Hard decisions you shouldn’t have to make

from Elliott http://elliott.org/blog/hard-decisions-shouldnt-make/

Eating dinner in Hobbiton

Facebook Page Don’t forget that we switched my account over to an official “Trey Ratcliff Facebook Page” – thanks for stopping by to “Like” it! Daily Photo – Eating dinner in Hobbiton Ahh, just another dinner here in New Zealand. We eat like this most every night around here… I wish! Well, maybe sometimes we […]



from Stuck in Customs http://www.stuckincustoms.com/2014/11/29/eating-dinner-in-hobbiton/

Free Hotel Nights for Your Facebook Friends, and How to Fix Heathrow

News and notes from around the interweb: Swedish hotel gives free stays to people with lots of Instagram followers and Facebook friends. (HT: Alan H.) Entrepreneurial flight attendant sells extra business class meal to economy passenger. The TSA’s instagram feed (HT: Lots of folks in my Facebook feed) Man enroute to a movie shoot in […]

The post Free Hotel Nights for Your Facebook Friends, and How to Fix Heathrow appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/11/28/free-hotel-nights-facebook-friends-fix-heathrow/

The World’s First Suitcase With Its Own Smartphone App

It purports to be the first suitcase with its own smartphone app. The luggage: Weighs itself Lets you know whether it’s onboard your flight Tells you if it has been opened by anyone between the time you drop it off an pick it up at baggage claim Acts as a stereo in your hotel room. […]

The post The World’s First Suitcase With Its Own Smartphone App appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/11/28/worlds-first-suitcase-smartphone-app/

50% Off Silvercar Rentals Through December 31, 2014

I've written in the past about Silvercar, which is an innovative car rental company. They almost exclusively have one type of car — an Audi A4 — which comes with a bunch of cool features, including:

Free GPS

-- Free wifi

-- Free satellite radio

-- Fair toll tracking

-- Reasonable fuel plan (if you choose not to fill up your car you pay the local pump price plus a $5 fill-up fee)

The one downside is that Silvercar doesn’t have that many locations yet. So far they’re only available in:

The post 50% Off Silvercar Rentals Through December 31, 2014 appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/11/28/50-off-silvercar-rentals-december-31-2014/

Driving the Seam of Hispaniola

A road trip down the border between the Dominican Republic and Haiti reveals international strains and cultural highlights.

















from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/40f14030/sc/10/l/0L0Snytimes0N0C20A140C110C30A0Ctravel0Cdriving0Ethe0Eseam0Eof0Ehispaniola0Bhtml0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

In Transit Blog: Reindeer at the St. Regis

In New York City, reindeer will make an appearance on Dec. 13 at the St. Regis hotel.

















from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/40f14033/sc/10/l/0Lintransit0Bblogs0Bnytimes0N0C20A140C110C280Creindeer0Eat0Ethe0Est0Eregis0C0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

US Airways Reduces Top Tier Elite Qualification Requirement.. for One Year Only

US Airways Dividend Miles will be combined into American AAdvantage next year — the official word is second quarter 2015. If I had to be it would be on the early end of that timeframe, since they’ve made an announcement of when they’ll do it they are confident they’ll be able to hit the target […]

The post US Airways Reduces Top Tier Elite Qualification Requirement.. for One Year Only appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/11/28/us-airways-reduces-top-tier-elite-qualification-requirement-one-year/

10% Discount On Hyatt E-Gift Cards

In early November I wrote about how Hyatt is offering a 10% discount on gift card purchases through December 31, 2014. You simply have to enter promo code GPGIFT14 when purchasing the gift card.

The best part is that there's no limit to how many gift cards you can buy during the promotion (though there's a limit to how many you can purchase per transaction). As someone that lives in hotels full time, that's basically like a 10% savings on my living expenses. :D

At the time, however:

-- There was no option for free shipping on Hyatt gift cards

-- Hyatt e-gift cards weren't eligible for the 10% discount

The post 10% Discount On Hyatt E-Gift Cards appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/11/28/10-discount-hyatt-e-gift-cards/

How Not To Get Secondary Screening At Immigration

Two second summary: answer all the immigration officer's questions, even if he's being an ass.

On Wednesday my dad and I flew from Sydney to Los Angeles in Qantas first class. My dad has a German passport, while I have both a German and US passport (though of course I use my US passport with Global Entry when entering the US).

As we deplaned I explained to my dad that he'd have to go through separate lines, and that I'd wait for him at the baggage claim belt.

As we entered the immigration hall I saw that there was virtually no queue, so figured he'd be out in no time. Our checked bags arrived (yes, at this point in our trip we were checking bags), though there was still no sign of my dad.

