through three years of travel history. If you're due some money, the company will offer to file the claim on your behalf and when they win, they'll automatically wire you the money, minus their 25 percent cut for the whole "dealing with the airline" bit. If you'd prefer not to sync all your past travel; and want to input your history manually by flight number and date, you can opt for that instead—it will just take a bit longer.

Know your rights...

AirHelp works worldwide, but a few routes will yield more compensation than others. Certain parts of the world, such as the European Union, have extremely stringent requirements placed on airlines to protect the rights of passengers. If your flight is delayed on arrival as little as three hours leaving the EU on any airline, or arriving to the European Union on an EU airline, you're eligible for up to $671 (€600) in cash compensation. In addition, if your flight is canceled, you're still eligible for a ride to your final destination, on top of the money.

In other parts of the world, such as the United States, where there's no official guidance on compensation, airlines may still compensate passengers in the form of vouchers or miles for inconveniences. While there's no benchmark for compensation in the U.S., a $100 voucher—or 10,000 airline miles—is certainly a good minimum starter. It's not unfair to claim expenses you incurred during the hassle, either.

*This article was originally published in 2016. It has been updated with new information.

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What Would Goldilocks Do?

Which is the best seat on a plane? You can check Seat Guru to find out a lot about the physical seat but which seat is just right? What Would Goldilocks Do? 

Since you can’t try every seat on the plane until you find the one that is just right. Here are a few tips to help you choose which seat might be just right for you. Each of us has a different preference, so there is no one right seat, just one seat that is right for you.

If sleep is what you want, then window seats are for you.

The best window seats for sleeping are on the left side in the middle section. Those seats are often off-center, providing more space to lay your head. The middle of an aircraft is farthest from the bathroom lines or noisy galleys; a bit quieter.

Quiet or warmth are what you want, then choose an aisle seat.

Window seats are cold. You can feel a significant difference in temperature through the side of the plane. Window seats are also louder.

Need room to spread out to work?

Hoping for the open middle seat? The further back you sit, the more likely to have an open seat. However, now a day, planes are flying at near capacity. It’s a risk, you might not get that open middle seat and have to deal with the bathroom line and galley, to boot.

Next time you book your flight on line and you are about to choose your seat, think of what Goldilocks would do. Then pick the one that’s just right.

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Flu or Flew?

By the time you read this I will be on a plane to The Book More Travel Workshop in Charlotte, NC. I am honored to have been asked to be on a panel during the conference.

Of course, after reading and hearing about what is literally, a killer flu season, I wouldn’t get on the plane with out my pack of Steri Wipes. Flu germs can stay active for 1-2 days. That means if the person who sat in your seat, 2 days ago was coming down with the flu, you may receive a gift you didn’t expect.  And if that passenger, sitting near you, who has the flu and didn’t cancel the business meeting or didn’t have travel insurance and is going on vacation anyway, you are a sitting target for those nasty little flu bugs.

Need more info about how serious this virus is? Read this article from the Washington Post. 

Want more details about what to do? Check out what the CDC has to say.

So please, if you have the flu, stay home. It’s not worth endangering your life or spreading the virus to unsuspecting others, especially people who have weak immune systems and are at a higher risk. As my public service announcement, I’m reprinting why you shouldn’t get on the plane without your steri wipes, especially during this dangerous flu season.

Full disclosure

I am not a germ-a-phobe, I don’t use antibacterial soaps.  I think its fine for kids to put dirty fingers in their mouths (it builds their immune systems). I don’t live in a sterilized world. So why would a “not scared of a little dirt” woman NOT get on a plane without her steri wipes (any brand will do)? Because planes are one of the dirtiest places you will encounter.  I have been carrying this little packet in my carry-on for years because I was aware of:

1. Dirty tray tables.  They are never cleaned between flights (Are they ever cleaned???).  My last flight, in business class, had not only red wine rings on the tray table, but crumbs all over it. Ick!!

2. It’s not the air on the plane - Urban legend has it that you get sick from the air on planes.  Not true. The air is filtered.  What gets you sick is when a sick person sneezes or coughs around you. The particles can fly great distances and land on your seat or any part of the area around where you sit.  Multiply that by the number of people who have been on that plane (When was the last time it was wiped down?).  Thinking about that is enough to make you sick.

Now if this isn’t enough to make you a believer, here’s what was revealed on The Today Show

The Today Show is exposing the dirty truth about what germs are lurking on planes and in airports. Taking three different flights across the country, each on a different major airline, their team gathered samples from various stages of the journey including check-in, armrests and toilets with some concerning results.

The first shock — security screening.

Tests of two bins used to collect shoes, bags and other personal belongings that go through the x-ray machine revealed the presence of dangerous bacteria. One bin was found to have fecal matter at levels high enough to make people sick. Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency doctor at New York’s Lenox Hill Hospital told the show: “We’re talking about skin or soft-tissue infections, which can potentially lead to overwhelming infections in your bloodstream”.

But that’s just the beginning.

Once on the plane, the germ situation isn’t any more comforting. Crumbs on the aisle floors and mysterious stains on the seats had the team questioning how thorough the cleaners were between flights.

The most shocking find was the levels of bacteria found on the tray tables. Covered in germs, one flight attendant recalled seeing them being used as change tables for babies nappies.

While all the armrests came back negative, tests on the seat belts were filthy including one that showed the presence of “human bacteroides”. “These are bacteria that live in our gut and our intestines. These are dangerous bacteria that cause serious infections”, said Glatter.

Another study conducted by Auburn University found that harmful and potentially deadly bacteria like MRSA and E. coli survive for days on arm rests, toilet flush handles, tray tables, window shades, seats and seat pockets.

So how can you prevent picking up one of these dreaded bugs on a plane?

Carry sanitizer and wipe down your tray table before use, wash your hands frequently, don’t walk barefoot on the carpet and check the back seat pocket before use for any nasty leftovers from the previous flight.

For the full report click here: 

* Reprinted from the August 5, 2014 We Make Travel Easy Newsletter *      

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How much is enough?

Tipping is one of the most common question I get asked.  It’s always confusing; whom do you tip, when, and how much? Here are some guidelines that should get you through most situations.

Airports

If a rental car shuttle driver is helping load those heavy suitcases, it’s a good idea to tip him/her at least a dollar or two per bag. Double that for airport skycaps who assist in checking your bags. And depending on the length of the trip from counter to gate, a wheelchair attendant should receive $5 and up.

Hotels  

Arriving by taxi or limo? Absolutely tip your driver. Taxi drivers should receive 15 to 20 percent for good service – arriving safely, within a reasonable amount of time, in a comfortable atmosphere. You can adjust upward or downward for a particularly good, or bad, ride. Same thing with limo drivers – 20 percent is a good rule of thumb whether it’s a ride in from the airport or an all-night clubbing adventure in Las Vegas.

If you drive in with your own car and use the hotel’s valet service, there’s always the question of when to tip. Coming, or going? Answer: Definitely going. Tipping $2 to $5 when the valet retrieves your car when you are leaving the hotel for sightseeing or a dinner is fairly common. Some people also like to tip when returning to the hotel, but that is at your discretion.

Bellhops should receive $3 to $5 a bag, obviously on the lower end for a gym bag or shopping bag and on the higher end for carry-ons and larger suitcases.

Tipping the concierge can be tricky, so think of it in terms of hierarchy. A simple dinner reservation is worth a tip of $5 to $10, perhaps more if it’s a reservation that you couldn’t get, and the concierge was able to. But if he or she is scoring you tickets to Hamilton, or pulling strings to get you front of the line at a trendy club, it clearly demands much, much more – even upward of $50. The concierge doesn’t necessarily expect it, but it is always appreciated.

Your hotel maid absolutely deserves a tip, and most experts suggest $2 to $5 a day, a little more for a larger room or a suite. Clearly mark the envelope and place it on the nightstand or another prominent place.

If you are staying at a high-end hotel/resort and have butler service – especially when the butler is unpacking and packing bags, getting your ironing or dry-cleaning done, drawing a bath, providing turn-down service – the general rule of thumb is 5 percent of the hotel bill. So, if you spend three or four nights at a resort and the total bill is $1,000, you should leave the butler $50 for exceptional service.

Restaurant waiter or bartender Just as you would tip your while going out at home, certainly tip them at a hotel, and be sure to tip a few dollars to those who deliver your room service order.

Service workers It doesn’t hurt to tip the one who bring you an umbrella or towels at the hotel pool, $1 to $2 per item.

Cruises
You should know the tipping policy of your cruise line before you go. In general, the mainstream cruise lines will charge you about $12 a day per person (or $24 for a two-person cabin) in gratuities. That money is split among the crew members whom you come in contact with most every day, notably your housekeeping staff and your dining staff. That amount varies for passengers who stay in suites or in high-end cabins that offer butler service.

And some cruise lines, such as Seabourn and Regent Seven Seas, have strict no tipping policies, as such charges are often built into the cost of the ticket.

To be fair, cruise lines that do charge the automatic gratuity give you advance notice at the start of the cruise that the tip will be added to your onboard bill at the conclusion of the trip. And, you have several options. You can opt out entirely and tip crew members on your own, especially if you eat in different dining rooms or restaurants instead of the main dining room. You can also add to the $12 per day – or subtract from it – at your discretion.

Your bar bill will likely already include a 15 percent tip on it, but just like a night out at any establishment a few dollars up front will certainly serve you well with your bartender.

Spa treatments also generally include a 15 to 20 percent tip on the bill.

It is still customary to give a couple of dollars to porters who help with your bags, and for a room service order.

Shore excursions are sometimes set up by companies separate from the cruise line, but you should generally tip your guide $2 to $4 for half-a-day, double that for full-day excursions.

Safaris
In general, tip your guide $10 a day and your tracker $5 per day, at the end of the safari.

Adventure guides
Did you raft down the Colorado River and live to tell about it? Think about tipping your guide $25 per day per person in your party.

Tour bus drivers
While not necessarily customary, tipping the driver a couple of dollars when you are returned to the hotel or to the port is a nice gesture. There are times when a tour organizer might ask the bus passengers to drop a dollar or two in a jar for the driver as well.

Traveling abroad

As different countries have varying, and sometimes opposite, rules and customs, this is a great web site to get country specific. 

In some countries, such as Japan and China, tipping, especially at a restaurant, is considered an insult. In countries like the United Arab Emirates, tipping is a government mandate and is often added to a bill.

When in doubt, ask your guide. If you are on your own think about the services and the value, it had to you. Hot day, heavy bags, carried your packages, took you someplace very special, made your trip; all good reasons to show your appreciation. 

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Are you a travel enthusiast? Do you want to share your unforgettable travel experiences? Well, our doors are wide open for you. We are looking for guest bloggers who have the passion of traveling and writing about their travel experiences. We can feature your work on our blog as your portfolio. Get in touch with us! 

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