Conde Nast Traveler gets a lot of mileage out of its annual Readers’ Choice Awards, slicing and dicing feedback from 300,000 travelers into a dizzying array of categories, sub-categories, and sub-sub-categories. Not only is there a ranking of the best cities in the world, there’s also the best small cities in the U.S. The world’s…
If you want to find the best price for a flight from Los Angeles to Boston on December 3, there is no shortage of apps and websites that will perform an Internet-wide search and display the results ranked in the order you specify. Of course, the airfares displayed are those in effect at that moment.…
In what will likely be one of its final major moves under the current Obama administration, the Department of Transportation this week revealed a new set of rules governing various aspects of airline behavior. Here’s how DOT Secretary Anthony Foxx described the new rules: Airline passengers deserve to have access to clear and complete information…
The market for Europe travel has softened, undermined by Brexit and terrorism concerns, among other factors. And what market there is is served by a growing contingent of cut-rate carriers like WOW and Norwegian Air. For the airlines, that’s a sure recipe for lower profits. For budget-conscious consumers, however, the picture is rosier. Lower Europe…
Remember when American Express positively ruled the high end of the credit card market, with its green, platinum, and black cards signifying the prosperity and importance of its Card Members (as Amex insists on calling its customers)? No more. And that’s a good thing for consumers. With the introduction of benefits-rich rewards cards like the…
Enter the LATAM Airlines “Textures of Time” sweepstakes by November 4, 2016, for a chance to win the grand prize: a 12-day trip for two to Peru, including air, tour package, accommodations, some meals, travel apparel, and a $500 gift card. To enter, provide the requested contact information (name, email, etc.) on the sweepstakes landing…
For Airbnb customers with an appetite for frequent-flyer points, it’s been more famine than feast. Notwithstanding the obvious linkage between on-the-road accommodations and other travel services, Airbnb, which boasts 2.5 million residential properties in 191 countries, is a partner in just three airline programs. The first of those tie-ups was with Virgin America, put in…
Several days after Samsung threw up its hands and took the highly unusual step of scrapping its flagship Galaxy Note 7, the Department of Transportation has issued an all-out ban on bringing the fire-prone phones aboard all flights to, from, and within the U.S. According to a Tweet by DOT Secretary Anthony Foxx, “We are…
Following is our regular summary of the latest travel news and best frequent traveler promotions reviewed during the past week. If it was a good deal—or a notably bad deal—from an airline, hotel, or car rental loyalty program, you can read all about it here, and plan your travel accordingly. How the Government Failed Consumers:…
As in any walk of life, among travelers, there are good guys and bad guys. Naturally, you and I fall squarely in the good-guy category; here, we’re all above average. Still, it’s worth considering what makes a bad actor, travel-wise, and reality-checking our own habits. You know, just in case. As comprehensive a list of…
TripAdvisor (owner of SmarterTravel.com) is among a select few corporations that wear their social conscience on their sleeves, due in large part to the conviction and efforts of company founder and CEO Steve Kaufer. The company’s latest initiative, announced this week: a ban on sales of tickets to animal attractions “where travelers come into physical…