The Wall Street Journal Guide to Power Travel: How to Arrive With Your D by Scott McCartney

Imagine a world without late planes, missed connections, lost luggage, bumped passengers, cramped seating, high fares and higher fares, surly employees, and security lines. Today, ordinary travel is an extraordinary ordeal. Yet despite the high prices and huge hassles, air travel is booming--along with the need for tips, tricks, and techniques to improve the journey. THE WALL STREET GUIDE TO POWER TRAVEL is both an entertaining road trip and a heavily prescriptive guide. The book draws from Scott McCartney’s weekly “Middle Seat’’ column, one of the Journal’s most popular features, which explains why bad things happen to good travelers and what they can do to improve their lot. The book takes readers into the baggage rooms, pricing departments, and control towers, explaining how airlines work, how air-traffic control operates, and how decisions are made that are seemingly beyond the customer’s control. By understanding the ins and outs of airline connections, ticketing, transfers and travelers’ rights, readers will discover how to navigate the system as seasoned travel experts. Some - Figure out how to pack to avoid security hassles and additional baggage fees. - Learn why airlines put barcodes on bags but rarely use them. FedEx can tell you exactly where your package is, but when airlines lose bags, they have no clue. -See how decisions are made on who gets bumped, who gets upgraded and who gets a free seat. Status matters. So does your ticket price. -Watch one airplane get further and further behind schedule as delays build through the day. (You’ll always book morning flights in the future once you’ve read this book.) - Armed with an enlightened understanding of how the confounding airline system works, THE WALL STREET GUIDE TO POWER TRAVEL will also deliver expert advice on how to avoid as many hassles as possible and game the system to make travel more enjoyable. Tips - How to get cheap fares, first-class upgrades, and better seats. - How to minimize chances of lost luggage and what to do when baggage doesn’t show up. - How to avoid delays, get around TSA bottlenecks and minimize the chances you’ll get stuck at some distant airport--and what to do if you do get stuck. - How to complain to an airline and get some attention, right down to what to ask for in compensation and how to get the government’s attention.