Renting a car can be complicated. From fees to fuel purchase options, the process is enough to confuse even the most experienced traveler. But let’s keep it simple. Here’s your ultimate guide on how to rent a car. (last updated Jan 2021)
Category: Ultimate Consumer Guides
The ultimate guide to travel loyalty programs
Loyalty programs offer a powerful incentive to travel, and to travel more. Since the first frequent flier programs appeared in the early 1980s, frequent flier and frequent stayer incentives have mushroomed to proportions no one could have predicted. Today, it’s possible to collect miles without darkening the door of an aircraft, or points without checking into a hotel. You can earn them from buying groceries or subscribing to Netflix.
But should you?
The ultimate guide to losing and finding your luggage
It weighs you down, it costs extra, and airlines love to lose it. Luggage is something most travelers wish they didn’t have to worry about — which is exactly why you should think about it before your next trip.
Selecting the right luggage might be the easy part. Knowing your rights when your bags are lost or misplaced isn’t. (And if you travel enough, your luggage will eventually get lost.)
The best way to buy airline tickets
From phoning a travel agent to clicking an airline site, there are many ways to book air travel. Maybe too many. So what’s the best way to buy airline tickets?
It depends. Here’s a guide to help you sort it out. (last updated Jan 5, 2021)
The ultimate guide to joining and leaving a travel club
If someone invites you to join a travel club, don’t walk away — run!
But if you’re reading this, you probably didn’t. You fell for the offer of a free cruise or vacation. You attended the presentation, with its laughable, high-pressure sales tactics. And you ended up with a worthless travel club membership. Now you’re trying to figure out a way to leave your travel club.
Travel and money: Here’s everything you ever wanted to know (and more)
Money may be the last thing you think about when you’re planning a trip. But the moment you arrive at your destination, you’ll make up for the oversight. Money exchange booths and the ATMs offering local currency greet you at the terminal. And you’ll have to decide what to do about travel and money.
This is how to deal with the Transportation Security Administration
For many air travelers, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screening is the most dreaded part of the journey.
It’s not the full-body scanners or the threat of a pat-down. It’s the risk of a COVID-19 infection at the hands of a TSA employee. Thousands of TSA workers have contracted the virus and several have died, according to the agency.
Everything you need to know about EC 261 and European air travel rights
If you’re flying on a European airline, you have more rights than you may think. The reason? EC 261 (also referred to as the EU 261), the European consumer regulation, gives broad protection for passengers — far broader than anything offered by U.S. airlines.
But it’s not a perfect regulation and it doesn’t apply to every flight. What’s more, the rule has been strained by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the effects on EC 261 could last a generation. Bottom line: You need to study EC 261 carefully before invoking it. But it’s worth knowing.
The ultimate guide for booking and taking a tour
If you’re thinking of visiting a faraway place, a tour may be an ideal choice. But don’t go anywhere without this ultimate guide for booking and taking a tour.
Everything you need to know about planning a trip
There are a few basic things you have to know about booking travel. Here’s your ultimate guide to planning a trip.
