Pauline Frommer's Daily Briefing

Boo Hiss! Spirit Airlines Adds Its Most Outrageous Fee Yet

2012-02-02T12:00:00.000-05:00

You know you're in trouble when the airline fees start getting metaphysical.

How else to explain Spirit Airlines' new $2 "Department of Transportation Unintended Consequences" fee? The airline is claiming that the DOT's new requirement that airlines allow passengers to cancel a ticket within 24 hours of booking with no penalty will lose them so much money (by forcing them to hold seats for people who may not end up buying them) that they need to charge everyone $2 more to make up for their losses.

Never mind the fact that Delta, and other more consumer-friendly carriers, have been extending this courtesy to travelers for years now, without whining about lost revenue.

"Unintended consequences" fee? I'd call it the "sore losers fee". Shame on you Spirit!

Savings at the Pump

2012-02-01T00:01:00.000-05:00

Hotels, car rentals, airfares--those are the elements of a vacation that most travelers budget for carefully. Many overlook the cost of fuel, which is risky because sometimes getting stuck at a pricey pump can mean the difference between having enough of your per diem a nice meal out--or grabbing a cheap burrito at said gas station.

Seth Kugel, the New York Times' Frugal Traveler, hit upon a good way of saving on gas for the next two months. He holds a Chase Freedom credit card and lucky guy, its giving 5% cash back on all fuel purchases. So he remembered to pull out that card when he hit the gas pumps on his recent visit to Texas.

Grocery shopping in the right store can also help at the pump. The Kroger's chain of stores has had a popular "Save on Fuel" program for some time now. Its details vary from region to region, but it rewards shoppers who spend a certain dollar amount on prescriptions or food, with savings at the pump.

Warehouse store members--BJ's, Sam's Club and Costco in particular--also make out well on fuel outlays. They do so buy gassing up at these warehouse stores, which often feature much lower prices for gas, available exclusively to their members.

A final strategy for savings? Use the website and app GasBuddy.com to find out which gas station will be cheapest in the area you're visiting.

Gotta Talk Airlines Once Again...

2012-01-31T07:02:00.000-05:00

Because, just as I feared, Congress may try to strike down the Department of Transportation's sensible new rules (see my earlier blog on what those are).

Score one for the airline lobby! And congratulations to Spirit Airline. Your paranoid email to customers (twisting the new regulations to make them seem like a Big Brotherish attempt to hide taxes, rather than a consumer-friendly measures to curb deceptive advertising practices by the airlines) have been effective. Yesterday, Republican Congressman Tom Graves introduced a bill striking down the requirement that the airlines include taxes in the airfares they advertise.

I'll urge you all, once again, to write to your congress people and senators and let them know you think the DOT rules make sense. That you don't want to have to wade through pages of booking forms before you see what the actual prices are. That you're in favor of luggage fees and other fees being clearly listed. To write to your Congressperson, click here. For the address of your senator, click here.

And on the European airlines front...

I'd like to draw your attention to an important article by Bloomberg News on Spanair's shaky brethren. The writers call them "Zombie Airlines", carriers that are only flying because of heavy governmental subsidies, subsidies that could well disappear soon. I highly recommend reading the piece if you're planning on flying to Europe in the next several months. It might be a good spur to buy travel insurance...or choose a more financially stable carrier.

Chaos at the Airport: The Demise of Spanair

2012-01-30T08:38:00.000-05:00

By law, airlines in Spain are not supposed to abruptly cease operations, as Spanair did last Friday. The Spanish government is suing the defunct airline for stranding some 22,000 passengers over the weekend (lotsa luck with that fellows!). But that will do little to help the thousands of travelers who are still searching for a way to get home (or left with worthless reservations for future travel).

Spanair flies into the sunset

This morning, Spanair released its first real message to those passengers, advising them of their (limited) options. Apparently, the company is working with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to issue refunds for all those who purchased Spanair tickets through travel agents. Whether or not those refunds materialize is yet to be seen. Those who booked directly with Spanair using credit cards are instructed to apply to their credit card companies for refunds or contact their travel insurance companies for help.

The note further points out that those tickets issued by Spanair for flights on other members of the Star Alliance may no longer be valid. So if you booked in this fashion, be sure to check the status of your reservation as soon as possible. Spanair is listing the numbers of its call center for those seeking help over the phone. They are 900 13 14 15 for those currently in Spain; and from outside Spain: +34 971 916 047.

A number of other airlines, including Spain's flagship carrier Iberia, Air Europa and Veulig will be offering discounted tickets to those stranded. Finding those discounts on their sites, however, takes some searching. And these tickets are all for previously scheduled flights, many of which may already be full. It does not appear that any of these airlines will be adding to their flight schedule to accommodate former Spanair passengers. Oy.

Spanair had been the fourth largest Spanish carrier, its reach extending beyond the Iberian Peninsula to the Africa and other areas of Europe.

Freebie Friday: Get Hitched In Vegas...On The House

2012-01-27T00:01:00.002-05:00

The new Las Vegas Mob Museum is making couples an offer they can't refuse.

To celebrate the opening of the new museum on February 14, seven lucky couples will get to tie the knot or renew their vows in the museum's historic courtroom. Presiding over the weddings will be museum founder, and exuberant ex-Mayor Oscar Goodman.

But that's not all these seven lucky couples get. (And no,, it has nothing to do with cement shoes.) In addition to the ceremony, will receive airfare to Vegas from anywhere in the US, flowers, photography, a champagne brunch, a $250 shopping spree at the Fashion Show Mall and a two-night stay at the just fine El Cortez Hotel (yes, the area its in is seedy, but El Cheapo--as the locals call it--was renovated quite recently, so the guest rooms are as lovely as anything you'd find on the Strip). Not bat at all!

The seven winners will be drawn at random. To get in the game, click here.

I'll actually be at the opening of the Mob Museum, so I'll chuck some rice your way if you win! Good luck!

World's Best Tour Guides? Possibly..If You Can Afford Them

2012-01-26T09:32:00.001-05:00

Interested in going on safari with a former NFL cheerleader turned PhD, who has won two Emmy's for her TV show "National Geographic Ultimate Explorer"? Or how about taking some ski runs with an Olympic gold medalist in the sport?

It can be arranged.

A new website called Zozi is making a name for itself by pairing world-class athletes and outdoorsmen (and women) with would-be adventurers. Its prices can be high. Book the safari mentioned above with Mireya Mayer and the 20-hour overnighter (its billed as a "Sunset Safari") will cost you a whopping $1500 per person. Learning to kayak from World Record holder Tao Berman will set you back $1200.

Still for some wealthy adventurers, the outlay may be worth it. To learn more, click on the link above. Zozi also arranges less high profile (and pricey) adventures in spots around the globe.

Fare Transparency: Good for Consumers, Alarming to Spirit Airlines (and Other Carriers)

2012-01-25T15:54:00.002-05:00

The look of airfares is going to change tomorrow.

No, they're not going up. But they may look that way, thanks to a smart new law. The Department of Transportation is now requiring that carriers advertise their fares with taxes included. So no more finding a great fare, and clicking on an ad only to find that with taxes and fees, its out of your price range.

Most consumers are darn pleased about this new fare transparency.

The airline industry? Not so much.

In fact, yesterday Spirit Airlines sent out a warning letter to its customers playing on everyone's most paranoid, big government fears. It read (in big, bold black and red type): "WARNING: New government regulations require us to HIDE taxes in your fares." Spirit goes on to say that including the tax in the fare will allow the government to up it without anyone noticing.

Its a rich conceit, especially coming from an airline that's made millions hiding its extra fees from travelers (everything from fees for carrying bags onto planes to fees for getting a ticket printed at the airline counter).

At the end of it, Spirit suggests that travelers contact their Senators and Congressmen to complain about the new regulations. A link is provided to making do so easier.

So do what I did: click on the link and use it to thank Department of Transportation Secretary Ray La Hood for introducing some sanity into the way airfares are advertised. The new regulations are a great improvement and will make booking a vacation a less fraught challenge than it used to be.

Other long-awaited regulations that go into effect tomorrow:

Airlines must print, in a prominent place on your reservation, the cost of baggage fees
Customers now have the right to cancel fares within 24-hours of purchase with no penalty
Baggage rules and fees won't change on code-shared flights from airline to airline if that flight originates or ends in the US
After you've paid for your ticket, you can no longer be charged additional fees later for that ticket. Also, the bag fees that were in effect when you booked will be the ones you'll be charged, even if they've gone up in the intervening months.

Hooray for good governance!

Buy Airline Tickets Six Weeks Ahead of Your Flight to Save

2012-01-24T00:01:00.000-05:00

I love number crunchers. Especially when they help save me money.

And that's what the lovable geeks at the Airlines Reporting Corp have done.They looked at airfare transactions, millions of them, from the last four years and found that those who booked tickets six weeks ahead of travel paid 6% less than the average fare on that route. Not surprisingly, those who waited until the day of the flight paid a whopping 40% more than the average fare on that route. In fact, if you look at the nifty chart they posted, you'll see that prices start to rise sharply about 7 days before the flight date, and go up each day one waits.

How does ARC have all this data? Its the company that handles transactions between the United States' travel agents and airlines.

Just thought you'd like to know!

Ah, Paris in the Springtime! Won't You Join Me There?

2012-01-23T00:01:00.002-05:00

For the second year in the row, I'm going to be getting a little friendlier on my travels.

By which I mean, instead of traveling solo (or just with my family), I'm going to be accompanying a group of Travel Show listeners to Paris, Provence and the French Riviera on a GoAhead Tour. We'll be heading out on April 30, arriving in Nice and then spending two nights there, three nights in lovely Aix en Provence, jumping the high speed train to Paris for three nights there.

It should be a hoot! And what a time to go: the tourist crowds won't yet have descended, the weather will be perfect, the sidewalk cafes will be filled, and all the restaurants will be open. Yes, sometimes I really do have quite an enviable job!

I did this sort of tour last year, and I have to say, it went very, very well. A lot of the credit goes to GoAhead Tours who hired the best tour director I've ever met for our joint Sicilian tour. A spitfire of a gal named Linda, she was incredibly witty, friendly and resourceful. Linda dealt with every problem that arose with grace and dignity (and when you travel in groups, problems do arise. The airline lost baggage, an elderly passenger's purse was snatched, etc., etc). But beyond that, she helped turn our group of strangers into a real little family. I've been invited to several reunions of tour members here in NYC--people who didn't know each other before, but became fast friends in Italy.

I keep writing about the listeners who took last years tour, but in reality, the tour is open to anyone who wants to come, which is why I decided to post the information here. And those who book before the end of this month will get a freebie: an optional "Evening in Paris" excursion, which includes a river cruise and dinner!

For complete information, click here. Prices listed include airfare and all taxes and fees (no surprises!).

Hope to see you in France this spring!

Supporting Tourism to Create New Jobs

2012-01-20T09:05:00.001-05:00

The US Government took several important steps this week with the goal of improving access to America's tourist sites.

Cuyahoga Valley (Photo by M. Webb)

The first was a practical measure. The Department of Transportation announced a grant of nearly $41 million to improve transportation to and within our nation's national parks, forests and wildlife refuges. The money will be used not only to improve access roads, but also to set up greener methods of transportation within the parks for visitors.

What does that mean? Well, the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railway was one of the 58 projects to receive funding. Some $3 million will go towards improving its infrastructure, an important goal as building ridership to the railway will significantly decrease the number of cars clogging the roads in this pristine wilderness area. New and greener busses are also planned for a number of areas, to replace individual cars, and shuttle visitors rapidly around parks.

For a complete list of the projects being supported, click here.

The bureaucratic hurdles to visiting the United States are also going to be addressed. Yesterday, President Obama, in a speech at DisneyWorld, announced that the US State Department would finally be tackling visa delays. Its a problem that has discouraged millions of would-be tourists and business travelers from entering the US ever since stricter measures were enacted after 9/11 in 2001.

The President promised that by the end of 2012, the State Department would accelerate visa processing by 40% in both China and Brazil, two of the fastest growing segments of the international travel market.

He also vowed to work with the State Department to expand the list of countries whose citizens require visas to visit the US, beyond the current 36 nations. That's a huge and important step, and could mean literally millions of new visitors to the US and thousands more tourism-based jobs for our citizens.

In addition, the Global Entry program will be made permanent and expanded. The program grants special status at customs to those who submit to an extensive background checks. They're able to breeze through the airport much faster than their neighbors. Its been an important tool for encouraging repeat visits to the United States.

We live in an era when any governmental "meddling" is seen as suspect, in some quarters. But I have no doubt that the President Obama and Secretary LaHood's pro-active measures will have wholly positive outcomes.

As President Obama said in his speech "“Every year, tens of millions of tourists from all over the world come and visit America. And the more folks who visit America, the more Americans we get back to work. We need to help businesses all across the country grow and create jobs; compete and win. That’s how we’re going to rebuild an economy where hard work pays off, where responsibility is rewarded, and where anyone can make it if they try.”

Inspiring and true words.

A Passage To India...Discounted

2012-01-19T18:32:00.001-05:00

This may be the first time I've mentioned the company Friendly Planet on this blog. Which is an oversight I'm happy to correct, because the staff here often comes up with some of the best deals in travel.

Fatehpur Sikri's magnificent architecture..and goats

Like their current promotional sale to India, which is offering tours of that country, including airfare, starting at just $1499. That price includes lift from New York City (add $150 from Chicago), six nights' hotel, and tours of Delhi, Agra (home to the Taj Mahal) and Fatepuhr Sikri (a personal favorite of mine, the town was the capital of India for a little more than a dozen years in the 1600's and has some magnificent buildings as a result). Taxes and fees are included in this price so there are no surprises.

Could one do this itinerary more cheaply if traveling independently? No doubt.

But for a tour, and with the quality of the hotels used by Friendly Planet, this is quite a good value.

For full details, click on the link above. But do it fast, bookings at this price until Jan 24 only (for travel on departures in May and September).

A Compendium of Opinions on the Costa Cruises Disaster

2012-01-18T13:52:00.000-05:00

A pre-disaster view of the Costa Concordia

The Costa Concordia disaster raises so many questions about cruising, I thought it would be helpful to devote today's blog to a compendium of links. All of the following articles address the tragedy from a different angle, shedding light on both what may have gone wrong; and what would-be cruisers should keep in mind.

How Safe Is Cruising? I wrote this piece. It takes the reader through a brief history of cruise disasters and the regulations that were born from these tragedies, and includes interviews with experts on the overall safety of the cruise experience and what cruisers can do to enhance their safety on board ship.

What You Sign Away When You Buy a Cruise Ticket This article examines cruising's fine print, the contract of carriage every vacationer agrees to before stepping on board a ship. These contracts usually waive passenger's rights to sue where they please (kicking disputes to an arbitrator), as well as taking away other passenger rights (its a surprising list).

I've Booked a Cruise With Costa, Now What? From the site I helped found, Frommers.com, an examination of what will happen to those scheduled to sail on the Costa Concordia in coming months, plus what passengers can and can't get if they want to cancel their upcoming Costa Cruise.

Captain Said He Tripped and Ended Up in a Life Raft You'll get a grim chuckle out of this one: the captain's latest excuse as to why he abandoned the ship. Click from it to the New York Times' other expert, and ongoing, coverage of the salvage mission and investigation.

Cruise Disaster Could Take Toll On Industry USA Today has been focussing on how the disaster will affect the cruise business and other corollary industries (such as the hotel industry).

I'm sure there will be more coverage of this topic in the coming days, as more is learned about the causes of the wreck.

A Philly Dilly: Virgin America Adds a Gateway

2012-01-17T17:11:00.000-05:00

Virgin's given birth once again! (Sorry, I couldn't resist).

The clubby carrier--purple lights y'all!--will now be making it easier for folks in the "City of Brotherly" love to share that affection with California. Beginning April 4, Virgin America will be flying non-stop between Philadelphia and both Los Angeles and San Francisco.

