Travelers across the United States arrived en masse at airports, hit the roads and boarded trains Wednesday, a day before the Thanksgiving holiday.
A slightly higher number of Americans will travel Thanksgiving holiday weekend compared with last year, but those traveling by air is expected to decline, AAA said.
If you're traveling by air to see friends and family this holiday season, the chances of a delay-free trip are about as likely as enjoying the process of clearing airport security -- very slim. Should that be a surprise to you, though? Not really. Just as those traveling by car can expect stop-and-go traffic on backed-up freeways, air travelers will feel the effects of crowded skies as well.
Tracey Brown Osborne finds a mysterious charge on her American Express bill that turns out to be a repair bill for a rental car tire -- a tire she says she never damaged. When her charge card sides with her in the dispute, her car rental company threatens to take her to court. What should she do?
The plan is for Kitty and Fido to go? Here's what you need to know.
I'm perched in a wooden treehouse lazing on a cushy double mattress atop a white sand beach along Mexico's Riviera Maya. Overlooking the turquoise Caribbean Sea, I'm about as far away from holiday hoopla and craziness as I can get when the beach butler comes by to see if I need anything.
Take your car in for a tune-up. Give yourself extra time if you're flying. Oh, and it's going to be one for the record books.
Air travelers bracing themselves for the annual Thanksgiving rush this week may have something else to fret about: passengers who could be bringing a little extra baggage of the viral kind on board.
As if traveling with the kids over the holidays weren't tough enough, this year we must contend with airline surcharges and swine flu, as well as all the usual annoyances and delays that go along with traveling -- especially with children -- during the busiest travel weeks of the year.
It can take years to snag a reservation at El Bulli, a restaurant in Spain that's been called the best in the world, so when Gary Leff got the word that he'd finally gotten in, he whisked his wife across the Atlantic -- just for dinner.
It can take years to snag a reservation at El Bulli, a restaurant in Spain that's been called the best in the world, so when Gary Leff got the word that he'd finally gotten in, he whisked his wife across the Atlantic -- just for dinner.
The U.S. government has no right to restrict American tourists from traveling to Cuba, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee said Thursday.
Major U.S. airlines' "going to see Grandma" surcharges are piling up this holiday season, and my, what big teeth they have.
The failed computer system that caused flight delays across the country has been restored, the Federal Aviation Administration said Thursday.
Albert Einstein is often quoted as saying, "In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity." Planning a road trip is hardly nuclear science, but perhaps the professor had learned that a well-chosen overnight stop can yield treasured memories.
William Least Heat-Moon, best-selling author of "Blue Highways," "River-Horse," and most recently "Roads to Quoz," shared his insights on the American road with CNN. What follows is an edited transcript of that conversation.
On second thought, maybe you should leave home without it.
You don't need us to tell you that Napa Valley is a nice place to visit. What you do need is a way to lose the masses.
Don't drink and fly.
Air travel competition is heating up, and we're not talking about corporate profits and losses here. As airlines reduce flights and use smaller planes, passengers sometimes are jostling for storage space for their carry-on items.
As everyone knows, Pisa has the famous tilted tower you can climb, but an unspoiled Renaissance wall you can bike encircles the lesser-known Lucca.
Consider yourself warned: If you're uncouth or uneducated or unstable, don't go on a trip with Jenny Hetherington. She'll drop you like a heavy suitcase and journey on without you.
Ask Bonnie Friedman about her worst customer service experience, and she won't hesitate to tell you about the time she checked in for her flight from Venice to Frankfurt.
When Lulis Leal's family gets together for Christmas, she is usually sunning herself on a beach surrounded by palm trees and turquoise waters, with not one extended relative in sight.
Ready for a creepy, crawly scavenger hunt?
Mary Waring had just quit her marketing job in San Diego in 2001, so saving money on her upcoming trip to Disney World in Orlando, Florida, was a high priority. She found lots of resources online and posted links to coupons on a Web site.
Rivers Klopson, 5, turns cartwheels in the sunshine on the flat rocks next to Yosemite's famous Vernal Fall, oblivious to the strangers smiling at her.
