Archive for February, 2008

When Travel Arrangements Go Bad

Every year, I hear more horror stories of travel arrangements gone bad. Look at any of the online blogs and you will see what I mean. Our own favorite travel ombudsman, Christopher Elliott, is busier than ever, and my colleague Anita Dunham-Potter recently told a travel horror story about a group of 73 would-be cruise vacationers who were left stranded when their so-called “travel agent” abandoned ship. Bad travel arrangements don’t have to happen to you. Just keep these four pointers in mind as you plan your next trip. The …

Tips for Traveling with Teens

Three tips from K.K., a single mom, who travels regularly with her daughter: 1) I try not to schedule anything for too early in the morning. Teens stay up late at night and they are not their best early in the AM so if possible we don’t do anything before 9 AM. 2) We have done cruising, which relieves me of having to find something for her to do 24/7. Because I am a single mom the only requirement I have is that she joins me for dinner every evening…

Kids Love These 6 Museums

When I was a kid and traveling with my parents, they used to drag me, kicking and screaming, to museum after museum so I could get some “culture.” I hated it! I hated them! My travels were filled with commands and threats like “Shhhh!” “No,” “Be quiet,” “Stop running,” and the all-too-familiar “Just you wait till we get you back to the hotel.” Well, times have changed and now I am a parent. It always surprises me how I much I’ve morphed into my own parents with my kids. But…

What to do if your airline goes under?

What If My Airline Folds? These aren’t the best of times to be an air traveler. US Airways’ chairman has said that in the event of a second bankruptcy filing there’s only a one to two percent chance the airline would survive. And his airline just filed for Chapter 11 protection. Delta is grasping at straws to stay afloat. United is still mired in bankruptcy with emergence nowhere in sight. American has been disturbingly quiet. ATA just went under. Northwest is busy making – and then unmaking – ludicrous pricing…