Articles

Air Travel

Article / Passportable

U.S. Government Won't Require Bag Fee Disclosure in Airfares

An Obama administration proposal designed to protect airline passengers from hidden fees has been discarded by the current Department of Transportation. Under the proposed…

Article / Passportable

An Airline Perk for Ugly Holiday Sweaters

Alaska Airlines passengers will want to raid their closets for brightly colored, snowman-bedecked, jingle-bell-festooned sweaters on December 15.In honor of National Ugly Christmas…

Article / Passportable

Airlines Limit Smart Bags Allowed on Flights

The supposed next big thing in luggage just hit a snag. Several U.S. airlines have announced bans on technologically sophisticated "smart" suitcases with lithium-ion batteries that…

Article / Passportable

In Denver You Can Dine in a Former Air Traffic Control Tower

Although Denver's old Stapleton International Airport has been closed for more than 20 years, the air traffic control tower recently reopened.There won't be any flight coordinating…

Article / Passportable

UPDATED: Will American Airlines' Scheduling Glitch Leave You Stranded for the Holidays?

This post, originally published on December 1, has been updated below.American Airlines discovered earlier this week that a glitch in the internal system used by pilots to schedule…

Article / Slideshows

Sacramento, Discovered: California's Capital Shines Bright

California’s capital city is often overshadowed by the Golden State’s metropolitan giants, San Francisco , San Diego , and Los Angeles . But in the last decade, as the tech sector…

Article / Slideshows

The Trends That Will Shape Travel in 2018

Glance at a list of recent travel trends and you’ll be struck by something. Where we visit, the ways we get there, and what we do upon arrival are all shaped by events in the wider…

Article / Passportable

The U.S. Frequent Flyer Program with the Highest Customer Satisfaction Is...

Measuring loyalty programs separately from overall airline satisfaction for the first time, the market research company J.D. Power devised a 1,000-point scale rating the six largest…

Article / Passportable

Blaming Trump, Another Airline Calls It Quits in Cuba

Alaska Airlines will discontinue its service to Cuba on January 22, 2018, the carrier has announced. The reason: the Trump Administration's new rules that make it too difficult for…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Passenger Jets Now Fueled by Food Scraps and Vegetable Oil

At the end of 1985's Back to the Future, Doc Brown opens his Delorean and dumps table scraps and beer into a "Mr. Fusion" tank to generate the power to whisk Marty McFly into the year…

Article / Passportable

Airfare is About to Rise. Here's Why

American and Southwest airlines have both sent signals that their airfares are about to go up.Why? Simple: They're making more money, so they don't need to put flights on sale as…

Article / Passportable

One More Airline Adopts Basic Economy Pricing

Monkey see, monkey do. The biggest airlines have now instituted new, bare-bones "basic economy" fares that strip passengers of the automatic right to checked bags or seat assignments…

Article / Passportable

More Complex Screening Begins for U.S. Passengers

You might remember that last spring, several international airlines, mostly from predominantly Muslim countries, were banned from allowing laptops in passenger cabins. That, and the…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

One Key to a Successful European Vacation Is Planning Several Months Ahead

When is it best to begin planning your trip to Europe? Though some of the experts disagree, the majority of them say just after the start of the new year, when airline tickets tend to…

Article / Passportable

Date Set for Last Virgin America Flights

Your last chance to fly with Virgin America is April 24, 2018. The award-winning and much-loved carrier was acquired by Alaska Airlines for $2.6 billion in late 2016. Alaska later…

Article / Passportable

Icelandair Joins the Basic Economy Crowd

Icelandair has joined the major U.S. airlines in rolling out a new stripped-down fare. "Economy Light," Icelandair's version of Basic Economy, comes with zero checked baggage…

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The Shortest Flight in the U.S.

United Airlines has begun operating the shortest commercial flight in the United States. Zipping between San Francisco and Santa Rosa in California's Sonoma County wine region three…

Article / Passportable

Texting Is Now Free on Delta: Here's How It Works

Delta Air Lines has announced that starting this weekend, passengers on 90% of its flights will be able to use the carrier's in-flight Wi-Fi network to text with people on the ground…

Article / Passportable

U.S. Airlines Are Making a Fortune from Checked Bag Fees

Two recent government reports have underscored the huge revenue-generating power of checked bag fees at the airport. First, a Government Accountability Office (GAO) study found that…

Article / Beach & Water Sports

After the Storms: What You Need to Know If You Have Booked Travel to Impacted Regions

Harvey's and Irma's effects will be felt for months to come. What the airlines, cruise lines, hotel companies, and other travel industry entities are—and aren't—doing to…

Article / Passportable

Non-Flyers Now Allowed Into Secured Areas at Pittsburgh Airport

We've got good news for airport shoppers, chaperones, and prolonged goodbye-sayers.For the first time since 9/11, an American airport is allowing people without tickets into secured…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

United Airlines Called Out for Hurricane Irma Price Gouging

Hurricane Irma is the most severe hurricane ever measured in the Atlantic Ocean, and millions of people are being told to get out of its way.Amid the pre-storm scramble on Wednesday,…

Article / Passportable

Boston's Logan Airport Might Charge You to Drop Off and Pick Up Passengers

A new fee could soon be put in place at Boston Logan International Airport—and drivers are not going to like it. The airport has launched a study to look into charging people for…

Article / Passportable

Four New Cities Get $99 Flights to Iceland

WOW Air, which has been earning its name with an aggressive expansion plan and tickets as low as $99 with advance purchase, is adding nonstop flights to Iceland from four Midwestern…

Article / Passportable

Airline Releases White Noise Album of Jet-Engine Sounds to Hum You to Sleep

Do you sleep well on a plane? How? The seats are so cramped, and the temperature is never right, and you can't recline more than a couple centimeters, and the lack of neck support…