Budget Travel's Blog

The latest travel news, vacation tips & advice, travel apps, and more

Archive: May 2012
may 31

United Is the Most Complained-About Airline in America

United Airlines racked up the most passenger complaints of any U.S. carrier -- and ranked among the bottom in on-time performance -- in March. What gives?
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47 by Sean O'Neill Airlines, Emergencies, Questions and Opinions
may 30

13 Vacation Rentals Sites Tailored To Your Tastes

House rentals are really taking off among American travelers, and there's a rental-listings site devoted to almost every desire. Where can you imagine yourself staying?
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9 by Valerie Rains Helpful Websites, Technology, Trip Ideas, Vacation Rentals
may 30

Is The Caribbean Cleaner In 2012?

Last May, the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization began implementing new garbage-disposal provisions for ships in the Caribbean. A year later, are beaches and open water more inviting?
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0 by Budget Travel Beaches, Nature Appreciation, Wildlife Appreciation, Caribbean, Eco-Green
may 30

Senator Steps In So You Can Sit With Your Kids On The Plane

A New York Senator leads the fight to help families sit together on flights without incurring extra fees.
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29 by Danielle Contray Airfares & Flying, Airlines, Family Travel
may 29

Simplehoney Helps You Book a Hotel Tailored to Your Style

The site only shows you hotel search results that match your tastes, based on your answers to a brief survey.
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0 by Sean O'Neill San Francisco, Hotels, Innovations, Online Travel Agencies
may 25

Lesser Known Ways to Max Out Travel Rewards

Here’s how to get the most, um, mileage out of those rewards, plus some common mistakes to avoid.
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2 by Sean O'Neill Frequent Flier Miles, Hotels, Loyalty Programs
may 25

Alaska Airlines to Passengers: Tag Your Own Bags

Tagging your own bag is yet another duty that used to fall to airport personnel that may eventually become standard practice nationwide.
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6 by Sean O'Neill Airfares & Flying, Airport Check-in, Innovations, Luggage
may 25

Southwest is Going International

After taking over AirTran, Southwest Airlines is adding more flights to the Caribbean and Mexico as well as adding new routes.
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4 by Danielle Contray Airlines
may 24

6 Coolest New Theme Parks for This Summer

Exhibit A: On Friday, Universal Studios Hollywood launches the Transformers ride, with motion-simulator vehicles inspired by the science fiction action film.
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1 by Sean O'Neill Amusement and Theme Parks, Disney, Family Travel
may 23

Earthquake Safety: Because It Never Hurts to Be Prepared

Your chances of being caught in an earthquake are slim, but it never hurts to be prepared. The U.S. Geological Survey offers some easy-to-remember tips for people who live in, or are traveling to, seismically active areas.
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1 by Budget Travel Safety and Security
may 23

A Credit Card You Wear on Your Wrist?

A new high-tech watch will make your overstuffed wallet a thing of the past.
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1 by Budget Travel Technology
may 23

The 2012 Hurricane Season Forecast Has Been Released, And It Looks Good

With memories of 2011's erratic hurricane season still fresh, we were already bracing ourselves for a summer of storms. But a report released today offers hope.
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2 by Danielle Contray
may 22

4 Creative Ideas for Family Reunions

Organizing a family reunion can be a logistical nightmare. But coming up with fun activities that everyone can participate in doesn't have to be stressful. Here are a few of our favorite ideas for making the most of the moment.
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1 by Budget Travel Photography, Family Travel
may 18

Is There a Good Place to Honeymoon—With the Kids?

We need your advice: give us your best tips to help this couple plan their honeymoon--with their 11-month-old daughter in tow.
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4 by Kaeli Conforti Adventure, Australia & South Pacific, New Zealand, Trip Ideas
may 18

Tokyo's Newest Landmark Opens May 22

The 2,100-foot-tall Tokyo SkyTree tower opens next week and gives visitors panoramic views of the Japanese city from incredible heights.
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0 by Danielle Contray Architecture, Art + Culture, Tokyo, Trip Ideas
may 18

Free Gas Cards for Hotel Bookings

Top-name hotels that belong to the Comfort Inns, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Homewood Suites, Hyatt, Quality Inn & Suites, and Radisson chains are offering packages that include free gas cards for guests.
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0 by Sean O'Neill Airfares & Flying
may 17

Two Websites Reveal Where Power Outlets Are at Airports

Two crowdsourcing websites may help you find those ever-elusive power outlets at airports.
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1 by Sean O'Neill Airfares & Flying, Airport Check-in, Technology, Travel Gear
may 16

