Q – I have, lovingly supported United Airlines for the past fourteen years in my work which requires frequent cross-country travel. I am not a “points geek” and I don’t waste my time using points to fly for business domestically. I just gather those points like a squirrel hoarding nuts with the idea that in one year and three months, when I retire, my wife and I can use my current 1.3 million United Miles to enjoy many years of retirement travel abroad. I suppose my question is, “If I were a Points Geek – would I be doing anything different – would I use any specific strategy to stay ahead of the game”? Enjoy your approach – keep it up. 

A – As the Wall Street Journal recently pointed out, we are going through a process called “Pointsflation”. The fact is that saving mileage award points is not at all like investing in a money market fund – your points are actually losing value the longer you fail to use them. One example in the WSJ concerned a Delta non-stop from JFK to London Heathrow. It was 86,000 points on 2019- it will now cost you over 150,000 points. Just last year on United, you could use points to fly to Paris CDG using 60,000 points – that flight is now hovering close to 100,000 points. This is all deliberate. It is an easy way for the airlines to enhance profits by increasing the cost to use miles on any popular route. 

If you were investing cash in an interest bearing account we would recommend sticking with your plan. By given that this is “Airline World” and “Airline Ethics”, we would suggest that you figure out a way to use your miles for business travel as soon as possible and save the money you are saving your company by investing it for your retirement travel. 

Q – We are booked on our second AMA sailing on the Rhine River in May of 2026. We were able to receive a nice discount of about 20% when we originally booked this several months ago. Yesterday, we received an AMA e-mail notifying us that they are now offering complimentary three-night land packages to guests booked on Rhine sailings, including our specific itinerary. When our trusted agent called to get us set up with the comp land program we were told that it does not apply to our sailing but we can buy it for an additional $2500. This seems like misleading advertising. What are my options?

A – Welcome to the wonderful world of consumer travel advertising. Your sailing is heavily booked. Prices have gone up twice since you originally made your booking. Because prices have gone up, you will need to pay more should you cancel and re-book with the current offer. On the other hand, on your sailing, AMA will “allow” you to purchase the land offer for only $2500.

On escorted tours, pricing is more heavily regulated because no one wants to spend ten nights touring on a motorcoach with riders comparing notes on what they paid. And think of the poor tour guide who has to deal with price allegations.

But the cruise and riverboat firms worry less about passengers talking to one another. The major mass market lines discount at will and they often discount as sailings with empty cabins approach sailing date. The major four and five star lines, however, generally reward guests who book the earliest – the rule of thumb is the first “20%” always get the very best pricing. The prices, as we have indicated, start rising on an average three-month cycle. 

The “tricky part” comes when it is decided to match a price increase with a “special booking incentive offer” while trying to never mention the fact that the cruise or riverboat price has gone up. 

We checked, and in your specific case, you can get the free land offer on some of the potentially poor weather spring and fall dates. But riverboat guests planning to travel next summer should be aware that inventory on Europe’s major rivers for prime season already has already fallen to just below 30%. If you booked one of the “weather and water level” riskier dates, you will also find that cabin selection is quite minimal.

There are always exceptions, a part of what makes our work so fascinating, but you are most often going to be best served by booking early and taking advantage of early booking discounts without the tainted applesauce in the form of “special deals at a higher cost. 

Q  – I keep seeing these rather charming, British voice-over ads for Viking Cruises. It seems like they are among the largest lines but I am wondering who owns them and are they really that successful? The ads keep talking to me and inviting me to sail – but who is really doing the inviting?

A –  There really is no such thing as “Viking Cruises”, There are three brands of cruises, Viking River Cruises, Viking Ocean Cruises, and Viking Expeditions which, together, form a single company “Viking” that is owned by the Norwegian billionaire Torstein Hagen. The company is privately-owned, an anomaly among mega-lines and Hagen owns 77% of the company.

