Travel&Vacation

The passing of 2008 isn’t likely to be mourned by anyone with an interest in either providing or consuming travel services. Airlines and hotels saw traveler numbers dwindle, along with their profits. The suffering went well beyond paper losses, destabilizing the industry overall and jeopardizing the very existence of a number of carriers. Last year’s casualties included Aloha, Big Sky, Skybus, ATA, Silverjet, and Eos. Frontier and Sun Country are operating under protection of Chapter 11 bankruptcy. And those liquidations and bankruptcy filings took place earlier in the year, before the current global financial meltdown had pushed demand for travel off a cliff. Consumers bore their share of the industry’s misfortune. As profits plunged, the airlines imposed fees galore, and further
(Read the full post about ‘A Silver Lining to Travel Turndown: More Loyalty Points’…)

I pop the toasted grasshopper right in my mouth. It tastes kind of like bacon and is seasoned with chili and salt. Not bad! My kids wrinkle their noses. We are walking through a market in Oaxaca City, where we’ve arrived just this afternoon. Locals are selling the “chapulines”—there are big piles of them—for just three pesos a bag (about 40 cents). Oaxaca is in the southeastern part of Mexico and we’ve come here for a few days of cultural immersion after a week lazing on the beach near Playa del Carmen. (More about that in another column.) Mexico beaches are terrific, of course, but there is so much more to see and do in this country. To make the most of our time, we’ve arranged for Austin-Lehman Adventures to plan our stay so that I don’t have to fret the details. The
(Read the full post about ‘A Culinary Paradise in Oaxaca’…)

Finding a local to show you around is a great way to get to know a new city or rediscover an old favorite. But most travelers don’t have friends in every city they visit, which is what makes the greeter programs that have cropped up in recent years so genius. Locals volunteer to show visitors around their neighborhood or city, offering travelers the chance at a resident’s-eye-view, often for free! Here are some of the larger greeter programs: U.S. New York City: Big Apple Greeter has more than 300 volunteers and offers tours in 22 languages. To reserve a tour, fill out a visit request form at least three weeks in advance. Chicago: Chicago Greeter is run by the Chicago Office of Tourism. Tours of more than 25 neighborhoods and 40 themes are available in any of 15 languages. To reserve a
(Read the full post about ‘Discovering New Cities With Friendly Locals’…)

From its large-scale beach resorts and bustling cities to its beautiful forests and tiny villages, Mexico is one of the most popular travel destinations around. However, this vast country is not known for being one of the safest options for vacationers. Despite this reputation, travelers can still have a fun-filled holiday! Sticking with these simple tips will help you have an enjoyable and safe vacation. Do Your ResearchResearching your destination prior to departure is a good way to learn about the history of Mexico and which places to visit. It can also warn you of any current travel precautions or health warnings. Websites such as the U.S. Department of State, WorldTravelWatch, and Visit Mexico have information about the country and provide a plethora of emergency numbers and
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Most big U.S. airlines tell you even their nonrefundable tickets are reusable. This means that if you cancel your flight, you won’t get your money back, but you can use the value of your ticket toward a future ticket, less an exchange fee. Of course, you have to cancel before the departure date. But that promise has become a bit iffy lately. Some of those airlines charge what amount to punitive exchange fees—high enough to call into question the airlines’ basic honesty in advertising reusable fares. Currently, if you cancel a nonrefundable ticket, only Southwest allows you to apply the full value of the ticket toward a future trip, with no fee at all. According to the most recent information I have, for domestic travel, you pay $75 on AirTran, Alaska, or Virgin America; $80 on
(Read the full post about ‘The Financial Risks of Buying a Nonrefundable Ticket’…)

Do airport improvements make better passenger experiences? Airports around the world are banking on it. Here’s a roundup of some of the new developments from 2008:New TerminalsIndianapolis International: The new Col. H. Weir Cook Terminal replaces the old terminal at Indianapolis’ airport. The new terminal includes two concourses, a ticketing hall, and baggage claim, plus more than 40 shops and restaurants. London Heathrow: Heathrow’s new Terminal 5 opened in March. The terminal was designed to handle 35 million passengers per year, and includes its own Harrods department store. JFK Airport: The new JetBlue terminal at New York’s JFK airport opened in October. The new terminal has 26 gates, 40 ticket counters, a 20-lane security checkpoint, 22 food outlets, and 25 retail stores.
(Read the full post about ‘Better Airports, Happier Passengers?’…)

Travel can be more than schlepping around on a tour bus checking museums and cathedrals off a list. Whether it’s to the next-door state or halfway around the world, a trip can be a lot more rewarding if you focus on learning something. And although much of the focus on educational and volunteer travel is on students or retired seniors, travelers of any age can find plenty of opportunity, too. Moreover, if you’re looking for an educational trip, you can do it either through a group tour or on your own. Lots of tour operators focus on educational and self-improvement travel. Here are just a few examples, which I’ve chosen to illustrate the wide range of possibilities: A good place to start is Special Group Tours, an online agency representing special interest tours with a wide range of
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An economy in turmoil, overseas unrest, increased concerns about carbon footprints—overall, this is about the worst time I can remember to try to figure out what to expect in the coming year. Still, my position as a travel columnist demands that I at least try, so here goes. Lots of Deals: At least for now, and probably through 2009, the cost pressures resulting from high oil prices are behind us. Meanwhile, consumer demand and industry economic levels are still heading down, not up, with no real turnaround yet in sight. The result: Travel suppliers will be hurting for customers, and their traditional approach will be to offer deals. As usual, they’ll try to do as much as they can with various promotional bundles rather than out-and-out price cuts, but you can expect plenty of
(Read the full post about ‘What 2009 Will Bring for Travelers’…)

Of all the issues in travel insurance, pre-existing medical conditions seem to generate the most confusion. Three different readers have recently asked about this aspect of insurance:”My husband and I will be traveling on a yacht for most of next year. Both of us have pre-existing heart problems (three and five years ago) but we’re on medication and stabilized now. Can we get medical insurance to cover us?”"If someone went on a trip two years ago, had a heart attack, and had a claim paid by his insurance company, can he qualify for travel insurance again? He is a diabetic and is taking insulin for it, but is in stable condition.”"In their waivers of the exemption for pre-existing conditions, are all insurance carriers bound by the 14-day rule or do some have other shorter windows?”The
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Dear Tim, I have a question that I cannot find the answer to, and if anybody has it, you do. I, like many others this time of year, want to fly somewhere to qualify for the next tier of elite status. Is there ANY site out there that will tell you the furthest you can fly per dollar spent? In other words, I’d like to put in my airline (Delta or SkyTeam) and find the least expensive mile/dollar ratio to fly anywhere worldwide. If this does not exist, another way to go about it might be to search a region. Are there any sites that allow a large radius search? In other words, NYC to Paris [with] a 500-mile radius (that would pick up much of Europe), or simply a search from LAX to South America in the month of December? HELP! —Trevor R. Dear Trevor, For the sake of readers who may be
(Read the full post about ‘How To Pick a Flight for Your Year-End Mileage Run’…)