Best Travel Blogs: 10/14/14

October 14, 2014

“Thanks for nothing”

from Elliott http://elliott.org/thats-ridiculous-2/thanks-nothing/

Fresh Newsletter coming within 24 Hours! We have something supa-fresh and awesome coming… we only send out about one per month! Actually, we’ve been kind of lame, and it’s been 2 months, so a big train is comin’ down the tracks! The Most Beautiful Newsletter Ever! Daily Photo – Lindy With the greatest of ease… […]

from Stuck in Customs http://www.stuckincustoms.com/2014/10/15/lindy/

Las Vegas? Paris? This Tourism Push Asks New Yorkers to Think Closer to Home

“See Your City,” a new tourism promotion aimed at New Yorkers, will spotlight places to visit in all five boroughs.

from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/3f7603c6/sc/10/l/0L0Snytimes0N0C20A140C10A0C150Cnyregion0Clas0Evegas0Eparis0Ethis0Etourism0Epush0Easks0Enew0Eyorkers0Eto0Ethink0Ecloser0Eto0Ehome0Bhtml0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

UNESCO World Heritage Site #279: City of Valletta

From the World Heritage inscription: Valletta is pre-eminently an ideal creation of the late Renaissance with its uniform urban plan, inspired by neo-Platonic principles, its fortified and bastioned walls modelled around the natural site, and the voluntary implantation of great monuments in well-chosen locations. The capital of Malta is one of the rare urban inhabited [...]

from Everything Everywhere Travel Blog http://everything-everywhere.com/2014/10/14/unesco-world-heritage-site-279-city-valletta/

CONFIRMED: 70,000 Point Bonus for Chase Ink Plus Will End On The 19th

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 CONFIRMED: 70,000 Point Bonus for Chase Ink Plus Will End On The 19th appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/10/14/confirmed-70000-point-bonus-chase-ink-plus-will-end-19th/

Mind-blowing Turkey travel video

These 3 minutes and 30 seconds will keep you longing for this powerful land.

from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/life/watch-mind-blowing-turkey-travel-video-will-make-feel-like-youre-lucid-dream/

$500 Hyatt Gift Cards Giveaway. Did You Win? Click Here to Find Out.

Frequent Traveler University: December 5-7, Hyatt Regency Crystal City The next Frequent Traveler University, in partnership with USA Today, promises to be the biggest gathering of frequent flyers ever — topping even last April’s sold out event in Northern Virginia. The event will be held at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City minutes from Washington’s National […]

The post $500 Hyatt Gift Cards Giveaway. Did You Win? Click Here to Find Out. appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/10/14/500-hyatt-gift-cards-giveaway-win-click-find/

Emirates CEO Chimes In On MH370

It has now been over seven months since MH370 disappeared, and it seems that we know less now than the day it disappeared.

As far as I know the investigation seems to basically be on hold, which is rather disappointing since clearly there are lessons to be learned from it which can be used to make flying even safer in the future.

It's interesting that Emirates' CEO Tim Clark recently did an interview about MH370 with German newspaper Der Spiegel. Of the people that have emailed me about it, I've heard two general thoughts:

-- Kudos to him for having the balls to stand up for something that's important

-- He should shut up, it's not his place to have theories about an incident like this

The post Emirates CEO Chimes In On MH370 appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/10/14/emirates-ceo-chimes-mh370/

High-tech NH hotel in Madrid adds 3D telepresence, startup aid

When you’re invited to try out 3D telepresence, you beam yourself up, because not every business hotel can claim superinterestingness like that. ...

from Tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/article/new-tech-laden-nh-hotel-madrid-showcases-3d-telepresence/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=new-tech-laden-nh-hotel-madrid-showcases-3d-telepresence

Sweet Dreams in Seven Heavenly European Inns

Hop from the coast of England to an island in Germany to an olive orchard in Italy, exploring a suite of value-priced properties.

from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/3f73eabe/sc/10/l/0L0Snytimes0N0C20A140C10A0C190Ctravel0Csweet0Edreams0Ein0Eseven0Eheavenly0Eeuropean0Einns0Bhtml0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

Check In: Hotel Review: London Edition in London

Ian Schrager and Marriott are behind this property, which opened in September 2013. The friendly, unpretentious service and beautiful public spaces make for a standout stay.

from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/3f73eac1/sc/22/l/0L0Snytimes0N0C20A140C10A0C190Ctravel0Chotel0Ereview0Elondon0Eedition0Ein0Elondon0Bhtml0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

New Family Travel Traditions

National Geographic Traveler Contributing Editor Heather Greenwood Davis is the magazine’s family travel advocate, guru, and soothsayer. Here’s her latest advice.

from Intelligent Travel http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/2014/10/14/new-family-travel-traditions/

Why Is International First Class Disappearing?

