How can solo travelers avoid dreaded single supplements?

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How can solo travelers avoid crippling single supplements? What type of trip do you suggest for a European vacation? 

We answer these and other pressing travel questions.

Q: I am planning our family vacation in Europe in the first two weeks of August. We'd like to see Rome, Venice, Florence, Switzerland/Lucern, Paris and London. We have never been to Europe. What type of trip (escorted tour, guided tour or independent tour) do you suggest? Do you have suggestions on which web site or tour companies?

A:  I would say first that two weeks isn't enough time to enjoy all those cities, and I doubt that you'd find a guided two-week tour that covered them all. You'd probably need at least three days -- including travel time -- in each city, and I'd probably save Switzerland for another visit. You could conceivably do the Italian cities you mentioned plus Paris and London in 15 days. If you're not an experienced traveler to these countries, you might want to consider consulting a travel agent. Ask friends, neighbors and work mates for suggestions. You could also join a guided tour for part of your trip and see the other cities on your own. For example, Go Ahead Tours is offering an 11-day tour of Paris, London and Rome and then at the end you could visit Venice and/or Florence independently. Tours can be pricey, however. That Go Ahead tour costs $3,700 with airfare from New York City, based on double occupancy. A great site to get ideas of where to stay and what to do is the aptly named TripAdvisor.com. And you might save money by renting short-term apartments in each city using sites like FlipKey.com or AirBnB.com, especially if there are four or more in your group. Just be careful when booking on those sites because there are scam artists exploiting visitors. 

Q:  You just had a great show on travel. You covered kids, insurance and even pets. But what about the solo traveler and those crippling single supplements? I have found just one company -- GAP Adventures -- that doesn't penalize the solo traveler with these fees (which can be substantial). Can you help us out with some research on other companies that welcome (instead of penalize) us?

A:  As more and more travelers go solo, single supplements are a growing problem. Here's a piece offering some solutions. I've inspected the Norwegian Cruise Lines "studio" cabins mentioned in the article, and I think they're a great solution to this problem. The article mentions Grand Circle Cruise Line, but Grand Circle also offers land tours with very low or non-existent single supplements on many departures. 

Q: When traveling with my brother's family we got stuck in Denver. My brother stood in a long line at customer service for Frontier who immediately turned him away saying, "You bought your ticket through a third party, we can't help you." This was close to midnight, customer service would not even hear the issue. We have to cobble together different airlines because we fly into tiny airports in southern Colorado so we do use Travelocity, Expedia or whatever -- which they were calling the third party. So how to cobble together airlines without using a third party so that we are not turned down when the trip goes awry -- particularly late at night? Do travel agents still exist?

A: You're correct that sites like Expedia and Travelocity are useful for "cobbling together" itineraries that combine flights on more than one airline to find the best fares and schedules. But those sites are indeed travel agencies. Not "bricks and mortar" travel agencies, but online travel agencies (OTAs) with 800 numbers and customer service agents. You should have or could have called them for help rather than going through Frontier. Frontier has been very aggressive in pushing consumers to buy on their own FlyFrontier.com website (by offering more frequent flyer miles, avoiding carry on bag fees, and allowing advance seat selection, among other things), and perhaps this unhelpful response was just another manifestation of this policy. In any case, at midnight in Denver there was probably little chance to be put on another flight. Depending on the cause of the problem, travel insurance might have helped defray the costs of a hotel room, meals and other expenses, but probably Frontier was under no obligation to defray those costs since there's no regulation or law requiring them to do so.  

Have a question about travel or airfares? Send your questions to questions@airfarewatchdog.com and we may answer them in this column.

George Hobica is a syndicated travel journalist and founder of the low-airfare listing site Airfarewatchdog.com.

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Arlington National Cemetery plans controversial expansion to avoid running out of room

Published May 05, 2013

FoxNews.com

Looking to avoid running out of burial sites at the most iconic burial ground in the U.S., Arlington National Cemetery leaders are hoping to start a controversial 27-acre expansion this fall.

The planned expansion, called the Millennium Project, would add more than 27,000 burial sites for veterans on the northern side of the grounds, the Washington Post reports.

“This is important,” said Kathryn Condon, executive director of Army National Military Cemeteries, “because if we do nothing today, we will run out of in-ground burial space in 2025.”

But critics say the Millennium Project expansion doesn’t fit the Arlington National Cemetery historic site, and it would damage a stream and force hundreds of Civil War-era trees to be bulldozed.

