To highlight this issue, real estate website KeyCrew analyzed Airbnb listings in 84 cities to identify the worst offenders. Columbia, South Carolina, stands out with the highest fees in the nation, with service fees and cleaning charges adding an extra 40.78 percent to the total cost. For example, a five-night stay priced at $505 will add an additional $207 in fees.

On average, across all cities in the U.S. that were surveyed, the combined service and cleaning fees for a five-night stay amount to about $250.

If you’re looking to minimize fees, consider booking a vacation rental in California, where you’ll find the lowest Airbnb fees as a percentage of the total cost. In Santa Rosa, for example, fees will add on an extra 22.16 percent. However, keep in mind that rental prices in California tend to be higher overall, so you’ll still end up paying quite a bit in fees. 

The Worst Cities for Airbnb Fees

The Cities With the Lowest Airbnb Fees

The post The Worst Cities for Airbnb Fees appeared first on SmarterTravel.

Top 5 Tips to Avoid Holiday Airport Traffic

Beware of Rush Hour

Planning your airport commute starts right when you book your flights. Steer clear of flights that will require you to commute during peak weekday rush hours. Although exact timing varies by city, traffic is typically heaviest in the morning between 6am and 10am and in the afternoon between 3pm and 6pm. If you want to take advantage of the first flight of the day (a smart idea, since earlier flights are less likely to be subject to delays or cancellations), then plan to arrive at the airport before the bulk of morning commuters hit the road.

Book Your Ride Ahead of Time

Calling a rideshare is a great way to avoid parking or the chaos of public transit. Booking your ride in advance to avoid the uncertainty of driver availability is the easiest way to have peace of mind, but how far in advance should you book? A spokesperson at Lyft filled us in: “Usually, scheduling an airport ride the day before is perfectly fine. But around the holidays, scheduling your Lyft 2-3 days out helps with ensuring drivers are on the road and ready to go.”

Have a Back-Up Plan If Taking Public Transit

Public transportation is not immune to running behind schedule. Buses, like cars, are at the mercy of traffic and even train systems that run above ground are subject to weather delays. When using public transit, never plan to take the last available bus or train that will allow you to arrive on time. Leave early enough to have at least a few options should your first route be cancelled or delayed. 

Build in Extra Time for Traffic

Even if you plan your departure perfectly, there is always a chance for traffic. Whether it be an unexpected weather delay or an accident on the road, you’ll want to built in extra buffer time to your commute in case of any unforeseen events.

“From 2024 Thanksgiving data alone, we actually saw that pickup times decreased by one minute year-over-year,” says a spokesperson at Lyft, “That being said, it’s still good to plan for occurrences less in your control, life traffic. We recommend buffering 45 minutes to an hour into your holiday season airport trips this year.”

Choose Your Airport Strategically

Some airports are simply easier to get to than others. If you live in an area with access to multiple airports, shop around before your book your flights. If the fares are comparable, spring for the option with the easier commute to save yourself a huge headache when travel time comes.

The Most Convenient and Efficient Airports for Holiday Travel

If you need help judging where you want to book your departing flight this season, Lyft analyzed the thirty largest airports in the US to reveal the top ten most convenient and most efficient to help you prep for your holiday travel. Lucky travelers that live in range of these airports will have an advantage in the fight against the seasonal airport rush. Is your home airport on the list?

The Most Convenient Airports for Holiday Travel

1. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS)
2. Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) 
3. Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
4. Nashville International Airport (BNA)
5. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
6. San Diego International Airport (SAN)
7. LaGuardia Airport (LGA)
8. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)
9. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)
10. Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP)

Ratings based on: shortest commute and average Lyft pick up times 

The Most Efficient Airports for Holiday Travel

1. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne Country Airport (DTW)
2. Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) 
3. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)
4. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)
5. Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP)
6. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
7. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
8. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
9. Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
10. Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)

Ratings based on: TSA wait, percentage of flights on time, and percentage of flights canceled

The post How to Beat the Holiday Airport Rush This Season appeared first on SmarterTravel.

Through the end of December, Lyft is partnering with DoorDash to give DashPass users up to 50% off four scheduled rides to the airport, with a maximum discount of $25 per ride. To take advantage of this perk, simply link the two accounts to have the discount automatically applied on your next scheduled ride. 

