Friday, July 16, 2010

US Airways Refund?

Earlier this week, we booked a trip to Burlington, Vermont through US Airways.  At the time of booking, we thought we were getting a great deal, and that if anything, the price of the flight would only go up.  Only 3 days later though, we have found that the price has now gone down $20/ticket.

With this knowledge, I called up US Airways looking to see if they would refund me the price difference of the $20/ticket.  However, the customer service representative I spoke to said that they can only do refunds if the difference in price per ticket is $150 or greater.  When speaking to his supervisor, they informed me of the same thing and that their computer system would not allow them to waive that.  To me, and I'm sure to any consumer, this makes no sense and is only aimed at enhancing the profits of US Airways.

While I understand any business is out there to make money, it should also treat its customers right and make ethical decisions.  I consider what US Airways has done to be unethical and just greedy.  With this, I have submitted a complaint to the appropriate department at the company asking them to review this policy and either to change it or to make an exception in this case.  Hopefully, the person that ends up reading the complaint will not just "toe the company line" and will make the right decision and reimburse me the price difference.

I do understand they are under no legal obligation to reimburse me.  They do need to realize though that their decision will be made public via this website to allow our readers to make a better informed decision when choosing airlines.  I hope for a speedy resolution to this.

Once this is resolved, in either a positive or negative fashion, I will share with you the results.

07/23/2010 - UPDATE: We have received a response from US Airways that can be found by clicking here.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Elk Neck State Park

Located on the coast of the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland is Elk Neck State Park.  This park features a small beach area, multiple hiking trails, a lighthouse, and beautiful views of the Bay.

For the beach area, it does cost $4/person to enter (or $3 if you're a Maryland resident).  The area here is quite small though with an estimated guess of maybe 100 yards in total width for the sand.  The sand is also quite rocky, as is the water for the first several feet.  While you do get a very nice view of the Bay from here, I honestly can't say I was a big fan of the beach.  While it seems very well maintained (no garbage around at all!), I'm more of a fan of a less rocky beach.  Along the East Coast in both Maryland and Delaware, plenty more beaches can be found that would contain more pristine sand.


After we spent time at the beach, we decided to hit one of the hiking trails further down the road.  The trail we took led to the Turkey Point Lighthouse.  The view of this small lighthouse is a nice way to end the small hike and this is something we'd recommend more for an easy walk, as the trail is very flat.


I'll definitely highlight the best part of this State Park as the views of the Chesapeake Bay.  If you're in the area, that might be the best reason to visit here.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Blob Fest 2010

Every summer in the town of Phoenixville, they hold a celebration called Blob Fest. They shut down a portion of Bridge Street right outside the Colonial Theater, which is where the famous scene of people fleeing a movie theater was shot for the original 1958 version of The Blob.

For the weekend celebration, they have multiple showings of the movie in the theater. In addition to this, on Friday night a re-enactment of the "running out" scene is held and you can participate in it as well for a small fee! If you're a fan of the movie, it's definitely something worth experiencing.

If you have interest, make sure you keep your eyes out for the 2011 celebration next summer!