Experts tips

There are many ways to leverage top credit cards to unlock a variety of rewards — including "free" flights, hotel rooms or even cold, hard cash back in your pocket. However, there's a key strategy that travelers often overlook in earning rewards: using business credit cards.

Conservation-led luxury travel company ‘andBeyond’ has announced its new expedition yacht in the Galapagos Islands, the andBeyond Galapagos Explorer, setting sail for the first time on 17th June 2024.

It is a sunny winter morning, and I can see snowcapped peaks in the distance. The fragrance of pine fills the air. Birds chatter in the trees above. All is peaceful. And yet I feel as though I have just climbed a mountain—and I don't mean my recent four-mile uphill hike to the temple of Kunjapuri. I am on day seven of a weeklong stay at Ananda in the Himalayas, the lauded palatial destination spa near the spiritual hub of Rishikesh in northern India. I've come to work my way through a glut of issues, including work stress, niggling joint pain, anxiety, loss of libido, constant fatigue, and sleep disruption. The uncertainty that followed the COVID-19 pandemic had worsened all of them.

A sleeper train renaissance is underway in Europe and night services are set to be one of the most popular ways to travel in 2024. New routes are connecting the continent’s buzziest cities with improved comforts like WiFi, coffee and breakfast included in the ticket price. The new night trains are also boosting the no-fly movement by offering a more sustainable alternative with a lower carbon footprint than car journeys and flights.

From scriptwriting to headshot generation, artificial intelligence has established itself as a prominent player across all walks of professional life, and the travel industry is no exception. While novice travelers have traditionally opted for travel agents or consulting local tourism boards, recent technological advances have ushered in a new strategy for planning the perfect vacation—yet in spite of their ease of use, certain figures within the realm of travel worry that the information given through platforms like ChatGPT is far from perfect.

Before you board the chairlift at one of the continent’s most unusual ski areas, a sign tells you exactly what’s in store: “Steep Slopes. Cliff Bands. Exposed Rock Formations.”

Travel Experts, the premier host agency with more than 500 advisors around the U.S., was among Virtuoso’s most esteemed travel companies and preferred partners within the United States honored with one of Virtuoso’s first annual regional awards.  

Travel Experts is celebrating a milestone this month. The host agency is celebrating 35 years of service of providing service and support to its loyal travel advisors. Susan Ferrell, Founder and President shared how the company came to be: “When we started the company back in 1989, there was a relatively new ‘rent-a-desk’ concept operating in a couple of travel agencies. I consulted with the owner of one of those agencies on the West Coast prior to opening Travel Experts. After visiting her office, I felt that working with independent contractors was the way to go," said Ferrell. She noted that efficiency is one of the keys to success. “My vision was to allow advisors to become entrepreneurs with unlimited earnings potential. I had also hoped that having all ICs would minimize the management and cost of employees. To this day, we keep our employee staff small but extremely efficient which also allows us to keep IC fees low," she said. It wasn't always easy, especially in the beginning when Travel Experts had a shared space with an office filled with independent contractors. But having an office that is now a network of high-producing ICs is still the vision for the host agency today. “When we first opened the office in 1989, the office was the only place from which ICs could work," said Ferrell. "There was no ‘remote’ option.” When Sabre developed a product that could be used anywhere with Wi-Fi access, that all changed. “That allowed us to grow, as we could add advisors from any city or even state. We now have advisors all over the U.S. and in some foreign countries. We still have a very small staff of about 30 to serve the needs of over 550 people. But that staff is extremely skilled at what they do and work efficiently as a team," said Ferrell. "“While the vision has not changed, what has changed is the way the ICs have to sell travel now which can be very challenging. And Travel Experts is blessed to have an amazing network of highly professional and successful ICs.” Another one of Travel Experts keys to success is building and maintaining strong relationships. More than 150 affiliates have been recipients of the prestigious Diamond award for 10 years of membership, with some boasting more than 25 years as a Travel Expert member. This longevity is a testament to the value Travel Experts delivers.

Boeing said on Wednesday that it would not provide a full-year financial forecast, the clearest indication yet that the company is trying to assure customers that it is prioritizing safety amid growing concerns about its popular 737 Max jets.

TikTok may have helped make destinations like Lake Bled in Slovenia and overcrowded nightmare, but the video sharing site has also given us an off-beat alternative: destination dupes. These are places with a similar aesthetic and attractions to the honeypot spot but with fewer crowds.

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Travel Experts Executives at Summit (Photo Credit: Travel Experts)

Travelers looking for cheap flights often start their search on Google Flights — and this new money-saving tool is taking it a step further to make the best decision while booking.

Our experts answer readers' credit card questions and write unbiased product reviews (here's how we assess credit cards). In some cases, we receive a commission from our partners; however, our opinions are our own. Terms apply to offers listed on this page.

The U.S. may be in the middle of a bitter cold spell, but Japan is looking straight ahead to spring with their predictions of when its famed cherry blossoms are returning.

Spirit Airlines, once a fast-growing low-cost carrier, is struggling to convince investors that it has a clear path forward after an antitrust ruling blocked the sale of the company to JetBlue Airways.

On October 24, 2023, an unusual message streaked into the sky from a horse park Lexington, Kentucky. It was perhaps the strangest transmission from the Bluegrass State since Hunter S. Thompson penned a “decadent and depraved” account of the Kentucky Derby in Louisville more than five decades ago. Translated into binary code, pointed towards a solar system 40 lightyears away and beamed there using a telescope fixed to a modified engraving laser, the message read, “Hey, Aliens! Look at Lexington.”

A federal judge on Tuesday blocked a much-anticipated merger between JetBlue and Spirit Airlines, but experts say that’s good news for travelers.

With its myriad health benefits and thrilling sense of freedom, cycling is a great way to get out and explore, be it on a slow-paced ride through a city or a challenging climb through hilly terrain. Fortunately, Europe is crisscrossed with scenic routes to explore, from cycling through olive groves in Italy to pedalling past Portugal’s golden beaches and taking on Spain’s legendary Camino de Santiago. Here, five experts reveal where to go and why.

If your New Year’s resolution was to finally take the plunge and move abroad, this report might help you make the daunting choice of where to live.

It wasn’t too long ago that experts in the travel industry were talking about “Revenge Travel”, a cultural phenomenon and consumer reaction where there was a surge in people wanting to make up for lost time due to the pandemic by traveling and bagging more experiential adventures.