U.S. stocks moved higher Friday, capping a weekly gain, as upbeat corporate results outweighed a weaker-than-expected report on first-quarter economic growth.
Need to recover from the holidays? With airfare at its lowest point in a year, now is the best time to get away.
There's still a month to go before the end of the year, but most Americans will let their last remaining vacation days go unused.
A quick scroll through the mail on my smartphone yields attractive offers to stay at a Victorian estate on the California coast, check in at a chic New York boutique hotel for less than $125 per night or escape to Tanzania for a six-night safari.
Hotel room prices, on average, are up 5% over last year, but these destinations are shaping up to look like real deals in late December.
The stock rally now into its third day on Wednesday is certainly a welcome break, given the constant bombardment of bad news coming from Europe. Still, the Continent's credit crisis continues to be a major source of concern for investors.
While Hurricane Irene's impact wasn't nearly as bad as expected, the severe weather still managed to cripple travel all along the East Coast at a time when many families were planning one last getaway before the summer's end.
As the general market continues to bleed due to the delay of the debt ceiling vote, investors turned their attention to stocks that stood out in the sea of red.
As location-based apps go, Foursquare or Gowalla will work just fine if you're looking for the spot where all your buddies are having a beer.
Add weekend getaways to the restaurant deals, yoga classes, cooking lessons and laser treatments Groupon dangles in front of bargain-hungry consumers. The daily deal company is set to roll out travel discounts through a partnership with Expedia.
All work and no play may as well be the American way.
Airfares to England next weekend are sky high, but that doesn't seem to deter many tourists eager to get there in time for the Royal Wedding.
If you're looking to get away this summer, brace yourself: Airfares are likely to be 10% to 15% higher than last year, warns Rick Seaney, CEO of FareCompare.com.
U.S. stocks fell on Friday as oil and gold prices spiked and investors awaited news about the pending government shutdown.
Google can have its precious flight data company if it promises to play nice, the Department of Justice said on Friday.
U.S. stocks were headed for a slightly higher open Friday, as oil and gold prices spiked and investors awaited news about the pending government shutdown.
American Airlines patched things up with Expedia, allowing customers to once again shop for American flights on the travel website, the companies said.
American Airlines said Tuesday it is entering into a ticket-selling deal with Priceline.com, after the airline severed a similar deal with Orbitz last month.
A company that provides airfare information to travel agents announced plans to end its relationship with American Airlines Wednesday, the latest move in a heated dispute between the airline and companies that distribute fares.
U.S. stocks climbed Wednesday, with the Dow posting a fresh two-year high for the third day in a row, as investors started to position themselves for the new year.
The online travel site Expedia has removed American Airlines fares and schedules, the latest move in an ongoing legal squabble between travel websites and airlines.
U.S. stocks ended Monday mixed as investors digested a surprise interest rate hike by the Bank of China and a blizzard put a damper on post-holiday retail sales.
Shares of MakeMyTrip Ltd. soared 89% on Thursday as the Indian travel agency made its debut on the U.S. market, in another sign of strength for online travel booking services.
Shares of Priceline were up more than 20% Wednesday after the "Name Your Own Price" travel site announced earnings that blew away analyst expectations.
When Linda Foy checks in for her flight, she's told she has no airline tickets. But wait! Didn't her online travel agent, Expedia, just confirm her flights? And will Expedia now refund the new tickets she must buy?
Lizelle Figueroa calls Expedia to hold her ticket to California. But shortly after that, she's rushed to the hospital, where she spends five weeks.
Nallan Chari's flight is canceled, but his online agency is dragging its feet on a refund. The reason? The airlines involved, including Continental Airlines and Jet Airways, haven't sent the money to the agency yet. How much longer should Chari wait?
It used to be so simple: The price you were quoted for an airline ticket, rental car or cruise used to be the price you actually paid.
If you thought the travel bargains were unbelievable this year, just wait until 2010.
The travel industry wants you back.
