In the Internet age, the travel agent has become a punch line, cruelly bashed as unnecessary, useless, a dying breed. But no one (including, ahem, journalists) wants to be called obsolete, and travel agents have been fighting back and countering the insults with data and anecdotes demonstrating how valuable their services truly are.
Travel
Bad News for Fliers This Fall
Expect high fares and scarce seats, despite U.S. push for competition. Plus a map of the hardest-hit American airports
Why One Theme-Park Company Swears It’s Happy to Be Attracting Fewer Visitors
SeaWorld appears to be losing the theme-park wars lately, with declining visitor numbers during the same months that Disney and Universal have seen admission sales soar. Is this all part of the plan for SeaWorld?
Hotel Brands Become World Travelers
In today’s world, there’s a large swath of travelers that—no matter which country they call home—owns iPhones, drinks Starbucks coffee, and furnishes their homes with the help of IKEA. It’s a safe bet they’re also attracted to the same kinds of hotels.
Foodie Havens Where They Once Never Could Have Been Imagined
For years, if your stomach was rumbling at the mall, an airport or a baseball stadium, the pickings tended to be slim, if not grim. Now that the foodie craze has gone fully mainstream, even these destinations are welcoming celebrity chefs and fancy dishes that transcend the old mall food court.
$50 Tickets Anyone? Florida Theme Parks Try Out Discounted Weekday Admissions
Ski resorts have discounted weekday tickets to boost business on slow days for years. For the most part, though, theme parks have been reluctant to use the strategy, mainly out of fear of devaluing their product.
Wanna Share a Ride at the Airport? Be Careful Before You’re Arrested
Over the past few weeks, airport authorities in San Francisco have been making citizen’s arrests of drivers who’ve arranged to pick up or drop off travelers via ride-sharing smartphone apps such as Lyft and SideCar.
RelayRides Plans to Disrupt Airport Parking and Rental Cars in a Big Way
A new service gives travelers free parking at airports—with a free car wash and a free shuttle to and from the terminal thrown in as well. Yes, there is a catch.
Want to Give Your Family the VIP Theme Park Experience? Cough Up Around $2,000 Per Day
Travelers are used to the idea that airline passengers who pony up big bucks get special treatment in first class. As theme park VIP tours spread, more travelers are enjoying behind-the-scenes tours and line-cutting privileges—which wouldn’t be so bad except these perks turn the rest of us into (bitter, jealous) second-class citizens.
Alleged Fake Online Review Spammers Get Taken to Court
Websites that rely on user reviews and ratings often use filters to screen out opinions that are likely to be fraudulent. But the filters can only do so much. This week, Edmunds.com decided to file a lawsuit to get alleged spammers to stop flooding its ratings service with fake reviews of car dealerships.
Give Disney Visitors Hi-Tech Wristbands and They Spend More Money
Once again, Disney appears to have mastered the art of rolling out a new perk for guests—that actually winds up with them spending more money at Disney. This time, it’s a wristband that serves as a combo admissions pass, room key, credit card, and reservation assistant for rides and restaurants.
Angered By Zimmerman Verdict, Some Call for a Boycott of Florida Businesses
The acquittal of George Zimmerman in the 2012 killing of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin kicked off protests around the country, as well as calls for a boycott of Florida—where the trial took place, and where a controversial “Stand Your Ground” law still exists.