Unhappy endings: 5 ways to avoid a sad vacation finale
Oh, the terrible things we come home to from vacation. While everyone else seems obsessed with how we will — or won’t — spend our summer, does anyone care what happens when it’s over?
Frequent criers: are elite fliers ruining air travel?
The last thing I want to do is start a class war at 36,000 feet. But enough is enough. Some elite travelers have made flying unbearable. Here’s how.
Solo suckers? 4 ways the travel industry discriminates against singles
The dreaded single supplement isn’t new. If you travel by yourself, and stay in a room or cabin meant for two, you’d expect to pay a little more. But lately, travel companies have come to see singles as suckers.
Maid on a mission: 6 secrets for avoiding housekeeping hell
If you’ve had a run-in with an aggressive hotel maid recently, you’re not alone. As managers try to squeeze more work from their employees, cleaning staff is becoming more fixated on servicing your room as fast as possible. Here’s how to avoid housekeeping hell.
Don’t let a natural disaster ruin your vacation: 6 tips
Talk about adding insult to injury. When a natural disaster strikes — like the recent earthquake in China or Myanmar’s devastating cyclone — travel companies like to play the God card. Unless everyone is looking.
All aboard: 5 tips for getting on the plane pronto
What’s the fastest way to board a plane? A free-for-all, like Southwest Airlines? Boarding by window, middle seat or aisle, like United Airlines? Or by zone, like AirTran Airways?
See you in court: 5 times when you should just sue ‘em
Lately, I’ve noticed people’s patience with the traditional complaint process — writing a letter, waiting for a reply, sending a probable appeal — is wearing thin. It’s as if they know they’ll be turned down and think they have a better chance of getting compensated by getting the law involved immediately.
What not to wear on the plane
What to wear on a plane — or more to the point, what not to wear on a plane — is a hot topic today. Just ask passengers like Kyla Ebbert. Oh where is Mr. Blackwell when we need him?
Tips to ensure the TSA doesn’t swipe your stuff
Thieving TSA? You might be forgiven for thinking so. Since it was created in 2001, the agency has fired about 200 employees accused of stealing.
Flying sick? 4 tips for surviving your trip
Why would anyone get on an aircraft while in the throes of a contagious, debilitating viral infection? Maybe the question should be: Why not?
5 most common ticketing mistakes — and how to avoid them
You don’t have to look far for ticketing mistakes in an age of do-it-yourself booking. Here are the five biggest booking blunders — and tips for how to avoid them on your next flight.
Four secrets for finding the right travel pro
Who needs a travel agent anymore? Fewer of us do, apparently. But that doesn’t mean agents are obsolete. Far from it. Here are four secrets to finding the right one.
Laughing — and dying — in the face of danger
There’s always been a fine line between taking a calculated risk and foolishly gambling with your life. At a time when more tourists are coming home in caskets, that line is becoming increasingly faint. Can we tell the difference between being brave and being stupid?
Why cut-rate carriers are (still) your favorite
Discount carriers used to be the darlings of air travelers, if not travel columnists. With low fares and high standards of customer service, what wasn’t to like? That was then. This is now.
Greenwashed! How to spot the travel industry’s eco-lies
Book an airline ticket, save the planet. Re-use the towel in your hotel, stop global warming. Rent a hybrid car, reduce our dependence on fossil fuel. Lofty promises made by airlines peddling gimmicky carbon offsets, resorts hawking convoluted green initiatives and companies with shiny new fleets of high-maintenance cars to rent. And empty promises.