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LATEST STORIES
Kids should sit with their parents on planes
Consumer groups have been holding extensive discussions with the Department of Transportation (DOT). The consumer coalition influenced Representatives and Senators to add family seating language to the FAA funding bills. In 2016 Congress mandated that children 13 years of age and younger should be able to sit with an older member of their family while flying. Plus, they should be seated together at no extra charge. DOT has not taken any action.
COVID-19: Administration failures are catastrophic
American lives are at stake. The Trump Administration must stop playing COVID-19 politics. With so much unknown about COVID-19, a scientifically conservative approach is the only one that makes sense.
POLICY
Kids should sit with their parents on planes
Consumer groups have been holding extensive discussions with the Department of Transportation (DOT). The consumer coalition influenced Representatives and Senators to add family seating language to the FAA funding bills. In 2016 Congress mandated that children 13 years of age and younger should be able to sit with an older member of their family while flying. Plus, they should be seated together at no extra charge. DOT has not taken any action.
TRAVEL
How to keep a teenager engaged during time in Rome
I’ve been involved in planning a trip to Italy with a focus on Rome and Venice. The grandson of a good friend of mine is coming along. I need to show him Rome for teenagers. He is in 7th Grade and just entered his teens.
What does your car know about you?
In the past, sensor-collected data stayed with the car. However, starting with GM’s OnStar system data has been transmitted to outside companies. Three-quarters of 44 brands provide wireless data connection in their 2018 model-year cars. This data collection allows corporate analysts to develop a detailed portrait of both car and driver — how it performs and whether drivers obey the law.
Airline consumers really want to know the full cost of travel
Two recent stories distorted what consumers want when they buy airline tickets. Passengers really don’t care how many fees there are. Nor, do they hate ancillary fees. Consumers just want a way to see the full cost of travel prior to purchasing a ticket.
Phony service animals hurt all airline passengers
The current rules result in flight attendants attacks and other passengers bitten by emotional support animals (ESA). True service animals such as seeing-eye dogs face attacks from phony ESAs. Plus, the number of ESAs still grows exponentially. Nearly a million ESAs fly per year while stakeholders debate the new rules.
Santa Fe sightseeing can be more than the city’s art
Santa Fe, New Mexico is more than a place. It is a spirit, an energy that enters your soul and takes residence in your worldview as well as your inner vision. A state of mind more than a city; a way of life more than a place to live. It’s a lifestyle, not a destination. All expressed in the poetry that is Santa Fe, a language not spoken anywhere else in the country.
7 reasons to stay at an airport hotel
As a long-time traveler, I disdain the thought of staying at an airport hotel. However, over my decades of travel, airport hotels offer some conveniences and comforts that make them alluring. Here are seven situations where choosing an airport hotel rather than one in a city works for many travelers.
True confessions of a travel (food) junkie
I have a confession: I’m a food junkie and I’m never going to change. No matter where I travel, there’s no such thing as leaving a place without checking out where the locals shop. If I’m buying gifts, some of the best ones can be found in local markets.
TRAVEL SAFETY
COVID-19: Administration failures are catastrophic
American lives are at stake. The Trump Administration must stop playing COVID-19 politics. With so much unknown about COVID-19, a scientifically conservative approach is the only one that makes sense.
TRAVEL TIPS
7 solid reasons why you might not want an exit-row seat
For exit-row seats passengers DO need to be able-bodied, not to mention 15-years-and-older to sit in the exit row seat. However, there are other times, when, even if there’s no extra charge, a passenger might want to sit a different row.
Can we answer this question: Is it safe to travel?
Travel advisors sell something they don’t actually deliver. Airlines, hotels, cruise lines, tour companies, and so on actually provide the product. Plus, weather and other factors can always come into play. Travel agents are simply agents for other providers in the travel world. It is tough to answer when asked, “Is it safe?”
Learning from the deadly Wuhan virus pandemic
The U.S. government is taking strong Wuhan precautions with anyone who has recently traveled in China. Travelers seeking to enter the U.S. as well as its residents and citizens should be much more concerned about contracting influenza than the Wuhan virus.
Warning: Travelers, beware the Wuhan virus
A coronavirus named 2019–nCoV or colloquially, the Wuhan virus, has caused 56 deaths in China. More than 2,000 infected and 10,000 more are under observation.
What is the secret to scoring a hotel room upgrade?
While status still can make a difference, there’s a new rule in effect for anyone who wants a better room: You get what you negotiate. The days of bellying up to the counter, flashing your platinum card and demanding a suite are over. Maybe that’s a good thing.
4 ways to avoid electronic toll collection penalties
More and more travelers on the nation’s highways are finding tolls on roads that have no system for manual toll collection — only electronic toll collection systems. Out-of-state traveler without a local FastPass, EZ-Pass, SunPass, or other local toll-collection passes should not be penalized.
7 reasons to stay at an airport hotel
As a long-time traveler, I disdain the thought of staying at an airport hotel. However, over my decades of travel, airport hotels offer some conveniences and comforts that make them alluring. Here are seven situations where choosing an airport hotel rather than one in a city works for many travelers.
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Accomplishments
These accomplishments have been achieved by working closely with our members, national media, the travel industry, the Department of Transportation (DOT), Congress and many other agencies.
- Bi-partisan bill to eliminate hotel resort fees introduced into House of Representatives
- Creation of the Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protections
- Advertised airfares now include airfare plus, mandatory taxes and fees
- Lost/damaged/delayed luggage compensation limit increased to $3,500
- Passengers have 24 hours to change or cancel their nonrefundable tickets without penalty
- Once an airfare is purchased, that airfare and ancillary fees cannot be increased
- Families flying together act passed by Congress that requires family members 13 years of age and younger to sit with other family members at no additional cost.
