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 chris@elliott.org or (202) 370-7934.
Why have people stopped tipping? Short answer: They’re tired of shelling out gratuities to everyone they meet – hotel concierges, luggage porters, tour guides and, of course, restaurant servers.
Enough is enough. They do not tip anymore.
Read more “Why have people stopped tipping?”
If you think there might be a hidden camera in your Airbnb, you’re not paranoid. Stories about privacy breaches in vacation rentals — and elsewhere in the travel industry — are common these days.
In fact, one of the hottest new gadgets is a hidden camera finder called Scout. It uses infrared light to find concealed lenses in your rental.
What’s this world coming to?
Read more “Is there a hidden camera in my Airbnb?”
Most rental cars are keepers. But there are times when you’ll want to return your rental car early.
Consider what happened to Catherine Gregory when she picked up a vehicle in Vancouver, British Columbia.
“The moment I sat down, the smell of smoke overwhelmed me,” she says. “It was clear someone had smoked in the car, or a heavy smoker had most recently driven it.”
Read more “This is when you should return your rental car early”
Do you waste your vacation time? Between driving, flying and checking in, people throw away an average of one day of their vacation time per week. At least that’s the conclusion of a new survey.
Shocked? Don’t be.
According to the study, conducted by Sykes Holiday Cottages in the U.K., adults spend 17 hours over a seven-day vacation on nothing in particular. Specifically, they’re traveling between their accommodation and sights, choosing what to do and researching places to eat. And they spend about 15 minutes worrying about work.
Read more “How to not waste your vacation time”
If you want luxury in the air, you should try booking a first-class flight. If you can afford it, that is.
Airlines have added ridiculous new amenities, especially for international flights. They’re chauffeuring passengers to the gate in limousines and offering cabins with beds, private showers and butler service.
But these airline perks aren’t for you. They’re only available to the elite flyers or the superrich. The rest of us must endure shrinking seats with zero service. Does anyone else think there’s something wrong with this picture?
Read more “Luxury in the air: The outrageous gap between “haves” and “have-nots” is widening”
