The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

Comparing Airline Performance

As a boomer consumer, what’s your favorite airline? Why do you like it? Is it usually on time? Does it always handle your luggage correctly? Is the staff friendly?

Here is information from “Air Travel Consumer Report February 2009” comparing the performance of different airlines for January to December 2008.

Nineteen airlines are required to report information to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, a part of U.S. Department of Transportation’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration.

The department’s Office of Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings compiles reports from this information. The comparisons below are from this data:

Flight delays – Percentage of on-time arrivals

Three highest

1. HAWAIIAN AIRLINES – 90%
2. SOUTHWEST AIRLINES – 80.5%
3. US AIRWAYS – 80.1%

Three lowest

17. UNITED AIRLINES – 71.6%
18. COMAIR – 69.9%
19. AMERICAN AIRLINES – 69.8%

Mishandled baggage – Reports per 1,000

Lowest rates of mishandled baggage

1. AIRTRAN AIRWAYS – 2.87
2. HAWAIIAN AIRLINES – 2.97
3. JETBLUE AIRWAYS – 3.47 

Highest rates of mishandled baggage

17. COMAIR – 8.32 
18. ATLANTIC SOUTHEAST AIRLINES – 9.82 
19. AMERICAN EAGLE AIRLINES – 9.89

Oversales – Involuntary denied boardings per 10,000 passengers

Fewest denied boardings

1. JETBLUE AIRWAYS – 0.01 
2. HAWAIIAN AIRLINES – 0.07
3. AIRTRAN AIRWAYS – 0.34

Most denied boardings

16. AMERICAN EAGLE AIRLINES – 2.44
17. COMAIR – 3.41
18. ATLANTIC SOUTHEAST AIRLINES – 3.89

Consumer Complaints – Complaints per 100,000 enplanements

Fewest complaints

1. SOUTHWEST AIRLINES – 0.25
2. EXPRESSJET AIRLINES – 0.42
3. ALASKA AIRLINES – 0.45

Most complaints

17. DELTA AIR LINES – 1.80
18. UNITED AIRLINES – 1.85
19. US AIRWAYS – 2.01

How did your favorite airline rank in these listings? If you didn’t see it, check the report for details.

In October, the bureau began gathering data on tarmac delays. I didn’t include information on this because statistics for 2008 aren’t available.

For information on tarmac delays for February 2009, see this news release from the bureau.

FlyersRights.org, an air passengers' rights group, doesn’t think the bureau statistics on tarmac delays are accurate. 

In a report, the “2008 Real Air Travel Consumer Report Card,” the group said there were more than 1,200 tarmac strandings – in which passengers are locked in planes on the runways – in 2008.

The report card is based on government statistics, press reports, airline website data, FlyersRights hotline reports, and eye witness accounts provided by the group’s coalition members for the period from January 2008 through December 2008. (Click on 2008 Report Card on the left side of the Web page under “Events” to find the pdf report.)

In the FlyersRights’s report, Delta, JetBlue, American, US Airways, and Comair received the grade of "F" for tarmac delays of four-plus hours.

United Airlines and Atlantic Southeast got a "C." Alaska, Northwest, Frontier, Hawaiian, and Southwest received an "A."

My next posts will be on “Which Airlines Are the Safest?” and “Safe and Dangerous Airports.”

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Was airline performance better or worse in 2008?

How were your experiences with airline travel during 2008 as a boomer consumer?

Were more of your flights late or canceled? Was your luggage lost more times? Was the food – what little there is these days – worse?

A report from a federal agency shows that 19 airlines reporting data on performance improved in most areas during 2008 when compared to 2007.

On-time performance

The on-time performance of the nation’s largest airlines improved in 2008 compared to the previous year, according to the "Air Travel Consumer Report" prepared by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The 19 carriers reporting on-time performance recorded an overall on-time arrival rate of 76 percent for January through December 2008, up from 2007’s 73.4 percent rate, according to information filed with the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, a part of the department’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration.

Mishandled baggage

For all of last year, the carriers posted a mishandled baggage rate of 5.26 per 1,000 passengers, an improvement over 2007’s rate of 7.05.

Bumping

In 2008, the 19 U.S. carriers had a bumping rate of 1.10 per 10,000 passengers, down from the 1.12 rate for 2007.