It is quite a success story. Tor had been CEO of Royal Viking Line in the early eighties. In 1997, serving as a consultant, he helped a group of Russian oligarchs buy a shipping company. Out of gratitude, they sold him four river boats to launch his own company at a sharply discounted rate. In 2000, Hagen was able to quickly expand and his purchased KD River Cruises of Europe and their fleet of 22 vessels. KD also owned several advantageous anchorages which Viking still uses to its advantage.

Viking does its Marketing out of a headquarters in Los Angeles but the real company headquarters is in Basel, Switzerland. This is where crew hiring, training, and marine operations is centered.   

With more than 90 ships sailing on rivers, lakes and oceans around the world, Viking is one of cruising’s major players. Its European river fleet is the largest in Europe and Viking has river ships on the Mekong, the Nile and the Mississippi. The fleet continues to expand. Ten more Viking Longships will join the river fleet by the end of 2026 and a new Mekong ship, Viking Tonle, launches in October 2025.

The ocean fleet includes two luxury expedition ships and 10 new-build ocean ships (all identical). Viking Vela  launched in December this year and Viking Vesta in 2025.

Of course, with more than 90 ships in its fleet, and a massive new-ship building program underway, Viking is no stranger to debt.

Entering 2023 it had  about 4.7 billion in debt. Viking’s interest expenses ballooned 41% between 2020 and 2022, and cruise operators have generally been looking to cut funding costs by selling new notes.

Viking, the only pure-play luxury cruise line, has reported its first quarterly earnings since going public. The company is targeting English-speakers over the age of 55, a demographic with most of the wealth and a broad eagerness to travel. The cruise line generated 4.7 billion in revenue in fiscal 2023, compared to 3.18 billion in 2022 and 625.1 million in 2021. Like most of the cruise lines operating in North America, Viking profit patterns are extremely positive and debt is being paid down. 

Q – (12.9/24) – No one would deny that this is an unusually honest and helpful site, but I do have one criticism I hope you will consider. Whatever destination or mode of exploration you are discussing, the fact is that we need to fly there. So I think it would be extremely helpful to include more insider air advice whenever it relates to any of the questions posed. Just a suggestion. You seem to avoid air advice rather than take a deep dive into it. 

A –  Fair enough – we are not air experts and, in fact, we do not believe that our business should be processing air arrangements. Our strengths lie in worldwide vacation planning. Air is a much more specialized field than many in the industry would acknowledge. Our approach is to outsource air for our clients to the very best air experts in the nation. We think that air has become a more complex component of the vacation planning matrix. Dynamic pricing and shortages of aircraft, pilots, and air traffic controllers is causing an increasing number of cancellations. So we want everyone we work with to have their own Concierge monitoring their flights for any changes or cancellations. We do not advise purchasing any airline ticket from any online firm that does not provide personalized flight monitoring services. 

If you want to hear airline insider buzz from experts you may want to start following the following sites:

• View from The Wing
• The Cranky Flier
• The Points Guy
• The New York Times Travel Newsletter
• Travel Weekly Magazine
• Travel Pulse

All of that said – we will leave you with just a little bit of gossip/valuable air information that we hope may be useful: 

• When the Chinese tourism market opens up to its full potential, many airline executives expect to see pricing come down on international flights. This is particularly true of some of the better government-owned and controlled carriers.
• US major airlines need to turn a profit – that is not a major issue for several of the world’s leading international carriers based in Asia and particularly the Middle East. Plane for plane – the Middle East currently provides the highest levels of service and dependability in the air. They also have the best record when it comes tot he number of flight cancellations.
• International carriers vary in  terms of how they handle refunds to consumers. Currently, TAP, the airline of Portugal, and Air Canada have the poorest reputation when it comes to refunds related to issues of guest satisfaction.
• Some international frequent fliers will tell you they try to connect overseas through Dulles Airport in Washington D.C. (Although the airport is technically in Virginia) This is particularly true when the flights are headed to the Gulf Region. It is thought that there are “Diplomatic” reasons for favorable pricing.
• It is not a bad idea to do your flight searching with Google flights. They have a feature that allows you to request updates when the price of the flights you are interested in are heading south.

