Print edition: Subscribe | Manage Account | E-Eagle: Digital Edition
From the high top deck of one of those massive Caribbean cruise ships as it sits at the dock of a tropical island, you usually look down on shopping run amok. Anchored to a pier at Charlotte Amalie in St. Thomas, or in a seaside Jamaican port, or in countless other former ocean villages, the view is one of large, shabby warehouses converted into shopping malls, and featuring the goods of Calvin Klein, Eileen Fisher and Victoria's Secret.
Q: I need your help untangling a flight problem that involves Hotwire, US Airways, United Airlines and Frontier Airlines. A few months ago, we were supposed to fly from Los Angeles to Dallas on US Airways and Frontier. Our first outbound flight was a codeshare flight operated by United.
In November and December, all the major tour operators to Turkey offer 12-night tours of that country's main sights for as little as $1,063, not including airfare. That sum comes to $88.58 per person per night, including excellent accommodations, three meals and all escorted sightseeing.
I picked up the car the next day and returned it on time. When I dropped off the rental, a representative said the computer system was down. But when I got my bill the next month, there was an additional $1,116 charge because of the late pick-up.
As Germany celebrates the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, I can't help remembering my spooky 1971 visit during the Cold War. When we crossed back to the West, tour buses were emptied at the border so mirrors could be rolled under the bus. They wanted to see if anyone was trying to escape with us.