Flying Through The World's Busiest Airport Just Got A Little Easier

A new terminal may help alleviate conditions at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
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3 by Danielle Contray Art + Culture, Airfares & Flying, Airport Check-in
may 16

Passengers On Virgin Atlantic Will Soon Be Able To Use Cell Phones In-Flight

Passengers traveling between New York and London on the airline's Airbus A330 will soon be able to use their cell phones to talk, text, and surf the web in-flight.
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16 by Rachel Mosely Airfares & Flying, Airlines, Cell Phones and PDAs, Technology
may 16

TSA Misstep Causes Teen to Lose Pricey Medical Equipment

A diabetic teenager blames a lack of education for an incident where a TSA agent told her to go through a full-body scanner while wearing her expensive, life-saving insulin pump.
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16 by Kaeli Conforti Airport Check-in, Health and Hygiene, Safety and Security
may 15

Why Flight+ Is Apple's App of the Week

This week's best-selling travel app in the App Store is Flight+, a new app that Apple has named its App of the Week. What makes it special?
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0 by Sean O'Neill Airfares & Flying, Apps, Innovations
may 11

Why You Don't Want to Have an Accident When Driving a Rental Car in Mexico

An American vacationing in Cozumel ended up spending the night in a jail after he had a car accident. Here's how to avoid that same fate when renting a car in Mexico.
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0 by Sean O'Neill Mexico and Central America, Rental Cars
may 11

Will You be Flying or Driving This Summer?

More Americans want to travel, but the question remains: fly or drive?
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6 by Danielle Contray Road Trips, Airfares & Flying, Local and Public Transportation, Trip Ideas
may 10

New York City Bike-Sharing Program To Debut This Summer

Starting this summer, locals and travelers alike will easily be able to take a two–wheeler for a spin around New York City.
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3 by Danielle Contray Biking, London, Montréal, Boston, New York City
may 09

DealAngel Sorts Hotel Deals for Value, Not Just By Lowest Price

DealAngel sheds some light on the traditionally difficult process of figuring out whether that deal you found is really any good.
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2 by Sean O'Neill Real Deals, Helpful Websites, Hotels
may 08

Max Out AAA and Senior Discounts on Hotels With Room 77

Detour to Room77.com to compare AAA-member rate and senior discounts.
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0 by Sean O'Neill Real Deals, Helpful Websites, Hotels
may 07

Friends vs. Strangers: Who Gives Better Travel Advice?

There are two types of social networks out there—groups of people that you know from real life (Facebook, LinkedIn) and groups of like-minded folks that you've never met before in your life (TripAdvisor, IgoUgo). Do you trust one group more than the other?
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2 by Laura Michonski Technology
may 04

3 New Websites Help Organize Facebook Travel Photos

Here are a few free new tools to help you find and show off your favorite travel shots, plus ways to keep up with your friends' travel photos.
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1 by Sean O'Neill Helpful Websites, Innovations, Photography, Technology, Travel Photography
may 03

Beat $4 Gas With Premium Buses in California, Texas, and Washington State

Expect perks like reserved seating, free Wi-Fi, additional legroom, and plusher seats on major intercity routes.
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0 by Sean O'Neill Local and Public Transportation
may 03

Is It Time to Start Using a Travel Agent Again?

With few exceptions, it is not necessary nowadays to pay a travel agent to book your trip. Should you be paying for help anyway?
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38 by Brad Tuttle Airfares & Flying
may 03

Watching Movies at the Airport Just Got Easier

Redbox faces competition from Digiboo's rent–to–flash–drive airport kiosks.
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1 by Nicholas DeRenzo Airfares & Flying, Airport Check-in, Technology
may 02

MySeatFinder Fetches You a Better Seat Automatically

Set up the free service, and it will book you in the best seat that matches your preferences (window or aisle?).
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2 by Sean O'Neill Airfares & Flying, Airlines, Airport Check-in, Helpful Websites
may 02

How'd You Like to Board a Cruise with a Homicidal Maniac?

As far as ideas go, there have probably been better ones than a cruise with a slasher-movie theme.
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1 by Brad Tuttle Cruises, Canada, New York City
may 02

City Passes in Italy: Worth It or Not?

Is it worth it to buy an Italian City Pass? Here's a look at how the Florence, Venice, and Rome Cards really stack up.
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2 by Kaeli Conforti Italy, Rome, Florence, Venice, Trip Ideas
may 01

New York City Cracks Down on Short-Term Rentals

Hundreds of property owners in New York City have been fined for violating a new law against short-term rentals. But travelers renting space shouldn't fear.
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5 by Sean O'Neill New York City, Hotels