Help! The ticket cost $157, but the change fee was $200

from Elliott http://elliott.org/thats-ridiculous-2/help-ticket-cost-157-change-fee-200/

The Willows and Scarlett

Getting kids to pose If you have any great tips for getting recalcitrant kids to pose for photos, let me know. Most of the time, my kids are good to go… but sometimes I have to be a bit tricky… always looking for new tricks! Daily Photo – The Willows and Scarlett Here is my […]



from Stuck in Customs http://www.stuckincustoms.com/2014/10/08/the-willows-and-scarlett/

This American Airlines Passenger Missed His Flight. And Went Berserk Trying to Get the Pilot’s Attention.

There are good strategies when you miss boarding a flight, and bad strategies. And then there’s this: Have you ever seen a missed flight tantrum — or thrown one? You can join the 40,000+ people who see these deals and analysis every day — sign up to receive posts by email (just one e-mail per […]

The post This American Airlines Passenger Missed His Flight. And Went Berserk Trying to Get the Pilot’s Attention. appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/10/07/american-airlines-passenger-missed-flight-went-berserk-trying-get-pilots-attention/

Health Officials Promise Extra Airport Screening

Passengers could have their temperature checked or be subject to detailed questioning, but health officials cautioned against more draconian measures like travel bans.

















from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/3f386cd7/sc/1/l/0L0Snytimes0N0C20A140C10A0C0A80Cworld0Cafrica0Chealth0Eofficials0Epromise0Eextra0Eairport0Escreening0E0Bhtml0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

The Airline That Wants To Help You Make it Home Earlier

While Delta removes the ability to stand by for an earlier flight entirely on their lowest fare, Alaska Airlines — doing battle head-on with Delta in their home market in Seattle — is making it easier to do just that. They’ve just updated their mobile app: This just seemed such an interesting juxtaposition. You can […]

The post The Airline That Wants To Help You Make it Home Earlier appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/10/07/airline-wants-help-make-home-earlier/

National Briefing | West: Hawaii: Air Traffic Is Curbed Over Volcano

The Federal Aviation Administration is restricting airspace above a lava flow on Hawaii’s Big Island because of an increasing number of people wanting to view it from the sky.

















from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/3f37eb89/sc/1/l/0L0Snytimes0N0C20A140C10A0C0A80Cus0Chawaii0Eair0Etraffic0Eis0Ecurbed0Eover0Evolcano0Bhtml0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

Zerbst Journal: A Home of Catherine, Before Greatness, Fitfully Regains a Bit of Glory

Dirk Herrmann is leading the restoration of the childhood home of Catherine the Great in Zerbst/Anhalt, Germany, but money is so tight he cannot afford even a tour guide.

















from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/3f37eb7e/sc/36/l/0L0Snytimes0N0C20A140C10A0C0A80Cworld0Ca0Ehome0Eof0Ecatherine0Ebefore0Egreatness0Efitfully0Eregains0Ea0Ebit0Eof0Eglory0Bhtml0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

Reflections from the Road: 18 Cities Down, 22 More to Go

Over the weekend I headed home for a brief pause in my adventures to 40 cities to meet with readers as part of our fall book tour. It’s been exhausting (per usual) and also very fun (per usual). A few nights beforehand I was in Orange County (here’s an attendee review), and the local group…



from The Art of Non-Conformity http://chrisguillebeau.com/reflections-from-the-road/

Avoid Using Miles to Book Flights on These Routes

Over the last few weeks, I have been working on three different Southeast Asia trips for PMM clients. Each of these trips included at least two flights within Southeast Asia and each of these clients initially intended to use points/miles for these flights. After researching fares for the flights our clients were interested in, I […]



from Frugal Travel Guy http://www.frugaltravelguy.com/2014/10/avoid-using-miles-to-book-flights-on-these-routes.html

Startup pitch: IBM’s Watson powers new travel advice tool WayBlazer

It’s only been a few years since IBM’s Watson technology beat Jeopardy! champions on US national TV. Now Big Blue’s supercomputer is ...



from Tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/article/startup-pitch-wayblazer-aims-travel-insights-service/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=startup-pitch-wayblazer-aims-travel-insights-service

Check In: Hotel Review: Hôtel de Nell in Paris

This property, which opened last year, offers travelers an ideal location away from congested tourist areas but close to major attractions.

















from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/3f378732/sc/10/l/0L0Snytimes0N0C20A140C10A0C120Ctravel0Chotel0Ereview0Ehtel0Ede0Enell0Ein0Eparis0Bhtml0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

Changing Into Pajamas At Your Seat: Bad Idea Or Great Idea?

