Author ∣ Advocate ∣ Journalist
On Travel is a weekly column about being a smarter traveler. It covers practical travel advice for the readers of USA Today and the USA Today Network. If you’re interested in publishing this feature, please contact Elliott directly at [email protected] or (202) 370-7934.
On a recent flight from Los Angeles to Honolulu, Dave Terry almost tripped over a 70-pound Labrador Retriever every time he stepped into the aisle to use the bathroom. After six hours of sitting next to the otherwise well-behaved canine passenger, he wondered why on earth people fly with dogs.
It turns out that question – should I fly with my pet? – sharply divides pet owners and other passengers.
Read more “Should you fly with your pet? No, and here’s why”
Automatic tipping is everywhere, and it’s time to do something about it.
I saw it at a pizza restaurant in Provo, Utah, recently. When I paid for my order, the electronic payment system asked if I wanted to tip 10% (cheapskate!), 15% (better!) or the correct amount, 20%. No, the touchpad didn’t actually comment on the choices, but the incorrect selection was clear: the “no tip” box that wasn’t highlighted.
It was a takeout order, for goodness sake.
Read more “Should you say “yes” to automatic tipping?”
They swerve into your lane. They speed. And they honk. You know the things bad drivers do.
But are you one of them?
OK, I’ve never met anyone who says they’re a bad driver. Maybe they admit it half-jokingly after they run a red light. But they don’t mean it.
Read more “You won’t believe the things bad drivers do”
Stop reclining your airplane seat.
You. Yes, you.
Two domestic airlines already limit your ability to lean back in economy class. Even if the airline doesn’t make the decision for you, it’s the polite thing to do. And, most important, it’s the right thing to do.
“Seat reclining is one of the most irritating, inconvenient, self-indulgent habits,” says Simon Sapper, an organizational consultant and frequent traveler based in London. “Period.”
Read more “This is the final word on reclining your airplane seat”
What are the worst travel annoyances? And is there any way to fix the them, besides staying home?
For Brett Manders, the answer to “what drives you crazy?” is simple. “The carousel cozy-uppers,” he says. You know, the folks who crowd around the baggage carousel after a flight lands.
“I’m 100% certain that your bags will not come out any quicker the closer you are to the baggage carousel,” says Manders, an international airline pilot who wrote the book “Behind the Flight Deck Door.”
Read more “These are the worst travel annoyances. Here’s how to fix them”
