Articles

Jason Cochran

Article / Passportable

Limited Sale: 2-for-1 on Roomettes for Socially Distanced Amtrak Travel

Travel with a companion you know is virus-free, and you can go anywhere you want. Amtrak, the USA's national rail carrier, is making it easy and more affordable to get out of the house…

Article / Passportable

Major Airfare Search Engine Now Includes Covid-19 Safety Ratings

Scientists are still piecing together evidence to figure out how dangerous airline travel is (judging by this study, it isn't) during the pandemic. But the fact remains: Consumers are…

Article / Passportable

The USA's Most Expensive (and Cheapest) Cities for Rental Cars

Every now and then, the rental car booking site CheapCarRental.net aggregates the price quotes it's been seeing and comes up with a list of the best and worst American cities for…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Cruising Is Back! It's Been a Disaster: Crew on Three Lines Test Positive

It's no secret that many countries are doing better than the United States when it comes to containing Covid-19 infections. A few of those places thought they might be able to extend…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Buyer Beware: Theme Parks Are Cutting Experiences but Not Prices

Despite headlines declaring that major theme parks have "reopened," that doesn't mean everything inside them has. We get it—some people would rather eat glass slippers than step foot…

Article / Entry Requirements & Customs

Prisoners in Their Own Country: Three Ways America's Government Is Betraying the Freedom to Travel

We hold these truths to be self-evident: By neglecting to ensure we retain access to our right to travel, we have lost it.

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

New Yorkers Can Have Global Entry Again (Because Homeland Security Lied About It)

After six months, residents of New York State are again allowed to apply for Trusted Traveler Programs, including Global Entry. Why? Because the Department of Homeland Security made…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Does This Look Fun to You? Vloggers Show What Travel Is Like Now

What's travel like these days? Now that things are reopening elsewhere in the world, are you missing out on the fun? You don't have to wonder. YouTube has the answer. The first…

Article / Passportable

JetBlue Offers BOGO Airfare for Autumn and Winter Travel

JetBlue, like all airlines right now, needs to boost both business and passenger confidence. So the carrier has announced a flash buy-one-get-one sale for 3-night air-and-hotel…

Article / Hotels

I've Stayed in Several Hotels This Summer. It Didn't Go How I Expected.

A surprising way the pandemic has changed the travel experience is how we relate to hotels now—and it goes beyond cleaning concerns. 

Article / Passportable

Yes, Americans Can Go to Tahiti! Just Follow These Steps

French Polynesia, known to many by the name of its most populous island, Tahiti, is accepting visitors again. We know, we can't believe it, either. If Americans try going most other…

Article / Passportable

CDC Extends Ban on Cruising in U.S. Waters Into the Autumn

The Centers for Disease Control has again extended its ban on cruising in American waters. The previous ban was scheduled to expire on September 15, a few days before the official end…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Turkish Leader Re-Converts Hagia Sophia Into Mosque: Can Tourists Still Visit?

A court has cleared the way for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to convert one of the world's most precious architectural and historic jewels, the Hagia Sophia, back into a…

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

Coronavirus Brings Touchless Security Screening, But Watch for Privacy Worries

Covid-19 has pushed high-traffic tourist attractions to adopt fast, no-contact security inspections and temperature checks. Could facial recognition become part of the package?

Article / Passportable

WATCH: Italy's Great Attractions Reopen with Social Distancing and New Gadgets

If you were wondering how the treasures of Europe are doing during the reopening of tourism, CBS sent a reporter to check out the scene in Italy as visitors are gradually welcomed…

Article / Passportable

Two Top Cruise Companies Join Forces to Develop Safety Plan

Two top competitors in cruising, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian, have decided to put rivalry aside and work together to create a comprehensive safety plan that will enable the entire…

Article / Passportable

Can Airlines Legally Force You to Wear a Mask?

Their airline, their rules. If you don't like the rules, get your own plane. That's what it boils down to. Catharine Hamm of the Los Angeles Times looked into the legality of airlines…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Alarmed by U.S. Infection Rate, Caribbean Islands Tighten Entry Restrictions

A month ago, when the Caribbean islands began laying plans for their reopening, welcoming travelers from the United States was the key concern because of the region's economic reliance…

Article / Passportable

German Airports Open Covid Testing Labs That Could Serve as Models

We'd rather have a Cinnabon, but in a move that could serve as a model for air travel around the world, airports in Frankfurt and Munich have opened onsite Covid-19 testing labs. The…

Article / Passportable

Denied Boarding Because of High Temperature? You Can Get a Refund

If a U.S. airline denies you boarding because you failed its temperature check, you can get a full refund for the cost of the flight. If something like that happens to you, the refund…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

American Airlines Will Now Book Flights to Full Capacity

On Friday, June 26, the United States registered a new single-day record in coronavirus infections—more than 40,000, many of them in young people who exhibit no symptoms. Hours before,…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Tourist Industry Crash: Visitors Are Avoiding the USA for Their Own Safety

The rest of the world now sees America as a mortal danger. "At all costs, you do not want to go into a U.S. hospital without insurance," one Canadian told the Palm Springs Desert Sun.…

Article / Passportable

Las Vegas' New Tool for Checking Workers' Health: One Ring to Monitor Them All

Feeling lucky? Coronavirus cases are spiking in Las Vegas. The titans behind the lucrative casino-hotels there desperately want to avoid re-closing them, so the owners are trying…

Article / Passportable

Cruise Industry Suspends U.S. Sailings Through Sept. 15

USA Today reports that Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the most important trade group for the cruising industry, has voted to voluntarily extend the pause on U.S. cruise…

Article / Passportable

Hawaii Is Arresting Tourists Who Violate Quarantine

Hawaii is not messing around. Other American states might have lax enforcement rules about public behavior during the pandemic, but the Aloha State has arrested 21 visitors this week…