Do we need new rules for delayed and canceled flights? Will an EU system help in the US? I just returned from a trip to Spain. It seemed to me and my friends that the aviation system in Europe had avoided the horrible delayed and canceled flight experiences of the US....
The red zone is that anxious stretch from your front door to your airplane seat, where normal people turn into nervous wrecks. It’s a blur of high-stakes, time-sensitive decisions that overload your brain. And it’s so stressful that 73 percent of couples call travel...
In a high-tech world, it is good to have low-tech vacation travel tips. If you are reading this blog, you’re more than likely already a savvy traveler and have heard and read thousands of holiday travel tips before. You’re familiar with the litany of: show...
Pamplona never sleeps during Fiesta Today was the first of eight runnings of bulls in Pamplona. The Fiesta of San Fermin in Pamplona, known as the Running of the Bulls in the US, is a nonstop, 24-hour party. From July 6 to July 14, there is always dancing in the...
It’s long overdue that the FAA deals with airlines who board and/or serve visibly intoxicated passengers. It’s time to clear the skies of these drunken passengers now! This year, like past years, there have been multiple incidents involving drunk...
Two years ago, the Transportation Sec. asked for funding to study the use of female crash dummies in car crash testing. Today we have one dummy. An extensive study by Consumer Reports concluded that crash testing is biased. The National Highway and Transportation...
CLIA’s Cruise Line Bill of Rights outlines passenger rights. According to a new guide issued by Christopher Elliott about the cruise line industry, this is the definitive definition of a cruise line bill of rights. These are the 10 rights cruise line passengers...
When Sharon von Wolffersdorff booked a flight from Seattle to Rome, she considered ignoring the travel professionals advice. The travel professionals — in her case, her airline and airport — assured her that she could make a connecting flight in Frankfurt within an...
The most important question to ask if you really want early hotel check-in Most travelers who book hotels and arrive in a city early in the day would love to get early check-in when they arrive. But most hotels have a regular check-in time of 3:00 or 4:00 p.m....
I have 18 tips to help you shoot stunning July 4th fireworks photos using your camera or your smartphone at this 250th Independence Day celebration. On Saturday, the U.S. will celebrate Independence Day, commemorating the ratification of the Declaration of...
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.
– Removal of restaurant fees from DC area eateries — this is an ongoing project
– Creation of DOT Dashboard to outline consumer rights after cancellation of a flight
– 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 $3,800
– 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.