Articles

Pauline Frommer

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Keep That Kindle On! The FAA Likely Will Relax Rules for On-Board Electronics

It's not a done deal. But both the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times are reporting that a group working for the FAA on a study of airline safety issues is currently drafting…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Miles and Money Now Needed to Reach "Elite" Status on United Airlines

Delta did it first, back in January, when it sent a note to its loyalty program members stating that now it would not just award "Silver" status based on the amount of miles flown,…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

The Elimination of Room Service, Top Sheets, and More: Worrisome Changes Coming to a Hotel Near You

Those over the age of 45 will remember when flying was a glamorous, or at least an amenity-laden activity. Attractive flight attendants would flit up and down the aisles, delivering…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Getting Crafty in North Carolina: Meet the John C. Campbell Folk School

The day began with Whisky for Breakfast. Which made sense, since we were in North Carolina. But this wasn’t a meeting of the “Moonshine Society.” Instead, a fiddler and a banjo…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Drop That Knock-Off Purse! People Who Buy Counterfeit Goods in New York City May Now Face Stiff Fines

Just yesterday I was walking through New York's Chinatown, on my way to review a dim sum joint for my new guidebook, when a short woman slung with several purses sidles up to me.…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

My Knee-Jerk (Ouch!) Reaction to American Airlines' Plans to Add Even More Seats to Its Planes

My knees are aching just writing this. And my laptop's cover is quivering in fear. But here goes:In a regulatory filing yesterday, AMR Corp disclosed its plans to add more seats…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Another Opening, Another Summer Stock Show: The Best Theater This Coming Season in North America

Sure there’s sun and sand. But one of the unsung delights of summer---or should I say one of the most loudly crooned pleasures of the season---is summer stock. There’s something…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Thinking About a Dude Ranch Vacation This Summer? Tips from an Expert

The horse may just replace the racecar, space ship and James Bond-helmed motorboat as the whiz-bang mode of transportation this summer. I make that prediction after watching the…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Italian State-Run Museums Now Free to Everyone Under the Age of 18

My thanks to Frommer's author Donald Strachan (who's currently hard at work on a new Frommer's guidebook) for spotting this one.Until now, non-European Union teens and children…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Plan Ahead or Do It On the Spot: The Conundrum of Modern Vacations

United Airlines caused a stir two days ago when it announced that travelers could now “subscribe” to its fees. Pay one lump sum in advance—$349, so that’s one big lump sum…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Time to Rethink Tropical Travel Plans for Summer? Federal Forecasters Issue Their Hurricane Predictions

"This is your warning," said Kathryn Sullivan, administrator of the The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.And what a warning it is: today, the NOAA is prediced 13-20…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Good Luck Chuck! Senator Schumer of New York Takes The Airlines To Task For Change Fees

In 2012, the major American airlines made $2.6 billion in change fees.And that's quite enough, says Senator Chuck Schumer of New York State.On Sunday, the Senator called out…

Article / Passportable

Maybe Alec Baldwin Was In the Wrong: There Seems to Be Solid Evidence That Cellphones and Other Hand-Held Devices Interfere with Airplane Navigation Systems

The first sentences in a recent Bloomberg News article on cellphones on planes is chilling. "The regional airliner was climbing past 9,000 feet when its compasses went haywire,…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Cheaper Vacation Rentals and New Tours Are Being Offered in Europe as the Ongoing Recession There Forces Locals To Get Creative to Earn a Living

Would you be interested in a guided tour that focussed on the excesses of Spain's construction bubble?Apparently the idea is not as nutty as it sounds. According to NBC News, the…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Israel Unveils a Sweeping 18% Tourist Tax. Will the Additional Costs Deter Visitors?

Israel is already the 8th most expensive country on the planet to visit, according to the World Economic Forum. But a new 18% tax on car rentals, hotel rooms, private guide services…

Article / Passportable

Carry Less, Board First: American Airlines Revises Its Priority Policies Once Again

Boarding a plane nowadays is like being caught in a Saturday Night Live skit. You patiently wait, as the "platinum" and the "double platinum" and the "elite this and that" passengers…

Article / Behind The Guides Online

Recent Changes to Hotel Loyalty Programs That Travelers Should Know About

Here’s news that will likely keep travelers up at night: thanks to recent changes, it’s going to take significantly more loyalty points to redeem free night stays at the majority of…

Article / Behind The Guides Online

Behind the Guides Explores the How To's of Finding a Private Guide

Joan Fernald, an avid traveler from Las Vegas, has found that she prefers using private guides to group tours, or all-out solo travel. “When we were in Peru, we picked up private…

Article / Behind The Guides Online

Why Dallas Should Be On Your Travel Calendar in 2013

Though that may seem like a morbid reason to visit Dallas (the scene of the murder), many will next year, thanks to the enduring mysteries surrounding the event; as well as the…

Article / Behind The Guides Online

Organizing Your Life Before You Travel

No one will argue with the premise that vacations are fun. But the weeks that lead up to getting away, and then the catch-up one must do upon return, can be a nightmare, especially…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Lessons to Take Away From The Recent Pickpocket-Inspired Shutdown of the Louvre

Last May, I hosted a tour of France for the listeners to my radio show. We had days of touring together, and days when we set off on our own. On one of the free days, a group within…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Spirit Airlines Quietly Ditches Its 800 Number, Domestic Airfares Are Down to Many Popular Destinations, and More Airline News

What's the difference between 800 and 801? The first is a toll-free call, and the second is an area code in Utah. Which does Spirit Airlines use for its reservations number? The one…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Lessons to Take Away From The Recent Pickpocket-Inspired Shutdown of the Louvre

Last May, I hosted a tour of France for the listeners to my radio show. We had days of touring together, and days when we set off on our own. On one of the free days, a group within…

Article / Passportable

Don't Get Taken for a Ride in Las Vegas

15 to 20 minutes.That's about how long it should take a passenger to get from the Las Vegas Airport to their Strip hotel in Las Vegas, most times of the day. Heck, you can see the…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Haven't Booked a Summer Cruise Yet? That May Work In Your Favor This Year

During “Wave Season” this year, a tsunami hit.Let me translate. “Wave Season” is the period from January from March during which  the cruise lines try to pin down the majority of…