US News & World Report and Best Lawyers named Pullman & Comley to their 2023 Best Law Firms list. Twenty-two Pullman & Comley practice areas received Tier 1 rankings in the Hartford and/or Stamford regions, four more than last year. The rankings are based on law firm surveys, client and professional testimonials that describe high levels of expertise, responsiveness, understanding of a business and its needs, cost effectiveness and more. The 2023 ranking includes more than 12.2 million reviews from 115,000 individual leading attorneys from 22,000 law firms.
Pullman & Comley has offices in Bridgeport, Hartford, Waterbury and Westport.
Homecare agency has opened
A ribbon cutting ceremony was held at the Waterbury Regional Chamber on November 1st to mark the grand opening of the Reliant Angels HomeCare agency. Reliant companion and housekeeping services include doing laundry, grocery shopping, playing cards, walking, talking, helping with daily needs, and other activities. Reliant is located at 421 Wolcott Road Unit 1, Wolcott.
Cutting the ribbon were Dean Joseph, Reliant’s marketing team; Nicola Joseph, owner; Patrick McKinney, Wolcott’s director of economic development; Rep. Gale Mastrofrancesco, 80th Ward; Lynn Ward, President and CEO of the Waterbury Regional Chamber; Senator Rob Sampson, 16th District; and Pastor Jasmine Ward Vassel.
For more information, call 203-441-4097 or visit reliantangelshomecare.com.
Booking directly with airlines can cost more
At the start of the pandemic, many travelers had headaches trying to rebook air travel purchased through third-party providers like Orbitz and Kayak. But as the dust settles on the pandemic and travel returns to normal, passengers are experiencing a different reality: booking directly with airlines involves navigating a maze of fees, ancillary services and bewildering seat choices. The resulting price at checkout is often higher – much higher – than the advertised price.
The issue has become so problematic that even President Biden has joined the fight. “You should know the exact full cost of your ticket when you’re comparing,” he said in a news conference announcing a new initiative by the Department of Transportation to force airlines to disclose those charges. “So you can choose the ticket that is actually the best deal for you.”
Efforts to curb airline fees are nothing new. The Obama administration tried and failed to enact similar regulations. And until meaningful changes are made, airline customers will foot the bill, especially if they use airlines’ own websites and apps to make their purchases.
Since the rise of low-cost airlines like Spirit and Frontier, US airlines have dramatically changed the way they make money. Rather than earning margins on the fare itself, which is very competitive, airlines are increasingly focusing on “side income” from ancillary fees, credit card rewards programs and seat upgrades.
From 2019 to 2021, surcharges as a percentage of total revenue for major U.S. airlines increased six percentage points, from 16.1% to 22.2%, according to a report by IdeaWorksCompany, an airline industry reporting firm. This follows a steady drumbeat of rising fee income dating back at least to 2007.
The bottom line for customers: savings on air travel depend less on the basic costs of the ticket itself and more on the additional services avoided when checking out. Some of these surcharges, like carry-on baggage fees, are relatively easy to avoid, while others, like the difference between basic economy and regular economy (or “main cabin”), can be far more complex decisions.
– Associated Press
