The Horse, Stirred and Shaken

Riding Horses? I have a confession to make that I think will upset everyone in the audience that enjoys riding horses. Maybe “confession” is the wrong word, because that makes it sound like I did something untoward to the horse. Anyway, I came to the decision that I don’t actually enjoy riding horses. I was […]



from Stuck in Customs http://www.stuckincustoms.com/2014/09/26/the-horse-stirred-and-shaken/

What to do when a resort won’t accept your Travelzoo voucher

from Elliott http://elliott.org/the-troubleshooter/resort-wont-accept-travelzoo-voucher/

Google Flight search mimics another Hipmunk UX trick

In a quiet update, Google’s Flight metasearch product has made some user-experience changes for desktop and mobile in the US that adapt ...



from Tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/article/google-flight-search-copies-thing-two-hipmunk/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=google-flight-search-copies-thing-two-hipmunk

How to Survive a Plane Crash

Scott Mayerowitz attended the British Airways flight safety awareness course (£162 to attend) and shares the key takeaways for how to survive a plane crash. It’s all obvious stuff, things we’ve heard a hundred times, but it bears repeating since none of us actually pay attention to the safety video (except when Deltaline used to […]

The post How to Survive a Plane Crash appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/09/25/how-to-survive-plane-crash/

Tourists vs. locals in Barcelona

Tourists drink Sangria. Locals: tinto de verano, a sweet summer red wine that's more refreshing than sangria.



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/trips/7-differences-tourists-locals-barcelona/

Airbus to help build supersonic private jet

New York to London in three hours? Los Angeles to Tokyo in six hours? By joining with Aerion to build an ultra-fast private plane, European aviation giant Airbus wants to make it happen by 2021.

from CNN.com - Travel http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/24/travel/airbus-supersonic-jet/index.html

The Five Cards That Give Your Spending the Most Leverage

I receive compensation for many links on this blog. You don’t have to use these links, but I am grateful to you if you do. American Express, Citibank, Chase, and other banks are advertising partners of this site. I do not write about all credit cards that are available — instead focusing on miles, points, […]

The post The Five Cards That Give Your Spending the Most Leverage appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/09/25/five-cards-give-spending-leverage/

Update: Tourists Urged to Avoid Ebola Zone in West Africa

As the world grapples with the outbreak, guidance for travelers.

















from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/3ed59db3/sc/40/l/0L0Snytimes0N0C20A140C0A90C280Ctravel0Ctourists0Eurged0Eto0Eavoid0Eebola0Ezone0Ein0Ewest0Eafrica0Bhtml0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

In Transit Blog: A New Guide to Hiking in California

The guide “Walkabout Malibu to Mexico: Hiking Inn to Inn on the Southern California Coast,” has information on seven trips in the state.

















from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/3ed59db6/sc/10/l/0Lintransit0Bblogs0Bnytimes0N0C20A140C0A90C250Ca0Enew0Eguide0Eto0Ehiking0Ein0Ecalifornia0C0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

Personal Journeys: Looking for Moose to Moon Over

My 7-year-old son had seen a moose on TV. I was going to show him the real thing. And so we headed for New Hampshire.

















from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/3ed564ff/sc/10/l/0L0Snytimes0N0C20A140C0A90C280Ctravel0Clooking0Efor0Emoose0Eto0Emoon0Eover0Bhtml0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

Owner of Grand Central Vies With Developer Over Skyscraper on an Adjacent Block

Andrew S. Penson offered $400 million for a block where he could build a tower, next to Grand Central Terminal.

















from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/3ed56502/sc/10/l/0L0Snytimes0N0C20A140C0A90C240Cnyregion0Cowner0Eof0Egrand0Ecentral0Evies0Ewith0Edeveloper0Eover0Eskyscraper0Eon0Ean0Eadjacent0Eblock0Bhtml0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

We Talk To The Firm Bringing Airline Food To Your (Terrestrial) Door

Air Food One is a new delivery service that brings Lufthansa's business-class meals to customers on the ground.



from Travel Feedly http://www.ibtimes.com/airline-food-your-doorstep-we-talk-company-makes-it-possible-1695101

Credit Cards With The Best Annual Spending Bonuses

"Reader James asked the following on the Ask Lucky page a couple of days ago:

Would love to see a post with a roundup of all the cards with spend threshold bonuses like spend $40K on the AA Executive Card get 10K AA EQM, Hyatt Stays/Nights, BA companion etc…."