As Germany celebrates the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, I can't help remembering my spooky 1971 visit during the Cold War. When we crossed back to the West, tour buses were emptied at the border so mirrors could be rolled under the bus. They wanted to see if anyone was trying to escape with us.
The thought of spending 11 hours in a locked and upright position didn't put Elyse Weiner in a good mood. But you wouldn't have known it.
Llouellynde Orahood's flight from Los Angeles to Dallas has all the makings of a trip from hell, including weather delays, cancellations and almost-missed flights. What could be worse? Having to pay again for the same tickets. Now, neither the airlines nor her online travel agency is willing to help her recover the money she should have never had to spend. Is there any hope for a refund?
All Olympic eyes will be on Whistler Blackcomb next year as it hosts the 2010 Winter Games' alpine skiing events. But those in the know will be heading to British Columbia's vast, snowy interior for its cool old-school mountain towns and the best powder and terrain in North America.
One of the biggest-name dance DJs in the world, Paul van Dyk is in demand at clubs and festivals from Las Vegas to Ibiza.
Thinking of throwing a tantrum the next time things don't go your way when you travel? Consider what happened to Gary Zeune before you do.
Ever flown through Phoenix, Arizona, and had your bag go missing?
Enjoy the seaside charms of southern Maine, antiquing in the Hudson River Valley and Virginia's emerging wine country.
U.S. trees are exploding in brilliantly colorful fall foliage this year in many regions, thanks to stellar growing conditions and excellent temperatures, say experts.
Joe Cahn calls tailgates the last great American neighborhoods.
On a recent afternoon along Church Street in Burlington, Vermont, young aspiring actors recited passages from Shakespeare's Henry V as jugglers, break-dancers, and blowers of didgeridoos displayed their skills nearby, creating a visual and aural cacophony. Just another day in a thriving college town -- this one happening to be home to the University of Vermont.
It was my last day in Athens after spending several weeks producing two exciting television shows on Greece. My brain was fried. I was concerned I was getting a cold, and I felt that getting sick was God's way of telling me to slow down. Instead of heading out on a shoot, I ditched work and spent the day lounging poolside on the rooftop of my hotel. Thankfully, it worked. The next day, I felt recharged.
He's chipped his way through more than a foot of snow and ice to get to Ernest Hemingway. He's walked right up to Al Capone and Karl Marx. He's dragged his mom to visit the infamous cannibal Alferd Packer and just came back from seeing Farrah Fawcett.
The challenges inherent in getting a 162,000-pound aircraft off the ground and landing it safely are pretty obvious to most observers. But at cruising altitude, above 10,000 feet, pilots face a different critical challenge: staying focused.
When Erin Hott checks into her hotel, she's shown to a room with an unmade bed. When she asks for clean sheets, an employee tells her they can't change her linen until the next day. And if she doesn't like it, she can find another hotel, but she'll still have to pay for her room. Whatever happened to customer service?
I've never seen such wide open slopes -- no trees, no houses, just field after field of newly fallen snow.
All I wanted to do was to fall asleep in my tiny seat on the last leg of a grueling day of air travel, when I was cornered by the Talkative Airplane Seatmate -- a species oblivious to yawns and one-word answers.
Kenyan artist Nicholas Sironka received a warm welcome to the United States when he first visited in 1999 -- a reception he's missed since.
If you're like most Americans, your image of Spain is the region of Andalucia, famous for windswept landscapes, whitewashed hill towns, flamenco and gazpacho.
Quincy Jones moved to Seattle as a child and discovered a passion for music that would bring him global success as a musician, composer and producer. He talks to CNN about music, working with Michael Jackson, and the city he grew up in.
Another round of toasts and exclamations of "hajiu" sounded out around me. I took a sip and set down my small glass of Tsingtao beer as my new friends downed theirs and refilled. Our seafood dinner, perched on the single cluttered table of a tiny antique shop, was punctuated regularly by such moments.
It's all the rage to criticize the airlines. But we found some smart, practical initiatives that point the way to a better future.
Cosmopolitan Frankfurt, while low on Old World charm, offers a good look at today's no-nonsense, modern Germany. If you're a budget traveler, you'll likely fly into or out of this major hub for discount airlines.