To celebrate the new routes, the carrier is dropping prices to just $129 each way; even with taxes, that's a good $50 less than the competition on most dates.

Though there are some blackout dates, the sale applies to travel between April 4 and June 15. The discounted fares must be booked by January 20, so move fast if this interests you.

To learn more, head to Virgin's website.

Freebie Friday: Free Peru Tours...

2012-01-13T00:01:00.001-05:00

...When you can convince a friend to come along with you. Or your boss to give you a super-long vacation.

Let me explain. Starting today, innovative small-group adventure company Intrepid Travel (www.intrepidtravel.com) will be giving away one free Peru tour for every one booked between today and March 13, for travel by Sept 30.

Walking stick vendors, Inca Trail (photo by Ian Armstrong)

But Intrepid isn't dissing solo travelers with this giveaway. Those who don't have someone to travel with (and thus earn the freebie), will be allowed to add on another Peru trip free of charge. That's a wonderful gimme, because many of the tours leave immediately after the others end, and hit different areas of this fascinating country.

If the traveler doesn't have time for two tours, no worries: they'll get a 30% discount on their booked Peru tour.

The tours being discounted in this fashion are:

Classic Peru (9 days, leaving from Lima)
The Inca Trail Express (7 days, originating in Cuzco)
Majestic Peru (15 days, out of Lima)
Sacred Land of the Incas (also 15 days and also out of Lima)

As you might assume, if you're a solo going on two tours you'll pay for the more expensive one.

Long Beach, Here I Come! Would Love To Meet All the Travelers There

2012-01-12T00:01:00.002-05:00

Its "Travel Show" season, which means I'm winging my way across the US, to give speeches, sign books and meet avid travelers (the last is the best part of the gig).

This Saturday, January 14, I'll be speechifying in Long Beach, at the Convention Center, on behalf of the Los Angeles Travel and Adventure Show. My talk is from 10:45 until 11:45 am, which gives me time to sit in on Samantha Brown, Andrew Zimmern and Peter Greenburg, the other headliners that day (an unusual treat for me).

And for readers of this blog, I can offer a discount! Simply click on this link and use the code SPK2 to get into the show for just $7.

Hope to see you there!

Ultra-Chic Chicago Hotel Rooms for $1

2012-01-11T00:01:00.001-05:00

Famed hotelier Ian Schrager is attempting to work his magic in Chicago, turning what had been a somewhat run down old stalwart (the Ambassador West Hotel) into a cutting edge boutique hotel, Public Chicago, both for travelers and nightlife junkies. The new hotel opened this fall.

A bedroom at the Public Chicago

To that end, he's done up the rooms in his popular "no color color palette" (the hotel's term not mine), which means white upon grayer white upon beiger white upon taupe. I guess the idea is supposed to be that you've landed in heaven, but the lack of color makes me think "hospital room". Still, its all very plush (despite the popcorn ceilings), with good quality bedding and such nice touches as lender computers and free wifi. And the Pump Room bar downstairs hops most nights with locals, always a good sign.

But the bottom line is: the new hotel seems to be struggling. How else can one explain the fact that its going to be giving away $1 rooms for an unnamed 90-day period? Obviously, management is hoping that those who take the freebie will spread the word about Chicago's latest option to their friends.

So why not take 'em up on it. To get the deal, you enter your email at the Public's website. Staff will then contact you when the $1 rooms go on sale and you'll have 48 hours in which to snag one. Good luck!

That's the Spirit! New Fees From the Airline Everyone Loves to Hate

2012-01-10T00:01:00.001-05:00

You say you got an email announcing $7 fares between one sun-drenched southern US city and another. Hit delete real quick.

That's because the author of the email is likely Spirit Airlines and when one counts up all the extra fees it adds, its rarely the cheapest option. Two more are coming down the pike and will prove my point even more forcefully.

Beginning January 24, Spirit will tack on a fee of $5 for every boarding pass printed by an aiport agent. (And no, these aren't chocolate or gold tickets; I wish!)

No problem you say: I'll just use the check in kiosk. Well, that'll work for now. But starting June 30th, a fee of $2 will be added on for those who print out tickets from there.

You gotta give 'em points for creativity!

Rail Sale from Amtrak

2012-01-09T00:01:00.000-05:00

When I can, I take the train. Its the greenest method of travel and usually the most efficient as trains arrive in the center of cities, rather than out in the boonies at an airport hub.

Alas, train travel in the US is not always the most cost effective method of transportation. But it may be this spring, thanks to a sale Amtrak is running. Book before January 23, and the rail line will shave 20% off the usual cost of tickets. The sale is good for travel to and from Chicago, New York, Orlando, Los Angeles, Portland and Washington, DC. (For a complete list of discounted routes, click here). The auto train is also included in the sale. Travel window for this discount is Jan 17 through Mar 29, though tickets must be purchased at least three days ahead. And up to two kids can travel with one adult for half off the regular, not the sale, fare.

For more info, click on the link above. And let's meet in the dining car for a ginger ale!

Freebie Friday: Free Drinks on Cruises

2012-01-06T00:01:00.001-05:00

As onboard extras go, I've never found cruise ship prices for alcohol to be too high. But that may be because I'm not a big drinker, and I live in New York City where drinks regularly cost $15 a pop and up. But I won't deny that the extras of cruising--from shore excursions to internet charges (my particular bete noir) to spa fees--can sink a budget. For many passengers, paying for drinks is what siphons the most cash from their wallets.

Photo by Daniel Pink

So, for them, I'm posting this link to a piece that recently ran on MSNBC and CruiseCritic about how one can snag free tipples at sea. Much of the advice in the article involves upgrading to suites and more expensive cruise lines to get booze gratis--which seems like silly advice to me, as you'll be paying far more than the cost of the drinks to do so. But in the comments section, there are some good tips from cruisers in the know about on-board parties where liquor is liberally poured and given away; as well as ways to foil the cruise lines at their own game. Take a look.

Which Airlines Pleased Passengers Most in 2011? The Answers May Surprise

2012-01-05T13:58:00.000-05:00

Wall Street Journal columnist Scott McCartney has done a bang up job in his latest column interpreting the yearly stats put out by both the Department of Transportation and a site called FlightStats.com (it aggregates the information put out by various airports, airlines and the Federal Aviation Administration). The numbers tell a story of customer service, and point out some glaring differences between the carriers. But what's most interesting about the article is that McCartney is able to explain WHY some carriers do so much better reuniting passengers with their luggage and getting their planes where they need to be on time.

Before discussing the why's, here are the rankings:

On Time Arrivals: Alaska ranked first, Delta second. At the bottom of the pack was JetBlue and United.
Excessive Delays: JetBlue fared poorly here, too, though its partner at the bottom this time was American Airline. Once again, Alaska and Delta had the best record on delays.
Baggage Handling: I must assume that JetBlue is having trouble leaving on time because its the very best when it comes to not losing bags. Delta again took second place at the top of the heap. And you may want to do carry on if you're flying American, which had the worst track record followed by Southwest Airlines.
Customer Complaints: Started with a "U" this year, with United getting the most complaints followed by US Airways. Southwest had the fewest complaints, followed by Alaska.
Bumping Passengers: United bumped the most, followed by American. And JetBlue, which makes it a policy not to overbook, had the best record (with Delta again in second place).
Cancelled Flights: American did that most often, followed by JetBlue. On the other end of the spectrum, Alaska and Southwest cancelled the fewest flights.

Overall, Alaska had the best record, not a big surprise: its had the best record of the seven major American carriers for the last several years.

The bigger news is Delta, which surged into second place just a year after scoring pretty dismally in most of these categories. According to McCartney the airline fully reworked its operations in 2010, opening nine maintenance centers in non-hub cities, which helped keep more planes tarmac ready. It also retrained it customer service personnel and put in a new baggage handling system at its hub in Atlanta. Apparently, its efforts are paying off.

Other airlines may want to take a look at what Delta's been doing right, particularly poor, beleaguered, bankrupt American Airlines which had the worse ratings overall. Most worryingly, American's cancellation rate was 70% higher than the industry average.

Zip over to McCartney's full piece. Its an eye-opening read.

Three New Routes for Frontier, Three New Sales For Us

2012-01-04T14:52:00.000-05:00

At a time when most of the airlines are cutting flights and sending out smaller planes, little Frontier Airlines is bucking the trend. It just announced it will be adding three new routes and to publicize them, it'll be throwing a darn good sale. The routes are:

Kansas City-Orlando (flights now through April 15 only)
Grand Rapids-Washington, DC (Reagan National Airport)
Madison-Washington, DC (Reagan National Airport)

For the latter two routes, the sale price is a reasonable $79 each way. Those hoping to get to DisneyWorld (or escape it by fleeing to Kansas City) will pay $109 each. In the case of the routes from Kansas City to Orlando and Madison to DC, Frontier's itinerary is the only non-stop option available to travelers. In terms of savings, passengers are looking at shaving anywhere from $20 to $80 round-trip off the regular costs of these routes (not bad!).

For more, go to http://www.frontierairlines.com/ for more info; there are also gimmes for frequent flyers with this promotion.

A "Passport" To Gyms Around the World

2012-01-03T16:42:00.001-05:00

I'm a bit late today posting this blog because I had to fulfill one of my New Year's resolutions this morning.

Yup, I worked out.

Not a big deal, as the gym is in my apartment building. Had I been on the road, however, I might have been tempted to skip that sweaty 45-minutes. Just finding a gym can be a problem, and though I do jog, its not my first choice.

Well, I may not have to take to the streets on my next trip, thanks to a website I just stumbled upon. Called HealthClubs.com its putting out a passport to allow people to use gyms around the world at a discount.

Here's how it works: would-be exercisers find out if their home gym is part of HealthClub.com's network. If it is--and a number of major gym chains seem to be--they request a "passport". This allows them to use other in-network gyms when they travel at a serious discount. The only rule: the gyms have to be at least 50 miles apart for the passport to work.

Its a neat idea, don't you think? To learn more about the passport program, click on the link above.

Should Old Acquaintence Be Forgot...New Ones Will Arrive

2011-12-30T11:42:00.001-05:00

As 2011 draws to a close I'm thinking not of old acquaintances but of the new friends I made while traveling in 2011.

So here's to Elzbieta who made our time in Poland so delightful. An English teacher who'd lived in the US for several years, she graciously volunteered to help translate when we went back to my grandmother's small town. We enjoyed each other's company so much, my daughter and I ended up going to her house in Bialystok for tea the day after our trip to little Lomsa, so we could chat some more. Our talks were wide ranging, covering everything from Polish literature to child rearing to the alleged Russian conspiracy to cover up the real circumstances behind Polish Presiden Lech Kaczynski's death (a topic I discussed with a number of other Poles while in country; all suspected Putin of engineering the plane crash).

And cheers to Mike, the Israeli friend of my friend Mark. We met for a walk and tea in Jaffa on the last day of my trip Israel andhad a conversation that was the cherry on top of the trip. I was, at that point in the trip, obsessed with the question of why so much hatred had been showered on the Jews, my ancestors, for centuries. Together we tussled with that thorny question, also talking about his personal history (which included a move from the US to Israel), the roots of the contemporary Jewish state, religion and so much more. It felt like one of those talks I had late into the night in college with friends, as we tried to sort out what our places in the world were going to be in the future. Mike: I very much hope our paths cross again. Next time, our children and spouses will have to hang out together, too.

And a toast to the delightful codger I met in a pub in Cushendall, Northern Ireland. The family was at the beach, and I went in to ask for directions, staying for a cider when this gentleman, whose name I never got, started to regale me with suggestions of all the places we must go in the vicinity. Sir: we took your advice and had a wonderful time! But most memorable to me was hearing about your experiences during "The Troubles" and your wishes for the future.

These are just a few of the wonderful people I met in 2011, a year that took me to Moab, Mesa Verde, Dallas, the John C. Campbell Folk School (in North Carolina), Los Angeles, a number of towns in Sicily, Vancouver, Whistler, Rome, London, Abergaveny, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Bethlehem, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Boston, Denver, Warsaw, Gdansk, Krakow, Bialystok, Dublin, Derry, Cushendall, Lake Placid, Burlington, Stowe, North Hero, Toronto...and I know I'm missing some, but don't feel like looking back at my calendar.

Sometimes I feel like I fling myself around with too much abandon. But its the wonderful people I meet that keep me grounded...and ultimately make all the travel worth it.

My best wishes for a happy, healthy, and travel-filled New Year!

Tips for Rail Savings

2011-12-29T00:01:00.001-05:00

(Photo by J.E.Theriot)

I just stumbled upon an excellent blog by a Rail Europe staffer named Benjamin Harman. No surprise: its about train travel.

But what is surprising is how impartial the advice is. It'll work whether or not you decide to use the service's of Mr. Harman's company.

Among the many tips he gives for affordable train travel, the most useful are:

Take an overnight train to save on the cost of a hotel room. When I was in college and traveling around by rail pass, I spent several nights snoozing on the train. Not only did I save this way, it was a kick to go to sleep in one country and awake in the next, ready for a new adventure.
Compare the costs of a pass vs. point-to-point tickets. The pass won't always be the cheaper option. Harman points out that this may be particularly true for itineraries that include chunnel trips, as the reservation fee is higher than normal for those.
Travel with friends. Many passes offer group discounts and a group can be just two people. But there are restrictions, sometimes, with these sorts of discounted passes Harman writes. In some cases, all the names will be printed on a single pass, so if one of the group decides to take a day trip alone, the rest of his group will lose a rail day.
Make a stopover along the way. This is a particularly good idea on long rail trips. Instead of spending all day on the train, stop for a few hours in a town or city along the way. If you're traveling on a pass, you'll have unlimited time on the train within a 24-hour period, so jumping on and off the train in a day won't cost a cent more.
Use the discounts that come with many passes. These can include savings on ferry travel, museum admissions, and even hotels and restaurants.

You can read Harman's complete blog by clicking here.

Darn! Japan Ditches Its Big Airfare Giveaway

2011-12-28T00:01:00.004-05:00

(By Trodei)

Well, it made for excellent daydreams didn't it? Unfortunately, fantasies of free airfare to Japan won't become a reality. Japan has announced that it will NOT be giving away 10,000 free flights to the island nation this spring.

The government has stated that the funds needed to give away free flights are better spent rebuilding areas damaged by the tsunami. Its hard to argue with that logic.

Here's hoping that Japan recovers its tourist industry in 2012, even without the freebie. There are few destinations as intriguing, and it certainly deserves our visitor dollars.

Try It, You'll Like It: Hotel Finder Trivago.com

2011-12-27T17:17:00.001-05:00

Usually I'm loyal as a labrador. But after years of using HotelsCombined.com to suss out hotel pricing, I've stumbled upon a worthy competitor in Trivago.com. (It will be interesting to see whether Google's new hotel finder, which is still in development, will soon knock these two off their pedestals).

True, Trivago isn't all that different than HotelsCombined; both are "aggregator" sites, meaning that they aggregate prices from a number of online travel agencies, as well as from the hotels chains directly, displaying broad overviews of what the market has to offer.

Which finds the lowest rates? That's an open question. In the searches I did (looking at three American cities: NYC, Las Vegas and Minneapolis), Trivago came out cheapest (by just a dollar in each case) in 3 out of the 7 searches I did. HotelsCombined won in the other cases, though again, only by $1-$2 a night.

Trivago seems the clear winner, however, when it comes to design. Neatly boxed information, set in two columns, is the norm here. And Trivago allows users to slice and dice their info in a number of innovative ways. Looking for pet-friendly spa hotels with connecting rooms, cosmetic mirrors, and indoor swimming pools? Trivago can find that for you, and it seamlessly compartmentalizes those searches into areas for "room features", "hotel features", "sports facilities", "hotel type". It will also narrow the search to the hotels that are best for "party people", "families", "honeymooners", etc.

