The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

Safe and dangerous airports

Which are the safest and which are the most dangerous airports?

In a Feb. 23, 2007 article entitled “America’s Most Dangerous Airports,” Forbes.com editors analyzed data for 452 airports and examined the size of the facility, numbers of takeoffs and landings, and severity of the incidents as categorized by the Federal Aviation Agency.

Since 2001, 108 travelers have died in ground collisions involving commercial airlines, the article reports. Many of the deaths occurred at highly congested airports.

Analysts blame congestion, weather, poor runway design, and pilot error. Many say the problem is only getting worse.

Topping the list of the nation's most dangerous airports are smaller fields relieving bigger congested hubs.

Here ‘s the Forbes list of most dangerous U.S. airports:

1. North Las Vegas – 63 incidents, five serious
2. Charlotte Douglas International – 15 incidents, one serious
3. Long Beach, Calif. – 78 incidents, none serious
4. Phoenix Sky Harbor International – 49 incidents, three serious
5. Los Angeles International – 95 incidents, eight serious
6. Boston-Logan International – 53 incidents, two serious
7. Newark International – 36 incidents, three serious
8. Chicago-O’Hare International – 68 incidents, eight serious
9. Philadelphia International – 36 incidents, two serious
10. Daytona Beach – 15 incidents, four serious
11. Chicago Midway International – 14 incidents, one serious
12. Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International – 14 incidents, four serious (no deaths)

City-Data.com provides this list of the 10 best airports in America:

1. Dallas/Fort Worth International
2. Kansas City International
3. Orlando International
4. Denver International
5. Minneapolis/St. Paul International
6. Atlanta Hartsfield
7. Seattle/Tacoma International
8. Houston Bush
9. Washington Reagan, Wash., D.C.
10. Pittsburgh International

CNN offers this list of the “World’s Worse Airports:”

1. Baghdad International
2. Indira Gandhi International
3. Lukla Airport, Nepal
4. Leopold Sedar Senghor International, Senegal
5. Los Angles International
6. London Heathrow, U.K.
7. Charles de Gaulle International, Paris

Here’s CNN’s take on the best airports in the world:

1. Hong Kong International
2. Changi International, Singapore
   
3. Incheon International Airport, Seoul, South Korea
4. Kuala Lumpur International, Malaysia
5. Munich Airport, Germany

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Which airlines are the safest?

Baby boomers enjoy traveling, so it's important for boomers to consider airline safety.

The airline industry contends flying on a large commercial aircraft is one of the safest forms of transportation.

Consumer groups argue more needs to be done to make air travel safer.

There were 0.2 fatal accidents per 1 million departures in the United States in 2008, compared to 1.4 per 1 million departures in 1989, reports LiveScience.com. A review of the statistics between these years shows an improving trend overall.

The following list shows the five safest airlines in America based on number of accidents per 1 million takeoffs, according to data gathered from the Federal Aviation Administration, MTSM, and the U.S. Department of Transportation and reported on Injury.com.

These numbers are the yearly average from Jan. 1, 2002 to Jan. 1, 2007:

1. US Airways (.89 accidents)

2. Southwest Airlines (2.59 accidents)

3. America West Airlines (2.96 accidents)

4. Continental Airlines (3.17 accidents)

5. Alaska Airlines (3.32 accidents)

Methods vary for comparing air travel to other forms of transportation. Some show cars are safer than airplanes. Others show the opposite.

For information on airline accidents, see the “10 Worst Accidents in North America” on Aviation Safety Network.com.

The Federal Aviation Administration provides a list of countries whose air carriers can’t initiate new service and are restricted to current levels of any existing service to the United States while corrective actions are underway.

The European Union maintains a list of airlines that are banned from serving countries in Europe.

Here are more resources to help you evaluate airline safety:

“Accident and Incident Data” – Federal Aviation Administration

“Aviation Accidents From the Past 10 Years” – Federal Aviation Administration

“Aviation Accidents From More Than 10 Years Ago” -- Federal Aviation Administration

“Safest Airlines and Planes” – Frommer’s

“The Worst Airlines in the World” – HotelClub Travel Blog

“How Safe Are America’s Airlines?” – msnbc.com

“Airlines Record Safest Two Years” – eTN

My next post will be on "Safe and Dangerous Airports."

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Journalist

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

Are discounts for airline tickets a myth?

This fall, I’ll be visiting my daughter in Miami.

It’s time to sign up for an airline ticket, so I thought I’d spend some time on the Web to see if I could find a way to get a cheap ticket.

I know you need to be a wise consumer and start early to get a good price. The longer you wait the more the price goes up.

I called American Airlines and the cheapest ticket they had for dates and times I wanted to travel was $300. My goal was to beat that price.

I began by checking Expedia.com, Cheapflights.com, Orbitz.com, Cheapoair.com, Cheaptickets.com, and Travelocity.com.

