Travel
Seeking boredom on 3,000-mile road trip
Screens take a backseat to experiencing nation’s variety
Travel
The Travel Troubleshooter
New devices may end woes of lost luggage
Collins, a flight attendant based in Chicago, left his iPad on a recent flight. He had tagged it with a $25 device called Tile (www.thetileapp.com) that emits a wireless signal…
Travel
Canada’s Powder Highway: 1 circuit, 8 ski resorts
The circuit links eight mountain resorts and many times more Nordic, heli- and cat-ski operations across 420 miles. “There’s very little out there that can rival the quality and terrain…
The Travel Troubleshooter
Three words you don’t have to settle for
Craig Zimmett’s daughter, Alissa, was supposed to fly from Miami to Gainesville, Florida, but she didn’t. Instead, her commuter flight took an unexpected detour to Jacksonville, Florida, after pilots were…
Travel
In Asheville, chocolate bar seduces thousands
They were waiting for chocolate. French Broad Chocolate Lounge serves the sweet stuff in all its forms: bars, cakes, truffles, cookies, ice cream, mousse, brownies, and – perhaps best of…
Travel
Expedia buying rival Orbitz
Expedia announced Thursday that it is buying rival online travel site Orbitz for approximately $1.33 billion. The deal comes less than a month after Expedia announced the $280 million acquisition…
The Travel Troubleshooter
No easy fix to rental-car breakdowns
Unless you’re John Themelis. When he rented a VW Passat from Hertz in San Francisco recently, his car blew a tire in a remote part of Northern California. “I called…
Travel
Airplane seat spies break the legroom code
Independent airline reviewers uncover the facts about legroom and cabin measurements on airlines throughout the world.Associated Press file photo Petersen belongs to a small army of independent airline reviewers who…
The Travel Troubleshooter
Cheap seats get makeover: Is it good news?
At least two airlines are unveiling new coach class sections this spring. Alaska Airlines, with its Alaska Beyond service, will add custom leather seats, roomier overhead bins and new in-flight…
Travel
Will a selfie stick improve your next trip?
There’s no need to ask a stranger to take your portrait
The Travel Troubleshooter
Travel in 2015: What to expect on the road
Not this consumer advocate. No one really knows what will happen next year, even someone who’s been trend-watching as long as I have. All we can do is guess. And…
The Travel Troubleshooter
Why do hotels place ‘holds’ on customers’ credit cards?
It happened to Judith Searcy when she stayed at the Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront in Oregon last summer. If you check your credit card statement, you may find that it…
Travel
Destinations for 2015: Milan, Cuba and, yes, Queens
Several major anniversaries will be marked by a variety of events, including 70 years since the end of World War II, the 60th anniversary of the opening of Disneyland, the…
Regional News
Baggage delays for United Express at DIA
Airline says ‘we are not meeting our customer’s expectations’
Local News
Red Mountain Pass reopens
A Colorado Department of Transportation snowblower worked Monday along U.S. Highway 550 Monday near Silverton in near whiteout conditions.Courtesy of Dan Bender, La Plata County Sheriff’s Office The highway was…
Travel
The calm of the wild
Amid Patagonia’s storms, a prized view is elusive, but something better is found
The Travel Troubleshooter
How was man billed $3,374 for 1-day car rental?
The reason? A tire on Bonney’s car went flat only a few hours before his flight back home to Alaska, while he was parked at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, in the…
Travel
Eager to hop a plane to Havana? Hold on
A trio of people on a motorcycle and sidecar drive past the “Semester at Sea” cruise ship docked in Havana’s harbor. Renewed ties between the Cuba and U.S. could be…
Travel
The subtle influence of others on your flight
If someone in the seat next to you on a flight buys something, researchers say you are 30 percent more likely to purchase something yourself.Associated Press file photo Then someone…
Travel
Travel books: Take a trip in your armchair
111 Shops in New York That You Must Not Miss: Unique Finds and Local Treasures, by Susan Lusk and Mark Gabor (Emons Publishers, $20), is a fun guide to retailers…