I'll be the first to admit I'm not an expert on airplane pajama etiquette... I'm pretty sure I proved that back in Singapore in 2011.

At the same time that hasn't stopped me from calling out others for "bad" etiquette, like the guy that decided to change in front of the cabin in Lufthansa first class. ;)

Well, today I had a situation enroute from Seoul Incheon to Abu Dhabi that was, perhaps, regrettable.

The post Changing Into Pajamas At Your Seat: Bad Idea Or Great Idea? appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/10/07/changing-into-pajamas-at-your-seat-bad-idea-or-great-idea/

Delta Eliminating Domestic Elite Upgrades on Their Cheapest Fare

In March 2012 Delta introduced “Basic Economy” (“E” class) fares that were more restrictive than regular coach fares. The idea was to offer them only in specific markets where Delta is competing against a low cost carrier — Delta has to match the low cost carriers on price, so gosh darnit they’re only going to […]

The post Delta Eliminating Domestic Elite Upgrades on Their Cheapest Fare appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/10/07/delta-eliminating-domestic-elite-upgrades-cheapest-fare/

Bites: Restaurant Report: The Juniper Kitchen in Nairobi, Kenya

More an event than a restaurant, this pop-up serves a monthly meal called Backyard Brunch.

















from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/3f3709a1/sc/26/l/0L0Snytimes0N0C20A140C10A0C120Ctravel0Crestaurant0Ereport0Ethe0Ejuniper0Ekitchen0Ein0Enairobi0Ekenya0Bhtml0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

Epic aerial footage of San Francisco

Cheers to the team at Teton Gravity Research, for putting together this awesome cityscape.



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/life/watch-epic-aerial-footage-san-franciscos-iconic-locations/

In Transit Blog: At Helsinki Airport, Skateboarders at Play

To promote quick transfers between flights, Helsinki Airport will be the site of a skateboarding invitational.

















from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/3f36a2a8/sc/10/l/0Lintransit0Bblogs0Bnytimes0N0C20A140C10A0C0A70Cat0Ehelsinki0Eairport0Eskateboarders0Eat0Eplay0C0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

Share your views – Travel search and shopping: are your needs being met?

Stop thinking about distribution or marketing, running your startup or the next acquisition – how do YOU search and book travel? This ...



from Tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/article/amadeus-travel-search-shopping-survey/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=share-views-travel-search-shopping-needs-met

Will Hyatt Bring Back My Elite Rate In 2015?

Hyatt Gold Passport made some changes at the beginning of the year, which were both positive and negative.

First Hyatt announced an award chart devaluation, which was substantial though justifiable, in my opinion. We saw the introduction of Category 7 properties, whereby six of Hyatt's most expensive properties went from costing 22,000 points per night to 30,000 points per night; other levels weren't impacted quite as much.

The following week Hyatt announced some positive changes to the Gold Passport program, though, which in my opinion outweighed the devaluation. The two most positive changes were:

The post Will Hyatt Bring Back My Elite Rate In 2015? appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/10/07/will-hyatt-bring-back-elite-rate-2015/

Here’s Why Airlines and Hotels Won’t Let You Sell Your Points

The cover story of this month’s Inside Flyer is called “The Ethics of a Mile” and deals with gifting, bartering and selling awards — and the consequences for violating a program’s rules. In general, most airline and hotel programs will let you gift an award ticket or hotel night to anyone you wish (although some […]

The post Here’s Why Airlines and Hotels Won’t Let You Sell Your Points appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/10/07/heres-airlines-hotels-wont-let-sell-points/

Are You Buying US Airways Miles at $0.0188 Per Mile?

The current — and possibly last — opportunity to buy US Airways miles with the 100% bonus is available now through October 12th. You can get up to 50,000 miles and have that amount doubled to 100K for about $1,800 including excise taxes. I hate buying miles without having a clear cut award redemption in […]



from Frugal Travel Guy http://www.frugaltravelguy.com/2014/10/are-you-buying-us-airways-miles-at-0188-each.html

Story behind the shot: Giza, Egypt

All my previous photos of the pyramids had been filled with traffic, tourists, and hawkers. I knew I needed to try something different.



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/notebook/story-shot-giza-pyramids/

Review: Cathay Pacific “The Wing” First Class Lounge Hong Kong

After a brief visit to The Bridge, we headed towards The Wing, which houses one of Cathay Pacific's first class lounges at Hong Kong Airport. The lounge has both a first and business class section, and both have unique concepts and spaces. I've reviewed The Wing First Class Lounge before, so I'll keep this review brief.

