May 31, 2012


AIRLINES NOW CHARGING FOR SEAT ASSIGNMENTS AS SEARCH FOR PROFITS DISTRESSES FAMILIES

The family that travels together often likes to sit together.

However, hopping on an airplane together today may find the family scattered about the plane, rather than sitting in adjacent seats.

Airlines increasingly are charging more for their window and aisle seats, at rates that can be as high as $25 or more. The for-sale seats are usually near the front of the plane; some have extra leg room.

The family plight becomes acute when travelers from the Carolinas, for example, are taking their young children with them to Disney World in Orlando.

Six-year-olds sitting in a middle seat between strangers is no way to start a memorable first-time vacation.

While gate agents will often try to help in such situations, the only way to guarantee it won’t happen is to advance buy seats. Some airlines, like Delta, Frontier and United have increased the percentage of seats requiring an extra fee.

American and US Airways charge for Premium window and aisle seats near the front of the plane.

Last year a record 86% of seats were filled with paying passengers, with remaining seats often filled with frequent fliers and off-duty airline staff, according to John P. Heimlich, chief economist for the industry trade group Airlines for America, who has been quoted as predicting planes will be slightly fuller this year.

Passengers, once aboard, can always politely ask if someone will switch seats so a family can be together.

While airlines are entitled to earn as much revenue as they can while offering the quickest service from point A to point B in a competitive market, there is a financial breaking point and a hassle index that keeps increasing.

Remember the days when there was no charge for seats and baggage, sodas, blankets, pillows and snacks were free?

Families may want to carefully weigh the cost of driving and time lost traveling highways that may be congested with the advantage of traveling together. Travel agents can help in analyzing your choices.

Never was the admonition “caveat emptor” – buyer beware – more relevant when booking a family flight today.​

Published: 5/31/2012  10:00 AM | 0  Comments | 0  Links to this post




May 29, 2012


HURRICANES AND GASOLINE PRICES

The good news this hurricane season is that it is supposed to be “normal” according to The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The six-month season begins June 1 and runs through November 1.

While “normal” means 9 to 15 tropical storms with four to eight becoming hurricanes, the constant uncertainty about where they might occur is what worries those who watch gasoline prices in the Carolinas.

The threat of a hurricane hitting the Gulf of Mexico, even if it doesn’t occur, will send prices upward in North and South Carolina because 85-95% of our gasoline comes from Gulf Coast refineries getting their crude oil from drilling stations in the Gulf.  If a hurricane does hit those oil drilling platforms, or come ashore where the refineries are, gasoline prices will spike upward.

That’s the only current negative when it comes to gasoline prices today.

Prices have been declining in both states since early April and should continue to decline through the first several weeks of summer. Prices are currently trending 20 cents or more below last year’s prices.

The reasons are several.

They include relative calm in the Mid-East (Iran has stopped threatening to block oil supplies in the Strait of Hormuz); once booming economies are slowing (China, Brazil); the Euro is suffering due to European Union financial challenges (a weak Euro discourages speculation in crude oil futures) and oil inventory is plentiful at a time when the U.S. driving demand is slightly less (1% to 2%) that last year.

So enjoy it while you can. 

We probably won’t get down to $3 a gallon in North Carolina this year but we also didn’t reach $4 a gallon earlier this year.

South Carolina, with its low gasoline tax (16 cents a gallon compared to 38.9 cents in North Carolina), has a shot at hitting $3 a gallon or less this summer. During the just passed Memorial Day weekend, the Palmetto State had the lowest average gasoline price in the nation.​

Published: 5/29/2012  10:00 AM | 0  Comments | 0  Links to this post




May 24, 2012


PICKING THE RIGHT CAR TO BUY- A SUBCOMPACT SHOWDOWN

Not long ago, USA Today rated seven subcompacts to determine the best, including such things as first impressions, ergonomics, handling, value and gas mileage.

Before divulging their results, consider these things whenever you shop for a new (or used) vehicle:

  • Determine how much you can afford
  • Make sure you are buying a vehicle that reflects your driving habits (commuter or traveler)
  • List features you want
  • Consider depreciation costs (the biggest annual expense for a new car) and maintenance costs
  • Check safety ratings
  • Seek recommendations/reviews, and remember financing is a big profit center for dealers (pre-approved financing helps your negotiating position in new vehicle buys).

So when gasoline prices are scary and better mileage per gallon becomes an irresistible lure, carefully take these points into consideration.

Finally, here are the USA TODAY results.

The USA Today winner was the Honda Fit and second place was the Kia Rio (which I would have picked as number one because it handles beautifully).

