Paris Métro Tickets Set to Double and Hotel Rates to Quadruple During Summer Olympics
Posted on 12/02/2023, 9:00 AM
The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris are shaping up to be très cher for spectators. That's French for "a big fat rip-off." This week local authorities announced a plan to nearly double the price of a single ride on the Paris Métro from July 20 to September 8, 2024—a span that covers the dates of the Olympic Games (July 26–August 11) as well as the Paralympic Games (August 28–September 8). During th...
Where to Stay for Edinburgh Festivals in 2024 When You Can’t Find a Hotel
Posted on 11/21/2023, 6:15 PM
Each August, the Scottish city of Edinburgh hosts five—count 'em, five—major arts and culture festivals dedicated to the performing arts, the visual arts, books, and military bands. By far the largest event is Edinburgh Festival Fringe, which launched in 1947 as an alternative to the Edinburgh International Festival (itself still going strong), with the offshoot eventually dwarfing the original t...
American Airlines Flight Attendants Were Reportedly Reminded to Stop Lessening Your Misery
Posted on 11/13/2023, 3:00 PM
You know how flying with a commercial airline is terrible? The seats are cramped, the fees are outrageous, and the other passengers are always brawling or screaming about how their seatmate isn't real or showing off their bare feet or belting out their new gospel single. One of the few things that can make the whole stress- and thrombosis-inducing ordeal slightly less torturous is the rare moment ...
Report: 2024 Travel Trends to Include Destination Dupes, Dry Tripping, Set-Jetting and More
Posted on 11/09/2023, 8:00 AM
"Destination dupes," "tour tourism," "dry tripping," "go-ccasions"—these are among the top travel trends we can expect will inspire vacationers in 2024, according to a new forecast from Expedia Group. At least none of those terms are as hideous as "bleisure," long may it languish wherever lifestyle-section trend pieces go to retire. To crown 2024's batch of buzzwords, Expedia relied on its own d...
NYC Hotel Rates Are Shocking Now! Here's Why, Plus How to Pay Less
Posted on 11/06/2023, 8:00 AM
A perfect storm has hit the hotel market in New York City, driving prices to historic highs. The ascent began, partially, in spring of 2022, when Governor Greg Abbott of Texas started busing migrants to New York. So far, Texas has sent 15,800 people, according to the Associated Press. The number could be closer to 50,000 though, when the migrants sent from Florida, or coming on their own, are adde...
High-Tech Screens, Bluetooth and Improved Wi-Fi: How Airlines are Stepping Up Inflight Entertainment
Posted on 11/02/2023, 6:30 PM
Last month United Airlines announced an ambitious, high-tech plan for its on-board passenger experience. By 2032, the airline revealed, more than 800 of its aircraft will be equipped for passengers to connect their Bluetooth headphones to the seatback entertainment systems. Today, only about 100 United jets have that capability. Made possible by the airline’s biggest influx of new planes ever, the...
Charges for Gratuities on Royal Caribbean Going Up—as the Company Reports Huge Profits
Posted on 11/01/2023, 6:00 PM
Royal Caribbean quietly increased its automatic gratuity charge this week. Starting November 11, the cruise line's service charge added to each passenger's bill will be $18 per day for guests in most staterooms. People staying in suites will be automatically charged an extra $20.50 per day for tips for crew members. It's not a dramatic jump from Royal Caribbean's current auto gratuity of $16 (or...
“If It Is Not Closed, It Will Collapse”: Converted Hagia Sophia Is Now Crowded and Crumbling
Posted on 10/31/2023, 5:45 PM
The Hagia Sophia, Istanbul's iconic cathedral-turned-mosque-turned-museum-turned-mosque, will begin charging foreign tourists an entrance fee starting January 15, 2024, Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy announced this week. The 1,500-year-old structure—easily one of the world's most significant architectural landmarks—has been free to enter since 2020, when the government ...
As Most Travel Companies Slash Point Value, Southwest Airlines Does Flyers a Favor
Posted on 10/20/2023, 10:45 AM
Almost a year ago, Frommer's warned readers that big corporations were preparing to reduce the value of loyalty points and frequent flyer miles.Since then, we've seen the predicted onslaught come true. Delta Air Lines made it harder for customers to obtain elite status and use the carrier's much-hyped airport lounges. American Airlines made redemption flights more expensive during busier periods. M...
Travel Influencer Sued for Telling "Increasingly Bold Lies" to Build Her Brand
Posted on 10/16/2023, 12:00 PM
This story was published in April 2022. An update to this story is posted below.A travel influencer with more than half a million Instagram followers and more than 207,000 TikTok followers is being sued by the consumer protection group Travelers United over allegations that she told "increasingly bold lies" to amass followers and seduce investors into lucrative sponsorship deals. Cassie De Pecol, ...