Tagged: money

Marriott Urges Guests to Tip Housekeepers to Overcome the Shortfall of Inadequate Wages—Say What?

Marriott is placing pre-printed envelopes in 160,000 rooms to encourage guests to express "gratitude" to its workers in the form of cash. The initiative, called The Envelope Please,…

Three American Express Credit Cards Drop Foreign Transaction Fees

For years, most travel experts recommended Capital One for its industry-bucking policy of not charging a foreign transaction fee every time customers made a purchase outside the…

Delta's Big Announcement: Mileage Awards Will Soon Be Tied to Money Spent Rather Than Miles Flown

Delta Airlines announced a game-changing move today: instead of giving award miles based on the number of miles a passenger has flown, it will link mileage to the cost of the ticket.…

Decoding Three Common Travel Tips on Dining, Timing and Packing

When it comes to tips on how to travel better and more affordably, there are some old-chestnuts that always apply. But though they sound obvious, many actually require insider…

The How-To's of "Couch Surfing" From a True Expert

Last September, I got a call from a dear friend who’d just gotten a job playing harp in the orchestra of a Broadway touring production. Erin was hoping to save money on the road by…

While We're Discussing Fee-Free Cards, Here's One That Charges No ATM Fees

Arthur Frommer recently let you know about the United Plus Explorer card, which waives the foreign transaction fee the way the famous Capital One suite of cards does. That card (in…

You Can Use a Starbucks Card Abroad Without Fees

Starbucks junkies may blow the equivalent of a MacBook Pro a year on those pricey morning cappuccinos, but if they're travelers, there may be one tiny benefit to the…

The Able Traveler: Wheelchair-Accessible Ballooning and Wine Tasting in Northern California

Hot air ballooning is a very popular activity in Sonoma County; and admittedly there's no shortage of outfitters that offer scenic flights over the Northern California vineyards,…

10 Ways to Preserve Your Frequent-Flier Miles -- Without Flying or Using an Airline Credit Card

A couple of years ago, I got a nasty surprise: my hard-earned JetBlue (www.jetblue.com) miles had "expired" due to "inactivity" in my account. It happens to thousands of people every…

Best Smart Phone Apps for Business and Frequent Travelers

Soldiers may keep America free, but it's our nation's road warriors who keep our nation's economy strong. To help the troops in Operation Economic Rebound, we vetted the most popular…

Smart Traveler: How to Charge Your Gadgets Abroad

When traveling overseas, deciphering the country's voltage, frequency, and socket type can be as confusing as trying to read a menu without knowing the local language. Follow these…

Hudson River Valley: The Best Museums and Historic Sites

As park lovers know by now, not every area operated by the National Park Service is a National Park. There are national seashores, for instance, and national historic sites. Turns out…

7 Trips You Should Never Book Online

Carolyn Fletcher's honeymoon started heading south the moment she and her husband landed in Cancún. No one was there to pick up the newlyweds. It took an hour for her to convince a…

The Able Traveler: Whistler Ramps Up for the Paralympic Games

Oftentimes major events like the Olympics can be the impetus for access improvements. And because the Paralympics closely follow the Olympics, the host city also has to be able to…

3 Ways to Avoid the Newest Travel Gotchas

Kenneth Miller thought he had squirreled away more than 100,000 Delta Air Lines frequent flier miles, which he planned to use for a special 20th anniversary trip.He thought…

Charge This: 7 Tips for a Successful Credit Card Dispute

When Carla DeLuca canceled her room at the W Hotel Union Square in New York a week before her arrival, the hotel decided to ding her for a night's stay anyway.Despite assurances…

4 Ways to Hike National Parks Across the U.S.

There are thousands and thousands of miles of hiking trails across the National Park System. You've got trails that climb mountains, that circle mountains, trails that wander along…

Learn Travel Writing in New York's Hudson River Valley

Following up on the success of the Travel Writing Workshops he has presented in Key West since 1991, our own Bob Fisher is holding a similar seminar just two hours up the Hudson…

Spring Broke: 6 Secrets for Traveling Free

The promise of a free vacation used to be such a predictable come-on from a shady timeshare salesman or a questionable travel club, that all but the most gullible travelers ignored…

Keeping Valuables Safe on the Road

Keeping your valuables safe while traveling may not be your first priority when planning a trip, but it should be up there toward the top of the list. You don't want to mar your…

Native American Heritage Around Albuquerque

The city of Albuquerque is set in a valley surrounded by the famed Rio Grande to the west and the Sandia Mountains to the east (Sandia -- meaning watermelon -- was named for the…

Rockies Report: Airlines Provide an Expressway to the Slopes

Southwest Charges No Checked-Baggage FeesNo airline levied fees for checked bags during the 2006-07 ski season, but now, nearly all of them do -- except for elite-level and…

See Africa Through Festivals, Photo Safaris, Bushwalks and More

Africa continues to grow in popularity as at travel destination, but usually what you see are just safari trips to the usual destinations, city breaks to places like Johannesburg, or…

The Best National Parks for a Family Vacation

Approaching a cross-country, or even regional, family vacation to a national park can be daunting if your family includes finicky toddlers, demanding "tweens," or seemingly…

Pauline Frommer's Top Budget Destinations for Summer 2008

The specific prices described in this article have now passed, but it remains online so that the resources named will be of future use to travelers.At a time when fuel, food, and…