Pro-Tip: Maximize your chance for savings by trying out the Lyft Price Lock feature, which lets you “lock in” lower ride prices during off-peak hours. Although Price Lock can’t be combined with the holiday promotion, a spokesperson at Lyft let us know that “whichever promotion results in a better price for you will be the one applied to your airport ride.”

The post How to Get 50% Off Lyft Rides to the Airport This Holiday appeared first on SmarterTravel.

In a statement released Monday, Apple explained that those using AirTags in their luggage will get a link generated in the Find My Item app. “Recipients of a link will be able to view a website that shows the location of the item on an interactive map. The website will automatically update when a new location is available and will show a timestamp of the most recent update.” You can then share the location with the airline, allowing them to find your luggage and reunite you with it. Currently, only the traveler can see the location, and Airlines are helpless when it comes to locating it. 

If you’re worried about privacy (and who isn’t these days), you don’t have to. Once passengers are reunited with their item, the shared location will automatically be disabled, and the owner can also disable it at any time. 

The airlines currently participating in include Aer Lingus, Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Brussels Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Eurowings, Iberia, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Lufthansa, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Swiss International Air Lines, Turkish Airlines, United, Virgin Atlantic, and Vueling. The technology will first work at select airports of the airlines, with system-wide usage in 2025. 

More airlines are also expected to follow. Apple’s statement also said that “additionally, SITA, a leader in air transport technology, will build support for Share Item Location into WorldTracer, the baggage-tracing system used by over 500 airlines and ground handlers at more than 2,800 airports around the world.”

AirTags can be bought in packs of one or four, and are only compatible with iPhones.

The post Apple and Airlines Team Up to Track Lost Luggage appeared first on SmarterTravel.

The airline created a website dedicated to informing the public along the way of its restructuring. 

What If I Have Already Booked on Spirit? 

The good news is that Spirit will continue services, so if you have already booked on the airline, you can still fly. This is good news for thousands of travelers planning to fly Spirit for the holidays. You can also continue booking Spirit flights- the airline will operate normally. 

What If I have Spirit Points or Credit? 

Customers with loyalty points and credits can use them as usual. Similarly, anyone who utilizes Spirit’s Saver$ Club perks or loyalty program can continue to use those benefits. 

Spirit is a budget airline servicing North, Central, and South America, as well as the Caribbean. 

The post Major Budget Airline News Causes Panic Just Before Holiday Rush appeared first on SmarterTravel.

J.D. Power just released its Annual North America Airport Satisfaction Study to find the best and worst airports to fly through. The study surveyed passengers on seven factors:

1. Ease of travel through the airport
2. Level of trust with the airport
3. Terminal facilities 
4. Airport staff
5. Departure airport experience
6. Food, beverage, and retail
7. Arrival airport experience

For the survey, airports were broken down into three categories: Mega airports (33 million or more passengers per year), large airports (10 to 32.9 million passengers per year), and medium airports (4.5 to 9.9 million passengers per year. 

Next time you fly, consider avoiding these airports, ranked the lowest for customer satisfaction. 

“The common issue with low-ranking airports are older terminal facilities that were not designed to handle the number of passengers they currently service,” Michael Taylor, managing director of travel, hospitality and retail at J.D. Power, told SmarterTravel. “Many airports that perform poorly in the J. D. Power study have physical structures that are in need of overhaul or updating… and many of those airports are either in the midst of construction projects or have massive plans that are about to begin. “

The Worst Mega Airports

1. Newark Liberty International Airport
2. Toronto Pearson International Airport 
3. O’Hare International Airport
4. Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport
5. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport

The Worst Large Airports

1. Philadelphia International Airport
2. Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport
3. St. Louis Lambert International Airport
4. Honolulu International Airport
5. Chicago Midway International Airport

The Worst Medium Airports

1. Cleveland Hopkins International Airport
2. Pittsburgh International Airport
3. Hollywood Burbank Airport
4. Albuquerque International Sunport
5. Eppley Airfield

If you do have to fly through one of the worst airports, Taylor recommends leaving extra time. “Traveling by air is one of the few times that persons face a strict deadline and that creates stress.  Overcrowded terminals that force parkers to use lots that are farther from the terminal, have longer-than-expected wait times at TSA and have a lack of gate area space put further stress on travelers.”

For an easier trip, plan your travels to take you through one of these top-rated airports, which scored highly for passenger satisfaction. 

The Best Mega Airports

1. Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport
2. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
3. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
4. John F. Kennedy International Airport
5. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport

The Best Large Airports

1. John Wayne Airport, Orange County
2. Tampa International Airport
3. Kansas City International Airport
4. Dallas Love Field
5. Nashville International Airport

The Best Medium Airports

1. Indianapolis International Airport
2. Jacksonville International Airport
3. Southwest Florida International Airport
4. Orlando International Airport
5. Ontario International Airport

The post The Best and Worst Airports in North America appeared first on SmarterTravel.

If your flight is delayed due to weather at your departure or arrival airport, trying to get on a new flight likely won’t work, especially if a ground stop has been issued (meaning no flights are allowed to take off or land at an airport.) However, if the bad weather is at your connecting airport, you may be able to swap to a flight routing through a different location with better weather.  

If your flight is delayed due to a mechanical issue with an aircraft, crew shortage, or delay of incoming aircraft, you may want to try to swap to a different flight if you can. 

The compensation rules around delayed flights hinge on the reason for the delay. If a flight is delayed or canceled due to a “controllable issue,” an airline is generally required to compensate passengers by providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, or even refunds. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), “A controllable flight cancellation or delay is essentially a delay or cancellation caused by the airline. Examples include maintenance or crew problems; cabin cleaning; baggage loading; and fueling.”

Delays due to bad weather or unexpected mechanical issues are generally considered to be out of an airline’s control and, therefore, do not require reimbursement. 

To see what your airline is required to provide in the event of a controllable cancellation or delay, visit the DOT’s Airline Cancellation and Delays Dashboard.

How to Find Out the Reason for a Flight Delay

If you’re already at the airport when the delay is announced, a gate agent will usually be able to tell you why your flight is running late. Here are some other good ways to find out the reason for a flight delay.

Check Airport Alerts

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), has a webpage that shows “active airport events” like ground delays, ground stops, and delays in real-time.

This site will also show how long delays are likely to last along with other helpful information, including:

• The timeframe a ground stop/delay is issued for
• The probability a ground stop/delay would be extended
• What departure airports the ground stop/delay is relevant for
• The average length of delay

Track the Inbound Flight

If your flight is scheduled to take off at 3 pm and the aircraft is still on the ground in another city at 2:30 pm, it’s unlikely your flight will depart on time. Find out where your plane is by checking your flight on FlightAware. This site has an option for “track inbound plane” that will show you where your aircraft is coming from and the status of that flight. 

Check With the Airline

Although most airlines won’t show an explanation for a delayed flight on their website, some will offer the reason for the delay in their app. Calling the airline’s customer service number can also help you find out why your flight is delayed.

The post Why Is My Flight Delayed? How to Find Out the Reason for Your Delayed Flight appeared first on SmarterTravel.

About 10,000 hotel workers walked off of their jobs over the weekend, one of the busiest travel weekends of the year, due to unresolved contract negotiations. Members of the UNITE HERE union are asking for “higher wages, fair staffing and workloads, and the reversal of COVID-era cuts.” Many workers live paycheck to paycheck, and their pay does not cover the cost of living. 

Workers in nine cities and twenty-six hotels are currently on strike, and the possibility of more strikes looms large if no resolution is found. The cities with current strikes are Boston, Greenwich, Honolulu, Kauai, San Francisco, San Diego, San Jose, Baltimore, and Seattle. The list of hotels with striking workers can be found here and will be updated live as more hotels join and as the strikes end. UNITE HERE represents workers from Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott hotels. 

Many hotel workers are struggling during a time when hotels posted record-high daily rates and revenue, yet many hotels remain understaffed. 

If you’re nervous about an upcoming trip or are currently staying at a hotel impacted by the strikes, we’ve got answers to common questions you may have.

What If There Is a Strike at the Hotel Where I am Staying? 

As travelers, this is a legitimate concern. As difficult as it may be, you should never cross a picket line, so if you are staying at an affected hotel, ask for a refund and rebook at a different hotel. FairHotel.org allows you to search for your hotel to see if a strike may impact it. 

If rebooking is impossible for some reason (there is no other hotel in the area, and all other hotels are sold out), ask management to determine how the strike will impact housekeeping, room service, and amenities. 
Be kind and considerate to those workers still working, as their workload is likely much higher than what it typically is. If you have to cross the picket line, talk to those striking, and show your support for them. Remember: they aren’t protesting you, they are protesting management.

I Have a Future Booking At A Hotel That is Currently Striking

If you are booked for a stay at a hotel with workers who are currently striking, what you do depends heavily on when your trip is. If your trip is within the next week, try to find another hotel in the area that is not part of the strike. If it is well into the future, keep an eye on the news, and as you get closer to your vacation, if the hotels are still striking, rebook it elsewhere. 

What Hotels Are Impacted by the Strike?

As mentioned above, UNITE HERE represents workers from Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott hotels. While it is only a handful of their hotels that are currently impacted by the strike, consider booking at a different hotel if you have an upcoming stay at one of those hotels, just to be safe. 

Alternate Hotels Due to The Strike

Here are some alternate hotels to book in each city that is impacted by the strike: 

Boston – Encore Boston Harbor

Greenwich – Delamar Greenwich Harbor

Honolulu – Ala Moana Hotel

Kauai – OUTRIGGER Kauaʻi Beach Resort & Spa

San Francisco – Chancellor Hotel

San Diego – Hotel Del Coronado

San Jose – Four Points by Sheraton San Jose Downtown

Baltimore – Horseshoe Casino Baltimore

Seattle – Coast Seattle Downtown Hotel by APA

Check out UNITE HERE’s guide for further tips on what to do during a strike, including what to do if you are invited to a wedding at a hotel with striking workers. 

The post How Your Trip May Be Impacted By the Hotel Worker Strike appeared first on SmarterTravel.

Cyberattacks on American airports are not a new phenomenon. Major hubs like Los Angeles, Chicago, and Atlanta have all fallen victim in the past, and such incidents are likely to continue, potentially causing significant travel disruptions.

The tips that I learned from my experience could help you if you’re flying out of an airport that’s been hit by a cyberattack.

Check Social Media for Updates

There was minimal news coverage of what was happening at the airport, and I found the most accurate and up-to-date information on SeaTac’s X (Twitter) account.

If you hear about a cyber attack, check the official social media accounts for the airport and your airline to find out what’s happening. 

If you’re not at the airport yet and want to know how chaotic it is, searching for hashtags related to the incident can show you real-time videos and stories from travelers already there that will help you know what to expect.

Monitor Your Flight Status

About an hour after being notified that my flight was delayed, I got another email letting me know that my flight was back to its originally scheduled time. You should monitor your flight status closely and plan to be at the airport for your original departure time in case anything changes. 

I flew out on the first day of the cyber attack, when 165 flights were delayed and six were canceled. My flight was delayed about an hour, but the delay was never announced again. When computer systems are down, there can be lags in notifying passengers about departure time changes. 

Allow Extra Time at the Airport

During a cyber attack, computer systems will be down, and passengers and luggage will have to be checked in manually. Even TSA screening may have to be done manually in some cases (in my case, I was able to go through TSA PreCheck as normal), which can take a significant amount of extra time. 

Check Into Your Flight Online

Fortunately, I had already checked in online and saved my boarding pass before the cyber attack struck. Check-in lines at the airport were extremely long for people who did not check-in online, so avoid doing this if you can.

Print your ticket at home (or save your mobile boarding pass to your phone) as you won’t be able to print your pass at an airport kiosk. 

Do Not Check a Bag

Avoid checking a bag at all costs during a cyber attack, as your luggage is very likely to be delayed or lost. A spokesperson for Alaska Airlines told the Seattle Times that staff was manually sorting over 7,000 checked bags at Sea-Tac because a “majority” of checked bags did not make it onto their flights during the cyber attack. 

Download Your Airline’s App

Although the departure and arrival screens were working in the main terminal at SeaTac, the screens were completely black in the terminal I flew out of. 

The televisions over the gates did not show what flight was departing from that gate, and there was no departure board to check flight status or gate. I had to check my airline’s app to find out what gate I was flying out of.

Listen for Information

My departure gate changed about 30 minutes before my flight boarded, and there was only one hard-to-hear announcement about the change. Without screens displaying information, this would have been really easy to miss, and flyers who didn’t hear it, may have missed their flight waiting at the wrong gate. 

The gate change was never reflected in the airline’s app—the only reason I realized my gate had changed was because the airline crew at my gate all got up and left for another gate. Pay attention to all announcements, and be sure to confirm with airline staff that you’re at the correct gate.

Don’t Swap Seats Once Onboard

My flight had to be boarded manually—instead of scanning our boarding passes, the gate agent visually inspected each one before radioing the flight crew which seat number was boarding. After everyone was on the plane, the flight attendants came down the aisle to verify that the correct passengers were in each seat—anyone who swapped seats ended up delaying the process even further.

The post It Happened to Me: What You Need to Know if There’s a Cyberattack at the Airport appeared first on SmarterTravel.

While Europe offers a wealth of unforgettable experiences, it also presents unique challenges for the unprepared traveler. From sweltering hotel rooms to unexpected closures and transportation hiccups, seemingly small oversights can snowball into major disruptions. Don’t let these common mistakes ruin your European vacation.

Booking a Hotel Without Air Conditioning in Summer

When you’re booking a hotel in the United States, you take for granted that it will have basic amenities, such as air conditioning. However, many older hotels in Europe don’t have air conditioning—which can be a huge problem as summers get hotter and heatwaves are a more common experience. 

After spending a day walking around in hot and humid weather, the last thing you’ll want to do is return to a stuffy, unairconditioned room to try to sleep. When choosing a hotel to book in Europe, make sure to filter your search by properties with air conditioning to ensure a comfortable stay. 

Getting Pickpocketed

Like in any major city, pickpocketing is always a risk when you travel to Europe. Pickpockets tend to target tourists in crowded areas and popular attractions, so follow these tips to avoid becoming a victim:

• Don’t carry around your passport
• Don’t carry a lot of cash
• Keep your money hidden in multiple locations
• Leave valuables in your hotel room
• Be aware of your belongings in crowds and on public transportation
• Don’t flash valuables such as cameras or smartphones

Not Buying Tickets to Popular Attractions in Advance

Planning on visiting bucket list sites like the Colosseum, Louvre Museum, or Basilica de la Sagrada Familia? So is everyone else. It’s best to plan in advance and buy tickets ahead of time for popular attractions in Europe, as many of them do sell out during peak season.

Even if tickets are still available, reserving in advance will generally let you skip the long lines that come with buying a walk-up entry. 

Forgetting to Carry Coins for Bathrooms

Public bathrooms in Europe can be tough to find, and when you do finally locate one, you’ll likely have to pay a small fee to enter. Many bathrooms are accessible via a turnstile, where you’ll need to insert coins to pass through, so it’s a good idea to carry a variety of small coins with you, as there’s usually not anyone stationed at the bathrooms to make change. 

If there is a bathroom attendant in a free public bathroom, you’re usually expected to leave a tip, so again, having a few coins can come in handy.

Remember to bring toilet paper or tissues with you as well, as it’s not always guaranteed that they will be available in public bathrooms. 

Not Reserving Seats on Trains

Just because you have a ticket on a European train doesn’t mean that you have a seat. Many train lines, including ones on the Eurail, allow travelers to make seat reservations to secure a spot to sit. If you don’t have a reservation, you could be left standing in the aisle for a long trip. 

Relying on Taxis

Public transportation in most major European cities is first-class and will get you to where you need to go significantly cheaper (and faster) than taking a taxi. Before traveling, download maps of the local public transportation system and compare prices for buying multi-day passes to see if it’s worth it. 

By taking public transportation, you’ll save time and money and experience the city more like a local would. 

Not Bringing the Right Clothes

Although European summers can be brutally hot, you’ll want to pack more than shorts and tank tops for your travel wardrobe. Most cathedrals and historic religious sites have strict dress codes that require shoulders and knees to be covered. Pack lightweight shirts or coverups that you can keep in your bag to be prepared. 

Additionally, don’t make the mistake of packing only stylish footwear or new shoes that you haven’t broken in yet—you’ll usually end up walking far more in Europe than you would in other destinations (those streets are just so charming), and comfortable shoes are key. 

Mixing up Airports

Many European cities have multiple airports, so booking a connecting flight that departs from the wrong airport can be an easy (but trip-ruining) mistake. For example, in London, six major airports serve the city. 

If you plan on flying into London on one airline and then booking a connecting flight onwards on a budget airline on a separate ticket, it’s quite likely that you could arrive at Heathrow and then have your next flight out of Stansted, which is more than an hour’s drive away.

Carefully check your airport codes before committing to any flight, and consider transportation costs and travel time into the city when deciding which airport to fly to.

The post 8 Mistakes That Could Ruin Your European Vacation appeared first on SmarterTravel.