TSA Makes About-Face On Child Patdowns

The Transportation Security Agency has revised its rules on patting down children, two months after it sparked international outrage by frisking a 6-year-old girl and defending the actions of its security personnel

Hotels Don't Always Change the Sheets Between Guests

Glenn Robins is grossed out. As a frequent traveler, he assumed the sheets on hotel beds are changed between guests. But a new TV ad by the Hampton Inn chain calls that assumption into question. It shows housekeepers changing sheets in hazmat suits, at what appears to be a competing hotel chain

The Top 'Quality' Airline

AirTran edged Hawaiian out of the top spot in this year's annual 'Airline Quality Rating' (AQR) scores. And the combined quality score for the country's 16 largest airlines again crept up a bit over the previous year. Nevertheless -- although AQR doesn't indicate it -- airline travel remains a miserable experience most of the time. Here's why

Clear Airfares Act Left Sitting on the Tarmac

The Clear Airfares Act is a Senate bill that would require airlines and online travel agencies to disclose any additional fees before you buy a ticket. And the End Discriminatory State Taxes for Automobile Renters Act would prohibit states or localities from collecting a discriminatory tax on motor vehicle rentals. Just one problem: Neither of these bills have been passed.

When Travelers Experience Discrimination

As self-described 'adventurous grandparents,' Trevor and Jean Broome had been looking forward to their upcoming trip to Costa Rica, which included diving, hiking, snorkeling and whitewater rafting. Until they got some bad news from their tour operator: They were too old for the tour they had selected.

My Hotel Lost a Star -- What Now?

When Stephanie Farrow books a nonrefundable hotel room through Priceline, she's promised a four-star property. She ends up with a three-star and when she complains, she's given the runaround. Is her lost star a lost cause?

Fast Trains Are Cool ... and Very Expensive

Of all the ways Florida could blow through $1.25 billion in federal recovery funds, a bullet train is certainly the flashiest. Connecting Tampa, Orlando and Miami by high-speed rail is a scheme that's been chugging around for decades, and the prospects for profitability are the same today as they always were: nil.

Canceled Flight ... So Where's My Refund

I recently booked a flight through Expedia from Orlando to Hyderabad, India. The flights were on Continental Airlines and Jet Airways. After I made the reservation and received a confirmation, I got an e-mail from Expedia that one leg of my flight had been canceled. I have been trying to get a refund for that canceled flight since then

The Unofficial Guide to Traveling

There's good news for travelers. Several new laws and policies are scheduled to take effect that might upgrade the quality of your trip. Among them are Secure Flight, with its lofty promise to "improve the travel experience for all passengers," a new credit card bill and stricter disability rules for airlines.

Best Travel Companies to Work For

If you'd like travel to be part of your work, consider trying to snag a job at Southwest Airlines or Virgin America. Those companies rank at the top of a new list of best travel-related employers compiled by career website Glassdoor. The ranking is based on evaluations by employees who work at those companies. Here's Glassdoor's full list of top travel companies to work for

Mandatory Housekeeping Fees May Be Just Around the Corner

To get an idea of what the hotel bill of the future might look like, take a look at your present bill at the Atlantis in the Bahamas. Guests at the resort are 'required to pay a mandatory housekeeping gratuity and utility service fee of up to $22.95 per person per day,' according to the terms on its website

Disney Turns to Guests to Promote Theme Parks

In one video, a little boy dances during a parade at Disney's Magic Kingdom. In another, a young girl dressed as a princess embraces her father. And in a third, two women explore Cinderella's Castle. All are part of Disney's new campaign called Let the Memories Begin -- a promotion that relies on what the company refers to as 'guest-generated' content

Good Airline Fees? Some Are Worth the Money

This isn't another story about airlines and their misguided fees. It's about the surcharges that are worth paying -- and why you should consider saying, 'yes' to them. That's right, I said 'worth it.' While many fees are outrageous, some aren't entirely out of line.

