Written by Tim Winship @ SmarterTravel
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. No Dumb Questions? Travel Agents […]
The post Recap: The Week’s Biggest Travel Stories and Best Deals appeared first on SmarterTravel.
Read MoreWritten by Tim Winship @ SmarterTravel
Free meals in coach? Holy throwback! After a months’-long trial, widely reported, Delta will begin serving complimentary coach-class meals, beginning on March 1, on its flights between New York and both Los Angeles and San Francisco. Then, on April 24, the service will be expanded to include select coast-to-coast flights to and from Seattle, New […]
The post Free Coach Meals Coming to (Some) Delta Flights appeared first on SmarterTravel.
Read MoreWritten by Tim Winship @ SmarterTravel
Getting banned for life from flying a commercial airline isn’t easy, or common. In fact, I can’t recall another instance of an airline’s taking such a harsh line on passenger misbehavior, ever. The perpetrator of the misbehavior in question was Danielle Bregoli, a feisty teenager who had gained notoriety for her appearance on the Dr. […]
The post How to Get Banned from Flying for Life appeared first on SmarterTravel.
Read MoreWritten by Tim Winship @ SmarterTravel
Spirit, the airline everyone love to hate, is tightening up its rules on carry-on bags, which were already among the industry’s most restrictive. As has become standard practice in the industry, Spirit charges extra for checked bags. Where Spirit differs from most other airlines is in also charging fees to carry one’s own bag on […]
The post New Spirit Carry-On Restrictions – a Race To The Bottom appeared first on SmarterTravel.
Read MoreWritten by Tim Winship @ SmarterTravel
Got a nut allergy? Fine, don’t eat the nuts. As recent tensions between flyers and airlines have shown, it’s not that simple. Those who suffer from nut allergies don’t have to eat nuts to suffer life-threatening reactions; it’s enough to come into contact with nut oil on hard surfaces or airborne nut allergens. Of course, […]
The post Allergic to Nuts? It Could Get You Kicked Off the Plane. appeared first on SmarterTravel.
Read MoreWritten by Tim Winship @ SmarterTravel
If you’re among the legions of travelers who ease the boredom and discomfort of flying by tuning into a movie or TV show on the plane’s seatback monitor, the latest move by the world’s largest airline will come as a disappointment if not a surprise. American Airlines has disclosed that its new Boeing B737 MAX […]
The post The Days of Seatback TV May Be Numbered appeared first on SmarterTravel.
Read MoreWritten by Shannon McMahon @ SmarterTravel
There are plenty of helpful hacks that will let you see the world for less. But some budget travel rules are simply myths touted by businesses that benefit from them. Others are created by well-meaning travelers who mistook an exception for the norm. Here are 11 budget travel lies you should be wary of. Myths […]
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Read MoreWritten by Tim Winship @ SmarterTravel
What are the odds that your flight will arrive on time? If you’re flying El Al, you can expect to be delayed, arriving more than 15 minutes past the published arrival time, fully 56 percent of the time. That’s significant, and important to factor into your trip planning when traveling on El Al. Or, knowing […]
The post On-Time Flights? Sometimes, but There’s Plenty of Room to Improve appeared first on SmarterTravel.
Read MoreWritten by Tim Winship @ SmarterTravel
As of yesterday, American was the only one of the Big Three legacy airlines that hadn’t revealed details of its basic economy fares, the cheap coach fares with few perks and plenty of restrictions that have made Spirit, Frontier, and other ultra-low-cost carriers the darlings of the most price-sensitive customers, and of Wall Street. When […]
The post American’s New Basic Economy Fares… Too Much Like United’s appeared first on SmarterTravel.
Read MoreWritten by Tim Winship @ SmarterTravel
Here’s a list you don’t want to be on: Expedia’s newly released list of the most aggravating travelers. Based on feedback from more than 1,000 American adult travelers, the Airplane Etiquette study details the types of conduct air travelers find most annoying, and ranks those behaviors according to their degree of offensiveness. Surprisingly, to me, […]
The post Airline Passengers We Love to Hate – Are You One of Them? appeared first on SmarterTravel.