To be fair, HotelsCombined.com has all those search features--and it even allows users to search only for hotels with pillowtop mattresses, raising the level of finicky searches a notch higher than Trivago. But it displays the information in unweildy columns, as opposed to nicely broken up little boxes, making it a hair less easy to navigate.

Will I dump HotelsCombined altogether? No way, not when its clearly the price leader in many destinations. But I will add Trivago to my list of go to sites in the future, which also includes Hipmunk (a site with a wonderful interface, in terms of location, which uses HotelsCombined results for its pricing--or so I've been told).

Merry, Merry, Happy, Happy

2011-12-26T00:01:00.000-05:00

Taking the day off from blogging so I can drive safely from Vermont to NYC. Hoping everyone else is having a safe and happy holiday! See ya tomorrow.

Freebie Friday: Free Weddings/Vacations in Jamaica...But You'd Better Do Your Sit Ups!

2011-12-23T00:01:00.000-05:00

Would you strip down to your birthday suit, in public and on TV, in return for a free wedding and a four- night Caribbean honeymoon?

Guests at Hedonism II

Or perhaps the more pertinent question is: would you want to be at a resort where dozens of couples will likely be doing just that this coming Valentine's Day?

Take this blog as either an incentive or a warning. But Hedonism II, the party hearty Negril resort in question, is accepting applications from engaged couples who'd be willing to get married naked during a TV broadcast. (Word is private parts will be blurred out on camera. But your great aunt Betty, the one who came all the way to Jamaica to watch you get hitched? Well, she's going to be able to see, up-close-and-personal, what a big boy you've become.) Ten couples will be chosen for this "honor" and will not only participate in the nude wedding but will do interviews with the documentary filmmakers covering this seminal moment in the history of western civilization.

To learn more, click here.

Upcoming Travel Shows and Appearances

2011-12-22T10:09:00.002-05:00

Late winter and spring are always a busy time for my father and me, as we spend a lot of time flying around the country appearing at different travel shows. Since we'd love to meet you, dear reader, I thought I'd post a calendar here of all the upcoming appearances:

January 14: Pauline at the Los Angeles Travel and Adventure Show (in Long Beach)
January 29: Arthur at the LA Times Travel Show (Los Angeles)
March 3: Pauline and Arthur at the New York Times Travel Show (Javits Center, NYC)
February 11: Boston Globe Travel Show (Boston)
June 15: Community Library, Ketchum, Idaho

I believe that's all of them. Hope to meet you all there!

Free Holiday Airport Wifi Thanks To Skype

2011-12-21T13:09:00.002-05:00

Starting today, Skype is gifting travelers with an hour of free wifi at some 50 airports across the US. These will include New York's very busy JFK Airport, Chicago O'Hare and San Francisco International; for a complete list of hubs, click here.

The free WiFi is available to PC and Mac users, as well as those with smart phones, though one has to have pre-loaded the device with Skype for Windows, Skype for Mac or the Skype App before hitting the road. That will allow the computer's operating system to search to see if its near a Skype enabled hot spot.

And as always with Skype, video and regular phone calls will be part of the options, meaning you can give a shout out to Grandma at the airport and let her know you're on your way.

The free WiFi period continues through December 27.

For free WiFi in the air, you'll need to be flying Delta (see my earlier blog on that give away).

Fair Warning: Patrols for Drunk Drivers To Be Stepped Up Across the US This Holiday Season

2011-12-20T00:00:00.001-05:00

Though Thanksgiving is the day of the year that sees the most fatalities from drunk driving, New Years Eve ain't far behind, with much of December--with its endless holiday parties--also high on the scale. So the activist chief of the Department of Transportation, Ray LaHood, has decided to address the problem.

Last week, standing alongside David Strickland (of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) and Jan Winthers (President of Mothers Against Drunk Driving), he announced that there will be a crackdown on drunk driving from December 16 through January 2. Thousands of law enforcement officials across the US have pledged to help in these measures, which will be advertised with a new compaign called "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over".

In a bold new strategy, the officers won't just be pulling over people who are driving erratically. They'll also be posted in plain clothes in nightlife areas and will issue sobriety tests to people who show the signs of being impaired, as they get into their cars, in an effort to pre-empt them from breaking the law (and endangering other drivers). A sobering statistic--pun intended--one out of every three Americans will be involved in a drunk-driving related accident, either as the perpetrator or as the victim, in the course of their lifetime.

For the DOT's announcement of the new campaign, please click here.

Artisinal Alcohol Tourism With Beer, Not Wine, As the Starring Player

2011-12-19T00:01:00.002-05:00

Wine tasting vacations? Been there, done that.

With the rise of craft beers in the last decade, many foodies are now going to tasting rooms that feature bubbles and hops. Just as with wines, the quality of soil, mineral content in water, and the expertise of the brewmaster combine to make brews that can vary widely from region to region and brewery to brewery. And many of the best local brews are only available at or near their place of origin, meaning that afficionados need to travel to try the best and newest ales available.

Finding where to go, and creating vacations around beer tasting, is now an easier task thanks to a well-researched, thorough book by Christian DeBenedetti called "The Great American Ale Trail: The Craft Beer Lovers Guide to the Best Watering Holes in the Nation."

If you have a beer lover in your family, this helpful guide may just be the perfect stocking stuffer.

Freebie Friday: Free Surfing While Flying

2011-12-16T00:02:00.001-05:00

Flying for the holidays? You'll be able to tweet that fact to the world for free this year, if you're flying Delta. The airline has teamed with both eBay and Gogo Inflight to offer 30 minutes of free wifi on all wifi enabled planes through January 2. That means free wifi on all domestic flights, though not on all international ones.

A nice holiday gesture, I think. If I were flying Delta this season (I'll be driving), I might consider tweeting a thank you to the all the parties involved. Safe travels all!

Good News For Cruisers: Noroviruses Seem To Be On The Decline

2011-12-15T13:14:00.003-05:00

The Carnival Dream (photo by Kathy Pryn)

If you've been on a cruise lately you know that the most common site on board ship aren't bikinis, umbreallaed drinks or sunburns. Its hand sanitizer. Little dispensers of the stuff are strategically placed at every main portal and many minor ones. Often stationed next to them will be crew members urging their use. The cruiselines have taken the tactic that one can't be too careful when it comes to the spread of disease onboard these cities at sea.

Happily, it looks like their strategy is working. The outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness aboard cruise ships hit a several year low in 2011, according to the CDC which monitors illness on the ships that port in the US. Just 11 outbreaks were reported, a steep decline from just 5 years ago, when the tally was 30 for that year.

What's even more notable is this decline is occurring at a time when more people are cruising than ever, on even larger ships. Special kudos to Carnival which is the industries largest fleet (with 23 ships), yet had no outbreaks this year.

For all the facts and figures, click here to read USA Today's blog on the news.

The Latest--Oddest?--Use for Social Media: Meet Your Potential Seatmate Before You Board the Plane

2011-12-14T14:26:00.000-05:00

When it comes to seatmates on airlines, I have one main concern: knees.

I've gotten a kneeful on several recent flights, having been seated in front of or beside men who are simply too tall for the seats on most planes. I don't say a word when their knees give my back an unwitting massage through the chair; or I have to give up some of my leg space to their splayed legs. I don't blame these tall fellows; its the airlines who are trying to squeeze too many sardines into these flying cans.

Photo Andrew Mason

But the airlines don't seem to think that space and body size are passengers' main concern when sizing up potential seatmates. They believe, or at least KLM does, that we're looking for potential soulmates.

How else to explain the downright bizarre plan that KLM has put forward to allow passengers to link their Facebook and LinkedIn accounts with check-in information. The reasoning, apparently, is that passengers will want to suss out others on the flight so they can sit next to the ones they'll have the most in common with.

Frankly, if anyone sat next to me based on my social media profile, well, I'd try to move to get away from them.

Whatever happened to just reading quietly and enjoying the time in the clouds?

Ride Free: Pay Nothing For Your Seat on Megabus' Newest Routes

2011-12-13T13:53:00.004-05:00

Every time Megabus expands--and the company has been kudzu-esque in its rapid growth--it gives away free seats. Lots and lots of free seats. We saw that this fall when it gifted travelers with some 20,000 rides to and from Atlanta. And now Megabus has decided to link Toronto with its neighbors in the States again giving away 20,000 freebies.

Use your bus savings on the Royal Ontario Museum

The free seat promo is for travel between January 4 and March 1. Simply use the code "GOFREE" when booking a ticket.

And that's not all that's free: Wifi is usually available at no charge. (Frankly, its either available for free or not available at all. I've been on some buses where it works, and others where it hasn't).

Megabus will be connecting Toronto with a number of US cities. For the complete list, and to book, go to Megabus.com.

Chip and Pin Finally Here in North America

2011-12-09T00:01:00.003-05:00

Sounds like a form of wrestling, or a new Hip Hop act, right? But what I'm referring to are the credit cards that folks in Europe have been using for nearly a decade now, which require PIN numbers to work (a security improvement).

Well, the news has just broken that these sorts of cards are now going to be available in the US. The issuing bank is Chase. Its partnering with British Airway on the new credit cards. The cards will have a dual usage, having both a strip (for use in the USA); and a chip, allowing them to be used abroad.

I'm actually writing this blog at JFK Airport on my way to Europe for the sixth time this year. And I've gone without having a chip and pin card and have NEVER encountered a single problem. However, travelers have reported that lack of a "chip and pin" card is a problem when it comes to unattended, credit card taking machines, such as gas pumps and metro ticket vending machines.

Ed Perkin's broke the news of the new card in his blog on SmarterTravel.com. You can read more about it, and whether or not accruing miles on British Airways makes sense, by clicking here.

Straight from the Baggage Handlers Mouth...

2011-12-08T00:01:00.001-05:00

It's one of the greatest mysteries in travel.

No, not how ancient peoples transported the huge rocks that formed Stonehenge. (That was done by extraterrestrials, of course).

I'm talking about what happens behind the plastic flaps the lead onto the luggage return belt. I can't be the only one who's wondered just what my bag's been through during the hours it was out of my possession.

The answer turns out to be a heckuva lot. Thanks to a terrific piece on Airfare Watchdog, the ins and outs of baggage handling are explained by a frank and very insightful airport handler. And some of what he has to say is useful for passengers to know, including:

Larger aircraft (747, 767, 777, 787, etc.) are loaded by conveyor belts so the luggage gets thrown around less than on smaller planes. On the smaller one, bags are often tossed a good 50 feet and then stacked "tetris style" in the hold. It's one reason why bags on smaller planes may get damaged more.
Bags on which the handle is sewn on are more likely to lose said handle (riveted handles last longer). Wheels are also often cracked or broken off in the loading process. The exception are bags with four wheels that spin, as these can be easily glided onto and off the plane and so are less likely to be thrown.
Fragile stickers are often ignored or overlooked (surprise, surprise!)
Though the interviewed handler hasn't personally seen thefts from bags, when he travels he uses a TSA approved lock. 'Nuf said on that, I think.

If you're interested in hearing more and learning why you probably don't want to work as a baggage handler yourself, click on the link above. As I said, its a fascinating piece.

If the Shoe Fits, Head to the Museum

2011-12-07T00:01:00.007-05:00

For bound feet in China. They're tiny

One of my weekly rituals is reading the New Yorker. An extraordinary magazine, it employs writers who have that near magical ability of taking topics that seems limited on first brush--the career of a man who creates fonts, the life of movie dog Rin Tin Tin--and finding the human condition, in its many and varied shades, contained in them.

A one-topic museum can have that same surprising power when its as well curated as the Bata Shoe Museum (www.batashoemuseum.ca) in Toronto is. Having grown out of a collection of unusual footwear started by a family that manufactures shoes, it manages to reveal interesting tidbits about a number of cultural and historic trends.

For example, when the Anasazi Indians of the Southwest learned how to make pottery, not everything improved in their lives. They stopped making baskets to carry food, lost those weaving skills and their woven footwear became shoddier.

In the 16th century Europe, high heels came into vogue for the first time because they were a way for that era's 1% to say "Look how powerful I am! I'm wearing shoes that are utterly impractical and hobble my movement because I don't have to do any labor!" The more powerful the Lord or Lady, the higher their shoes (it also meant that women had to use more fabrics to allow their gowns to hit the floor, another way to prove one's wealth). Looking at the shoes--and they're reminiscent of something a Jersey Shore gal would wear--and learning about their history you start to wonder (or at least I did), why are we still hobbling ourselves with heels today? What the heck are we trying to prove?

Chestnut crushers!

The shoes are fascinating and often exquisite objects, in and of themselves. A pair with massive, curved talon-like spikes turns out to be a chestnut shelling device from 19th century France (see right).

Another case displays the shoes Roman Catholic Cardinals wear at different times of the year.

And the very first shoe shown is a reproduction of the the first known shoe, found on a frozen body and dating back 5300 years. It looks a bit like a birds nest stuck into a gourd. The wall text thoughtfully explains that scientists recreated the shoes and, as an experiment wore them for several days. You'll be happy to hear that no blisters were formed in the name of anthropology! The shoes were comfy and warm.

In addition to its permanent exhibition on the history of footwear, the museum also has fun exhibits on shoes from the roaring 1920's (most are extraordinarily beautiful) and the moccasins of the Southwestern US and Mexico. For those who like pop culture, the sneakers choices (primarily) of Canada's musical elite--Avril Lavigne, Anne Murray, Michael Buble, Nickleback, the Bare Naked Ladies, and more--are also given the glass case treatment.

Expect to spend a good hour at the Bata to see it all. And it will be a good hour. No, a great one! I promise.

Buy The Goods, Visit the People: A New Type of Volunteer Vacation

2011-12-06T00:01:00.001-05:00

From The Village's website

I travel to about a dozen Travel Shows each year, and after a while the booths start to blur together--stacks of brochures, perhaps a guy in native dress, piles of candy to lure passers by.

But the Village Experience (www.experiencethevillage.com), which I've been noticing for the first time this year, seems different. It may be because they're not just promoting a tour or destination, but selling actual , and often exquisite, products created in some of the most remote areas on earth.

Intrigued, I went up to chat with the folks running the booth and came away impressed by their creativity. The Village is taking a two-pronged approach to what's commonly caused "Voluntourism". They not only take would-be do-gooders to places in need around the globe (from Haiti to Kenya to Guatemala), but they create programs allowing folks in these places to create goods, fair trade products that can then be sold elsewhere to bring money back into the community.

These two sides of the organization are then apparently merged on the trips. The voluntourists head to the partner villages on trips that give back to the community by using only locally owned and operated tour guides, transportation facilities and accommodations. They see a lot that's in the country and they also meet the artisans and craftspeople who are making the beautiful goods The Village is selling. They may work with them on these crafts or do other types of volunteer work.

From The Village's website

In 2012, The Village is offering several trips to Haiti (3 in March and 1 in May), each of which has a slightly different focus. Over the course of one, participants spent time in a rural orphanage and school project. An earlier tour focuses on earthquake reconstruction, still another is geared around fair trade product development and the last involves volunteering in the tent cities.

Similar tours are offered to Thailand, parts of the Middle East Kenya and Guatemala in 2012. I haven't yet met a participant in one of their trips, nor can I vouch for their offerings from personal experience. But, as I said earlier, I have been impressed by their staff and wish them well.

Have any of you taken one of their trips? I'd love to hear about your experience below in the comments section.

A Shore Excursion Solution

2011-12-05T00:01:00.001-05:00

One of the most frequent questions we get from listeners to our radio show is: should I take the shore excursions the cruise line are offering when I sail the Mediterranean, or to Alaska, or the Caribbean?

Our usual response is that many of these excursions can be done independently for far less money (and allowing for far greater freedom). But in some cases one does need local help-- the major sites are difficult to get to from the port or the most interesting activities require a guide (dog sledding in Alaska, perhaps or scuba diving in the Caribbean).

In those cases, one has several options. The first is to simply pick up a good guidebook, look up local tour operators and make your own arrangements. This will likely be the most cost effective option.

