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Holiday Travel Shopping 2008
2008-12-17 18:18:00
With the Holiday s literally in our lap, it seemed to sneak up on me this year. Maybe because New York City decided to have warm 60 degree plus weather in mid-December... at least until yesterday. There is something really pretty about Manhattan in the snow. Got a traveler on your Christmas list? Here are four great gift ideas for that person who has travel in their blood.1. City In A BagIf Paris, London, New York or Tokyo is close to your friends heart, you can give a little bit of that city to them! Small wood models of landmark buildings in a bag with a handkerchief map of the city to place the toys on! A fun way to remember that favorite place, and a great deal at just $15.Available at MUJI stores or online from the MoMA store2. Wet Suit BagBeach vacations are fun, but if that swimsuit doesn't dry out before you get going, unpacking can be a messy, smelly and sometimes mildewy mess. Flight 001 offers a special bag just for this problem. Specially treated to keep itself clean, it...
More About: Shopping , Travel

Reviewing Red: A Look at Virgin America's In Flight Entertainment
2008-12-16 16:55:00
When Virgin America came to life last year, they promised a brand new flying experience, a premium low-cost experience built around purple lights and Red screens. Red, their in flight entertainment experience, is a powerful system, but still doesn't seem to work all that well - even after a year plus.First, here's where Red shines the best. Their in flight information is among the best out there. Using Google maps, the system lets you zoom in over particular areas you are flying and seems to update fairly quickly. The best part of the system, is that the bottom pop up bar that can be used to change channels can keep the flight information available to you with just a quick swipe to the screen.Also, you can quickly and easily order a snack or a meal through their services as well, and with 24 channels of live TV, plus a wide selection of music, movies and foreign language options makes the system very powerful.There will be some internet connectivity, and the system is set up to ha...
More About: Entertainment , Reviewing

1 Picture = 1000 Words: Denver From The Sky
2008-12-15 15:24:00
Denver looks amazing from above. What strikes me the most is the way the western edge of the city just seems to end and really moutainous regions just begin. There's something really stunning about that.(Picture Taken aboard Virgin America Flt 23, 12/11)
More About: Words , Denver

Cruise Lines Eliminating Fuel Surcharges
2008-12-10 17:21:00
It's about time things got better for the consumer this holiday season. With the cost of oil now 70% below its summer peak, its a really hard sell to keep fuel surcharges in the fare. Last week, the Carnival family of cruise lines pulled the plug on the fuel surcharges, refunding everyone who paid them and is sailing on or after December 18. Other cruise lines have followed suit as well, including Royal Caribbean and Norwegian as well as many other smaller lines in the last week. They all will end their fuel surcharges for sailings leaving January 1, 2009 or later. Will this be a temporary suspension?We're betting the answer is yes. Carnival Corporation, in their press release says that once the price of crude hits $70 again, its game on with a $9 per day fuel surcharge. Other cruise lines, have the bar set lower at just $65 per barrel. And just because you book now, doesn't mean that if the price of oil jumps again that you will be immune. The press releases seem to be worded wi...
More About: Fuel

Virgin America Expands to Boston
2008-12-09 20:56:00
Airline expansion is not exactly the in thing these days. First ridiculous fuel costs, then a deep recession has made contraction, rather than expansion the rule. But this isn't the case with low cost carrier Virgin America which has announced its eighth and only new destination for 2009, Boston .The five daily flights, to San Francisco make sense for the fledgling carrier as the Boston-San Francisco route is underserved. This could be a little bit of trouble for an already strapped United, and a bit of salvation for Virgin America whose load factors have led to underwhelming performance.Will this help Virgin reach a break even point in 2010? Only time will tell, but this is long haul expansion that makes sense for the somewhat troubled carrier.

