Articles

Money and Fees

Article / Air Travel

Air-Hotel Packages Are Poised to Make a Comeback for Cheap International Vacations

Air-hotel packages have been around for years—but in an economic downtown, these affordable vacation discount deals will be more valuable than ever.

Article / Passportable

MGM Resorts Bringing Back a Favorite Vegas Perk

When the Las Vegas Strip reopens after the coronavirus lockdown, free parking will be making a Sin City comeback as well. Once a standard feature at casino hotels along the Strip, the…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Las Vegas Casinos Planning to Reopen—But They Won't Be the Same

There is still no reopening date for the Las Vegas Strip. The casinos along that normally overbusy thoroughfare are waiting for the go-ahead from Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak and the…

Article / Passportable

After Backlash, Frontier Airlines Drops Social Distancing Fee

Frontier Airlines has abandoned plans to charge passengers extra to fly next to empty middle seats on flights, according to news reports. The move was made following widespread (and…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Better Buy a Watch: Your Travel Future Will Be Timed

Travel is still shut down, but the coronavirus has already changed it. New social distancing measures have forced attractions around the world to look at entrance procedures anew.…

Article / Passportable

Frontier Airlines Will Let You Socially Distance—for a Price

One thing you can always count on from the airlines: They will never run out of excuses to charge extra fees. Now an airline is charging passengers more if they want to observe CDC…

Article / Arts and Culture

Hawaii Is Using the Shutdown to Transform Its Tourist Experience

Tourism has been a boon and a bane to the Aloha State for years. Many Hawaiians are trying to use the travel pause to shift the paradigm.

Article / Local Experiences

How Tourists Can Buy Marijuana in California

If you're old enough to buy a beer in California, you're old enough to buy recreational cannabis products. But that doesn't mean it's a free-for-all. Here are the rules for buying pot…

Article / Air Travel

How to File an FAA or Consumer Complaint Against an Airline: A Guide to Directing Your Government Grievances

When is it time to report an airline to the Federal Aviation Administration or other Department of Transportation agency? And more importantly, how do you do it?

Article / Passportable

Unbelievably, American Airlines Takes This Moment to Hike Bag Fees

You run an airline. Your business is facing the most dramatic economic crisis in your lifetime. Just to stay alive, you've had to suspend international capacity by a devastating 60%…

Article / Hotels

12 Rules for Booking and Staying in Hotels Now

The global crisis has changed the way you should approach hotel stays. Learn how to navigate our newly transformed hospitality landscape.

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Do Airlines Have to Refund You for a Canceled Flight?

If I cancel a flight because I no longer wish to travel during the outbreak, don't airlines have to refund me for the ticket? I'm getting this question a lot on Twitter and on the…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Beware: The Travel Industry Is Clinging to Your Money

Times are tough. We all know it. A lot of us aren't sure where the money will be coming from in a few months—and among the least sure are the businesses that sell travel. That's why…

Article / Passportable

Government Says Airlines Must Refund Canceled Flights—Eventually

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has issued an "enforcement notice" reminding airlines and the "traveling public" that passengers whose flights are canceled or significantly…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Health Care Abroad is not Free for Americans, Warns Arthur Frommer

A relative of mine who periodically visits friends living in England had a recent premonition about a Christmas trip there. For a reason that she is still unable to fully know, she…

Article / Passportable

Amtrak Launches New Ultralow Fares. Is There a Catch?

Amtrak is trying out its own version of a Basic Economy fare. In air travel, that kind of ticket goes for relatively low prices but comes with a number of restrictions. To name a few…

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

It's Literally Illegal for Visitors to Eat in Parts of Italy Now: A Roundup of the New Tourist Laws

Violating these rules probably won’t get you arrested, but stiff fines could dip into your vacation budget.  

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

"Basic Business Class"? Emirates Quietly Shakes Up Airfare Structures

Last summer, with no fanfare whatsoever, Emirates changed the rules of business travel. It took what was a signature product—its well-rated business class service—and decoupled it from…

Article / Passportable

This Twitter Account Tracks the Door Codes to London's Toilets

Every traveler knows the misery of not being able to find a loo. When you're spending hours away from your hotel exploring an unfamiliar town, pit stops can be few and far between. In…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

At JetBlue, a New High in Baggage Fees Brings a New Low for Customers

Which U.S.–based airline charges customers the highest fee for their first checked bag? As of this week, it's JetBlue. The airline hiked its baggage fee by $5—it's now $35. That's the…

Article / Passportable

U.S. National Parks Are Free on MLK, Jr. Day

Savings alert! On Monday, January 20, 2020, all American national parks will be free to enter.It's part of the National Park Service's regular schedule of free days, which are designed…

Article / Passportable

Staying in Amsterdam Will Cost You Extra This Year

An increase in Amsterdam's tourist tax went into effect on January 1. Going forward, visitors who stay in hotels in the Dutch capital will be charged a fee of €3 (US $3.35) per person…

Article / Cruise

Do I Need a Passport to Cruise?

In light of heightened border security, it seems like a given that Americans need a passport to go on a cruise. But is that true?

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Arthur Frommer: The Reaction to Brexit Directly Impacts the Cost of Travel to Britain

You needn’t be a scholar to know that the value of foreign currencies goes up and down depending on the health of a nation’s economy. If things are going badly, the currency drops;…

Article / Slideshows

Purchase History: The Oldest Shops in Paris

Paris is one of the world’s top shopping destinations. The city prides itself on its elegant boutiques dedicated to everything from high fashion to gastronomy. But few French brands…