German inflation drops to near 3 year low

Published May 14, 2013

Associated Press

BERLIN –  Inflation in Germany, Europe's largest economy, has hit its lowest rate in nearly three years largely on the back of a fall in fuel costs.

The Federal Statistical Office said Tuesday that consumer prices rose 1.2 percent in April 2013 compared to the same month a year ago. That's down on the 1.4 percent rate in March and takes inflation to its lowest level since August 2010 when prices rose 1 percent.

The European Central Bank's target is to achieve inflation of just below 2 percent across the economy of the 17 European Union countries that use the euro. In April, eurozone inflation fell to 1.2 percent — a drop that was largely behind the ECB's decision to cut its benchmark interest rate to a record low of 0.5 percent.

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What if the price drops after buying my airline ticket?

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Does Virgin honor price drops after buying a ticket? When is the best time to go to Death Valley?  We answer these and other nagging travel questions.

Q: I read that Virgin America will honor price drops after purchase but before travel with a $75 change fee. My flight to Edinburgh, Scotland dropped by $100 but when I called for a credit voucher good for future travel they denied me because I had purchased non-refundable tickets. Anything you can do about this?

A: If you were flying to Scotland, it was on Virgin Atlantic, not Virgin America. Although the two airlines have a business relationship, Virgin Atlantic, like many foreign-based carriers, does not issue refunds on non-refundable fares when there’s a price drop after you buy. By the way, Virgin America upped its fee to $100 effective last July, and United and US Airways recently upped their change fees from $150 to $200 on domestic fares.

Q: We are planning a trip to Death Valley National Park. When is the optimal time of year to visit and what’s the nearest airport?

A: If you’d like to avoid the extreme heat that this area of the country is famous for, experts (i.e., park rangers I spoke to) suggest visiting between mid October and mid March. You’ll also avoid the rainy season that way, and in mid March you might also be treated to a profusion of wild flowers. Although it’s located in California, I’d suggest flying into Las Vegas for the cheapest airfares. It’s about 130 miles from the park’s entrance.

Q: I will be flying on United Airlines from a domestic U.S. airport to an international destination with a connection in Houston.  If my luggage is lost, would domestic or international lost luggage compensation rules apply?

A: Even though you began your trip in the U.S. and connected within the U.S., your trip would be considered an international itinerary. International lost luggage compensation, which is typically lower than domestic compensation, would apply. Domestic compensation tops out at $3300. Compensation for luggage lost on an international flight is capped at 1000 “Special Drawing Rights,” a currency established by the International Monetary Fund, and is governed by the Montreal Convention. One SDR is currently equal to USD $1.50, so your maximum compensation would be $1500. On most airlines, you can buy additional excess baggage valuation (typically up to $5000 of coverage) for a reasonable fee when you check in your bags.

Have a question about travel or airfares? Send your questions to questions@airfarewatchdog.com and we may answer them in this column.

George Hobica is a syndicated travel journalist and founder of the low-airfare listing site Airfarewatchdog.com.

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United Airlines drops Boeing 787 Dreamliner through June 5

United Airlines cut the grounded Boeing 787 from its flying plans at least until June and postponed its new Denver-to-Tokyo flights on Thursday, as airlines continued to tear up their schedules while the plane is out of service.

Investigators are still trying to figure out what caused a battery fire in one plane and forced the emergency landing of another plane last month. The world's 50 787s have been grounded since Jan. 16.

United spokeswoman Christen David said the plane could still fly earlier than June 5 if a fix is found. At that point it would be used as needed around United's system, she said.

United was due to begin flying from Denver to Tokyo's Narita airport on March 31. It's postponing the start of those flights at least until May 12, or longer if the 787 isn't cleared to fly. That would be almost a year after United began selling tickets for the flight.

United has said the flights are a perfect fit for the 787, which is mid-sized and very fuel-efficient. The thinking is that Denver would be unlikely to fill a bigger plane for a flight to Tokyo. But it can fill the plane's 219 seats, and the plane is fuel-efficient enough to turn a profit.

LOT Polish Airlines has said it will keep its 787s grounded through October.

Switching the plane to be used on a flight is more complicated than passengers might think. Pilots trained to fly one type might not be able to fly the replacement, creating scheduling problems. Seats are laid out differently, meaning seating assignments have to be redone.

The Federal Aviation Administration has said it won't clear 787s to fly until Boeing can show they're safe. Boeing intends to propose a plan to federal regulators on Friday to temporarily fix problems with the 787's batteries, a congressional official told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

Boeing has declined to talk about any planned meetings with federal officials.

The company is in the middle of multiple probes related to the 787. The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA are looking into the Jan. 7 battery fire on a Japan Airlines 787 parked at Boston's Logan International Airport. A Japan Airlines emergency landing in Japan is being examined by investigators in that country. And more broadly, the FAA is reviewing the design, certification, manufacture and assembly of the 787.

So far industry and labor have been mostly supportive of Boeing and the government probes. Air Line Pilots Association President Lee Moak said the union is confident that when the investigations are done "we'll have known the reasons behind the system failures and we'll be able to move forward."

He sidestepped questions from reporters in Washington on Thursday about how pilots would view a potential decision to return the 787 to the air before investigators have found the root cause of the battery problems.

"We're confident the process in place is a good one ... Once that is complete then a decision will be made. But until that time it's still an open and ongoing investigation," he said.

Shares of United Continental Holdings Inc. were unchanged at $26.08 in Thursday afternoon trading. Boeing Co. rose $1.19 to $75.97.

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