The Inside Flyer blog pegs the demise of international first class flights on corporate travel policies, noting that American’s refurbished 777-200 aircraft get a new business class and remove first class. The thing is, though, while first class has been on the wane overall, it hasn’t happened evenly or across the board. Indeed, some airlines […]

The post Why Is International First Class Disappearing? appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/10/14/international-first-class-disappearing/

Using Credit Card Rewards To Check Off My Bucket List

Even though I’m only 34 years old, I have a bucket list drawn up on a piece of paper in my office. Maybe it’s the fact that I spent seven years working in a mortuary, or maybe it because my husband is still a mortician, but I might be slightly obsessed with making a conscious […]

from Frugal Travel Guy http://www.frugaltravelguy.com/2014/10/using-credit-card-rewards-to-check-off-my-bucket-list.html

Chase Ink Plus 70K Sign-Up Bonus Expires October 19, 2014

One of the best credit card sign-up bonuses of the year has been on the Chase Ink Plus, which is offering a publicly available sign-up bonus of 70,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $5,000 within three months.

This is an incredible offer, as the highest sign-up bonus Chase has offered to the general public has been 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points. The offer was made available earlier this summer, but you could only get it by going in to a Chase branch, so this is much more convenient for many of us.

Originally it was my understanding that the increased sign-up bonus was SUPPOSED to expire on October 10, though obviously that wasn't the case, as the offer is still around.

However, Chase has now updated their website to indicate that the offer ends on Sunday, October 19, 2014.

The post Chase Ink Plus 70K Sign-Up Bonus Expires October 19, 2014 appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/10/14/chase-ink-plus-70k-sign-bonus-expires-october-19-2014/

37 Hours in Chattanooga: Day Drinking + Adventurous Diversions in Tennessee’s Coolest Little City

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I suppose I didn’t know what to expect from Chattanooga. With relatives just outside of Memphis, I wrongly assumed that Tennessee was Tennessee was Tennessee. In my mind, it didn’t matter which corner of the state you traveled, it was all about the same: blues, barbecue, beer, and miles and miles of nondescript US interstate. […]

The post 37 Hours in Chattanooga: Day Drinking + Adventurous Diversions in Tennessee’s Coolest Little City appeared first on Vagabondish.

from Vagabondish http://www.vagabondish.com/things-to-do-chattanooga-tennessee-travel/

8 simple ways travel in the moment

2. Put down your technology: Peel your gaze away from whatever device(s) you’re connected to and look around. Take note of what you see.

from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/life/8-simple-ways-moment-travel/

ShareBetter attempts to put a lid on NYC short-term rentals with safety tool, parody video

The ongoing saga of short-term rentals in New York City has been boosted in part by the legalization of the industry in ...

from Tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/article/sharebetter-attempts-put-lid-nyc-short-term-rentals-revealing-safety-tool/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sharebetter-attempts-put-lid-nyc-short-term-rentals-revealing-safety-tool

In Transit Blog: Farm to Table to Sky

Delta Air Lines is embracing a farm-to-table approach for business class menus on a number if its flights from Atlanta to Europe.

from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/3f72e85c/sc/10/l/0Lintransit0Bblogs0Bnytimes0N0C20A140C10A0C140Cfarm0Eto0Etable0Eto0Esky0C0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

The Mystery Of Air India’s Grounded 787

While there's no denying that Air India is a lackluster airline, I do think they're sometimes unfairly portrayed by the media, at least in India. The Indian media seems to love to report every little Air India incident, when a similar situation wouldn't even get mentioned elsewhere in the world. For example, there was a recent report that an Air India flight between London and Delhi last December was delayed by a few hours, and they somehow linked that to a staff party. Somehow that's worth reporting... 10 months later!

