A New Monopoly on European Airport ATMs Means Lousy Exchange Rates for Travelers
Posted on 01/04/2015, 5:15 PM
I just had the pleasure of co-hosting our radio show with Samantha Brown, Travel Channel star par extraordinaire. (You can hear the podcast here). Whenever I chat with Samantha, I learn something new. Today what I learned was distressing. Sam noticed that when she recently flew to Germany, the only ATMs available in the airport terminal were those run not by a bank, but by the currency exchan...
In Sharp Contrast to the Thoughtless Acceptance of TripAdvisor in the U.S., the Europeans are Fining It Big Bucks for Allegedly Failing to Police the Posting of Fake Reviews
Posted on 12/26/2014, 1:00 PM
Five hundred thousand euros (or $610,000). That's the fine recently levied on TripAdvisor.com by a regulatory commission in Italy. The famous website's violation? The alleged failure to police its hotel reviews to prevent totally fabricated critiques from appearing. Throughout Europe and Great Britain, numerous public watchdogs and private groups have brought major accusations aga...
Hooray for Hyatt! Its End-of-the-Year Announcement is "Free Wi-Fi for All"
Posted on 12/23/2014, 8:30 AM
It's nice to end the year on some good news! Hyatt Hotels, that massive chain that now consists of 573 properties in 43 countries, will be offering free Wi–Fi to ALL guests beginning in February of 2015. There's really not much more to say than that. You don't have to join the loyalty program, don't have to shell out on some hidden fee, won't have to pledge your first born. The giveaway wi...
Some End-of-the-Year Musings on Current Developments—And Bitter Controversies—in Travel
Posted on 12/22/2014, 12:45 PM
As we move into 2015, a number of important travel issues seem unresolved and the subject of fierce controversy. Since both travelers and legislators are being asked to resolve these controversial questions, it may be important to bring them into the open, and to initiate discussion of them. (1) Will Uber survive? The increasingly-well-known car-sharing service known as Uber (the other ...
Arthur Frommer's Reaction to the President's Announcement Regarding the Travel Embargo Against Cuba
Posted on 12/16/2014, 7:00 PM
"Although it will make headlines, the announcement of these embargo modifications is of far less substance than meets the eye."...
Bye-Bye, Economy! Delta Airlines Introduces Five New Classes of Seating
Posted on 12/15/2014, 11:00 PM
In 2013, Delta Airlines collected $1.67 billion dollars in so-called ancillary fees last year (mostly change fees and baggage fees), whupping its nearest competitor by almost $300 million dollars. Seems that wasn't enough. Delta has just announced that it will be making it even harder for budget travelers not to pay extra fees, with the implementation of five new classes of service aboar...
Is It Still Possible to Find Vacation Space at Christmas? In Certain Limited Instances, The Answer Seems to be Yes
Posted on 12/11/2014, 3:15 PM
Barbados: You could be here this Christmas "I know I should have planned this months ago, but I was just too busy at the time. But now, we simply, desperately, want to get away for a week or two at Christmas. Are any hotels still available? Any air seats still to be had?" Though the wording may be slightly different, the basic question that I've paraphrased above is ...
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...
