No more guarantees from struggling Amtrak

No more guaranteesfrom struggling Amtrak
It's the end of the line for the "satisfaction guarantee" on Amtrak trains.
After paying out nearly $170,000 in the guarantee program recently, the hard-pressed rail line decided enough was enough. You'll no longer get an unconditional guarantee, but Amtrak will review your complaint case by case, according to Amtrak spokesman Dan Stessel.
Stessel said the rail line couldn't guarantee services beyond its control since most of the passenger trains operate over tracks that are owned by the freight railroads. Amtrak will concentrate on refurbishing and repairing some 100 cars, providing Congress comes through with the necessary cash. Some $1.2 billion is all that's needed to maintain the system, Amtrak said.
A lot of money,a lot of complaints
Travelers who pay a high price for a night's sleep have a lot of complaints that they don't mind sharing with the hotel management.
Topping the list of 10 most frequent complaints, according to Starwood Hotel's chief executive Barry Sternlicht, is "wrong room, wrong-size bed, wrong view."
Other big beefs in order of frequency include: unclean rooms, bad bed (hard mattress, not enough pillows), missing a wake-up call, missing bathroom amenities, slow room service, uncontrollable noise, billing errors, slow check-in and rooms' not being ready.
Experience any of the above complaints in one of Starwood's Sheraton Hotels and you may be entitled to discounts, reward points or a refund.
Airlines add chargesfor alcoholic drinks
U.S. airlines that charge for alcoholic drinks on domestic flights usually have offered them at no charge on international flights because their foreign competitors provide free beverages.
With the recent round of belt-tightening, however, free coach-class drinks over the Atlantic are going the way of airline ashtrays.
US Airways and Delta Air Lines are among carriers that now charge for alcohol on flights abroad, typically $4 for beer, wine or mixed drinks. Soft drinks, juice, coffee and other nonalcoholic beverages continue to be offered without charge.
Discounts online
Following an ongoing trend, the 300-page Entertainment Guide has gone online. The guide offers savings coupons on restaurants, hotels and activities across the country. Coupons are also available for parasailing, scuba diving and dolphin watching in Hawaii. To download discounts, go to www.mastercard.com.
Air quality improvesat most national parks
Air quality improved or remained stable at more than half of 28 national parks that were monitored over a 10-year period, the National Park Service reported recently. Twenty-two parks had improving visibility on the clearest days. The best visibility occurs in Denali National Park, Alaska, and in an area around Great Basin National Park, Nev., the park service said.
The worst visibility is in Eastern parks such as Mammoth Cave National Park, Ky.; Shenandoah National Park, Va.; and Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee and North Carolina. The service also reported decreased visibility at Big Bend National Park in Texas and at Mesa Verde National Park, Colo.
The 1990-99 study also recorded ozone and acid rain levels. For most of the country, the best park visibility is in winter.
The full report is online at www2.nature.nps.gov/ard/pubs/aqnps.htm.