The check-in time at the Express By Holiday Inn London-Southwark is 2 p.m., but when Arthur Roach arrived at the hotel just after 11 a.m., he thought it might make an exception.
If you've booked travel online, you may have been there.
Internet travel agency Expedia.com has seen an uptick in bookings to Southern California airports as Michael Jackson fans and funeral goers flock to Los Angeles, California, for Tuesday's funeral.
Frank Santa Maria buys two tickets to Italy on Expedia. But when an agent misspells his wife's name, he must embark on an odyssey to ensure she'll be allowed to use her tickets. Will he be successful?
Megan Gallardo cancels her flight because of a death in the family, and her online agent suggests she may get a refund. But more than a year and countless letters and faxes later, there's no sign of her $303. What gives?
On his return flight from Madrid to San Juan, Jose Morales is forced to buy a one-way ticket because of an error made by Expedia. Now the agency wants him to contact the airline for a refund. Can it do that? And what of its "promise" to take care of any problems that come up?
A trip to Vegas might sound like a gamble, but deep discounts make it a better bet than it's been in years.
The nightly room rate at the Best Eastern Sovietsky Hotel in Moscow is $279. At least that's what the Expedia sales agent promises Ilan Saadia. But the hotel begs to differ when he checks in. It jacks up his rate to $839 a night. Who's right? And who should pay the bill?
Andy Daniel thought he had found a terrific airfare from San Francisco to Miami for Christmas. Instead, he found a terrific disappointment.
Joseph Dunlap runs into a snag when he tries to buy an airline ticket online for his mother. So he calls the online agency, Expedia, and is sold a ticket that costs twice the online rate. Do rates really vary by that much? Well, yes -- and no.
When Albert Lewis tries to book airline tickets through Expedia, his screen freezes and goes black. No worries, says a company representative -- the booking didn't go through. So he makes another one. And then -- surprise! -- he discovers the first one actually went through. Should Expedia refund one of his tickets?
Is your flight about to be canceled?
When Allison Fagerness' flight to Rome is canceled, she's forced to call off her vacation and return home. Her online travel agent, Expedia, promises a refund, but her airline, Alitalia, won't pay. What should she do?
A couple of years ago, online travel-booking sites such as Expedia and Travelocity began issuing service-related manifestos -- the idea being that you could contact them with problems before or during your trip, much like you would a travel agent. But read further, and you'll discover that these are promises to provide good customer service, and aren't built to protect you from the fees and penalties you may incur due to last-minute cancellations.
For years, I've persuaded my family that it's my very important job that causes me to put off booking trips. But the real problem is twofold: I'm often convinced that if I plan too far ahead, something better will come along; and I'm as addicted as an online gambler to last-minute offers.
Travelers treat searching for hotel rates online like a game of roulette: try enough combinations (dates, locations, travel agencies), and you'll score the perfect one. But it's easy to forget that booking a room through an online travel agency means that if you need to change your travel dates or find a better deal, you may pay a penalty, often upward of $25. Add to this the fact that hotels don't reward loyalty points for stays reserved through discount booking sites, and that bargain-basement price doesn't look so appealing. Avoid pitfalls by following these approaches:
I don't know how innkeepers do it.
Our anonymous confessor has been in airline public relations, marketing and customer relations for a decade now.
updated: Wed Nov 07 2007 10:37:00
CNN's Jim Boulden reports surfers and wind surfers can no longer take their equipment on British Airways flights.
Expedia confirms a reservation for one night in a New York hotel. But there's just one problem: the booking doesn't exist. That leaves one unhappy traveler homeless for the night -- and Janice Japa, the person who made the booking, is trying in vain to get her money back.
Expedia Inc. said Monday it was cutting its plan to buy back its own shares by almost 80 percent, blaming a lack of attractive financing available in credit markets.
Beth Zukowski books six airline tickets on AirTran Airways through Expedia. The online agency charges her a booking fee and bills her for flight protection insurance, but fails to buy her tickets. The reason? Her credit card was declined, it says. But her credit card company disputes the story. Now AirTran wants her to pay more than $200 extra to buy new tickets. What should she do?
