Discount Airline Coming to Newark
Posted on 06/29/2016, 8:00 AM
Allegiant Air will soon begin offering flights to and from Newark Liberty International Airport. That makes it the airport's first discount carrier since a government lawsuit charged United Airlines with monopolizing takeoff and landing slots there. Starting in November, you'll be able to fly on Allegiant between Newark and Cincinnati, Ohio; Savannah, Georgia; Asheville, North Carolina; and Kno...
Deadly Suicide Bombings at Istanbul Airport
Posted on 06/29/2016, 7:45 AM
Three suicide bombers attacked Istanbul Ataturk Airport last night, killing at least 41 people and injuring more than 230. According to Turkish officials, police shot at the attackers near the entrance to the international terminal, where they detonated their explosives. They did not make it through security. All flights were temporarity suspended at the airport—Istanbul's largest and busiest...
Cuban Hotel Becomes First Operated by US Company
Posted on 06/28/2016, 4:30 PM
Sometimes slapping a Four Points by Sheraton sign on the side of a building can be a historic event. That's what happened in Havana this week, as the Gaviota 5th Avenue Hotel began undergoing a Sheraton rebranding, making it the first hotel in Cuba to operate under a US company since Fidel Castro siezed control of the island nation in 1959. Owned by the military, the hotel is one of two that wi...
Spirit Airlines Seeks to Improve Operations, Reputation
Posted on 06/27/2016, 11:00 PM
If ever there were a company dedicated to proving you get what you pay for, it's Spirit Airlines—the budget carrier often named #1 when it comes to customer complaints and not arriving on time. Those who've never flown with Spirit might know the company best for its borderline-raunchy ad campaigns. Those who have flown on the airline probably know it best for nickel-and-diming them with a pleth...
Record Number of July 4th Travelers Expected
Posted on 06/27/2016, 10:45 PM
A record 43 million Americans are expected to travel during Independence Day weekend (Thursday, June 30-Monday, July 4). And according to AAA, a whopping 84% of them will be traveling by car. You can credit low gas prices and a pretty strong domestic economy—two good things you might find yourself cursing as you try to navigate the nation's clogged highways. All told, the number of travelers is ...
Uber to Downplay Surge Pricing
Posted on 06/27/2016, 10:30 PM
If you use Uber to get around when you're on vacation (or when you're home), you'll soon see a change in the ride-sharing service's most hated feature. That would be surge pricing, of course, which activates when demand for rides increases—on New Year's Eve, say, or during rush hour. Request an Uber during surge-pricing periods and you could pay up to six times the regular fare. Uber isn't do...
"Poshtels" Come to the USA
Posted on 06/27/2016, 8:45 AM
A new breed of posh hostels—or "poshtels"—have begun appearing in the United States after gaining popularity in Europe. Far from the old image of hostels as rundown, cramped, and uncomfortable, poshtels from brands such as Freehand and Generator feel more like boutique hotels at super-cheap prices. Rates for shared rooms can be as low as $25 a night, with many properties offering private rooms a...
Beware of Fake Monks in NYC
Posted on 06/27/2016, 8:30 AM
There's something you should be on your guard about if you're visiting New York City this summer: fake monks. According to the city's Buddhist leaders, men in orange robes claiming to be Buddhist monks are approaching tourists at popular attractions like the High Line elevated park and Times Square. Handing out shiny medallions and offering greetings of peace, the men ask for donations to help b...
Brexit and American Travel
Posted on 06/27/2016, 8:15 AM
What does Britain's vote to leave the European Union mean for American travelers? Cheaper prices throughout Britain (at least for now). Amid the uncertainty following the vote, the British pound has taken a dive, resulting in the lowest exchange rate against the dollar in about 30 years. As Frommer's editorial director Pauline Frommer puts it, "That will mean that our dollars will go further fo...
Scotland Gets Tourism Boost from TV Show
Posted on 06/23/2016, 7:15 PM
Tourism in Scotland has grown for the fourth year in a row, and experts think the Starz TV drama Outlander—based on Diana Gabaldon's series of novels about a 20th-century British woman who travels in time to the 18th-century Scottish Highlands—has something to do with the increase. The Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions credits the lush period romance for boosting interest in sites such...
