About Rick Seaney, CEO FareCompare

Rick Seaney

Rick Seaney, co-founder of FareCompare.com - is a world-class air travel expert.

FareCompare.com presides over a kingdom of sophisticated software that searches out fares and destinations at a billion combinations per query - while keeping track of 500 airlines serving more than 270,000 markets around the globe.

And all of Rick's data is updated continuously - in real-time.

No wonder he's the media's go-to guy for all things air travel. He's got the answers. And he loves to share his knowledge.

That's why Rick and the team created FareCompare.com - to help everyone become an air travel expert, and get the best deals first -- every time they fly.

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“Billionaire Robbed at Oscar Hotel” Didn’t Follow My Safety Tips

March 8, 2010 | Posted in: Hotels, Travel Safety | 0 comments

hotel safety tips

Poor Pepe Fanjul (he is the billionaire cited in the breathless headline above, as written up in the New York Post).

The Cuban-born sugar baron (again, the Post’s words) was in the Los Angeles area for the Oscar parties when he was robbed in his hotel room, after a worker knocked on his door to say he was there to fix the air conditioner. The loot reportedly included jewelry.

First of all, this happened last Friday night, and it was pretty darn chilly in LA that evening, so one might have been a little suspicious about the need for air conditioner repairs – but in any event, never let a worker into your room without first calling the front desk to verify that he or she is supposed to be there.

Clearly, our billionaire didn’t read my “Do’s and Don’ts for Safer Hotel Stays” or he wouldn’t have brought his valuables in the first place.

Keep reading for more “do’s and don’ts”…

“Billionaire Robbed at Oscar Hotel” Didn’t Follow My Safety Tips

AA’s “Roaming Assistants” Help (but Could Cost You a Bag Fee)

March 8, 2010 | Posted in: Airport, American, Bags, Customer Service, United | 1 comment

American Airlines help bag fee

Did you know? Those folks roaming around the airport with those handheld mobile gizmos could be members of American Airlines’ “Your Assistance Delivered Anywhere” program, and they’re there to help (and United has a similar type program).

They are helpful to passengers: they can provide flight information, assist you with getting on a standby list, that sort of thing. You’ll see American’s assistants in Boston, and now Dallas, Miami, San Juan and New York.

And, not so helpful (but helpful to the airline): if a carryon bag is too big, they’ll help you check it and you will pay (USA Today says American Airlines in part ”sees [the program] as a revenue-generating tool”).

Save yourself some trouble (and money) – get the facts on bag sizes and fees – and pack right, before you run into a “roaming assistant”.

Former Army General Tapped to Lead TSA

March 8, 2010 | Posted in: DOT, News | 0 comments

army general TSA

At ease: Robert Harding spent 33 years in the U.S. Army, then retired to head up his own security firm (a defense and intelligence government contractor), so he might be just the guy to take over as head of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

The president tapped Harding after previous nominee Erroll Southers took himself out of the running because (as CNN put it), “lawmakers questioned his changing explanation about a personnel action taken against him decades ago.”

Gen. Harding spent a lot of time in the military doing intelligence work – let’s hope that stands him in good stead.

United’s “Get First Crack at Bin Space for Carryon” Cheap Deal

March 8, 2010 | Posted in: Airline Fees, Bags, United | 0 comments

United bin space cheap deal

United is offering its Premier Line service at a special rate for a limited time only.

Prices begin at just $9 one-way, and this service includes:

  1. Premier check-in line
  2. Priority security line
  3. Priority boarding

The priority security line is available at most of the big airports, and also at Kansas City, Orange County CA, Phoenix, San Diego and more.

This special price is only available until March 14.

Believe me, I can understand if you resist paying for yet another service – but if lack of overhead bin space is a big concern of yours, this could be a small price to pay.

Fortune Names Southwest to Most Admired Companies List

March 5, 2010 | Posted in: Favorites, List, Southwest | 0 comments

fortune southwest most admired

Southwest Airlines came in at the #12 spot in Fortune’s Top 50 “Most Admired” Companies list.

The next highest airline was Singapore at #27.

Here are the top five:

1. Apple
2. Google
3. Berkshire Hathaway
4. Johnson & Johnson
5. Amazon

You can see the entire list here.

Terry Maxon over at the Airline Biz Blog noticed something a little unusual though; in Fortune’s listings of “most admired” companies by industry, Southwest actually came in behind Singapore, Continental and Delta – but the reporter thinks he knows why: “The Top 50 list is voted on by businesspeople from all industries. The industry lists are voted on by the people from that particular industry.”

In any event, kudos to Southwest.

Women in UK Refuse Body Scanning, are Denied Boarding

March 5, 2010 | Posted in: Airport, DOT, Passengers, Security | 2 comments

UK body scan

Two women at the airport in Manchester, England declined to undergo the full body scan – you know, the somewhat controversial security imaging machine – with the result that neither one was allowed to fly.

According to reports, one refused on religious grounds, the other “cited health grounds.”

In the U.S., you have the right to refuse the body scan – although if you do, you will be subjected to a full pat-down.  

A Solution to “Too Fat to Fly” Controversy: “Demo” Seats

March 5, 2010 | Posted in: Customer Service, Passengers, seats | 0 comments

too fat to fly seats

As I see it, the whole problem with this “too fat to fly” controversy is that it’s so subjective: sometimes an airline will allow a “passenger of size” fly without having to buy a second seat, and, sometimes that same airline will tell that same passenger that that he must buy two seats.

So a large passenger is left with two not-so-hot choices: 

A.) You can gamble that your airline will allow you to fly in a single seat 

  • Drawback: Possible public humiliation, added expense, and getting home late. Director Kevin Smith was allowed to board, but once seated was  ordered off the flight in front of a  planeload of people– and had to spend the money for an additional seat on a later flight

B.) You can proactively purchase two seats

  • Drawback: You’re spending extra money that might not be necessary, since who knows if the airline would flag you as “too fat to fly”

There is simply no way to be sure what will happen. But here’s an idea – and I can’t take credit for it, it comes from a reader of Slate: demo seats.

I am not being facetious, this really could work – after all, it’s the same principle behind sizing carryon bags, so keep reading…

A Solution to “Too Fat to Fly” Controversy: “Demo” Seats

Larry King Survives Airport Security, is Surprised at Changes

March 5, 2010 | Posted in: Passengers, Security | 2 comments

CNN talk show host Larry King supposedly hasn’t flown commercial in a decade – opting for private jets instead – but for some reason, he flew commercial earlier this week to D.C. to host a charity event, and – seemed somewhat shocked at the changes in security.

With apologies to Mr. King, we decided to turn the incident into a “Larry King Live” conversation as imagined by my editor, with an asterisk (*) denoting King’s actual comments, as reported by the Washington Examiner.

Larry King: “Artie in Peoria, hello!”

Artie: “Hi, Larry. Heard you had quite the time with security at the airport. You okay?”

King: “I don’t know, my friend. They made me take off my shoes. Unbelievable.” [King was reported to be "miffed" about this]

Artie: “Well, there was this guy…”

King: “And another thing – I set off an alarm.”

Artie: “Your suspenders, maybe?”

King: “So when you fail the test, which is what I did, I failed the security test, they had to give me the complete body search.”*

Artie: “Been there.”

King: “So I had to stand there with arms [out] and they are talking with me at the same time, ‘loved the show last night, turn over your belt,’ and then they grab you by the privates.”*

Artie: “Ouch.”

King: “They examined me pretty good.”*

*Statements by King as reported in the Washington Examiner.

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