Rich Thomaselli travel tips

There was a time in my life, maybe 45 years ago, or so, when a dollar bill meant everything. And my father knew it.

After a year of much promotion and fanfare, United Airlines and several other airlines are now backing out of the new airport in Tulum in Mexico.

More Americans than ever before are breaking international laws when they vacation, but the problem is that they might not even know it.

Arthur Frommer poses at a travel event. (Photo Credit: Flickr/PilotGirl)

Talk about great timing. Just one day after budget carrier Spirit Airlines declared bankruptcy, fellow low-cost carrier Allegiant Airlines announced it tied a company record for the largest schedule expansion in history.

Every four years, I celebrate my own personal holiday around this time. It comes after Halloween and before Thanksgiving. It comes after national Election Day. It’s a celebration, of sorts. No more campaign ads, no more falsehoods, no more lies, no more stretching the truth. It’s almost liberating. I certainly have to spend less time cleaning out my email inbox, that’s for sure.Don’t get me wrong, I still think we have the best system in the world although the merits of the Electoral College are up for debate. So this isn’t some political rant, or screed, or diatribe. Rather, it’s a nitpick about a flaw in the system.There’s just no consistency in appointed positions like the heads of the Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration. It’s not that these are inept people, or unqualified or not intelligent enough for the job. They aren’t; they are good men and women. But let’s be frank here – they are like the King or Queen of England. They are figureheads.That’s why nothing gets done.The scales of justice might move slow, but politics moves at a tortoise’s pace. Just when they are ready to implement policy and initiate change comes a change in administration and they are out of a job.Now the process has to start all over again.The safety and regulation of the travel industry should transcend politics. But these people are at the whims of those who appointed them. That’s why you will probably see more mergers in the airline business under president-elect Trump than you would in the Biden administration. The former is known to be very business-friendly; the latter had a reputation for being unfriendly to businesses.I’m not advocating that these appointments should be for a lifetime but they certainly should be longer than four years, or the change in administrations, to get things done. Here’s a perfect example – it’s been too long since we heard anything about the lack of air traffic controllers. The bottom line is, let’s not play politics with the oversight of our travel industry.

Teeth of the Dog golf course at Casa de Campo Resort & Villas. (Photo Credit: Casa de Campo Resort & Villas Media)

In a move that was not completely unexpected in the aviation industry, Spirit Airlines has declared bankruptcy.

Donald Trump is once again surprising political insiders with his choices for his cabinet.

From the incredible number of firearms confiscated by the Transportation Security Administration to hackers taking over operations, airport security is under fire.

In the wake of the election, anyone with a vested or even a vague interest in travel should be asking themselves the same question:Will a second Trump Administration have an impact on travel?Count on it.And I’m not talking about the border issue.The one thing to remember about Donald Trump is that he is very business-friendly. His cabinet, including the head of the Department of Transportation, is likely to be made in his image. Or at the very least, it will adhere to his agenda.With its involvement and opposition to the merger between JetBlue Airways and Spirit Airlines, and JetBlue and the Northeast Alliance with American Airlines, the current Biden Administration has shown that it is not that business-friendly. I’m not here to pass judgment on whether that is politically or financially correct.

It’s off to Alaska for MSC Cruises, as the MSC Poesia will homeport in Seattle, the company announced on Monday.

The month of October is usually about preparation in the world of aviation. Airlines usually spend the month getting ready for the winter holidays.

Few things are as important as time. You don’t want to waste it, especially at the airport.

Holiday travel this season will mean more people using their own vehicles and staying in hotels and motels.

Ancillary fees were once a nice little add-on for airlines. Now they are becoming more and more of a revenue driver.

Is it time for the Boeing Company to throw in the towel?

Blame it on the hurricanes. After weeks of falling fuel prices, two hurricanes within two weeks of each other cause the slight rise in gas prices.

After a month-long standoff between the Boeing Company and its striking machinists comes a new twist.

Airplanes are supposed to come in hot, but not this hot.

Update: October 8, 2024, at 1:40 p.m. ET