Articles

Trends & Hacks

Article / Air Travel

A Holiday Survival Guide: 5 Things You Absolutely Must Know

The upcoming travel season will be different than past ones in several important ways. You need more than promises of warm fuzzies. You need a survival guide.

Article / Air Travel

Washington Trade Groups Want Their Piece of Pie in the Sky

What kind of law would really improve your travel experience next year? Here's what the industry trade groups want you to believe.

Article / Cruise

Scenic Explorations in Norwegian Waters and Cities

Of my nearly 100 cruises over the past 15 years, there is a handful that have really stood out above the rest. One was a cruise I took with my family last summer aboard the 'Costa…

Article / Hotels

Ask the Family Travel Expert: How to Stay in an Irish Castle, Lighthouse, or Manor

For a family trip to Ireland next summer, one family is looking for one place to stay for one week. They hate the idea of having to unpack and repack every day, and would like to find…

Article / Hotels

Nakation, Anyone? 5 Reasons to Bare All on Your Next Vacation

Would you consider baring everything on your next vacation? Here are five reasons that may make the less encumbered escape more attractive next time around.

Article / Air Travel

London's Best Bargains: Saving Money on Your Family Trip

With London's surprise tumble from number 2 to number 19 in the list of the world's most expensive cities and the dollar generally strong (compared to recent years, at least) against…

Article / Air Travel

Why the Transportation Security Administration Likes to Keep You Guessing

Shoes on, or off? Laptop computer in the bag, or on the conveyor belt? And tickets: middle name, middle initial or just first and last? Why the confusion may be good for you (but is…

Article / Hotels

Travel Troubleshooter: Hotwire's Half-Star Mistake

Our reader books a four-star hotel on Hotwire, and ends up with the three-and-a-half star one she didn't want. Hotwire claims it just changed its ratings and she cries foul. Is she…

Article / Money and Fees

Travel Troubleshooter: A Canceled Flight, a Missing Refund

When our reader's honeymoon flight is delayed by two days, she buys a ticket on another carrier with the promise of a refund from her first airline. But now that the honeymoon is over,…

Article / Air Travel

It's Holiday Travel Time! You Heard It Here First!

Which holiday travel tips are cliches that should be ignored, and which are bona fide, you-must-do-this advice? If you've been reading these stories as long as I have, you must be…

Article / Cruise

Oasis of the Seas: The Game-Changer Cometh

She's finally here: 'Oasis of the Seas,' the 225,282-ton, 5,400-passenger colossus that cost Royal Caribbean $1.4 billion and nine to ten million working hours to design and build. And…

Article / Cruise

How Young is Too Young? You Must Be This Old to Cruise

When's the right time to take kids on a cruise? And how do you find help taking care of them once you're all on board? Refer to our quick and handy chart for all the major lines.

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

10 Questions To Ask Your Travel Insurance Provider

Travel insurance is a tricky, slippery world, but we've identified 10 good questions to ask any broker or insurance company to get you started.

Article / Air Travel

Don't Fly High: 7 Reasons to Lose the Booze

When I proposed an alcohol ban on flights more than a decade ago the response from readers was a resounding 'no.' But a lot has changed since then. Here are a few reasons for keeping…

Article / Air Travel

Don't Let Holiday Shopping Frequent Flyer Miles Slip Through Your Fingers

Travelers forgo millions of frequent flyer miles each holiday season because they forget to buy from their favorite online merchants via links at the airlines' shopping mall websites.…

Article / Hotels

Whoever Wins in the Online Hotel Booking Tax War, Guests Still Pay the Bill

Online travel companies pay hotel taxes based on the low rates they negotiate with hotels. Cities disagree, and want all the taxes they collect. Who's really going to pay?

Article / Cruise

Cruise Tipping: How Gratuitous Do You Feel?

Tipping used to be simple, now it's not. Here's an up-to-date primer on tipping policies and rates at the principal mainstream, luxury, and small-ship lines operating in and around the…

Article / Miscellaneous

How Free Wi-Fi Can Help Cure the Holiday Travel Delay Blues

Down time is getting a little less dreary this holiday season as airports, airlines and hotels are all lowering their rates on Wi-Fi. Here's a rundown of the latest free Wi-Fi…

Article / Hotels

Travel Troubleshooter: 'Keystroke Error' Turns $289 Rate Into $28

Our reader finds a $28 a rate at an Orlando Westin. Turns out the hotel made a mistake, and that the real price is $289 a night. Should the resort honor the original price?

Article / Air Travel

Traveling Smart and Healthy With Children This Holiday Season

Airline surcharges, swine flu, and the trials of traveling with children will keep some people home for the holidays. Here are nine ways to keep you healthy, richer, and more relaxed…

Article / Cruise

Get Smarter at Sea: Top Ships for Onboard Learning

Sure, cruises are all about taking it easy, ditching the diet and being pampered. But a cushy setting doesn't have to equal a mindless one. A cruise offers the perfect learning…

Article / Cruise

Sailing Under the Radar, Pt. 5: British Columbia & the Pacific Northwest

This week we focus on an area that many cruisers think of simply as the gateway to Alaska, but which is really so much more: beautiful British Columbia and its American neighbor, the…

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

Travel Insurance: What You Need to Know Before You Buy

Here's the good news: travel insurance covers more than it used to. The bad news is, travel insurance is more complicated than ever. Here are the ins and outs of insurance.

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

The Health-Care Gap That Traps Travelers

The debate about health-care reform seems to be ignoring a significant group of Americans: international travelers. Especially since most of them travel without adequate coverage.

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

7 Ways to Find Excellent Customer Service on the Road

How do you get top-notch treatment every time -- even from companies that don't have well-known reputations for customer service?