Ways to use less mobile data when you travel
While traveling we become even more dependent on our smartphones than usual. There are no other phones to use, we all need to get around so map programs are more and more important. Airline boarding passes are often loaded on cell phones. Apps that tell travelers the best hotels and restaurants are needed more than ever. And every time we pick up our mobile phone we need to use international data.
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For airline travelers, every day is like the 4th of July
Summer travel is when most of the seasoned business travelers that effortlessly glide through the airports will be at home with the family. It’s the less-experienced 75 percent of travelers who only fly once a year that will be struggling to get from check-in through security and down the Jetway. Road warriors will be enjoying a staycation.
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Don’t go anywhere without these expert tips for buying travel insurance
Americans spend $2.8 billion on travel insurance a year, according to the US Travel Insurance Association, a trade association. “Misspend” may be a more accurate word. By thoughtlessly throwing money at the first travel insurance policy that comes along, they may be signing up for worthless coverage.
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How to find on-time statistics on airline websites
The other day I discussed on-time flights and the importance of having enough time to get to connecting flights. I was also speaking about the hope that my checked baggage made the connection as well, The conversation came around to how can a passenger even know what the record for on-time arrival might be and where that information can be found.
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16 ways to make your fireworks photos better
Using a smartphone or camera make fireworks photos better Thursday is July 4, Independence Day, in the U.S. The nation's second president, John Adams, is in large part responsible for how it's celebrated. In his July 3, 1776 letter to Abigail, his wife, he said that...
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Sunday musings: Avoiding airport facial recognition, Cruise line pollution, Amtrak’s new trains
Read about facial recognition being introduced for international travelers departing from he US. We examine the pollution of cruise lines from environmental dumping to CO2 emissions. And, finally, readers can watch a video describing the new Amtrak train cars — made in America.
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Look into the soul of Alaska at the Anchorage Museum
There is one indoor experience that every visitor to Alaska should explore — the Anchorage Museum. This stunning building and its even more impressive collection of Alaska artifacts and art provides a spiritual and historic canvas upon which to better understand the human side of this amazing state of nature.
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How do airline IT outages harm passengers
IT has become one of the most important factors in the operation of the national aviation system. It is the way that airline tickets are sold. The reservation systems provide airfares that may change several times a day and allow seats to be assigned They allow pilots and flight attendants to be scheduled to provide customer service. The findings of the GAO show an aviation IT system that currently has no federal oversight, few government records, and no DOT passenger protections.
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Strategies that can get you home during weather-delay roulette
A client emailed me in a cranky mood. His plane to San Francisco was stuck in a weather delay for two hours, and then was sitting on the tarmac in Newark for over an hour. He was a victim of weather-delay roulette.
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Open skies agreements get boost from US Department of State
For years Travelers United has stood by the Open Skies Agreements forged between the US and more than 120 partners. Since 1992, the United States has pursued an “open-skies” policy designed to eliminate government involvement in airline decision-making about routes,...
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