Tips for Grumpy Fliers

Everyone has their travel hell story, but which airlines are the true villains?

(NEWSER) - Lost luggage, canceled flights and appalling delays seem to be par for the course in air travel these days. But some airlines are worse than others. Forbes provides the hit list:

1. Atlantic Southeast Airlines
2. Comair (a division of Delta Air Lines)
3. American Eagle Airlines (a division of American Airlines)

Airlines ramp up discounts in promotional offers

(NEWSER) - The latest airfare deals aren't online or at travel agencies—they're targeted promotional fares, being emailed and tweeted to customers who sign up to receive them or who enroll in frequent-flier programs. These under-the-radar offers, an inexpensive form of advertising increasingly popular with recession-battered airlines, range from 10% discounts to buy-one-get-one-free ticket deals, the Wall Street Journal reports. More»

(NEWSER) - With summer vacations increasing your chances of an extended stay at an airport, Travel + Leisure offers its annual list of airports likely to leave you grounded. The good news? Airports are getting better; even this year’s “winner” improved its delays by 3%. The list:

1. Newark: That 3% boost wasn't enough; it’s the only airport to delay 30% of its flights.

Car-rental deals just a mouse-click away

(NEWSER) - With $4 gas, shrinking competition, and airport fees, finding an affordable road-trip rental can be challenging. Travel and Leisure offers these tips to curb costs.

• Avoid airport rentals: Rent your car from downtown and avoid airport fees that add 25% to 45% to your bill.
• Ditch the rental specifics in favor of Hotwire or Priceline’s reservation roulette, in which you pay without knowing which rental agency you're dealing with.

Carriers add up to 50% to flight times as congestion adds to ground, air delays

(NEWSER) - Air travel is the slowest it's been in the past 20 years, thanks to increased congestion both on the runway and in the air. A flight from Las Vegas to New York took 4 hours, 37 minutes in 1988, but that same route now requires over 6 hours, reports USA Today. And don't expect things to improve any time soon. More»