The Shortest Flight in the U.S.
Posted on 09/28/2017, 8:30 PM
United Airlines has begun operating the shortest commercial flight in the United States. Zipping between San Francisco and Santa Rosa in California's Sonoma County wine region three times a week, the route covers about 60 miles and stays in the air for just 16 minutes. (Factor in taxiing and such and the one-way trip takes a still-speedy 45 minutes.) In addition to putting themselves through the ha...
Texting Is Now Free on Delta: Here's How It Works
Posted on 09/26/2017, 8:00 PM
Delta Air Lines has announced that starting this weekend, passengers on 90% of its flights will be able to use the carrier's in-flight Wi-Fi network to text with people on the ground for free.The service will be text-only—no videos or photos. To use it, passengers must access the signal using the Gogo app, which you can get at airborne.gogoinflight.com. Texting will then only be permitted via Whats...
Now Is the Best Time to Apply for or Renew a U.S. Passport, Says State Department
Posted on 09/26/2017, 5:00 PM
If you need to apply for or renew a U.S. passport, the best time to do so is right now, according to the U.S. State Department.Processing times are shortest between September and December, the agency says, and longest (up to six weeks) from January to the high season of summer travel. Even if your passport isn't set to expire before the end of the year, you might still need to renew—many countries ...
Florida Keys to Reopen to Tourists October 1
Posted on 09/25/2017, 4:30 PM
The Florida Keys will reopen to tourists on October 1, government officials there have announced.The archipelago just off the southern tip of Florida was hit with extreme force by Hurricane Irma on September 10, when the Category 4 storm made landfall, destroying an estimated 25% of homes on the islands. In the immediate aftermath, officials advised travelers to postpone trips to the area while ...
U.S. Airlines Are Making a Fortune from Checked Bag Fees
Posted on 09/21/2017, 4:30 PM
Two recent government reports have underscored the huge revenue-generating power of checked bag fees at the airport. First, a Government Accountability Office (GAO) study found that while unbundling airfares from services such as checking bags and priority boarding has indeed resulted in lower base fares, the new fees often more than make up the difference that customers think they're saving. In ot...
$5/Day One-Way Car Rentals to Florida Right Now
Posted on 09/20/2017, 7:00 PM
It's time for the Great Florida Drive-In. Each autumn, the major rental car brands need to shift inventory to their parking lots in Florida to meet winter tourist demand. Normally, it'll cost a hefty extra fee to drop off a rental car in a different location than where you picked it up. Not right now. For the next few weeks, renters in the northeastern United States will find deals that hover aroun...
2018 Inca Trail Permits Will Sell Out Early Because of New Rules
Posted on 09/19/2017, 5:30 PM
If you were thinking of making 2018 the year you finally realize your dream trip of hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, you'll need to start planning right now.Normally, Peru's limited allotment of permits for the trail goes on sale early in the calendar year—and they usually sell out quickly—but for 2018 trips, they will go on sale October 1, 2017.That means you'll need to start planning four m...
India Ashram that Inspired the Beatles to Re-Open, 50 Years Later
Posted on 09/18/2017, 6:30 PM
If you were alive in 1968, you remember it: The Beatles dropped out of Western society, fled Beatlemania, and tuned in at an Indian ashram the well-known guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. When they came back, they had most of White Album written.Well, for the half-century anniversary of that pop culture milestone it's coming back—albeit in a newer, commercialized form, reports The Hindu. Found in Rishike...
Motel 6 Accused of Sending Guest Lists to ICE
Posted on 09/13/2017, 4:00 PM
Phoenix New Times, an Arizona newspaper, reports that at least two local Motel 6 properties stand accused of violating customer privacy by sending guest lists to the United States' Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).The New Times points to an incident in which a Motel 6 customer, a Mexican citizen living in the area, checked in for a one-night stay using a voter ID card from Mexico. Six hour...
Rental Car Rates Could Zoom Sky-High Thanks to Lobbyists
Posted on 09/12/2017, 11:15 PM
Today, the American Car Rental Association (ACRA), a lobbying group for the car rental industry, is wrapping up its annual Washington, D.C. "Legislative Conference," during which it plots its political agenda and schmoozes lawmakers to help make it happen.But some of its battles against consumer protections have already been won on the state level. AutoSlash, the discount car rental aggregator, rep...
