• 6 things to ask before booking a summer vacation

  It’s mid-May. Memorial Day and the end of the school year are in sight. Suddenly, you’re thinking about a summer vacation. A little advance planning — and some insider tips — can save you a lot of money. Whether you’re booking airfare, a car rental or a hotel room, there are questions you should ask ...

• Hotel chain’s just blowing smoke

  I spoke with a manager, who told me he was sorry he couldn’t offer me a nonsmoking room. The only rooms the hotel had left to sell were smoking ...

• At Williamsburg history does not repeat itself

  Getting there: The closest airport is the Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport, just 17 miles away. There are no nonstops from Miami or Fort Lauderdale, but several airlines make the trip in about four hours with a change of planes. Round trip airfare starts around $285 from Fort Lauderdale, $420 from Miami in late July. Williamsburg is 45 miles from Richmond or Norfolk. American ...

• Battle flags are centerpiece of Gettysburg show

  RICHMOND, Va. -- Among the swords, the wrenching letters home and the haunting photographs in the Museum of the Confederacy’s new exhibit on Gettysburg, few artifacts embody the ferocious battle more than the eight battle flags recovered from the bloodied fields where Pickett’s Charge was fought. The men who carried them were first in the line of fire, and the flag was coveted by ...

• Blurring the lines between budget premium and luxury ships

  Cruise ships have a reputation for encouraging a measure of gluttony. On nearly every modern ship, you may start eating before the sun comes up and maintain a forkful until late into the night, when a call to room service will bring a snack to tide you over until dawn. A cruise can be a constant flow of French fries, sticky buns, and globs of multi-course meals with a never-ending supply of ...

• Florida Key West Pride June 5-9

  Key West Pride will be celebrated June 5-9 honoring diversity, openness and freedom on the subtropical island internationally known as a top gay and lesbian vacation spot. Festival events include pool and dance parties, comedy and film, a street fair, contests, a pride parade and more — and visitors will get a chance to meet Gilbert Baker, who in 1978 created the original rainbow flag that ...

• American Airlines flight diverted to Aruba because of mechanical problem

  ORANJESTAD, Aruba - An American Airlines flight that was headed to Miami from Brazil has made an emergency landing in Aruba because of a mechanical problem. Spokeswoman Dori Alvarez said Friday that maintenance crews checked the plane once it landed and fixed the problem. She said the plane would depart Friday night for Miami. Flight 234 was carrying 218 passengers and 14 crew members. Alvarez ...

• Company known for river trips announces ocean ship

  Viking Cruises, a company known for offering river cruises, on Friday announced that it was launching a new cruise line for ocean-going trips. Viking’s first ocean-going ship, Viking Star, will make its first voyages in 2015 to Scandinavia, the Baltic region and the Mediterranean. Viking has expanded rapidly in recent years, christening 10 new river ships in March of this year. Twelve more ...

• Sarawak Brunei Tourism Board To Establish Smart Partnership

  Bandar Seri Begawan - The growth of air transport networks and continuing deregulation have allowed small low-populated places such as Brunei to become a hub for major international tourism ...

• International Coalition of Tourism Partners lauds Urban Green Energy wind turbine

  HAWAII, USA; BRUSSELS, Belgium; VICTORIA, Seychelles; BALI, Indonesia - After more than a year of dedicated research and development, Urban Green Energy (UGE) is launching VisionAIR, its most advanced wind turbine yet. VisionAIR has been designed to maximize energy output for its users even at moderate wind speeds while maintaining its whisper-quiet operation, high quality, and aesthetic design. ...

• UPDATE 1-LATAM Airlines Argentina unit halts ops until Saturday on provider woes

  Fri May 17, 2013 7:36pm EDT SANTIAGO May 17 (Reuters) - LATAM Airlines Group SA said its Argentina unit was halting all of its flights in the country until 1330 GMT on Saturday after a state company unilaterally decided to stop providing services to the airline. Intercargo provides Latin America's biggest carrier with ramps at Argentine airports, loads suitcases and manages passenger buses ...

• Forum for 2013 Sanya Tourism held in Yalong Bay

  Jointly hosted by Sanya Tourism Development Commission and Sanya Tourism Association, the Forum for 2013 Sanya Tourism was held in Yalong Bay on May 16th. More than 120 hotel general managers, sales directors and other relevant people attended the meeting. The forum provides a platform for participants to exchange ideas and discuss the potential for the development of Sanya’s ...

• Papal tourism hits Buenos Aires streets

  You can see the streets where he grew up and played soccer, the church where Jorge Bergoglio prayed as a teenager and the cathedral where the man who would become Pope Francis said Mass. You can even visit the stand where he bought his newspapers every weekend and where he went for a haircut. With an Argentine on the throne of St Peter, the South American country's capital city, Buenos Aires, ...

• Tourism reveals massive construction of hotel rooms to lodge more tourists

  Santo Domingo.- The Minister of Tourism on Thursday announced a plan to start the massive construction of hotel rooms as soon as possible, to lodge a higher number of tourists expected as the result of the sector's promotion abroad. Francisco Javier Garcia said the country has more than 38,000 approved hotel rooms, but noted that all the projects require financing. He said all the ...