The flights on American were consistently $20 less, which is the $20 booking fee that American charges if you call to make a reservation.

If I’d been willing to take a “red eye,” I could have purchased a ticket for about $30 less.

Next I tried coupons. I started out with coupon sites I’d listed in my post “Opportunities Abound for Baby Boomers to Cut Costs With Internet Coupons” because I knew they were reputable sites.

I tried RetailMeNot.com and Coupons.com. I was hopeful when I saw a 10 percent off coupon for American Airlines on RetailMeNot.com. A reviewer said he’d obtained the discount 18 days ago.

But alas. The promotional code didn’t work when I tried to buy a ticket.

Then I found a note on RetailMeNot.com and another coupon Web site that stated American Airlines and another airlines had requested all coupons for the companies be removed.

Next I did a search for an airline coupon on any site. Some sites merely take you to the Promotions section of airline Web sites.

I didn’t find a coupon and even ran across several coupon sites that were considered “dangerous.”

I checked the rewards program for my credit card, but I haven't accumulated enough points to receive a reduction on my ticket. The Safeway rewards program was closed on the weekend, so I couldn't check my point total.

I tried Priceline.com, Yahoo! Travel, AOL Travel, and a consolidator. Same $280 price.

After several hours on the computer, I decided to give up. I put a ticket on hold for $280 through the American Airlines Web site.

The next day, when I went buy the ticket, I discovered that I’d made a mistake. I’d signed up to go on a Tuesday when Wednesday was the day I wanted.

I had to start over.

I decided to get the ticket through Priceline.com. Although I had to leave an hour earlier, I was still able to get the $280 price.

After I completed the details for buying the ticket, a window popped asking if I’d like a 10 percent discount. I laughed and clicked on it.

Priceline said it would upgrade me to a 15 percent discount if I’d join their Great Fun club. I agreed. Membership is free for the first month and $12 a month after that unless I cancel.

I’m to receive a Cash-Back Claim Form that will be e-mailed to me within 72 hours.

We’ll see how that works, whether the form is sent and the check received.

Have you been able to find discount coupons for airline tickets? If so, let me and my readers know where to locate them.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

What’s in your bright, green future?

Alex Steffen, executive editor and cofounder of Worldchanging.com, is a big, green idea guy.

Steffen tracks what’s going on in green innovations and writes essays on the possibilities for the future. The popular book he edited, “Worldchanging: A User’s Guide for the 21st Century,” is a 600-page tome of writings from more than 60 leaders around the world.

Tall, dressed in jeans and a dark blazer with his white shirt untucked, he addressed his audience at the Seattle Green Festival and flung ideas out at them – one after the other.

Steffen sees the possibility of the world becoming choked with people, with the demographic tilting to the old and young.

Four billion people in poverty have seen the American lifestyle on television, and they want to climb up into the middle class. The most watched TV program in the world is “Bay Watch,” and the world’s poor are saying, “I’ll take my version of that.”

Educational opportunities need to be extended to women throughout the world, he said, because when women have choices they have fewer children. If education is provided to every woman, population could see peak this century.

While the poor are “getting rich,” our job is to reinvent what “rich” means, Steffen said. Americans need to consume less of the world’s resources, reduce their impact on the earth, and develop a restorative economy.

“We can do that,” he said, adding “It’s not going to be easy.”

Changes are needed in how:

• Infrastructure is constructed.

• Transportation is provided.

• Minerals are used.

• Waste is handled.

• People live in cities.

Some things that are working:

• Mountain Dwellings near Copenhagen, where livable, suburban apartments are stepping up the “mountain” above the car parking space.

• Huge flowerboxes added to buildings that provide shade and food to eat.

• Yard sharing where people garden in your yard and share the produce with you.

• Street lights that turn off when moonlight reaches a certain intensity.

• Meters in the home so people reduce usage when they see the dial spinning fast.

• Car sharing.

• Bicycle sharing programs such as Bicing in Barcelona.

• Tool sharing through tool banks where you can checkout tools.

• High-end purses and jewelry rentals, such as Seattle’s Bag, Borrow, and Steal.

Things that are operational but need to be improved:

• Google walking maps.

• An iPhone program that will tell you when the next bus is coming.

Ideas for the future:

• A smart grid that can take inputs from electric car batteries and other sources which have extra energy.

• An iPhone readout of how much energy and materials are imbedded in a product you can receive after taking a picture of the product.

• Cell phones that pop into components when heated so all the parts can be recycled.

Steffen said the economy of the future is a high quality of life at a low ecological impact.

“We can do it,” he said, adding a better place can be created than what’s happening now with the destruction of the planet.

“We’re all in this together,” Steffen said. People in balance with the planet will make a life everyone can enjoy.

The Seattle Green Festival is sponsored by the Global Exchange and Green America, formerly Co-op America.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

David Korten calls for new economy based on real values, wealth

If you like Yes! Magazine, you’ll love David Korten’s new book “Agenda for a New Economy: From Phantom Wealth to Real Wealth.”

Korten, cofounder of the Positive Futures Network, electrified his audience at the Seattle Green Festival this weekend with his plan to get America’s financial system on a more socially responsible track.

With the earth in peril, inequality tearing us apart, two wars, and Wall Street still in charge of the economy and money-driven politics, citizens need to take action, Korten said. “We can’t wait for [President] Obama to get us out of this.”

In the new economy Korten envisions, Wall Street will be shut down. President Obama can’t do that without millions of people in the streets to demand our release from Wall Street rule, he said.

The financial crisis is about phantom wealth – modern chits, which are created out of nothing and protected with the demand for no government regulation.

“It’s time to reboot,” Korten said.

Phantom wealth needs to be replaced with real wealth based on real values such as education, land, love, happy, healthy children, satisfying jobs, a sense of worth, a healthy environment, and peace.

We’ve failed to notice that making money for a few, which is supported by public policy, is destroying the wealth of many, he said. People are losing their jobs and homes while corporate executives get huge bonuses from government bailout money.

The Gross National Product is based on consumption – the faster Americans consume, the faster it grows and the rich become richer. New jobs for all are supposed to occur, in the trickle down effect. 

When using GNP to guide the economy, resources are extracted, used up, and disposed of. The country moves into bankruptcy.

What we need instead, Korten said, is to reduce overall consumption and redistribute resources.

“We need to reduce GNP,” he said, adding it’s essential to keeping our nation and species healthy, ending war and converting to peace, changing our economy, getting out of our cars, and going green.

Korten believes we need to set sensible priorities and align our resources accordingly.

The new economy needs to focus on Main Street. The logical foundation is green jobs and sound environmental practices. Healthy Main Street activities need to be accelerated.

The Wall Street economy has disintegrated, and Main Street needs to separate itself from Wall Street with a Declaration of Independence, he said. 

Korten would like to see a social credit money system adopted. Money would be issued by the government to serve the public good. This would strip Wall Street money managers of much of their profits.

No bank should be too big to fail, he said, and no bank should be at risk from the failure of others.
Korten believes large, troubled banks should be nationalized, broken into pieces, and sold to local branches, savings and loans, and credit unions. 

“There’s nothing exotic about this,” he said, adding, it’s the way banks were organized when we were growing up.

Korten also suggests that hedge funds and huge insurance companies be shut down because they serve no useful purpose. 

Korten believes Americans need to begin to have conservations about economic issues and simple living to transform America.

“We have the power to turn the world around for ourselves, our children, and future generations,” Korten said. “You are who you have been waiting for.”

Alice Waters, owner of Chez Panisse in Berkeley, Calif., also spoke at the Green Festival. Tomorrow's post will be "Alice Waters and the Locally Grown, Organic Food Movement."

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Consumer Reports selects top 2009 cars

Each spring, Consumer Reports announces the results of its tests on the latest new cars in an annual auto issue.

Here are its “Top Picks: Best Models of the Year in 10 Categories”:

• Best overall vehicle – Lexus LS 460

• Green car – Toyota Prius

• Family sedan – Honda Accord

• Small sedan – Hyundai Elantra SE

• Upscale sedan – Infiniti G37

• Fun to drive – Mazda MX-5 Miata

• Small SUV – Toyota RAV4

• Midsized SUV – Toyota Highlander                             
  

• Minivan – Toyota Sienna

• Pickup truck – Chevrolet Avalanche

General information on these cars can be found in the online article. Full Ratings and reliability data on all top picks are available to online subscribers of Consumer Reports. You can also visit your local library to read a copy of the April 2009 auto issue or purchase it at bookstores and newsstands.

Other articles in the auto issue include “Best and Worst: The Highs and Lows from Our Testing and Reliability Survey,” “Who Makes the Best Cars?” “Most Bang for the Buck,” “Guide to Great Gear,” “Save Hundreds on Maintenance,” “Ratings: The Best and Worse in All Categories,” “Profiles: Ratings, Reviews, and Specifications,” “Safety: Compare the Best and Worst Models,” “Used Cars: The Most Reliable Models and the Ones to Avoid,” “How Used Cars are Holding Up: Asian Makes Tend to Age More Gracefully,” and “Reliability: Detailed Data on New and Used Models.”

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Flickr Photo

Tips for baby boomers on how to buy auto insurance, carpet, or bicycles and select a kennel, housecleaner, or appliance repairer

One of the best consumer resources available for baby boomers is Checkbook magazine. It provides ratings of local businesses in seven areas of the country: Boston, Chicago, Delaware Valley, Puget Sound, San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose, Twin Cities, and Washington, D.C.