Complaints about airline service

For all of last year, the department received 10,643 air service complaints, 19.2 percent fewer than the 13,180 complaints filed in 2007.

Complaints about treatment of disabled passengers

For all of last year, the department received 474 disability-related complaints, down 2.9 percent from the total of 488 received in 2007.

Complaints about discrimination

For all of last year, the department received 115 discrimination complaints, up 16.2 percent from the total of 99 filed in 2007.

If you’ve had a problem with an airline, you can file a complaint in writing with the Aviation Consumer Protection Division, U.S. Department of Transportation, C-75, W96-432, 1200 New Jersey Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C. 20590; by voice mail at 202-366-2220 or by TTY at 202-366-0511; or on the Web at airconsumer.dot.gov.

If you want on-time performance data for specific flights, you can call an airline’s reservation number or a travel agent. This information is available on the computerized reservation systems used by these agents.

The Air Travel Consumer Report is available on the department’s Web site at airconsumer.dot.gov.

Reductions in airline delays and other improvements in 2008 are due to flight cutbacks caused by fuel prices and the economic downturn and the decline in passenger traffic, said U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General Calvin Scovel III in written testimony prepared for the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee's Subcommittee on Aviation.

The testimony indicated that it's expected airline performance will decline again when air travel picks up and airports and flights become more crowded.

My next posts will be on “Comparing Airline Performance,” “Which Airlines Are the Safest?” and “Safe and Dangerous Airports.”

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Watch out for trouble with firm handling liquidation at Ritz Camera stores

Ritz Camera will be closing 300 of its 700 of stores soon and offering liquidation sales.

If you love photos like I do, it sounds like a good opportunity to get a great bargain. Right? Wrong.

The firm handling the Ritz liquidations is the same firm that recently closed down Circuit City stores.

The Great American Group, SB Capital Group, Tiger Capital Group, and Hudson Capital Partners did a poor job selling Circuit City stock, according to the article “No Deals: Notorious Cabal to Oversee Ritz Camera Liquidations” on The Consumerist.com.

Scott Carpenter, executive vice president for Great American of Woodland Hills, said the discounts would begin at 10 percent to 20 percent off, depending on the category of merchandise.

“Then we will progress to 20 percent off, 30 percent off all the way to 90 percent off. We think it will take about seven to nine weeks," Carpenter said. The group said that about $50 million in merchandise would be liquidated.

But The Consumerist advises shoppers to be wary.

The liquidators reset all prices to manufacturer suggested retail price, which is considerably higher than most sale prices, and then apply discounts to the higher price point, The Consumerist reports. Even with 30 percent discounts, you can still find better prices online or at other local retailers, ones who issue refunds and are subject to state consumer protection laws.

Ritz Camera, based in Beltsville, Md., filed for bankruptcy protection in February after growing to a chain of more than 800 stores since its start as a single store in Atlantic City, N.J., in 1918.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide Recall of the Week: Yamaha Rhino off-road recreational vehicles

A free repair program to address safety issues with all Rhino 450, 660, and 700 model off-highway recreational vehicles is underway.

Yamaha Motor Corp. U.S.A., of Cypress, Calif., also has agreed to voluntarily suspend sale of these models immediately until repaired, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Consumers should immediately stop using these recreational vehicles until the repair is installed by a dealer, the commission recommends.

The commission staff has investigated more than 50 incidents involving these three Rhino models, including 46 driver and passenger deaths involving the Rhino 450 and 660 models. More than two-thirds of the cases involved rollovers and many involved unbelted occupants. Of the rollover-related deaths and hundreds of reported injuries, some of which were serious, many appear to involve turns at relatively low speeds and on level terrain.

About 120,000 of the 450 and 660 model Rhinos have been distributed nationwide since fall 2003. Some units have been equipped by Yamaha with half doors and additional passenger handholds, either before or after sale.

Yamaha’s repair includes the installation of a spacer on the rear wheels as well as the removal of the rear anti-sway bar to help reduce the chance of rollover and improve vehicle handling, and continued installation of half doors and additional passenger handholds where these features haven’t been previously installed to help keep occupants’ arms and legs inside the vehicle during a rollover and reduce injuries.

