Tagged: consumer-advice

What Is the Best Travel Pillow for a Long Flight? Our Tests Revealed a Clear Winner

Frommer’s editors independently assess all travel products featured on our site. In some cases, we may receive an affiliate commission from the purchase of products made from the links…

Leaving Airbnb: How to Find a Safe, High-Quality Vacation Rental on Your Own

Even giants can fall if they grow too big. The problems with Airbnb are legion, and not getting much better.Many travelers want to find a new method for finding vacation rentals.…

Why We Need Travel Advisors Now More Than Ever

It’s that time of year when you’re likely to be booking holiday travel, and undoubtedly you’ve logged onto travel sites to seek the best deals in flights, hotels, resorts, car rentals,…

5 Perks that Even Infrequent Travelers Can Get from Loyalty Programs

Even if you only travel once or twice a year and you stand no chance of earning power status, loyalty programs can still offer you some great benefits. For a long time, hotel, airline,…

Airline Miles Programs Are Essentially Pyramid Schemes Now

What went wrong with airline frequent flyer programs? Dissatisfaction with loyalty programs has reached a fever pitch. It has become crystal clear that for many airlines, the loyalty…

Airplanes Don’t Like Extreme Heat: Tips for Avoiding Flight Delays in Summer's Hot Weather

Flying in the summer always presents challenges. But flying this summer promises to be particularly challenging. Airlines are already dealing with tremendous stress, including pent-up…

A Home Rental Exec Reveals His Best Hack for Finding Cheap Vacation Rentals

Carl Shepherd was the co-founder of the major vacation rental platform HomeAway, which is now part of the behemoth known as VRBO. But that doesn't mean he feels any loyalty to his…

5 Ways to Get Airport Lounge Access Even Though You're Flying Economy

Getting into airline lounges can make or break the comfort of your travel experience, especially when you're about to embark on a long flight. But the Shangri-La behind the magic…

Experts Reveal 11 Common Airfare Booking Mistakes That Prevent You From Finding Cheap Flights

1. Booking too early Most people know that booking a flight at the last minute is a costly way to travel—by then, the cheapest seats are likely to have gone. But booking too early can…

How to Get a Refund from or Complain to Any Travel Company: Which Government Agency Oversees What

Whether it’s a bankrupt cruise line, a canceled flight, a missing car rental reservation, or a hotel “walking” you due to overbookings, there are times when you need to complain to a…

What to Know About “Manager’s Special” or “Mystery” Rates on Rental Cars

While searching for car rental options online, you might have encountered the sort of offering that lets you lock in a low rental rate in exchange for letting the company select your…

How Consumers Can Game Our Over-Mergered Travel Industry to Their Advantage

Last month on Frommer’s, I detailed how the U.S. airline industry has never been more concentrated thanks to mergers and acquisitions, and I expressed hope that the U.S. Department of…

25-Plus Holiday Travel Tips From an Industry Expert: Save Money, Beat Crowds, Dodge Delays

Last year was arguably the worst holiday travel season we’ve ever seen. The Southwest Airlines operational meltdown lasted 11 days encompassing Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New…

What is Regenerative Travel, and How Can You Make Sure It's Not Hype?

The term "regenerative travel" is gaining on sustainable travel as a new buzz phrase with forward-thinking travelers. If the goal of sustainable travel is to do no harm and not leave…

Should You Decline Prepaid Fuel When You Rent a Car? The Answer, Once and for All

It's a dreaded moment that comes every time you approach a car rental counter: the part where the agent pressures you to accept the prepaid fuel deal. The pitch seems convincing. If…

Airlines Messed Up 2022. All Your Travel Plans Should Be Cancellable Now

However you slice it, the airlines messed up this summer. They overpromised and can't deliver, and we're the ones paying the price.More than 14,000 U.S. flights were canceled or…

Canada Gets New Airline Refund Rules (They're Better Than America's)

The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) announced this week that as of September 8, 2022, its regulations governing passenger protections will be expanded.Until now, flyers on…

Strategies for Finding Affordable Holiday Car Rentals in 2021

Although we're no longer seeing headlines blaring "Rental Car Apocalypse!", should holiday travelers still be worried about rental car prices? Sadly, yes. Rental cars remain in short…

5 Tips to Remember When You Pay for a Hotel Room

1. Find out exactly what the hotel’s cancellation policy is. Before you click the BOOK button on a hotel reservation, read the hotel’s cancellation policy line-by-line. Then read it…

Disney World Guts Guest Benefits at Its Hotels: Why Would You Stay Now?

From a value standpoint, it's already a highly debatable decision to stay within the borders of Walt Disney World at a Disney-owned hotel. Those properties easily cost at least twice…

Which U.S. Airline Is the Worst About Giving Pandemic Refunds?

Government complaints filed in March by consumers against airlines jumped by 347% compared to the previous year, according to newly released data from the Department of Transportation…

My Hotel Is Overbooked! What Did I Do Wrong?

First of all, you did nothing wrong. The hotel failed you. Sometimes hotels run out of space because of clerical errors, guests who overstay, rooms that need repairs, and other reasons…

7 Strange Surcharges You Could Find on Your Next Trip

When Henry Harteveldt looks to the future of travel, he sees fees. Lots of fees.Take airline tickets, for example."The airlines are up in arms about the fees being charged by the…