November 11, 2014

My Request for Your Requests: Tell Me What’s On Your Mind, and How I Can Help

Most of the time what I write on a given day is really just ‘whatever pops into my head’ although sometimes the very best pieces are those prompted by reader questions. You’re always welcome to email me of course, but what I’d love is for you to share what’s on your mind here in the […]


The post My Request for Your Requests: Tell Me What’s On Your Mind, and How I Can Help appeared first on View from the Wing.






from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/11/11/request-requests-tell-whats-mind-can-help/

U.S Army Medical Department Museum in San Antonio, Texas

Hospital Train - Korean War


Built using private donations, the U.S. Army Medical Department Museum is a collection of military medical artifacts and memorabilia showcasing contributions to medicine during wartime and peace. Existing since 1862 in one form or another, the museum now resides at Fort Sam, a retired military base in San Antonio, Texas.


Along with presenting exhibits on frontline medicine, specialized fields, and other specifics of military medicine, the collection includes a fantastic selection of vintage war photos, antique medical equipment, and military vehicles used by medics in every conflict the U.S. has been involved in, all the way back to the Civil War.


One of the more impressive relics is the hospital train, which was used in the Korean War. Left over from WWII, the hospital trains played a vital role in medical evacuation and treatment, until the dramatic increase of air evacuation techniques. The Korean War was the last conflict in which the trains were used, and they were sold off or stored once the war ended.


The U.S Army Medical Department Museum is still open to the public, despite the base being inactive. Admission is free, but they encourage donations and a visit to the gift shop.








from Atlas Obscura http://atlasobscura.com.feedsportal.com/c/35387/f/665719/s/405cdafc/sc/10/l/0L0Satlasobscura0N0Cplaces0Cus0Earmy0Emedical0Emuseum/story01.htm

Delta Adds Disclaimer About Not Being Able To Book Award Stopovers Online

A couple of weeks ago, Delta's website suddenly stopped pricing stopovers on SkyMiles award tickets. While I wouldn't have been surprised if Delta eliminated free stopovers on roundtrip tickets with the 2015 SkyMiles program, it was a bit disappointing to see them make this change without any advance notice, let alone acknowledgment.


A Delta spokesperson quickly clarified that there was no change to the stopover policy, but instead this was due to a change in IT at delta.com. He explained that award tickets with stopovers could now only be booked by phone. Reading between the lines, this seemed to suggest that Delta was preparing their IT for the 2015 SkyMiles program, and that this would mean the quiet death of stopovers on award tickets (which I think is sort of fair, since they're adding one-way awards in the process).


My real issue wasn't the change as such, but rather the practical implications of the way it was executed -- Delta was knowingly charging customers the wrong prices online. Is it even legal for a company to knowingly charge customers the wrong price?


The post Delta Adds Disclaimer About Not Being Able To Book Award Stopovers Online appeared first on One Mile at a Time.






from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/11/11/delta-adds-disclaimer-able-book-award-stopovers-online/

Get Better Stopovers on Your Award Trip with BA Avios

Whenever I travel internationally, I usually visit more than one country and certainly more than one city. I am not the kind of person that will take a 10-hour flight and then stay two weeks in the same place before returning back home — not saying there is anything wrong with that! Fortunately, some rewards […]



from Frugal Travel Guy http://www.frugaltravelguy.com/2014/11/how-to-better-add-stopovers-to-your-award-trip-with-ba-avios.html

Should You Credit Virgin America Flights To Emirates Skywards?

Last October, Emirates and Virgin America announced a partnership whereby members of both programs can earn and redeem miles for travel on the other airline.


I'm always interested when a "traditional" frequent flyer program partners with a revenue based frequent flyer program, as it makes for some potentially lucrative options for earning and redeeming miles.


Emirates just announced a promotion whereby you can earn double or triple Skywards miles for travel on Virgin America. The basic promotion details are as follows:


The post Should You Credit Virgin America Flights To Emirates Skywards? appeared first on One Mile at a Time.






from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/11/11/credit-virgin-america-flights-emirates-skywards/

Heads Up: A Hot Coffee Culture in Salt Lake City

Small-batch roasters, siphon-brewed coffees and nitro-poured cups in the shadow of the Wasatch Mountains.

















from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/4062166c/sc/10/l/0L0Snytimes0N0C20A140C110C160Ctravel0Ca0Ehot0Ecoffee0Eculture0Ein0Esalt0Elake0Ecity0Bhtml0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

T Magazine: Hollywood on the Tiber

What could be more melancholic, extravagant, alienated, operatic and deeply strange than Italian film? Try turning Italian film into a theme park.

















from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/40620202/sc/17/l/0Ltmagazine0Bblogs0Bnytimes0N0C20A140C110C110Ccinecitta0Eworld0Eitaly0Etheme0Epark0C0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas Arrives in New York Area

After an eight-night maiden voyage from Southampton, England, one of the most anticipated new cruise ships of the year, Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas, arrived in the New York area yesterday, its home for the next six months. The new ship will officially be docked in Cape Liberty Cruise Port in Bayonne, New Jersey. […]



from Frugal Travel Guy http://www.frugaltravelguy.com/2014/11/royal-caribbeans-quantum-of-the-seas-arrives-in-new-york-area.html

