Worst international airports
Even if you travel abroad only occasionally, you may be familiar with some of the better airports internationally.
Like wide-open spaces? Vancouver (B.C.) International Airport is your terminal. Shopping? Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport is your preferred stopover in Europe. Tidy? Dubai International Airport, winner of the latest International Air Transport Association customer survey, fits the bill.
The good [...]
Five-star south Florida
No sooner had we settled into our room at the Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove than we heard a knock at the door. Aren, our 16-month-old son, toddled over to open it, but his tiny hands couldn’t reach the knob. “Room service,” the voice on the other side announced. Did we order room service? Hardly, but that didn’t stop a hotel employee from delivering a silver tray with an enormous, freshly-baked M&M cookie - Aren’s favorite - to our room.
No refund on American
Q: I took two students and my wife to a conference in Washington last May. On the way back, when we transferred planes in St. Louis, we learned there was only one seat left on the 16-passenger plane to Paducah.
It was the last flight of the day and American Airlines wanted to give us [...]
Give loyalty programs a lift
Why do business travelers feel betrayed by recent changes in airline loyalty programs? Ask frequent fliers, and they will tell you that the airlines’ revisions make it difficult - and more often, impossible - to reach those coveted elite levels. The only way to qualify for the most sought-after flier perks, such as seating upgrades and complimentary lounge access, is to buy pricier tickets.
Stupid things travelers do
When traveling, we often leave our common sense behind. That’s fine if we’re on a vacation - a missed connection here or a surcharge there isn’t a big deal when we’re off the clock. But for folks who travel for a living, doing something stupid can cost a company a lot of money.
I’m here to [...]
Hungarian cap city
It could be the architecture - the soaring cathedrals built on Roman ruins - that draws visitors to the ancient Hungarian city of Sopron. Or maybe it’s the sidewalk cafés, with their delectable pastries such as the dense chocolate Sachertorte or the Ferenc Rahozzi, a multilayered cheesecake, which bring them to this town along the Austrian border. Then again, it’s probably the teeth.
Disney disaster
Q: In May 2002, my husband and two daughters went on a seven-day land/sea Disney vacation for our 10th wedding anniversary. On the morning before we set sail, we went to the Animal Kingdom. We headed straight to Kali River Rapids since it usually has a long line.
As we approached the final turn leading [...]
No photos, please
Q: Is there a rule against pictures of airplanes while at the gate? The reason I ask is that I was on a Delta Air Lines flight from Newark to Atlanta recently. I was taking pictures of the plane that I was about to board and a Delta employee asked me to stop taking pictures. [...]
Traveling? Don’t forget me
On a recent trip to Quebec City, Canada, I opened my suitcase to find that a mission-critical item hadn’t made it with me. It was something so essential to the success of my trip, in fact, that immediate action needed to be taken.
I’d forgotten to bring any underwear.
I found a department store the following morning [...]
Airline ticket switcheroo
Q: I shopped around for months to find a fare I could afford to fly my dad and his wife out to see their grandson. I got a great fare on United Airlines through Expedia and booked a ticket online.
Since then, things have gone downhill. I inadvertently used my stepmother’s nickname rather than the [...]