As I've often said, I feel there are three components to the value of a credit card:

-- The sign-up bonus

-- The value the card gives you for everyday spend

-- Any bonuses you may get for having the card long term

Regarding that last category, there are several cards out there that offer considerable value just for keeping the card in your wallet and paying the annual fee. Others offer bonus points or extra perks for reaching a certain spending threshold, and many of these can be quite lucrative.

As an overview, here are the main travel credit cards that offer bonuses for meeting certain thresholds:

The post Credit Cards With The Best Annual Spending Bonuses appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/09/25/credit-cards-with-the-best-annual-spending-bonuses/

13 reactions Brazilians always hear

“Awesome! It's #1 on my bucket list!"



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/abroad/13-ways-people-react-youre-brazil/

Why your comments never amount to much – and how to fix them

from Elliott http://elliott.org/blog/comments-never-amount-much-fix/

Is Starwood Preferred Guest Platinum The Best Elite Status?

I am absolutely biased here as I hold top tier status with Starwood Preferred Guest — Platinum Preferred Guest. Platinum status and spending 100+ nights a year gets me 4 points per dollar spent at Starwood properties, upgrades, late check-outs, pre-arrival confirmable suite night upgrade requests for up to 10 nights, the ability to check-in/out […]



from Frugal Travel Guy http://www.frugaltravelguy.com/2014/09/is-starwood-preferred-guest-platinum-the-best-elite-status.html

Travelport IPO: Strong debut, says CEO Gordon Wilson

It was a long time coming, but travel commerce platform provider Travelport finally had its initial public offering today, at a starting ...



from Tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/article/travelport-IPO-Gordon-Wilson-TVPT/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=travelport-2

American New Flight From Dallas To Beijing Coming 2015

If there's one area American has always been weak, it's with their Asia route network. Their focus has always been on Latin America, where they're hands down the strongest global airline. Of course weakness in Asia is relative, since US Airways has never operated any service to Asia.

American has certainly tried to increase their presence in Asia, though. Last year American launched service between Dallas and Seoul Incheon, and a few months ago they launched service between Dallas and Hong Kong/Shanghai.

The new Dallas to Hong Kong flight was especially exciting for me, given that:

The post American New Flight From Dallas To Beijing Coming 2015 appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/09/25/american-new-flight-dallas-beijing-coming-soon/

This Really is the Last Time You’ll Be Able to Buy US Airways Miles on the Cheap

US Airways is running a 100% bonus on purchased miles through September 30. For the past several years US Airways has been the industry leader in selling miles cheap. Offering a 100% bonus just meant, more or less, meant that it was a day of the week that ended in “day”. With this offer they […]

The post This Really is the Last Time You’ll Be Able to Buy US Airways Miles on the Cheap appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/09/25/really-last-time-youll-able-buy-us-airways-miles-cheap/

AmEx Small Business Saturday 2015: Up To $30 Credit Per Card

One of American Express' most lucrative long standing promotions is Small Business Saturday, whereby American Express card members can register to receive a statement credit for purchases made at small businesses on the Saturday after Thanksgiving (which this year is November 29, 2014).

The promotion started in 2010, and for the first three years American Express would offer a $25 statement credit per card account. Then last year they reduced the credit to $10 per card card. That was still a nice bonus, though at the same time some people were frustrated by the fact that it dropped by 60% from one year to the next.

We're now finding out the first details of this year's Small Business Saturday promotion, and it has the potential to be lucrative.

The post AmEx Small Business Saturday 2015: Up To $30 Credit Per Card appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/09/25/amex-small-business-saturday-2015-30-credit-per-card/

5 lies you’ve been fed about travel

When you live in a foreign country and everyone sounds like a grownup in a Peanuts cartoon, it’s normal to spend the whole day not speaking to anyone.