• Head of new cruise line We wont nickel-and-dime

  Viking Cruises Chairman Torstein Hagen says the new upscale cruise line the company unveiled late Thursday will focus on destinations in a way that used to be common but has mostly disappeared from ...

• Do You Have Poor Air Travel Etiquette

  Worst Airline Passengers, Ever . They drink too much, force emergency landings. They hurl racist remarks at small children, that kind of thing. And then there's everyone else who falls somewhere in the middle, and that's where things get a little dicey. For example, who does get the middle armrests anyway? Should you say something to a fellow passenger who ignores crew ...

• EU to fine Indian Chinese airlines over emissionsThe carriers are accused of not providing emissions data as required by the European rules and not participating in a permit system that entitles airlines to emit greenhouse gases in European airspace.

  European Union for refusing to comply with rules aimed at regulating greenhouse emissions. The carriers are accused of not providing emissions data, as required by the European rules, and not participating in a permit system that entitles airlines to emit greenhouse gases in European airspace. The volumes of carbon dioxide that the European Commission said the 10 carriers emitted through their ...

• Midwest Traveler Red Wing

  It’s impossible to ignore the impressive immensity of a size 638 ½ work boot. Built for the Red Wing Boot Co.’s 100th anniversary in 2005, it towers two stories high and would have served Paul Bunyan well. It’s a lighthearted nod to the company’s most classic design, a symbol of local industries and one of many reasons to kick around Red Wing’s ...

• Kentucky tourism secretary retiring this month

  FRANKFORT, Ky. - A member of Gov. Steve Beshear's cabinet, Tourism, Arts and Heritage Secretary Marcheta Sparrow, is retiring at the end of May.A statement from Beshear's office on Friday said Sparrow plans to spend more time with her family, pursue new interests and become more involved in her hometown of Harrodsburg.Beshear's statement said Sparrow began her career as a tour ...

• Heading for the States Prepare for longer US immigration queues than ever

  Welcome to America: now stand in line for three hours. Millions of British holidaymakers and business travellers heading for the US this summer face longer waits than ever to be processed by ...

• Late-night line-up at US immigration

  Since 9/11, visitors to the US have got accustomed to the idea that getting through the immigration check is hard work: you will have your mugshot and fingerprints taken, and may face tough questions about your travel plans. But this summer, just reaching the head of the queue could be an ordeal in itself. The Independent Traveller has crunched the latest data from Customs and Border Protection ...

• Airlines losses narrowed to US$552 million

  They still lost money, which is typical for the year's first three months travel slows after the holidays and delays rack up from snow storms. But the deficit was US$552 million -- or US$3.30 per passenger -- compared with US$1.7 billion in same period in 2012. The industry's second-quarter results could show a hit tied to federal budget cuts. Looking further out, summer travel should ...

• United Airlines debuts first-of-its-kind loyalty program for businesses

  CHICAGO, Ill. - United Airlines today announced the launch of the MileagePlus Small Business Network, the first US travel loyalty program that enables businesses to earn and redeem miles. Participating businesses earn award miles by purchasing goods and services from more than a dozen of the program's vendor partners, including leading providers of printing, shipping, credit card payment ...

• Frontier Airlines launches Denver service to Cincinnati Eugene Fresno

  The Cincinnati skyline from the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge across the Ohio River. Frontier Airlines has launched service from Denver International Airport to Cincinnati as well as points in California and Oregon. Flights between DIA and Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, announced in January, began Thursday. Also on that date, the airline discontinued service from Denver ...

• NHS Poles paracetamol and the myth of health tourism

  Migrants' cost to the NHS is far smaller proportionally than Britons because they are younger, less likely to be ill or to have started a family. The service is also not quite as good as in Poland, ...

• Austrian Airlines resumes service to Chicagos OHare Airport

  Austrian Airlines business class has a chef on board. A lot has happened in the past five years. That includes enough good things to prompt Austrian Airlines to resume nonstop service five days a week between Chicago's O'Hare Airport and Vienna, Austria, where the carrier's main hub and its headquarters are located. The Vienna-Chicago service resumes today. Austrian had initially ...

• Totally Legit Ways to Get a VIP Amusement Park Experience

  A recent news story about rich people allegedly hiring disabled tour guides to jump lines at a famous Florida theme park ignited commentary online. One question we as travel experts ask: Why go to such questionable lengths, when almost every amusement park has a VIP offering that gets you line-jumping privileges and plenty of other perks? With help from the folks at IAAPA (International ...

• Civil Aviation Ministry asks airlines to limit number of privileged seats

  The Civil Aviation Ministry today asked all airlines to limit the number of 'privileged' seats for which they could charge a fee, with a few carriers imposing price tags on a very large number of ...

• The hotel wake-up call gets personal

  Here's a wake-up call: The hotel front desk will do one better than ringing your phone in the morning. They'll send an actual human being to your room. Don't worry. They won't come in and kiss you good ...

