Author - The Durango Herald

Hotels listen to guest requests – but only up to a point

When Jim Reid checks into a Westin hotel, he inevitably catches a whiff of a “woody cedar and vanilla” scent called White Tea. It’s a pleasant smell to most guests, but not to him. ...

DATE: Sep 10, 2016 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

Answers to your summer travel questions

High prices. Long airport lines. Terrorism. Zika. You’ve got enough to worry about, between making sure your hotel reservations match your arrival dates and ensuring th...

DATE: Aug 27, 2016 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

When airline computers fail, everyone loses

Catastrophic computer outages that paralyze an entire airline are few and far between. Except this summer. Last month, Southwest Airlines canceled 2,300 flights after a router in ...

DATE: Aug 20, 2016 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

Frequent-flier programs could face tighter rules – if you speak up

The federal government is on the verge of regulating airline frequent-flier programs. But how far it goes may depend on you. Earlier this summer, the U.S. Department of Transporta...

DATE: Aug 10, 2016 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

Travel sites hiding cheapest rates for hotels

At first, to Christine Compo-Martin, the Expedia.com search results looked like a mistake. As she queried the site for a hotel room in Philadelphia, she found properties without photos. ...

DATE: Aug 6, 2016 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

Saucy airline emails border on the creepy

After booking her first JetBlue flight recently, Kathie Baker was stunned by the confirmation email. “First dates can be a little awkward,” it declared. “But that seems impossible...

DATE: Jul 30, 2016 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

How to avoid the worst seat on the plane

Oh, the things passengers do to avoid the worst seats on the plane. They beg. They negotiate. They even lie. If you’re flying somewhere this summer and aren’t willing t...

DATE: Jul 16, 2016 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

Small tricks to bypass long lines, crowds this summer

Mad about long lines? Take a number. More than 1 in 5 Americans will cancel their summer travel plans or find other means of transportation because of long airport lines, accordin...

DATE: Jul 9, 2016 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

Orlando copes with aftermath of 3 tragedies

Eva Dickerson’s recent Orlando visit ended on a less-than-magical note. Her family vacation coincided with the shocking murder there of singer Christina Grimmie. Over the next few...

DATE: Jul 2, 2016 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

Those hidden resort fees may disappear

An alarming rise in mandatory resort fees is pushing the Federal Trade Commission to consider a change to its 4-year-old policy on the controversial surcharges. In 2012, the feder...

DATE: Jun 25, 2016 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

How to travel with kids: 300 days on the road

This dad spent 300 days on the road with his

DATE: Jun 17, 2016 | CATEGORY: Travel

Americans going overseas choose subdued clothes to blend in

Sue Groenewegen is dressing conservatively. Dan Church plans to blend in. And Robin Smith is wearing “less bling.” It was bound to happen, with all the recent incidents of terrori...

DATE: Jun 17, 2016 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter