Hotel resort fees were created to deceive consumers Few travel fees are as resented as mandatory hotel fees, also known as resort fees. Starting in about 1998, these hated fees were created by a group of hotels in Las Vegas in order to allow room rates at some hotels...
Will the pandemic slow down the disappearance of tiny toiletries in hotels? I admit it. While I support environmental measures, I’ve always had a soft spot for hotel tiny toiletries. Maybe it started with my grandparents. They adorned their main bathroom with...
Undisclosed advertising is a growing problem in social media Paid influencers are a form of advertising. Everything that paid influencers do or wear can be monetized. And it is. Yes, there are FTC advertising rules. The enforcement however is non-existent. The Bucket...
Since January, 73 percent of all in-flight incidents were caused by a failure to control air rage. They endangered passengers and crew. Many had to be forcibly deplaned. The failure to control air rage caused flights to be delayed as long as overnight. Since January...
I just became a contagious COVID traveler before a trip to Spain. Yes, I am fully vaccinated. What I learned. Last week, I experienced a breakthrough case of COVID. After finishing my Moderna vaccination shots on April 1st of 2021, I went through fully vaccinated...
Once upon a time, everyone wanted nonstop flights. With COVID, passengers think about connecting flights. Okay, so there are rare exceptions — frequent flier mileage, or getting to smaller, closer airports (National over Dulles for Washington DC, for example). On a...
Current U.S. travel and border policies for COVID-19 protection are broken and failing the nation. The U.S. border has been closed to citizens of the European Union and the United Kingdom for more than 540 days. Our COVID border protection system has been open to...
To return to the U.S. from an international destination, citizens must do COVID testing within 3 days of their return flight. Unless they’re prepared, if the test is positive, they must endure what could be a more difficult and costly quarantine than necessary...
Wearing effective face masks while in public, especially inside, reduces the transmission of COVID-19 from respiratory exhalation. There are two key methods of protecting ourselves and each other from becoming infected with COVID-19: vaccination and wearing face...
Let me start out this post by saying succinctly — I LOVE a no-resort-fees policy. When resort fees first began, they were usually relatively low, and often optional. Resort fees might have covered things like parking, the gym, maybe a couple of cocktails, sports...
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.