Third was the Hyundai Accent, followed by the Chevrolet Sonic, the Ford Fiesta, the Toyota Yaris and lastly, the Nissan Versa, the cheapest of the bunch at under $13,000. The rest are all in the $15,000-$16,000 base price range.
​

Published: 5/24/2012  10:00 AM | 0  Comments | 0  Links to this post




May 22, 2012


NORTH CAROLINA POLITICANS TO KICK THE STATE'S GAS TAX FUNDING DOWN THE ROAD

In a politically charged year, gasoline taxes are an easy target, even when the price of a gallon of gasoline is dropping. On Monday, May 21, 2012 the average price of gasoline in the state was $3.562 cents, down 22.2 cents from the same day a year ago.

During the short session of the North Carolina legislature now taking place, there is agreement between House Republicans and Democratic Governor Bev Perdue to cap the gas tax. It was discussed last year but legislators couldn’t agree on a single bill.

The gas tax currently gets adjusted twice a year based on the average six-month price of wholesale fuel. The current tax is 38.9 cents a gallon but could drop to as low as 37 cents due to the continuing price decline for wholesale fuel.

It’s popular to cap the gas tax. It is also postponing a growing problem. The Department of Transportation has been dealing with annual shortfalls ranging from $350 million to $500 million. It receives the bulk of its funding from the gasoline tax for highway needs. 

It’s will create future indebtedness for the citizens of North Carolina because lowering the state tax will leave less money to maintain and repair highways and bridges. The state is already well below the national average for the condition of its bridges and roads, which are continuing to deteriorate at an increasing rate.

The solution: Find out first how the state will recoup the money lost by capping the gas tax. There have been at least three legislative studies making suggestions that were politically unpopular and not enacted.

The cap is popular but it is wrong for public policy makers to ignore the ramifications without any concrete solutions.

The end result is going to be drivers complaining about rough roads and bad bridges with not enough money available to meet the state’s needs. ​

 

Published: 5/22/2012  10:00 AM | 0  Comments | 0  Links to this post




May 17, 2012


Traveling Charlotte to Atlanta: Car or Plane?

Whether it is quicker (and it’s obviously cheaper) to drive from Charlotte to Atlanta was put to the test this past weekend when AAA sent four teams -  two flying, two driving – door-to-door from Charlotte to Atlanta.

It produced dual winners with one driving team beating the plane flight door-to- door by nine minutes while the other competing team had the plane beating the car door-to-door by five minutes.
All team members leaving Charlotte to the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Buckhead did it in approximately 4 hours. The fastest time in a car was four hours and the longest time was four hours 16 minutes taking a U.S. Airways flight.

While the time was fairly close, the costs were very different- almost an average of $600 more to fly round trip. This summer roadways will be busier than last year with the costs of flying at an all time high and gasoline costs dropping in mid-May to 20 cents cheaper than the same time last year.

AAA expects 85 to 90 percent of travelers this Memorial Day to drive to their destination.

Charlotte is a top five city for visitors to Atlanta. Our trip (I was one of the drivers) proved time is about the same to drive versus flying with airport parking, shuttle, baggage check-in, security, going to baggage claim, getting your rental car and driving to your destination.

However, there is downtime at the airport to relax, read a book or conduct some business, while as a driver I had to give full attention to the road during the drive, especially in Atlanta’s legendary traffic.
Clearly, cost analysis and hassle-factors will need to be individually computed when vacationers travel several hours from home this summer.

Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson airport is the world's busiest; Charlotte Douglas is the 11th busiest in the U.S.

For the race, one couple flew Delta; the other couple flew U.S. Airways. One driving team drove a 2012 Range Rover Sport, getting 18.6 miles per gallon. The other drive team got 26 miles per gallon driving a 2006 Lexus h400.

The average cost for the two flying teams was $691. The average cost for the two drive teams, which drove with traffic never exceeding more than 5 miles mover the speed limit, was $96.

Atlanta Race Results May 2012.jpg

All trips were door-to-door from AAA Car Care Centers in Ballantyne and WT Harris to the AAA Four Diamond rated Grand Hyatt Hotel – Buckhead. Team members then spent the weekend exploring Atlanta with an Altanta CityPASS, a discount booklet for five top Atlanta attractions that bypasses long lines, is good for nine days and shaves 45% off the regular admission price of $126.20 for adults and $99.60 for children or $69 and $49, respectively.​

Published: 5/17/2012  10:00 AM | 0  Comments | 0  Links to this post




May 15, 2012


BILLBOARDS VERSUS TREES- THE WINNER - BILLBOARDS

Under a new North Carolina law passed last year, billboard companies now have a much stronger likelihood of removing trees or vegetation to allow a 340-foot window from the highway to the billboard.