Or you can employ a company that specializes in creating unique, intimate and often cheaper shore excursions. I know of three that do this: Port Compass (www.portcompass.com), Shore Trips (www.shoretrips.com) and Port Promotions (www.portpromotions.com). These companies offer excursions accommodating a dozen people or less (as opposed to the 40-people-in-a-motorcoach excursions the cruiselines tend to offer); and because their groups are smaller, they often have time to fit in more adventures in a day, since time isn't wasted shepherding large crowds of travelers.

Snorkeling with sting rays is a popular shore excursion in Grand Cayman

What's the difference between these companies? Some have better coverage in certain areas than others. But other than that these three seem to have the same modus operandi. Their owners head to the ports themselves and test out tours in order to recommend only the most professionally run and interesting of the lot.

Will one save money with these companies? The answer is yes, definitely, if you're traveling with a group of six or more people. In those cases, the per person cost will be far less than what the cruise line is charging.

When couples book these trips, the savings can be negligible. A lot will depend on how many other cruisers also bite (the more who book, the lower the cost for each).

But even with higher costs (which tend to equal rather than surpass the cruiseline's prices in those cases when these tours don't save travelers money) these sorts of shore excursions may be the better experience, for the reasons enumerated above.

The only reason NOT to go it alone, or use an outside community? If you don't own a watch.

With the cruiseline-sponsored shore excursions the ship will wait if the bus is delayed getting back to port. No such courtesy is extended to those who go it on their own. Still, for sensible folks with a good sense of timing, this shouldn't be too much of an issue.

Freebie Friday: Free WiFi in Barbados

2011-12-02T00:01:00.003-05:00

Barbados (Photo by Derek Hatfield)

In a savvy move, a major Barbadian organization called the "Entrepreneurs Forum" has asked all business owners on the island--and that includes hotels, restaurants and shops--to open their WiFi networks to the public, free of charge. The goal is to become the first free wifi nation in the world.

If Barbadian businesses comply, the island could shoot to the head of the pack of fun in the sun getaways. Why? Let's face it, for many of us vacation means only slightly less time away from email and the internet than usual. Barbados may just become the getaway of choice for 9-to-9ers.

On second thought, that may be the reason to avoid the island in the future. Laptop toters on the sands? Perhaps not the most intriguing beach companions.

A Conversation on Air Travel

2011-12-01T00:02:00.001-05:00

Last week, I had the pleasure, and the honor, of appearing with Jacki Lyden on the NPR radio show "On Point". Two serious aviation experts were the other guests, and the conversation (which included calls from listeners) covered a lot of ground. Since it was recorded before Thanksgiving, there was a bit about the holiday rush. But much more had to do with airline fees, when to book, tricks for getting the best prices and what needed to be done about the state of air travel in general.

I think (hope) you'll enjoy the conversation. To listen, please click here.

American Airlines' Bankruptcy

2011-11-30T08:12:00.001-05:00

First things first: no planes are going to fall out of the sky.

Weren't worried about that? Well, then let me address the number one traveler fear about American Airline's announcement yesterday of its Chapter 11 filing: AA frequent flyer miles didn't go up in smoke either. The airline announced those will remain unchanged for now. And even if American Airlines does go out of business completely (which wouldn't happen anytime soon, by the by), frequent flyer miles would likely be transferred to another airline, if history is any guide. In the article above, Miles Maven Tim Winship talks about what's happened to loyalty programs in the past when these types of situations arise.

I was speaking with George Hobica of AirfareWatchdog yesterday and his best guess on how the bankruptcy filing will affect travelers I'll call "sticky tray table syndrome". Superficial maintenance issues on the planes may suffer. Bluntly put: the planes are going to get grungier. And flight attendants are less likely to be smiling as they try to sell you your dinner. The filing was made, after all, to control labor costs. That means everyone you encounter at American for the next several months is going to be fretting over pay cuts and even possible job losses. So it won't be the happiest of work environments.

American has also said that its going to use the filing to get out of some of its leasing arrangements. Currently the Airline leases 29% of its fleet, which means that we'll be seeing significant changes in flights schedules, with a flights to less profitable gateways more likely to be dropped. At least in the near future. American has ordered a lot of more fuel efficient planes and it plans to accept delivery of those.

One final outcome of this situation? A possible marriage proposal. Industry watchers expect to see a merger between American and US Airways, to make it--like the other recent airline mergers--a super airline that's possibly "too big to fail". Or at least too big to discount. Because whenever airline's merge redundant routes are eliminated and (often) prices rise.

So don't believe anybody who tells you this latest bit of bad travel news will have no affect on passengers. It will, but the changes will creep up on us, like a receding hairline. Always good to have something to look forward to.

Flying Down to Rio? LAN Has a Sale You'll Want to Catch

2011-11-29T00:01:00.004-05:00

Ipanema (Mike Vondran photo)

Thanks to the tweeps at LAN Airlines for sending me a direct message (through Twitter) alerting me to their latest sale. Its being called--without hyperbole, I'll add-- "The Big Deal of the Year" and the prices are truly spectacular. Feast your eyes on $149 round-trip between Miami and Punta Cana!

Since we're living in an upside down world, the taxes on that ticket are nearly as high as the fare itself ($139), but even with that additional expense, $288 for a round-trip to the Dominican Republic is a darn good offer.

LAN is also advertising round-trips between the US and Colombia, Venezuela or Ecuador for just $299 (again, pre-tax); and $699, before taxes, for Argentina, Brazil or Chile.

You can't travel right away with this sale (the prices are for flights beginning March 1) but you must book before Dec 12 to get in on the deals.

For complete information, click here.

Give a Little, Get a Lot: Free IPads At Sea

2011-11-28T00:01:00.001-05:00

Last week, Royal Caribbean announced that it would be equipping its 1800-passenger Splendour of the Seas with IPads in every stateroom. They would be available to passengers in the cabin or to carry around the ship and were to be used to access daily schedules, order rooms service, view restaurant menus, book shore excursions, watch movies and oh yes, access the internet.

Schooner Lounge (A Dombrowski photo)

So, in one savvy swoop, Royal Caribbean has gotten rid of the considerable expense of printing daily itinerary sheets (one would assume), and put into place what will undoubtedly be a huge income generator. I'm speaking of the internet access on these handy tablets. Unlike the shipboard functions for the I-Pads (preloaded ship maps, the ability to book restaurant reservations, etc.) Wifi will not be free. Far from it. As anybody who's ever had the unpleasant obligation of having to work remotely while at sea, the internet fees will remain killer. On its site, RCL lists internet access fees as being $35 for 60 minutes and $55 for 100 minutes (here's the complete list).

Xince the majority of passengers don't travel with their laptops and don't end up using the on-board computers that much, these outrageous fees haven't been as much of an issue as they could be. With the temptation of an I-Pod in every cabin, well, sticker shock on this front is going to explode.

And Wifi is likely just the tip of the iceberg. Think of all the videos and photos people will take on those IPads. Fees haven't been announced for the download of those, but my guess is they'll be substantial.

Royal Caribbean will be equipping its five other "Vision Class" ships with IPads within the next two years. So alongside your bikini, pack your willpower folks. Cause cruising's extra costs are about to get exponentially higher.

One Final Black Friday Sale (Just in Time)

2011-11-25T00:01:00.000-05:00

Viking River Cruises has joined the Black Friday party! It will be offering two-for-the-price-of-one sailings on three vessels in the coming month. But that's just the beginning of the offer: those who book Friday will also receive discounted airfare ($500 off) and a shipboard credit of $100 per couple.

The sailings are:

The Passage to Eastern Europe: Budapest to Bucharest, 11 days, November 2012 sailings
Danube Waltz: Passau to Budapest, 8 days, 1 November sailing
Cities of Light: Paris to Prague, 12 days, 1 November sailing

For complete pricing details, click here.

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T00:01:00.002-05:00

No blogging, just cooking and eating today. Cheers!

Another Nice Promo from Intrepid Travel

2011-11-23T00:01:00.004-05:00

Let's not discount serendipity. Instead, let's use it to find discounts!

A cryptic start to today's blog, I know, but I'm feeling a bit giggly because, after reading another serious (and seriously depressing) New York Times editorial, I happened to look up to the top of the page and serendipitously, there was a voucher for $150 off an Intrepid Travel vacation! Bingo!

Considering that Intrepid Travel's prices are usually among the most reasonable in the business, I thought this was an excellent promotion. The rules are pretty easy: travelers must book their trip through this page before the end of 2011, and the trip booked must commence before the end of June, 2012. That's about it.

For those who've never heard of Intrepid, its and Australian company that runs "small group adventure tours" to all corners of the globe. Groups are never more than 12 in number, and, being a socially-conscious company, Intrepid places travelers in locally-owned guesthouses, takes them on public transportation (rather than gas guzzling private busses) and includes lots of free time in their itineraries for personal exploration. The idea is to keep as much money in the communities visited as possible.

As for the word "adventure", well, some tours are quite adventurous, including opportunities for rafting, climbing, camping out and the like. The companies other tours are adventurous in that they take people to some of the less-visited parts of the globe (such as a number of countries in Africa and South America), but nobody's going to make you bungee jump if you don't want to. Intrepid also offers programs for families traveling with children.

The company also has a contest going, giving away free trips. Learn more about that, and about Intrepid itself, by clicking here.

More Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals

2011-11-22T00:01:00.002-05:00

The glowing mirrors at Affinia Hotels are quite popular

I KNEW there'd be more. Some additional reasons to fire up your computer this Friday and Monday:

Shell Vacations Hospitality: Not an off-shoot of the gas stations, this classy resort conglomerate (I've been to the Shell property in Las Vegas and its quite nice) will be offering discounts of up to 50% off per night at resorts in the Napa Valley, Anaheim, Hawaii, Las Vegas and others. The sale begins Thursday at midnight and goes through the end of day on Friday. Click here for full details.
IHG: Parent brand to Intercontinental, Crowne Plaza, Staybridge Suites, Holiday Inn, Candlewood Suites and Hotel Indigo, wants to give you $100...if you're willing to jump through a heckuva lot of hoops. First, you must follow @IHG_Deals on Twitter. Then, you have to find the "Gotta Get 100" link and register there by Nov 28. But you're not done yet! After registering, you must book two consecutive weekend night stays at one of the company's hotels before the end of April. Do all of that and the hotel group will pay $100 of your airfare to any destination.
Affinia Hotels: I like these hotels a lot. They tend to have excellent gyms and comfortable beds--a winning combo. That's the only reason I'm including a 10% off deal (which I usually consider to paltry a percentage to mention). In this case, the 10% is off best available rates, so price drops to as low as $109/night for some of the properties, a good rate for hotels of this caliber. The deal's taking place in Washington, DC, New York and Chicago; Cyber Monday is when the savings will go live. Click here for more details and use code "Cyber 1".
Jetsetter: A group buying discount site (like Groupon or Yuupon--which I mentioned last week), its promising hourly sales from 9am to 9pm on Monday, featuring discounts of 40%-50% off hotels and air/hotel packages. And one lucky shopper will get their trip gratis, compliments of Jetsetter.

To read the deals I featured last week, please scroll backwards on this blog.

Guns at the Airport

2011-11-21T00:01:00.004-05:00

Raise your hand if you didn't know guns were forbidden on planes.

Anyone? Anyone?

So why are more and more passengers getting caught at airport security check-points with firearms in their carry-ons?

That's the alarming question posed by Joe Sharkey in his New York Times column last week, which he aptly titled "Knuckleheads or Worse, Bringing Guns in Carry Ons".

Apparently, the number of passengers making this "mistake" is on the rise and the TSA is snagging 4 to 5 passengers each day who are trying to pack pistols. Some claim they forgot they had the gun in their bag, others have clearly tried to hide their guns from detection.

Both types of gunslingers are idiots.

The first because, as Sharkey rightly points out, not knowing where your guns are goes against basic gun safety protocol. And a good number of the guns confiscated are fully loaded!

The second type of passenger, the one who's trying to hide the gun, is more worrisome. Most probably aren't terrorists. Just the kind of jerks who feel they are above the law; or that the law governing guns on planes is wrong and should be flouted. After all, in the past decade, laws have changed in many communities allowing concealed weapons to be carried in restaurants, theaters and a number of other formerly off-limit places. Why should planes be any different?

I'm not going to get into the issue of gun control here. This is a travel column, after all. But I'd love for those who are on the NRA's side of this argument to take up the cause of public safety and remind their members that carrying guns on planes is not a safe or smart idea. Just the loss of cabin pressure, if one or more bullets were to pierce the plane's fuselage, could be very, very dangerous for passengers (read more on that here). The gun owners will listen to you, more than to me. Do this for all of our safety.

Freebie Friday: Free Wifi All Over London

2011-11-18T00:01:00.001-05:00

(Photo by Jim Trodel)

Its only a trial run, but this November Nokia, in partnership with the city of London, rolled out 26 hot spots around the city. Free to use, they're located primarily on Oxford Street and in train stations. If the program is successful, it will be expanded in 2012.

Now, you won't be able to hang out next to a hotspot and stream movies on your I-Pad. The hot spots will work for all wifi accepting devices, but each user will be limited to 1mbps. But that's more than enough to tweet "Hey, I just got free WiFi in London" to your friends back home.

You'll find more information in this article from The Telegraph (click here).

Black Friday & Cyber Monday Travel Deals

2011-11-17T00:01:00.001-05:00

The countdown has begun!

No, not to Thanksgiving. I'm talking about Black Friday and Cyber Monday. And, as in years past, these dates should offer as many travel deals as two-for-the-price-of-one Pashmina shawls sales. So get ready to surf the web, and shine up those credit cards.

Here are the deals I've spotted so far:

Gate 1 Travel: What I like about this one is that Gate 1's air-hotel packages are always good values, whether they be to Asia, Europe or Latin America. With this deal, folks who book on November 25 will get additional money back, depending on how much they spend. Spend $500 or more and receive $50 off with the promo code BLKFR50; spend $1000 or more for $100 off (promor code BLKFR100); at $2000 the giveback is $250 (BLKFR250); and those who pony up $4000 or more get $500 off (BLKFR500). More details at the Gate 1 site (link above). And unlike last year's sale, these deals will also apply to cruise purchases.
Viceroy Hotels: This deals a bit more complicated. Would be travelers will have to "like" the hotel chain first on Facebook. Then on Nov 27 and 28, "friends" of the hotel group will receive discount codes good for half off the best rate or more. (They're advertising that discounted rooms could go for as little as $75 a night; darn good for rooms that normally sell in the $200's. Viceroy has hotels all over the world from Turkey to the Caribbean to California and Florida.
Yuupon: A group-buying discount site, but with a twist: if you realize you won't be able to use your travel purchase, you can get your money back! Its putting out that its Black Friday sale will include savings of up to 90% on Las Vegas shows, air tickets and gas cards and $17 hotel rooms. Click here to read my father's complete blog on the sale.
Kula Hulanda Resorts, Curacao: Want to look tan in the Xmas photos? Head first to the Caribbean then. This resort is offering a third-night free deal (basically a 33% discount) for stays through mid-December (alas, the Christmas holidays are blacked out on this offer). Request the "Black Friday Special".
St Kitts Marriott Resort and Royal Beach Casino: Another "fun in the sun" offer, this one available through December 21. Book 7 nights and get the 5th, 6th and 7th free, an upgrade and free breakfasts for up to two adults and two children. The promo code is ZJL.

Consider these few sales just an amuse bouche. I'll serve up some more "Black and Cyber" travel savings next week! Stay tuned.

Travel Scams Circulating This Holiday Season

2011-11-16T14:10:00.000-05:00

Part of the speech I give at travel shows around the country involves all of the legitimate travel freebies one can scoop up nowadays. So I may be one of the people to blame for folks out there thinking they can get something for nothing.

Alas, in the case of free flights with Southwest Airlines, there's no such thing as a free ride.

But hackers would have us think otherwise.