Six hundred years ago, Brussels was just a nice place to stop and buy a waffle on the way to France. Today, it's a city of 1.8 million, the capital of Belgium, the headquarters of NATO and the political center of the European Union. It may be easy to skip as you zip from Amsterdam to Paris by train, but its rich brew of food and culture pleasantly surprises those who stop. Its magnificent grand square, rightly named La Grand Place, alone makes a visit worthwhile.
From the outside, the Puerto Rican inn that Pablo Solomon checked into looked like it belonged on the cover of a slick vacation brochure. The landscaping seemed immaculate, the lawn was freshly trimmed, and the pool an inviting shade of blue.
When Carla DeLuca canceled her room at the W Hotel Union Square in New York a week before her arrival, the hotel decided to ding her for a night's stay anyway.
When Best Western bills Angela Williams-McGill twice for the same night, she incurs a bank overdraft fee and then waits months for a refund. But the hotel never pays her back, and all she has to show for her efforts is a claim number. Is there anything she could have done to prevent this? And what about the refund?
Alexandra Seldin prepays for a rental car through Alamo's Web site. But when her flight is canceled, and she arrives a day late, the company charges her three times more than it originally said it would. Is it allowed to do that? And is there any hope for a refund?
Ethel Schweitzer's husband falls ill before a trip to Las Vegas, and the couple cancels their vacation. Now US Airways wants to keep their money. Why can't it offer them a refund?
Nicholas Czapor books four Hilton hotel stays through a double points promotion. But the points never show up in his account, and now Hilton is offering him only a fraction of the promised award. Can it do that? And what recourse, if any, does Czapor have?
Mary McInnis-Efaw buys a package to Hawaii through United Vacations. But when the price of her ticket falls by $733, United refuses to offer her a voucher for the fare difference. Is it allowed to do that?
When Sue Koopman cancels her vacation, her friend is presented with a bill for a $375 single supplement. If she doesn't pay it immediately, the tour operator threatens to cancel her friend's vacation. Can it do that? And is there any hope for getting a refund of the $375 fee after it's paid?
Diane Gandara cancels her vacation to New Delhi after the terrorist attacks in Mumbai. But her insurance company won't honor her claim because she wasn't visiting Mumbai. Is the $7,300 she spent on her trip lost?
Seen any ghosts lately?
Professional ghost hunters weigh in on how to keep your sixth sense in tune, where to go to meet the undead, and what to do if something spooky follows you home. Happy hunting!
The fall foliage has always made Massachusetts' Berkshires region one of America's most beautiful driving destinations. But lately, the thriving art scene is drawing its own share of peeps.
The changing leaves are just one lure for outdoor adventurers during the fall season. The tourist crowds of July and August have dissipated, and in many spots, the blistering summer heat has passed. And happily, an abundance of premier tour operators offer ready-made autumn adventures that are relatively easy on the wallet. They bring expert guides and top-quality gear and arrange all meals and accommodations -- you just bring your thirst for adventure.
Police met a wayward jet that overshot the runway by 150 miles -- while not responding to control tower communications -- and said the pilots were "cooperative, apologetic and appreciative."
Professional ghost hunters weigh in on how to keep your sixth sense in tune, where to go to meet the undead, and what to do if something spooky follows you home. Happy hunting!
A Northwest Airlines flight from San Diego, California, overshot the Minneapolis, Minnesota, airport by about 150 miles Wednesday evening, and federal investigators are looking into whether the pilots had become distracted, as they claimed, or perhaps fell asleep.
The Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday proposed fines against two of the nation's largest airlines, saying the airlines flew planes on hundreds of occasions in violation of FAA or airline safety standards.
It's all the rage to criticize the airlines. But we found some smart, practical initiatives that point the way to a better future.
Another round of toasts and exclamations of "hajiu" sounded out around me. I took a sip and set down my small glass of Tsingtao beer as my new friends downed theirs and refilled. Our seafood dinner, perched on the single cluttered table of a tiny antique shop, was punctuated regularly by such moments.
If you thought the travel bargains were unbelievable this year, just wait until 2010.
When Best Western bills Angela Williams-McGill twice for the same night, she incurs a bank overdraft fee and then waits months for a refund. But the hotel never pays her back, and all she has to show for her efforts is a claim number. Is there anything she could have done to prevent this? And what about the refund?
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