Recap: The Week’s Biggest Travel Stories and Best Deals

Following is our regular summary of the latest travel news and best frequent traveler promotions reviewed during the past week.

If it was a good deal—or a notably bad deal—from an airline, hotel, or car rental loyalty program, you can read all about it here, and plan your travel accordingly.

Airlines Mistreat Us, and We Keep Coming Back for More

Calls to boycott United following a string of incidents of passenger mistreatment haven’t dented the airline’s profits. Do travelers simply not care?

This Hotel Is Bucking the Trend, Imposing a Gentler Cancellation Policy

Led by Hilton and Marriott, the industry trend is toward ever-harsher cancellation policies. One major hotel chain apparently didn’t get the memo.

Spirit, the Airline Everyone Loves to Hate, Is the Future of Flying

Spirit is the country’s most reviled airline. And there’s plenty of evidence to suggest that it’s the future of air travel.

The Best Time to Book Thanksgiving Flights Is …

We can answer the when-to-book question for Thanksgiving travel. But that raises a related question: Should you care?

On the Horizon: Higher Airport Fees

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Ready to pay higher taxes on your ticket? Congress is considering raising the Passenger Facility Charge to $8.50, bringing to $78 the tax on a $300 ticket.

FAA Will Consider Legroom Minimum for Coach Seats

In the coming months, the FAA will review a petition from a flyers’ rights group to establish minimums for coach-seat legroom and width. Here’s hoping.

Honolulu Bans Texting While Crossing the Street

Visitors to Honolulu will soon find themselves cited and fined for using their smartphones to send texts while crossing the street. Mahalo!

Award Sale: 50% Off IHG Award Nights in Latin America, the Caribbean

Got IHG Rewards points? Here’s a limited-time opportunity to redeem 50% fewer of them for award stays in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Win a ‘7-Day Essential Kenya’ Tour for 2

Enter to win a “7-Day Essential Kenya” travel package for two, including air from/to New York, accommodations, most meals, guided sightseeing tours.

Somebody has to win this trip, right? Might as well be you.

More from SmarterTravel:

• Should You Book Directly with the Hotel? It’s Complicated
• These 20 Countries Have the Fastest Wi-Fi Speeds
• You Can Borrow Delta Miles to Fly Today and Pay Them Back Later. Should You?

After 20 years working in the travel industry, and 15 years writing about it, Tim Winship knows a thing or two about travel. Follow him on Twitter @twinship.

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