Owners of the affected Rhinos should stop using them and call their dealer to schedule an appointment to have repairs made once they are available and to take advantage of a free helmet offer, the commission said in a statement about the recall.

Yamaha is also voluntarily implementing the same repair program and suspension of sale for the Rhino 700 model, in order to ensure customer satisfaction. Consumers should stop riding in the 700 model until it’s repaired, the commission said. About 25,000 Rhino 700s are part of this repair program.

When repairs have been made to their vehicles, Rhino users should always wear their helmet and seatbelt and follow the safety instructions and warnings in the on-product labels, owner’s manuals, and other safety materials, the commission advises.

The Rhino is only recommended for operators age 16 and older with a valid driver’s license. All passengers must be tall enough to place both feet on the floorboard with their back against the seat back.

For additional information, contact Yamaha at 800-962-7926 anytime, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.yamaha-motor.com.

For more information on recent recalls, see www.Recalls.gov.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide Recall of the Week: Maytag, other refrigerators

This week, the recall notices were so interesting I had a difficult time picking one to feature. I finally decided on the big one.

About 1.6 million Maytag®, Jenn-Air®, Amana®, Admiral®, Magic Chef®, Performa by Maytag®, and Crosley® brand refrigerators are being recalled due to a possible fire hazard.

Manufactured by Maytag Corp., of Newton, Iowa, the refrigerators may have a defective relay, the component that turns on the refrigerator’s compressor, and an electrical failure in the relay can cause overheating and pose a serious fire hazard, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Maytag has received 41 reports of refrigerator relay ignition, including 16 reports of property damage ranging from smoke damage to extensive kitchen damage.

The recall includes certain Maytag®, Jenn-Air®, Amana®, Admiral®, Magic Chef®, Performa by Maytag®, and Crosley® brand side by side and top freezer refrigerators. The affected refrigerators were manufactured in black, bisque, white, and stainless steel.

They have model and serial numbers printed on a label located on the top middle or left upper side of the refrigerator liner.

Refrigerators with freezers on the bottom are not included in this recall.

Manufactured in United States, the refrigerators were sold at department and appliance stores and by homebuilders nationwide from January 2001 through January 2004 for between about $350 and $1,600.

Consumers should immediately contact Maytag to determine if their refrigerator is included in the recall and to schedule a free in-home repair. Consumers should not return the refrigerator to the retailer where it was purchased.

For more information, contact Maytag toll-free at 866-533-9817 anytime, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.repair.maytag.com.

For information on other recent recalls, see www.Recalls.gov.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Drug company argues woman who lost her arm shouldn’t have right to sue

A musician whose arm was amputated after gangrene resulted from an improper injection with an anti-nausea drug filed a lawsuit against Wyeth Pharmaceuticals.

Wyeth argued it shouldn’t be held liable since the label had been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled six to three that federal law doesn’t prevent plaintiffs from suing drug companies in state court. The ruling upheld a Vermont jury’s $6.7 million award to Diana Levine, who played the guitar until the amputation.

Levine received an injection of Wyeth’s Phenergan when she went to a local health clinic in 2000. The physician’s assistant injected the drug into an artery instead of a vein, causing the gangrene.

As a result of the decision, consumers now have greater standing to sue drug companies when drugs kill or cause severe injuries, according to the article “Supreme Court Upholds Consumers’ Right to Sue Drug Companies in State Court” on Consumer Affairs.com.

See the articles for details.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Is drywall from China making people sick?

Drywall manufactured in China and installed in Florida is the subject of a class action lawsuit.

The drywall may be emitting sulfuric odors, possibly exposing people to respiratory health problems, according to the article “Chinese Drywall a Threat to Homeowners?” on Consumer Affairs.com. The emissions can also corrode air conditioning coils and wiring, posing a potential risk of electric fire.

Nearly 100 complaints have been submitted by Florida residents to the state Department of Health about problems with drywall.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is conducting an investigation.

The suit accuses Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin Co. Ltd., a China-based producer, of using fly ash, a waste material from Chinese power plants, in manufacturing the drywall, according to the article.

For details on the lawsuit, see Defective Chinese Drywall Lawsuit.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Watch out for these top 10 auto scams

It’s difficult to buy a car these days.

