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☆ Standby Cruising: A New Option for Bargain Seekers
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( Elaine Glusac | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In February, Barb McGowan took a seven-day cruise on Holland America Line, visiting the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, and the Dominican Republic for just $343, or $49 a day, excluding taxes, port fees and extras. By comparison, Holland America currently lists a seven-day Caribbean itinerary in October from about $700. “I look for deals, and this was an especially good experience,” Ms. McGowan said, praising the food and entertainment. “I was impressed enough to put down a deposit on a future cruise.”A way to keep ships fullHolland America introduced its standby program last August to maximize ship occupancy, knowing that cancellations are inevitable. So far, the rest of the cruise industry has not followed its lead.

Persons: Barb McGowan, McGown, ” Ms, McGowan Organizations: Holland America Line, Holland America Locations: Holland, Bahamas, Turks, Caicos, Dominican Republic, Naples, Fla

☆ Credit Card Swipe Fees Are Going Down. Are Points Going With Them?
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Elaine Glusac | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On Tuesday, the largest credit card companies in the United States reached an agreement with merchants to reduce the so-called swipe fees retailers pay for accepting credit card payments, potentially saving the retailers $30 billion. These fees also help fund the credit card rewards programs that many travelers redeem for things like free flights and hotel stays, leading points hawks to wonder: Are loyalty programs at risk? Last year, credit card payments generated an estimated $72 billion in fees paid by merchants, which are generally passed along to customers in the form of higher prices. For nearly 20 years, merchants have been seeking reductions in the fees they pay Visa and Mastercard for handling transactions where the cards are used. It would also allow merchants to potentially charge consumers more based on the card they pay with.

Organizations: Visa, Mastercard, Chase Sapphire Reserve Locations: United States

☆ Vacation Rentals: How to Shrink Your Carbon Footprint
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Elaine Glusac | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Travelers choosing to stay in a vacation home instead of a hotel may have to spend more time searching for sustainable lodgings, but ultimately they will have more control over their environmental impact. The following are steps short-term renters can take to shrink their carbon footprint. Search for sustainable rentalsThe nonprofit Sustonica validates short-term rentals based on sustainability standards, including conserving water and minimizing waste. Instead, travelers will find its logo on certified listings on platforms like Airbnb and Booking.com. Booking.com, which lists vacation homes as well as hotels, allows travelers to search for listings with sustainability certifications from more than 65 organizations doing third-party reviews of practices ranging from renewable energy sourcing to recycling.

Organizations: Homes

☆ To Protect Your Miles, Be Careful How You Book
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Elaine Glusac | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Earlier this month, American Airlines announced that beginning May 1, it will require travelers to book directly with the airline, partner airlines or “preferred travel agencies” in order to receive points in its loyalty program. The unprecedented move confused many travelers eager to protect their mileage currency, prompting posts like this one on X: “@AmericanAir your news about earning miles/loyalty points is a bit concerning — we’re loyal to you no matter who we book through!”In an email, a representative of the airline said that the approved list of travel agencies would not be published until April. While there is much to be determined about the new policy, a battle for customers between the airline and third-party ticket sellers, which includes online travel agencies like Orbitz, has emerged. Here’s what travelers should know before booking their next flight.

Persons: we’re Organizations: American Airlines

☆ In Alaska, the Rare Thrill of ‘Wild’ Ice Skating
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Elaine Glusac | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

I’d been waiting for months when I finally got the call from Alaska last March: Wild ice was on. A roughly two-week high-pressure window of cold and clear weather had frozen Portage Lake, the terminus of Portage Glacier, some 50 miles southeast of Anchorage, and it was solid enough to skate on its wild — or natural — ice. “Skating A-grade ice under a glacier really is a ‘take off work now and just go to it’ type of treat, even for us Alaskans,” said Paxson Woelber, who owns the Anchorage-based skate manufacturer Ermine Skate. A few months earlier, I had purchased a pair of Ermine Nordic skates, long blades similar to speed skates that affix to the bindings of cross-country ski boots. The longer, faster blades require less effort to propel, and their stability makes them more tolerant of natural conditions like bumpy or weedy ice.