Airlines Go Merger Crazy!
2008-12-08 18:05:00
Don't look now, but soon there may be just one or two airlines to choose from. Or at least so it seems. The tough economy has left a lot of airlines easy pickings for the stronger in a relatively weak field to consolidate and grow.Delta and Northwest combined just a couple months ago, Lufthansa recently completed its acquisition of Austrian Airlines , joining Swiss to its stable of fellow airlines. And now, its sight is set on Alitalia... as the italian bankruptcy mess sorts itself out. Alitalia, before any other airline gets its hands on it, is looking to merge with its rival Italian carrier "AirOne." Air France/KLM has its sight set on Alitalia too, so Lufthansa is taking no chances, setting up "Lufthansa Italia," a six plane airline based in Milan.In the meantime, British Airways is building its own empire, looking to merge with both Spain's Iberia Airways and Australia's Qantas. Not to mention each of these European players has a stake in US Airlines. AirFrance/KLM are extreme...
More About: Crazy

Cheap Date: Paris
2008-12-04 18:20:00
Paris is an attractive city to visit for a lot of reasons, but price is not one of them. Fortunately, it doesn't have to be an expensive place to visit either, by and large you can make Paris a cheap date.ShelterFor people on an extreme budget, St. Christopher's Hostel looks like a good match. With prices as low as 20 Euros per night, if you don't mind sharing a room with ten other people - it might be the right fit for you.There are a number of cheap hotels available within Paris as well. 50-60 Euro a night rooms are possible to be found once you're there, but they generally are pretty nasty rooms and you'll share bathrooms with the whole floor. If a nice, inexpensive hotel experience is what you're after there is just the right place for you.Mama Shelter is the place to stay in my opinion. Free internet access and a really nice room and bed. En suite bathrooms and all for as low as 79 Euros a night, which is a steal for a boutique Paris hotel. In the 20th, just off Pere Lach...
More About: Paris , Cheap

Oceania Ship Attacked
2008-12-02 19:42:00
Some disturbing news in today's USA Today. Oceania 's Nautica cruise ship was the victim of a piracy hijack attempt in the Gulf of Aden. The 1000 passenger ship was able to outrun the six armed pirates in speedboats who shot at the cruise ship. Although freight ships have been hijacked with alarming frequency in that region, cruise ships have not been among those affected in the Gulf of Aden.Probably because many ships don't sail in that region of the world. Cruise ships are extremely expensive pieces of equipment and cruise lines make their money only by having a product thats perceived as both enjoyable and safe. To that end, cruise lines act in an abundance of caution when planning their sailings. For a good example, look at how often itineraries can change in the Caribbean when there is a storm in the area. NCL took a hit a few years ago when a rogue wave slammed against the Dawn. Untrue rumors and accusations even hit the line that they had purposely put the ship in risky wat...

What's With "Local Payments?"
2008-12-01 16:46:00
Many adventure travel companies offer easy ways to see the world beyond the big city, fancy hotel method that most travelers are accustomed to. By venturing into smaller cities and lesser known locales, these companies can often give you a wonderful valuable time, and usually for a relatively decent price. But what's with that "local payment?"On its surface, it sounds like a hidden charge and a way for the tour company to milk a few extra dollars out of you along the way. The truth is that this fee is actually a great way to save money, and a hallmark of a responsible travel company. Local payments stay local, and when the order of the day is putting together an out of the way location, its often the easiest way to get the money to the local hosts and hotels."Local payment is common in Adventure Travel," says Robert Sharp of Out Adventures. "It helps keep cash in the local communities and the costs down because the money would otherwise have to be wired over." In many cases, these ...

1 Picture = 1000 Words
2008-11-26 18:16:00
Authentic Irish breakfast.Originally uploaded by ThisWorldTravelerWith a short layover in Ireland, I experienced what I could in the airport. An authentic Irish breakfast. Sausage, bacon, black pudding, white pudding, beans, egg, tomato, potato and a piece of bread.It's a nice Irish touch to an airport otherwise devoid of personality.Happy Thanksgiving to all our readers. We'll be back Friday, or Monday if we haven't shaken off the Turkey coma by then.
More About: Picture , Words

Gay Travel Gets Adventurous
2008-11-25 18:31:00
In this economy, if there is one part of the travel industry that is actually still growing, its gay travel. In recent years, many large players in the travel business have started to court what some people call the "pink dollar." American Airlines has a gay themed microsite, Continental Airlines showed up at the New York City Gay Life Expo this past month, even major travel agencies have rainbow flags at the bottom of their ads these days. But the focus has been mostly on cruises and luxury tours. And there's only so much of an awakening you can get poolside.Enter, Out Adventures, a new concept in gay travel. The Toronto based company, still in its first year, offers a dizzying choice of expeditions across the globe in a gay friendly environment, and at a price more affordable than many other gay friendly tour operators, thanks to their partnership with Adventure Travel heavyweight, Intrepid Travel. So what makes a gay adventure, a gay adventure? Robert Sharp, founder of Out Adven...

