Planning any summer vacations that involve air travel?
If you want to sit with your kids on the flight, be prepared to fork over some extra cash for the privilege.
Several major airlines - including Delta, American and US Airways - have started charging more for window and aisle seats, meaning families will have to pay more to sit together.
Passengers who want to sit next to a spouse, child or friend will have to shell out upwards of $25 each way.
Do you ever dream about taking your family on an amazing family vacation in which you fly first class to London, Paris, or even further afield - perhaps a safari in Africa or snorkeling in the Maldives?
But then the reality of an expensive and harrowing long-haul flight in coach sinks in, and you sigh, starting to plan a trip to see relatives or a quick jaunt to Florida, the Caribbean or the West Coast.
A New Orleans woman who says a Southwest employee told her she was "too fat to fly" is suing the airline for discriminatory action towards obese people.
But Kenlie Tiggeman isn't suing for money, she's suing for information. She wants an industry standard to be put in place for flyers who have to buy a second seat, and she wants the airline to give a better definition of these rules at the point of purchase.
Last May, Tiggeman was traveling with her mother when a gate agent toward her she would not be allowed to fly due to her weight.
My kids are far from spoiled, and I myself had a wonderful upbringing, but every once in a while I look at their lives and say to myself, "In my next life, I want to come back as one of MY OWN kids."
It’s March and everybody’s wondering what to do with the kids this summer. There are endless opportunities to explore and sleepaway camps are in high demand. In the 1980’s, sleepaway camp wasn’t an option for a lower middle-class family like mine. Latchkey kids spent the summer parked in front of the TV.
Proud to say we survived our first week-long getaway as grown-ups with no kids. I'm also proud for the reasons why we were never willing to part with our family for so long. You can only imagine the preparation it took to organize the lives of my four children so we could escape, of course dads always think it's easy because they aren't the kids' concierge.
If you read my post back at New Year's, then you may remember that 2012 is my self-proclaimed "year of fun." And two months in, I think I'm doing a fairly decent job of making good on that resolution.
Looking for a trip to the happiest place on Earth? No, we’re not talking about a certain major theme park - one stay at the Arizona Grand Resort and Spa will completely change your views on family fun!
I’m kind of depressed about the fact that I now use the term “crossover SUV” in conversation. I am a practical person = Practically Speaking. I also try, on those days when I don’t have a kid attached to my leg, to pretend that I could pass as a cool non-mom person - whatever that may be.
Even though the holidays are over, lots of people go on vacation during the winter months.
Whether to escape the cold for somewhere more tropical, or to hit the slopes for a weekend of skiing and snowboarding, it's always nice to get away.