Persons: I’d, ”, Paxson Woelber, Woelber, “ Locations: Alaska, Portage, Anchorage

☆ ‘Destination Dupes’ and Other Ways to Save Money in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Elaine Glusac | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

While others focus on New Year’s resolutions, my family and I come up with a dream list of where we want to go. In 2024, more than half of American travelers plan to go where the cost of living is less expensive than their hometown, according to the online travel agency Booking.com. Sixty percent said they would look for “copycat vacations” or cheaper alternatives to expensive places. Frugal strategies — like traveling in off- or shoulder seasons, going where the dollar is strong and sampling unsung destinations — help make the most of your budget. The following destinations offer fresh and affordable incentives to visit in 2024.

Persons: ”, Brett Keller Organizations: Booking.com Locations: Thailand, Cook, South Korea

☆ On a Budget, a Travel Reporter Learns Invaluable Lessons
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Elaine Glusac | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Times Insider explains who we are and what we do and delivers behind-the-scenes insights into how our journalism comes together. “Do you need someone to carry your bags?”That’s the party joke people often ask me when they hear I’m a travel journalist. I laughingly say a porter isn’t required as, “I’m mostly the carry-on kind.” But really, I’m thinking, my job only looks like a vacation. My job as the Frugal Traveler columnist for The New York Times is to help readers make the most of their time off without spending a fortune. Travel continues to teach me things every day, and I want readers to experience travel too — without breaking the bank.

Persons: “ I’m Organizations: The New York Times, Nova Scotia — Locations: Detroit, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia

☆ Will the Boom in Luxury and Wellness Travel Fizzle?
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Elaine Glusac | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

After the travel frenzy of 2023, all signs point to increasing interest in far-flung destinations, villa rentals, private jet bookings and personal pilgrimages in 2024. “The lust for luxury is real,” said Jack Ezon, the founder of the high-end travel agency Embark Beyond. “Travel provides the glue that pulls the family close together and unites it around a shared passion,” said Tom Marchant, a co-founder of Black Tomato, which plans pricey bespoke trips. This year, travelers are expected to choose faraway places and board small ships, according to Virtuoso, the consortium of luxury travel agencies. Black Tomato is planning private group treks to untrammeled destinations like the Mitre Peninsula in Argentina’s Patagonia region, priced at more than $60,000 per person.

Persons: ”, Jack Ezon, Tom Marchant Organizations: Consumers, “ Locations: Kimberley, Western Australia, Mitre, Patagonia

☆ Is This the Year I Should Use My Points to Travel?
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Elaine Glusac | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The fees are partially used by the companies to run loyalty programs that award points to cardholders that can be redeemed for things like flights and hotels. The act proposes allowing retailers to choose a cheaper system that would reduce the fees. “This has been one of the biggest lobbying battles of all time, pitting two huge industries, retail versus banking,” said Brian Kelly, the founder of the Points Guy, a travel site that helps users maximize reward points and opposes the act. Does the legislation threaten your points? Not immediately, said Leigh Rowan of Savanti Travel, a personal travel management service.

Persons: ”, Brian Kelly, Guy, Leigh Rowan, “ There’s Organizations: Visa, Mastercard, Walmart, Target, Savanti

☆ Will Hotels Finally Beat Rentals in the Lodging Tug of War?
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Elaine Glusac | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In cities from New York to Vienna, new short-term-rental restrictions — designed to improve housing availability for residents — are poised to boost the bottom lines at hotels. However, travelers working remotely continue to favor rentals, which remain strong in rural areas where there are more rentals than hotels. “Hotel supply is primarily in larger urban centers or along interstates,” he added. Though rentals are expected to account for just over 15 percent of lodging demand in 2024, compared to about 12 percent before the pandemic, they have profoundly challenged hotels. In response, hotels have adopted more residential features.

Persons: Airbnb, We’ve, ”, Jamie Lane Organizations: — Locations: New York, Vienna

☆ Black Friday Travel Sales Are Here and Deals Abound
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Elaine Glusac | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As inflation continues to sting, more travelers are expected to hunt for bargains this year, and the industry is responding by offering deals across the travel landscape, from hotels to cruises and tours. “Despite inflation and higher prices, we continue to see a strong preference for experiences with travel,” said Brett Keller, the chief executive of the online travel agency Priceline, which will hold one of its biggest sales this month, including 30 percent off select hotel stays and up to 50 percent off rental cars. Given strong demand, travel companies can usually hold fast on prices, but by offering seasonal sales, they can hedge against changes in the future. “There is a benefit to hoteliers in securing bookings with more lead time so they can more accurately understand demand,” said Christine Guadenzi, the director of sales and marketing for the Family Coppola Hideaways, a collection of small hotels that includes the coastal Turtle Inn in Belize, which will offer 20 percent off room rates booked Nov. 24 to Dec. 15 (discounted rates start at $335 a night, compared to the usual $419 price tag).

