And Now, For a Change of Pace, Let's Look at All the Good Things That Are Happening in the World of Travel.
Posted on 12/19/2013, 10:45 PM
The holidays are here, and for many, that means counting blessings. So instead of devoting a column to the problems of travel—and there certainly are many—I’d like to celebrate what’s right and fervently hope these trends continue into 2014. 1) Its getting easier and easier to meet locals when you hit the road, thanks to the Internet No, not if you spend all your time away from home texting...
Advocacy Group Files Lawsuit on Behalf of Customers Penalized for Writing Negative Review
Posted on 12/18/2013, 1:30 PM
A few days ago, Arthur Frommer wrote about an incident in which a Utah couple complained their credit was ruined in an act of revenge by a business over a negative online review ("Can You Be Sued for Writing a Negative Online Review for a Vacation Home or Apartment at Which You've Stayed? Amazingly, That's Possible"). Now Public Citizen, the consumer protection group which was founded in 1...
The US to Europe Each Way From $178, Including Taxes and Fees?!? Looks Like Christmas Came Early This Year
Posted on 12/18/2013, 9:15 AM
You may have never heard of Norwegian Airlines but this well-established, budget airline (its akin to Ryanair and previously only flew within Europe) is determined to enter the US market with a splash. How else to explain a fare that undercuts the competition by literally hundreds of dollars? Here are the details: The lowest fares are available for May travel from New York's JFK Airport to ...
Outside Magazine Publishes Some Solid Advice for Money-Saving Ski Vacations
Posted on 12/16/2013, 11:00 AM
Arapahoe Basin, Colorado / Photo: Alex Kerney It's not often a mainstream glossy magazine publishes travel tips that don't push readers toward prohibitively expensive, jet-set, see-and-be-seen diversions, but Outside magazine's online list of ways to save on skiing in 2014 is genuinely useful for saving tons of cash. The title, "The Best Deals of the 2014 Ski Season," is worded that way ...
Study Finds Remarkable Benefits For Educational Travel by Teens and Tweens
Posted on 12/12/2013, 9:45 AM
In 2000, Reid Bramblett, a writer and long-time scout leader in Pennsylvania, took 9 members of his Boy Scout troop to Europe for nearly a month (along with two other adults). One of the participants was a 16-year-old who suffered from dyslexia, never had done well in school, and worked part-time a gas station. His goal was to go to a technical school after high school and become a mechanic. ...
Today's Top 11 Cruise Deals from AllThingsCruise.com: Something for Every Budget
Posted on 12/11/2013, 4:45 PM
Princess Cruises' Royal Princess: In Europe Next Summer We asked the folks at AllThingsCruise.com to fill us in on the best bargains in cruises happening between now and late summer of 2014. Here's what they suggested, where to book them and what, in the opinion of the sellers, makes each one a steal. Unless specified, all prices are the lowest possible for an inside cabin, and are based...
Have You Seen Our "Store" Yet? It Provides a Quick and Easy Way to Order Our New "Easy Guides"
Posted on 12/11/2013, 2:15 AM
The word "Store" appears on the black-and-white band that runs across the top of our main menu page. Click on the word "Store" and you'll immediately see all twenty of the Easy Guides, selling for as little as $8.15 a copy when purchased from these online retailers. Click on the retailer of your choice, and you'll see instructions for ordering these remarkable and fun guidebooks, either ...
We've Told You Where to Go in 2014, But Which Destinations Were Most Searched in 2013? The Answers May Surprise You
Posted on 12/09/2013, 6:45 PM
Let me start this blog by stating that there's no evidence that the number of searches for a destination will translate into more visits for said destination. But it is a fascinating exercise to see which countries and cities drew the most attention on the internet, at least in 2013. And the answer is: there is no definitive answer. In an article today by the International Business Times they...
Puzzled by Our New “Search Flights--Powered by Momondo” Button? Here’s the Explanation of a Powerful New Service That Brings You Big Advantages!
Posted on 12/08/2013, 7:15 PM
It appears at the bottom, left-hand corner of that splashy photograph that spreads across the entire top of our main menu page, a cut-out reading: “Search Flights--Powered by Momondo” Simply click on the words “Search Flights” and you’ll be instantly taken to one of travel’s best sources of discounted, low cost airfares for both domestic and international trips. The provider of those excell...
In an Exhaustive Analysis, A Colleague of Ours Has Concluded That Booking.com is by Far the Best Website for Finding Hotel Rooms
Posted on 12/07/2013, 9:15 PM
Now, mind you, we're not expressing our own opinion. We have yet to do a thorough comparison of all the hotel booking sites. But when someone of the stature and famed objectivity of Reid Bramblett weighs in on the subject, you have to pay attention. Reid is the author of numerous travel guidebooks (including some for Frommer's), a speaker chosen to deliver travel lectures at t...