So I'm writing this post not to spread a rumor, but just because I find it really interesting as someone that's fascinated by the business side of the airline industry.

Bangalore Aviation has a post about Air India's most mysterious 787. This particular Air India 787, with tail number VT-ANI, was delivered in May of 2012. Per FlightAware, the last flight it took was on April 21, 2014.

The post The Mystery Of Air India’s Grounded 787 appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/10/14/mystery-air-indias-787/

Sights and sounds of BC's west coast

The Great Bear Rainforest, which covers around 32,000 square kms, is a particularly special region for its remoteness and pristine environment.

from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/notebook/great-bear-rainforest-bc/

Reprieve! Six More Days to Pick Up 70,000 Bonus Chase Points?

The post Reprieve! Six More Days to Pick Up 70,000 Bonus Chase Points? appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/10/14/reprieve-six-days-pick-70000-bonus-chase-points/

Can You Get More Than One Chase Ink Card?

Link: 70,000 Point Bonus for Ink Plus After a false alarm last week when we thought the latest mega-bonus would end, we learned that it was actually extended for at least another few days. There’s still time to take advantage of 20,000 extra points! A number of aspiring travel hackers asked if they could get…

from The Art of Non-Conformity http://chrisguillebeau.com/can-you-get-more-than-one-chase-ink-card/

China’s Fountain of Life

Blue skies prevail in Qingdao, a seaside metropolis that keeps topping livability lists in China, with its inviting boardwalks, shaded streets and parks, and German colonial architecture.

from Intelligent Travel http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/2014/10/14/chinas-fountain-of-life/

American Airlines’ Asia Growth Strategy

The Centre For Aviation has an interesting article about American's growth strategy in Asia, entitled "American Airlines' triple play in greater China is part of long-haul rejuvenation, with more to come." It's well worth a read.

There's nothing terribly shocking in the article, though there are some interesting tidbits. I guess I find this especially interesting because American is the US carrier I'm most loyal to and Asia is my favorite place to fly to, though unfortunately American and Asia have long been "incompatible."

They're finally slowly changing that, between the Dallas to Hong Kong/Shanghai routes that launched earlier in the year, in addition to the Dallas to Beijing route that is launching next year.

So what does the article say?

The post American Airlines’ Asia Growth Strategy appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/10/14/american-airlines-asia-growth-strategy/

3 Tips to Thwart Identity Theft While Traveling

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Cybercrime (seriously, no one’s devised a better name for it yet?) is now the fastest growing type of crime in the world. Identity theft is now a serious problem, particularly for every one of the nine million Americans who have theirs stolen each year. Travelers are especially at risk as they’re frequently using their credit […]

The post 3 Tips to Thwart Identity Theft While Traveling appeared first on Vagabondish.

from Vagabondish http://www.vagabondish.com/tips-thwart-identity-theft-while-traveling/

Cheap First Class Fares Out Of Colombo, Sri Lanka?

Airline pricing is incredibly complex, as the airlines have put a lot of effort into ensuring that they're maximizing the revenue they earn from each seat.

While it makes sense to maximize revenue as much as possible, at times it just seems laughable. For example, it can be cheaper to fly from New York to Los Angeles to San Diego than just from Los Angeles to San Diego. Try rationalizing that!

Along those lines, airlines do publish different fares depending on where you're originating. This is especially true in international markets. For example, an airline might charge a lot more to fly from Cairo to London than to fly from London to Cairo (the assumption being that someone originating in London is more willing to pay a higher fare than someone originating in Cairo).

The post Cheap First Class Fares Out Of Colombo, Sri Lanka? appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/10/14/cheap-first-class-fares-colombo-sri-lanka/

Earn 200,000 Barclays Points Free and Some Great Europe and Asia Fares!

