Articles

Jason Cochran

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Bags Stolen From Baggage Claim: The Airlines' Big Luggage Security Problem

Many travelers won't know or remember this, but there was a time when airline passengers had to to present a claim check in order to pick up their luggage after flights.Until the early…

Article / Passportable

The Real Reason Cruise Ship Cabin TVs Don't Carry the Big Networks

The minute you step aboard a cruise, you're entering a bubble. Your phone calls cease, your e-mails go unchecked, and day-to-day pressures can't reach you. A good cruise is like a…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Online Passport Renewal is Back in the U.S.! Here's How to Get In On It

All right, Americans. Ready? This is online passport renewal, take two. The U.S. State Department today announced that it is once again accepting applications for online passport…

Article / Passportable

TSA Confirms Real ID Will Be Mandatory to Fly Starting May 7, 2025

This post was originally published in December 2022 and contains updated information.The deadline for all Americans to be using Real I.D., the strengthened identification format that…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

American Airlines Raises Bag Fees, Will Ban Some Booking Sites from Points Eligibility

This news post was updated with new information after its original publication.It's almost as if the corporations dominating our lives are determined to make back whatever they missed…

Article / National Parks

How to Get U.S. National Park Reservations if They're Sold Out

The most popular national parks in the United States now require advance reservations for entry in peak season, and those often book up months in advance. Here's how to get into a…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

The News Said Two Airlines Just Scrapped Change and Cancel Fees—but the Truth Is Messier

Something notable is happening at American airports. Something that only happens once in a blue moon.Airlines are changing their positions on fees. In recent days, two major U.S.…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Study Finds Gig Drivers Still Earn Less Than Minimum Wage. Is Using Uber and Lyft Ethical?

Corporations are squeezing Americans for more cash everywhere. We're all feeling it, especially at the grocery store and at the gas pump, even as the big companies in those industries…

Article / Beach & Water Sports

Taking Sand from the Beach as a Souvenir? That'll Be a €3000 Fine

The next time you're at a beach you love, fight the urge to celebrate the place by taking some of it with you. A single selfish tourist taking a small vial of sand would barely seem to…

Article / Road Trips

Why Your Phone's Navigation App May Be Useless for Driving Outside Your Home Country

You cannot rely on your smartphone from home to give you quick turn-by-turn driving directions in another country. Here's why, and here's how to get around it.

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Opening Dates for Orlando's Big Summer 2024 Attractions—and Should You Care?

This year, it's as if the USA's most popular tourist destination is holding its breath. Most summers, Orlando's theme parks construct a new blockbuster ride or two to attract families…

Article / Family & Kids

The 7 Biggest Mistakes You Can Make on a Walt Disney World Vacation

Disney World vacations are full of pitfalls. Save money and avert discomfort by avoiding these basic planning mistakes.

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Biden Creates His First National Park Unit: Amache in Colorado

Update: Amache officially became a Natonal Historic Site on February 15, 2024. Here is its official National Park unit page.Last Friday, U.S. President Joe Biden signed the paperwork…

Article / Air Travel

10 Surprising Things That Could Trigger a Bag Search at the Airport

If you pack any of these items, don't be surprised if airport security agents ask to open your luggage for closer inspection.

Article / Arts and Culture

Warner Bros. Hollywood Debuts Historical TCM Classic Films Studio Tour

Stung by criticism, Warner Bros. launches a new tour of its Burbank studios that pays homage to the glory days of Hollywood. How different is the TCM Classic Films Tour from the…

Article / Passportable

Warner Bros. Hollywood Debuts Historical TCM Classic Films Tour

For decades, one of the frustrations of paying a pilgrimage to Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank has been the creeping dominance of corporate marketing in the retelling of American…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Over 50 and Traveling Solo? Road Scholar Now Has All-Inclusive Trips Just for You

For decades, Road Scholar has been formulating high-quality guided tours of the world's most popular destinations, but through a senior lens. Its all-inclusive group tours, which take…

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

Can Visitors to Germany Use Cannabis Now That Recreational Use is Legal There?

In 2024, Germany legalized the use of marijuana products for recreational use. Does that mean tourists can buy or use cannabis in Germany now?

Article / Passportable

King Charles to Open Scotland's Balmoral Castle, Where QE2 Died, to Tours

Fans of the British Royal Family probably thought this announcement would ever be made. King Charles of the United Kingdom has announced that he will be opening Balmoral Castle, his…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Times Square's Ball Drop Building Reinventing Itself as a Year-Round NYC Attraction

It was the building that gave Manhattan's Times Square its name when The New York Times opened it in 1905 as one of the most celebrated early skyscrapers in a celebrated city.But after…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Fee for Global Entry to Rise on October 1, 2024—Apply Now for the Older Rate

Global Entry is a special system that allows U.S. citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents to skip the long processing lines and security checks at international entry points to the…

Article / Air Travel

Orlando Sanford International Airport's Name Could Confuse Passengers Going to Orlando

Sanford's small airport has Orlando in its name and flights from Allegiant Air and Sun Country Airlines, but it's twice as far from Walt Disney World as Orlando International (MCO).

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

U.S. Passport Wait Times Are Back Under Control. How Long Will It Take Now?

A year ago, as the U.S. government continued to climb out of the bureaucratic hole that Covid-19 and staffing woes had dug, the wait time for a new passport was as long as 13…

Article / Passportable

POV: Follow the Path of Checked Luggage Through an Airport's Conveyor Belt Network

In today's installment of The Internet May Be Destroying Society, but Hey, You Should Totally Check Out This Video, someone put a camera on luggage to show were it goes after airport…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

This Classic Disney World Attraction Is Now Open for Just 135 Minutes a Day

You probably assume the attractions at Disney parks are always available to visit whenever the parks are open.That is not always the case. Some rides run on a schedule that's…