Randall Blaum's Blog

Getting the lowest airfare and best seats for holiday travel

We all dread the lines at the airport, hate the cow-stampede for the overhead bins, and just deplore the fees, fees and more fees the airlines charge now.  So what is a traveler to do?  If you are a premium customer it gets a bit better, but what if you’re not?  Is there a way to beat the system?  Yes there is and here's what to do:

Without a doubt the best fares can be found online.  If you follow your favorite airline on Twitter or Facebook, they have some crazy-good sales they only announce through these social networks.  You can also sign up for their newsletters and get great deals almost no one else knows about. 

There are also sites on the internet that can help you get the information you seek, lower fares, better seats and such.  The first place to look for lower fares is www.farecompare.com.  Here you will be able to compare almost all the airlines' prices on up to a dozen travel sites.  It's quick, easy, and even has links for "deals of the day" as well as the airlines' fee charts so you can know what you're really going to pay for your ticket.  You can also check www.priceline.com  if your travel schedule is flexible or you don't mind taking flights at odd times.  Using Priceline can save you up to 40% off the listed prices.

Before you shop for your tickets beware that not all airlines are created equal.  The airlines are now charging for just about everything other than "getting you there."  This included fees for seat selection, boarding, and bags.  Just because you pay more for your ticket or pay for a premium seat, it does not mean you will get anything more than just a standard seat with no additional legroom.  US Airways charges between $5 and $15 for "Choice Seats" that are at the front of the plane, which is nice.  The problem is that you get no more legroom so unless you have to bolt from the plane the second you land, it's really not worth the extra fee.  If you want more real legroom, book with United (Economy Plus Seats) or Jet Blue.  You will pay a few dollars more for theses seats, but both of airlines provide a lot more leg room for a small extra fee.  Southwest Airlines has no seat selection fees, no bag fees and no assigned seats.  If you want a great seat, it might be worth paying the extra few dollars to get early boarding, in the "A" boarding group, because you will get your choice of the best seats and plenty of overhead bin space.

If you want to see what the seat layout of every jet in the world looks like and get a good review of what the seat actually provides you before you buy your ticket, go to www.seatguru.com.  This website provides you a view of the entire cabin of virtually every commercial passenger plane flying today.  The seat layout comes in handy and uses a simple "red, yellow, green" coding that shows you if the seat is great, has some disadvantages, or is just bad.  By using this site before you book your ticket, you will be better able to select the best seat for you and know before you pay of those extra seat fees are worth it or not. 

If you are prepared before you buy your tickets your journey will be more enjoyable, have a lot less surprises, and will even cost you a bit less. 

Insurers Might Delay Covering Pre-Existing Conditions - NYTimes.com

When I first read the headline, I was ready to blast a wave of rage against the insurance companies.  But, after reading the article and doing my research I found that, in essence I agree with them.  I know there will be more than a few of who will be shocked that I agree with big insurance, but hear me out before you go off the deep end.

First, I am not going to debate the health care bill.  Been there, done that.  Here's my point:  Our Congress created a bill that was so laden with rules, with exceptions, and was put together by people who are not qualified to create a health care bill at all.  I'm not saying our Congress is not a qualified Congress (been there, done that, too).  What I am saying is that as a unit, our Congress knows nothing about health care.  They are not experts in business (most of them are not entrepreneurs), and they are not empathetic to the people of the USA.  (If they were we would not ever hear words like, "We have to pass this to know what's in it.)

So now big insurance disagrees with Congress' interpretation of the law.  Is anyone surprised at this?  Aren't we all looking for how to make the law work for us, not against us?  And here's the thing, a kid born with asthma, will cost more money to the insurance company, generally speaking, than will a kid born without asthma.  So, why shouldn't they charge more?  Why shouldn't they look to see how they can make the bill work for them?  Doesn't Congress do the exact same thing every time they propose or vote on a bill?  (Earmarks come to mind anyone??)

For me, the new health care bill will cost me more money and will force me to buy a product I do not want and I do not use. This I don't like.  The new bill also does not allow me any bonus or credit or exception for being healthy.  But it does give me access to tons of drugs for longer periods of time.  Yeah!  What a deal!  (Yes, that is sarcasm)

So read on and see what you think.  I think I'm glad the bill passed because it will finally bring to the front to deplorable way this country is being run and will shake our Congress for years to come.  Will it be a good thing or bad thing - NOBODY knows and cannot know for years.  No matter what "they" say - this bill is beast of gargantuan proportions and will be what it will be all on its own.  We'll all have to wait and see what it really, really is decades from now.

So there you have it...  Randall seems to support big insurance, not pick on the Congress, and seems to like the health care bill.  Good Gos, what will happen next?  Stay tuned to find out...

WASHINGTON — Just days after President Obama signed the new health care law, insurance companies are already arguing that, at least for now, they do not have to provide one of the benefits that the president calls a centerpiece of the law: coverage for certain children with pre-existing conditions.

via www.nytimes.com

FT.com Trinity Mirror will not pursue internet paywall strategy + Microsoft to Hold the Word Hostage!

This is important and will effect us all.  There is a debate on what content will be paid for in the future and what will be free on the internet.  Rupert Murdoch wants 100% of it to be paid, others disagree,  Here is an article from the UK's largest media conglom about NOT using a Paywall Strategy.

Where do you stand?  It seems to me that most people will not pay for general news and yet, would pay for very specific news that is critical to them.

Add to this that Microsoft wants to tax the internet this could lead to very big troubles.  Have you thought about the time (and I am predicting it here) when Microsoft hold us hostage for taxes on the net?  Have you thought about how many things they really control?  Do they have a doomsday device built into the software we use that can simply be turned on if we don't pay?  Is Microsoft to big to fail?

via www.ft.com

Swamp Things: Eerie Memories of '06 Haunt Democrats in '10 - The Note

I don't usually promote another writer in this blog, but this article from Rick Klein is one of the best overviews of many of the situations in Washington right now, so I am presenting it to you.

Rick Klein is ABC News' Senior Political Reporter and author of The Note's morning look at the upcoming day in politics. Throughout the day, ABC News' political team contributes to The Note with the very latest news and analysis from the nation's capital.

via blogs.abcnews.com

Stiglitz, Nobel Prize-Winning Economist, Says Federal Reserve System 'Corrupt'

SHOCK!!  Say it ain't so:  The Fed is corrupt?  A privately-owned corporation that does as it pleases?  Who woulda thought...

Nobel laureate economist Joseph Stiglitz, a former senior vice president and chief economist at the World Bank, said that if countries applying for World Bank aid during his time would have presented a financial regulatory system similar to that of America's Federal Reserve, in which regional Feds are partly governed by the very banks they're supposed to police, it would have raised alarms.

via www.huffingtonpost.com

Microsoft exec pitches Internet usage tax to pay for cybersecurity programs

via thehill.com

Fight For The CFPA Is 'A Dispute Between Families And Banks,' Says Elizabeth Warren

Elizabeth Warren is the star of "U R Pre-Approved," the film I directed on credit card debt, the banks, and how you are getting screwed.  You can see the trailers and buy the film at www.urpreapproved.com.

Elizabeth is still fighting for all of us and this article shows why we all have to be very vigilant at all times.

While members of the Senate Banking Committee debate proposals to fix the nation's broken financial system and ineffective approach to protecting consumers, Elizabeth Warren has one message: Pass a strong bill or nothing at all.

via www.huffingtonpost.com

New Credit Card Rules to Take Affect - UR Pre-Approved Movie Targets Credit Card Companies

The movie I directed a couple of years ago, "UR Pre-Approved" (www.urpreapproved.com) helped to change the conversation about what credit card companies and banks can do.  We did win a small battle here, but they win in the end. 