I was alerted to the scam when a Facebook friend posted a cheery "I love Southwest!" with a link below it to a site one had to click on for the free coupons, good for flights anywhere. The giveaway that this was a fraud: the claim that Southwest would be giving away 3000 coupons for free flights. In this economy, with the cost of fuel as it is? Fuggedabout it.

I then scanned the internet and found this useful blog about what to do if you do fall for this scam, and have your information "phished".

Apparently, recent scams have claimed that JetBlue and Delta are also giving away free tickets.

Sigh. If only....

Fraudulent Check-In Scam
And that ain't the end of it, folks. Apparently devious scammers have been sending out confirmations for a flight Thanksgiving week between New York and Los Angeles. When unsuspecting victims click on any part of the email, a harmful virus gets unleashed.

Unfortunately, a number of Delta customers have gotten the email. Here's a complete article on the ruse, and what one should do if you click first and think second.

Getting Into the "Spirit" of Nickle-And-Diming Travelers

2011-11-15T00:02:00.005-05:00

Is this woman protecting herself from the stink of high fees? (Photo by B. Brown)

Several years ago, my esteemed colleague Jason Cochran wrote a piece on the fact that, even with their awesomely low fares, the extra fees at Spirit Airlines usually wiped out any difference in price between them and their competitors. It took a lot of math, but that was the researched conclusion. (Sorry, I've looked, but I can't seem to find the article online; I remember it because I edited it.)

My guess is that, with the fee upticks announced yesterday, travelers will likely now pay MORE to fly Spirit than its competition. Because except for those few time-rich souls willing to go to the airport and purchase a ticket at the counter there, all passengers will be charged $34 per round-trip flight for the "privilege" of booking online. That's no typo: $34 (!!) to book online.

That come to double the old fee. The Huffington Post points out that this new fee, in a number of cases, will work out to a additional 40% of the ticket price.

And, taking a page from Ryanair, those who don't print their own tickets at home will have to cough up $5 at the airport to get them.

Wonder if they'll be next announcing the sale of porn on their flights, like Ryanair? Wouldn't put it past 'em.

Blockbuster Museum Show a Potent Reason to Get to Dallas Soon

2011-11-14T00:01:00.016-05:00

Last spring, the hottest ticket in New York City wasn't to the Broadway hit "The Book of Mormon" (though that remains super popular). Instead, lines several blocks long formed outside the Metropolitan Museum of people eager to see the Costume Institute's Alexander McQueen show. People waited for upwards of seven hours to get in....and left happy.

After the preview I saw on Friday of the Jean Paul Gaultier exhibit I have no doubt that kind of lightening is about to strike Dallas.

"The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk" is the boffo new show at the Dallas Museum of Art, and it is, without hyperbole, one of the top five museum shows I've ever seen. Part of me wished I could extend my stay in Texas just so I could walk through it again.

And as anyone knows who's ever seen me in person, I'm the farthest thing from a fashionista (I'm typing this blog in a velour "Mesa Verde" souvenir sweatshirt, for heavens sake!).

But the technical bravura of the show, the beauty of the clothes, the interplay of history with culture and creativity--it truly bowls the viewer over.

Let's start with the gee whiz factor. In a brilliant move, meant to make the clothes seem more part of the living world, many of the mannequins have faces that move and speak in the most eerie fashion. These are not Disney-World-esque puppets. Instead, Gaultier and his favorite models were filmed talking. Those images are projected onto the face of the mannequins.

And boy do they have a lot to say. I stood mesmerized before one haughty lady who spit out one witticism after another. My favorite was a comment on the show itself: "Its all too French," she purred. "So many ideas! Too, too many ideas."

Yes, its an overflow of ideas, but that's why it deserves to be in a museum. Some of the clothes are, without hyperbole, great works of art. In one room, ex votos beautiful in and of themselves formed a spectacular, breast-plated evening gown. In another the viewer sees male mannequins dressed in skirts and even elaborate feathers, yet the effect is testosterone charged and makes the viewer rethink their ideas about what's appropriate for each gender.

For pop culture fans there's Madonna's iconic pointy bra bustier, oxidized with her sweat. There are also clothes inspired by the Red Light district in Amsterdam, by world cultures (I'm craving that Eskimo coat), by famous films. Often the mannequins revolve, so one can see the clothes from all angles.

A final savvy move: the show plays up the effort and artistry that goes into creating these sorts of objects. On the wall panels next to each article of clothing is a small note stating how long it took to create. 50 to 70 hours seemed to be the norm.

Even if you think you have no interest in fashion: go. It may well be the most fun you'll ever have in an art museum.

(Note: The show is in Dallas through February 10 and then moves to the DeYoung Museum in San Francisco.)

Whistler a Happy Tune: Primo Early Booking Ski Discounts

2011-11-11T00:01:00.000-05:00

In two weeks, ski season begins at the resort Ski Magazine has annually named best in North America. Don't wait until ski bunnies are racing down the mountain. The folks at Whistler recently announced that those who book before Nov 15, will score a 36% discount off both lodgings and lift ticket. This discount will hold for the entire season.That means that even when holiday rates are in effect, those who book soon will be able to shave a full third off the overall cost.

In terms of numbers, a low season five night lodgings/four day ski pass package will start at $443 per person. The deal is bonzanza for families the discount goest to 100% for the wee ones. Kids stay, eat, ski and ride the shuttle for free with this early booking offer! To see all the variables and fine print, click here.

And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the "Great Lebowski-esque" contest the resort is currently running. One lucky winner will win a "winter sabbatical" at Whistler. That means, airfare, a full month's lodging, lift tickets, and adventure passes a number of adrenaline pumping activities. If that sounds appealing Dude (sorry, I have to call you "Dude" if it does), just click here.

I'll Be Speaking in Dallas This Saturday and Would Love to Meet You!

2011-11-10T00:01:00.000-05:00

Dallas Skyline (Photo by Steve Johnson)

Yes, its another travel show for me! Very excited to be back in Texas, as last year's appearance there was attended by a group of avid travelers. It was delightful to meet them.

This year, I'll be speaking at 10:45 am and 1:45pm. The first chat is "When to Splurge and When to Scrimp on Travel". My second speech is more of a slide show on exciting destinations one should consider.

The Dallas Travel and Adventure Show will be held at the Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau (650 South Griffin Street). Also on the bill is the delightful Samantha Brown.

Hope to see you all there!

Ouch! Holiday Airfares Up Again

2011-11-09T11:48:00.001-05:00

I've spent much of the last week trying to convince you, dear reader, not to head home to see the family this Thanksgiving.

Well, it seems the airlines have joined my "cause", though their methods are likely more persuasive than the simple keyboard I weild. In short, the airlines are going to stick it to those who try to fly over both the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years holiday period, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Reporter Hugo Martin, backed up by a number of industry muckymucks, has found that fares for these periods will be 6% to 12% higher than last year.

If you can get them, that is. Because of decreased capacity, many flights are sold out or near sold out.

In fairness to the airlines, they're raising prices because they have to, having had losses 7 out of the last 10 quarters. The surging price of fuel, up 40% in the last year according to Martin, doesn't help either.

So are the prices horrific? I actually have some first-hand experience in this topic, because last night I helped my mother book a round-trip from New York to Chicago. As I've complained here before, she's a last-minute decider, and mistakes me for a travel agent, so I spend a fair amount of time trying to fix the messes her lack of planning cause.

In this case, she decided to attend a family gathering the weekend before Thanksgiving, flying out that Saturday and back on the Tuesday before Turkey day. We huddled around my computer and finally found a flight on Delta into O'Hare (she didn't want to go to Midway because it was too far from her cousin's house) for $243. It would have been less had she been willing to accept an early morning flight, but she's not only a late-decider, she's a late-sleeper, so that was out of the question.

Frankly, I didn't think $243 for that week was too bad. But when I went to pick her seat, I saw how lucky we'd been that she hadn't procrastinated any longer. On the first flight, there were only 5 middle seats left. On Tuesday's return she had a choice of 7 middle seats.

This is all a long way of saying: don't emulate Mom! If you're thinking of traveling this holiday season, make your bookings now. Its only going to get uglier.

Spend Thanksgiving in New Orleans and Then Sail The Caribbean

2011-11-08T15:40:00.001-05:00

Jazz in Crescent City (photo by Linda Duchain)

So yesterday, I counseled how to escape one's family on Turkey Day by running off to the United Kingdom. Today, I've got a land/cruise deal that may make it even more enticing to ditch the once-a-year cousin fest.

And boy is it a whopper! A 7-night cruise for $529 would be impressive on its own. Add to that 3 nights in a New Orleans' hotel and hotel-to-port transfers, and you have a real steal.

The offer is the brainchild of tour operator Gate 1 Travel and must be booked by Nov 14, for a vacation starting on Nov 23 in NOLA. The sailing is aboard Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas and it ports in Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Jamaica.

Believe it or not, the offer will be revived for slightly more later in the year, so contact Gate 1 if you can't travel this month.

And in case you're wondering, I won't be off to exotic locales for Thanksgiving (sigh). I've been roped into making the potatoes au gratin. So take the trip for me. Oh, and does anyone have a mandolin they can lend?

Free UK Hotel Rooms for the Taking

2011-11-07T15:57:00.000-05:00

Skip Turkey Day This Year!

Its as much of an autumn tradition as roasting pumpkin seeds and getting lost in corn mazes (call 911!). Yes, British Airway's annual room give away is back, and this year its expanded. Instead of just tacking on two free hotel nights in London, with a round-trip airfare from the US, BA is also including stays in Edinburgh and Manchester this year.

As always, the deal is based on double occupancy and the taxes involved can come close to the cost of one of the flight legs. Still, the hotels are decent as are the fares, so why the heck not?

For complete information, head to the British Airways website. Reservations must be made before November 15 for travel between tomorrow and December 16.

Hey, this could inspire a new tradition: Thanksgiving across the pond, away from all your pesky relatives.

Freebie Friday: More Free Wifi on Trains

2011-11-04T00:01:00.004-04:00

Three cheers for Amtrak! It announced this week that it will be expanding its free Wifi program, previously only available on Acela trains and the Pacific-Cascades lines. With this move, some 60% of the rail lines passengers will be able to connect.
The routes that will now have Wifi are:

The Empire Service (New York-Albany-Buffalo)
Northeast Regional (Boston to Virginia)
Keystone Service (New York-Philadelphia-Harrisburg)
Carolinian (New York-Raleigh/Cary, NC)
Downeaster (Boston-Portland, ME)
Ethan Allen Express (New York-Rutland, VT)
Vermonter (Washington-St. Albans)
The New Haven-Springfield shuttle
Adirondack (New York-Montreal)
Maple Leaf (New York-Toronto)
Palmetto (New York-Savannah, GA)
Pennsylvanian (New York-Philadelphia-Pittsburgh)

On those last four routes, the Wifi will only be available in certain cars (due to technical constraints) so get to the station early to get into the right car. They'll be marked by stickers on the windows.

Photo by Gene Bowker

In addition to Wifi, Amtrak is hoping to offer faster 4G speeds in the near future.

Amtrak further announced that it will be expanding Wifi In California by the end of the year. That will increase the percentage of passengers able to update their Facebook pages on the train to 75%.

Just a few more reasons to ditch the car and plane in favor of the train in the coming months. Green, pleasant and now connected--let's all take ride the rails!

A New Budget Airline Debuts in Asia

2011-11-03T12:17:00.001-04:00

This is a blog as birth announcement.

I am thrilled to announce that a bouncing baby airline has just entered the world. Proud single parent Singapore Airlines has named the tot Scoot. Like all doting Moms, Singapore Airlines hopes her kid will be loved. To ensure that, Scoot's going to be a budget carrier, reportedly lopping 40% off the usual prices for its initial flights to China and Australia. Scoot will start flying when she becomes a toddler, some time in mid-2012.

The move is a startling one from an airline known for its luxury amenities. Sinapore Air has been named, in survey after survey, as one of the best airlines in the world, prized for its high quality service (particularly in First and Business Class). Let's hope this Singapore off-shoot is able to keep its standards high and its prices low.

By the way, Scoot will have some buddies to pal around with: four upstart, budget airlines are being planned for launch in Asia in 2012.

Cigars for everyone!

Carnival Raises Its Per Day Tipping Minimum

2011-11-02T18:13:00.001-04:00

Towel animals don't appear by magic!

Its my knee-jerk reaction to rail against and and all price increases. I want us all to be able to travel more, after all, and for that the affordability of travel is key.

But Carnival Cruise Lines recent per-day, per person tip increase from $10 to $11.50 seems like a justifiable one to me. Cruise passengers get remarkable value for their money, what with the cost of all meals, lodgings and transportation coming, in many cases, to as little as $50 per person per day (especially on Carnival, which is known for its affordable pricing). With the exception of camping, there's no other type of vacation as cheap.

Part of the reason the cruise lines can charge this little is their relatively low staffing costs. A cleaner or a busboy could be making as little as $900 per month. Considering that most of these men and women work 12-hour days, often with no days off for weeks at a time, the hourly rate works out to a pittance.

And if you've ever cruised, you know that the people who work aboard these ships are gems. Tireless, friendly and efficient, these men and women from the Philipines, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe and elsewhere, work harder than most in the travel industry. Many are supporting extended families back home with their wages. If anyone deserves good tips, its cruise workers.

Which is why I personally always tip above the required amount when I cruise. And I'm glad, very glad, that that required minimum is going up. The move is the first tip increase for Carnival since 2001. It will bring the fleet in line with what rivals such as Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Lines. Beyond that, it will improve the lives for many, many good people.

European Airfares Dip--Briefly! Here's How You Can Take Advantage

2011-11-01T11:32:00.001-04:00

Its been a long time since I've seen airfares to Europe for less than $500 dollars. Wait, scratch that: I have seen sale fares advertised at that price. But when taxes and fuel surcharges have been added in, the end amount has nearly doubled.

Lufthansa is taking a non-opaque tack with its current sale (applaud them for that!). Its leading price of just $438 for round-trips between New York and Dublin includes everything but the proverbial kitchen sink (and a few times today, I've seen that price drop even lower).

Other excellent Lufthansa fares (again, round-trip and including all taxes, surcharges and fees):

New York-Krakow: $610
Boston-Barcelona: $648
Dallas/Fort Worth-Zagreb: $757
Washington, DC-Budapest: $736
Los Angeles-Istanbul: $744

Now, there are no additional taxes on these fares, but there are some restrictions associated with them. First and foremost, they must be booked by end of day tomorrow (Nov 2) for departures between Nov 8 and Mar 26 (returns can occur well into May). A Saturday-night stay-over is required, and if you fly on the weekend a $60 surcharge will be added. As you might expect, holiday fares are NOT included in this sale (sorry!).

One more perk of flying Lufthansa: its new thinner seats. That might sound like a downside, but travelers are reporting they're quite comfortable. And because they take up less room, there's more seat pitch (ie room between the end of your knees and the seat in front of you).

For more information, click here.

Alas, I missed posting a one-day sale that Aer Lingus ran yesterday, also dropping fares to this level. Its current sale is nearly as good as Lufthansa's (click here) though the German carrier seems to beat Aer Lingus in a number of key markets. My guess: we'll see another one day super sale soon (the economic crisis in Ireland has put a big dent in business travel there, meaning the national carrier has a lot of seats to fill). To catch it, consider following Aer Lingus on Twitter or signing up for its fare alerts.

Fliers Face Tricks Not Treats This Past Weekend. What To Do When The Planes Aren't Flying

2011-10-31T11:59:00.000-04:00

With a freak snowstorm delaying and/or cancelling flights into New York City, Philadelphia and other East Coast gateways; and strikes at Air France and Quantas stranding passengers abroad, it was, to put it politely a #%@% up weekend to fly.

