Airlines and Airports Are Fighting Over Runway Fees. Your Airfare Could Soar.
Posted on 10/07/2021, 6:45 PM
Separate industry groups representing airlines and airports got into a spat this week, and—surprise!—you could end up the loser in the fight. At issue are the charges that airports require airlines to pay in order to use runways and passenger terminals. Collected or at least regulated in most cases by the government authorities where the airport is located, the fees vary by destination and the ser...
Strategies for Finding Affordable Holiday Car Rentals in 2021
Posted on 10/04/2021, 1:00 PM
Although we're no longer seeing headlines blaring "Rental Car Apocalypse!", should holiday travelers still be worried about rental car prices? Sadly, yes. Rental cars remain in short supply because of low inventory at the agencies, compounded by a backlog of factory production of new vehicles. "I liken right now to the calm before the storm," says Jonathan Weinberg, of the car rental website Aut...
Finding Affordable Holiday Airfare and Hotels in 2021
Posted on 10/02/2021, 4:00 AM
The holidays will be tricky this year, and I’m not just talking about potential gift shortages due to global supply chain issues. Travel patterns continue to shift. While there’s still potential for last-minute discounts on lodging and airfare, with such uncertainty in the system, there’s as great of a probability that travelers who wait too long to book could end up paying too much. "Many hotel ...
Almost Everyone Agrees: American Airlines' New Conditions of Carriage Are Bad for Consumers
Posted on 09/27/2021, 1:00 PM
A few weeks ago, American Airlines quietly revised its Conditions of Carriage governing what customers can expect for their money. That sounds really boring, but trust us: You're going to want to know what the airline just stripped from you when you fly within the United States. As originally discovered by air industry journalist J.T. Genter, the airline legally undermined several key protection...
U.S. to Allow Vaccinated Travelers from Abroad—and Tighten Testing for Unvaxxed Americans
Posted on 09/20/2021, 11:00 AM
The Biden administration is finally easing travel restrictions into the United States. The White House announced on Monday that foreign visitors will be allowed to enter the country provided they have proof of vaccination and negative Covid-19 test results, the Associated Press reports. The new rules will take effect in "early November," according to Pres. Biden's Covid-19 coordinator, Jeff Zien...
Walt Disney World’s 50th Birthday Is an Anticlimax—So When Should You Go?
Posted on 09/14/2021, 7:00 AM
In 2021, Walt Disney World in Florida turns a half-century old. On October 1, 1971, Walt Disney's brother and business partner, Roy, dedicated the East Coast version of California's Disneyland (and died less than three months later). At first, there wasn't a lot: Magic Kingdom—Florida's scaled-down answer to the first park in Anaheim—plus a few places to stay, one of them a campground. Today, of ...
Aloha, Autumn Mandates: Hawaii Restaurants and Hotels Require Vaccine Proof
Posted on 09/10/2021, 7:00 AM
As in so many states, Hawaii's rate of Covid-19 infection is going in the wrong direction right now. That's why Governor David Ige has asked would-be visitors to stay home. "I encourage everyone to restrict and curtail travel to Hawaii," he said in a news conference last month. The state has not officially closed its doors to visitors—the governor was making a request, not issuing a ban. But he ...
The Penalty for U.S. Airline Mask Scofflaws Doubles Overnight and Is Now As High as $3,000
Posted on 09/09/2021, 2:00 PM
As of September 10, the penalty will double if you refuse to wear a mask at airports, on airplanes, and on other forms of transportation, according to the Department of Homeland Security. "The new range of penalties will be $500–$1,000 for first offenders and $1,000–$3,000 for second offenders," according to the revised notice on the Transportation Security Administration's advisory page. The ori...
O, Corona! Is Canada Safe or Not? U.S., EU Give Conflicting Answers
Posted on 09/09/2021, 11:00 AM
It has been exactly one month since Canada reopened its southern border to fully vaccinated Americans looking to enjoy a little "nonessential travel," which is what bureaucrats call vacation. But is it safe for U.S. tourists to venture north? The U.S. government isn't so sure. In recent days, both the State Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have raised their threat as...
Puerto Rico’s Splashy New Entertainment Complex Is Corporate but Cool
Posted on 09/02/2021, 9:00 AM
If you're the type of traveler who likes to explore local culture, the idea of a multimillion-dollar, "multisensory," "tech-first" entertainment complex with a corporate sponsor in its name probably makes your blood run cold. But the newly completed Distrito T-Mobile, a dining-and-entertainment venue in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is more than a soulless exercise in branded consumerism. Don't get us ...