New airline rewards cards without the fee
Frequent fliers can now sign up for a dedicated airline credit card from a major airline without paying up front. Delta and United have introduced no-fee cards that offer miles or credits that cardholders can redeem for flight purchases. The American Express Blue Delta SkyMiles card (16.74 to 25.74 percent annual percentage rate; 2.7 percent foreign-transaction fee) offers two... READ MORE
New Orleans: music, museums and meals
Quick quiz: Think swinging jazz and soulful blues played in music clubs and by street musicians outside. Picture sidewalks crowded with people sipping beverages from plastic cups as they stroll along. If you guess that describes New Orleans, you’re right — but there’s more. Now see yourself visiting museums whose focus ranges from food and festivals, to history and mystery.... READ MORE
Nonrefundable fares vs. trip insurance
If you look at the many consumer complaints about the travel industry, one issue clearly rises to the top: nonrefundability. In exchange for giving you a price break, airlines, hotels, car rental companies, tour operators and others make your payment nonrefundable. Airlines allow you to alter a nonrefundable ticket, but only after a very stiff change fee, and only by spending the... READ MORE
Albuquerque basks in its place in the sun
Albuquerque license plates sport New Mexico’s symbol — an ancient red sun on a bright yellow background, an image borrowed from the indigenous Zias for whom the sun was sacred. Maybe that’s because the sun shines on Albuquerque 310 days a year. Sunlight dapples across the high desert, and sunsets turn the Sandia Mountains watermelon pink. The sun inspired early inhabitants, who... READ MORE
Greenwich Village: Still cool to hang out
As a teenager in New York City in the gritty 1970s, I often hung out in Greenwich Village with friends. There was nothing cooler than buying a tie-dyed T-shirt in some little shop, or listening to a guitar-playing hippie in Washington Square Park. As an adult in the complicated 21st century, I can still recommend the Village as a magical place to spend a day, but its charms are different ... READ MORE
Caribbean sugar, sand and sightseeing
“Stay to the left. Stay to the left.” Those words became my often-repeated mantra when driving during a recent visit to an intriguing pair of sister Caribbean islands. Because St. Kitts and Nevis share a common British heritage, steering a vehicle on the left side of the road is one vestige of the mother country’s lingering influence. Fortunately, St. Kitts and Nevis, two... READ MORE
World class scenic winter train travel
If you want to enjoy spectacular snowscapes without the hassle of winter driving, take a train.Except in unusual circumstances, railroads keep their tracks open through snowfall heavy enough to shut down the highways. And many of them travel on routes with better sightseeing than you can find anywhere else.If you want really great snow scenery, you can’t beat Switzerland. Although my... READ MORE
Bike downhill on Virginia’s Creeper Trail
It was an invitation even teenagers who had hoped to be watching college football or playing video games couldn’t resist: a mountain bike ride — all downhill. Visitors to the Virginia Creeper Trail will find a remarkably family-friendly ride, adaptable to any skill level, and with scenery to hold anyone’s attention. With its broad paths and wide curves, the Creeper encourages... READ MORE
Repositioning cruises offer real bargains
Antonio Gaudi’s unique and ornate cathedral La Sagrada Familia soars over Barcelona, one of the ports of call on the Koningsdam’s repositioning cruise. Construction began in 1892 and is still underway.Photo by MapicsEach fall and spring, a quiet migration takes place as cruise lines move their ships from one geographical area to another. But these ships do not sail empty. They... READ MORE
Lots of new airlines, not much innovation
Between now and next summer, you’ll see a lot of unfamiliar airplanes at U.S. airports. At least for now, they’ll all be European or Asian, but a few possible home-grown efforts have sprouted.The upside is a combination of more competition on existing routes and more new nonstop routes. The downside is no real innovation in the seating — the main cabins will be familiar... READ MORE
