Articles

Trends & Hacks

Article / Car, Bus, Rail

Travel Troubleshooter: Billed for a Scratch on the Rental Car

A traveler, who is billed $600 for a scratch on the roof, receives a photo that shows the damage -- on the wrong rental. Does she owe any money, or does the car-rental agency owe her…

Article / Money and Fees

Travel Complaints That Fail: 5 Kinds of E-mails You Should Never Write

There are successful ways to complain, and then there are the things you should never say to a travel company. Here are 5 tips on what not to do.

Article / Money and Fees

Travel Troubleshooter: Hey, What Happened to My Internet Connection?

A traveler changes hotels after the Wi-Fi promised on the Hotels.com website turns out to be incorrect. Should he be compensated for the misleading hotel description?

Article / Hotels

6-Night "Eat, Pray, Love" Bali Package from $1,986

This Eat, Pray, Love-themed package includes six nights in Bali, a spa treatment, and connections to the best-selling memoir.

Article / Air Travel

Contract Confusion: Don't Let Your Vacation Get Lost in Translation

It may seem like common sense, but before you sign that contract in a foreign language, make sure you know exactly what it means.

Article / Air Travel

Travel Troubleshooter: Sorry, We Forgot About That $500 Change Fee

An airline misinforms a travel agent, who then tries to pass off the $500 change fee to the traveler. Should this traveler be forced to pay?

Article / Hotels

5 Things Hotel Clerks Will Do to Difficult Guests

Hotel employees are grumpier than ever. It doesn't take much to set them off. Find out how to stay on your best behavior.

Article / Hotels

Shorter Vacations and Tighter Budgets: Welcome to the New Normal in Travel

Welcome to the 'new' normal in travel: Shorter, less expensive vacations -- or in extreme cases, just daycations -- being taken by increasingly cost-conscious travelers.

Article / Cruise

Getting to Know Your North American Home Ports: Part 1

Before you sail from one of these top 5 North American cruise ports, learn how Miami, Port Canaveral, Port Everglades, Vancouver, and Los Angeles became the most popular cruising hubs.

Article / Cruise

Cruise Tip: A Travel Agent Can Be Your Best Friend

A travel agent can help lessen the burden when a natural disaster interrupts your travel plans, especially when you're trying to catch a cruise and the airlines stop flying.

Article / Money and Fees

Travel Troubleshooter: No Refund for My Package Vacation

A traveler books a Priceline package, discovers the hotel is in a bad neighborhood, and wants a refund. Should she get her money back?

Article / Air Travel

How To Choose An Airline: 7 Tips for a Smart Flight

The last installment of our Fly Safe, Fly Smart series tells you how to pick between airlines when you don't recognize the names.

Article / Air Travel

Secure Flight: Beyond Spelling Your Name Correctly

Can an airline use your personal information -- such as date of birth -- to send a card/promotional offer?

Article / Air Travel

Costa Rica Vacation: Six Nights Plus Air, from $768

A customizable Costa Rica package with airfare and six nights' hotel, including a stay near Tortuguero National Park.

Article / Hotels

Where to Find Legal Short-Term Apartment Stays in New York City

New York has banned short-term apartment rentals, but short-term lodgings remain legal, whether they're technically classed as hotels or through some other loophole.

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

How to Avoid Buying Unwanted Travel Insurance

Watch out for these common pitfalls so you don't inadvertently buy trip insurance.

Article / Hotels

What New York State's Illegal Hotels Law Means for Travelers

Is your hotel room in New York City really legal? What you need to know about short-term apartment rentals.

Article / Air Travel

Travel Troubleshooter: When the Airline Says You Have No Ticket

This week's Travel Troubleshooter finds out what happens when you book a package deal but the provider forgets to buy your plane ticket.

Article / Air Travel

The Best Frequent Flier Programs for Infrequent Fliers

Unless you're a road warrior, it'll take you years to build up enough miles just by flying to get a free ticket. Here are the best ways for the little guy to earn and spend miles.

Article / Air Travel

Fall Travel Deal: Four Nights in Florence, from $749 With Air

This week's Smart Deal gives you airfare plus four nights' hotel in Florence, Venice, or Rome -- all for under $800 this fall.

Article / Hotels

Travel Troubleshooter: Overcharged For My Hotel in New York

A major hotel chain refuses to honor a traveler's group-rate reservation, resulting in an extra $250 charge. How can this traveler get her money back?

Article / Cruise

Best Honeymoon Cruise Ships: 9 Small Ships for Big Romantics

A short list of intimate, small-ship sailing options for all you romantics out there. These ships have cozy romance written all over them, whether due to their look, their onboard…

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

How Bad Companies Turn Customers Into Critics: It's in the Fine Print

Travel companies take liberties when it comes to their obligation to their customers, and management sees the maneuverings as profit opportunities.

Article / Packages

Last-Minute Travel Deal: Three Nights in Hawaii from $459 With Air

This week's Smart Deal gets you an Oahu vacation for less.

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

The Gulf of Mexico Needs Tourists to Swim Against the Tide

As tens of thousands of travelers cancel their beach vacations in the wake of the massive oil spill, a small number of tourists will swim against the tide. Too bad it's just a small…