I really planned the order of our visits poorly. The Wing is located just past immigration, while The Bridge is located near gate 35. Our flight was leaving from gate 43. So really we should have visited The Wing, then The Bridge, and then gone to our flight, rather than The Bridge, then hauling back towards immigration for The Wing, and then to the gate.

If it's any justification, I was hoping to have lunch in The Wing, and they weren't yet serving that when we cleared immigration.

While there's a train running between gate 1 and gate 35 at Hong Kong Airport, it's one-way, so you can't take it in the other direction. So we made the roughly 15 minute trek between lounges, which is always a nice walk.

The post Review: Cathay Pacific “The Wing” First Class Lounge Hong Kong appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/10/07/review-cathay-pacific-wing-first-class-lounge-hong-kong-2/

Dylan Thomas’s Wales

Few places meant more to the Welsh poet than Swansea, on Wales’s southwest coast. “This sea-town was my world,” he wrote of the “ugly lovely” place where he grew up and wrote the majority of his life’s work.



from Intelligent Travel http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/2014/10/07/dylan-thomass-wales/

Frugal Traveler: Soaking Up Waikiki, Surfing to Sunsets, for a Song

Tips for making the most of a budget-friendly visit to the beachfront neighborhood in Honolulu.

















from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/3f35ce04/sc/10/l/0L0Snytimes0N0C20A140C10A0C120Ctravel0Csoaking0Eup0Ewaikiki0Esurfing0Eto0Esunsets0Efor0Ea0Esong0Bhtml0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

Itineraries: Businesses Turn to Airbnb

Airbnb, which lets travelers rent space for short periods, has set up a portal to attract business travelers looking for alternatives to hotels.





from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/3f2e702e/sc/10/l/0L0Snytimes0N0C20A140C10A0C0A70Cbusiness0Cbusinesses0Eturn0Eto0Eairbnb0Efor0Ecorporate0Etravel0Bhtml0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

For Saudi Arabia, The Hajj Is Big Business

The annual Muslim pilgrimage is turning into a luxury experience. That's good for the Saudi economy, but not for low-income Muslims.



from Travel Feedly http://www.ibtimes.com/hajj-2014-saudi-arabia-muslim-pilgrimage-big-business-1700108

“I am constantly trying new things”: On the Road with Gary Arndt

This is a travel hacking case study. (Read others or nominate yourself.) When I first began galavanting around to every country in the world, there was one guy who quickly became my go-to expert on the South Pacific. Gary Arndt knew every island, even the tiny ones that weren’t technically countries. He and I have…



from The Art of Non-Conformity http://chrisguillebeau.com/on-the-road-with-gary-arndt/

Watching Someone Quit At A Park Hyatt

Okay, so it wasn't a hotel employee, but it was still pretty amusing. ;)

Yesterday afternoon I had to check out of the Park Hyatt Seoul at 4PM, though my flight wasn't until midnight (well, at least in theory... until it wasn't). I still had some work to get done, so decided to sit in The Lounge, which is the name of the lobby lounge on the 24th floor, so that I could have dinner while using wifi.

It's a gorgeous space and the service is exceptional.... so good that it's comical.

I had a lovely Korean dish, so was generally a happy camper.

The post Watching Someone Quit At A Park Hyatt appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/10/07/watching-someone-quit-park-hyatt/

Best apps for your Instagram photos

If you don’t know about VSCO Cam, then you're definitely missing out on one of the best tools on the market to date (FACT!).



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/notebook/tips-pros-best-apps-instagram-travel-photos/

Wearables primed for the mainstream with emerging travel apps

This weekend’s THack at SFO airport was a teaser of things to come in the wearables market. Two of the concepts (see ...



from Tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/article/wearables-primed-mainstream-emerging-travel-apps/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=wearables-primed-mainstream-emerging-travel-apps

With Likely Just 3 Days Left, Here’s Why the Ink 70,000 Point Offer Is Valuable To You

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 With Likely Just 3 Days Left, Here’s Why the Ink 70,000 Point Offer Is Valuable To You appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/10/07/likely-just-3-days-left-heres-ink-70000-point-offer-valuable/

Free Manifesto (and Now a Free Webinar) on the Art of Revolution in Entrepreneurship

Last week I mentioned Jonathan’s new manifesto, a free, no-fluff guide offered in the lead-up to his wildly popular RevolutionU course. If you missed it, you’re not too late. He’s also hosting a free webinar (with live Q&A) later in the week. Everyone who downloads the manifesto is automatically invited to this free, action-packed webinar.…



from The Art of Non-Conformity http://chrisguillebeau.com/free-manifesto-and-now-a-free-webinar-on-the-art-of-revolution-in-entrepreneurship/

TourRadar just made a bold move to become the Viator of multi-day group tours

Group travel marketplace TourRadar has increased its bookable multi-day tour inventory by five times — to 20,000. The Vienna-based startup claims that ...



from Tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/article/group-travel-marketplace-tourradar-dramatically-expands-activities-scope/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=group-travel-marketplace-tourradar-dramatically-expands-activities-scope

Is The W Hotel Chain One Big Pimp?