Attention Tom Hanks: Your Sequel to The Terminal is at Gate 6
2008-11-24 17:39:00
Lots of people travel to see weird things... but this situation might take the cake. A Japanese traveler flew to Mexico City a couple months ago, apparently he decided that the terminal food court was the ideal place to spend an open ended vacation. He flew there on September 2, and still hasn't left the terminal. Apparently, by literally living in the terminal, he isn't breaking any laws as long as he leaves when his tourist visa expires, which isn't for another three months.Mexico has apparently fallen in love with Airport guy as well, with him doing daily features on Mexican TV believe it or not. And apparently he's become a tourist attraction in his own right. It's a funny story, but kind of sad for Mexico when you think about it. How bad is it for Mexico City when one of your hottest attractions is a homeless Japanese guy in the airport?
More About: Gate , Terminal , Tom Hanks

What Kind of Airline Am I Flying?
2008-11-21 17:20:00
When air travel is discussed in the American media, it seems that certain buzzwords are thrown out quite a bit. "Legacy Airlines," "Low Cost Carriers," and "Ultra Low Cost Carriers" get thrown around quite a bit. But explanations over what those terms mean seem to come few and far between. So, in a quest to end some confusion, here's a list of the three main types of airlines flying the skies and examples of each.1. Legacy AirlinesLegacy Airlines is a buzzword that has been thrown out a lot recently. These tend to reflect airlines with long histories that have a large route and feeder structures. They also have a tendency to have a large international network and will have at least two classes of service on most flights. These are the big, mainstream airlines that most people have heard of for years. They used to differentiate themselves by greater service on board flights than other airlines, although economic challenges have ended that practice by and large. Part of the challenge...
More About: Flying

How is the Recession Affecting Cruises?
2008-11-20 19:58:00
The economy is really starting to effect the travel industry. Cruise lines are no exception. Facing a large growth in passenger capacity due to expanding fleets among the major cruise lines, the seemingly deep global recession that is approaching is starting to affect the cruise line's bottom line. The main solution: stay closer to home.When fuel was the problem, the answer was simple: add a fuel surcharge. But with the price of oil literally one third of its peak this summer, the surcharge looks and feels greedy. Most major cruise lines have at least partially ended that practice. However, operations are getting more expensive over time and revenues aren't exactly increasing. Pricing hasn't increased generally for cruising over the last 15 to 20 years, but the ships have become larger and more expensive. The cruise industry appears to be on its way to have a razor thin profit margin. Billion dollar ships won't pay for themselves with $500 cruise fares. And in a competitive mark...
More About: Cruises

Southwest comes to New York. Eventually.
2008-11-19 22:43:00
It looks like Southwest , the low cost carrier that grew to enormous proportions based on a strategy of using under-utilized secondary airports is now poised to fully crack the New York City market sometime next year.According to the Houston Chronicle, Southwest is buying the operating certificate and gates and slots of now defunct ATA Airlines for 7+ million dollars. This will allow Southwest to fly 7 flights a day in and out of New York City proper. Currently, the airline has operations out of Islip on Long Island, but does not fly out of any of the major airports in the New York area. When these flights will start isn't exactly clear. The current slots are leased to AirTran Airways and will be in use through at least sometime in 2009, unless Southwest can buy out those leases earlier.Also, Southwest is purchasing ATA's operating certificate which may allow Southwest to begin international operations to Mexico and the Caribbean, something that ATA once did and that Southwest is l...

