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Trends & Hacks

Article / Hotels

Family Luxury for Less: A Post-Recession Game Plan

Ostentatious spending is out, so when we can indulge at a snazzy resort without blowing our budget, it's a classic win-win. Luckily, many high-end resorts are looking to help you live…

Article / Air Travel

The Secure Flight Program: More Money For Airlines?

Are airlines exploiting the TSA's stricter name-matching requirements to squeeze even more money out of us?

Article / Air Travel

Travel Troubleshooter: A Lost Vacation Day and Nothing to Show for It

A tour operator changes the flight times in an air-inclusive vacation package, cutting a day of vacation for a group of travelers. Are they out of luck?

Article / Air Travel

Three-City Italy Vacation, from $1,099 with Air

This affordable Italy vacation package includes round-trip flights and three nights each in Rome, Venice, and Florence.

Article / Air Travel

Need an Airline Ticket? Meta-Search is Where Most Travelers Start

A consumer poll reveals that most travelers begin airfare searches with a meta-search site like Kayak. How do you find the lowest airfares?

Article / Air Travel

Travel Troubleshooter: Help! I Missed My Connection and I'm Stranded

A traveler boards an earlier flight but misses his connection. Stranded, he is forced to buy another ticket to continue on his way. Does the airline owe him a refund?

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

How to Call Home When Traveling Abroad: 7 Money-Saving Tips

Follow these money-saving tips so you can call home without paying a fortune on international roaming charges.

Article / Air Travel

Oh No! My Lost Ticket Refund Got Lost

A traveler loses her paper airline ticket and has to buy a replacement. Will the airline refund her money for the second ticket?

Article / Air Travel

16 Great Travel Gifts for Very Frequent Fliers

If you're shopping for a frequent flier or looking for ideas to add to your own last-minute holiday wish list, check out these great gift ideas.

Article / Car, Bus, Rail

Travel Troubleshooter: I Rented a Clunker, and Now They Want My Cash

Our reader's car rental does not go well after she's handed the keys to a junker and is then accused of damaging it when she returns it. Now the company wants $775 from her. What can…

Article / Air Travel

Bad Airlines Rejoice: The TSA Is Last in Travel Customer Service

The U.S. airline industry, which has an unenviable record of failing practically every customer-service survey for the last generation, has a new rival: The Transportation Security…

Article / Air Travel

The Department of Transportation Likes Us, It Really Likes Us

The negative things that happened to air travelers in 2010 were offset by at least one positive change: an increasingly passenger-friendly Transportation Department.

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

Smart Traveler: How to Charge Your Gadgets Abroad

If the locals speak a different language, chances are the outlets do, too. Here's how to keep your electronics charged and ready to go when traveling abroad.

Article / Air Travel

Passengers Say They Miss Luggage-Inclusive Airfares the Most

Air travelers say they despise baggage fees the most, but it turns out that they also miss perks like airline food and pillows, which now cost extra.

Article / Air Travel

Travel Troubleshooter: Why is Travelocity "Unable to Refund" My Ticket?

Our reader tries to make a change to his itinerary and a Travelocity representative tells him it will cost $300. Instead the agency bills him $4,000, and despite promises to refund the…

Article / Air Travel

7 Ways to Beat the Winter Blues Without Breaking the Bank

From shipping ahead to looking at around-the-world tickets, our expert flyer shares his smart money-saving travel tips for your winter escape.

Article / Car, Bus, Rail

Driving Home for the Holidays? You'll Get There -- Eventually

Memorize these travel safety tips so you can get home safely for the holidays.

Article / Air Travel

How to Breeze Through Immigration Lines with Trusted Traveler Programs

Three programs -- Global Entry, NEXUS, and SENTRI -- from U.S. Customs allow you to cross North American borders without waiting in immigration lines. Is the time saved worth the $50…

Article / Air Travel

Travel Troubleshooter: A One-Year Wait For an Airfare Refund

Is there anything that a traveler can do to expedite an airfare refund that has dragged on for more than a year?

Article / Car, Bus, Rail

Hotwire Car Rentals, from $11.95 per day

Speed off with a set of wheels for up to 15% less than last year's car rental prices in San Francisco, Tampa, Boston, and Orlando.

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

Mileage Run: How to Score Free Upgrades and the Best Coach Seats

It's that time of year when frequent flier junkies take to the skies for one simple reason -- to top off their frequent flier accounts to make the following year so much more enjoyable.

Article / Air Travel

11 Ways to Save on Airfare in Any Season

Saving money on airline tickets isn't just a seasonal concern. Here are tips on lowering the cost from an airborne expert.

Article / Air Travel

England Road Trip, from $549 with Air

Beat the royal watchers to England with this affordable fly-drive package, which includes round-trip flights and a seven-day car rental.

Article / Air Travel

Travel Troubleshooter: Double Trouble on a Cabo Getaway

A traveler's parents ends up with two sets of plane tickets, but the online travel agency refuses to refund the double booking. What went wrong and how can you avoid a similar snafu?

Article / Air Travel

What's the TSA's Policy? Search Me!

The backlash against the T.S.A. about its full-body scanners and new security pat-downs is creating the perfect storm during the year's busiest holiday travel season.