Drop That Towel! Hotels Get Serious About Foiling Linen Thieves
Posted on 02/03/2015, 10:15 AM
Is hotel check out about to become a much more emberrassing ritual? It might if you're one of the 5 to 20 percent of hotel guests who steal towels, robes and other linens each month from hotels around the world. CNN is reporting that hotels in Miami, Chicago and New York City are the first customers of a new company called Linen Tracker that tags linens with waterproof, radio-transmitter chip...
Last-Minute Deals on Hotels Are Getting Better and Better! Here’s Why
Posted on 01/30/2015, 1:15 PM
Speak on a mobile phone instead of text? That’s considered a rude act nowadays in many circles. But while mobile technology has, arguably, made us less social, many in the travel industry say it has sparked spontaneity like nobody’s business. In just the last two years, a number of major travel companies have spent millions to launch app-only booking tools geared towards folks who have no idea ...
The Luck (And Deals) Of The Irish: A Head-Turning Fare Sale from Aer Lingus to Ireland and Beyond
Posted on 01/28/2015, 10:15 PM
Head across the pond for a quick, and inexpensive, pint of Guinness The euro is currently trading at a jaw-dropping $1.12. Just a few months ago, Americans paid $1.45 or more, meaning that those who head to Europe will experience a 30% savings on the ground. The problem has been how to get to the ground in Europe inexpensively. A...
A Major Airline Drops the Hated Fuel Surcharge! So Why Won't the Rest of the Industry Follow?
Posted on 01/25/2015, 2:45 PM
One of the greatest lies foisted upon the American public—right up there with "this won't hurt a bit" and "New Coke will be better"—was crammed down travelers' throats a half decade ago. Fuel prices were rising. The airlines put out a tear-jerking sob story in the press, appealing to our better natures to help them survive. They told us that to stay alive, they had to start tacking extra cha...
Planning a Quick Trip to Havana? The "Casa Particular" May be the Answer to Your Housing Needs
Posted on 01/21/2015, 6:45 PM
The new and greatly broadened rules that permit Americans to make trips to Cuba have just gone into effect, and a great many of our fellow citizens are now considering the trip. But though they quickly find that they can get there easily on various Caribbean airlines flying to Havana from Jamaica, Mexico (Cancun) or the Bahamas, they face a more difficult task of finding accom...
By Converting the Norway Pavilion to a 'Frozen' Attraction, Epcot's World's Fair Concept Dies
Posted on 01/16/2015, 2:45 PM
On his deathbed, Walt Disney had a dream for his ultimate legacy. He wanted to create a living community in Central Florida where companies could use residents to try out new technology, prove it worked, and export it to the planet, making life better for everyone in the world. But he died in 1966, and by the time EPCOT Center (the letters stood for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorr...
In a Momentous Development, Regulations Have Just Been Announced That Will Greatly Expand the Number of Americans Able to Visit Cuba
Posted on 01/15/2015, 1:00 PM
The floodgates have opened. Starting now, any determined American will be able to travel, without hindrance, to Cuba. That’s the meaning of the regulations just announced by the Treasury Department, which remove the requirement that travelers apply for a specific license to undertake such trips. And though numerous commentators will claim that barriers still exist, it’s obvious t...
Decisions, Decisions: Here Are Some That Will Confront You As You Plan Your Forthcoming Vacation Trip
Posted on 01/14/2015, 11:45 AM
In travel, there’s always an alternative to consider when you plan your next vacation. Here are some of them: (1) Cruises vs. all-inclusive resort hotels: Strictly from the standpoint of cost, the all-inclusive resort hotel is increasingly felt to be the less expensive of vacation choices. That’s because the all-inclusives don’t charge extra for numerous daily needs for wh...
Last Weekend's Street Demonstrations by a Million Parisians Have Served to Remind Us of Our High Regard for France and the French
Posted on 01/14/2015, 11:30 AM
Thomas Jefferson is supposed to have said (though some scholars deny he did) that “Every man has two countries--his own and France”. I thought of that famous quotation, and found it expressed my views, when nearly a million Parisians erupted onto their streets, and marched to show their fierce support of free speech. Though France may exasperate us at times, it is always...
Spend Martin Luther King, Jr. Day at a National Park: It's the First Free Entry Day of 2015
Posted on 01/13/2015, 12:00 PM
Not that the United States' National Parks are all that pricey to begin with. In fact, most don't charge entry fees and the most pricey—places like Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon and Yosemite—cap the fee at $25 per carload of visitors. But this coming Monday, not only will entry to every park in the system be fee-free, many will be offerring special hikes, lectures, nature walks, photograph...