Q – Thanks for this really uniquely honest site. I keep looking for the ads! So nice to see a site where no PR crapola is tolerated. 

My wife and I like to stay in four and five-star hotels when we travel regularly throughout Europe. We are wondering, under normal circumstances, who and how much should we be tipping non-food related staff?

A – This is, of course, a personal question which we will answer – but please do what is most comfortable for you:

Valet/Baggage Handling – 1-2 Euros per bag based on service

Concierge Desk – 5 – 10 Euros for services including dinner reservations or private touring (Dinner reservations should not be more than 5 Euro as the Concierge may well be receiving a kick-back from  the restaurant)

Housekeeping Maids – In the vast majority of hotel properties worldwide, these are the hardest working and most poorly compensated service providers. An envelope with a brief note and a gratuity of 5-10 Euros per night would be truly appreciated and may well help out a family that needs some help. 

Q – We will want to be booking a nice, very nice, Alaska Cruise next summer. We will be joined by four friends and we will want to sail out of Vancouver B.C. or Juneau on a cruise that is somewhere between ten and twelve nights. How do I do my research before taking it to a travel agent?

A – Well, first of all, you don’t need to do your own research. For the commission they will earn, a travel advisor should be willing to get to know you a bit followed by some specific recommendations designed to meet your specific needs. But that said, you may want to start by clicking on the link to www.cruisetruth.com on the bottom of this page. Once on cruise truth (there is no registration required) just go to the cruise database section. There, using a simple drop down menu, you can search for cruises that are ranked among the Top Ten lines by company, date, number of nights, and destination. All of your options will pop up. There are no ads and there is no sales hype. It is a great way to search independently. 

There are no prices. Consumers need to understand that the entire purpose of a travel website is to get you to click and to fall into the waiting arms of a crowded call enter where you will meet someone speaking to you from a small cubicle. They are paid a small commission to get you to book directly because it saves the company a much larger commission built into your quoted fare. No cruise line, or tour operator for that matter, keeps real time availability information on their website. For that, your agent needs to look closely at the real time computer statistics – and they can change by the minute. 

As to pricing – cruises are sold much like hotel rooms. As hotels book up for certain dates, the price of their rooms are raised by complicated algorithms. You would need to work with a qualified advisor or call the cruise line directly to get accurate pricing. Several cruise lines are canceling scheduled sailings in the Orient and Europe and placing additional tonnage in Alaska in anticipation of strong sales next summer. Do try to book your Alaska cruise 14-12 Months in advance. 

Here is a rule of thumb that will help you choose the best overall strategy and time to book:

The “Cruise lines” (3,00-6,000 passenger Floating Walmarts) are not concerned that some of their guests will pay more than others. This is not a major discussion topic in the buffet line. They do last-minute deals, early booking deals, and deals associated with nearly every Holiday you can imagine. 

The inclusive, “TrueLux” top-tier lines cater to a much more sophisticated clientele. They feel they could lose the loyalty of their valued guests if folks who waited until the last minute scored a better price than those who booked early. The norm for the TrueLux Lines (The Top Ten Lines in the World as reported on Cruisetruth.com) is that they raise their pricing every 90-120 days. There may be offers but they always refer to current price levels that can often be significantly higher than the pricing paid by those who booked early.

Q – (12.3.24) – Given all that is involved in traveling overseas on vacation about twice a year, and as a former engineer with a wife who is a CPA, we like to plan our travels almost two years out. As we look at 2026 and beyond, we are struck that neither traveltruth or any of the other major travel sites that we follow seems to have any concerns, as we do, that a Trump presidency, given his criminality and tendency to pull away from support of Europe and Ukraine, will result in waves of anti-tourist and anti-American feelings of a level that could make it really uncomfortable for Americans traveling abroad. You seem unafraid about taking on tough travel industry issues but we wonder why you have been so silent on this one? How do you see Americans being greeted in Spain and Italy, for instance, during the next four years?

A –  You are projecting something that might happen. There is no solid evidence that we have seen that indicates that Europe, or any other part of the world for that matter, will turn its back and put up the “Unwelcome” signs for American tourists spending American dollars in their countries, because we have just elected a government that is to the “right” of what we had. Our clients traveling within Europe since the election are not experiencing any anti-American manifestations.

Yes, there are over-tourism demonstrations in major Italian cities. There were some American tourists who were sprayed with water pistols as they sat in cafes along Laa Ramblas in Barcelona. But the kind of anti-American political rallies you suggest have just not happened. Not yet. That is probably why travel writers, most of whom are rewarded with free trips for every story they publish, have not tried to look ahead to judge what might happen under the Trump second reign.

But you need to also put this into some kind of perspective. As American drifts toward the right so has large sections of Europe. Italy now has a right-wing government, Hungary has a very right-wing government, and the “Right” has made steady progress where their cooperation is now required to form any kind of viable coalition, in France.  So are the Europeans in any position to rally against our domestic politics?

From our research, you may have a point. And that is the other side of the coin. Off the record, we know that two major tour operators are increasing the number of domestic tour programs they will be offering in 2026 while reducing some international destination departures. In  other words, although it has not yet been reported in the travel press, there are some interesting assumptions being made at the highest industry levels that international travel for Americans may well decrease under Trump. 

Our Senior Editor, Richard Turen, reports that several industry leaders are concerned about the way American tourists may be greeted abroad in the near-future. The specifics cited in private, off-the-record interviews, involve the likelihood that before too long video of illegal immigrants being rounded up, placed in detention camps, and forcibly sent back to their country of origin, may dominate news coverage in major European capitals. The widespread video leading newscasts and major news apps may, it is thought, trigger a level of anti-American feelings we have not seen before. This will start in universities and then spread is the dominant theory. But this is just theoretical at this point. 

If the United States does, indeed, as threatened, pull out of the NATO Alliance, that could also create high levels of anti-American feelings in Europe. We have, after all, for better or worse, established ourselves as Europe’s defender. 

You ask why we have been “silent” on this issue. Traveltruth is a consumer-based Q&A site with no ads or PR phony hype. We try to respond to all questions asked. Ours is not a “political” site. There are more than enough of those. But the real reason we have been quiet on this issue is that, thus far, there is little evidence of the kind of anti-American behavior you are suggesting. It is interesting to note that some major travel firms seem to be planning for the eventuality of increasing anti -American tourist sentiment. But even there – let’s be careful about drawing assumptions. We know that a strong anti-tourist movement already exists in many major tourist centers abroad. But anti-tourist or anti-cruise sentiment is not necessarily directed at American citizens or a particular brand of politics. 

AND – there are a number of destinations within the United States where locals are unhappy with the spending habits ashore of mass market cruise tourism. When your meals, entertainment, and credits in the onboard gift shops is included in your fare, the average mass market cruiser is not really motivated to shop and dine to the degree that it really has a positive impact on the local economy.

Q – This site has been really amazing and we use it to guide our future travel planning. Some day we hope to be able to afford your personal services. Like everyone else, we have a bucket list, and Japan is at the top of the list. But we keep hearing that Japan is one of the two or three most expensive cities on earth to visit so we’ve put it off for years. Just wondering your thoughts – we can afford to travel well but we do have limits on what we will spend on any single two-week trip. Should we just take Tokyo off the list?

A – There are several inaccurate assumptions in your question. The news is all good so we are very pleased you took the time to ask us.

The idea that Tokyo is the most expensive city int he world is a long-held travel myth. Some of it has been perpetuated by travel writers and bloggers. In fact, the latest edition of the Economist’s List of the World’s Most expensive cities based on cost of living and travel statistics, shows that of the sixty most expensive cities to visit or live in on earth, Tokyo ranks number sixty. There are 59 worldwide cities that are more expensive than Japan.

We recently returned from our twice-annual Signature vacation with our clients and did a cruise around Japan on Regent Seven Seas preceded by three nights in Tokyo. Our group was so impressed with the costs we encountered that many, among our 53 guests, did a surprising amount of shopping. Prices were that good. 