Deciding what you want. Scraping up the money. Trudging through all the car lots in town. Dealing with rude, overbearing salesmen. Getting a no, no, no from the manager when you want to negotiate a price reduction.

All these are tough and stressful, but as the transaction goes down, you also need to be aware of scams the dealer, used car lot, or private seller may have up their sleeves.

The Utility Consumers’ Action Network, a public interest consumer advocacy organization, offers a listing of scams in its article “Top 10 Auto Scams.”

Scam 1. Negative equity/trade-in overestimate.

Scam 2. Inflated monthly payments called packing.

Scam 3. Rewritten contracts/backdating.

Scam 4. Obligations contained in more than one document.

Scam 5. The deferred down payment scam.

Scam 6. The advertised price is changed.

Scam 7. Not providing a contract in another language is the lease or purchase is primarily negotiated in it.

Scam 8. Not providing the whole truth about used cars.

Scam 9. Used cars sold as new cars.

Scam 10. “Certified” used cars don’t meet the standards the seller advertised.

See the article for details on each type of scam.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

100 ways baby boomers can improve their lives in 2009

It’s often difficult to remain cheerful in these turbulent economic times. News of more job layoffs. Banks and other financial institutions continuing to have problems. Businesses closing.

Although the news can be discouraging, it’s important to think through what’s positive in your life and how to get more joy and satisfaction.

Here are 50 ways to improve your life this year:

 

Health

• Read novels to reduce stress.

• Walk, walk, walk.

• Use less toxic products, especially for cleaning your home and on your body.

• Eat more vegetarian meals.

• Plant fruit trees.

• Buy organic food.

• Talk honestly to your doctor about your health needs.

• Try yoga.

Community

• Talk to your neighbors.

• Find a rewarding volunteer activity.

• Move to a walkable neighborhood.

• Contribute to your city or county government.

• Take a walk in a park once a week.

Finances

• Compare prices before you buy.

• Pay off your credit cards.

• Complain when something you buy or a service isn’t right.

• Figure out ways to simplify your life.

• Read Suze Orman's 2009 Action Plan: Keeping Your Money Safe and Sound.”

 

Joy

• Read “Finding Joy: 101 Ways to Free Your Spirit and Dance With Life” by Charlotte Davis Kasl.

• Sign up for the lessons you’ve always wanted to take.

• Say “I love you” to someone you love every day.

• Have coffee or lunch with a friend you haven’t seen in a while.

• Relax by soaking in the bathtub.

• Laugh out loud.

• Sleep in once a week.

• Hold a baby.

• Remember to get as much joy as you can from the present, rather than worrying about the past or future.

• Visit a farm.

• Watch movies that are fun.

• Stop being a perfectionist.

• Visualize daily what you’d like your life to be like.

• Surround yourself with people who are positive.

• Spend a realistic amount of time using the computer.

• Don’t think about work when you leave for the day.

• Pursue your dreams.

• Enjoy the wonders of nature.

• Give up nagging.

• Figure out ways to enjoy your children more.

• Reduce the amount of television you watch.

• Take care of yourself.

• Don’t dwell on your mistakes.

• Pace yourself.

• Be open to new ideas and activities.

• Let go of disappointments and negative people from the past.

Home

• Turn on your favorite music when you clean house.

• Organize one spot or cupboard in your house weekly.

• Use lights and plants to make your home more enjoyable.

• Remodel a room.

• Buy a pretty new bedspread.

• Organize your photos.

• Recycle.

Here are additional suggestions from the article “50 Ways to Improve Your Life in 2009” in U.S. News and Reports:

Money

• Recycle old gadgets for cash.

• Choose “Obama” stocks.

• Advance your career online.

• Put your cash in safe accounts.

• Start your own nonprofit.

• Drink screw-topped wines.

• Lose the ‘microwave’ mentality.

• Make friends at work.

• Watch television free online.

• Try that home before buying.

Health

• Bike to work.

• Use glass to store food.

• Take an afternoon nap.

• Get paid for good health.

• Walk the cravings away.

• Get a new toothbrush.

• Move to Vermont.

• Get your eyes checked.

• Add obstacles to your jog.

• Get fit as you get older.