They (the credit card companies) used the time between the bill's passing and when the bill became law to raise rates, issue millions of cards to people who should not have them, and the basically rape Americans. 

Take a look at the trailer for the film and buy the DVD.  It is a good film and will really help you control your debt, work with your banks, and show you the way to have more control and be happy.

Here is an article from Good Morning America you should read.

Next week new credit card provisions from the 2009 Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure Act (CARD) will take effect, making it easier for consumers to understand their credit card bills and how interest charges are determined.

via abcnews.go.com

Are the Airlines Screwing Us, or are We Getting a Good Deal for What We Pay for?

This is the question that is asked a lot these days.  Fees, fees, and more fees.  Blankies and beverages cost money now, and to top it all off, the planes are packed and the food tastes like crap - and they charge us for that too (except Continental, the only airline in the US to provide meals in coach at no cost during normal meal hours).

So are we being screwed or not?  Let's take a look at some facts, first.  I have researched the average ticket prices for a round trip fare from LA to NYC since the 1930's and here's what I found:

1930’s

Usual plane:  Ford Tri-Motor (small Propjopb)

Flight time: 31 hours 45 minutes

Average Cost: $256 RT

in 2010, and counting for inflation the round trip would cost: $3,680.01

 

1940’s and 1950’s

Usual plane:  Douglas DC-6B (propliner)

Flight time:  11 hours 30 minutes

Average cost: $301 RT

in 2010, and counting for inflation the round trip would cost: $2,679.49

 

1960’s and 1970’s

Usual plane: Douglas DC-8 (jet), Boeing 707

Flight time: 6 hours Nonstop

Average cost $326 roundtrip

in 2010, and counting for inflation the round trip would cost:  $1,726.89

 

1980’s and 1990’s

Usual planes: Boeing 727, 737, 757, 767, Airbus A320, A321

Flight time: 8 hours, 30 minutes (one stop)- 6 hours (nonstop)

Average cost: $432

in 2010, and counting for inflation the round trip would cost:   $709.10

 

2010

Boeing 737, 757, 767, Airbus A320, A321

Flight time: 6 hours 18 minutes nonstop, 7 hours 45 minutes one stop

$258 - $374 (checked today February 14, 2010 for a round trip flight LAX to JFK for March, 2010) 

So what does this tell us?  For one, it tells us that plane fares have stayed pretty constant in real dollars, but have gone dramatically down when you consider inflation.  So buck-for-buck we're getting a pretty good deal.

Now, take into account that since the creation of the 707 and the DC8 airline cabins in single aisle aircraft have stayed about the same width, which means there's six seats across.  I know the DC9 and the MD-80 series have five seats, but the seat width is almost exactly the same as the "six-across" airliners.

Okay, so we don't get all the amenities we used to.  But we do get there safely as air accidents are almost unheard of these days compared to the early days of aviation.  It was more glamorous back then, but do you want glamour, or to go cross country for $250?  It's your choice.  If you want a higher level of service, you can fly on the United flights from LA to JFK called "p.s." for Premium Service.  It's a 757 with first class, business class, and economy plus.  Or you can fly American's first class which I have done many times and the service is superb.  Fewer people, better service, higher price; which way do you want it?

I have been on the front lines of keeping track of the airlines are doing right, wrong and everything in between, and I have no issue with them charging fees.  I hate paying more, but they are almost all at the point of needing to create better shareholder value, or there will be less airlines, less competition, and higher prices.

Let's take a look at good old AA.  They are now charging for blankets and pillows and they charge for food, like all airlines do, but Continental.  Okay - so bring your ow blanket, pillow, and food or keep buying food from the airlines and keep using the blankie you just bought from the airline.  I have no problem with this at all.  We, as consumers, voted a long time ago with our dollars that we want cheap airfares and do not want to pay more than bottom dollar, but we want to get there on time and in one piece.  And for the leisure traveler, who is not a frequent flier or loyal to any one airline, fees and service charges are the price of getting to where you are going. With United I am a premium passenger and either get upgraded or at the very worst get Economy Plus seats that have more leg room.  The more loyal you are to an airline, the more loyal they are to you, too.

