Articles

Trends & Hacks

Article / Air Travel

How to Travel With Pets: Why Leaving them at Home May Be Better

If you're thinking of flying with your pet, I have one word of advice: Don't. Traveling by plane with pets is not only expensive, it's fraught with danger for your dog or cat.

Article / Air Travel

Confessions of a Frequent-Flier Program Skeptic

There's a steep and hidden price to be paid when you collect miles. The game can easily turn into an obsession that disables your common sense and compels you to make irrational…

Article / Miscellaneous

Cell Phones on Planes: Time to Rethink the Policy?

Restricting the use of in-flight electronics can seem ineffective, especially if you've ever seen a flight attendant texting at 36,000 feet. Are cell-phone bans on planes due for an…

Article / Cruise

How to Lose Weight on a Cruise

Is it possible to lose weight on a cruise? Celebrity trainers, including Jillian Michaels and Richard Simmons, are betting on it with themed cruises, plus we outline six easy ways to…

Article / Cruise

Cruise Lines' Private Islands: Who Offers What in the Caribbean and Bahamas

Here's a list of all private islands, peninsulas, or beaches operated by the cruise lines and offered as a port of call on many of their Caribbean and Bahamas itineraries.

Article / Cruise

I've Fallen and I Can't Get a Refund for My Cruise

When our reader falls and breaks bones just before a Carnival cruise, the company offers him a 50% cruise credit. But he thinks he deserves a re-do. Who's right?

Article / Air Travel

How to Complain to the Airlines: Effective Ways to Get Ahead

Air travel isn't always fun. Things go wrong. But it's often worth complaining to the airlines and seeing what you can get for your travel inconveniences.

Article / Entry Requirements & Customs

Lessons Learned From Your Worst Travel Gaffes

We've all made travel mistakes, but here are some stories that should make you feel better: booking a flight at the wrong time, overpaying for a rental car, and getting separated from…

Article / Air Travel

Travel Troubleshooter: Help! My Refund is Missing in Action

A traveler closes her bank account before receiving a refund from the airline. What are her options, and how can you avoid landing in a similar situation?

Article / Air Travel

Fly Safe, Fly Smart: Airline Worst-Case Scenarios

What do you do when a volcano or some other accident or act of nature brings your trip to a halt? Here are 6 ways to prepare for and manage airline worst-case scenarios.

Article / Air Travel

Saying "No" to the TSA's Full-Body Scans May Come at a Price

Have second thoughts about those full-body scanners being used at airports by the Transportation Security Administration? Then the agency charged with protecting the nation's…

Article / Air Travel

Maiden Voyages: What You Can Learn From a First-Time Air Traveler

Flying has become such an unbelievably humiliating experience, it's no wonder there are still people out there who haven't flown. Can these 'never-evers' teach you anything? I think so.

Article / Hotels

Hotels Connect the Dots Between Guests and Online Reviews

Image-conscious properties are connecting the dots between reviews on such popular travel sites as TripAdvisor or Yelp, and your personal information, such as your loyalty program…

Article / Cruise

Top 9 Ports for Nature Lovers

Feeling restless? Pick a cruise that stops in one of these ports, where the shore excursions and tours can get you close to monkeys, penguins, or nurse sharks.

Article / Cruise

10 Under-the-Radar Home Ports

It's becoming more convenient to board ships from places like New York City and Seattle. Before booking your next cruise, here are 10 other ports that you may not have considered.…

Article / Air Travel

Travel Troubleshooter: Two Change Fees on One Ticket, and Zero Help

A traveler contacts British Airways to change her plane ticket just as her sister calls from Spain with the same request. Charged twice in different currencies, is this traveler out of…

Article / Air Travel

Flight Check: Los Angeles to Honolulu on American

What to expect from American Airlines on one of the most popular routes from the U.S. west coast to Hawaii.

Article / Money and Fees

Oops! I Didn't Mean to Buy Insurance

A traveler books tickets through Orbitz but then discovers a $24 charge for unwanted travel insurance. Learn how to avoid these pre-checked boxes and sneaky fees.

Article / Air Travel

What's Next For Airlines, Paying by the Pound?

Now that one airline has announced plans to begin charging for carry-on bags this summer -- that's right, carry-on bags -- the question everyone seems to be asking is: What's next?

Article / Miscellaneous

Forget Your Travel Agent: Four Trips You Should Book Yourself

Travel agents are pros when it comes to handling complicated trips like honeymoons and round-the-world jaunts, but here are four cases where you may be better off booking the vacation…

Article / Miscellaneous

Travel Troubleshooter: I Had to Pay Twice For My Flights to Mexico

A booking snafu with an online travel agency forces this traveler to shell out nearly $1,000 for two one-way tickets. Here's how to avoid being charged twice if you'll be traveling on…

Article / Air Travel

The Lies Pet Owners Tell When Traveling

Instead of paying extra 'pet fees' to hotels or airlines, owners are spiriting their animal companions into their bags or under blankets in the hope of saving a few bucks.

Article / Air Travel

No Airline Cookie Conspiracy? What About This Trail of Crumbs?

Do airlines and online travel agencies surreptitiously use computer 'cookies' to track your activity on their sites and then raise prices when it appears that you're interested in a…

Article / Air Travel

Fly Safe, Fly Smart: Secrets of Airline Seating

Your seat is where you spend your flight, and travelers have strong feelings about those uncomfortable frames of fabric and metal. Here's how to get the most out of your personal space.

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

Volcano Eruption Grounds Cruise Travelers, Disrupts Sailings

With the volcanic activity in Iceland interrupting thousands of vacations, the delays and inconvenience continues to reverberate far beyond northern Europe and far beyond air travel.