mistake Archives - Your Mileage May Vary

Go Home, Google Maps – You’re Drunk!

When the iOS 6 of Apple Maps was released in 2012, it caught a lot of flack because it had a tendency to misdirect people. At the time, incidents like these were common:

The Star Tribune wrote that iOS 6 Maps directed patients to a hospital that had closed in 1985
The Anchorage Daily News reported that drivers trying to get to Fairbanks International Airport via Apple Maps were being directed into the path of oncoming planes (specifically onto Taxiway Bravo of the airport)
CNET wrote that Apple Maps was getting drivers lost in the Australian outback, 40 miles from where they were supposed to be.

Even the staff at Hackney Wick Station in east London had something to say about the early years of Apple Maps…

So at the time, Google Maps was lauded and applauded.

Times have changed though – Apple Maps has had upgrade after upgrade and is (usually) safe to use nowadays. Google Maps, on the other hand, apparently just tore out a page from iOS 6’s handbook and said, “Hold my beer…”

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My Most Embarrassing Travel Mistake

When you travel, you’re eventually going to make a mistake. It could be as simple as forgetting to pack your toothbrush or leaving your credit card at home. People who travel for a living will always have the story of how they’ve shown up at the wrong airport or hotel, or even booked a trip for the wrong day.

This is the story of my most embarrassing mistake.
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Oops! What To Do When You Book Flights To The Wrong Airport

You ever spend hours looking for flights to a location, finally decide on which flight you’re going to take and how to pay for it (cash or points) and then head off to bed, happy that you’ve finally finished booking a complicated itinerary? You wake up the next morning to book the corresponding hotel and realize that you booked flights to and from the wrong airport. Really? Really?? Ugh.

Here’s what to do when you’re finished beating yourself up about how stupid you were not to check this before spending hours on finding flights to somewhere that’s nowhere near where you need to be (Note from Sharon: And when your wife is done teasing you. Because oh yes I did!).

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An Unforgivable Points Mistake, Plane Changes at JetBlue & Virgin, AMEX Playing Hardball With Points, & More!

Happy Sunday to all of our travel friends, both near and far! Here are some articles we’ve read from other bloggers (and other sources) that we think you may like, as well, so we’re passing them along.

Continue reading “An Unforgivable Points Mistake, Plane Changes at JetBlue & Virgin, AMEX Playing Hardball With Points, & More!”

What Should You Do If You Put The Wrong Kind Of Gas In Your Rental Car?

Every car has a recommended type (octane) of gasoline, commonly known in the U.S. as Regular, Mid-Grade (or Plus) and Premium. Well, there’s diesel too but fortunately, diesel pumps don’t fit into non-diesel gas tank openings in the U.S. Most rental cars work best on regular gas (87 octane), which is good because regular gas is always cheaper than mid-grade and premium ;-).

However, there are a few rental cars that require Premium or, on rare occasion, diesel (either way, the car rental company should tell you when you pick up the car). And if you rent a car outside the U.S., all bets are off in terms of color coding their pumps the same way they do in the U.S., or even if the diesel pump will or will not fit in your rental car’s regular gas tank opening. So it may be easier than you think to put diesel into a car that needs regular, or regular/mid-grade into a car that needs premium or diesel.

But here’s what to do if it happens to you:

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