Articles

Zac Thompson

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Lady Gaga Residency in Vegas Set for Late 2018

By the end of next year, it will be easier than ever for Las Vegas gamblers to watch Lady Gaga perform "Poker Face" on the same day they perfect their own.The singer is settling in at…

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In January, Learn to Ski—for Less—in Michigan

It might surprise you to learn that Michigan has one of the highest concentrations of ski areas in the United States. There are around 40 places to hit the slopes in the…

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Why Hotel Bills in Hawaii Are About to Go Up

On January 1, the tax on lodgings in Hawaii will increase by 1% statewide.But that's not all. The fee charged to tourists who rent rooms in hotels, condos, B&Bs, and "transient…

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Neapolitan Pizza, Panama Hats Among Traditions Given UNESCO Heritage Status

As anybody who travels with open eyes and an open mind soon discovers, a place isn't made unique just by its buildings and scenery. The dishes, dances, crafts, languages, and other…

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U.S. Government Won't Require Bag Fee Disclosure in Airfares

An Obama administration proposal designed to protect airline passengers from hidden fees has been discarded by the current Department of Transportation. Under the proposed…

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An Airline Perk for Ugly Holiday Sweaters

Alaska Airlines passengers will want to raid their closets for brightly colored, snowman-bedecked, jingle-bell-festooned sweaters on December 15.In honor of National Ugly Christmas…

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Airlines Limit Smart Bags Allowed on Flights

The supposed next big thing in luggage just hit a snag. Several U.S. airlines have announced bans on technologically sophisticated "smart" suitcases with lithium-ion batteries that…

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In Denver You Can Dine in a Former Air Traffic Control Tower

Although Denver's old Stapleton International Airport has been closed for more than 20 years, the air traffic control tower recently reopened.There won't be any flight coordinating…

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UPDATED: Will American Airlines' Scheduling Glitch Leave You Stranded for the Holidays?

This post, originally published on December 1, has been updated below.American Airlines discovered earlier this week that a glitch in the internal system used by pilots to schedule…

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2017's Most Instagrammed Locations

Instagram released its year in review this week, looking back at 2017's top trends on the popular photo-sharing social network.Among the not-so-surprising revelations that Beyoncé's…

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Paid Reservations Now Required to Visit California's Muir Woods

From Dubrovnik to Machu Picchu, popular tourist destinations around the world are devising new sign-up strategies to combat overcrowding caused by hordes of temporary visitors.The…

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Two Brand New Museums Dedicated to Mississippi History

Side-by-side history museums in Mississippi's capital city, Jackson, will open to the public on December 9—one day before the state's bicentennial.The brand-new institutions share an…

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Christmas in New York: The City's Best Holiday Window Displays

If your idea of the holidays involves glittering lights, bright colors, jingle bells, and the sort of magic that only exorbitant budgets can make possible, then New York City beats the…

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Spectacular Holiday Show Added to Universal's Hogwarts Castle

Harry Potter is getting into the holiday spirit at Universal theme parks in Orlando and Southern California for the first time this year. In Central Florida, seasonal features at…

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The U.S. Frequent Flyer Program with the Highest Customer Satisfaction Is...

Measuring loyalty programs separately from overall airline satisfaction for the first time, the market research company J.D. Power devised a 1,000-point scale rating the six largest…

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Blaming Trump, Another Airline Calls It Quits in Cuba

Alaska Airlines will discontinue its service to Cuba on January 22, 2018, the carrier has announced. The reason: the Trump Administration's new rules that make it too difficult for…

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A Tour of Literary Dublin: Where to Appreciate Ireland's Many Famous Writers

Ireland produces so many writers that the country could list literary masterpieces among its chief exports. The center of all the scribbling is Dublin , a city that rivals New York and…

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Hotel for Liberals Coming to Washington, D.C.

Well-to-do liberal travelers with lodging preferences that are more detailed than "anywhere but a Trump hotel" now have a brand aimed squarely at securing their business. In 2018,…

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You Can Finally Have Breakfast at Tiffany's—Lunch, Too

As Audrey Hepburn demonstrated with maximum glamour in 1961, you could technically always have breakfast at Tiffany & Co. on Fifth Avenue in New York City, provided you brought…

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U.S. Government Makes It Harder for Americans to Visit Cuba

Travel to Cuba gets tougher for Americans this week.New rules released by the Trump Administration ban most independent travel to the island, requiring visitors from the U.S. to rely…

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Kids Won't Be Allowed on Virgin's Cruise Line

When Virgin Voyages launches its first cruise in 2020, you can be sure of one thing: There won't be any kids on board. At a keel-laying ceremony last week, company CEO Tom McAlpin…

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National Park Fees May Triple, Become Unaffordable

Entrance fees at many of the country's most popular national parks could soon go way up.To address a backlog of maintenance needs and infrastructure improvements, the National Park…

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Study: Booze Boosts Foreign Language Skills

Alcohol improves your ability to speak a foreign language, according to a new study in the Journal of Psychopharmacology. Researchers from the University of Liverpool, Maastricht…

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Visit the World of the Hunger Games at a Dubai Theme Park

We're guessing the world of The Hunger Games wasn't intended to be the sort of place people would like to visit. After all, Suzanne Collins's hugely popular young adult novels—and…

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Statues in Dublin Can Call Your Mobile Phone

In the famously word-drunk city of Dublin, even the statues now have the gift of gab. As part of a new tourism project called Talking Statues Dublin, 10 of the Irish capital's most…