The post Earn 200,000 Barclays Points Free and Some Great Europe and Asia Fares! appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/10/14/earn-200000-barclays-points-free-great-europe-asia-fares/

8 questions female travelers hate

Aren’t you ever going to settle down? This question bothers me because it assumes “settling down” is the proper way to live.

from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/bnt/8-questions-solo-female-travelers-sick-hearing/

Photo of the Moment: Under the Venetian Sunset, Italy

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The post Photo of the Moment: Under the Venetian Sunset, Italy appeared first on Vagabondish.

from Vagabondish http://www.vagabondish.com/photo-under-venetian-sunset-italy/

Feeling Lost in Life? 7 Reasons Why You Should Travel Now

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Stuck in a rut, not sure where to turn, or just need a change of pace in your life? Amanda Kendle presents 7 reasons why travel may be the answer.

The post Feeling Lost in Life? 7 Reasons Why You Should Travel Now appeared first on Vagabondish.

from Vagabondish http://www.vagabondish.com/feeling-lost-in-life-7-reasons-why-you-should-travel-now/

A romantic's favorite fall getaways

Author Stacy Finz, whose romance novel comes out soon, gives us her top suggestions for romantic weekend getaway locations for a can't-miss vacation.

from CNN.com - Travel http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/14/travel/romantic-getaways-travel/index.html

American Airlines flight makes emergency landing

An American Airlines flight made an emergency landing Monday at San Francisco International Airport after a problem with an air duct caused some cabin panels to buckle, a spokesman said.

from CNN.com - Travel http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/13/travel/american-airlines-emergency-landing/index.html

7000 Miles in Emirates First Class for $920

Loyal reader Jerry F. sends me an interesting Emirates fare. Emirates flies several ‘fifth freedom’ routes, flights between two countries other than the one in which they’re based. This sort of flight is typically short, the airline flies to one destination and continues on to another nearby destination to pick up and drop off passengers. […]

The post 7000 Miles in Emirates First Class for $920 appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/10/14/7000-miles-emirates-first-class-920/

Cambridge Audio GO Portable Speaker: Never Leave Your Tunes at Home

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The mobile audio market has been flooded in recent years with thousands of me-too products. But one brand that consistently floats to the top is Cambridge Audio. Their latest trio of portable Bluetooth speakers promises to stand even further apart from the crowd with staggering battery life and a host of technological innovations to make […]

The post Cambridge Audio GO Portable Speaker: Never Leave Your Tunes at Home appeared first on Vagabondish.

from Vagabondish http://www.vagabondish.com/cambridge-audio-go-portable-bluetooth-travel-speaker/

11 quirks of every Israeli husband

#7) He told you to get used to the idea that the kids may be with you for a long time. As the joke goes, “Of course Jesus was Jewish. Who else would be 33, single, and still living with his parents?”

from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/abroad/11-quirks-every-israeli-husband/

Should You Teach Your Kids German?

We already know that teaching a child a second language has lots of long-term benefits (there are short-term benefits too, like an increased ability to multitask — but studies have also shown that bilinguals stave off the effects of dementia for four years). I am working on raising my kids as bilingual and when we started I picked languages like one would pick hypothetical extra curricular activities… what was going to be the most useful, where is the language trending, how can I best prepare my kids for the future? I started this process about three years ago and at that time the choice was: Spanish (because it’s so common), Mandarin (for the future business world) and Arabic (to encourage us to learn more about a region that’s wildly misunderstood).

Now, Germany has announced that all of its universities are officially free. Not just for Germans but for foreign students as well. For Europeans this probably won’t make much of a difference… Germany is part of the EU and students could study there anyway. There are lots of free or very affordable universities across Europe so if cost is an issue, there are plenty of places you can study for free or very little. But for Americans? The average cost for a private university in the United States is over $30,000 a year. That doesn’t include room and board (but neither would Germany’s free tuition) but that’s a $120,000 gift you could give your child. For public in-state tuition it’s approaching $9,000 — so even on the low-end it’s $36,000 in savings.

It’s part of why we’re moving to Spain. As self-employed freelancers, we don’t have a company sponsored 401K. Living in Spain, legally, as permanent residents, means that after ten years we can apply for naturalization and acquire Spanish citizenship for our kids. It’s one financial benefit of being long-term travelers, while we’re not paying down a mortgage or sticking our savings in a matched retirement account, we can choose where to live and potentially give our kids access to Europe’s education system (we will also be paying taxes into the system, so it doesn’t come entirely free).

However that might not even be necessary anymore. With Germany’s new free tuition plan, American kids could potentially attend a fantastic university at no cost.

