Posts Tagged ‘Travel’

As a travel writer, I’ve been in almost every type of compromising situation at the hands of the nefarious airline industry: from having our surfboards flown to Brazil (instead of Nicaragua) – to having my flight cancelled for 3 weeks in Moscow. Anything I can do to arm myself in the decision making process of where/when to fly, and with whom, is like getting 25,000 free frequent flier miles – a bonus. And although the excellent Virgin Airlines, (my default airline of choice) flies to many of the places I frequent, and have excellent incentive deals, they don’t fly everywhere. How do you vet all the offers, and deals? How do you know which companies have the newest planes? The best food? The least delays? The roomiest seats? The cheapest business class? Especially if you are planning your honeymoon and pressed for time?

Each morning, my In Box is filled with travel offers of every variety, but there is only one guy I really trust, he’s not for sale, and is as incorruptible as the day is long: enter, The Cranky Flier.

To quote The Observer: “There’s nowhere for airlines to hide these days,” and aptly named The Cranky Flier to be one of the world’s “50 most powerful blogs.” The information is scrupulously researched and documented, and you can tell this man, Brett Snyder, aka “Cranky” is a true believer in the magic of flight (in a Ralph Nader sort of way), but also casts a cold eye on what he believes could be improved because he loves so much. Case in point: he asked his grandmother to take him to an airport hotel to watch the planes land for his 12th birthday. His resume is packed with a variety of airline jobs and which gives him the insider knowledge about what really happens when the cabin door closes. From spiraling baggage handling costs, lost luggage, insurance issues, planes that should retire, and who’s got the very best deals, Brett’s got your back.

He’s also a writer’s writer, penning short, pithy, missives with a droll, detached style, and dash of curmudgeon. He’s credible, he leads by example, and expects others to do the same. The Cranky Flyer is indeed, the tail wagging the dog in the airline industry and should be your co-pilot on every trip you take moving forward. Especially the trip that matters most: your honeymoon!

Learn More About Cranky

Excerpted from www.crankyflier.com:

My name is Brett, and I’m an airline dork. I’ve had the bug since I was young. As a kid, I never missed a chance to go to LAX and pick up airline timetables. My grandmother even took me to an airport hotel for my birthday one year so I could watch the planes land. By the age of 12, I had become a travel agent. Soon after I was volunteering at Traveler’s Aid. Since that time, I’ve worked in several places in the industry. In the interest of full disclosure, here is everything I’ve done in an official capacity:

USAir Sales Intern (1996-1997)
America West Sales Intern (1997-1999)
United Dulles Operations Intern (1999)
America West Pricing Analyst/Sr Analyst/Manager (1999-2002)
Eos Intern (2003)
United Marketing Planning Product Manager (2004-2005)
PriceGrabber.com Business Director of Travel (2005-2007)