1 Picture = 1000 Words
2008-11-18 16:13:00
The Queen Elizabeth 2 in the North Atlantic, October 2008.The ship is currently finishing up its run as an ocean liner, having run for Cunard for 40+ years. It served as a transport ship for the British Navy during the Falklands War in the 1980's. It's currently on its way to Dubai where it will be restored and permanently docked next to an artificial island as a luxury hotel.
More About: Picture , Words

Cheap Date: New York City
2008-11-17 17:06:00
The greatest cities in the world are often some of the most expensive cities in the world to stay in. However, with a little know how, and a sense of adventure, a great vacation in a world-class city can be made on a tin can budget. This is the first of an occasional series on this world traveler to show just how easy it can be. This week: New York City .HousingFor a city of 8 million, affordable hotel availability seems relatively scarce. Even a Holiday Inn Express can run upwards of $200 a night on any given weekday. Staying across the Hudson in New Jersey might save you some cash, and looking into hotels near JFK airport might also save you some money, even though they are quite far away from most of the sights and scenes of the New York City that is worth experiencing. For the more adventurous, Loftstel might be the right place to stay. No private rooms, all bedrooms are shared with at least three other people, the stay seems like its in its own enclosed NYC house with gorgeous k...
More About: Cheap

Nicaragua's Hidden Gem: "La Flor" Preserve
2008-11-14 14:20:00
Barely registering in most Central American guidebooks, the small fishing village of San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua is home to something truly awe-inspiring; the Olive-Ridley sea turtle. These large, endangered animals literally swim across the world for years, returning to the same beach season after season to nest and rejuvenate their population. Doing so in large numbers, a “grand arrival” is a sight to be seen – where hundreds of turtles are seen just off the seashore, coming in together to provide greater safety in numbers.“La Flor” is the beach where these masses of turtles congregate each year to nest on a pristine crescent beach off the Pacific Ocean. Just 30 minutes or so by van from San Juan del Sur, this preserve is one of the few select places where these turtles return year after year. And thanks to active efforts by the Nicaraguan government, one of the few places where nesting has not been in decline. In 2007, the beach welcomed roughly 200,000 new nests to its...
More About: Hidden

Welcome New Readers!/Some Cruise News
2008-11-13 16:33:00
First off, I would like to welcome you to my little blog. It seems I broke some news with Cruise Value Center's demise and although its an unfortunate event that brought you here, I hope you can find some advice and some news worth coming back for. In particular, given the reason many of you are here in the first place is because a major travel agency went under. If you aren't affected by this particular mess, you could easily be affected by another as the economy continues to crumble. Here's some information on how you can take steps to protect your travel investment.Also, earlier this year, I talked about the different kinds of travel agents that exist and what you should expect from each. Remember all travel agents are not created equal.Finally, if you are looking for the information about Cruise Value Center, just scroll down or click here.Norwegian Spirit to get faceliftIn other cruise news, "freestyle" cruisers NCL is bringing the Norwegian Spirit in for drydock this month ...
More About: News , Readers

Your Alitalia Update: Saved but On Strike
2008-11-12 14:18:00
One of Europe's most troubled major airlines, Alitalia, is in a good news, bad news kind of state at the moment. At one point, the beleaguered carrier was within hours of shutting down, unable to pay for fuel on more than a day to day basis. However, a new set of investors appeared that the Italian government could live with, and EU regulators approved the deal this week - with a nice little bonus. They ruled that the 300 million Euro bailout loan that the Italian government gave Alitalia was illegal and therefore doesn't have to be paid back by the new owners.However, the news isn't all rosy. Alitalia workers upset at the thought of layoffs and restructuring, even though the unions by and large accepted the deal, are sort of on strike. The whole airline isn't shut down, because its not a stoppage strike - but rather a work to rule stoppage. This means that employees are working the bare minimum the contracts require and not a minute more. So far this as resulted in around 200 f...
More About: Update