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/notebook/5-total-lies-travel/

American Expanding Asia Flying With Dallas – Beijing Announced for Next Year

American announced that it plans to begin Dallas – Beijing service next year, talking advantage of allowable frequencies between the US and China that aren’t currently being used. Beijing flying adds to the Hong Kong and Shanghai service from Dallas that began in June, and to the Seoul and Tokyo Narita service that’s already been […]

The post American Expanding Asia Flying With Dallas – Beijing Announced for Next Year appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/09/25/american-expanding-asia-flying-dallas-beijing-announced-next-year/

Price, reviews, ratings and the business traveler: Hotel pricing in a social world

Now that online reviews and ratings are widely available at the point of purchase, consumers have access to a new source of ...



from Tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/article/price-reviews-ratings-business-traveler-hotel-pricing-social-world/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=price-reviews-ratings-business-traveler-hotel-pricing-social-world

SimplyCash Business Card Increased Sign-Up Bonus

American Express is offering an increased sign-up bonus on what I consider to be their best no annual fee business card, the SimplyCash® Business Card from American Express. They're offering a $250 statement credit after spending $5,000 on qualifying purchases within the first six months of card membership. This card often has no sign-up bonus at all, so that's quite a good sign-up bonus for a card without an annual fee.

But what primarily makes this card worth considering isn't even the sign-up bonus, but the fact that it has no annual fee and a great rewards structure.

The post SimplyCash Business Card Increased Sign-Up Bonus appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/09/25/simplycash-business-card-increased-sign-bonus/

The Getaway: A Recipe for Air Rage

Stressed passengers packed into cramped cabins can bring emotions to a boil. But the situation isn’t all bleak — there are ways to make the best of a volatile situation.

















from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/3ed2c917/sc/10/l/0L0Snytimes0N0C20A140C0A90C280Ctravel0Ca0Erecipe0Efor0Eair0Erage0Bhtml0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

Air France Scraps Budget Expansion, But Strike Continues

The airline decided to kill a plan to shift its European operations to a low-cost carrier, but the pilots' union is still not satisfied.



from Travel Feedly http://www.ibtimes.com/air-france-scraps-european-budget-expansion-pilots-strike-continues-1694904

One Lifetime, 10,000 Hats: Robyn Devine’s Ambitious Project

This is a “quest” case study, a new feature focusing on quests and adventures of all kinds. (Read others or nominate yourself.) Adventure is for everyone, and adventure looks different to each person. For Robyn Devine, she found her big adventure by making hats—and not just a few of them, but a lot of them.…



from The Art of Non-Conformity http://chrisguillebeau.com/robyn-devine-10000-hats/

Unique timelapse of California

I admire his vision, and the risks he took to put the film all together.



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/life/creepiest-craziest-timelapse-video-youll-ever-watch/

Booking Emirates Awards With Alaska Miles Got Easier

Alaska Mileage Plan is among my favorite mileage currencies. While they don't belong to one of the three big alliances, they have some useful partners, some extremely lucrative redemption opportunities, and even allow stopovers on one-way awards. Now, there are definitely some downsides to Alaska miles, including:

-- You can't mix partner airlines on an award ticket -- you can fly Alaska to the international gateway city, and then can only fly one of their partner airlines for the rest of the trip

-- You can't redeem Alaska miles in all markets -- Alaska only publishes award charts in select regions, so you're out of luck if you want to redeem miles in different markets

The post Booking Emirates Awards With Alaska Miles Got Easier appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/09/25/booking-emirates-awards-alaska-miles-got-easier/

While Air Canada Warns Pilots About Porn, Other Airlines Use it in Their Ads

Air Canada is warning pilots to stop leaving porn in the cockpit. Because pornography is meant for airline advertising only. Here is VietJet’s sexy airline ads — a ‘leaked’ campaign with flight attendant models in bikinis. There are ‘complaints’. Which is the same thing as ‘buzz’ which is, after all, the point. I’m not sticking […]

The post While Air Canada Warns Pilots About Porn, Other Airlines Use it in Their Ads appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/09/25/sexy-airline-ads/

7 signs it’s your birthday in Mexico

Your entire family comes to celebrate. Mexican birthdays are definitely more of a family affair than a time to spend with friends.



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/abroad/7-signs-birthday-mexico/

KLM deploys beacons to provide in-terminal navigation for travelers

KLM is offering another test deployment of beacons in airports, using the technology to provide automatic in-terminal navigation for travelers. The buzz ...



from Tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/article/klm-deploys-beacons-provide-terminal-navigation-travelers/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=klm-deploys-ibeacons-provide-terminal-navigation-travelers

Don’t get bent out of shape – buy one of these iPhone cases

from Elliott http://elliott.org/deal-of-the-day/dont-get-bent-shape-buy-one-iphone-cases/