Dog goes missing on Delta flight

Frank Ramano says his 6-year-old dog, Ty, was lost by Delta Airlines during an October 31 trip from Los Angeles to Tampa, Florida.





from CNN.com - Travel http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/11/travel/delta-lost-dog-frank-ramano/index.html

Personalizing travel search: How data leads to happier travelers

An overdue evolution is happening in travel search, especially in the hotel sector. NB: This is an analysis by Margaret Ady, marketing ...



from Tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/article/travel-search-personalizing-happier-travelers/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=personalizing-travel-search-data-leads-happier-travelers

American’s Offer is Live to Let You Buy Status Instead of End of Year Flying

As I wrote that I expected yesterday, American is back with their offer to let you buy the difference in miles or segments you need for the elite status you’re after. US Airways will have something that should be identical coming within a few weeks. You don’t have to take an end of year mileage […]


The post American’s Offer is Live to Let You Buy Status Instead of End of Year Flying appeared first on View from the Wing.






from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/11/11/americans-offer-live-let-buy-status-instead-flying/

Points and Miles: Are You Doing It Wrong?

Last year, someone I know redeemed 100,000 Southwest Rapid Rewards points for $1,000 in Lowe’s gift cards. Another friend redeemed a bazillion points for a seriously fancy KitchenAid mixer. Another person I know is absolutely obsessed with racking up Ultimate Rewards points then redeeming them for cash at $.01 each. What do these people have […]



from Frugal Travel Guy http://www.frugaltravelguy.com/2014/11/points-and-miles-are-you-doing-it-wrong.html

Check In: Hotel Review: Amoy Hotel in Singapore

This year-old boutique property offers a charming — and calming — experience in the center of the financial district.

















from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/406167c0/sc/10/l/0L0Snytimes0N0C20A140C110C160Ctravel0Chotel0Ereview0Eamoy0Ehotel0Ein0Esingapore0Bhtml0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

Bites: Restaurant Report: BackYard Bia Hoi in Hanoi

Opened in March, this spot offers an elegant spin on the “bia hoi,” a roadside restaurant where locals drink beer and eat snacks on plastic stools.

















from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/406167bd/sc/10/l/0L0Snytimes0N0C20A140C110C160Ctravel0Crestaurant0Ereport0Ebackyard0Ebia0Ehoi0Ein0Ehanoi0Bhtml0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

Frugal Traveler: In Tokyo, Following Elders to Bargains

Budget-conscious travelers can shop, snack and sip in the old-school Sugamo neighborhood for a song.

















from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/406167bc/sc/10/l/0L0Snytimes0N0C20A140C110C110Ctravel0Cin0Etokyo0Efollowing0Eelders0Eto0Ebargains0Bhtml0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

Review: Qatar Airways First Class A380 Doha to London Heathrow

We boarded through the upper deck door, where we were greeted by the friendly crew. I made it clear right away that we'd like to take some pictures of the cabin if possible, so they stayed out of our way for a couple of minutes, as we had the cabin mostly to ourselves.


The first class cabin is to the left of the main entry door, and consists of a total of eight seats, spread across two rows in a 1-2-1 configuration.


The cabin is gorgeous. It's not nearly as private as the fully enclosed suites that Asiana, China Southern, and Emirates offer on the A380, though aesthetically I'd say it's among the most beautiful A380 cabin out there, along with Lufthansa.


The seats don't have much privacy while on the ground, though once airborne there's a partition you can raise between seats for added privacy.


The post Review: Qatar Airways First Class A380 Doha to London Heathrow appeared first on One Mile at a Time.






from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/11/11/review-qatar-airways-first-class-a380-doha-to-london-heathrow/

Best and worst airports for winter travel

Another winter, another season of flight delays? Maybe not, if you pick the right airport for your flight. The best of the busiest airports is near this beach.





from CNN.com - Travel http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/11/travel/best-worst-airports-for-winter-travel/index.html

Discover a Fresh Way to Fly in the First Ever Dreamliner 787-9

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The modern vagabond knows how crucial and imperative a great in-flight experience is to successful traveling. When choosing between differing flights, jet setters take comfort well into consideration. With the addition of a new aircraft to their impressive fleet, Air New Zealand is changing the way we approach flying. Air New Zealand recently unveiled the […]


The post Discover a Fresh Way to Fly in the First Ever Dreamliner 787-9 appeared first on Vagabondish.






from Vagabondish http://www.vagabondish.com/discover-new-dreamliner-787-9-air-new-zealand/

In Transit Blog: On a Mexican Island, Murals With a Conservation Message

The nonprofit PangeaSeed has organized a collection of murals in Isla Mujeres, Mexico, to raise awareness of ocean conservation.

















from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/406100c9/sc/10/l/0Lintransit0Bblogs0Bnytimes0N0C20A140C110C110Con0Ea0Emexican0Eisland0Emurals0Ewith0Ea0Econservation0Emessage0C0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm