Articles

Money and Fees

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

When Is the Best Day of the Week to Buy Airfare and Fly in 2021? A New Study Reveals All

This year, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade will be a measly single block long, Christmas markets around the world are largely canceled, and far fewer people will gather at grandma's…

Article / Passportable

TikTokker's Carry-On "Hack" Gets Him Banned from Spirit Airlines

Spirit Airlines has reportedly banned a TikTok user from flights for two years because of a carry-on luggage tip the man posted. In an 18-second clip titled "Spirit carry on hack" that…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

For Flyers Who Want Vacant Middle Seats, Only One Airline Will Qualify Now

For Americans who would rather fly with an empty seat beside them, there is only one choice now. One by one, all the other airlines have peeled away from their commitment to leave…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Holiday Air Travel in 2020: Safety, Finding Cheap Fares, and More

If you plan to fly over the holiday season, let’s start with the good news: Your airplane ride may be the safest part of your trip. To be frank, I'm not convinced that holiday travel…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Celebrity Cruises Goes All-Inclusive: Drinks, Wi-Fi Now Included in Fare

When travel collapsed, one of the first things that happened was the airlines stopped playing some of their petty pricing games with customers. Suddenly, when they realized they…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Get Ready: Travel Is Becoming More Expensive and More Exclusive

The warning signs are everywhere. You will soon be paying more to travel. The headlines are full of news about the airlines cutting capacity. In Europe, Ryanair will fly only 40% of…

Article / Slideshows

The Frommer's Gift Guide for Road Trips

The ways we wander might have shifted in 2020, but our passion to see new places has not diminished. And if anything, our urge to share our travels with the people we love has only…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Pauline Frommer: Thanks to 2020, Airbnb Isn't Always the Cheapest Option Anymore

The conventional wisdom used to be you’d save money by renting an Airbnb rather than booking a hotel room. That now needs to be revised in yet another reversal brought by the…

Article / Passportable

Bid for a Piece of Hotel History in the Waldorf Astoria Auction

Midtown Manhattan's famed Waldorf Astoria New York (301 Park Ave.) closed for renovations in 2017. When the 47-floor building's hotel rooms and residences finally reopen in 2022,…

Article / Car Rentals

How to Find the Best Rates for Last-Minute Car Rentals

Save money when you rent a car—every time—using our time-tested, expert-approved tips

Article / Passportable

Nominate Your Favorite Teacher to Receive a Free Vacation Next Year

If you doubted that teaching was a difficult profession before 2020, spend a few hours supervising a squirmy 8-year-old during our nationwide experiment with virtual learning. That…

Article / Passportable

Southwest's Sweet Deal for a Free Companion Ticket Ends Thursday, Sept. 24

This is a blink-and-you'll-miss-it sale. Purchase tickets on Southwest Airlines by the end of the day on Thursday, September 24, for a flight between now and November 15, and you will…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Hotels Suspended Amenities But Are Keeping Resort Fee Cash. The Scam Must End

At this point, everyone knows that the travel industry has been forced to curtail its usual offerings. To satisfy social distancing and tight sanitary protocols, hotels have suspended…

Article / Passportable

Got a Great Shot of the Empire State Building? You Could Win This Contest

Post your perfect shot of the Empire State Building on Instagram and you'll gain some likes. But enter that same pic in the iconic New York City skyscraper's annual photo contest and…

Article / Passportable

Most Ikon Pass Skiers Won't Need Advance Reservations This Winter

Most skiers who buy the Ikon Pass for the 2020–21 season won't need advance reservations to hit the slopes, according to Alterra Mountain Company, which operates the pass. It's a…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

The Feds Want to Raise the Global Entry Fee, So You'd Better Apply Soon

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has signaled an intention to raise rates for its Global Entry program. In a "notice of proposed rulemaking," which will be open for comment until…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Is Now the Right Time to Buy Holiday Airfare? The Answer is a Qualified Yes

If this were a normal year, I’d be penning a post right now about getting ready to scoop up holiday airfares at the end of September or early October. Traditionally, that's the sweet…

Article / Passportable

This Airline Will Charge You More if You Use an Internet Ad Blocker

Here's an airline fee you surely never imagined would exist. Sean O'Neill at Skift reports the discovery of a brand-new airline fee: an extra surcharge for using ad suppression…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

United Airlines to Drop Change Fees Permanently on Many Types of Flights

Not long ago, Frommer's listed the things we don't miss about pre-pandemic travel. Paying big fees for making changes to airline tickets ranked right up there with buffets and dirty…

Article / Passportable

Ding Dong! Airline Change Fees Are Dead! Delta and American Copy United

Yesterday, in a huge win for travelers, United Airlines dropped change fees for many types of flights. We gave you the full rundown of the move in this earlier post. Now, as they…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

U.S. Tourist Faces Huge Fine and Jail Time for Breaking Canada’s Covid Laws

Canada closed its border with the United States on March 21 due to the coronavirus, and the border is currently slated to remain closed at least until September 21. There's an…

Article / Passportable

Huge Numbers of U.S. Hotels Could Soon Go Belly-Up

Before the pandemic, the hotel and lodging industry employed, both directly and indirectly, 8.3 million Americans, according to the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA).…

Article / Entry Requirements & Customs

Some Countries Require Proof of Medical Insurance Now: How to Get It

More countries are demanding proof of medical coverage, but your existing insurance—if you're lucky enough to have it—won't cover care when you're abroad.

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Airlines Are Cutting Smaller Cities: Aren't We Tired of Having Two Americas?

American Airlines is threatening to cut flights to dozens of small and medium-sized American cities after September 30, when the conditions of the recent federal aid package…

Article / Passportable

Limited Sale: 2-for-1 on Roomettes for Socially Distanced Amtrak Travel

Travel with a companion you know is virus-free, and you can go anywhere you want. Amtrak, the USA's national rail carrier, is making it easy and more affordable to get out of the house…