Alex Summers articles

Few travel surprises are more frustrating than arriving at a hotel and learning you need to hand over a huge security deposit before you can check in. The good news is that while security deposits are common, hotels do not always communicate them clearly, and you have options if the charge was not properly disclosed.

A big travel rewards balance can feel like money in the bank, especially when you have been saving points for flights, hotels, or a major family trip. Then you log in right before booking and discover the balance is gone, reduced, frozen, or suddenly worth much less than expected.

Sitting in the midst of the exciting streets of Los Angeles is a small, unassuming hotel that some people out there would probably like to avoid at all costs—the infamous Cecil Hotel. For practically all of its history, many things have gone seriously wrong inside this building. From spooky tragedies to unexplained mysteries, here are disturbing facts about the one and only Cecil Hotel.

A lot of travelers assume “pet-friendly” means exactly what it sounds like. So it feels incredibly frustrating when you finally arrive at the hotel after a long trip, only to suddenly hear there are breed restrictions, weight limits, or policies nobody mentioned clearly during booking.

You probably never imagined a routine customs inspection could end with officers confiscating items from your luggage. The good news is that customs seizures do not always mean the situation is hopeless, and depending on what was taken, there are still ways to challenge the seizure and recover your property later.

The 1960s were a golden era for beehive hairdos and Beatles mania, but everyday habits back then could leave today's youth scratching their heads in disbelief.

As frustrating as it feels, airlines actually are allowed to overbook flights in many situations. Luckily, if you were involuntarily bumped, you’re entitled to compensation.