Philly.com has an interesting story about a lady who was attacked at the W Hotel South Beach, apparently because she was mistaken for a hooker by other hookers (and nobody likes competition!):

"The allegations were made by Anna and Joseph Burgese, of Medford, N.J., in a request for a change of venue in a personal-injury lawsuit they filed against Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., parent company of W Hotels, in June 2013.

The personal-injury suit was prompted by an attack in January 2013 on Anna Burgese in the lobby of the South Beach W Hotel in Miami Beach by several drunken prostitutes who mistook her for a competing sex worker, the suit says."

The post Is The W Hotel Chain One Big Pimp? appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/10/07/w-hotel-chain-one-big-pimp/

Cheap Winter Flights to/from Miami: $59 Chicago, $60 NYC, $69 PHL, $99 Denver

Frontier Airlines is set to shake things up in Miami later this December when they start non-stop service to Miami from NYC LaGuardia, Philadelphia, Chicago and Denver. Miami, an American Airlines stronghold, doesn’t see much low-cost competition since Southwest and Spirit don’t serve the airport, instead opting for Ft. Lauderdale, just up I-95. Frontier will […]



from The Points Guy http://thepointsguy.com/2014/10/cheap-winter-flights-tofrom-miami-59-chicago-60-nyc-69-phl-99-denver/

The Icon: Egypt’s Great Sphinx

The crouching lion with a man's head was ancient when Cleopatra gazed upon it in 47 B.C. It retains its allure to the powerful, as world leaders from Napoleon to Barack Obama have trekked to Giza to contemplate the same view that captivated the queen of the Nile.



from Intelligent Travel http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/2014/10/07/the-icon-egypts-great-sphinx/

12 people who kept me traveling

I quickly forgot the names of her two cats but I ate a delicious sandwich with the Gouda cheese she left in the hostel's communal fridge.



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/notebook/trip-macedonia-12-encounters/

Eiffel Tower gets new glass floor

Mayor of Paris says 125-year-old landmark's new attraction will prove to critics that Paris still has some magic .

from CNN.com - Travel http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/07/travel/eiffel-tower-glass-floor/index.html

A Way to Liquidate Gift Cards, a Chance to Get in Under the Wire, and Free Points for Watching a Video

News and notes from around the interweb: The hotel – Hyatt Regency Crystal City – for Frequent Traveler University is now sold out except for the program’s room block. So folks buying a ticket for the biggest gathering of frequent flyers ever can still get a room. Act quickly, because that won’t last. Liquidating gift […]

The post A Way to Liquidate Gift Cards, a Chance to Get in Under the Wire, and Free Points for Watching a Video appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/10/07/way-liquidate-gift-cards-chance-get-wire-free-points-watching-video/

Delta SkyMiles Eliminating Round The World Awards January 1, 2015

Delta is making huge changes to the SkyMiles program in 2015, on both the earning and redemption side. On the earning side, redeemable miles will be awarded based on how much your ticket costs as opposed to how many miles you fly, and SkyMiles is getting more restrictive on how many points you can transfer in from partners.

On the redemption side, SkyMiles is unfortunately adding more award tiers, though on the plus side will begin allowing one-way awards on partner airlines, which adds quite a bit of value to the program, in my opinion.

But it seems they've made another change which they haven't announced.

Via Delta Points, Delta has updated their Membership Guide & Program Rules to add the following (bolded below):

The post Delta SkyMiles Eliminating Round The World Awards January 1, 2015 appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/10/07/delta-skymiles-eliminating-round-world-awards/

Is it Time for the Goverment to Regulate Legroom?

Christopher Elliott, who will be bringing his blog to BoardingArea.com, says the government should regulate legroom and shoulder room onboard planes. He offers a scary quote from the ever credible FlyersRights group. “Airlines are aggressively reducing seat and passenger space to squeeze more revenue out passengers, despite health and safety being threatened,” says Paul Hudson, […]

The post Is it Time for the Goverment to Regulate Legroom? appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/10/07/time-goverment-regulate-legroom/

18 annoying airport behaviors

When it comes to air travel, courtesy and common sense are often the first two things to fly out the departure gates.

from CNN.com - Travel http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/06/travel/annoying-airport-behavior/index.html