Permits are issued by the state Department of Transportation to clear shrubbery and trees that obstruct the view of the billboard and local ordinances can no longer be used to prohibit such clearing.

The days when Lady Bird Johnson vilified billboards as she tried to improve the scenery along interstates and other roadways, has dissipated. Today, the Highway Beautification Act has lost its teeth.

On the other hand billboard companies are more environmentally sensitive than when the bill was passed in 1965. Today, companies like Adams Outdoor Advertising, which requests permission to cut trees for better viewing of billboards along major North Carolina interstates, often cites plans to re-plant more trees than they cut down.

I think everyone has seen a billboard with an advertisement or message they remember. Of course, much of the time I think I would rather see a tree.​

Published: 5/15/2012  10:00 AM | 0  Comments | 0  Links to this post




May 10, 2012


CHAPEL HILL IS TEMPORARILY BANNED FROM ENACTING IT’S BAN ON ALL CELL PHONE USE WHILE DRIVING

Chapel Hill broke ground with the Council’s passage last month banning all cell phone use while driving but a towing company hauled the case to court and won an injunction against the city’s enactment of the new ordinance.

For those who recognize the dangerous distraction conversations have on a driver’s attention to driving, it was a clear defeat. For those who have incorporated cell phone use in conducting their business, it was a clear victory.

An ordinance the hyper-active Council passed in February required towing companies to place numerous signs on tow lots and make calls to police every time a vehicle is towed, which would violate the cell phone law.

The no cell phone use while driving ordinance was passed in April, receiving national attention as the first of its kind and was due to go into effect June 1.

However, Orange County (where Chapel Hill is located) Superior Court Judge Orlando Hudson blocked both ordinances from being enacted in an order signed May 8.

The City Council, which divided 5 to 4 in passing the no cell phone use ban, choose not to take to heart an advisory letter from the North Carolina Attorney General’s office that the Council had no authority to enact the ban.

An appeal of the temporary injunction may be filed by the city and there may be more legal wrangling over who has the right to do what.

The bottom line is the City Council was right in wanting to restrict cell phone use while driving. The state already has a ban on texting while driving and may eventually ban hand-held phone use while driving.

No one argues they drive more safely while talking on the phone but a driver talking on a hand-held phone clearly faces a slower reaction time in an emergency than someone who already has both hands on the wheel.

Ten years ago, our country had a chance to stifle all phone use while driving but we ignored the successes in Europe and elsewhere and delayed any meaningful action until everyone had a cell phone and wanted to stay connected, even while driving a car. It has become an essential operating tool for thousands of businesses.

Can we put the Genie back in the bottle? I think the bell has rung and it can’t be unrung, especially with Bluetooth and the endorsement of that technology by the automotive manufacturers.

To all those who support an absolute ban, let’s at least stop hand-held cell phone use while driving. That alone appears to be an insurmountable political hurdle.
​

Published: 5/10/2012  10:00 AM | 0  Comments | 0  Links to this post




May 08, 2012


FOR WHOM THE DOLLARS TOLL- N.C. TURNPIKE AUTHORITY PLAYS TOUGH BUT TECHNOLOGY HAS SOME TROUBLES

Less than five months into its existence, the 3.7-mile toll portion of the Triangle Expressway (TriEx) has suffered some growing pains, from billing motorists who owe small funds and hitting them with onerous late fees to failing to read Quick Pass stickers purchased by motorists to show they paid in advance to use the toll road.

The struggles by the N.C. Turnpike Authority to get it right have been chronicled by Bruce Siceloff, the Raleigh News and Observer Road Worrier columnist.

First it was you use the road but don’t pay, the N.C. Turnpike Authority will make you wish you had.

Siceloff wrote about a 67-year-old medical technology consultant who ignored the first toll bill of $1.54. Then another bill came with a $6 late fee plus another 77 cents for another trip on the road.

After forgetting to pay, a third bill came with another $6 late fee plus a $25 civil penalty for a total of $42.01, of which $5.01 was for using the toll road.

That policy will add up to big bucks for the Toll Authority since Siceloff’s interview with the N.C. Turnpike Authority’s operations director showed 30 percent of the 5,300 daily users of the turnpike fail to pay bills they receive on time.

The latest problem unearthed by Siceloff showed users of the road who bought transponders where being billed for not paying their tolls because the camera couldn’t or didn’t read the transponder.

Those who buy the Quick Pass transponders typically pay 35 percent less for their tolls and have an account with the Toll Authority, which deducts the toll amounts.

