Renting with apps like Airbnb and Vrbo used to be so great. What happened?
I'm writing to you from a home rental in France where we had to rent our sheets and towels. No joke, 15 euros a day. When we leave, we have to bring them back — folded. And then it hit me: Were we given the last renter's dirty linens?
We rented an Airbnb in Lisbon a couple of years ago. It was on the fifth floor of an apartment building and promised 180-degree views of the city below. But when we arrived late that night, there were no views of the city. There were only views of scaffolding out of every window. Disappointed, we threw our bags down and sat on the bed. It collapsed.
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Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Airports hate these sneaky hacks that can save travelers money this summer, experts say
Airports can seem over the top with their food and beverage prices — but according to travel experts at eShores, sometimes splurging will save you money in the long run. The experts claimed that travelers are wasting their money on 'unnecessary' add-ons for flights, such as early boarding and seat selection, when they should be allocating their money elsewhere. Instead of shelling out money on these frivolous options, the specialists advise spending on extras that will enhance the overall travel experience. Here are the expert-backed add-ons that are worth the splurge and the ones that should be avoided. The experts told the Daily Mail that lounge passes are worth the extra money. The eShore team claimed that the pricey cost of airport lounge access might end up being less money travelers would eventually spend on meals and drinks at the terminal. An airport meal can range from around $20 to $50, while access to a lounge can cost approximately $40 to $60 per person and includes so much more. Another pricey add-on worth looking into is fast-track security, which allows passengers to get their belongings checked in a separate private lane with a reduced wait time. Investing in a program like TSA Pre-Check or CLEAR, or sometimes even third-party services, will help passengers get to their lounge or gate faster. Day trip excursions are also worth the money, according to experts. Rather than paying for separate flights and accommodations while traveling, globetrotters can save a buck by booking an organized day trip. An excursion can offer benefits such as visiting multiple destinations at a cheaper price, which can also include meals and transport. While some perks are worth the money — many others aren't, such as early boarding. The eShore experts claim that paying extra for early boarding is 'rarely' an advantage, especially if a traveler already has an assigned seat. 'Early boarding doesn't guarantee faster departure times; you'll still disembark in the same order,' the experts told the outlet. 'Unless you have mobility needs or are travelling with very young children, it's money better spent on your actual holiday.' Some budget airlines charge passengers to choose their seats on a plane. But the experts claim this isn't worth the money — especially for short flights. 'For short-haul flights under two hours, for many people, being separated isn't the end of the world (and might even mean a bit of quiet time),' they explained. 'Unless you're flying with young children or sitting with your travel companion is a must, this is an easy cost to skip.' Unless you're going on a longer trip, paying for checked luggage might be a waste of money. The experts advise travelers going on a weekend getaway or trips that are just a few days long to skip checking a bag and instead utilize carry-ons. 'With smart packing techniques (think compression cubes and versatile outfits), everything you need for a long weekend or week-long city break can easily fit in hand luggage.'
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Popular money-saving travel ‘hack' backfires on frazzled plane passengers: ‘We were lied to at the gate'
A common hack to save money on Ryanair backfired on a couple. Scott McCormick and his girlfriend, Helena Boshwick, both 33, were set to fly from Birmingham Airport in the UK to Palma de Mallorca, Spain. In an attempt to save money, the couple decided not to pay to reserve seats on the flight. 'Me and my partner thought it's not that much of a problem if we're not sitting together for a two-hour flight, we're adults here,' McCormick, a gym owner, told Kennedy News. They were first in line to board when a staff member asked them to step aside as the rest of the passengers boarded. 'That moment was a red flag, I thought, 'there's something happening here,'' McCormick shared. 'I asked her to tell us what is going to happen, and she said no.' After everyone else was on the plane, the Ryanair staff member allegedly told them that the flight was full and there was only one seat left. McCormick admitted that the two of them had a 'meltdown' since they wanted to travel together — but they were told they were in this position because they 'hadn't reserved a seat.' 'There was no compassion or care whatsoever. After going back and forth, we said we're not going to take separate flights and be in separate countries for hours,' he said. After arguing with staff, the couple were reportedly told they could both get on the next flight and get refunded for both tickets. But when they went to the check-in desk again, they were informed they would still have to pay for one of the tickets — and they claimed a refund was never issued. 'We went down to ticket sales and they said we still have to pay for one ticket, only one is reimbursed. One of the seats was put down as a cancelled booking and the other was a missed flight so we'd still have to pay for one seat and be reimbursed for the other,' McCormick said. 'That's the biggest part of the [issue], we were just lied to at the gate but then we still sold us a seat and we still have seen no sign of reimbursement.'The couple reportedly had to spend even more money on the new ticket and waited for four hours for the next flight, and McCormick claimed it felt like 'discrimination.' 'Ryanair should have asked all passengers if anyone would like to volunteer their seats,' he said. '…how do they pick out these people, is it because we're young and we have no kids, so there's just two of us, is it to do with something we don't see or understand?' He said he will avoid flying Ryanair in the future due to a lack of care and empathy. 'You can be bawling your eyes out and they just don't care, they're deadpan.' While some people on social media believed they were singled out for not reserving seats — debunking the so-called hack that doing so will result in lower airfare — Ryanair explained that it was because the plane itself was switched to one with fewer seats. 'This flight from Birmingham to Palma de Mallorca (1 May) was not 'overbooked' – it was scheduled to operate on a 737-8200 (197 seats) but for operational reasons had to be swapped to a 737-800 aircraft (189 seats),' the airline said. 'As a result, one passenger was unable to travel on this flight and was reaccommodated onto the next available flight to Palma de Mallorca,' said a Ryanair spokesperson. The airline's rep noted that McCormick is not eligible for a refund since he was reaccommodated onto the next available flight. 'Mr. McCormick's travel companion was not refused boarding but chose not to board and travel on this flight from Birmingham to Palma de Mallorca and was required to pay a missed departure fee to be booked onto the next available flight.'
USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
5 things we learned Thursday at the Travelers, from Scheffler's 62 to Spaun's slowdown
5 things we learned Thursday at the Travelers, from Scheffler's 62 to Spaun's slowdown Scottie Scheffler surged, J.J. Spaun stumbled, and Austin Eckroat broke through on a revealing Thursday at TPC River Highlands. CROMWELL, Conn. — TPC River Highlands is never going to be confused for Oakmont Country Club, site of last week's U.S. Open, but what the host venue of the Travelers Championship lacks in brutality, it makes up for in excitement and positive vibes. Players who qualify for this PGA Tour signature event love being at this no-cut, elevated FedEx Cup point event. With ideal scoring conditions in the morning, players with early tee times took advantage of receptive greens and soft fairways to go low — and a few of them showed flashes that they could be around on Sunday. When all the scorecards were signed, Scottie Scheffler and Austin Eckroat were atop the leaderboard at 8-under 62, two shots better than Wyndham Clark, Rory McIlroy and Keegan Bradley. Cameron Young shot an opening-round 65 and is in sixth, while eight golfers are tied for seventh at 4 under, including Viktor Hovland, Jason Day and Tommy Fleetwood. Here's five things we learned on Thursday in Cromwell: Scheffler shrugs off U.S. Open frustrations with a dialed-in 62 Scottie Scheffler didn't need to be perfect Thursday at TPC River Highlands — but on a few swings, he came awfully close. The world No. 1 fired an 8-under-par 62 in gusty afternoon conditions, matching Austin Eckroat for the early lead at the Travelers Championship. It was methodical, controlled golf — the kind that has become Scheffler's calling card. While others battled wind that kicked up just after lunch, Scheffler leaned on elite ball-striking and a tidy putting day to post his lowest round since winning at TPC Craig Ranch. One shot stood out. A 3-iron into the par-4 13th — flat flight, barely right of the flag, exactly the number — was, in his words, 'pretty much exactly what I was trying to do.' 'Very rarely throughout a tournament do you hit one exactly how you intend to,' he said. 'That was one of the few.' Scheffler showed no signs of lingering disappointment from last week's U.S. Open, where a poor start had him grinding just to make the weekend. Instead, he said Oakmont gave him more confidence, not less, particularly for how he stayed engaged mentally. 'I'm not going to sit around and waste time with what-ifs,' Scheffler said. 'I felt like last week was, oddly enough, as good as I've been mentally on the course throughout the season.' That mindset, paired with another elite round, suggests the defending champion at the Travelers Championship may not done winning this summer. Austin Eckroat found what he's been searching for all season Sometimes it's a major swing overhaul. Sometimes it's just one tiny tweak. For Austin Eckroat, it turned out to be the latter — a slight adjustment to the position of his right hand on the grip — and the result was a career-best 62 that gave him the early lead. Eckroat's been dealing with a left miss that's plagued him all year, but a pair of weeks at home, some input from friends and family, and a fresh look at his grip allowed him to feel like himself again. The confidence showed. 'I wasn't fearing the left ball today, which is huge,' Eckroat said after posting eight birdies and an eagle. 'It just felt really solid.' Eckroat hit 10 of 14 fairways, 15 of 18 greens and finish the day ranked No. 1 in Strokes Gained: Putting (+3.337). That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you get it done on the PGA Tour. It's fitting that this happened at TPC River Highlands, the site of his first professional start back in 2021. Eckroat reflected on that when he talked with the media Thursday morning, noting that back then he was a college kid with no logos on his shirt and his professional career in front of him. Today, he's a two-time PGA Tour winner looking to reassert himself—and he made a solid statement early. Rory McIlroy regains form Scoring chances at RBC Canadian Open and last week's U.S. Open were few and far between, which is why Rory McIlroy said the Travelers Championship and TPC River Highlands is, 'a nice tonic compared to last week.' McIlroy took advantage of easier scoring conditions Thursday to shoot a bogey-free 64, and his game appeared to be back in the form that helped him win the Players Championship and the Masters earlier this season. He hit eight of 14 fairways, 15 of 18 greens and needed just 27 putts in the first round to card six birdies. Asked what his approach was to this week, McIlroy said, 'I just want to see some good golf and see some better shots. I think if you concentrate on that, and you're concentrating on your quality of golf and concentrating on just trying to play to the best of your ability, the result will take care of itself.' McIlroy's 64 was his first sub-70 round since the second round of the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow in May and ties his low-round of the year, another 64 he shot on Sunday at the Texas Children's Houston Open in March. McIlroy and his partner at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, Shane Lowry, did shoot 64 in the opening-round Fourball session. Wake up: Davis Riley makes the most of his opportunity Talk about making the most of a late call. Davis Riley wasn't sure he'd even be in the Travelers Championship field until early Thursday morning. But when he got the word that he was in, he quickly turned opportunity into action by firing a 4-under 66. The Mississippi native has been on a heater, riding the wave of his victory with Keegan Bradley at the Zurich Classic and his strong showing at the U.S. Open. On Thursday, he kept the momentum going with a sharp, controlled round in the early wave. There's an ease to the way Riley is playing right now. The ball-striking is there, the putter's behaving, and even the mental game — often a challenge for young pros — is trending in the right direction. 'It was kind of a perfect morning to go out and score,' he said. 'Got the call, made the most of it.' Whether he can keep riding this run remains to be seen, but Riley's trending — and with that kind of trajectory, even a last-minute tee time can turn into something special. The Hangover, J.J. Spaun edition After draining a 64-foot bomb to win the U.S. Open on Sunday, J.J. Spaun's life has been a blur. Morning TV hits, radio interviews, celebratory texts, congratulatory hugs — you name it, Spaun's been part of it. What he hadn't done before arriving at TPC River Highlands? Practice. Hit balls. Prepare. That all caught up with him Thursday. Spaun shot a 3-over-par 73 in the opening round of the Travelers, a score that landed him near the bottom of the leaderboard on a day when the field averaged just under 69. The round included two birdies, three bogeys, and one double-bogey — a recipe for a gentle comedown after his career-defining high at Oakmont. But if the sluggish start surprised anyone, it probably wasn't Spaun. The good news? There's no cut at the Travelers. So Spaun will have at least 54 more holes to decompress, settle back into a rhythm, and maybe pick up where he left off on Sunday night. At the very least, he beat someone. Nick Dunlap brought up the rear with a 76.
