Articles

Trends & Hacks

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American State Department Simplifies Travel Warnings

Following a long internal review, the United States Department of State is making its travel warnings clearer. Starting in January, its notices on safety situations will be boiled down…

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U.S. Government Won't Require Bag Fee Disclosure in Airfares

An Obama administration proposal designed to protect airline passengers from hidden fees has been discarded by the current Department of Transportation. Under the proposed…

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An Airline Perk for Ugly Holiday Sweaters

Alaska Airlines passengers will want to raid their closets for brightly colored, snowman-bedecked, jingle-bell-festooned sweaters on December 15.In honor of National Ugly Christmas…

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Airlines Limit Smart Bags Allowed on Flights

The supposed next big thing in luggage just hit a snag. Several U.S. airlines have announced bans on technologically sophisticated "smart" suitcases with lithium-ion batteries that…

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In Denver You Can Dine in a Former Air Traffic Control Tower

Although Denver's old Stapleton International Airport has been closed for more than 20 years, the air traffic control tower recently reopened.There won't be any flight coordinating…

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UPDATED: Will American Airlines' Scheduling Glitch Leave You Stranded for the Holidays?

This post, originally published on December 1, has been updated below.American Airlines discovered earlier this week that a glitch in the internal system used by pilots to schedule…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Airbnb Just Made Planning Group Trips a Lot Easier

Humans have always traveled in packs. But booking this style of travel online has always been difficult—few sites allow users to divvy up payments among several travelers. Airbnb to…

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2017's Most Instagrammed Locations

Instagram released its year in review this week, looking back at 2017's top trends on the popular photo-sharing social network.Among the not-so-surprising revelations that Beyoncé's…

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Sacramento, Discovered: California's Capital Shines Bright

California’s capital city is often overshadowed by the Golden State’s metropolitan giants, San Francisco , San Diego , and Los Angeles . But in the last decade, as the tech sector…

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Paid Reservations Now Required to Visit California's Muir Woods

From Dubrovnik to Machu Picchu, popular tourist destinations around the world are devising new sign-up strategies to combat overcrowding caused by hordes of temporary visitors.The…

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The Trends That Will Shape Travel in 2018

Glance at a list of recent travel trends and you’ll be struck by something. Where we visit, the ways we get there, and what we do upon arrival are all shaped by events in the wider…

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Two Brand New Museums Dedicated to Mississippi History

Side-by-side history museums in Mississippi's capital city, Jackson, will open to the public on December 9—one day before the state's bicentennial.The brand-new institutions share an…

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Brazil Just Got a Whole Lot Easier to Visit

Hallelujah! Brazil's arms are finally opening wide to tourists.For years, if you wanted to visit the riches of this South American country, you soon found out how difficult it was.…

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Christmas in New York: The City's Best Holiday Window Displays

If your idea of the holidays involves glittering lights, bright colors, jingle bells, and the sort of magic that only exorbitant budgets can make possible, then New York City beats the…

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Spectacular Holiday Show Added to Universal's Hogwarts Castle

Harry Potter is getting into the holiday spirit at Universal theme parks in Orlando and Southern California for the first time this year. In Central Florida, seasonal features at…

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The U.S. Frequent Flyer Program with the Highest Customer Satisfaction Is...

Measuring loyalty programs separately from overall airline satisfaction for the first time, the market research company J.D. Power devised a 1,000-point scale rating the six largest…

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Blaming Trump, Another Airline Calls It Quits in Cuba

Alaska Airlines will discontinue its service to Cuba on January 22, 2018, the carrier has announced. The reason: the Trump Administration's new rules that make it too difficult for…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

The Trump Slump Claims Another Victim: Students Coming to Study at U.S. Colleges

In earlier blogs, I discussed the recent sharp decline in foreign tourism coming to vacation in the United States—far more than a few million fewer visitors compared to previous…

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Frommer's Gift Guide: Great Stuff for Travel

Let us break it to you: They don't want yet another inflatable airline pillow. They never even used the last one. No, if you've got a travel lover in your life, they want one of these…

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Hotel for Liberals Coming to Washington, D.C.

Well-to-do liberal travelers with lodging preferences that are more detailed than "anywhere but a Trump hotel" now have a brand aimed squarely at securing their business. In 2018,…

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Experience the Subterranean Beauty of India's Lost Stepwells

Journalist Victoria Lautman is the author and photographer of The Vanishing Stepwells of India ( Merrell Publishers ). India ’s unique subterranean stepwells are an endangered…

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You Can Finally Have Breakfast at Tiffany's—Lunch, Too

As Audrey Hepburn demonstrated with maximum glamour in 1961, you could technically always have breakfast at Tiffany & Co. on Fifth Avenue in New York City, provided you brought…

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Two New Countries Get Dedicated Eurail Passes

As of January 1, 2018, two more nations will have one-country Eurail passes available for sale to tourists. Starting then, if you're visiting Turkey or Serbia you can purchase a pass…

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U.S. Government Makes It Harder for Americans to Visit Cuba

Travel to Cuba gets tougher for Americans this week.New rules released by the Trump Administration ban most independent travel to the island, requiring visitors from the U.S. to rely…

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Kids Won't Be Allowed on Virgin's Cruise Line

When Virgin Voyages launches its first cruise in 2020, you can be sure of one thing: There won't be any kids on board. At a keel-laying ceremony last week, company CEO Tom McAlpin…