But they are not always being read, frustrating motorists who then get zapped with a charge.

Both instances show why motorists develop antipathy towards tolling authorities.

Clearly, toll roads are going to be part of America’s future transportation infrastructure and turnpike authorities have an obligation to collect their fees to pay for their construction and operation. And being efficient is a worthy goal.

However, maybe a phone call along the way would give the non-transponder motorist a head’s up and save some postage fees. And if the tolling agency sells something to make the technology work, it needs to work.

Published: 5/8/2012  10:00 PM | 0  Comments | 0  Links to this post




May 03, 2012


2012 AAA LEGISLATIVE SURVEY RESULTS

We asked members for their opinions on current traffic safety and transportation issues. Here are the results.

In North and South Carolina

1) Confiscate vehicles for driving with a revoked, suspended or revoked license. Yes  77.25%   No  21.36%

2) Use gasoline taxes and registration fees only for transportation infrastructure. Yes 92.36%  No 5.69%

3) Require roads tests for driver license renewal after age 75. Yes 59.46%  No 38.91%

4) Use cameras to issue tickets for running a red light. Yes 59.55%  No 38.99%   

5) Ban talking on a phone while driving. Yes 47.03%  No 51.67%

6) Fast food restaurants should warn motorists about eating and drinking while driving. Yes 55.40%  No 42.73%

7) Allow hands-free cell phone use while driving. Yes 55.81%  No 42.49%   

8) Increase gasoline taxes to pay for transportation infrastructure needs. Yes 31.11%  No 66.21%

9) Issue tickets when failure to use turn signals endangers pedestrians or other motorists. Yes 86.92%  No 11.21%

10) Date handicapped stickers and issue fines for using expired stickers. Yes 89.44%  No 9.18%   

11) Use cameras to enforce speeding and red light laws. Yes 67.83%  No 30.38%   

12) Are you a registered voter? Yes 97.89%  No 1.14%   

13) Did you vote in the last election? Yes 94.88%  No 3.41%   

SC Only Questions       

1) Prohibit teen-agers from texting on a cell phone while driving. Yes 98.16%  No 1.32%   

2) Require motorcycle helmets for all riders. Yes 84.74%  No 13.42%   

Advisory Committee Members Wanted:

Visit www.AAA.com/Safety and click on Legislative Action Center or call 704-569-7768 and to be added to the Legislative Advisory Committee.

Published: 5/3/2012  10:00 AM | 0  Comments | 0  Links to this post




May 01, 2012


TRAVEL COSTS WITHIN THE CAROLINAS

Every year, Business Travel News publishes a Corporate Travel Index that rates the top 100 cities in the United States according to what an average hotel room costs, the average price to rent a car and average food costs.

Some of the 2012 results are interesting. Here are some South Carolina examples.

Food costs in Greenville are more expensive than Charleston. Greenville’s prices are $10.74 for breakfast, $22.84 for lunch and $51.30 for dinner – total $84.87.

Charleston, by far the state’s most popular tourist destination, charges $10.86 for breakfast, $21.63 for lunch and by comparison, a paltry $44 for dinner – total $76.49.

However, Charleston recovers when it comes to average hotel costs. They rank 27th highest in the nation and Greenville is 72nd.

Averaging categories upper upscale, upscale, midscale, booked average daily rate, taxes and fees Charleston’s rate is calculated at $157.39 a night. That’s cheap however, compared to New York City – the most expense – at $342.61 a night, two and half times more than Greenville’s $126.73.

Greenville’s car rental average (compact, intermediate, full size, average booked rate, tax and fees) was $48.81 (63rd nationally), again edging Charleston’s $48.51 (68th).

Bottom line is Greenville, on average, is only $22 a night cheaper than Charleston.

North Carolina also has some tidbits.

First, Raleigh’s hotel rates don’t even crack the 100 most expensive in the U.S.

Charlotte at $138.05 (54th) and Greensboro (80th) at $124.41 are the only two from North Carolina. (Columbia, South Carolina is 85th at two cents a night less than Greensboro).

However, when it comes to food Raleigh tops all Carolina cities at $85.94, 40th in the nation. Greensboro is 78th at $77.48.

Charlotte has the highest rental car rate in North Carolina (28th) at $52.41 but Columbia is the highest in the Carolinas (20th nationally) at $52.88.

So here is the conclusion:

Don’t rent a car in Columbia but eating there is okay.

Spend overnight in Raleigh but skip the meals.

If you find yourself in Greenville, don’t be surprised at the travel costs.

And if you end up in Charleston, stay overnight with a friend.​

Published: 5/1/2012  10:00 AM | 0  Comments | 0  Links to this post