What could travelers have done to make their travels more efficient? Very little frankly. With the scope of the disruptions no amount of fuming at airport counters would have helped. That's not to say there's nothing to do when these types of incidents occur. Some advice:

Try, try again: Passengers who need to reschedule flights after cancelled flights should realize that the first option they're offered is usually not the only option. With so many passengers to rebook, the situation will be a fluid one, with fliers sometimes opting to drive to get to their destination or cancelling altogether. So if you get re-booked on a lousy flight, say "Thanks so much" to the airline worker, hang up and call back in 40 minutes. It may take several tries, but persistent travelers often get the flights they want in the end.
Be in contact with your airline before you head to the airport: Better to be stranded at home than in a drafty terminal, right? If the "mother of all storms" is heading towards your gateway, do yourself a favor and see if you can wait it out at home.
Look to your airline's partners: This can be especially useful when traveling abroad. If the airline you're booked on is engaged in a labor dispute, see if you can transfer your ticket to one of its partner airlines.
Be nice: Though you'll often get faster service over the internet or on the phone, being pleasant to the harried folks behind the counter may bring rewards. Ask nicely and you may receive food vouchers for airport snacks, and even special consideration when it comes to re-booking.

Finally, its a good idea to consider weather patterns when buying tickets. Google Flights now has a widget allowing those considering flights with transfers to eliminate certain airports (like snowy Denver) from consideration. Hey, we just got hit with a massive snowstorm in October--might be a good idea to take weather into account this winter!

Freebie Friday: Free Bus Trips

2011-10-28T13:15:00.000-04:00

There may be no Santa Claus, Virginia, but there is definitely such a thing as a free ride!

Once again, the mighty Megabus is launching new routes and supporting the announcement with a massive giveaway: some 10,000 free seats to and from Atlanta.

Travelers who use the discount code ATL10K will get the freebie for travel between Nov 15 and December 16 between Atlanta and the following southern cities: Birmingham, Charlotte, Chattanooga, Gainsville, Jacksonville, Knoxville, Memphis, Mobile, Montgomery, Nashville, and Orlando.

Head quickly to Megabus site, as these giveaways do disappear quickly.

Playing Chicken at the Rental Car Counter

2011-10-27T21:41:00.000-04:00

(Image by Torley)

I'm one of those over-prepared geeks who knows that I'll be getting useable insurance from both my credit card and my personal auto insurance when I rent a car. (Yes, I've read the fine print). But I still get nervous turning down the collision damage waiver, especially after the clerk fixes me with a beady stare and says "Are you absolutely sure? You realize if you get into an accident, you could be on the hook for the lost revenue from the car while its being repaired."

Okay, am I sure?

What I'm sure about is that its the clerks job to frighten me into buying insurance that I don't need. That act can add a whopping $30 a day to the cost of the rental car. So its a major source of profit for those car rental companies.

But on the other hand, the agent is right to ask because sometimes, sometimes, travelers think they're covered when they're not. And today eminent travel expert Ed Perkins has posted a darn good piece on which card covers what (and which leave travelers on the hook).

The most invidious gotcha? You rent a car with your credit card, but then add on something small--maybe the rental of a GPS unit--and pay for it in cash. And that action nullifies the coverage you got with your credit credit card because you didn't pay for the entire rental with the credit card.

I won't give away more of Ed's tips. Instead, click here to read this most helpful article.

Safaris--And Other African Adventures--Within Reach

2011-10-26T16:43:00.003-04:00

A "perfect storm" of circumstances converged this month making trips to Africa more affordable, and more convenient, than they have been in quite some time.

Airfare
Beginning tonight at midnight, South African Airways will be throwing a jaw-dropper of a sale with round-trip flights to a number of African gateways starting at just $550. Alas, you'll pay almost double that once fuel surcharges and taxes are factored in, but still its much less than you would have paid just a week ago. Here's how it breaks down:

$1034--New York (JFK) to Johannesburg
$1071--JFK to Cape Town
$1111--JFK to Dakar (Senegal)
$1151--JFK to Durban, East London and Port Elizabeth
$1342--JFK to Nairobi (Kenya)
$1376--JFK to Livingstone (Zambia)
$1381--JFK to Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe)
$1396--JFK to Entebbe (Uganda)
$1384--JFK to Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania)

Tickets must be purchased by Nov 15 for travel between Nov 1 and Dec 9; and Jan 15 through Mar 31, 2012. Sorry, there are no add-on fares from other US cities, but these prices are so low, it may well make sense to fly into New York on another airline to snag them here. Flights are in the morning, so a red eye would work. And happily, these flights get into Johannesburg in the morning (a new development), meaning that folks flying to other parts of Africa won't have to spend the night in Jo'Burg, as they had to do in the past when flying in from the States. Service from JFK to Johannesburg is now non-stop--another big plus.

I was alerted to these flights by Ken Heiber of 2Afrika and he told me that travelers can book these fares through him, with no additional commission charged (or one can go directly to the airline).

Safaris/Vacation Packages

Heiber is using the announcement of these flights to launch some new, and very well-priced, vacation packages to Africa. A South African expert, he has a deep knowledge of the market; over the years, I've only heard good reports of his programs. Among his many offerings, here are two that caught my eye:

6 Nights in Cape Town for $1799: This package includes flights, 6-nights at a nice waterfront hotel, daily breakfasts, transfers to and from the airport in Cape Town and all taxes and surcharges.
6 Night Kenyan Safari for $2999: Again, the flight from the US is included as well as all in-country transportation, all lodgings, eight safari game drives, and 18 meals. An additional tax of $195 is added to this one. Places visited include Mt. Kenya Forest, Shaba National Reserve, Lake Nakuru National Park, Maasai Mara National Reserve

Traveling Independently in Africa
In just the past three months, the South African rand has fallen some 18% against the dollar, making costs on the ground significantly cheaper in that country. Even before that happened hotels were having trouble filling their rooms, thanks to the hotel building boom that preceded the World Cup last year. This is now a destination that is saturated with beds, so watch out for 3-for-the-price-of-2-night sales and other discount promotions whenever you're booking hotels.

Recent violence against European tourists is also scaring many visitors away from Kenya and depressing the prices there. It should be noted that the assaults occurred in resort areas nowhere near the Maasai Mara and the other safari parks mentioned in this piece (its a good half-day drive to get from the trouble areas to these wilderness areas). But, as always in these cases, do your own research before booking. I'd recommend looking at the consular travel advisory sites for the US State Department, as well as the travel warnings of the British Government.

Another Resource
The New York Times recently covered the topic of dropping prices in Africa, and while I was confused by their focus on only the most expensive of safaris (ones costing $400/day and up without airfare), there's still some valuable information in the piece. Click here to read it.

Airfares Up, Likeability Down

2011-10-25T16:56:00.001-04:00

The American Customer Satisfaction Index has just been released. As always it reveals not only the companies that score kudos but the ones consumers loathe. The results are an aggregate of thousands of customer satisfaction and other types of surveys, and the results ain't good for the airline industry. Taking the #2 and #3 spot, ABOVE the hated Bank of America, are Delta and American Airlines. Wow, to be hated more the bank that wants to charge customers for using debit cards? That's some dubious achievement.

Probably won't help their likeability that the airlines have raised their rates for the second time this week. According to the Associated Press, unpopular Delta was the first to increase fares by between $4 and $10 for domestic routes. United and Continental quickly matched. If Southwest matches, the increases will likely stick.

After another quarter in the red, these increases show investors that the airlines are trying to become profitable. What they show consumers is that they'd better book soon, especially for holiday flights, or they could be paying much, much more to get home to see Grandma.

Some advice:

Domestic sales tend to pop late on Mondays, so book travel on Tuesday or Wednesday when the other airlines match. Try not to book on a weekend as that's when fares increase (the airlines know consumers use their time away from work to research and book fares.They see an uptick in the number of bookings and respond with upticks in pricing).
Don't assume two one-way tickets will be more expensive than a round-trip. That's not always the case nowadays (so search for those, too)
Alas, non-stops are often pricier these days. If you need to save, consider spending some time along the way in an airport
Be flexible on dates and airports, as it could pay off bigtime.
Get the broadest search possible with such sites as Kayak.com, DoHop.com and Hipmunk.com

I'm actually NOT an airline hater. While I dislike their habit of adding extra fees and hiding real prices from consumers, I find that their staffs generally are well-trained, friendly and polite. Most are doing very hard jobs with dignity and good humor. The economics of the business have been very hard for quite some time, what with the ever fluctuating cost of fuel, plus scares and recessions that keep people at home. I wish them well, but I still don't want to pay too much for tickets, and I don't want you, dear reader, to do so either.

G Adventures Expands Into Its Own Backyard

2011-10-24T12:05:00.002-04:00

Seems like its recent name change from Toronto-based GAP Adventures to simply "G Adventures" hasn't slowed down the folks at that trailblazing company. They've decided to rectify a situation that has puzzled many of their fans over the years: their lack of North American touring options.

Death Valley (Photo by John Bruckman)

That changed this week when G unveiled its addition of some 56 tours in North America (11 in Canada, the rest in the US). There will be excursions for those who like to rough it and pay less (Overland Road Trips, on which participants camp out); nature-oriented tours with a big adventure component to them (Active Escapes), and more usual, hotel-based itineraries (Classic Escapes). On all three, the groups will be small, with just 8 to 13 people each, and as with their tours in Asia, Africa and Europe, G Adventures expects to host an international clientelle.

So what are the prices like? They seem to be, thankfully, in line with the affordable trips G Adventures sponsors in other parts of the globe. As an example, an 8-day trip through the American West (Yosemite, the California Coast, Las Vegas, Death Valley, etc.) clocks in at just $949. A lollapalooza of a road trip from New Orleans to San Francisco is $1949 for 16 days.

For more information, click here.

Freebie Friday: The 2012 Dates When Entrance Fees Will Be Waived At Our National Parks

2011-10-21T00:01:00.002-04:00

Balancing Rock At Arches National Park

Get out your calendars. This week the National Park's free admission days for next year were announced and there will be 17 in all.

As in 2011, these are sure to be extra delightful days on which to visit these national treasures. And that's not only because of the cost savings (which, to be fair, isn't that great: at most $20 per carload of visitors, less at other parks). But during these holiday periods, the Parks put on special workshops, Ranger-led walks and talks and other events to keep the crowds happy.

Drumroll, please. In 2012, entrance fees will be ditched on:

Martin Luther King, Jr Weekend (Jan 14-16)
National Park Week (April 21-29)
Get Outdoors Day (June 29)
National Public Lands Day (Sept 29)
Veteran's Day Weekend (Nov 10-12)

Have a wonderful weekend all! (And if you're in Atlanta, be sure to stop by the Atlanta Travel and Adventure Show. As I mentioned earlier in the week, I'll be giving two speeches there this Saturday).

Government Giveaways That Help Travelers Save Hundreds of Dollars

2011-10-20T00:01:00.006-04:00

Free cultural exchanges in Berlin? You betcha!

Earlier in the week I told you about the remarkable contest the Costa Rican government is sponsoring; it will give several hundred travelers nearly free weeklong vacations.

Would you believe that that's just one of MANY ways that governments around the world are reaching out to encourage tourism (and keep their constituents employed)?

I recently wrote a very detailed, long article on the topic for Bing Travel. Rather than repeat what I said here, I'll simply ask that you follow this link.

I think you'll find it helpful!

An Invitation For Those Of You Who Live in Atlanta, Plus Some News Items

2011-10-19T08:09:00.001-04:00

Atlanta (Photo by Jesse Budlong)

I'm writing this from LaGuardia Airport where I'm waiting to fly the only non-delayed plane this morning (yikes, I hope I didn't just jinx it). I'm headed to Atlanta, where I'll be appearing this Saturday at the Atlanta Travel and Adventure Show. I'll be speaking at 11:30 (on when to scrimp and when to splurge on travel) and at 2:30 (on travel trends). In between, the lovely and charming Samantha Brown of the Travel Channel will take the stage. And off the stage there will be adventures galore from rock climbing walls, to ziplines to a scuba diving tank. A final unusual touch: along with all of the travel sellers (cruise lines, tour operators, tourist boards) on the floor, there will also be a conference on "Faith Based Travel" taking place at the event.

Long story short: it should be a good time and I'd love to meet readers of this blog there!

We can discuss such interesting travel items as:

The increase in holiday airfares. They've been up, they've been down, surcharges have been eliminated and reinstated. What a crazy scene its been this year, but it all boils down to: if you don't book your air tickets soon, you're going to be paying a lot more than you should. Some experts are predicting an uptick of $5 for every day you procrastinate, starting next week.
Cannibals eating tourists! Not surprisingly the government of French Polynesia is now denying that a German tourist who is missing was the last meal of the guide he hired. I don't want to say much more on the subject, though the article is quite interesting.
Airline's queasiness over new taxes results in unusual advertising: It sounds like a story from The Onion, but its true. The Air Transport Association is giving out barf bags through its member airlines to protest new taxes on passengers and airlines to support airline security. The bags say in bold letters "Sick of Taxes?"with a large arrow pointing to the opening of the bag. Frankly, I think passengers and airlines should bear more of the burden of the security they're using (its a system that's worked well in Europe), but I gotta give the airline industry points for creativity.

That's it for now as my flight will be called in any minute.

Sales and More Sales On Air Tickets

2011-10-18T15:23:00.000-04:00

The headline of this blog says it all. A slew of airlines are briefly dropping their prices this week, including:

Direct Air: 50% off its flights to and from a number of secondary gateways.
And because those gateways are under-served the savings are particularly heartening, as they come with direct flights. As an example, the cheapest fare you'll get between Springfield (IL) and Myrtle Beach is $367 round-trip on Delta, for an itinerary that takes three flights EACH WAY. Do it with Direct Air and you may snag a $129 round-trip. Use the code YLXEM to get the savings.

JetBlue: Flights from $44 each way, and all the blue potato chips you can snarf.
Book by the end of the day tomorrow for travel between Oct 25 and Dec 15 (but not including the Thanksgiving holiday).

WestJet: Move quickly Canadians! This sale has to be booked today, but if you can make your plans that fast there are good discounts to be had on Monday through Wednesday (and Saturday) flights between a number of cities, including Calgary and Montreal ($318 round-trip). Fly through March 17 at the lower rates.

Southwest and AirTran: In lockstep, parent and child are offering a 72 hour sale which expires end of day on Thursday. Among the impressive discounts are Newark to Cleveland for $70 round-trip (on Southwest) and Columbus to Kansas City for $130 round-trip (on Air Tran).

Virgin America: Fly bathed in purple light to Palm Springs or Puerta Vallarta, the airlines latest two gateways. Fares are currently being discounted for both gateways for those who purchase before Oct 23, and fly between mid-December and mid-March (all details are on the site; in some cases, the discount only applies on certain days of the week).

That's all for today, folks!

Costa Rica's Impressive Vacation Give Away

2011-10-17T11:13:00.000-04:00

Costa Rica was recently named the "happiest country in the Americas" by the New Economic Foundation's Happy Planet Index. (Scoring consisted of judging country's quality of life, carbon footprint and life expectancy for their citizens.)

Happiness, like misery, loves company, it seems. How else to explain the fact that the Costa Rican government has set aside $1 million to give away free vacations to its North American neighbors?

Photo by J McMichael

Unlike Japan, which is also currently contemplating giving away some 10,000 free air tickets-- no doubt to offset the 70% drop in tourism it experienced after its earthquake and subsequent nuclear reactor problems last March-- Costa Rican tourism is booming. According to government sources, the country welcomed nearly 1.2 million visitors in the first six months of 2011, a new record and an increase of of 6.5 percent over the last four years' numbers.

But why look a gift horse in the mouth (or should a say a gift Quetzal in the beak)? The giveaway is going to get some 300 visitors to Costa Rica over the next several months for free weeklong vacations! Well, almost free. Visitors will have to pay for most food and drinks, and will have to pay the country's exit tax ($26). But still, its a tremendous steal.