So do you need children fluent in German? Not necessarily, but it certainly would help. When I was in high school, the language options were always: French, Spanish and a small class for German. Of course, high school German isn’t going to be enough to study in the language, to be “proficient” a student would need to be at a B2 level (the European Framework for Languages level for “intermediate”), which is where you’d be after two years of college German (maybe you could get there with four years of high school German — but my public high school only offered two years — plus a summer spent in Germany to pick up the speaking skills the classroom can’t provide).

There’s a lot of things you can choose to do with your kids: sports, music lessons, languages — and they all have benefits. I don’t think raising bilingual kids is the only (or maybe even the best) option you can choose (and there’s always the option of not doing anything extra, giving your kids lots of unstructured time, that has its own benefits as well). But as the cost of education in the US keeps climbing and especially for families who are somewhere between “qualifying for financial aid” and “being able to afford college out-of-pocket” there’s a huge group of us in the middle who are looking at saddling our children with massive debt for a piece of paper that while is absolutely necessary, can also have dubious career prospects, even for those who go on to get advanced degrees.

So what do we do?

Learn German, I guess.

Is that funny? I don’t know, there are so many parents teaching their children Mandarin, with no connection to China, merely on the expectation that it will be someday useful. With this announcement, we know German will be quite useful, getting your university degree and walking out with zero debt is a huge head start in life. It means getting to intern or take jobs based on where the experience will take you, rather than how much money you make. It gives you the freedom to go back to school and get that graduate degree — again free — all because you speak German. It means having the financial flexibility to start a business and fail (and learn so much along the way) without any more damage than your bruised ego. Being debt free means freedom.

Post WWI propaganda poster, at that time German was discouraged and even legislated against, closing down foreign language programs around the country.

I guess I could launch into a little tirade over the fact that the US education system is so broken that it actually would make sense to learn a second language and jump ship, but it’s complicated. Who knows what this will do to the German economy, as “Dauerstudenten” (the German equivalent to the fifth year senior, here’s an interview with the record holder with 57 semesters) have no financial incentive, like paying fees, to hurry up and finish their degree and graduate already. Will they have a huge influx of foreign students who leave every year, merely in Germany to get their piece of paper and then return home? It will be interesting.

Well, if you were thinking of raising bilingual kids, and weren’t sure which language to pick, I think German should definitely be on the short list. It’s quite useful in Europe, it’s a lot easier than Mandarin, and now, you can save up to $120,000 per child on education. Not bad.

Are you teaching your kids German? What do you think about sending your children off to Europe for college? Will this become a trend as US prices continue to rise?

from Almost Fearless: Full Feed http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/76623962/_/feedburner/1lj03zp

How to piss off a lesbian traveler

#7) Ask something totally ignorant, as if your only experience with the LGBT community comes from reruns of The L Word. Example: “How does scissoring work?”

from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/life/piss-lesbian-traveler/

India's IndiGo Could Place Big Aircraft Order By Early 2015

IndiGo, India's largest airline by market share, could pick up a combination of regional planes that can seat up to 100 passengers.

from Travel Feedly http://www.ibtimes.com/indias-indigo-could-place-big-aircraft-order-early-2015-1704434

India's IndiGo Could Place Big Aircraft Order By Early 2015

A bitter freedom for Syria's Kurds

The Kurdish population here has thus far refused to overtly align with either side of the conflict, in a diplomatic position they've labeled "Third Line.”

from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/notebook/bitter-taste-freedom-syrias-kurds/

7 signs you're a tourist in Warsaw

#2: You buy Absolut. Nothing against it, but you are in the country where the spirit was invented. Try one of the plethora of authentic Polish vodkas.

from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/trips/7-signs-first-time-warsaw/

UNESCO World Heritage Site #278: Megalithic Temples of Malta

From the World Heritage inscription: The monuments that make up this World Heritage site constitute the most characteristic examples of structures representing a major development in the cultural as well as the artistic and technological domains. Professor Lord Renfrew (Cambridge University), one of the leading prehistorians of the present day, has described the group of [...]

from Everything Everywhere Travel Blog http://everything-everywhere.com/2014/10/13/unesco-world-heritage-site-278-megalithic-temples-malta/