Tight airline budgets and antiquated IT systems are making summer air travel more arduous than ever.
My summer travel horror show started on my way back from San Francisco after covering the inaugural Linux Foundation’s Collaboration Summit. About half an hour before the US Air flight to Charlotte, N.C. was to board, we were told there would be a 4-hour delay.
Not good. That delay ensured that there would be no way I’d make my local connection to my home in Asheville, N.C. Still, this kind of crap happens in today’s deregulated airline world. There is no slack left for travelers in any airline’s schedule. One delay quickly cascades into another, and you darn well better have a toothbrush in your carry-on bag.