Smart Traveler

By Monique Burns  With the opening of the new Berlin Brandenburg “Willy Brandt” Airport, the German capital adds yet another stylish leaf to its portfolio. In design–forward Berlin, with cutting–edge galleries, hip fashion boutiques and chic shops, the new airport showcases a sleek Bauhaus aesthetic of glass and steel accented

By Larry Olmsted Face masks, along with handwashing and social distancing, are the best safety protection you have against the coronavirus and risk of contracting COVID-19 in the current pandemic. Wearing a mask also protects the rest of society. The World Health Organization (WHO) puts it bluntly: “People wearing masks

By Ann Abel Remember when we used to talk about high-touch service at five-star hotels? That used to be a major selling point. Today I cringed just typing that phrase. Now the goal is contactless everything. It’s not that cleanliness is the new luxury—cleanliness should have been and generally was

By Everett Potter As travelers canceled their travel arrangements with the onslaught of the coronavirus and sought to get refunds, travel insurance became a major part of the discussion. While having such a policy helped some travelers, others found that there were restrictions on what it could do. I asked

By Larry Olmsted Reaching higher tiers of airline loyalty programs has traditionally required flying a couple of times each month – but right now hardly anyone is flying anywhere. Hotel programs are similar, and for example, to reach Hilton’s highest tier Diamond status usually requires 30 separate stays totaling 60

By Everett Potter When will we be able to travel again? What might the post-coronavirus travel landscape look like? I put these questions and others to Jennifer Tombaugh, President of Tauck, the blue-chip company that offers escorted and guided tours around the world. Everett Potter: I realize you don’t have a

  By Everett Potter Across the country, many of us are experiencing some level of shutdown. But many locales are also permitting walking, running and biking as long as we maintain social distancing. If you’re an adventure traveler, these are particularly frustrating times. But smart cyclists and hikers can turn

By Scott Hume Scott Hume is VP Operations at Global Rescue, the world’s only integrated travel risk and crisis response provider. Hume has supervised thousands of medical and security operations as a result of natural disasters, illnesses, and injuries. Most travelers (86%) are concerned about coronavirus with 40% either revising

By Everett Potter Given the high cost of medical treatment in the US, it’s no surprise that medical tourism is booming. An increasing number of Americans are heading abroad, pairing travel with treatments, largely to save money. Answering the call is Doctours, a Los Angeles-based online platform for booking trips

  By Monique Burns  Any American traveler who’s ever flown a domestic carrier to a major U.S. gateway to board an international carrier knows that airline partnerships are key. Travel becomes practically seamless.  A single itinerary outlines connecting flights and baggage is checked through to your final destination. There’s no