Cruise Value Center folds: 3 Ways to Protect Your Investment
2008-11-11 16:05:00
Sources tell me that long time wholesale agency Cruise Value Center went out of business yesterday after about 15 years in business, taking with it about 75 jobs. Apparently the entire office was let go midday yesterday, but the website is still up although there is no longer any answer to their phones. Cruise Value Center was one of the largest wholesalers in the country, placing about 100,000 passengers on cruises and tours annually. Many of these people may be affected. To the extent that they are may not be so clear yet.However, if affected by this closure or any closure - the following steps can be taken to minimize any loss.1. Check your reservation with your travel provider (Cruise Line, Tour company, etc.) directly. Your reservation may be paid in full with the travel provider in which case, you're fine. Your trip is still safe and there will be no problems on your vacation - especially if you already hold your tickets or are able to print out your documentation from the tr...
More About: Investment

TSA Relaxing Security?
2008-11-09 18:51:00
The most annoying thing about flying can be trying to figure out which items you can take and which you can't when you fly. The liquid ban that the US started a couple years ago and rippled throughout the world has made it difficult to travel with things like bottles of wine, or even shampoo, may finally be drifting off into the sunset.Apparently, the TSA is planning to ease or eliminate the liquid ban for flyers sometime in 2009. The reason being that screeners now have equipment available to them that can differentiate between explosive liquids and just plain water, or deodorant or toothpaste. In the USA Today last week, TSA Chief Kip Hawley called it "a major step."Truth is, this always seemed silly liquid explosives on planes are very difficult to use, detonate or even produce. The likelihood of liquid explosives being used in a terror attack is probably close to 0. Even that scare the UK had turned out to be more theoretical than practical. The truth is, I could bring my full ...
More About: Security , Relaxing

Delta finally caves, charges for first checked bag.
2008-11-06 17:19:00
For months, Delta stood alone. The last of the legacy carriers to allow passengers to check a bag has finally caved to peer pressure, however, and effective December 5, this policy is no more. Starting next month, any Delta passenger checking a bag will be charged $15 for that first bag checked on a domestic flight. (First Class and Elite frequent fliers are exempt.) However, the new baggage policy and other fee announcements aren't bad news for everyone.In fact, if you normally check two bags? It's now cheaper to do so on Delta. Instead of charging a fee for each bag, Delta charged a relatively high $50 fee for the second bag checked, inconveniencing roughly 20-25% of passengers who check bags instead of everyone. By spreading the pain around, the second checked bag fee is now going to be $25 instead of $50. Net savings if you pack heavy? Ten bucks.This does now leave just JetBlue, Southwest and AirTran as the only major domestic airlines to allow free checked bags aboard. Althou...
More About: Finally

Ryanair Threatens Transatlantic Service Again
2008-11-06 00:09:00
The economic downturn is hitting everyone hard, and airlines already challenged by a year plus of high fuel costs are no exception. So expansion isn't something we are normally hearing about in the airline industry.But Ryanair is again talking major expansion... across the Atlantic, despite tough financial times. If it happens? Who knows. The plans are vague, but they're there. Two to three years from now, Ryanair flies to L.A., New York, Boston, Florida and San Francisco. Starting seat rates? About $15 each way. Sounds great! Except for the actual flying experience, and that it's not terribly likely to happen.Ryanair's profit fell 47% in its most recent report, and it expects a loss over the next six months. In fact, CEO Michael O'Leary forecasts that in Europe, the only airlines left standing when the economy finally recovers will be Lufthansa, Air France, British Airways and Ryanair. In fact, in order to make ends meet, Ryanair is forcing a week's vacation, unpaid, on the w...
More About: Service

3 Ways to Protect Your Travel Investment
2008-11-04 17:07:00
Travel costs money. Whether the cost is for a simple one-way flight or an elaborate cruise or tour, what you spend is an investment. In education, enjoyment or business, and it deserves to be protected. As economic times get increasingly difficult, protecting your investment is more important than ever. There are three simple things that you can do to make sure that your travel dollars are well spent and well protected.1. Take Travel InsuranceNobody views insurance as important when it comes to vacation. It is. Not just in case you get sick abroad and your insurance doesn't cover you, but also in case unforeseen events prevent your travel. Maybe you've gotten laid off? Travel insurance will have you covered. In the hospital, or stuck in a hurricane? Ditto. Those are obvious scenarios, but there is one that merits more consideration these days. What if your travel provider goes out of business?Insurance covers that, and if you can't get your cash back from what used to be Skybus, ...
More About: Travel , Investment