Read MoreWritten by Tim Winship @ SmarterTravel
For generations of air travelers, Boeing’s B747 jet, the four-engined behemoth with its distinctive hump, epitomized elegance in long-haul flying, harkening back to an era when travel was more refined, less exasperating. That era is long gone, and the B747 is disappearing from the skies as well. Only two U.S. airlines, Delta and United, still […]
The post Fly on the Iconic B747 Jumbo Jet? Yes, but Time Is Running Out appeared first on SmarterTravel.
Read MoreWritten by Jamie Ditaranto @ SmarterTravel
It’s a moment every traveler dreams about. You scan your ticket at the gate, walk through the jet bridge, arrive at the entrance of the plane, and turn left. Goodbye economy, you’ve got a business-class ticket for your international flight. Whether you lucked out on a work trip, saved up your points, or just decided […]
The post 9 Thoughts You Have Your First Time Flying Business Class appeared first on SmarterTravel.
Read MoreWritten by Tim Winship @ SmarterTravel
“JetBlue Becomes Only Airline with Free, High-Speed Wi-Fi at Every Seat.” That’s the headline of today’s news release from JetBlue. Making JetBlue’s free Fly-Fi Wi-Fi available on every plane, at every seat, is a significant achievement, to be sure. It’s a real value-add to JetBlue’s product. In fact, the airline somewhat understates Fly-Fi’s benefits: Unlike […]
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Read MoreWritten by Tim Winship @ SmarterTravel
Wi-Fi access isn’t free on Alaska Airlines flights. But at least for the next year, the airline’s passengers can use inflight Wi-Fi to send and receive unlimited texts for free. Here’s how it works: Free chat is available on flights with Gogo Wi-Fi. “Availability on other flights may vary” Chat is text-only—no videos, photos or […]
The post On Alaska Airlines, e-Chatting Is Now Free appeared first on SmarterTravel.
Read MoreWritten by Tim Winship @ SmarterTravel
In a fact sheet issued last month, IATA, the International Air Transport Association, calls them “unruly passengers,” and deems them a “significant problem.” In case you don’t get the reference, here’s what’s at issue: Unruly passenger incidents include violence against crew and other passengers, harassment , verbal abuse, smoking, failure to follow safety instructions and […]
The post Flight Attendants with Stun Guns – Yay or Nay? appeared first on SmarterTravel.
Read MoreWritten by Tim Winship @ SmarterTravel
According to Airlines for America, the trade group representing the interests of most U.S. airlines, this holiday travel season extends over a full 21 days, from December 16, 2016, through January 5, 2017. That’s a long time to endure the indignities and discomfort of crowded airports and overstuffed planes. A4A expects U.S. carriers to transport […]
The post Good to Know: Best and Worst Days for Holiday Travel appeared first on SmarterTravel.
Read MoreWritten by Tim Winship @ SmarterTravel
Tired of slow inflight WiFi, or worse, no WiFi at all? Southwest has you covered. Or will have you covered, when its newly announced upgrade program is in place. By the end of next year, all 700-plus Southwest aircraft will feature onboard WiFi. That’s not the case today, as the carrier’s B737-300 Classic planes lack […]
The post Southwest Promises Three Times More Bandwidth for Inflight WiFi appeared first on SmarterTravel.
Read MoreWritten by Shannon McMahon @ SmarterTravel
Cleaning up your packing act is easy with the proper accessories. This year, make a simple travel resolution to stay organized with these seven handy items. Editor’s Note: Product prices were correct at time of publication and are subject to change. How to Stay Organized While Traveling More from SmarterTravel: The Ultimate Packing List 16 Packing […]
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Read MoreWritten by Caroline Morse @ SmarterTravel
This handy kit has everything you need to endure a long-haul flight in comfort. Flight 001 Aero Pak Review Price and Where to Buy the Flight 001 Aero Pak: You can buy the Aero Pak on Flight 001’s website. How the Flight 001 Aero Pak Rates: Usefulness: 10/10. The Aero Pak is like an even […]
The post Flight 001 Aero Pak Review: The Ultimate In-Flight Comfort Kit appeared first on SmarterTravel.
Read MoreWritten by Christine Sarkis @ SmarterTravel
U-shaped travel pillows have been the industry standard for decades, but that doesn’t mean they work for everyone. Inspired by sleepless flights, companies around the world are coming up with new and inventive ways to facilitate comfortable sleep in uncomfortable travel situations. Check out our test run of three pillows that are taking a unique […]
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