If it feels like you have a target on your back when you’re traveling, you might be right. American tourists are facing profiling like never before. Sometimes, it’s harmless. For example, I recently walked into a cafe in Rio de Janeiro and experienced profiling in...
Will extra airline fees disappear? That is the question. There are two camps in this airline-fee battle. Some see airline fees disappearing. Others see them becoming a bigger part of the total airfare cost. As airfares plummeted during the pandemic, the percentage...
Travel agent etiquette travelers should follow: Be specific. Travelers who book all their own travel can skip this post. But, any traveler who uses a travel agent, especially the first time they use a travel agent, should read on. Leave these five forbidden travel...
The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 has two major problems. It doesn’t require the FAA to implement all emergency evacuations test recommendations and doesn’t require re-testing of existing aircraft with its updated test requirements, once promulgated....
Talk is cheap. What’s in your terms and conditions is the only thing that matters Rental owners lie—at least the one who rented Jing Wen Xiong and her husband a private room in London did. He told the newlyweds they would only have to share a bathroom with...
Traveling with kids is often the most rewarding way to take a vacation. But the Boy Scout motto, “Be prepared,” takes on new and more creative meaning. Forgetting things such as a favorite teddy bear, blanket or a night-light can cause the most well-behaved children...
For some of us, “Old Fashioned” is the way to travel — with paperback books. Admission upfront — I’m a travel agent and a regular traveler. It is easy to understand the advantages of reducing weight and bulk in luggage and limiting what’s in a...
It takes knowing what you need from your hotel and attention to the details of hotel reviews to successfully interpret them and find the best hotel for your stay. Last week, I wrote about my tips to sort fake travel reviews from honest ones. It’s not always easy...
The newest FAA bill mandates that airlines tell passengers their rights when faced with computer system failures. As airline computer system failures multiply, Congress in the FAA bill tells airlines they must prominently post what services they provide impacted...
The 4th of July is the USA’s biggest holiday. Parades march down Main Street, picnic baskets overflow, families come together, and in the evening, fireworks light the sky. Fireworks sparkle over city parks and public beaches. Rockets climb far above...
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.
