For years, I didn’t enjoy eating at fine dining establishments. The staff was always overly formal, the menu items were unfamiliar, and the restaurants were rarely transparent about how much it would all cost. Many diners share this sentiment, says Tara Lewis, a trend expert and vice president of consumer expansion at Yelp. “If you … Read more
Victoria M. Walker always overtips on vacation. The travel writer is of the opinion that “tipping should be second nature,” especially when staying at a hotel. Some of her friends don’t feel this way, an uncomfortable truth she learned while on a trip with them. “Some people I travel with aren’t big into tipping,” she … Read more
Over the years, there’s been much ado in the air travel world about the etiquette of reclining your seat into the space of the passenger behind you. Is this an inherently rude act? When is it acceptable? What’s the best way to approach the recline? But amid all this fuss, there’s an overlooked area of … Read more
Is it rude to recline your seat? What’s the best way to ask a fellow passenger to switch spots? What about taking your shoes off during a flight? There are seemingly endless etiquette considerations in the world of commercial air travel. Although some rules and norms are obvious (no, you should not snack on your … Read more
More than half, 56%, of Americans would decline a wedding invitation from a close friend or family member if they felt they couldn’t afford it, according to a recent Bank of America survey. And it appears that the older a person is, the more comfortable they are saying “no.” Gen Z and millennials are less … Read more
Group trips are a great opportunity to explore a new place while bonding with old and new friends. But with so many different personalities at play, tense moments may arise every now and then. Still, there are ways to make the experience more pleasant for everyone. As etiquette experts know, it mainly boils down to … Read more
When it comes to “fake” designer bags and jewelry, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to tell the difference between a knockoff and the genuine article. If you’re wearing or carrying a superfake (or you’re walking around with an authentic piece), curious minds may want to know: Is that Hermès bag the real deal, or just a … Read more
Should you help your hostess with cleaning? Strip the sheets off the bed? Lebowitz: Well, it depends. People who have a lot of help in the house: No, I don’t do that. Someone recently told me they were shocked that someone did that in their house. It’s better to find out how the household is … Read more
If you’ve flown a decent amount, odds are you’ve been in a situation in which a fellow passenger requested to swap seats with you. Perhaps you were in the middle seat between a couple or in the midst of a family with young children and separate seating assignments. Or maybe someone just wanted to trade … Read more
At age 31, I’m perhaps blessed that I’ve only have been asked to be in two weddings. Not because I don’t think weddings are fun (they are!) but because the cost associated with being in a bridal party is cripplingly high. By the time the actual nuptials roll around, I’ve run a marathon of festivities … Read more
