Humans suffer far more than pandemic commodities because of international rules. This pandemic highlighted a strange problem that I never realized existed. Why do commodities get to move easily across international boundaries but people cannot? After I thought about...
After the pandemic and the extraordinary efforts at cleanliness, disinfection, and safety, will my stay be as good as before? Some of my clients think I have a crystal ball. They ask what happens after the pandemic. But as I write this, I fully understand that travel...
Rental car prices dropped by about 50 percent over the last months. I expect they will keep dropping. The days of rental cars costing a hundred dollars or more per day are ending. I traveled to Tampa several months ago and was faced with $110 a day rental charges when...
Successfully flying with young children means parents need to anticipate their children’s needs and prepare for those needs long before leaving for the airport. Flying with young children can be difficult, especially on long flights. Youngsters are easily bored,...
Global Entry is a government program that works wonderfully Global Entry is important again. If you allowed your old memberships to lapse because you were not traveling internationally, sign up again. Moving through airports is seamless with Global Entry. My wife and...
When flying after COVID from the U.S. to Spain, I entered Spain with only a vaccine certificate and a QR health code, but I could not return home. This Spanish approach to allowing foreigners entry to their country is one of many. With so many different sets of...
Some parents continue to endanger infants by flying them on their laps. While flying during the COVID pandemic, I’ve seen parents try to evade the face mask mandate for their children while other parents try to fly with their infant or toddler in their lap,...
Extra fees mean different things to airlines, travelers, and corporate travel departments. Airlines love service charges and surcharges. They result in pure profit. And can cover just about anything. Travelers look at the bottom line — the final cost of the trip....
Many nations have reopened their borders to fully vaccinated Americans and to a few unvaccinated Americans. Many countries have reopened to travel by fully vaccinated Americans and some to unvaccinated Americans. Some nations require travelers to be tested for COVID,...
A report shows a new leisure/business travel paradigm struggling to regain traction after the COVID-19 pandemic In a 2020 report, McKinsey and Skift Research assess the current traveler experience and find mixed signals. While surveys and customer satisfaction rating...
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.
