Author - The Durango Herald

Holiday travel isn’t easy. Don’t make it harder

At about this time every year, radio and TV producers ask me to go on the air and dispense travel advice. They’ll ask me how to avoid the agony of holiday travel. And at about th...

DATE: Nov 24, 2018 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

Before renting the car, get the real cost

When Jeremy Epstein rented a Nissan Altima from Hertz in Albuquerque recently, he couldn’t believe the car rental fees. They made the extras charged by the rest of the travel industry look l...

DATE: Nov 19, 2018 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

On flights, babies are a special type of turbulence

If you think flying with a baby is easy, maybe you didn’t hear about Krupa Patel Bala, who recently traveled from Sydney to San Francisco on United Airlines with her husband and 8-month-old ...

DATE: Nov 13, 2018 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

Jump into trips feet ﬁrst: Pack the right socks

I’ve been traveling the western part of the United States for the better part of the past two years. And if I’ve learned just one lesson, it’s this: Pack the right travel socks. I...

DATE: Nov 4, 2018 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

How to handle space invaders on a crowded airplane

A survey by the market research firm CivicScience finds that passengers are deeply divided about personal space on planes. For example, it reported that 78 percent of U.S. adults...

DATE: Oct 28, 2018 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

You’ll never believe what passengers steal from planes

What do passengers steal from planes? Anything that isn’t bolted down. Among the items snatched from commercial flights: coffee mugs, cutlery, blankets and life jackets. ...

DATE: Oct 21, 2018 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

For foreign travelers’ gadgets, it’s adapt or fry

When John Gasink plugged his continuous positive airway pressure device into a power outlet at the Heidelberg Marriott Hotel, he was in for a shock. So were many of the hotel’s guests. ...

DATE: Oct 12, 2018 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

Improve your ‘travel literacy’ to make your next trip better

How do I know our collective travel literacy is lacking? I run a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization that helps travelers every day. This summer, our caseload spiked to leve...

DATE: Oct 6, 2018 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

Beware: Drip pricing is designed to get you to pay more

The quoted rate for an “amazing” three-bedroom condominium in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, looked too good to be true. The unit, which featured flat-screen TVs, beds with “lush, warm comforters,” a...

DATE: Sep 30, 2018 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

Your rental car is damaged. Now what?

When it comes to rental-car damage, you wouldn’t believe what I hear. They’re true stories with unhappy endings, for the most part. Mark DiBello’s experience stands out. As a youn...

DATE: Sep 23, 2018 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

Are consumers tired of gratuitous gratuities?

Tipping is a hot topic again, thanks to a controversial ballot measure raising the minimum wage for restaurant workers in Washington, D.C., and recent social-media campaigns, such as the #ti...

DATE: Sep 16, 2018 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

Don’t panic: A guide to handling pre-trip anxiety

If you feel a little jittery in the moments before you leave for the airport, you might be suffering from pre-trip anxiety. It’s an increasingly common malaise in a world of uncertainty and ...

DATE: Sep 9, 2018 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter