I’m going to Japan in March and have looked up flights on a few different sites. Roundtrip prices vary as much as $900 depending on where you look. Oof!

Here’s the twist

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Booking a rental property for your next vacation? There’s a scam for that!

Seriously, vacation rental scams are everywhere. Last year alone, Airbnb banned 59,000 fake listings — and stopped 157,000 listings from making it to the site in the first place.

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The airports? Crazy. The weather? Unpredictable. Travel is tough enough … and then your phone dies. Those charging kiosks in airports, hotels and malls can be big timesavers. Their owners promise they’re safe, but the FBI disagrees — and so do I.

Welcome to the newest phase of juice jacking. The phenomenon has been around for more than 10 years. Hackers use public phone charging stations to upload malware to your devices. Then, they ransom your phone or steal your passwords.

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The airports? Crazy. The weather? Unpredictable. Travel is tough enough. But the FBI recently threw a wrinkle in the sheets with a new warning to avoid public phone charging stations.

Those charging kiosks in airports, hotels and malls can be big timesavers, especially for a family on the move. Good news! Owners promise they’re safe. The government disagrees — and so do I. Groan, I know.

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Travel is stressful, no bones about it. But with the right tricks up your sleeve, you can make things so much easier on yourself and anyone coming to see you. And that’s what I’m passing along right now.

So your trip isn’t a total suitcase-strophe! 

Little trackers use signals from other phones to determine where they are located. Toss one in your luggage and you can see whether it made it to your destination or point out to the airlines where they lost it.

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When Airbnb and Vrbo first hit the scene, they were terrific. It was so much cheaper than staying at a hotel. Now? Hotels are coming back. But why?

For one, there are all the Airbnb horror stories — from hidden cameras to a host secretly living in a rental’s attic. Seriously, it happened. And did you hear about the women renting an old Victorian to celebrate their 50th high school reunion? Instead of a fun time, they got bats. Some of the women were even bitten.

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My son bought a camper and is going to live in it. He needs Wi-Fi and I was wondering how I could get this for him? He will be parking at his brother’s house.

— Jill in Montana

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]]> 895544 https://www.komando.com/lifestyle/annoying-people-on-flights/895326/ Mon, 16 Oct 2023 08:00:00 +0000

Delays and traffic are big travel bummers, but what about when the person next to you on the plane is … that guy or gal? You can imagine it, right? All the little things they’re doing that set your teeth on edge? It’s not just you.

Skyscanner, that handy travel search engine, worked with OnePoll to survey 2,000 travelers to see what grates their nerves the most. Here are the results:

Click here to read full story.

]]> 895326 https://www.komando.com/tech-tips/gps-navigation-tips/894497/ Mon, 02 Oct 2023 20:00:00 +0000

Are you the type who turns on GPS navigation no matter where you’re headed, or do you just wing it? You might know where you’re going, but Google Maps, Apple Maps and Waze have a few slick tools beyond plain ol’ directions. That’s why I fire up a mapping app all the time.

For your eyes only

If you want to go somewhere without seeing it pop up on your recent places, turn on Incognito mode. Google Maps won’t keep your search history or update your location history to include this location.

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]]> 894497 https://www.komando.com/lifestyle/best-us-beaches/894043/ Thu, 21 Sep 2023 08:00:00 +0000 https://www.komando.com/?p=894043

Maybe you’re the person who wants to lounge on the sand with an icy drink in hand. Or perhaps you’re like me and want to see as many undersea creatures as possible. Bring on the snorkel, baby. (I’ll take the cocktail after.)

Rightboat combed through 313K+ TripAdvisor reviews to find the most beautiful beaches — with the best chance to spot marine life — across the U.S. We’re talking clear waters, clean beaches and lots of undersea creatures. Now I want to go on vacation. 

Click here to read full story.

]]> 894043 https://www.komando.com/money/best-time-to-book-cruise/893440/ Thu, 07 Sep 2023 08:00:00 +0000 https://www.komando.com/?p=893440

There are two types of people: Cruise people and people like me who would rather do anything else. Don’t get me wrong, I get the appeal. Being stuck on a boat for days on end just isn’t my thing.

For all the friends who have tried to convince me otherwise, this one is for you. We rounded up info on the best times to book to score a hot new cruise or a great deal on a last-minute trip. 

Click here to read full story.

]]> 893440 https://www.komando.com/money/best-day-to-buy-holiday-flights/893122/ Thu, 31 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0000

I love when I get a press release that isn’t more of the same bogus crap claiming, “This groundbreaking technology is going to change the world.” Spoiler: It never will. 

Google Flights just published a new, useful research report about when to buy airline tickets to get the lowest fare. This covers all airlines and doesn’t mean you must purchase your tickets through Google Flights.

Click here to read full story.

]]> 893122 https://www.komando.com/travel-how-tos/flight-tracking-apps/892208/ Thu, 10 Aug 2023 21:00:00 +0000

Let’s be honest. No one loves picking up someone from the airport. If you’ve been chosen for this task, take it as a badge of honor. It means you’re a trusted friend. 

But trusted or not, it doesn’t mean you need to be stuck there waiting to know where they are. Sick of circling or whiling away time in the cell phone lot? You’re going to love this.

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]]> 892208 https://www.komando.com/kims-column/essential-travel-safety-tips/891188/ Sat, 22 Jul 2023 11:00:00 +0000

My friend Mary was on vacation in Rome with her 14-year-old daughter. During their visit, they stopped to take selfies. Spotting their struggle to fit themselves and the grandeur of the backdrop in the frame, a seemingly kind stranger — a man in his 30s — offered to take their picture.

Mary punched in her PIN to unlock her iPhone and handed it over. To her absolute horror, this supposed Good Samaritan turned out to be a thief. He snatched her phone and ran away, leaving Mary and her daughter dumbstruck. Her iPhone was gone, and the thief had her PIN.

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]]> 891188 https://www.komando.com/kims-column/clever-travel-scams/890858/ Sat, 15 Jul 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Every new season, occasion, holiday, natural disaster, you name it, scammers work hard. Vacation seasons are one of their favorite times to pounce.

Some in-person criminals might spy that you’re away and break in. Take steps to make sure your home isn’t a target.

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]]> 890858 https://www.komando.com/security-privacy/how-to-spot-travel-scams/890087/ Wed, 05 Jul 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Scammers are a lot of things: Cruel, insidious and greedy. One thing they are not? Dumb.

Scammers keep getting more creative, and consumers like us must constantly update our knowledge on how to avoid these scams — especially when it comes to travel!

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]]> 890087 https://www.komando.com/tech-tips/save-time-and-money-with-google-maps/883654/ Sat, 01 Jul 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Have an older car? You don’t want to shell out for a brand-new one — especially not in this economy. Here are 10 upgrades to revamp your ride.

It’s getting warmer, and you’re probably itching to hit the road. With gas prices still high, who doesn’t want to save money? And while you’re at it, getting to your destination faster would be nice, wouldn’t it?

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]]> 883654 https://www.komando.com/lifestyle/happiest-travel-destinations/889057/ Wed, 21 Jun 2023 08:00:00 +0000

We all get a limited number of vacation days each year, so when we travel, we’re all trying to get the most joy for our buck. 

Researchers used AI analysis of facial expressions in 63,000 Instagram photos taken at tourist destinations worldwide, showing that not all vacations are created equal — and some places are more grin-inducing than others. 

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]]> 889057 https://www.komando.com/security-privacy/airlines-collecting-private-data/888998/ Tue, 20 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000 https://www.komando.com/?p=888998

How can you tell what airlines are planning? Watch what their manufacturers are marketing. The latest airline expos show the future of flight includes surveillance — not jetpacks. But what happens when an industry that’s so good and nickel-and-diming its tightly-squeezed customers starts gobbling up private data?

If you thought the most invasive thing that could happen on a plane was the person in front of you reclining, think again. 

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]]> 888998 https://www.komando.com/lifestyle/perfect-weather-road-trips/887943/ Thu, 01 Jun 2023 08:00:00 +0000

Muggy summers and soggy springs have you dreaming of a perfect year of weather? Climate scientist and map maker Brian Brettschneider plotted out a year-long road trip across North America, where you’ll always be basking in 70-degree weather.

Not too hot, not too cold

I must admit, a year full of 70-degree days sounds lovely. The catch, of course, is all that time you’ll spend driving. There are a few routes to choose from. Two of them clock in under 8,000 miles, and one adds an East Coast trek for a total of 8,466 miles.

Click here to read full story.

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