Most of the vacations are being given away through Costa Rica's Facebook page, at the rate of one vacation, good for two people, per weekday through Feb 5, 2012. Contestants must first "like" the country, which gives Costa Rica access to their basic FB info as well as the right to post status updates, notes, photos and videos on their walls. Then, they can enter the daily sweepstakes.

The government will also be giving away additional vacations through Twitter, prominent travel blogs (not this one, though; I don't enter into those sort of arrangements with this blog) and popular news outlets.

A final word: the weeklong vacations being given away (which include airfare from major US hubs, hotels, ground transportation and guided tours) come in five flavors. Winners will be allowed to choose from light or extreme adventure trips, trips that offer a quick overview of the country's highlights, romantic weeks and week's that focus of Costa Rica's culture.

If you want more information about the contest without "liking" Costa Rica's Facebook page, click here.

Freebie Friday: Free B&B Stays for Veterans

2011-10-14T00:01:00.007-04:00

Photo by Loren Javier

Are ex-Navy Seals partial to blueberry pancakes and doilies? Let's hope so because they, and all other veterans of the armed forces here in the US and Canada, are being offered free stays by B&Bs across North America (with the exception of Mexico). Appropriately enough, the freebies are for the night before Veterans Day (November 10).

This is the third year that the program will run. Approximately 900 B&B's in the US will be participating, along with 100 in Canada. To find out which Inns and B&Bs are opening their doors in this fashion, click here.

Veterans interested in a free stay are asked to contact the B&B that interests them directly to book a room. They must show proof of service upon arrival.

Happy Veterans Day all!

Next Week's the Week to Book Your Next Cruise

2011-10-13T14:13:00.001-04:00

The week of October 17 is "National Save for Retirement Week", "National Medical Assistants Week", "Celebrate Caterers Week", and "Celebrate Teen Reading Week."

Photo by Dawn Endico

Hopefully you won't be too busy forcing your teen to pick up a book, checking your IRA, or taking your local caterer (or physicians assistant) to lunch so that you can take note of the fact that its also "National Cruise Vacation Week". And that "holiday" is being feted in a much more tangible way than the others: all 25 of the major cruise operators--from mass volume ocean-going cruise companies, to river cruise operators, to luxury mega-yacht enterprises--are offering discounts and perks. These range from cash back deals, to percentages off the initial price to such niceties as cabin upgrades and shipboard credits.

To get the complete scoop, head to Cruising.org, the home of the Cruise Line Industry Association. Come Monday, it will host a wealth of links and information for all the bargains.

A Plea for Less Restrictive US Visas

2011-10-12T00:01:00.000-04:00

Several years ago, I interviewed a fellow who ran furniture shows in different markets across the United States. Dealers and manufacturers from all over the world attended these expos; at them deals were forged, products bought and sold and jobs created.

Sadly, after 9/11 his business cratered, the number of attendees at his show having dived by a full third. The problem wasn't a fear of terrorism or a downturn in the furniture market but the inability of international manufacturers to obtain visas and get to the shows.

I asked how that could be and he gave, as an example, the problem of businessmen in Brazil. At that time, there was only one Visa-giving embassy in that vast country, located in Sao Paulo. While Sao Paulo is a big center for furniture construction, it was rivaled by other areas of the country (such as Brazil's southernmost state Rio Grande do Sul) which were thousands of miles,hours by plane, from the capital. Businesspeople in these areas, in order to head to the United States, had to fly to Sao Paulo and stay in a hotel. If that wasn't expense enough, visa applicants were required to leave their passports behind for processing, picking them up when ready (and apparently it could sometimes be several days before they were ready). With the cost of domestic air, and a several nights stay in a Sao Paulo hotel, many simply ditched the idea of attending and took their business elsewhere.

The situation hasn't improved much since then, which is why I was heartened to hear that a bi-partisan bill is currently being considered that would ease visa restrictions. Introduced by tourism caucus co-chairs Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Roy Blunt (R-MO), the new regulations would allow previous visa-holders to forego the required in-person interview, if they apply for another visa within four years of obtaining their first one. The bill would also allow the State Department to re-allocate the money from visa fees to allow the hiring for more personnel in areas that most need it. And the Congress is asking the State Department to make particular efforts for improving the visa application process in India, China and yes, Brazil, areas with huge demands (and, in the past, huge waits for visas).

By some estimates, 1 out of every 11 Americans work in the travel industry in some capacity, whether at hotels, airports, trains, parks or restaurants that tourists support. So the visa issue goes well beyond the needs of business travelers. In the decade since 9/11 we've welcomed thousands fewer international tourists than we could have, and that, in turn, has lost this country hundreds of jobs.

Contact your representative today (go to www.senate.gov or www.house.gov) and let them know you support more intelligent, flexible visa policies. For the sake of our economy, ask them to support the International Tourism Facilitation Act.

Japan (Probably) To Give Away 10,000 Air Tickets to Foreigners

2011-10-11T00:01:00.004-04:00

The Japanese National Tourist Organization made a whopper of an announcement yesterday. In an effort to revive its crippled tourism industry (down some 70% since the earthquake and subsequent nuclear power plant problems last March), it is petitioning the government to make available funds for a ticket giveaway. At this stage, it has said its seeking some 1.1 billion yen (approximately $150 million dollars) to fund the purchase of 10,000 tickets for foreign visitors.

Photo by Marc Veraart

Beyond the direct infusion of cash this giveaway will give to the country's hoteliers, restauranteurs, tour companies and other organizations that cater to tourists, the promotion will be a major PR coup. Those requesting tickets will have to fill out online forms, apparently viewable by all comers, about why they want to visit the Land of the Rising Sun. They may also be asked to fill out questionnaires giving suggestions on how Japan can drum up more visitations.

Keep an eye on the JNTO website for complete information. No details have been given out yet as to when the applications will be due, though travel will apparently be for 2012 and not 2011. Those who accept the tickets will also be expected to post online reviews of their experiences after they return.

So is Japan safe? The US government thinks so. Just last week it downgraded its warning, saying that the only area citizens shouldn't enter is the zone within 20 km of the crippled Fukishimi Daiishi nuclear power plant (so Tokyo, Kamakura, Mount Fuji and Kyoto, the country's major touristic destinations, are all fine). To read the complete State Department statement, click here.

Happy Columbus Day All!

2011-10-10T00:01:00.000-04:00

This blog will return on Tuesday.

Freebie Friday: Four Giveaways from Four Points by Sheraton

2011-10-07T00:01:00.001-04:00

Let me start this post with a warning/disclaimer: no hotel freebie is actually free if the hotel room you're renting is so much pricier than the surrounding options that you're losing money by staying there. So before you take advantage of Four Points "Four for Free Giveaway" make sure you're getting a decent deal on the room rate.

Granted, that's often doable with Four Points, a very comfortable, indeed stylish, midrange brand that's part of the Starwood family of properties. And with its current offer (which runs through the end of the year) guests will get a free continental breakfast, a free appetizer, free Wifi and free bottle of water when they check in. Hey, its better than a kick in the pants.

The offer is good at participating Four Points by Sheraton properties, all of which are listed at the link above.

Great Travel Writers Reveal Their Favorite Travel Books

2011-10-06T00:01:00.001-04:00

Where to go? Its the most fundamental and yet, often, the most difficult question to solve when planning a vacation.

A strategy I've used in the past has been to read up on various places before deciding. And though it may seem out of character, considering my last name, I don't read guidebooks during this initial process. Instead, I turn to travel memoirs and (sometimes) books of history. When I've hit upon one that inspires me, I then look at the guidebook to plan the concrete details of my trip.

Finding good travel memoirs, however, can be tricky. Often they're the literary equivalent of watching someone's very long-winded and not very insightful slideshow on their last vacation. Which is why I was so pleased to stumble across a recent article in London's Guardian, in which well-respected current travel writers were asked to reveal which books and authors most inspired them.

Some of their favorites were already mine--Pico Iyer, Ian Frazier and Jan Morris make the list (not surprisingly). But so do more obscure writers and writers who are better known in other genres, such as Patrick Leigh Fermor, Apsley Cherry-Garard, and Henry Miller.

To read the list, and more importantly, the descriptions of these authors' work, click on the link above.

Mom's Russian River Cruise

2011-10-05T00:01:00.007-04:00

She's back!

Though I'm guessing she's still wishing she was in Russia. Apparently, the river cruise was the trip of a lifetime.

All of her--and my--worries proved to be unfounded. The ship, a Russian-owned and operated vessel, proved to be just fine, with good food and a dedicated, well-trained staff (with the exception of her excursions leader, who she thought was disorganized. My guess? Mom's right. Apparently this woman kept losing tourists at the sites!).

Red Square (photo by ThisIsBossi)

Would she have done some things differently? Yes.

She believes her first mistake was not scheduling days, both before and after the trip, to tour Moscow and St. Petersburg on her own. With only the day and a half of tours scheduled with the cruiseline, she left feeling that she'd given these fascinating cities short shrift.

She also regretted having paid more to get a double cabin to herself. She was told by the agent that the singles cabins were claustrophobicly small. But she saw some aboard, and wished she'd saved the several hundred dollars she'd spent for more spacious digs. The singles were just fine, she felt. The lesson there: get actual measurements. The taste of an agent may not reflect your own taste (and sometimes, dare I say it, the fact that their commission is a percentage of the sale price may also come into play).

One excellent decision Mom made came on the first night, when she impulsively sat down with a group of Australian travelers. Turned out, the seat you picked for the first night was your assigned seat for the rest of the sailing. But the Aussies were marvelous: witty, friendly, a bit bawdy, great dinner companions. The next lesson? I guess it must be: sit with Australians if you can, as they're almost always the most fun!

She's eager to take another river cruise, having discovered that most onboard were her age, and moved at much the same pace. She loved the social nature of the experience, and the ability to mix visits with very famous cities, with smaller, quirky little communities that just happen to be along the way.

Whew! I guess I did okay helping her book this one.

Sticking to a Diet on Your Next Cruise? Its Not An Impossible Goal

2011-10-04T00:01:00.001-04:00

I recently partnered with Weight Watchers on an article about how to cruise light.

Its not an easy task.

And though many folks will give general tips ("take the stairs", "order carefully at the buffets", etc.) the truth is, one is much more likely to indulge on some cruise lines than others. It has to do with everything from the "devil may care" atmosphere on board to the huge diameter of the buffet plates on certain lines (are you listening Carnival?). Conversely on some ships healthy living is celebrated, the gyms are larger than the norm and the clientelle more active so its easier to "be good" without feeling like you're ruining your vacation.

Working on the piece, I interviewed a number of cruise experts and cruise line officials; compared the various "heart healthy" menus; and perused stats on onboard gyms. I think the result is a darn useful article for those hoping NOT to gain a pound a day on their next cruise (an average amount, according to many in the know).

To read the complete piece, click here.

Ski Savings on the Radar: Act Soon To Take Advantage of Some Real Deals

2011-10-03T00:01:00.002-04:00

(Photo by Juan Carvajal)

Only a few dedicated bunnies and bums are thinking about ski season right now. Oh yeah, and ski resort executives, who are eager to sign up schussers before anyone knows how much snow the coming season will hold.

If you're willing to take that chance, and you're enough of a dedicated skier to purchase a season pass, doing so before Halloween (or at least before Thanksgiving), can often yield savings of as much as 50% off the regular rates.

Early season discounts are listed at the individual sites of the ski resorts, obviously. But a good shortcut to the best downhill deals can be found at the website BestSkiSales.com.

In addition, Starwood Hotels (which includes Westin, Sheraton, Four Points, aloft, W, and a number of other brands) is offering a package that couples free lift tickets with hotel stays at a number of their near-the-slopes properties (including the Westin that's in Mammoth Lakes). Most details vary by property, but there is one commonality: an Oct 7 deadline on all these deals. If you're interested in staying at Starwood property for your next ski vacation, go quickly to the site of that specific hotel to see if its participating in this offer (some are, some aren't).

Freebie Friday: Win A Trip Anywhere in the World

2011-09-30T00:02:00.001-04:00

That's right, you choose!

My home radio station, WOR 710 (it syndicates The Travel Show with Arthur and Pauline Frommer to 130 stations across the US), has teamed with HomeExchange.com to offer a lollapolooza of a contest. Among the prizes:

Airfare for two, anywhere in the world (your choice!)
A $500 gift certificate
A five-year membership to HomeExchange.com

Voila! All the elements that you need for a fabulous, life-changing trip.

I especially like that the lodgings will be house swaps, the single most logical way to travel. Not only do you pay nothing for your lodgings, but you stay in an actual home in a real neighborhood, making the experience that much more personal and authentic. (A hidden perk to home exchanging: people usually not only exchange homes and cars, but also friends. Your host will likely ask a buddy in the destination to check in on you during the course of your stay. Voila! In-destination social network!)

Contestants must guess which destination my father and host Joan Hamburg would pick for their own vacations. A winner will be chosen from those who input the correct answer.

Click here for more info and let the games begin!

What's In A Name? Another Major Travel Company Is Forced To Change Its Moniker

2011-09-29T00:01:00.002-04:00

Lest there be any confusion between flat front khakis and 9-day tours of Thailand, the well-respected Canadian travel company GAP Adventures is doing away with its "AP". From now on, the company will be known simply as "G Adventures" as in "Gee, why the heck would they get rid of a name that they spent 20 years building up?"

The answer "falls into" place when one looks at the other large company that shares that name. GAP Clothing won a lawsuit this summer protecting its brand, and forcing the tour company to switch names.

Bruce Poon Tip, the company founder, tried to put a positive spin on the development when he told Travel Weekly yesterday "One of our fundamental principles here is to change the lives of anyone who comes into contact with our company. Our business model isn't about bottom-lines and turnover. It's about happiness, freedom and independence. I've always believed that the secret to happiness is freedom, and the secret to freedom is courage. This year, we are taking a bold step with our identity - a change that's an evolutionary step into the future.”

Yes, he's sidestepping the issue at hand, but I don't think he's exaggerating the effect his travel products have had on the public over the years. Bridging the gap between backpacking and guided tours (hence the name), G Adventures has long offered affordable, socially-conscious, creative vacations to all corners of the globe. Though these are guided tours, they eschew the usual 40-person tour bus in favor of public transportation. Lodgings are usually local establishments, sometimes homestays and sometimes camping. And groups are small, keeping the vibe intimate.

I've never taken one of these tours, but everyone I know who has raves about their high quality and delightful clientele.

So long live G Adventures! (And let's hope whoever invented the "g spot" doesn't hear about the development. Lord knows they don't need another lawsuit.)

I think this may be a good time to remind you all of two other major travel companies that changed names within the last 5 years. They are Road Scholar nee ElderHostel (an organization that develops educational vacations for seniors and multi-generational trips for grandparents and grandchildren) and Hurtigruten, formerly Norwegian Coastal Voyages (a fjord-centric cruise line).

Las Vegas Nightlife Goes All-Inclusive

2011-09-28T11:54:00.006-04:00

No, that won't mean a marriage license, a bottle of Patron, a visit to an "escort" and a strange new tattoo, in this case (hey, this isn't "The Hangover").

Pure Nightclub (photo by Blue)

Instead, Caesar's Entertainment has created a pass for its nightclubs that echoes what it's done with its buffets. For $44.99 guests will be given entry to up to seven clubs in one evening, which, in Sin City terms, stretches from 8pm all the way until 8am. Two of the clubs--Pure (at Caesar's) and the Pussycat Dolls Burlesque Saloon (at Planet Hollywood)--are considered red hot by nightlife afficionados. The Voodoo Lounge at Rio and Chateau Nightclub at the Paris are recommended for their outdoor areas and their views, more than the scene. And the others on the pass? Well, they're likely skippable. Still, with entry fees to just one of these clubs usually going for $30, this isn't a bad deal for those who like variety.
The big plus to the Pass? Bearers skip the general entry lines and are waved directly inside.

A negative? The pass won't work on Friday and Saturday nights.

One tip: sometimes checking in on your phone at Yelp or FourSquare can net you a free drink in Las Vegas nightclubs. With cocktails at $15-and-up a pop, it's worth investigating.