Improved DOT 'Air Consumer' Website

The U.S. Department of Transportation's recently updated 'Aviation Consumer Protection and Enforcement' Website provides easy access to information available on your 'rights' as an air passenger. And although the content is generally the same as before, it's more accessible. Of the six main options in the opening menu, three are of greatest use to most travelers.

Hotel Fees That Must Die and How to Kill Them

Resort fees. Mandatory tips. Concierge surcharges. If you've stayed at a hotel in the last few years, you've become accustomed -- if not anesthetized -- to these annoying extras. You expect them. You're indifferent to them when they appear on your bill. You shouldn't be.

Should the TSA Trust in Full-Body Scanners

The Heritage Foundation's James Jay Carafano recently argued that scanners will help stop terrorists, while FlyersRights.org's Kate Hanni wrote that they won't work. A sampling of your thoughts

Post-Holiday Travel Bargains Abound But Are They Worth It

Dead Week, for those of you who aren't dyed-in-the-wool bargain hunters, takes place the first week of every year. Actually, Dead Week isn't the only dead week. The week after Thanksgiving and the one after spring break tend to be exceptionally quiet. Are vacations at these times worth it?

Flying in the Snow: 6 Lessons for Coping With Winter-Weather Delays

Winter is only starting, and when bad weather moves in, your flight schedule isn't worth the paper it's printed on. What to do when your flight is delayed or cancelled due to winter weather

More on the 'Myth' of Unchanged Hotel Bed Sheets

No recent story has generated more hate mail than my investigation of hotels that don't change their sheets between guests. I use the term investigation lightly as I simply reviewed some of the previous articles, told a few of your stories, and added my two cents -- which is that a vast majority of hotels always change their sheets. That didn't go over very well with some of my readers

Ticket? Check. Bag? Check. Insurance? Pre-check

Forcing travelers to opt out of a purchase when they're buying a ticket or a hotel room isn't new. But the volume of complaints I've received about pre-checking is on the rise, as is the number of well-known travel companies engaged in this questionable e-commerce practice

Expedia Goes Accessible; Travelocity Goes Opaque

The big online travel websites keep improving their utility, constantly adding new features and improving old ones. Latest tweaks involve rooms for travelers who need special access features, plus a new 'opaque' option.

New Cruise Cabins for Singles

At least one big cruise line has decided to court the solo travel market. Norwegian Cruise Line's new Norwegian Epic has 128 'Epic Studios' designed for single occupancy. Although a few other big cruise ships have a few single cabins, Norwegian Epic's studios are unlike anything else in the major-line cruise inventory

Should Airlines Honor Fares That Are Obvious Mistakes

I've run across travelers who feel that a company should honor any fare error, no matter how outrageous, and who don't think twice about booking blocks of rooms or several tickets at a wrong price. Not only do I find that ethically problematic, but it also makes matters more difficult for passengers

'People Movers' Ease Airport Hassles

Dulles inaugurated its new billion-dollar 'people mover,' and it should make life a lot easier for you whether you live in the area, visit the area, or have to change planes there. Dulles joins a number of other airports around the United States -- and the world -- that offer an easier and more convenient alternative to trekking through endless corridors or schlepping on and off buses

Find Cheaper Car Rental Rates Away From the Airport

The best rate Darren Popik could find on a car rental at the airport recently was $114. So he widened his search to off-airport car rental locations and found a better deal. At a time when rental rates are climbing, many travelers cast a wide net when looking for affordable auto rental rates. Why such a dramatic price difference between on-airport and off-airport locations?

5 Common Travel Mistakes and How to Fix Them

I'm dedicating this column to travel mistakes, a topic that will be familiar to anyone who reads this feature or follows my misadventures. So here it is, mistakes you should avoid when you travel and how to fix them

TSA to Conduct Full Review After Sensitive Information Leak

TSA officials say that a full review is underway to determine how a 2008 copy of its standard operating procedures for all airport security checkpoints was released in its entirety on the Internet.