Tagged: fees

There's Another New Fee on Cruises: Penalties for Missing Dining Reservations

The big cruise lines, which are in constant pursuit of fatter profits to please shareholders, are busy finding new ways to tighten the screws on guests.Last week, word came that…

U.S. Airlines Try to Abandon Passenger Rights and Performance Reports—to Secretly Police Themselves

The nation's largest airlines are quietly asking the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to virtually eradicate every meaningful consumer protection we have. If the big carriers…

Delta and United Get Sued for Selling Windowless 'Window Seats'

U.S. airlines have turned seat assignments into a profit center. It didn't used to be this way, but that's where we are now. We pay for what we used to get for free.Passengers…

Southwest Airlines Announces Date Open Seating Ends—So There'll Be No Special Reason to Fly It

We know you've heard this greatest hit from an American corporation many times before: A product is being made much worse because you allegedly demanded it.Southwest Airlines, which…

Europe Is Tripling the Cost of Its Entry Fee Before It's Even Implemented

The cost travelers will eventually have to pay for a digital permit to enter the European Union has gone up—even though the system hasn't been launched yet. Foreigners applying for the…

Warning: Priority Pass Airport Lounge Access via Credit Cards Is Increasingly Futile

Access at more than 1,300 airport lounges worldwide is granted through the Priority Pass program for people with some of the most popular credit cards in travel. Those cards include…

Mexico's Tax on Cruisers, Soon to Be $21, Has Taken Effect: Is It Really a Big Deal?

Late last year, incoming U.S. President Donald Trump wasn't even in the White House yet when he threatened Mexico with a new 25% tariff. When he did that, Mexico slapped back fast. The…

Hertz Is Using AI Scanners to Charge for Rental Car Damage That Human Eyes Miss

Hertz is not a company known for mastering technology. After all, it was just a few years ago that dozens of former customers accused the car rental agency of ordering them to be…

As Las Vegas Tourism Craters, Resort Fees Are Waived at Some Hotels

Las Vegas is hurting. Tourism numbers are nosediving, and the operators of casino-hotels are scrambling. In April, the city reported a drop of 180,000 visitors compared to the same…

The Big Three Airlines Are Misleading Travelers So They Can Rig the System

We have two airline industries in America. There are larger carriers, led by the Big Three oligopoly of American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines. And then we have…

What Each of Southwest Airlines' New Fare Classes Buys You

Southwest Airlines has been going through some things—operational meltdowns, backtracking on customer perks, scorching mockery on Saturday Night Live—but it wants you to believe…

"I Can't Afford a U.S. Passport. How Can I Get the Fee Waived?"

Americans may technically enjoy the right to free movement, but if they want to exercise their right to cross a border, they have to pay a membership fee.Nearly half of Americans now…

Save Money on Checked Luggage! The Best Carry-On Bags That Fit Under an Airline Seat

When airlines began charging to check bags, they also ushered in the era of "gate lice." That's modern slang for people who jockey for early boarding to their flights in order to score…

The U.S. National Parks Bring In Much More Money Than They Take from Federal Funding

To my mind, the U.S. National Park System (NPS) is invaluable. Its 85 million acres span all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and every U.S. territory. In these parks are…

Disney Is Poised to Solve its Lightning Lane Disaster—But at What Cost?

We don't have to tell you that just about everything in the life of an American consumer seems to be degrading in quality, from useless AI chatbots replacing the assistance of live…

Do You Have to Pay the UK's New ETA if You're Changing Planes? The Rules Just Changed

Let's not dwell too long on what a convoluted mess the rollout of the United Kingdom's new Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) has been. It's enough to note that nothing seems to go…

Are Fees for Seating Assignments in Restaurants Coming to Las Vegas?

MGM Resorts, which operates a host of properties in Las Vegas, is reportedly considering the introduction of "tiered seating" fees at restaurants located at the company's hotels. This…

No, the U.S. Didn't "Ban" Resort Fees. Here's What the FTC Actually Did

Another day, another flagrant twisting of the truth by some of the people who cover news of the travel industry.You probably saw some posts and news headlines that told you that junk…

Will Trump Undo the New DOT Rules Protecting Traveler Rights?

When Donald Trump nominated Sean Duffy for Secretary of Transportation last month, Airlines for America—lobbyists for the largest carriers—said it was “thrilled.” Not surprising,…

Resort Fees Increase in Las Vegas for the Second Time in 2024

MGM Resorts, which controls many of the biggest casino-hotels in Las Vegas, has raised resort fees again—for the second time this year. On Wednesday, December 4, the Bellagio, Aria,…

In 2025, Venice's Access Fee Will Cost Double if You Don't Reserve Ahead

As Frommer's predicted in July, the tourist-laden Italian city of Venice has officially announced it will not only continue its new entry fee for day-trippers, but will also double the…

Will Southwest Keep Checked Luggage Free? We Finally Have an Answer

Every budget-minded air passenger in the United States already knows that longtime no-frills kingpin Southwest Airlines is in bad trouble. The list of woes is daunting: Repeated…

How We Helped to End Family Seating Fees, the Worst Airline Junk Fee Ever

About ten years ago, airline greed reached a new low when every carrier in the nation refused to waive seating fees for families with young children to sit together inflight. I was at…

U.S. Forbids Airlines from Charging Families to Sit Together

There's been another big win for consumers at the U.S. airports. On Thursday, the Department of Transportation (DOT) announced that it has proposed a rule that forbids commercial…

Airlines Are Shrinking Carry-On Sizes, Forcing Travelers to Pay Checked Bag Fees

Your carry-on hand baggage may not be small enough anymore. A new furor is unfolding in the skies as airlines are caught drastically reducing the maximum permitted size of carry-on…