Persons: ”, Brett Keller, Christine Guadenzi, Coppola Hideaways Organizations: Priceline Locations: Belize

☆ Rental Cars: Know the Pitfalls
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Elaine Glusac | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Maximize your membershipsUse memberships at the retailer Costco or the organizations AAA or AARP to get a discount at specific companies. If you’re strictly joining Costco to rent cars, it may take a few rentals a year to recoup the $60 membership fee. Consider alternative companiesTuro and Getaround act like Airbnbs for rental cars: Owners offer their vehicles to rent through company websites or apps. Available in more than a dozen cities in the United States, the app- and internet-based rental company Kyte, which has no brick-and-mortar locations, will drop off and pick up its cars, which are competitively priced, wherever you specify, at no extra charge. The contactless and app-based UFO Drive rents E.V.s in more than 20 cities in the United States and Europe.

Persons: Hertz, Kyte Organizations: Costco, AAA, AARP, Avis Locations: United States, Britain, Canada, France, Australia, Europe

☆ Foreign Exchange: Get the Best Rate
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Elaine Glusac | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Using foreign money wisely requires understanding the going exchange rate with the U. S. dollar and practicing the following strategies to avoid excessive fees. Take a card that doesn’t charge transaction feesThe primary rule of managing purchases abroad is ensuring you are not using a credit card that charges foreign transaction fees. You don’t need an expensive card with a $500-or-more annual fee to have foreign transaction charges waived. Capital One offers cards with no annual fees or foreign transaction charges. The personal finance website NerdWallet maintains a list of credit cards that don’t charge a fee for foreign transactions.

Persons: ”, Nick Ewen, Guy, NerdWallet Organizations: Capital One

☆ A Long Walk on a Small(ish) Island
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Elaine Glusac | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

From Room 7, relieved to recover in warmth, I had a view of the property’s 30-foot red cliffs. Dozens of lobster buoys bobbed in the water, and a meadowlark sang out on the broad lawn. As at Points East, once I sat down, I had no desire to leave and was grateful for an inn with meals. Embracing solitudeFour days into the walk, I found my rhythm. If you like solitude, do the Island Walk.

Persons: ”, Stephens, Johnson Shore innkeepers, “ Anne of, “ Maples Organizations: Points, “ Anne of Green Gables Locations: Elmira

☆ How to Go Camping: A Beginner’s Guide
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Elaine Glusac | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

For first-time campers, spending the night outside presents a planning wilderness, including figuring out what to bring. Choose your camp styleCamping comes in many varieties, from car camping, meaning you drive to a campsite and pitch a tent, to overnight backpacking, in which you carry everything on foot. Starter-friendly, car camping allows travelers to bring things like coolers and camp chairs, and most campgrounds maintain toilets. Rental camper vans often come equipped with gear, including bedding, cookware and a camp stove. Companies such as Escape Campervans, Wandervans and Native Campervans rent modified vans that campers sleep in.

☆ Savoring and Saving: Cooking on Vacation
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Elaine Glusac | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Matt Tracy, 45, a shoe distributor based in Portland, Maine, loves to cook. “We save a tremendous amount of money cooking,” he said. “We love going out to dinner, but with two kids and other guests it’s expensive.”Whether catering to allergies or other dietary needs, ensuring family harmony or sticking to a budget, cooking on vacation is increasingly popular among travelers choosing short-term rental accommodations. According to a 2023 travel trend report from the vacation rental platform Vrbo, demand for “foodie-menities” is on the rise. Sixty-five percent of users surveyed said equipment like a barbecue, air fryer and deluxe coffee machine were more important than the destination.

Persons: Matt Tracy, , ”, “, fryer Organizations: “ Locations: Portland , Maine, Tuscany

☆ Travel Insurance: What It Covers and When to Buy It
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Elaine Glusac | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In the wake of Covid, travel insurance sales have spiked with the rebound in travel as people seek to protect their investments against flight delays and cancellations, extreme weather events and the persistence of the virus. But travel insurance is complicated with a range of benefits, inclusions and prices. Know what’s coveredGenerally speaking, travel insurance covers unforeseen events, like an illness in the family, the loss of a job or a natural disaster, that force you to cancel or interrupt a trip. Most polices also include medical coverage, which is useful abroad where your health insurance may not cover you. Insure nonrefundable expensesTravel insurance was designed to protect expenses you can’t get back any other way when things go wrong.

