And from the ever-growing Master List of Lists comes this, from Consumer Reports: the 25 most complained-about chain restaurants. For context, the ratings are based on 170,838 reported visits to 238 full-service restaurant chains (so no McDonald’s or Burger Kings). Some are regional, but many have a national presence, and thus might well be among…
September, according to the U.S. State Department, is passport awareness month. And the Department is using the occasion to publicize on its Twitter and Facebook feeds a noteworthy policy change in passport processing. Beginning on November 1, eye glasses will no longer be allowed in passport photos. More generally, the Department notes that bad photos…
Given the choice, which reward would you choose for your next hotel stay: loyalty points or cash back? That’s more hypothetical than realistic, since the great majority of hotels utilized by frequent travelers award loyalty points rather than cash. But there is one cash-back option that’s increasingly look-worthy. When The Guestbook launched, just over a…
Barring the highly unlikely possibility of a successful anti-merger lawsuit, Virgin America’s future is as a footnote to the history of commercial aviation: the innovative, highly popular carrier whose spark was extinguished when Alaska Airlines purchased them and consolidated the two airlines’ operations, erasing any traces of Virgin’s outsize personality. Between now and Virgin’s eventual…
Enter the Marriott Rewards “Sail Away” sweepstakes by November 30, 2016, for a chance to win the grand prize: a seven-night Celebrity Cruise for two to the Caribbean, including $500 for onboard spending, and four nights at the JW Marriott Miami hotel, which may be used in conjunction with the cruise or during a separate…
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. New Southwest Perk for Elites:…
This fall’s crop of hotel promotions has been notably lackluster. The latest from Best Western is no exception. Offer Details Between September 12 and November 20, Best Western Rewards members can earn 1,000 bonus points for every eligible Best Western stay booked on the company’s website or mobile app. Registration is required. Related: New Hyatt…
Computing the Social Value of Uber. (It’s High.) That’s the headline of a recent Bloomberg article that attempts to put Uber, both the company and the ride-share business model generally, into the perspective of overall economic gains or losses for society. Does Uber, in other words, have a positive or negative value to society? Based…
Bad news for the airlines often translates as good news for travel consumers. That’s the case with travel to Europe, with the disruptive effects of Brexit and generally softer demand. La Compagnie recently announced its upcoming withdrawal from the U.S.-London route, and British Airways stepped up with a global Executive Club promotion that also awards…
With more than 2,700 hotels and 20 brands in its network, AccorHotels is a major hotel chain by any measure. Of that number, only around 320 are in the Americas, and fewer still are in the U.S. Which explains why the company’s Le Club loyalty program gets less attention from U.S. travelers than other large…
Depending on your point of view, busier airports are either a blessing or a curse. For the Airports Council International, which just released its ACI World Airport Traffic Report, busy airports are a sign of economic vitality and consumer vigor. Travelers, on the other hand, who must navigate the mega-facilities, with their choked security checkpoints…