This Airline Excuse Always Means Customers Are Getting Hosed

Earlier this week American changed its checked baggage policy effective October 1. Like US Airways, it will no longer interline bags on separate tickets although they’re a little more generous than legacy US Airways — because they’ll still do it if the flights involved are on oneworld airlines. They’ve at least now informed travel agents […]

The post This Airline Excuse Always Means Customers Are Getting Hosed appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/09/25/airline-excuse-always-means-customers-getting-hosed/

Air France-KLM Gives In to Striking Pilots’ Union, Scaling Back Transavia Plan

The group canceled the proposed Europe-wide expansion of a low-cost subsidiary and called for pilots to return to work immediately.

















from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/3ed144af/sc/24/l/0L0Snytimes0N0C20A140C0A90C260Cbusiness0Cinternational0Cair0Efrance0Eklm0Estrike0Bhtml0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

Signs You Fly Too Much: Haircut Edition

I'm in Chicago this week and am facing a #FFFWP (Frequent Flyer First World Problem). I need to get my hairs did. Like, desperately. If I grow any more hair on my head I'll have to pay the in-cabin pet fee the next time I fly.

The only problem is I hate small talk, especially when the person I'm having small talk with has scissors up against my head. So I do what I can to go to either of my "regular" places in Tampa or Seattle. I mean, maybe that sounds crazy to some, but I still fly to Seattle to go to the dentist, because she's so friendly and awesome.

Yesterday I figured I'd be brave and try to get my hairs did in Chicago. I asked a friend for a recommendation -- he immediately thought of a place nearby that "wasn't inexpensive." That works for me. I called, and their prices for mens cuts ranged from $83 to $120. $83 to $120?!? Does it include a back rub, happy ending, and bottomless Krug?! Or are these really the "market prices" for haircuts in major cities nowadays?

The post Signs You Fly Too Much: Haircut Edition appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/09/25/signs-fly-much-haircut-edition/

The Woman Who Walked 10,000 Miles (No Exaggeration) in Three Years

For Sarah Marquis, a very long hike – from Siberia through the Gobi Desert, China and eventually Australia – can become a voyage of discovery.

















from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/3ed0e565/sc/10/l/0L0Snytimes0N0C20A140C0A90C280Cmagazine0Cthe0Ewoman0Ewho0Ewalked0E10A0A0A0A0Emiles0Eno0Eexaggeration0Ein0Ethree0Eyears0Bhtml0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

14 mesmerizing star trails

I tend to visit remote places where there’s low light pollution, such as Dry Tortugas, and regions of the Rockies, where many of the photos were taken.



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/notebook/14-mesmerizing-star-trails-portraits-night-sky/

Get a cutting-edge revenue strategy for your hotel

Breakthrough technologies are removing the costly inefficiencies of traditional revenue management for hotel owners. So perhaps you should learn how to maximize ...



from Tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/article/get-cutting-edge-revenue-strategy-hotel/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=get-cutting-edge-revenue-strategy-hotel

Achieving digital immortality with the exClone Project

SYSTEMS: So we all talk about wearable technology as the Next Big Thing in the digital age – sometimes going as far ...



from Tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/article/exclone-project-immortality/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=achieving-digital-immortality-exclone-project

Lax Testing Possibly At Fault For Dreamliner Battery Woes: Japan

Boeing said its tests on the battery were in line with regulations.



from Travel Feedly http://www.ibtimes.com/japan-says-lack-appropriate-tests-may-have-contributed-dreamliner-battery-overheating-1694751

Lax Testing Possibly At Fault For Dreamliner Battery Woes: Japan

Boeing said its tests on the battery were in line with regulations.



from Travel Feedly http://www.ibtimes.com/japan-says-lack-appropriate-tests-may-have-contributed-dreamliner-battery-overheating-1694750

Hi-tech rooms in demand with business travellers

HRS is the latest business to find out that corporate travellers quite like to have a hi-tech room to stay in when ...



from Tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/article/hi-tech-rooms-business-travellers/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=hi-tech-rooms-demand-biz-travellers

Always Exceed Your Minimum Spend Requirement By $100

The vast majority of credit cards that provide some sort of welcome bonus have a minimum spending requirement (MSR) which needs to be met in order for the corresponding credit card issuer to provide said bonus. Most MSRs range from $1,000 to $5,000, although some can be as high as $10,000, and usually need to […]



from Frugal Travel Guy http://www.frugaltravelguy.com/2014/09/always-exceed-your-minimum-spend-requirement-by-100.html