This is what usually happens the first time you visit Zillow.com: You type in your address to check out the Zestimate, an approximation of your home's market value. It appears in a little pop-up su...
See the travel secrets gallery
It's going to be the busiest Thanksgiving travel period ever. There will be 25 million people taking to the skies and over 38 million hitting the highways.
When a major storm hits the Caribbean, most airlines and hotels eventually wind up waiving the usual restrictions so that customers can change or cancel their plans free of charge. But because policies have traditionally been announced on a case-by-case basis -- and at the last minute -- you had little choice but to wait and cross your fingers. Now, after two brutal hurricane seasons, a few airlines and tour operators have taken steps to ease travelers' concerns.
It's nearly August and if you haven't planned your summer vacation yet, you're not alone: 64% of leisure travelers plan at least one of their getaways within two weeks of taking the trip and 26% plan all their vacations at the last minute, according to a poll by the Travel Industry Association.
Hotels.com -- to pick just one major booking engine -- says it allows customers to search among and make reservations at "more than 25,000 properties worldwide." Sounds impressive, until you realize the United States alone has more than 47,000 hotels with at least 20 rooms.
The 6% real estate commission has been under assault awhile, but the hits just keep coming - and are getting more sophisticated. Three Internet upstarts are the latest to take a shot.
When it comes to taking vacation days, a third of U.S. workers apparently aren't members of the clean-plate club.
As long-distance revenues plummet and customers disconnect phone lines in favor of cell phones and VOIP, DSL has provided burgeoning broadband revenues for local phone companies. But could DSL be slowing down? Business 2.0 senior writer Om Malik notes that, according to research by investment bank UBS, fewer households are signing up for DSL as a percentage of homes where the service is available. That has AT&T, for one, scrambling to provide other options, including satellite broadband, high-speed fixed wireless connections, and fiber-optic lines. The new initiatives could help AT&T serve another 11.5 million households, the company estimates.
Long days and a light dusting of pollen are sure signs that summer vacation is just around the corner. With hotel rates on the rise, you can find the best deals if you use the right strategies.
Airfares are up and there are fewer seats up for grabs. And if that isn't enough, airlines are padding their fares with some extra "gotchas".
Say "goodbye" to appraisers -- and possibly real estate agents. At least that's the promise of Zillow.com, launched Wednesday, which is headed by the founder of Internet travel company Expedia.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - Google. Yahoo! eBay. Amazon. You know what all these Internet giants do.
Does preparing for the holidays make you wish you could just hop on the next plane to Hawaii?
FREQUENT FLIERS OF THE world, unite! Or at least get to know each other, says Peter Shankman, a publicist/entrepreneur who flies more than 150,000 miles a year. Shankman says he's tired of "sitting...
In August, InterActiveCorp spun off Expedia, and in a reverse stock split, shareholders were given one share of each for every two shares of IAC stock. Both Expedia (EXPE) and IAC shares are down s...
NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Expedia is back.
Had a bad trip? It could have been a delayed flight, a cruise from hell, a hotel room in need of an exterminator...whatever the complaint, we hear you.
Does anyone actually take vacations anymore? Pack up the wife, Alice, and the kids, go to the Grand Canyon, get lost, meet an Indian boy named Jimmy?
Since building InterActiveCorp into an Internet giant, Barry Diller has been dogged by a persistent question: What's it all about? With businesses ranging from online travel to TV shopping to inter...
There's a saying in Italian, dolce far niente, which means it is "sweet to do nothing."
Getting ready for the holidays is bound to involve some shopping, whether it's finding a perfect gift, a festive outfit or decorations and refreshments to prepare for the season's guests.
Within Barry Diller's online empire, InterActiveCorp, there's no business more vital than IAC Travel—which makes Erik Blachford his most important lieutenant. Overseeing Expedia, Hotels.com, Hotwir...