The brain

• Read Edgar Allan Poe

• Publish your book yourself.
  

• Go back to school for new skills.

• Study philosophy.

• Save that November 5 newspaper.

• Silence noise pollution.

• Finish a crossword puzzle.

• Start using Twitter.

• Learn Russian

• Keep a “clothes hanger” journal.

The world around you

• Learn about Abraham Lincoln.

• Plant a square-foot garden.

• Hypermile when you drive.

• Help those hit by the recession.

• Switch to a push mower.

• Air dry your laundry.

• Practice spreading tolerance.

• Ditch the phone while driving.

• Get your news online.

• Buy laptops for kids.

 

Play

• Learn to play bridge.

•  Visit Alaska.

• Celebrate the life of Miles Davis.

• Take a “staycation.”

• “Geotag” your digital photos.

• Watch the Beatles “Let It Be.”

• Teach your kids to cook.

• Play a fake musical instrument.

• Read the book before you see the movie.

• Try your hand at pottery.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Top health stories of 2008

Because baby boomers are health conscious, I’ve been looking for a listing of 2008’s best health news, but haven’t been able to find a consumer-oriented one.

“In Case You Missed It: What Happened in Health in 2008,” the cover story for the December 2008 issue of the Health Letter, arrived in the mail and solved my problem with its consumer-point-of-view article. The newsletter is produced by the Public Citizen Health Research Group, a consumer research, education, and advocacy organization.

Here are the Public Citizen Health Research Group’s the top health stories:

• A study showed that Vytorin (combining Zetia and Lipitor) worked no better than Zocor alone – which costs 1/16 as much in its generic version simvastatin – in reducing artery plaque that can lead to heart attacks.

• A California meat company was forced to order the largest beef recall in U.S. history. “Downer” cows, which are unable to walk, were being slaughtered. The use of these cows as food for humans is banned by the U.S. Department of agriculture.

• The deaths of 81 people from heparin, a blood thinner, imported from China drew attention to the problem of contaminated drugs from China. As a result of the problems with imported drugs, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration received additional funding for monitoring. In 2007, the FDA had only conducted 14 inspections in China although 714 establishments there sell drugs to U.S. firms.

• The clotting drug Trasylol was taken off the market by Bayer after the FDA wasn’t able to identify any group in which the benefits of the drugs were outweighed by the risks. The drug is used during heart surgery.

• The vote by the New York City Board of Health to list calories on menus and menu boards was reaffirmed.

• The number of physicians in the U.S. who favor national health insurance has increased to 59 percent. It was 49 percent five years ago.

• Canada banned the use of BPA in baby bottles. BPA is a widely used chemical in hard plastic food containers. After convening a task force to develop recommendations, the FDA released a draft report upholding the current safety standards for BPA in food. The agency’s recommendation was based on two studied conducted by the food industry.

• Life expectancy declined between 1983 and 1999 in certain U.S. counties. Among women, the decline was due to increases in diabetes and lung cancer. For men, HIV infection and homicide were the cause.

• Problems with the U.S. system for monitoring food safety were revealed when tainted tomatoes and jalapeno peppers affected more than 1,200 people in 43 states in a salmonella poisoning outbreak.

• The FDA was given authority by Congress to regulate tobacco products.

• The FDA guidelines for using experts on its advisory committees with potential conflicts of interest were tightened.

• Infant formula tainted with melamine, an industrial chemical used to artificially increase the protein content of products, caused several deaths and more than tens of thousands of cases of illness in China. The Chinese government kept journalists from publicizing the story until after the Olympic Games.

• A provision in the bailout package will require health care insurers to provide the same coverage for mental health services that are provided for physical health services beginning in 2010. An estimated 113 million people will be affected.

• The American Diabetes Association is advising against the use of Avandia – generic name rosiglitazone – because of the drug’s serious risks, including liver failure and an increased risk of heart attacks, heart failure, bone fractures, anemia, and macular edema with vision loss.

To obtain a copy of the December 2008 issue of Health Letter, send a check for $3, payable to Public Citizen, to Health Letter, 1600 20th Street N.W., Washington, DC 20009 or call 202-588-1000 for more information or to order by credit card. An annual subscription for 12 issues of the Health Letter is available for $18.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist