News You Can Use – July 25, 2018

Last Updated on January 31, 2024

How to Protect Yourself Against Travel Fraud

Scammers will often trick unsuspecting travelers by using false photographs. Experts recommend booking directly with hotels or reputable rental sites.

Here’s a warning from NBC News about vacation scams and how to protect yourself against travel fraud, which could not only ruin your vacation but also cost you plenty.  NBC News

Airfares Continue to Drop 

The average domestic airline ticket cost $346 in the first three months of the year, an approximately 3.7% decline from the same period last year and the latest drop from an industry that has been facing rising jet fuel prices.

Airfares have been on a relatively steady decline since the end of 2014, and industry experts attribute the drop to lower jet fuel costs, the consolidation in the industry — thanks to a series of airline mergers and acquisitions — and competition from low-cost carriers including Spirit and Southwest Airlines.  LA Times

Museum Tours for People Who Don’t Like Museum Tours

On a recent Monday afternoon, Sarah Dunnavant, a 27-year-old actress and guide with the tour company Museum Hack, gathered her group of eight at the entrance of the Art Institute of Chicago, promising to reveal the “salacious, sexy and scary” parts of the museum in an animated two-hour “un-highlights” trip through the museum.

She led the way to American folk art whirligigs, a fake Caravaggio and the arsenic-laced green paint favored by Vincent van Gogh. She passed out candy to keep spirits from flagging, discussed Beyonce’s references in video and photography to the Yoruba goddess Osun in the African gallery…  The New York Times

This App’s ‘Secret Fares’ Could Save You $500 on Flights 

Airfare forecasting app Hopper is partnering with several airlines to offer “secret” fares at up to 35 percent off what they cost on any other site or app. The new feature, announced Wednesday, could save travelers up to $500 on longhaul flights, according to Hopper.

For example, a flight from New York City to Paris listed at $1,017 round-trip on major search engines was available as a “secret fare” for only $519 round-trip. And a flight from Chicago to Tokyo, listed at $1,422 online, was available for $1,152.  Travel + Leisure

5 Tips for a Luxury Trip to Istanbul for Less 

Your money goes far in Turkey right now, and if you’ve ever wanted to visit this country with one foot in Europe and the other in Asia, these tips from a local expert can help.

Travelers interested in visiting Istanbul are in luck: The United States dollar has been strong against the Turkish lira recently, and your money goes a long way.

Karen Fedorko is the owner of Sea Song, a travel company in Istanbul that plans private trips to Turkey. Having planned dozens of Turkish trips herself, Ms. Fedorko has a few tips to consider before you schedule yours.   The New York Times