• Video American Airlines changing carry-on policy

  An airline trade group predicts 209 million people will travel on U.S.-based airlines this summer and international travelers could hit a new record. Gayle King ...

• College Ball Team Rescues Seizing Toddler

  Samantha Knox /Millersville Athletics A college baseball team in Pennsylvania is being hailed as heroes for batting up to save the life of a 22-month-old boy. The Millersville University baseball team had just arrived in Johnstown, Pa., for the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Tournament around 12:30 a.m., on May 7, when seven of the players went out for snack. As they walked from their ...

• Uganda Commonwealth Delegates for Tourism Campaign

  Commonwealth delegates head to Jinja tomorrow, Saturday, for the 'Paint the City Bright' campaign. The campaign coordinated by Yudaya Babirye, a managing partner with Metro Green, working in partnership with Jinja Municipal Council (JMC) and the Private Sector will see over seventy buildings painted. Babirye said over 200 delegates from the Commonwealth for Local Governments forum ...

• 10 great places A true Player flags favorite golf spots

  It takes more than well-placed bunkers or long fairways to make a memorable golf course, says Gary Player, a championship golfer and course designer. The South African urges travelers to look for beauty and serenity. "People need to get away from the hustle and bustle. They don't need a course that's too tough." He shares with Larry Bleiberg for USA TODAY some favorite ...

• Ask Air Traffic Control Most interesting airports

  Question: San Diego is known for having a unique approach and flight path. Can you describe some other U.S. airports that have similar challenges because of geography, prevailing weather, noise restrictions, etc.?Answer: San Diego is well known for its approach over the parking garage. The following "famous approaches or departures" are my top five:Washington National Airport (DCA): ...

• Bay Area renaissance San Franciscos waterfront reinvented

  Roy Cano, left, of Sausalito, Calif., and Erika Redding, right, of San Francisco watch the newest Oracle Team USA AC72 catamaran makes its way toward the bay after its christening in San Francisco, April 23. Oracle Team USA christened and launched the wing-sailed catamaran that it will use to defend the America's Cup on San Francisco Bay in ...

• Which do fliers fear more Crying babies or smelly adults

  Airline passengers say they'd rather sit next to a crying baby then a smelly adult. That's just one of the findings in a new Harris Poll that looks at how fliers feel about certain perks and annoyances ...

• Low-cost carrier Frontier Airlines begins flights at CincyNKy airport

  Denver-based Frontier Airlines begins operating out of Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport today. NKY.com reports that Frontier will be the first low-cost carrier to fly out of the airport in 13 years. Meanwhile, according to The Cincinnati Business Courier, the airport has earned a less-flattering distinction, through little fault of its own. The most delayed flight in America ...

• Battle of the bulge on before-breakfast Berlin-bound jet

  Not with each other, you understand, but with the excess hand luggage that we passengers have brought aboard. Two positive phenomena have combined on board the plane to produce a negative.First, budget airlines such as easyJet achieve "load factors" that conventional aviation thinking used to regard as unfeasibly high: through last winter, only 18 seats on the average 156-seat easyJet ...

• Hotels with grand transfers

  A funicular whisks guests 500ft up to this resort on the slopes of one of America's most fashionable ski resorts. Built by celebrated Swiss cable-car maker Gangloff of Berne, it's just one of the attractions of a stay at this grand hotel with 181 rooms and panoramic views of Utah's Wasatch mountain range. Another treat is the instant access to Deer Valley's pistes, which ...

• Open jaw special Readers write back – about Heathrow

  When you write about Heathrow, please stop referring to the people disturbed by aircraft noise as "local" residents. I live miles from the airport, in Clapham, south London, and my life has been made a misery by aircraft noise for at least 10 years. Referring only to "local" residents misrepresents the size of the problem and plays into the hands of the industry's spin ...

• Hotels with grand transfers

  A funicular whisks guests 500ft up to this resort on the slopes of one of America's most fashionable ski resorts. Built by celebrated Swiss cable-car maker Gangloff of Berne, it's just one of the attractions of a stay at this grand hotel with 181 rooms and panoramic views of Utah's Wasatch mountain range. Another treat is the instant access to Deer Valley's pistes, which ...

• My life in travel Dawn OPorter

  Ibiza with my grandparents. I used to live with them as a child, so they took my sister and me to stay at the Fiesta Hotel Tanit. It had a kids' club where we would put on performances. It was one of those classic package ...

• New upscale cruise line to launch in 2015

  River cruise giant Viking's move into ocean cruising became official late Thursday as the company unveiled details of a new line to be called Viking Ocean Cruises. Viking Chairman Tor Hagen told travel ...

• Check out these winning photos of national parks and more

  The winning entries in the 2012 National Park Service's annual photo contest will make you want to pitch a tent or learn to fly fish or paddle a kayak, or maybe just take a hike. The annual Share ...

• Tourism Ministry promoting Pudducherry and Munnar as Land of Pie

  International News: Oscar award-winning film Life of Pie, directed by Ang Lee, was shot in Pudducherry and Munnar (Kerala). The Tourism Ministry is promoting these destinations as the "Land of ...

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