Tagged: travel

Four Nights in Aruba, from $689 With Air

Cheap Caribbean (tel. 800/915-2322; www.cheapcaribbean.com), travel packagers to warm and sunny Caribbean destinations, is offering a package to Aruba from $689 per person for four…

Why Are Airlines Forcing Families to Battle Fellow Passengers and Flight Attendants?

There are at least two sides to every story, and in the recent controversy involving kids and airline seating, the other side didn't get a lot of airtime. I'm here to correct…

How Safe is a Cruise? Even After New Law, It's Hard to Say

As Carnival Corp. (www.carnival.com) announced plans to salvage the Costa Concordia last week, the world's attention focused again on cruise safety -- or rather, lack of it. The…

Travel Insurance Claims Can Hinge on the Tiniest Details

When it comes to travel insurance claims, Hannah Yun was about as sure as anyone that hers would be successful. She'd bought a gold-plated "cancel for any reason" policy for a trip to…

Travel Troubleshooter: Beware the Fine Print in Travel Insurance

Jennifer Chilton is outraged because her friends have been denied travel insurance coverage on a technicality. Will they really lose $10,074 because of a clause in the fine print? Find…

Ask the Family Travel Expert: What to Expect From Disney World's New Art of Animation Resort

Question: My family of six is planning our first trip to Disney World, and we're so excited! We're driving from Pennsylvania with our four kids (ages 5 to 9). We want to stay at a…

Costa Concordia Sinking Leaves Other Cruise-Ship Passengers Alarmed -- and Out of Luck

The tragic sinking of the Costa Concordia cruise ship is leaving a line of worried passengers in its wake. Betty Westbrook is among them. The retiree from Allen, Texas, called me…

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…

How to Get Married in Hawaii

Hawaii is a great place for a wedding. Not only does the entire island exude romance and natural beauty, but after the ceremony, you're only a few steps away from the perfect…

Travel Troubleshooter: Where Did This Resort Fee Come From?

When William Pou reserves a room at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort using his frequent-stayer points, he's surprised by a $10-a-night resort fee, disclosed only after…

10 Survival Tips for Holiday Travel

Crowded airports, long lines, delayed flights, and angry people. Oh sure, you love the holidays, but there is little to celebrate about holiday travel. How do you cope? Here are a few…

5 Easy Tips for Getting a Russian Visa

Getting a tourist visa to visit Russia can be a confusing -- and expensive -- process, especially if you are coming as an independent traveler. Russia may no longer be the Soviet…

5 Best Websites for Tracking Loyalty Programs

The next time you're fumbling in your wallet, purse, desk drawer, or e-mail inbox trying to retrieve your United Airlines MileagePlus or Hilton HHonors loyalty program account number,…

Travel Troubleshooter: Airline Won't Refund Ticket After Passenger Dies

After Ursula Maul's husband passes away suddenly, she tries to get a refund for his nonrefundable ticket. But neither her online agency, nor her airline, will help her. Does she have…

Nightmare Guests: 5 Tales From Hotel Housekeepers

Hotel guests often feel entitled. After all, when was the last time that you made the bed before checking out? Each day, housekeepers are tasked with restoring each room to its…

How to Be a Better Hotel Guest: 5 Tips from Hotel Housekeepers

Housekeepers at hotels see everything from outright theft (stolen comforters and blankets) to guests who forget to retrieve valuables from the hotel safe. The next time you check into…

Survival Tips for Plane Crashes & Other Accidents

Remember that amazing story about a guy who sawed off his arm when he couldn't lift the boulder that had trapped him in a desert canyon? Or the hikers, skydivers, airplane crash…

Will Lie-Flat Airline Seats Create a Snoring Epidemic?

While everyone else is touting the benefits of new "lie-flat" airline seats in business- and first class, I know I can count on you, dear readers, to find a "down" side.And here it…

Flying 10 Years After 9-11: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Ten years after 9-11, it's both harder and safer to fly. We have fewer airline and flight choices, we pay less for tickets but more in fees, and airport security can be really, really…

London Riots: What Visitors Need to Know

Advice for VisitorsVisitors to the UK will be understandably nervous right now. There have been riots and looting in many parts of London during the past week, sparked by the shooting…

TSA Tries Pre-Screening, Again

Nearly a decade has passed since the American public has given up its soul -- well, taken off its shoes, removed its belts, emptied its pockets, raised its arms, and otherwise danced…

Oslo Travel After the Attacks: Where to Go, What to See

Tourism in Norway was at its height in mid-July when a bomb went off in central Oslo and a gunman opened fire a Labour Party summer camp on nearby Utøya island.The bomb demolished a…

Wheelchair-Accessible Cabins Offer Comfortable Camping Alternative

Summer is prime time for outdoor fun, and in many cases that fun also includes an overnight stay at a campground. And although many folks like to rough it and sleep under the stars,…

Headed to Europe This Summer? It's Going to Be a Riot

If you're looking for a little adventure this summer -- a strike, a riot or maybe even a revolution -- skip the Middle East and head to Europe. Traditionally quiet and predictable…

Travel Troubleshooter: Dead Passengers Can't Use a Flight Credit

David Walters' wife passes away before they can fly from Dallas to Midland, Texas. But when he asks his online travel agency for a refund, it refuses, saying the airline will only…