Gas prices are changing consumer behavior.

Gas is approaching $5 a gallon-a milestone experts predict will trigger major changes in consumer behavior. Golden Gate University consumer psychologist Kit Yarrow describes it as a tipping point.
“It’s not just that prices have reached new highs. It’s also that they’ve been continuously rising rather than fluctuating. In the past, […]

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Frequent flyers are looking out at new fees.

Just when consumers started to think they could get something for nothing comes this blast of reality from several major airlines…There are new fees to fly free. “If you’re using frequent flier miles for a summer vacation, celebrate your good timing,” said Bill Hardekopf, CEO of LowCards.com. “Soon, […]

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Links to Airline Rules and Regulations
What are your rights if an airline delays or cancels your flight or loses your bags? What are the airlines’ rules and regulations?

Airtran Airways
Alaska Airlines
Allegiant Air
American Airlines

Cape Air

Continental Airlines
Delta Air Lines
Frontier Airlines
jetBlue Airways
Midwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines
Spirit Airlines
Sun Country Airlines
Virgin America
United Airlines
US Airways

International Airlines

Air Canada […]

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Planning can minimize student travel risks.

What Do I Need to Know?
For many students, traveling abroad during summer vacation is a once in a lifetime opportunity. And while the experience can be rewarding, it takes planning to minimize both the risks and potential problems.
Obviously, anyone traveling overseas needs a valid passport. But many travelers forget to […]

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Are There Times I Should Buy It?
Whether you need travel insurance depends on the answer to one simple question: Can you afford to lose the money you’ve invested in a trip?
Obviously, the answer depends on a host of factors, including the cost of the airfare, the length of the trip, the deposits you’ve made, the […]

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Can I Avoid Change Fees if I Have a Medical Excuse?
Back in the days when the skies were friendly and flight attendants offered in-flight snacks, free of charge?airlines were sympathetic to illness and family emergencies.
Not anymore. Airlines today will refund a nonrefundable ticket without imposing a penalty or fee only under exceptional circumstances. Sometimes charging […]

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Is It Too Expensive to Travel?The US dollar is weak against many foreign currencies, making it more expensive than ever to travel abroad. That?s a potential problem if you?re trying to stick to a budget you created months ago when you planned the vacation.
To protect yourself from volatile foreign exchange rates, it?s important […]

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Does Spam Remain a Big Problem?
Lia Cerato doesn?t want to work as a representative of overseas company, receive information about a lottery she never entered or help an ousted government official in a foreign country transfer his wealth to a US bank. But lately, she said, her inbox has been inundated these sort of unsolicited […]

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Will JetBlue Honor My Gift Certificate?Back in the days when it was hard to find a consumer with a complaint about JetBlue–long before its meltdown in early 2007–Thomas Douglas received a $200 gift certificate for travel on the airline. That was in Dec. 2005, the New York man explained.
I didn’t receive the original […]

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