Looking Ahead to Fall Travel: Places To Head and Strategies for Saving Money
Posted on 08/08/2013, 2:00 PM
Forget what your kindergarten teacher taught you, at least where travel is concerned. There aren’t four seasons, there are three: high season, low season and the period we’re about to enter, shoulder season, which combines reasonable costs with sunny skies. Actually, scratch that. There are even fewer seasons now, according to search engine Hipmunk.com’s CEO Adam Goldstein. “The airlines thin...
Americans traveling within Russia must now be aware of new laws that criminalize "pro-gay propaganda"--and threaten them with imprisonment or worse
Posted on 08/02/2013, 1:45 PM
Although it has received only spotty mention in the press, the recent enactment by Russia of legislation limiting free speech, seems important to me--and of especial relevance to travel and tourism. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed both laws last month, and already a group of Dutch film-makers traveling within Russia (to make a film about sexual orientation in that country) have b...
Gambling for Freebies: What You Need to Know If Your Vacation Will Include Time at a Casino
Posted on 08/01/2013, 9:30 PM
Gamblers are a superstitious lot. They know that only a rube counts his money at the table, walks in the main door of a casino or whistles as he cranks the one-armed bandit. But even the most hardened cardsharp will tell you it takes little luck to finagle freebies from casinos. Having a plan can help, though. “What people don’t understand is that they’re going to have to do more than go in a...
A British Businessman Dreams Up a Fantastical Fake Restaurant, Submits it to a "User-Generated Website", and Watches His Invention Climb up a List of Popular Eateries
Posted on 07/30/2013, 3:30 PM
Angered by what he regarded as a fake criticism of his friend's hotel, a British businessman has devised the practical joke of the year. It is described in the July 30 edition of London's Daily Telegraph, and left me howling with laughter. The restaurant he dreamed up was named "Oscar's", and supposedly occupied a "phantom class" sea vessel that moved with the tides from place to p...
The Wonders of Alaska (In One Relatively Compact Area): Meet the Kenai Peninsula
Posted on 07/30/2013, 9:45 AM
Alaska is massive. Intimidatingly so. Transpose its outline on a map of the lower 48 United States and its north-south boundaries would stretch from Mexico to Canada, poking up around Winnipeg and dropping down to Tijuana. For many visitors, trying to forge their own path in this vast, and often road-less, land is simply too scary. And so a good 60% of the state’s tourists opt for a cruise. I...
The How To's of Choosing the Right Broadway Show to See
Posted on 07/25/2013, 10:30 AM
During the 2012-2013 theatrical season, some 11.6 million people attended Broadway shows in New York City, more than the attendance at the games of all of the city’s major league teams combined. That statistic comes via the Broadway League, which also notes that Broadway shows netted $1.14 billion in grosses. Which leads to an admittedly rude question on my part. It’s no secret that going to ...
Would You Believe a 10-Day Tour to Vietnam That Includes Round-Trip Air between San Francisco and Hanoi, and Yet Costs Only $1,699?
Posted on 07/23/2013, 11:45 AM
He startled the travel world a few months ago by selling a week in Beijing for only $888, including round-trip airfare between San Francisco and China. And now he's "doubling down" by operating air-and-land packages to Vietnam for only $1,699 per person, including round-trip air between San Francisco and Hanoi. "He" is Wilson Wu, the enfant terrible of international tour operators,...
The Search for Bargain Airfares is the Most Complex Task in Travel Today--So Here's Our Attempt to Clear Things Up
Posted on 07/18/2013, 2:15 PM
Learning that a person in the next seat had paid $200 less than you for the flight that you are both taking--is a painful experience that many of us have had. "How did you do that?" you ask your seat mate. "Easy," he responds with just a slight touch of condescension, "I booked my seat through SuperSensationalBargains.Com" (I'm making up that name). Is it true that some airfar...
JFK to LAX for $83? It's Happening This Week as JetBlue Sells Unsold Seats for Dirt Cheap
Posted on 07/18/2013, 6:00 AM
Clever JetBlue! It's using this week's oppressive heat dome to move some of its unsold inventory — and we love it! The airline says that as long as the heat wave lasts and temperatutes spike above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, it will offer strictly limited, last-minute "HotSeats" deals for up to 90% off. For the past few days, the heavlily discounte fares have been appearing on the airline's websit...
JFK to LAX for $83? It's Happening This Week as JetBlue Sells Unsold Seats for Dirt Cheap
Posted on 07/18/2013, 6:00 AM
Clever JetBlue! It's using this week's oppressive heat dome to move some of its unsold inventory — and we love it! The airline says that as long as the heat wave lasts and temperatutes spike above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, it will offer strictly limited, last-minute "HotSeats" deals for up to 90% off. For the past few days, the heavlily discounte fares have been appearing on the airline's websit...