☆ Aspen for Cheapskates
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Elaine Glusac | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Over an $8.50 pint of craft beer from Aspen Brewing Company, which is comparable to what I pay at home in Chicago, I realized that Aspen, Colo., is not expensive by big-city standards. The Economic Research Institute, which compiles financial data for public and private organizations, pegs the cost of living in Aspen at 51 percent higher than the average in the United States, a little less than a city like Seattle. As a professionally penny-pinching traveler, I try to avoid paying urban prices in the mountains. In the summer in Aspen, apart from my weakness for microbrews, I didn’t have to. Cycling, if you can avoid expensive rentals, is a bargain.

Persons: Parks Organizations: Aspen Brewing Company, Aspen, Economic Research Institute, Prada, Parks beckon Locations: Chicago, Colo, Aspen, United States, Seattle

☆ If You’re Looking for a Real Taste of Alaska, Try a Food Truck
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Elaine Glusac | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Last summer, on an overcast July day, the coastal town of Sitka, once the capital of Russian Alaska and long a popular stop on Inside Passage cruises in Southeast Alaska, was thronged with passengers disembarking from three cruise ships. To accommodate the crowds, the city had closed the main street to cars. In their place, food trucks, carts and stands had popped up, creating a festival atmosphere where ambulatory diners spooned seafood chowder and gobbled tacos. “In summer, street food seems like the way to go in a place like this,” said Gretchen Stelzenmuller, who cooked professionally in San Francisco before moving back home to Sitka during the pandemic and opening her mobile food business, Enoki Eatery, which serves Japanese-inspired comfort food. “It’s healthy and uniquely celebrates Alaska ingredients, but you can also roll in and grab a bite and still do your tour.”In the wake of the pandemic, as cruising returns to full strength in Alaska, food trucks and other vendors have proliferated in ports from Ketchikan to Seward.

Persons: ”, Gretchen Stelzenmuller Organizations: ” Locations: Sitka, Russian Alaska, Southeast Alaska, “, San Francisco, Alaska, Ketchikan, Seward

☆ ‘For the Love of the Water’: Tours for the Swimming-Obsessed
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( Elaine Glusac | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

During the pandemic, when Miriam Leitko couldn’t swim because pools were closed, the lifelong swimmer built a lap pool at her home in Willis, Texas. As soon as travel restrictions were lifted in 2021, she signed up for a weeklong trip to Hawaii with SwimVacation, a Maine-based tour operator that specializes in open-water swimming. “Open-water swimming becomes energizing,” said Ms. Leitko, 64, who has taken 12 trips with the company. The tours, she said, allow her to leave her stress “literally in the ocean.”Summer vacations are often built around the pleasures of cannonballing into a lake or splashing in the ocean. In contrast, these tours build trips around organized swims that might involve diving among sea lions in the Galápagos, swimming island to island in the Adriatic or gliding over coral reefs in the Caribbean.

Persons: Miriam Leitko couldn’t, ”, Leitko, Hopper McDonough Locations: Willis , Texas, Hawaii, SwimVacation, Maine, Caribbean, Turkey

☆ Looking for the Cheapest Room Rate? HotelSlash Wants to Help.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Elaine Glusac | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Websites like HotelTonight have long tried to solve the dilemma of when to book hotel rooms to get the best rates. Now a new site, HotelSlash, joins the quest, promising discounted hotel rates to members and a tracking service that monitors reservations for price dips. “We’re travel hackers at heart,” said Jonathan Weinberg, the chief executive and a co-founder of HotelSlash. Booking roomsUsers can book hotel rooms through HotelSlash by choosing their destination (either a specific hotel or a city), dates of travel and number of travelers. Unlike other booking sites, HotelSlash sends an email with a link to the results, adding a step to the process.

Persons: Hopper, ”, Jonathan Weinberg, Weinberg, HotelSlash Organizations: Bellagio Locations: Las Vegas

☆ Strikes, Delays and Lost Luggage: How to Survive Air Travel This Summer
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-25 | by ( Elaine Glusac | The New York Times | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +27 min

Illustration by Yukai Du Strikes, Delays and Lost Luggage: How to Survive Air Travel This Summer With the travel season in full swing, we compiled a guide to help you navigate the year’s most hectic time in the skies. If you don’t care which beach, shop around.” If you haven’t booked summer flights, do it now. For one, avoiding the airports with the highest levels of delays and cancellations last summer may be a good idea. They’re also getting longer inside airport lounges, longtime havens from the masses clogging the terminals at peak times. Standard membership in Priority Pass, a network of 1,300 airport lounges, starts at $99 a year, with each visit costing $35 at that level.