The new Winter/Spring 2009 issue covers these topics:

• Supermarkets: Which stores have the best prices based on a 152-item shopping list.

• Auto Insurance companies: Steps that will help consumers save hundreds of dollars a year, and ratings of companies selling auto insurance.

• Kennels: Local kennels ratings, and a price comparison showing that some of the higher-rated facilities have below-average prices.

• Carpet stores: Stores named that rate best for quality of advice, ease of shopping, reliability of delivery, and quality of installation and that have the best prices.

• Housecleaners: Information on how to decide whether to hire a housecleaning company or an individual housecleaner, a listing of how companies rate for quality and price, and how to avoid a mess with any cleaner.

• Bike shops: A listing of the top shops in the areas for purchases and repairs, and a discussion of online bicycle shopping.

• Major appliance repair: A rating of appliance repair shops, those that receive praise and some that arrive late, miss appointments, overcharge, and fail to get the appliance operating properly after many tries.

Other topics include ratings of upholsterers, window washers, and shoe repair shops.

Checkbook magazine is available for $10 at Barnes & Noble and Borders. Or become a subscriber at www.checkbook.org/ for $30 for two years.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Baby boomer consumers need to know about product recalls

What you don’t know about product safety could kill you.

When I began writing for consumers in 1977, I was on the mailing list of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. I received a news release about a shop light that had killed people and was being recalled.

I showed the information to a family member. Sure enough! It was the recalled light. It was returned to the store for a refund.

It’s important for boomer consumers to regularly obtain information on consumer recalls for their safety and the safety of others in the household.

The question is “How do you keep up with recall information?”

It’s a big task. I’m going to blog weekly about a recall, and include a link for the federal government’s recall site at www.Recalls.gov.

The site offers information on consumer products, motor vehicles, boats, food, cosmetics, and environmental products. You can search by type of product, company, or a specific product.

You can also sign up to receive e-mail recalls from five government agencies.

This week’s recall is stuffed animals and creature toys sold at Old Navy whose eyes can detach and pose a choking hazard for young children. Children should not be allowed to play with the toys. The toys should be returned for a refund.

See the news release from the Consumer Product Safety Commission for details.

My next post will be on "What Do You Need to Do About the Peanut Recall?"

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Thinking of buying a car at the President’s Day sales?

President’s Day sales are usually a big event for car sellers as people have time off, and they may roam car lots and ogle the offerings.

This year, however, car sales are down 25 to 35 percent. U.S. auto makers, unions, and businesses tied to the auto makers are in intense negotiations in Washington trying to figure out what to do about the crisis in the auto industry.

News reports indicate consumers wouldn’t be interested in buying a car from a company that has filed bankruptcy, even if it’s a Chapter 11 which is a reorganization plan.

It’s all part of these Great Recessionary times.

However, if you do have the money, and you’re looking for a car, be sure to take steps so that you’re an informed consumer and can protect yourself. Because of the tough economic times, you may be able to get a good deal. However, dealers and used car lot owners aren’t making nearly the money that they normally do. You can bet they’ll be using their usual techniques to squeeze every cent they can out of you. And, they may even have developed some new antics.

Here are some tips from the Consumer Protection Bureau of the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office on purchasing a new car:

• Shop around to get the best possible price, and be aware that negotiating for the best price is always an option.

• Know the terminology: Invoice price is the manufacturer's initial charge to the dealer, and the base price is the car's cost without options included in the price.

• Determine the trade-in value of your car. Call your bank or credit union to receive an estimate.

• Don't leave a deposit with the dealer if you are still shopping around. Unless the paperwork you’re asked to sign states that the deposit is totally refundable, you are likely to forfeit that money if you choose to purchase from another dealership.

• Make sure any “warranties” that are part of the agreement are fully explained, are necessary, and what they cover is clear.

• Test drive each car you’re considering.

• Compare financing resources in order to get the best rate. Check with credit unions and/or local banks.

• Be aware that verbal representations made by a seller may not be enforceable. Make sure that all the terms of the deal are in writing.

• Consider carefully your two basic payment options, paying cash, in full, and financing. Be aware that you’ll pay more when financing your purchase, depending on the amount of interest. Before signing your name to the purchase agreement, be certain of: what the increased cost of the car will be; the number and amount of monthly payments; the length of the payment; the annual percentage rate; and whether the payments are affordable for your budget.

• Fine out whether there is a “cooling-off period” in your state for car purchases.

If you have a plan, it’s likely that you’ll do much better than shoppers who rely on instinct, impulse, and verbal promises.

For more information, see my article "Watch Out for These Top 10 Auto Scams."

Other resources on President’s Day car sales are:

“How Not to Buy a Car” – Consumer Affairs.com

“February: Best New Car Deals” – Consumer Reports.com

“Uncle Sam Wants You to Buy a Car” – CNN.com

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist