120 to the Dollar. That, Believe It or Not, is the Current Exchange Value of the Japanese Yen!
Posted on 12/08/2014, 1:00 PM
When the Japanese Yen fell to a rate of 100 to the dollar some months ago, one particular financial observer predicted it would eventually fall to a level of 125 to the dollar--and most of us felt he was dreaming. Well, the Japanese Yen currently sells at 120 to the dollar--which compares with a rate of 90 to the dollar a couple of years ago--and Japan has become the hottest tr...
Point/Counterpoint: Pauline Frommer Gives Her Impressions of Colonial Williamsburg
Posted on 12/04/2014, 5:00 PM
I won’t lie: I was dragged, kicking and wailing, to Colonial Williamsburg. I thought the idea of spending Thanksgiving at the famed “living history museum” was a goofy one, and the rolling of my teenage daughter’s eyes when the plan, created by my father, was announced only confirmed that this was going to be a familial disaster. I expected a weekend of candle making and rock candy sucking, ...
We Visited an American Theme Park that Vanquishes Disney and Universal
Posted on 12/01/2014, 11:15 AM
Pauline and I, and our respective families, spent the Thanksgiving holidays at Colonial Williamsburg in Williamsburg, Virginia. And because CW doesn't enjoy anywhere near the attendance of the Disney parks or Universal, I thought it should receive the extremely favorable reaction we had to it. Hence this blog. In a nutshell (and forgive the dogmatism), Colonial Williamsburg is a pl...
Black Friday, Cyber Monday and All Those Travel Deals: Which Are Worthwhile (and Which Can Be Skipped)? We Have a Little List
Posted on 11/24/2014, 5:45 PM
According to the shopping experts who gab away on morning TV, TODAY will be the best day to shop if you're in the market for the usual gifts (sweaters, gadgets, toys, jewelry, what have you). But those shopping for travel will likely do better to wait until Friday or Monday. That's when the deals are popping, along with the marketing ploys masquerading as deals. We've sorted the wheat from t...
A Severe Drop in the Value of the Japanese Currency Has Made That Country a Highly Desirable Low-Cost Destination for American Travelers
Posted on 11/22/2014, 12:00 PM
Several weeks ago, when the value of the Japanese Yen plummeted to a rate of 100 to the U.S. dollar, people in the travel industry awoke to the emergence of a new destination for cost-conscious Americans. Most of us had last visited Japan when we received far less than 90 Yen to the dollar, and the experience was a searing one: Japan was a costly place to visit. At a higher100 t...
Is Last Minute, Spontaneous Travel Now a Thing of the Past? Yes....And No
Posted on 11/22/2014, 12:00 PM
It’s been a good several years since the airlines offered regular last-minute deals. According to a study of 180 million ticket sales by the Airline Reporting Corporation (the middleman that handles transactions between the airlines and thousands of travel agencies) the early birds are doing far better than those who delay. According to the ARC’s study, bookings 57 days in advance garner the...
Winter Europe on $75 a Day per Person, Including Quality Accommodations and Three Tasty Meals
Posted on 11/19/2014, 9:00 PM
This coming winter, hundreds of thousands of Americans from the northeast or midwest will compete with one another for the few low-cost or moderately-priced condos or vacation homes in Florida and Southern California. They are determined to spend at least two weeks and more away from the frigid ice, snow and temperatures that everyone expects. And I recently discussed those urges...
Despite an Almost Universal Criticism of My Viewpoints About the Latest Trends in Cruising, I Remain Unmoved
Posted on 11/19/2014, 5:00 PM
If you are dismayed by the decision of cruiselines to place bumper cars and basketball courts on their top decks, does that make you an "elitist" or a spoil-sport? If you prefer the cruise ships that provide you with quiet lounges, libraries, or reclining deck chairs for reading, if you value wide-ranging conversations with fellow passengers, if you enjoy attending seagoing lecture...
Et Tu JetBlue? Carrier Will Be Adding Bag Fees and Extra Seats to Cabins
Posted on 11/19/2014, 10:30 AM
Today, JetBlue released a bombshell-filled securities filing, one that will make investors happy but is going to take the swing out of the step of many travelers (this one included). Starting in 2016, JetBlue will be upping the number of seats on its Airbus A320 jets from 150 to 165, severely cutting back on leg room for those of us in steerage. In the second half of 2015, it's going to sell a ne...
Hilton and Marriott Announce Strict New Fees for Last–Minute Cancellations
Posted on 11/18/2014, 3:15 PM
Just as Cinderella had to high tail it home before the stroke of midnight, from January 1st on, travelers heading to a Hilton or a Marriott property will have to remember to cancel their reservations by 11:59pm local time on the day prior to arrival. Those who don't make that deadline won't be changed into a pumpkin, but they will be charged for a full nights' stay. This new policy will incl...