And if getting sweaty in a dance club is too old hat for you, know that the folks who run the zipline at the Fremont Street Experience are planning to expand it soon. So double the thrills with less of a wait, very soon. (And since the price tag is just $15, it's also less pricey than a club).

European Rental Car Deals for Fall

2011-09-27T00:01:00.002-04:00

And one needs deals to rent a car in Europe, what with the cost of gas being so high over there. (Though to be fair the cars are so much more fuel efficient across the pond, it all may shake out in the end).
Happily, several companies are offering serious discounts on fall and winter rentals.

Here's a quick list:

Sixt: Its best values are in Spain, where just 13 euros per day (about $16), will get you wheels. This low price is being offered from early November into mid-December and again on selected dates in January, 2012. Its offer for the UK is almost as good: 13 GBP (about $20) per day from now through the end of November (cars must be reserved by the end of October). Sixt also has good prices in the upcoming months for Ireland and France.
AutoEurope: To get in on this sale, you must book by the end of September. If you can move that quickly, you might be able to score a free upgrade in a number of European countries; an $18-a-day car in Ireland; a free GPS unit for rentals of seven day or more; and other discounts. Click on the link above for details.
Europcar: Before you book with one of the other two, do a quick test-drive of the EuropCar site, which is posting a 25% discount on rentals in many European countries. Since its prices are usually very competitive, this additional discount (for online bookings only) may match the specific prices given by the other companies for autumn rentals.

Perhaps I'll see you on the roads in Europe this fall! I'm heading to Wales come November to attend a cousin's wedding, and will be starting my search for the best rental prices with the three agencies listed above.

Which Frequent Flyer Program Should You Join?

2011-09-26T00:01:00.006-04:00

And I ask that knowing the question might be moot for those readers who live in areas dominated by just one carrier (a common scenario).

For the rest of us, being loyal to the right airline can make the difference between using the miles accrued to get actual air tickets...or just another subscription to Sports Illustrated.

The industrious folks at IdeaWorks decided to research the issue last year, and placed over 6000 online requests for tickets using miles to see which airlines were most likely to award the seats. They repeated the experiment this year (again with 6000-plus requests) and the results are heartening.

With a few exceptions, most of the airlines did better this year, bestowing more award seats for the asking. Southwest Airlines is still the most generous, awarding seats 99.3% of the time (its record last year as well). In second place is Air Canada with an 82.1 % record (down about 11 points from last year, unfortunately). JetBlue came in third, awarding seats in 79% of the cases.

The newly betrothed Continental and US Airways tied in the percentage of requests they are able to fulfill (71.4% each). It'll be interesting to see if their amount fulfilled will remain at this high a level next year, as these programs announced significant changes to their newly combined program last week. The most important change? Pay more to get more miles. Those who book First Class, for example, will receive 2.5 times the number of miles for their time in the sky. Will this new system increase the number of miles awarded, and make it harder for regular passengers (ie those who buy coach) to redeem? Only time will tell.

But back to the survey. US Airways had the worst record, turning away 75% of the requests it received from mileage holders for actual seats. Delta was only slightly better with a record of being able to accommodate 27% of the requests.

To read the complete list, as reported on by USAToday, click here.

Freebie Friday: Free Museum Entry Across the US Tomorrow

2011-09-23T00:01:00.003-04:00

The dazzling Milwaukee Museum of Art is participating

Thank you Smithsonian! Not only for keeping your museums free of charge (with the exception of the Cooper-Hewitt in New York City) but for recognizing that the ever-increasing entrance fees at other important institutions are a barrier for many would-be visitors.

For the second year in a row, Smithsonian Magazine will be giving away free tickets to 1300 institutions across the United States. With that many museums involved, almost every interest under the sun is covered in the giveaway from the Surfing Museum (in California) to the American Clock and Watch Museum (in Connecticut) to the National Model Aviation Museum (Indiana). Important art, science, children's and history museums are also on board.

To get the free tickets, click here to register in advance. The Smithsonian is limiting the give away to two tickets per household, but does not seem to be capping the number of downloadable tickets its giving altogether. Tickets are valid all day Saturday September 24 (and in cases when the museum is closed on Saturdays, on Sunday September 25 instead).

Holiday Airfares? Its NOT Too Early To Buy

2011-09-22T00:01:00.001-04:00

Photo by Philms

Don't assume you'll be able to snag last-minute bargains this year, for flights home at Thanksgiving and Christmas. As article after article has pointed out, empty middle seats are scarcer these days than ever before, what with airlines trimming capacity in attempt to send out every plane full. That will be especially true at the holidays, always the most popular times of the year to fly.

There has been some good news on the airline front however: recently, the Associated Press reported that the four major carriers (Delta, United, Continental and American) have sliced in half the number of days they'll be charging holiday surcharges. These sneaky add-ons, which come to between $20 and $40 each way, will be in effect on Nov. 27 and 28, Dec 22, 23 and 26, and Jan 2. But that's better than the 12 days last year that carried surcharges.

As well, the number-crunching gurus at BingTravel have looked at prices so far and have concluded that, on average, fares will be slightly over 1% cheaper than last year. Not a big savings, but heck, we'll take what we can get!

That being said, holiday airfares are always the highest of the year, so as a public service, I thought I'd reiterate some tips for making the trip home as inexpensive and painless as possible:

Fly when no one else is: Which means avoiding the surcharged days listed above. Generally, you can save by flying previous to the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, and after the Tuesday after the holiday. For Christmas/New Years travel, you'll want to head out before the 15th of December and back after January 2. Yes, that's a LOT of time to spend with the family, so if you're a misanthrope, you could choose flights on the holidays themselves. These are usually much cheaper, and you'll be able to grab a slice of turkey and pie, without having to spend too much time in dysfunction-land.
Search for airfares and book on Tuesdays and Wednesdays: That's when the sales tend to pop for domestic fares. (Not so much for international flights)
Fly early in the day: The holidays fall squarely in the heart of winter storm season. Since weather delays tend to ripple through the system, getting worse as the day progresses and more planes get stuck, flying first thing in the morning may get you where you're going without a hassle (if sleep-deprived).
Book a non-stop or go for a flight with a connection? That's an open question, friends, and it depends on your goals. If you just want to save cash, flights with connections may be the cheapest options. However, the more times you take off and land, the more likely you are to get delayed over the holidays, thanks to an ugly confluence of bad weather and crowds. Sunnier airports (say Phoenix vs. Denver) are smarter at this time of the year for connections, as they see many fewer delayed and cancelled flights due to weather issues. The new GoogleFlights allows users to filter by airport they'll be transferring through.

In the two years following 9/11, a period when the airlines were all flying more planes but there were fewer would-be passengers eager to fly, the public got used to seeing reams of last-minute discounts on airfares.

Those days are over.

Unless something really horrific happens in the next few months (a crash or an act of terrorism), flights will be pricey this holiday season and some folks won't get where they want to go because of the reduced airline capacity. So don't be a cockeyed optimist: if you want to travel during these difficult periods, don't delay. Make your bookings soon.

$400 or More To Check An Overweight Bag?!?

2011-09-21T00:01:00.001-04:00

A Twitter acquaintance alerted me to this latest outrage. Her tweet began with the words "The madness has to stop!".

How right she is.

According to CBS News and USA Today, a number of airlines have raised their prices on overweight bags recently to rates that echo the airfares themselves.

Continental's price for a bag weighing between 71 and 100 pounds on an international flight is now a whopping $400. United Airlines is charging that same fee for bags of that weight on intercontinental flights. But the most egregious fee award has to be given to American Airlines, which socks Asia-bound passengers with a $450 fee per overweight bag.

And what about the regular, first-bag fees? Those are averaging an ugly $38 on domestic flights and $43 internationally.

Blech!

With fees this high, travelers need to be more careful than ever before about how they pack and book air travel. Some suggestions:

Pack Light: We'll start with the obvious solution: don't carry the world in your suitcase! The last time I checked a bag was on Ryanair this summer (as their carry-on regulations are the smallest in the industry). Before that, it had been years since I'd checked a bag. And you know what? I enjoy my travels more with less stuff along. I'm not endangering my back, I can move from place to place quicker, I never have to worry about lost luggage when I board and I get out of the airport much faster than my fellow passengers. Try it, you'll like it!
Ship: With fees this high, it will be cheaper to ship luggage in many instances. For a recent piece detailing the prices involved and the methods of shipping available to travelers, click here.
Price in luggage fees when you're looking at airfares: Though Southwest, Alaska Airlines and JetBlue sometimes seem like the pricier option, they may end up costing less than other carriers because of their generous baggage policies. Add up all the fees before you book your next flight.
Buy lighter luggage: Sometimes its the weight of the bag itself that will put you over the top!

The TSA has been trying to get the airlines to do a better job of revealing their fees either on or close to the carrier's booking pages. Let's hope those regulations don't get shot down by the lawsuits that have been launched to stop them from going into effect in early 2012. When fees are this high, its crucial for passengers to have a handle on just what they'll likely end up paying when they next fly.

An Arty All-Nighter: Nuit Blanche Comes to DC This Friday

2011-09-20T00:02:00.002-04:00

As a native New Yorker, I'm frankly chagrined that my artsy hometown won't be the first to sponsor this fest in the United States. Who would have expected that stodgy Washington, DC--a city better known for its high alerts than its high arts--would be encouraging its residents to hit the streets after midnight? (And with so many conservatives in Congress, you'd think that at least one of them would have objected to the city sponsoring something so unashamedly Gallic. Remember "freedom fries"?)

Art installation, Paris' Nuit Blanche

But that's exactly what the Capitol will be doing this Friday, September 24, when it hosts the heady, all-night arts festival Nuit Blanche that debuted in Paris a decade ago, and has been making the round of world cities ever since. Granted, its not quite all night here. Unlike the Parisians, who attend performances and parties until dawn during their "White Nights", the DC event will end at 3am.

But until then, the night promises serious fun. Some 72 artists will be participating, from visual artists who will create site-specific sculptures and murals; to designers who will stage a fashion show; to performances by an array of luminaries, like the Grammy-nominated (2010) Hip Hop celeb Christylez Bacon.

It seems like venues and artists are still being added (at least from the incomplete state of the website for the event). Hopefully, it will have more information as the week goes on. Click on the link above for what information there currently is.

Ryanair's Newest Fee: Shh! Don't Tell the North American Airlines About This One

2011-09-19T00:01:00.001-04:00

Devious, but you gotta give them points for creativity.

Ryanair announced at the end of last week that its new partnership with Mastercard will be reinforced with a fee. Yup another one! Those who don't pay for their flights with a Ryanair-branded, pre-paid Mastercard will incur a 6 GBP (about $9.50) admin fee, per flight leg.

(Photo by Ben Dalton)

I can only assume that this fee is being charged to off-set the mental cruelty that occurs whenever Ryanair's employees have to process a credit card that's not branded with the company name.

Now, to be fair, even with all its fees, Ryanair is often the cheapest option in Europe, bar none. On a summer hop from Dublin to Krakow, with my daughter, I saved a good $300 total by flying with them. And that's after paying a hefty chunk to check bags. The other airlines serving this route were much pricier and had fewer direct flights.

My real worry is that the carriers on this side of the pond will thrill to this new, potential revenue source, and will add it. They've done that in the past with a number of fees that Ryanair and other European airlines have innovated.

Let's hope no airline execs are reading this blog!

Freebie Friday: Free November Weddings

2011-09-16T00:01:00.001-04:00

Will November 11 of this year--11/11/11--be a particularly lucky day?

It will for the 11 lucky couples able to win a free wedding from Crowne Plaza. The hotel chain is sponsoring a contest, the prize being a free wedding on that date at the Crowne Plaze in Times Square, New York City. Would-be contestants have to prove they're "lucky in love", giving evidence that they have an intriguing love story and a dedicated relationship.

Not so lucky? All of the couples are going to be married by cheesy VH1 celeb ("Master Matchmaker") Steve Ward (see above).

For more information, click here.

National Passport Day Is This Saturday

2011-09-15T12:10:00.001-04:00

What should you do to celebrate? Get one of 'em or encourage a friend to do so: two out of three Americans currently don't hold passports, a shockingly high percentage.

Photo by P Yodarus

Unlike so many commemorative days, when one is simply supposed to think kindly of the celebrated subject in question (World Rubber Day and International Speak Like a Pirate Day are also being celebrated this week), on Passport Day its actually easier than usual to get one of the little books. Some 26 passport offices, and many more post offices, will be staffing up to process all applicants. No advance appointments will be necessary.

However, it will be necessary to come prepared. A color photo of the correct size is required (click here for more details) and first-time applicants will have to bring two proofs of US citizenship (birth certificates and driver's licenses work). If the applicant is under the age of 16, both parents or guardians usually need to be present, see the link above for more details on that.

I've been a proud passport holder since I was four-months old. Though they've gotten pricier over the years (applying for a new adult one now costs $135), they not only are a great proof of citizenship but they also prove that one's a true citizen of the world.

Happy Passport Day all!

River Cruise Savings In Deep Fall

2011-09-14T00:01:00.000-04:00

The Viking Helvetia in Koln (photo by Rolf Heinrich)

As I blogged several weeks ago, September is high season for chugs down the rivers of Europe, and discounts on this activity were nil, when I tried to find such a cruise for my mother. But October and November river cruises? They're practically giving them away.

Witness the latest offer from Viking River Cruises. For Danube and Rhine sailings in late October and November, its currently offering a two-for-the-price of one deal, and throwing in free airfare to boot. That brings the cost down to just $2456 per person, including air, for an eight day cruise, which ain't at all bad for this pricey activity. Its discounts must be booked by September 30.

Gate 1 Travel is trying to entice singles to hit the waters by waiving the dreaded singles supplement for November Danube sailings (between Nuremberg and Budapest). The cost of the weeklong jaunt is $999.

I found several other enticing fall deals at the consolidator site RiverCruises.com, an off-shoot of VacationsToGo.com.

As for Mom, she'll be returning on Saturday from Russia. As the person who booked it for her, I'm hoping she had the time of her life. Because if she didn't, I'll probably never hear the end of it!

The Debut of Google Flights

2011-09-13T17:17:00.003-04:00

Twitter is ablaze with talk of Google's latest foray into the travel sphere, GoogleFlights.

Peer pressure. I had to give it a try. Some thoughts:

Speed: This appears to be the cheetah of air flight engines, with near simultaneous search results. Enter your date and proposed destinations and then don't blink: in front of you will be a long list of options, ordered by time of departure (other filters can be applied to shape the search results). That being said, the cheapest flights, during my first search, didn't come up until a few minutes into my search. I'd input an early October itinerary between New York and Dallas, and the cheapest options (Continental for $206 round-trip) weren't readily viewable. This might have been a fluke or a bug they'll be fixing.

Another nice touch: one can change the date and the system adjusts in seconds, rather than having to reboot.

Flexibility: From the current template, it doesn't look like Google will be able to handle requests for multi-stop itineraries as Kayak.com and Momondo.com now do. Also, according to the New York Times its only searching the engines of the airlines, and not of airfare discounters which might be a drawback for real bargain hunters.

Design: Pretty nice (like the map!), though I prefer the jauntiness and compact format of Hipmunk, which uses different colors for the various airlines, and creates a chart which shows, in the first results, the length of layovers.

Special features: Do travelers care which airport they transfer through? Its not high on my list of priorities, but those who give a damn will like Google's filter, the only one that I know of that allows travelers to only see flights that transfer through their preferred hubs. Another filter allows fliers to see flights by length of layover, a truly handy innovation (particularly for thos travelers who have to fly from delay-ridden airports).

Deal finding ability: Hard to tell at this point, as the engine is only covering a few, key American gateways. I ran a few searches and it matched--though didn't undercut--prices I found on Hipmunk and Momondo.

I guess this one's a wait-and-see. But congratulations to the industrious folks at Google on the launch.