Photo Scramble

Tomorrow, British Airways will change its baggage policy. The airline will no longer accept pieces over 51 pounds, even with payment of an excess-weight fee. During the next eight months, the airline will make exceptions on a case-by-case basis (if you'll pardon the pun). British Airways will also make exceptions for electric wheelchairs, some sporting items, and musical instruments. Otherwise, the policy affects all customers--in coach, business, and first-class cabins. Don't even try to carry the same amount of stuff by adding a third bag. The reason? If you check a third bag as a coach passenger, you will be charged an excess baggage fee of $233 at the airport. Ouch! We hope this unfriendly policy doesn't catch on. How Airlines Pass Costs on to Travelers

Just as our March issue was being printed--it won't come out for a couple of weeks--I read in Travel Weekly that JetBlue might be making me look, well, wrong. In my March Editor's Letter, I bemoaned the barrage of choices a traveler has to make these days. It comes down to the same choice over and over again: Namely, should you pay more for a better experience (at the airport, on the plane, at the hotel, on the cruise ship, etc.)? I suggested that one reason people have such favorable impressions of JetBlue and Southwest is because the airlines are single-class; there's no one at the front getting better treatment, and you never have to do that awful walk through business class on your way to your seat in the back. Last week, in a conference call with investors, JetBlue CEO David Neeleman talked about the airline's recent move to get rid of a row of seats on its A320 planes. By doing so, the airline is able to give everyone aboard at least 34 inches of legroom, and some will have 36 inches; the benefit for the airline is that it can put one fewer flight attendant on the plane, per FAA regulations, which will save the airline about $30 million a year. That's commendable (unless you're a flight attendant facing a heavier workload). But then Neeleman said, "We're convinced that some of the highest-paying customers out there don't fly JetBlue today because we don't provide them a first-class section or seats at the last minute, and we're going to roll out programs that will be attractive to them." When someone asked Neeleman if fares would be raised as result of the increased legroom, he replied, "Well, we certainly don't expect to charge lower fares, that's for sure. We have tremendous leverage with our customers and we haven't used it. And we want to be low-fare, we want to offer a really great experience at a low fare, but to think that we're not going to get some additional revenue from this amazing seat pitch we have compared to other airlines, I mean, we are, and we've got some programs that we're going to roll out shortly that we think are going to add to the attraction to flying on JetBlue to those people who pay the most money. So stay tuned." I'd never argue that companies shouldn't have tiers of service; paying more to get more is a fundamental principle of the service economy. But what has happened in recent years is that a company will introduce a special new level of service, then turn around and starting making the basic level--the one that doesn't cost extra--a little shabbier, then even a little shabbier than that. Treating someone better doesn't have to mean treating someone else worse, and yet that's what tends to happen. Let's hope JetBlue, which has a sterling customer-service record up to now--doesn't blow it. Besides, if business travelers (what Neeleman means by "highest-paying customers") don't fly JetBlue, it probably has more to do with the airline's relatively unremarkable frequent-flier program.

On Feb. 14, as snow and ice storms struck the Northeast and the Midwest, passengers on 10 incoming and outbound JetBlue Airways flights at New York's JFK airport sat on the tarmac for as long as 10½ hours, subject to clogged toilets, food shortages and sweltering cabins. JetBlue canceled more than 250 of their 500 nationwide flights that day, and hundreds more in the following days. After widespread criticism, CEO David Neeleman recently issued a public apology and announced a JetBlue Customers Bill of Rights. A similar situation occurred on Dec. 29, when storms struck parts of Texas and one American Airlines flight kept passengers on the runway in Austin for eight hours. After that incident, a group of travelers banded together to form the Coalition for an Airline Passengers' Bill of Rights. The group has posted an online petition that asks Congress to require airlines to return passengers to terminal gates within three hours whenever a plane is stuck on the tarmac due to storms or mechanical problems. It also wants airlines to provide passengers with food, water and bathrooms for delays of more than three hours. American Airlines apologized to the passengers and gave them vouchers worth up to $500 for future flights. Would you support an Airline Passengers' Bill of Rights? Vote in our online poll.

Some 75,000 football fans will pack Dolphin Stadium this Sunday, Feb. 4, for Super Bowl XLI, and last-minute Miami hotel rates are hitting stratospheric highs. If you're an undeterred fan of either the Indianapolis Colts or the Chicago Bears, consider using the following online resources to plan your visit during the "Indy versus Windy" face-off. To book eleventh-hour hotel rooms, turn to Super Bowl Motel Rooms, a website tracking last-minute lodging options. But don't expect to find any bargains among the rooms listed on this site--or elsewhere. One Days Inn at the Miami airport was recently charging $501 for a stay on game day. Also, note that most of the lodgings are still available in Miami Super Bowl weekend are by the airport, which is roughly 20 miles from Dolphin Stadium. Another resource to consider is HotelChatter, a popular blog that has also been staying on top of Miami's hotel rates and availability in its Super Bowl XLI Hotels section. For adventurous lodging, visit the Miami page of the popular online bulletin board Craigslist, where you'll find listings by many Miami property owners who are renting out their apartments and homes during Super Bowl weekend. For example, we recently saw a one-bedroom apartment within walking distance of the stadium renting for about $250 per night. But before you complete an online transaction with an individual on Craigslist, read these tips. Expect to pay through the nose if you buy tickets. Predictably, the few seats still available are selling for thousands of dollars each at ticket reseller sites, such as Stub Hub and TicketsNow. Seats are slightly less expensive when purchased as part of vacation packages sold by ticket resellers, such as RazorGator Experiences. (To better understand how tickets were first distributed, visit this official NFL website.) Look for affordable Super Bowl-related activities by using this nifty interactive map. For example, we recently used this map to find a listing and a location for the Super Bowl Gospel Celebration, a family-oriented gospel music concert featuring top artists such as Yolanda Adams. (Ticket prices range from $40 to $75. Tickets are for sale here.) For restaurant recommendations, read our recent article Eat Like a Local: South Florida. Looking for a family-friendly alternative to football mania and Miami's gridlocked traffic? Consider renting a car and visiting Everglades National Park, a two-hour drive southwest of the city. This time of year, the wildlife is at its most visible. You can stand next to anhingas and crocodiles, among other animals. For help with nabbing affordable tickets to next year's Super Bowl in Glendale, Ariz., consider the following clever online method. Visit The Ticket Reserve online futures market, which sells contracts for the right to purchase tickets to the Super Bowl and other high-demand sports events at face value (around $200 to $400 each), with the contract prices changing as demand varies over time (from $40 to $180). Options to buy tickets to next year's Super Bowl will be offered by The Ticket Reserve soon. Want the lowdown on year-round Miami attractions and activities that promise the best value for your time and money? Then print out our free Snap Guide: Miami. For general advice on planning a trip to Miami, read this recent Budget Travel article: Secret Hotels of South Beach. For more expert advice, read this Miami Trip Coach Transcript.