Articles

Jason Cochran

Article / Air Travel

Can You Opt Out of a Face Scan for International Flight Departures in the U.S.?

This month, a facial recognition system at U.S. airports completed its pilot stage and moved to official implementation. As of September 26, there are 57 major American airports where…

Article / Miscellaneous

Close the National Parks for the Shutdown or Risk Crime and Death, U.S. National Park Rangers Beg

An urgent warning has been issued jointly by the Association of National Park Rangers and the Coalition to Protect America's National Parks (CPANP) to beg U.S. Secretary of the…

Article / Miscellaneous

Las Vegas Launches Major '5-Day Sale' to Battle Tourism Nosedive: Up to 50% Off

The summer visitor figures for Sin City are starting to come out, and desperation is kicking in. In June, visitor stats plummeted 11% from the year before. Since January, Vegas…

Article / Arts and Culture

The Filming Locations of 'Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale'

As the characters of Downton Abbey reminded us incessantly, the times are changing and we must change with them. For fans of the ITV/PBS historical soap, which ran for five seasons and…

Article / Outdoor & Adventure

45 Million Acres of Public Vacationland Open to Loggers and Miners If We Don't Fight by Sept. 19

Most nations in the world no longer retain much of their pristine wilderness. Most societies built over their wild places long before any of us were born.But the United States is…

Article / Miscellaneous

There's Another New Fee on Cruises: Penalties for Missing Dining Reservations

The big cruise lines, which are in constant pursuit of fatter profits to please shareholders, are busy finding new ways to tighten the screws on guests.Last week, word came that…

Article / Cruise

Norwegian Cruise Line Throttles Wi-Fi —Now Instagram Reels Cost Another $10/Day

Most of us know that because of the equipment and services involved, Wi-Fi access on cruise ships isn't cheap. The basic package on Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), called Voyage Wi-Fi…

Article / Miscellaneous

Flights from $29: Frontier Airlines Goes for Spirit's Jugular by Adding 20 New Routes

At U.S. airports, there's blood in the (TSA-approved 3.4 ounces of) water. Two weeks ago, no-frills Spirit Airlines announced in a financial report that, given the terrible state of…

Article / Miscellaneous

Delta and United Get Sued for Selling Windowless 'Window Seats'

U.S. airlines have turned seat assignments into a profit center. It didn't used to be this way, but that's where we are now. We pay for what we used to get for free.Passengers…

Article / Miscellaneous

The TSA Has Banned These Hair Care Products from Checked Luggage

This year, the Transportation Security Administration has made a few important tweaks to security rules at the airport.In February, the TSA clarified that portable chargers and power…

Article / Car, Bus, Rail

Europe's Newest Overnight Bus Service: Lie-Flat Seats, Wi-Fi & No Kids

The long-planned luxury Twiliner is now taking reservations for its bus service in Europe, and there are major expansion plans in place.Europe may have some of the best passenger rail…

Article / Air Travel

Find Cheap Flights with These Airfare Deal Accounts on Bluesky

Around the year 2000, most airlines ran regular email campaigns to tell travelers about the latest airfare sales. Each airline claimed its own day of the week to spit out an eagerly…

Article / Air Travel

Spirit Airlines Warns Passengers That It May Soon Go Kaput

The message from Spirit Airlines, delivered this week in an official financial filing, couldn't be more stark."Management has concluded there is substantial doubt as to the Company’s…

Article / Local Experiences

In Britain, Follow the Royal Warrants to Shop in King Charles' and Queen Camilla's Favorite Stores

When you’re shopping in London, keep an eye out for one or two crests posted in front of shops. That insignia, when paired with the the phrase "by appointment to...", represents an…

Article / Hotels

Did La Quinta Hotel Really Make Guests Check in by Video Conference?

We know that American business owners are contending with a sudden reduction in low-paid workers, particularly in the hospitality industry, which is being impacted by the ripple…

Article / Timing Your Trip

Summer Heat Stops Travel Cold in Europe: Should We Go in Other Seasons Now?

On July 29, passengers waiting to fly to the United States on Delta Air Lines Flight 297 from Athens, Greece, were told the plane couldn't take off as scheduled. As temperatures closed…

Article / Air Travel

Frontier Airlines Sells You Passenger Rights That Europeans Get for Free

On Wednesday, no-frills carrier Frontier Airlines unveiled its latest optional fee, dubbed Disruption Assistance for Any Reason. If customers buy the add-on at the time of ticketing,…

Article / Miscellaneous

Men Accused of Surveilling Cruise Ships in Mediterranean for Suspicious Reasons

On June 22, a 26-year-old man was arrested near a NATO base in Souda Bay on the popular vacation island of Crete, Greece. He had booked a hotel room overlooking the port and paid in…

Article / Air Travel

Southwest Airlines Announces Date Open Seating Ends—So There'll Be No Special Reason to Fly It

We know you've heard this greatest hit from an American corporation many times before: A product is being made much worse because you allegedly demanded it.Southwest Airlines, which…

Article / Car, Bus, Rail

More European Cities Are Throwing in Free Public Transit for Visitors: Here's Where

Here's a lesson that some destinations we could name might stand to learn.When you make tourists feel welcome, everybody wins.Guided by that principle, the city of Salzburg, Austria,…

Article / Air Travel

In Parts of Europe, They're Letting You Fly with Up to 2 Liters of Liquid Now

On July 8, at the moment U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was throwing a fancy press event for the cameras to announce the end of the Transportation Security…

Article / Air Travel

Warning: Priority Pass Airport Lounge Access via Credit Cards Is Increasingly Futile

Access at more than 1,300 airport lounges worldwide is granted through the Priority Pass program for people with some of the most popular credit cards in travel. Those cards include…

Article / Miscellaneous

New Executive Order Demands National Park Price Hikes for International Tourists

On the day before Independence Day, U.S. President Donald Trump announced his intention to make international visitors pay more to visit America's national parks. In a confusing new…

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

Rise in Measles Prompts Popular Caribbean Destination to Require Vaccination to Visit

There has been an update to this story. See the bottom of this post. The United States has logged at least 1,200 measles cases so far in 2025. Although the U.S. had declared the…

Article / Cruise

Mexico's Tax on Cruisers, Soon to Be $21, Has Taken Effect: Is It Really a Big Deal?

Late last year, incoming U.S. President Donald Trump wasn't even in the White House yet when he threatened Mexico with a new 25% tariff. When he did that, Mexico slapped back fast. The…