Articles

Pauline Frommer

Article / Passportable

For Better Social Distancing, Amtrak Now Shows How Many Seats Have Been Sold

It's a start. Amtrak's booking engine (Amtrak.com) now lists the percentage of seats that have been sold for each departure. That means that before purchasing a ticket in coach class,…

Article / Passportable

Sign Up for Free Lessons in Outdoor Skills from L.L.Bean

Preppy outdoorsy clothing emporium L.L.Bean will hold free "Outdoor Discovery Programs" from August 14 through 30. The classes are being held in a number of East Coast locations such…

Article / Slideshows

Sausage Party! Which U.S. Region Serves the Best Hot Dog Variety?

Show me a hot dog with all the fixings, and I’ll tell you what part of the United States you’re in. Many regions of the country have distinct ways of dressing up their dogs, and to…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

What Are Your Chances of Catching Coronavirus on Planes? MIT Study Has Answers

Not long ago, a dear friend reached out to me for advice. His aunt was dying of cancer, and his mother wanted to fly across country to be at the deathbed. My friend was trying to…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

U.S. State Dept. Lifts Warning Against International Travel: So What?

Let us flag this moment. Today, the U.S. State Department announced that, in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control, it was lifting its blanket travel warning against all…

Article / Passportable

Schmoozing United Airlines Gate Agents for Upgrades Is a Complete Waste of Time Now

Remember when travel articles weren't all about airborne pathogens and instead were full of advice like "dress nicely if you want to be upgraded to first class" or "bring a small gift…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Advice from an Airline Pilot About Flying Safely in 2020

Like me, my friend Andrea Eldridge, a pilot with a major airline, has been barraged by questions from family and friends about the wisdom of flying right now. In response, she posted a…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Is This The World's Safest Airport in the Battle Against Coronavirus?

When I'm in Dubai International Airport (DXB), I'm impressed not only by the fact that it has camel's milk chocolate bars for sale—gamy, but tasty—but also by the of-the-moment design…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

The Myriad Ways One Hotel Manager's Job Has Gotten Tougher Since Covid-19

August 3, 2020 Add hotel manager to the list of jobs that have gotten exponentially more arduous since March. Not only are hotels being tasked with keeping travelers safe under…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Add Estonia to the List of Countries That Accept Americans As Digital Nomads

It seems like a lot of our readers are eager to live somewhere other than the United States for a while. We've posted about several countries that are currently accepting American…

Article / Passportable

Hawaii's Resorts May Allow Visitors to Vacation While Quarantining

Hawaii has been ahead of the curve on coronavirus matters. It was one of the first U.S. states to institute a quarantine, and it's the state that has been most proactive about…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Pauline Frommer: If Casinos Go Touchless, More People May Suffer

Like many people who work in the travel industry, I start my day looking at the daily stories sent out by Travel Weekly, a top source for news. Today's edition featured an in-depth…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Disney and Hotel Chains Are Enforcing Mask Rules—Why Can't the Government?

As government leaders at the state and federal levels continue to send mixed and misleading messages about mask usage—we’re looking at you (but not only you), Georgia Gov. Brian…

Article / Passportable

American Airlines and JetBlue Become Partners

The first sign that something was unusual was that my cell phone rang, and it wasn't a scam. My friend Jill was on the other line, and she asked breathlessly, "Is it true?" When I…

Article / Passportable

The Country of Georgia to Accept Long-Term Foreign Residents—Including Americans

One of our most popular recent stories has to do with three countries that allow Americans not only to visit, but also to live for six months to a year. It's a scenario that many are…

Article / Passportable

Amsterdam Re-Closes Parts of Its Red Light District

On Saturday, July 18, some of the streets in Amsterdam's Red Light District were closed. Authorities tweeted warnings to stay away in both Dutch and English. Although the area is most…

Article / Vacations

What Escorted Tour Companies Are Doing to Keep Travelers Safe

We spoke with some of the biggest tour operators to learn what changes they've made to keep customers safe and happy during the pandemic era.

Article / Passportable

Mayflower Replica Soon to Sail Home to Plymouth—How to Track It Along the Way

As the Broadway musical Hamilton has shown us, the more we learn about the founders of the United States, the better equipped we are to wrestle with today's issues (though some critics…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Hawaii Extends Quarantine—What Will That Mean for Tourism Businesses?

In response to an uptick in coronavirus cases in Hawaii, along with surging infection rates on the mainland and testing shortages, Hawaii Governor David Ige announced late yesterday…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Three Countries Where Americans Can Escape And Legally Work Digitally for Up to a Year

What’s one of the biggest lessons to come out of this pandemic? For many, it was a revelation that they didn't need an office and they could, in fact, work from anywhere. That good…

Article / Passportable

Airbnb Limits Home Rentals to People Under 25 to Combat House Parties

I wrote yesterday about the fact that Airbnb may be shrinking because of the current crisis. It looks like the hospitality giant is also intentionally shrinking its client pool in…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

What a Shrinking Airbnb Could Mean for the Future of Travel

Like every other travel company, Airbnb was hit hard by the pandemic. In May, CEO Brian Chesky admitted that the company’s future was in doubt this spring. Airbnb reacted by cutting…

Article / Passportable

Will Love Find a Way? An EU Movement to Lift Bans for Unmarried Couples

In the era of Covid-19, Romeo still lives in Verona. But Juliet? She's a native New Yorker, and the course of their true love ain't running too smooth. When the world shut down in…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Miss Broadway? You Can Still Perform Safety Theater at the Airport

On Sunday, a family emergency required me to fly from Nantucket, Massachusetts, to New York City. As I was heading out of the secure passenger area toward baggage claim at JFK…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Pauline Frommer: It's Tragic That Europe Bans Americans, But I Agree

It’s official: Americans are not welcome in Europe, at least not in the near future. That’s the decision that the European Union formally announced today with its list of nations that…