White House Tours to Resume in March
Posted on 02/20/2017, 12:00 AM
The White House will soon be open for tours again. First lady Melania Trump announced in a statement that the tours will resume on March 7. They've been on hold since her husband took office because the Administration has yet to appoint someone to run the White House Visitors Office—something that has reportedly annoyed members of Congress fielding tour reqests from constituents. But now i...
TSA May Soon Stop Accepting Driver’s Licenses from These Nine States
Posted on 02/16/2017, 12:00 AM
Some airline passengers may be in for a rude awakening next January if they live in one of the nine states where driver’s licenses do not comply with the REAL ID Act, a federal mandate to establish minimum security standards for state-issued IDs. Starting in January 2018, non-compliant driver’s licenses from Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina...
New Airport Puts More Caribbean Islands in Play
Posted on 02/15/2017, 3:30 PM
St. Vincent and the Grenadines are some of the prettiest islands in the Caribbean. They're lightly developed, bucolic-feeling, famous for countless empty beaches and chill village nightlife. That's because up to now, their primary airport couldn't handle long-haul flights, so the best way to reach them has pretty much been by yacht or small ship. Limited access has a way of keeping a place quai...
Why You Should Renew Your Passport ASAP
Posted on 02/15/2017, 12:00 AM
Getting a new or renewed passport could take longer than normal this year. U.S. government officials are anticipating a higher volume of renewals in 2017 because a whole bunch of travelers got new passports in 2007, and now those documents are reaching their 10-year expiration dates. Processing all of those renewals will take some time. What was so special about 2007? That was when a law we...
Bulletproof Wall Soon to Surround Base of Eiffel Tower
Posted on 02/14/2017, 12:00 AM
A wall is being put up around the base of the Eiffel Tower, Paris officials have announced. The "aesthetic perimeter," as it's being euphemistically called, will be made of bulletproof glass and will stand 2.5 meters (8 feet) high. It's expected to cost €20 million ($21 million) and be finished sometime this fall. The move is being made in response to security concerns. France has been the ...
Trump's Travel Ban Appears to Have Caused Drop in Flight Bookings to U.S.
Posted on 02/13/2017, 12:00 AM
President Donald Trump wanted to ban travelers from seven majority-Muslim countries, but it looks like his executive order to that effect dissuaded international travelers from a whole bunch of other places from visiting the United States as well. From January 27, when the president signed the 90-day ban on nationals from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Somalia, Sudan, and Syria, to February 4, when a f...
Oprah Leads the Charge of Lifestyle Brands at Sea
Posted on 02/11/2017, 7:15 AM
A New Era in Partnerships for Cruise Lines Could Mean Different Types of Cruises...
Win a Stay in a Castle Worthy of "Beauty and the Beast," Courtesy of HomeAway
Posted on 02/09/2017, 2:45 PM
(photo courtesy of HomeAway) For those of you longing for more than this provincial life, a la Belle from Beauty and the Beast, vacation-rental site HomeAway is dispensing some storybook magic via a new contest. To celebrate the eagerly anticipated release of Disney's new live-action version of Beauty and the Beast (starring Emma Watson as the book-loving beauty in the yellow dress), Ho...
NYC Airbnb Hosts Fined for Illegal Rentals
Posted on 02/09/2017, 12:00 AM
Two New York City Airbnb hosts have been slapped with fines for listing illegal short-term rentals—making them the city's first individuals punished under a law signed last fall by New York Governer Andrew Cuomo. That measure made it illegal to rent a residence for fewer than 30 days. For violating the law, Tatiana Cames and Hank Freid now owe the city a combined $17,000. It's worth notin...
Trump's Regulation Orders Have Stalled FAA Safety Notices
Posted on 02/08/2017, 12:00 AM
Even if you think the federal government should stay out of most things, you're probably glad somebody's keeping an eye on airplane safety. Too bad the guy in the White House is making that harder to do. President Donald Trump has moved swiftly to roll back federal regulations on businesses, signing an executive order that put all new and pending regulations on hold for 60 days (a fairly ...