Absolutely go to Japan and you will quickly see that reports of its high prices are greatly exaggerated. 

In terms of your comment that you hope to be able to afford our “personal services” – we will only state one fact. In 2023, 91% of our transactions and services to our clients were offered on a complimentary basis with no fees of any kind. In 2024, after all is tabulated, we expect that figure to be about the same. 

Forget about us – the fact is that you can normally utilize the experience and knowledge, as well as access, of a top-tier travel advisor on a complimentary basis. AND – please note that if you should decide to make your own arrangements without using a travel advisor, you are still going to pay the built-in travel advisor commission. It is a part of every price quote and direct bookings allow the cruise line, tour operator, or hotel to more than double their profit without informing the consumer as to what they are doing. 

We urge you to keep Japan high on your bucket list.

Q –  I fly a fair amount for business and recently returned from the Orient on Malaysian Airlines where I managed to get a bad case of food poisoning despite flying Business Class. Malaysian has responded to my online account but I am wondering just how common food poisoning is on long-distance international flights? I was wondering if you give your clients any specific advice about what to avoid eating on an aircraft?

A – This has really not been an issue in the airline industry. The airborne food suppliers generally work under strict supervision as a single case of food poisoning, such as yours, can lead to a public relations nightmare. We do not instruct guests in Business as to what foods they should not order but we do recommend that all fliers on longer flights consider putting together their own picnic basket using food outlets in the airport. Of course, those who pay thousands of dollars to fly Business or First Class are unlikely to take this advice. We do urge our three clients who fly economy to consider avoiding meals served in the back of the plane. 

But you asked a serious question so let us share the following:

It is best to avoid food poisoning by avoiding certain products:

• Salads served in the air are usually from a bag and may contain ingredients with some risk of e-coli contamination.
• Fish is risky -particularly raw fish served on some Asian carriers. Avoid uncooked fish.
• Avoid ice cubes in your drinks – trusting that ice is made from purified water in an act of faith best avoided
• Always avoid ordering coffee or tea for reasons enumerated elsewhere on our site.

Now that we have said this – allow us to stress our initial point: Food poisoning traced to onboard cuisine is just not an industry issue. It is a rather rare occurrence. Coach food served aboard aircraft prepared in kitchens in a non-developed country should be avoided. It is acceptable and wise to ask the flight attendant the country of origin for the food you are being served.

We urge our clients to consider a “Picnic at 33,000 Feet”. Have the flight attendant deliver your tray without appetizers or the main entree. Then add your favorite sandwiches prepared fresh in the airport before you boarded and kept in a refrigerated bag. You will enjoy your sandwich(s) and you will have few concerns about food poisoning. 

Q – (11.28.24)  – We are thinking about joining friends who have booked a small ship, I guess you would call it a riverboat line, called Aqua Expeditions sailing the Amazon next year. I looked over the consumer riverboat site, www.riverboatratings.com and could not find Aqua listed among the top five lines. Wondering why?

A – Your friends have made an excellent selection – choosing the very top-rated riverboat experience along the Amazon. Aqua Expeditions is a well-run, high-end, small collection of vessels that ply waterways in South America and in parts of Asia like the Mekong River. They are not ranked, although they are mentioned, on Riverboatratings.com because the site is dedicated to riverboats that ply the rivers in Europe, where Aqua does not operate. From food to personalized service and quality of shore excursions, you will be in the best possible hands with Aqua. Kudos to your friend’s travel advisor. 

One bit of advice – the Amazon River basin is one of the most disease-ridden areas of the world for tourists. You should definitely use the services of a tropical medicine clinic as well as your personal physician to make certain that your shots are all up-to-date as required and recommended. This is not a reason not to go – just a warning that advance preparation and the information provided by a trusted advisor are critically important. 

Currently, there is no small, exclusive Riverboat firm operating where Aqua Expeditions sails that offers a superior product.