Carnival Caves on Fees, Avoids Lawsuit?
2008-04-01 17:23:00
Carnival Corporation caved on its plan to retroactively charge people for fuel surcharges today, according to USA Today. This move saves the company a lot of future trouble and allows them to back out gracefully of a bad faith $40 million windfall the company had basically extorted out of their consumers.Here's the back story. On November 7, Carnival announced a $5 per passenger per day fuel surcharge to cover the rising cost of fuel. This is a common way for travel providers to hide a fare increase without having to share the increased fare with travel agents who are often paid commission. What made this particular fuel surcharge so awful, was that Carnival applied the fee retroactively. If the traveler has yet to sail, but has a cabin booked, extra charges of up to $140 per cabin applied. The only exception was for people who were already paid in full by the day before the announcement was made. Thousands of travelers lost, Carnival Corporation won to the tune of $40 million. Roy...
More About: Carnival , Lawsuit , Fees , Caves

North Korea Opens Its First Hostel... in Berlin
2008-03-25 19:07:00
Where you sleep when you visit Berlin may just have become political again. According to Bloomberg News, the North Korea n government is taking some of its unused embassy space, left over from when their operations were much larger in the former East German capital, and turning a section of their building into a Hostel .Expected to open in May, Cityhostel Berlin will include a Korean restaurant and a Grand Piano apparently. The cost per night? 20 Euros a night (or roughly $31) for a bed. That's actually on the high end of competitive for Berlin, where even in high season, dorm beds generally run for about 14 or 15 Euros a night. But they don't get the added benefit of funding one of the world's most repressive and horrifying regimes in the process. Sometimes it makes sense to consider where your travel dollar is going. A lot of hostels in the developing world can make you wonder if the money you are spending is going to the community around you, or going back to the owner's home c...
More About: North Korea

Putting the Scare in US Airways
2008-03-25 05:16:00
It's been a difficult couple of days for US Airways . Already burdened with a not-so-good reputation, two unrelated events definitely didn't help matters today, giving the beleaguered carrier another black eye, or two.First, a piece of a wing fell off a US Airways flight, cracking a passenger's window. The 757 lost about eight square feet of wing in mid-air while en route to Philadelphia. There was some minor damage to the tube, a cracked window, but ultimately nothing terribly serious - although extremely scary. The flight didn't even cut itself short, electing not to divert to BWI. There were no injuries, although at least one passenger did lose her cookies in fright, according to some news reports.However, the other piece of scary news involves a pilot mistaking his cockpit for a firing range, accidentally shooting a gun while landing in Charlotte this Saturday. Seriously. Nobody injured here and pilots are allowed to carry arms, thanks to some panic legislation in the wake of...
More About: Putting

The South Shore Line
2008-03-25 01:53:00
Lately, I've been thinking about trains a lot. It might have a lot to do with the fact that I've been reading a lot of Paul Theroux lately. It might also have to do with my impending move to New York City and giving up my car. This means that most of my short to medium trips will suddenly take place on rails rather than tires. I've always loved the train. We lived near the Amtrak rails to Detroit, and the city I lived in revolved around the South Shore Line .The commuter railroad which runs between South Bend and Chicago is enjoying a renaissance and is now the 10th largest Commuter Rail system in the country, despite having only one rail line. Each year five million passengers take a seat on the silver Japanese rail cars. But when I was younger, the South Shore was a different animal, wheezing on life support and way past its prime.I remember riding the rails with my mother to the South Side of Chicago when she went to work. We'd grab a donut next to the old station in downtown ...

This Week In Link: Best of the Web
2008-03-23 13:00:00
Hard times. All over the place. Beat of Hawaii talks about Aloha Airlines becoming the latest airline to enter, or in their case re-enter, bankruptcy. But how bad is the economy when brothels have to shut down? The oldest one in Hamburg is shuttering, Gadling has the scoop.Flying with bad weather? The potential to have a completely FUBAR'd schedule is there. One of my favorite blogs, Cranky Flier, gives you a guide to making it work.And with JetBlue introducing more legroom for premium prices, Gridskipper has twelve things that they would totally pay extra for.
More About: Link , Week