Tagged: money

What We Don’t Miss About Pre-Pandemic Travel

As we might have mentioned a few dozen times lately, the pandemic has changed travel dramatically. And in many ways, that’s sad (remember when Americans were allowed to enter Europe?…

Airline Accidentally Gives Multimillion-Dollar Refund for Canceled Flight

Given the high volume of cancellations and refunds that airlines are processing amid the pandemic, it should come as no surprise that mistakes are popping up. An eyebrow-raising one…

Denied Boarding Because of High Temperature? You Can Get a Refund

If a U.S. airline denies you boarding because you failed its temperature check, you can get a full refund for the cost of the flight. If something like that happens to you, the refund…

Welcome to Cambodia! That'll Be $3,000, Please

We have a new winner for the title of World's Harshest Covid-19 Entry Requirement. Cambodia has announced that all visitors to that Southeast Asian country (famous for the Angkor Wat…

Which U.S. Airline Is the Worst About Giving Pandemic Refunds?

Government complaints filed in March by consumers against airlines jumped by 347% compared to the previous year, according to newly released data from the Department of Transportation…

MGM Resorts Bringing Back a Favorite Vegas Perk

When the Las Vegas Strip reopens after the coronavirus lockdown, free parking will be making a Sin City comeback as well. Once a standard feature at casino hotels along the Strip, the…

Las Vegas Casinos Planning to Reopen—But They Won't Be the Same

There is still no reopening date for the Las Vegas Strip. The casinos along that normally overbusy thoroughfare are waiting for the go-ahead from Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak and the…

Frontier Airlines Will Let You Socially Distance—for a Price

One thing you can always count on from the airlines: They will never run out of excuses to charge extra fees. Now an airline is charging passengers more if they want to observe CDC…

Airfares Could Spike in the Near Future. Buy Now!

I've spent much of my career trying to predict where airfares are going. Like a fortune-teller consulting tea leaves, I've used the same tools over and over in that effort. For…

Airbnb Launches Online Experiences You Pay For

Airbnb has introduced an all-digital version of its Experiences platform for tours and activities. With the company's new Online Experiences, experts around the world can teach you…

Government Says Airlines Must Refund Canceled Flights—Eventually

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has issued an "enforcement notice" reminding airlines and the "traveling public" that passengers whose flights are canceled or significantly…

Amtrak Launches New Ultralow Fares. Is There a Catch?

Amtrak is trying out its own version of a Basic Economy fare. In air travel, that kind of ticket goes for relatively low prices but comes with a number of restrictions. To name a few…

Arthur Frommer: The Reaction to Brexit Directly Impacts the Cost of Travel to Britain

You needn’t be a scholar to know that the value of foreign currencies goes up and down depending on the health of a nation’s economy. If things are going badly, the currency drops;…

Let This Japanese Inn Livestream Your Stay and You’ll Only Pay $1 a Night

Exhibitionists on a budget have a new lodging option in Japan. The Asahi Ryokan, located in Fukuoka on the subtropical island of Kyushu, is offering one room on the property at a rate…

You Can Now Rent Hertz Cars in Europe with a Debit Card—but Should You?

Rental car company Hertz and the two brands under its corporate umbrella—Dollar and Thrifty—have begun accepting debit cards as a payment option for car rentals in Europe. Previously,…

New York City Sightseeing Passes: A Buyer's Guide for Every Type of Traveler

What makes choosing a New York City sightseeing pass difficult is the same thing that makes it hard to pick a Manhattan restaurant or find an eligible New Yorker on a dating app: too…

Tipping in Costa Rica: A Gratuities Guide for Hotels, Restaurants, and Tours

In Costa Rica, tips aren’t as large—or as expected—as they are in the United States and Mexico. In fact, Costa Ricans (otherwise known as Ticos) aren’t in the habit of automatically…

Tipping in Portugal: A Gratuities Guide for Hotels, Restaurants, and Taxis

Portugal consistently ranks among the most affordable countries in the Eurozone. Given the savings that travelers will find on hotel stays and restaurant meals, it won't be too painful…

Tipping in China: When You Can—and When You Shouldn't

How much should you tip in China? In most cases, the answer to that question is whatever the Mandarin word is for jack squat. “In my experience, offering a gratuity has usually been…

Tipping in the U.K.: A Gratuities Guide for Taxis, Hotels, and Restaurants

For North American tourists in the United Kingdom, the primary tipping danger, as in the rest of Europe, is of overdoing it. Tipping a waiter 20% on top of your restaurant bill may be…

Tipping in Japan? Not So Much a Thing

Japanese codes of etiquette often strike outsiders as elaborate to a bewildering degree, but, fortunately for visitors, the dos and don’ts of tipping in Japan are pretty simple. In…

Tipping in Germany: A Gratuities Guide for Restaurants, Hotels, and Taxis

The German word for a tip is Trinkgeld. That translates literally to “drink money,” suggesting that in Germany a gratuity is considered a little something extra rather than a…

What to Tip Waiters, Hotel Staff, and Taxi Drivers in France

The first thing you have to know about tipping in France is that customers do a lot less of it than in the United States. That’s not because Americans are more generous—it’s because…

Longest-Ever Around-the-World Cruise to Set Sail in Summer 2019

If you've seen a map of the world, you've seen the itinerary for the latest offering from Viking Ocean Cruises: a truly epic, ridiculously expensive, globe-girdling voyage that will…

The U.S. Dollar Continues to Soar Against Virtually Every Foreign Currency, Cutting the Cost of Rooms and Meals Abroad

Though we have noted that development before, the continued strengthening of the U.S. dollar is so evident, having such a major impact on vacation plans, that it needs to be discussed…