Get Compensated When Hotels Fail To Deliver

Did you ever check into a hotel only to find the pool closed or some other amenity unavailable?

It has happened to me, many times. Usually, if it’s temporary, I just deal with the disappointment. But there are times when it’s appropriate to complain, and even to ask for some kind of compensation.

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Passport Fees Expected To Increase Soon

If you’re looking to renew or apply for a passport, do it now because it looks as if the cost will be going up as soon as next month, according the the Los Angeles Times’ Daily Travel & Deal Blog.

The State Department has published a notice of its intent to raise passport fees by $35. That will increase the cost of a new passport to $135 and a renewal to $110. The State Department says $15 of the increase will pay for the cost of processing applications and $20 for increased border security.

The application fee for a passport card, which allows limited land border crossing and port entries, will rise from $20 to $30.

Also, if it looks like you’re going to need more pages in your passport for visa stamps, get them now. It used to be free but will cost $82 when the new fees go into effect.

Beware Of Gas Station Credit Card Skimming

Here’s a reason you may not want to pay for gasoline with a debit card, no matter where you’re traveling.

Thieves are attaching devices to gas station pumps that record credit card and debit card data, including PINs, a scam known as “skimming.” In the latest twist, the thieves don’t have to wait to retrieve the device to get the data because it’s transmitted to them via wireless signals, as the Salt Lake Tribune reports.

With debit cards, thieves can reach right into your bank account. With credit cards, the fraud protection is more robust. Of course, the safest policy may be to pay with cash.

On Travel Clubs And Fees

Travel troubleshooter Chris Elliott explores the question of whether Spirit Airlines’ $9 Fare Club is worth the $39.95 annual fee. You’ll want to read  what he wrote if you’re thinking of joining it — or any travel club that charges a fee.

Questionable Values For Airline Miles

A way to calculate the relative value of spending airline miles on merchandise instead of travel is explained quite clearly in a recent post on The Dallas Morning News’ Airline Biz blog.

Customers who hold frequent flier miles may feel compelled to use them to buy things this way, even when it’s clearly a bad deal, because the airlines have shortened expiration periods. But if you think  you’re forced into a “use them or lose them” situation, you should consider other ways to create activity in your account and thus keep your miles valid for another 18 months or so.

The Rewards Network dining program is any easy way to do this with Alaska, American, Delta, Midwest, United and US Airways. One meal out, perhaps at a restaurant you would have visited anyway, and you can reset the time clock on your miles. (You can earn credit on Southwest, too, though its program works differently.)

Donating money to the Haiti relief effort is a particularly commendable way to earn miles on some airlines. Donating miles is another way to keep your account active. The Los Angeles Times’ Daily Travel & Deal blog has details.

Choosing Your Airline

Have you ever noticed that when you look up an airfare on a particular route, all or most of the airlines will have exactly the same fare? It’s no accident — they routinely try to match fares to stay competitive.

So, in a case like that, how do you choose which airline to travel on? There are some factors you might not have thought of:

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How To Cancel An Airline Ticket: Quickly

Jaunted, one of my favorite travel blogs, just had an entry explaining that many airlines will refund your money if you cancel the purchase of an airline ticket within 24 hours. Some will hold a reservation for 24 hours without requiring any money down and others will issue a credit for a later purchase. Check it out.

Frugal Traveler Finds Free Entertainment, Cheap Drinks

I was amused last night to see a couple at our hotel who seemed to share my sense of frugality.

They were sitting in the chairs provided in an alcove of the open-air lobby, a floor above the bar where a guitarist was playing Hawaiian music. They had pulled their chairs up to the edge of the alcove, so they could see down into the bar, and were applauding vigorously.

The man had a glass — it looked like one of the water glasses from the guest rooms — with an amber liquid in it. No inflated bar prices for him!

On The Cheap At An Expensive Hotel

Winning a bid for a great rate at a fancy hotel is always rewarding, but the real challenge can keeping costs down when you get there.

My husband and I are at the Hapuna Beach Prince on the Big Island of Hawaii, where the quality of the rooms and service are exceptional (especially at Priceline prices) and the opportunites abound to spend more on fancy meals and extras.  (Get thee behind me, $27 room service breakfast.)

Here are some things we do to keep that temptation at bay:

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Internet Reunites Lost Camera, Owners

I just read a great blog entry about a guy who found a camera on a beach on Maui and tracked down the owners by posting one of the images online. (Thanks for the link, Greg.) Who knew there’s a website for just this purpose at ifoundyourcamera.blogspot.com.