Most Reliable Airlines? The U.S. Carriers with Fewest Cancellations and Delays
Posted on 03/06/2024, 5:30 PM
The 10 largest U.S. airlines canceled just 1.29% of flights last year, according to final figures for 2023 released by the U.S. Department of Transportation. The government notes the number was significantly lower than 2022's cancellation rate of 2.71%—and, in fact, 2023's number of flight cancellations was the "lowest in over a decade," per the Transportation Department's announcement. On-time ...
Just as We Predicted, Delta Air Lines Raises Checked Bag Fees
Posted on 03/05/2024, 2:45 PM
We knew this was coming. Though U.S. airlines swear they're in competition, they actually tend to raise baggage fees in a group.Two weeks ago, we saw bag fee increases from American Airlines and United Airlines, and we predicted Delta Air Lines would soon join its so-called rivals. We should have placed a bet on it. Delta just jacked up its rates, too.As of March 5, 2024, prices for the first chec...
Planning a European Road Trip? The Safest and Most Dangerous Countries for Driving
Posted on 03/01/2024, 7:00 AM
The ease and affordability of train travel in Europe make a strong case for riding the rails to get around the continent as a tourist rather than renting a car. Plus, trains are better for the environment and don't require passengers to learn foreign traffic laws, find parking, calculate gasoline prices by the liter, or, horror of horrors, negotiate a roundabout. But if you have your heart set o...
$99 Deal Alert! Cheap Flights to Amsterdam, Other European Cities on Sale for Leap Day
Posted on 02/28/2024, 3:45 PM
We only get a Leap Day once every 4 years, so how are you going to seize the day on Feb. 29, 2024? How about by booking an affordable flight to Europe? (Speaking of stuff rarely seen.) Iceland's no-frills upstart Play airline, which launched operations a little more than 2 years ago, is running a sale this week for flights from the United States to Europe starting at just $99 one way. You'll ne...
Disney World to Give Free Water Park Tickets in 2025! But There's a Big Catch
Posted on 02/26/2024, 4:45 PM
You might have seen some breathless proclamation this week about Walt Disney World's newly announced freebie."Guests staying at Disney World’s resort hotels to get free water park entry," USA Today trumpeted. Yeah, about that. There's a huge catch that will keep most vacationers from being able to use the offer. It's true that Disney World, which is located near Orlando, Florida, will grant guests ...
United Airlines, Matching Its Competition, Hikes Checked Bag Fees
Posted on 02/23/2024, 8:30 PM
What's the point of having "competition" among airlines if they all raise prices in lockstep?Perhaps United Airlines believed that it could minimize news coverage of the deed by announcing it on a Friday. But we caught it: The airline has hiked baggage fees for all flights in North America, from $35 to $40.That's for one bag. If passengers need to check a second bag, United jacked up the price of t...
Find Out How Your Airport Will Spend Its Share of $1 Billion in White House Grants
Posted on 02/20/2024, 7:00 AM
Late last week, the Biden administration announced that it will earmark nearly $1 billion—$970 million to be precise—to make major improvements at 114 airports across the United States. The funds come from an existing $5 billion grant program enabled by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that was part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed by President Joe Biden in 2021. The grants a...
Flights to Ireland Plus a Car for a Week for Just $599! How Is It Possible?
Posted on 02/15/2024, 7:30 AM
Frommer's has been around since 1957, so we've seen quite a few things change in travel—and not all of them for the better. (Can we just admit that airline deregulation did not deliver on its promises?)But now and then, we find a straggler from travel's easier, more affordable days. And on those occasions, it pays to pause and shine our spotlight on money-saving strategies that have somehow persist...
More Trouble for American Queen Voyages: Now Agents Are Boycotting It
Posted on 02/12/2024, 5:15 PM
Update:, Feb. 23, 2024 American Queen Voyages has ceased operations. Find out more about that here.Even though American Queen Voyages' small-boat, multi-day cruises on the waterways of the United States are well-reviewed by many of the customers who book them, choices by its management have not been as warmly received—and now the line in trouble. Some of the most powerful travel advisors in the co...
Camping at Woodstock Festival Site Now an Option—Minus the Mud and Bad Acid (We Hope)
Posted on 02/06/2024, 7:00 AM
August 2024 marks the 55th anniversary of the 1969 Woodstock festival, a landmark event of baby-boomerdom dedicated to peace, love, mud, and a once-in-a-lifetime musical lineup that included, across 3 days of performances, Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Janis Joplin, Sly and the Family Stone, Santana, Joan Baez, and, for some reason, Sha Na Na. The festival unfolded on the grounds of a dairy farm in Beth...