Persons: Yukai Du, we’ve, haven’t, Hopper, What’s, ”, Laura Lindsay, Ted Rossman, Priceline, Mr, Rossman, Charlotte Douglas, Toronto Pearson, it’s, “, Carter Langston, Rhonda Lawson, C.B.P, you’ve, you’re, You’ll, Lawson, Emmanuel Macron, Tomasz Pawliszyn, Jamie Larounis, Larounis, they’re, SITA —, They’re, Eric Goldmann of Atlanta Organizations: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Google, Miami, JetBlue, Heathrow Airport, Amsterdam Schiphol, Gatwick, Air Canada, Labor, Newark Liberty International, La Guardia Airport, Kennedy Airport, Reagan, Miami International, Orlando International, Boston Logan International, Charlotte Douglas International, Toronto Pearson, Federal Aviation Administration, Washington , D.C, Customs, Western, Gulf, Phoenix, Transportation Security Administration, Global, Border Protection, Clear, PreCheck, Heathrow, Air, SNCF, U.S . State Department, Smart, Union, Travelers, New Tech, Airlines, Lufthansa, Siemens, Alaska Airlines, KLM, U.S . Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Apple, The Department of Transportation, American, Venture, Dallas Fort Worth International, JPMorgan Chase, Club, Chase Sapphire Reserve, Americas Locations: Europe, United States, Asia, San Francisco, Jacksonville, Fla, Miami, London, Amsterdam, U.S, La, New York, Washington, Charlotte, N.C, Newark, Orlando, Toronto, Sydney, Jakarta, Frankfurt, Munich, Heathrow, Washington ,, States, Denver, Seattle, Reno, Nev, Gulf Coast, Atlantic, Houston , New Orleans, Atlanta, Luton, T.S.A, ’, noncitizens, France, Britain, Italy, Germany, Berlin, Dutch, Swiss, Delta, United, Hong Kong, Dallas, Boston, North, Central, South America, Dallas , Newark

☆ A Traveler’s Guide to Tipping in a Changed World
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Elaine Glusac | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Not long into the pandemic, Americans were eager to tip their front-line-working baristas and servers. “This is the hottest topic in etiquette right now,” said Daniel Post Senning, the co-author of “Emily Post Etiquette, The Centennial Edition” and the great-great grandson of the etiquette icon Emily Post. He cites the pressure of inflation, the disruption of the pandemic and the rush back to travel for the unease. “There’s growing anxiety and public discussion around tipping.”Offering guidance on when and how much to tip when you travel, etiquette experts, academics and travelers weighed in with the following advice. Make 15 to 20 percent your restaurant baselineTipping standards at restaurants vary widely around the world.

☆ Looking for the Best Deal on Airfares? Consider a Price Freeze.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Elaine Glusac | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

I had the option to Book on Google to get the Price Guarantee at the same price as booking on Spirit. Google Flights then monitors the price fluctuations of that ticket between purchase and takeoff and sends a status update at the halfway date. If a fare has dropped at any point after purchase, Google will refund the difference if it is more than $5. Since fliers must take the trip to qualify for a refund, Google Flights deposits any refund to a Google pay account. Those who use Price Guarantee must have a Google Pay account, and the company provides instructions for setting one up.

☆ On a Fall Road Trip in Alaska, Prepare for the Unexpected
▼ + stars: | 2021-10-15 | by ( Elaine Glusac | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The tap beer ran low and boat tours were hit or miss. But lines were rare, as were the bottlenecks on roads threading mountainsides where yellow poplars and aspens, ablaze in the cool fall temperatures, radiated amid the evergreens. This is fall in Alaska, perhaps the most fleeting of seasons, when the weather can swing wildly day to day, from sunny, cloudless glory to six inches of wet snow. “Alaskans have a love-hate relationship with fall because it is so fast,” said Melissa Frey, the chief meteorologist with Alaska’s News Source. “We see such a dramatic change from summer to winter, but it feels like it happens overnight.”

Persons: ”, Melissa Frey Organizations: Alaska’s Locations: Alaska

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