If anyone could get you a sweet deal on a vacation to Rome, you'd think it would be New Jersey-based Perillo Tours. After all, the company's website says it "pioneered the concept of the package to...
Online travel giants are ratcheting up their spending to attract more customers. And that has Wall Street worried.
One day last Fall 400 investors and analysts gathered on Wall Street to hear a full day of presentations given by Barry Diller and the cadre of top executives at his Internet company, InterActiveC...
For travelers, it is the best of times. Discount airlines are rapidly expanding, bringing their low fares, simple pricing, and perks like extra legroom and live TV to dozens of cities and hundreds ...
Once focused on out-of-the-way airports and flying short distances, discount carriers are swooping into territory that was once exclusively dominated by majors. In the process, they're bringing fares down 30 percent to 50 percent compared with two or three years ago.
PENALTY POINTS
WHAT'S THAT CREAKING NOISE? The days are dark and cold, and everything and everybody seems worn down--that's the sound of midwinter.
--These days, it's been easier than ever to find a great travel deal: SARS in Asia and Canada, a backlash against the French that sent tourism in France reeling, a tough economy that left many Amer...
DOUBLE THE FUN Believe it or not, you can hit the links and the slopes on the same day. The catch is that skiable runs can be limited this time of year--but the prices compensate for that. For $169...
Online booking sites were a boon to "rogue" travelers who didn't want to listen to a travel agent. Now sites like Expedia, Orbitz, and Travelocity want to cater to a business clientele, notably sma...
For truer car-rental price comparisons, head to Travelocity.com. Unlike Expedia and Orbitz, the site now quotes a rental price that includes taxes and fees. The service is especially valuable if yo...
Sure, browse the brochures for a glossy glimpse of paradise -- just ignore the prices. As with hotels, there's no reason to pay list. Here's how to get the most for your cruise dollars.
When Delta announced in March that it would eliminate travel agent commissions, and five major carriers followed suit, you probably figured the move would cost you money. You were right. Expect to ...
If you were teaching Investing 101, here's the first thing you would probably warn your students: Never, ever, go near an Internet stock. Between April 2000 and October 2001, the Morgan Stanley Int...
This was supposed to be the year of one-stop online shopping for airline tickets. No longer would we have to slog through countless websites to find the best deal, we were told. We could simply go ...
It started with Los Angeles. I needed to get there and back, and quickly. So I called my travel agent, and she punched in my itinerary. About 96 seconds later I had an aisle seat on a major airline...
Forget air rage. Nowadays airport rage may be the more prevalent syndrome. One out of every four flights is delayed, canceled or diverted, according to the Department of Transportation (DOT), and f...
Getting travel advice from the Internet doesn't have to end when you leave home. With a cell phone or personal digital assistant (PDA) as your travel companion, you can tap into the Net for mapping...
If it sometimes seems that there are more travel-related websites than places to travel to, well, it's indeed nearly the case: According to Web research group PhoCusWright, there are now more than ...
It seems everywhere you turn, someone's getting a deal on an airline ticket. An auctioned fare. A last-minute fare. A dirt-cheap fare. For any particular flight, there are a multitude of ticket pri...
Pity the travel agent. Not only have airlines been slicing their commissions thinner than the mystery meat on an in-flight sandwich, they've also had to contend with an assault from online travel s...
With companies cutting costs in order to boost earnings by every last penny, business travel has come under heavy scrutiny. Corporations have issued long lists of restrictions and slashed executive...
When it comes to helping drivers reach their vacation destinations, TripTiks--those individually tailored, compact but gloriously detailed maps from AAA--have long been the gold standard. As a free...
Last year Web surfers booked over $900 million in travel reservations. That's less than 1% of the total travel market for 1997. But Jupiter Communications predicts that total online travel sales wi...
There are a few things you can say with confidence about the CEO of a typical big American company--he's rich, white, and Republican, for instance. Now you can add another: Increasingly, he's afrai...
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