“I love Arlington. But it’s not big enough for all future wars,” Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Tenn., who is a member of the House Armed Services Committee, told the Washington Post. “It seems like we need to be preparing for Arlington Two, making sure it’s just as nice and wonderful and historical as Arlington One.”

The cemetery will dedicate a columbarium court, which can hold more than 20,000 cremated remains, on Thursday.

Click for more from the Washington Post.

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5 hotel health risks you never knew about, and how to avoid them

Let’s face it: Traveling can bring out the inner germaphobe in even the most adventurous of us, and for good reason. There are lots of health risks encountered in your hotel room that you won’t necessarily find at home, from mold to industrial cleaning product residue. Didn’t even cross your mind ’til now? Well, fear not — more and more hotels are offering solutions, so your next hotel stay can be cleaner and safer than ever before. Read on to find out what to be wary of — and what you can do about it.

The Orchard Hotel in San Francisco uses chemical-free cleaning products.

The Risk: Chemical Cleaning Products

The chemicals in cleaning products used in many hotel rooms can make you sick — and routine exposure (road warriors, take note) can be life-threatening. Exposure to the carcinogens in cleaning products can increase cancer risk, while endocrine disruptors found in many pesticides, detergents, and disinfectants can confuse body hormones and cause fertility problems or even miscarriages.

The Solution: Chemical-Free Cleaning Products

Eco-friendly hotel initiatives are growing increasingly popular, and these days many hotels are being recognized for their efforts by organizations such as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). So don’t be afraid to ask hotel staff about the cleaning products they use. One of our favorite LEED-certified hotels is The Orchard Hotel, which was at the forefront of this movement. Among the very first LEED-certified hotels in San Francisco, the Orchard uses chemical-free cleaning products — among many other impressive green practices.

The Koa Kea Resort in Kauai offers twice-daily housekeeping service.
 

The Risk: Bathroom Mold

Not only is bathroom mold gross, it can be dangerous, causing respiratory issues and other problems.

The Solution: Ventilation Fans and Frequent Cleaning

Ventilation fans in the bathroom are key to preventing the moisture issues that allow mold to flourish, as is frequent cleaning. Many hotels, such as the Koa Kea Resort Hotel at Poipu Beach, keep their bathrooms spic and span in order to avoid any “ick” factor. To be aware of any potential cleanliness problems ahead of time, make sure to look at Oyster.com’s honest hotel photos — if there’s mold, we’ll show you.

The Grand Hyatt Seattle offers special hypo-allergenic rooms with air purifiers.

The Risk: Air Pollutants

Air pollutants such as ozone particles (which make up smog) can cause wheezing and shortness of breath for anyone, not just allergy sufferers. And many people have had the experience of checking into a supposedly non-smoking room that smelled otherwise — a particular annoyance for those sensitive to cigarette smoke.

The Solution: Air Purifiers

Hotels such as the Grand Hyatt Seattle — and indeed all hotels in the Hyatt brand — offer special hypo-allergenic rooms that have air purifiers and go through a special cleaning process to reduce allergens on fabrics such as the carpet and upholstery. The Four Seasons Denver also has heavy-duty air ionizers that can be brought into the room upon request.

The Garden Court Hotel in Palo Alto offers hypo-allergenic pillows and bedding upon request.

The Risk: Feather Allergies

For those with feather allergies, staying in a hotel room with down bedding and feather pillows can be downright unpleasant: itchy eyes, runny nose, and sneezing are only a few of the possible reactions. That down duvet may look plush and inviting to some, but for those with feather allergies it’s a bout of hay fever waiting to happen.

The Solution: Hypo-Allergenic Pillows and Bedding

Luckily, many hotels — such as the Garden Court Hotel in Palo Alto — offer alternative hypo-allergenic pillow and bedding options for allergy sufferers.

The Sebastian Vail offers in-room humidifiers.

The Risk: Dry Skin and Itchy Eyes

It’s ski season, and those traveling during winter –particularly to locations with high altitudes — are likely to encounter cold, dry air. Dry skin isn’t fun for anyone, and neither are itchy eyes, particularly when you’re trying to get comfortable in your hotel after a day on the slopes.

The Solution: Humidifiers

If you thought humidifiers were exclusively an at-home luxury, think again. No, you don’t have to lug your humidifier onto the plane — plenty of hotels, such as  The Sebastian Vail, provide them upon request.

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