Archive: Travel Trends
Kids and Video Games: A Luddite Responds
Today I got an e-mail about a new survey of parents and kids that reveals that 96 percent of kids ages 8 to 14 will bring some form of video game with them on vacation, and that one third of parents surveyed worry that their child will be bored if...
By Christina Talcott | July 9, 2008; 07:26 AM ET | Comments (18)
D.C. to NYC: Twice the Bus
MegaBus has doubled its seating and, yes, doubled the fun. Yesterday, the U.K. operator, which last month kicked off cheapie service to Manhattan, unveiled a double-decker bus -- you know, the kind that is usually seen toting around bug-eyed tourists, not driving 65 along the interstate. (Courtesy of MegaBus) The...
By Andrea Sachs | June 18, 2008; 06:21 AM ET | Comments (15)
Insta-CoGo: Skycaps, Tipping and You
The income of skycaps who check bags at curbside is said to have dropped drastically when many airlines began charging $2 a bag for checking at curbside. The workers depend on tips, with salaries generally at minimum wage or less. According to testimony in a recent lawsuit, many passengers stopped...
By Cindy Loose | May 6, 2008; 06:36 AM ET | Comments (14)
AAA's Sobering Analysis: The Safety Dance
If you haven't the time to read the new, much talked-about study on traffic safety, I have two words for you: cognitive dissonance. The report, the "2008 Traffic Safety Culture Index," [PDF] which was released today by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, has been nicknamed "Do as I say,...
By Scott Vogel | April 29, 2008; 11:57 AM ET | Comments (23)
The Monday Rave: Tax Rebates and Travel
Okay, we've heard you. A few folks (very few, in fact) have questioned the need for fostering negativity on Mondays. We say: Why not? But we're going to mix it up a bit from now on. So herewith is our first Monday Rave. And could there be a better thing...
By Christina Talcott | April 28, 2008; 06:16 AM ET | Comments (15)
Orlando: Will the Smoke Ever Clear?
By law, 80 percent of all hotel rooms in cities like Atlanta, Honolulu and Cleveland must be nonsmoking. In Philadelphia and Chicago, it's 75 percent, and in Detroit it's 70 percent. So what percentage of rooms in Orlando -- one of the world's most popular destinations for children -- are...
By Scott Vogel | April 22, 2008; 06:39 AM ET | Comments (15)
The Follow-Up: Bolt Bus, Where Are You?
We were bouncing in our chairs last month when Greyhound's Bolt Bus kicked off service from D.C. to NYC with fares starting at $1. When I rode the bus on its first outing, there were few hassles, though on the return, the bus arrived late for the pick-up. Our group...
By Andrea Sachs | April 11, 2008; 06:35 AM ET | Comments (13)
Travel Trends: The Late, Great Outdoors
For kids, it was a playground opportunity akin to the planets aligning. First of all, it was a Saturday. Second, the sun shone brightly on an unseasonably warm February day. Third, there was this really cool new play structure -- the kind with lots of ingenious moving parts -- that...
By Scott Vogel | February 26, 2008; 10:04 AM ET | Comments (5)
Happy Talk: Americans vs. the World
The problem with traveling, someone once said, is that you take yourself with you wherever you go. We all dream of escaping, but accomplishing escape is far more difficult than advertised. Which brings me to the following public service message: Are you planning to travel to a foreign land in...
By Scott Vogel | January 29, 2008; 11:55 AM ET | Comments (8)
Top Destinations for 2008: You Tell US
Lonely Planet just came out with its much-anticipated (well, I like it) list of hot travel destinations for 2008. And I, for one, am feeling a little deflated. I mean, last year's top destination, if I recall correctly, was China; the year before that, the wonderful Croatia. New Zealand, another...
By K.C. Summers | January 8, 2008; 07:29 AM ET | Comments (102)
Tell Us: Your Kid Went Where?
Remember when college students shouldered backpacks and went off for a European adventure, alone or with a few friends? We've been hearing more and more about high school students heading off alone -- not on the proverbial school trip, but fancy free, with a friend or two. And many aren't...
By Cindy Loose | January 3, 2008; 07:24 AM ET | Comments (14)
The Year Ahead: Welcome, 2008
Every year, travel forecasters look into their crystal balls and speculate on New Year trends. Italy: In (That country is like Meryl Streep at the Oscars.) Canada: On Its Way Out Airplanes: Still Delayed Let's see what else those wizards -- guidebook experts, travel associations and consultants, ad agencies, the...
By Andrea Sachs | January 2, 2008; 07:08 AM ET | Comments (10)
Surveys: Do These Sound Right to You?
In addition to turkey drumsticks and too-early Christmas decorations, November also seems to be the season for travel surveys. So many "findings" have crossed my desk in the last few weeks, some insightful, some clearly self-serving, and some downright counterintuitive. Time for a little reality check. Do these stats sound...
By K.C. Summers | November 19, 2007; 09:49 AM ET | Comments (7)