Now one of my favorite airlines, Southwest, doesn't have pillows, blankets or food.  They do have superior customer service and their team seems to love their jobs.  I think the airlines would have a better time passing these fees, if we the public felt that the employees liked what they do.  Most mainline carriers seem to have a lot of very pissed off employees and that shows in the service and the way they do business.  

So the next time you want to slam an airline (and don't worry you know I will) keep in mind that they are first and foremost a business and if they do their jobs well, we will continue to give them our patronage.  If not, they will just go away like all the rest of the dead airlines of our past.  When you look at some of those dead airlines, though, a few were high-end great airlines and we just didn't want to pay for that level of service.  Look up Max Jet, EOS, and SilverJet for example.

In this case, you get what you pay for and the more you pay, the better the service level, just like the difference from Motel 6 at $30 a night and the Four Seasons at $250 a night.  It's always your choice.

Launching a Payload into Space isn't as Easy as it Looks on TV

Good Sunday to you all.

I know it has been well over a month since my last post and I got all the messages and, yes, I'm fine.  My team and I have been working nearly 'round the clock on some major initiatives like:  Sending a payload into space, a new major internet IPO, a new television program and more.  To put it succinctly, we've burned the candle at both ends and the middle. Whew!  What a ride.  It has also been some of the greatest days of my life.  I wake up early, go to bed late and love every minute of my life. 

Well, the past few days we have been at Spaceport America deep inside the New Mexico desert preparing for our sub-orbital launch.  We spoke with the mission commander, toured mission control, and got up close and personal with the space vehicle and the launch pad.

Here are some stats on the vehicle itself.  It is 20+ feet long, 10 inches in diameter and can carry a payload of 110 pounds into space and back to earth.  The rocket motor is designed and built in Canada and uses the same solid fuel that the NASA Space Shuttle does.

Yesterday we were up at 3am to make our way to the launch site, Launching pad 1 at Spaceport America.  It takes about 2 hours from Las Cruces to get there and about 30 miles is on unpaved "washboard" roads.  Talk about the unintended back massage.

Yesterday the launch went flawlessly.  Exactly at 0800 the countdown reached zero and the launch vehicle screamed from the launch pad and into the sky.  We saw the rocket ignite and the vehicle launch, but there was not sound... Until about 15 seconds later when the sky was filled with the roar of the rocket motor and as the vehicle went up, up, up and out of site.  All that was left was a miles long contrail.  People were cheering and I literally got goose bumps and cried.  These were tears of joy, that man has come so far and created so much that I was at a launch of a space vehicle that was carrying a payload for us.  For the moment that payload is top secret, but I'll reveal that when I can.

David, my partner was there, too which is only right since it was his idea to create a program and payload for this mission. We both worked for months on all the paperwork, the creation of the payload, shipping all of that to the space services company and planning the trip to the Spaceport.

That's David in the photo looking at the vehicle mounted on the "rail."  The rail is like the vehicle's guidance system.  It is  hydraulically operated and on the day of launch the rail will go vertical and so will the vehicle.  We had "crew only" access to the launch pad and the vehicle and when I have the okay to release those photos I will.  When it comes to security and launch vehicles, everyone is very careful.

Back to the story...  About an hour after launch, the launch director told us that the vehicle had failed to reach "space" which is a minimum of 62 miles (the mission was slated to reach 73 miles) above the Earth.  While that was not great news, it almost didn't matter because our payload and the other payloads (University of NM, The Air Force and others) all came back to terra firma intact and safe. 

We will be working with the space services and aerospace company to build another launch vehicle so we may launch our payload again.  Plans are in the works with our space services company to do at least 2 more launches this year and even a deep space mission in 2012.

Well it seems as if I have gone on long enough now, so I'll sign off and tell you more about the IPO and our other programs in a future post.

Be well and I am yours in success,
Randall