The post How Not To Get Secondary Screening At Immigration appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/11/28/not-get-secondary-screening-immigration/

Frugal Traveler: The Cinque Terre on a Budget

In this coastal corner of Italy, you can lounge on the beach, take in dazzling views and even indulge in a seafood splurge — all on a frugal budget.

















from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/40f0407d/sc/10/l/0L0Snytimes0N0C20A140C110C30A0Ctravel0Cthe0Ecinque0Eterre0Eon0Ea0Ebudget0Bhtml0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

Reject Every Option That Isn’t at Least a 90 Out of 100

From Greg McKeown’s Essentialism: “As you evaluate an option, think about the single most important criterion for that decision, and then simply give each option a score between 0 and 100. If you rate it lower than 90 percent, then automatically change the rating to 0 and simply reject it. This way you avoid getting…



from The Art of Non-Conformity http://chrisguillebeau.com/reject-every-option-that-isnt-at-least-a-90-out-of-100/

Signup Bonus: 2000 Free IHG Rewards Club Points

IHG Rewards Club is offering 2000 points for new signups through December 7. I view that as worth about $8. It’s only for new members, but there isn’t usually a bonus just for signing up. So if you aren’t already a member it may be worth the minute or so to pocket 2000 while you […]

The post Signup Bonus: 2000 Free IHG Rewards Club Points appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/11/28/signup-bonus-2000-free-ihg-rewards-club-points/

Snow Geese Taking Flight Near York Factory, Manitoba

from Everything Everywhere Travel Blog http://everything-everywhere.com/2014/11/27/snow-geese-taking-flight-near-york-factory-manitoba/

British Airways Business Class Fare Sale!

British Airways has launched an amazing New Years fare sale for travel originating in the UK.

The promotion is marketed as "2 for £2014," though in practice you can also book one passenger for £1007 (~$1,580USD). That's the all-in price, which is valid to a wide range of destinations.

The basic terms of the promotion are as follows:

The post British Airways Business Class Fare Sale! appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/11/28/british-airways-business-class-fare-sale/

#TripLit: Great New Reads

Our travel writing guru Don George sounds off on the latest and greatest #TripLit titles that will transport you from India to North Korea.



from Intelligent Travel http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/2014/11/28/triplit-great-new-reads/

Why millennials don't travel

"I have too many student loans." What excuses have you heard for not traveling?



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/life/5-excuses-millennials-make-travel/

Air France FlyingBlue February/March Promo Awards — Up To 50% Off

One of the best uses of Air France/KLM FlyingBlue miles is booking their Promo Awards. FlyingBlue publishes these every month, and they offer 25-50% off select award tickets on Air France and KLM metal. Back in the day Promo Awards would consistently be for 50% off and would have a good number of options in business class, though unfortunately they’ve devalued the program somewhat since then, and the discounts now vary.

However, there are still some great values to be had. FlyingBlue just published their latest Promo Awards. These are valid for bookings made between December 1 and December 31, 2014, and for travel between February 1, 2015 and March 31, 2015. While the January/February Promo Awards were quite impressive, this list is a bit more lackluster (which isn't really surprising, since March can be a busy month for travel).

For this Promo Award period, there are only three North America destinations that are eligible for discounted awards, as follows:

The post Air France FlyingBlue February/March Promo Awards — Up To 50% Off appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/11/28/air-france-flyingblue-februarymarch-promo-awards-50-off/

2015 Chase Freedom Bonus Category Calendar Leaked

Doctor of Credit plays around with a website address and shows us the 2015 bonus categories for the Chase Freedom Card. This is the card where you register anew each quarter to earn 5 points per dollar in a rotating set of categories. Since this represents an extra 4 points per dollar on top of […]

The post 2015 Chase Freedom Bonus Category Calendar Leaked appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/11/28/2015-chase-freedom-bonus-category-calendar-leaked/

7 Americanisms that Brits don't get

You say bumbag, Americans say fanny pack. What?!? Matt Hershberger explains all when it comes to Americanisms that Brits just don't get. Read on!



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/life/7-americanisms-brits-will-never-understand/

Free Points For Joining IHG Rewards Club

Back in the day it was pretty common for loyalty programs to offer a bonus just for signing up for an account. Unfortunately that's pretty rare nowadays, though.

IHG Rewards Club is offering 2,000 bonus points to new members with valid email addresses, and mailing addresses registered in the United States or Canada.

The promotion is valid through December 7, 2014, and bonus points will be deposited into the account upon the completion of the promotion.

The post Free Points For Joining IHG Rewards Club appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/11/28/free-points-joining-ihg-rewards-club/

See the real 'Grand Budapest Hotel'

The tiny town of Goerlitz has become a star in movies like Wes Anderson's latest. It's one of several great day trip destinations from Berlin

from CNN.com - Travel http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/28/travel/day-trips-berlin/index.html

FAA: Drones getting too close to planes

According to an FAA report, near collisions between airliners and drones are on the rise. CNN's Tom Foreman reports.

from CNN.com - Travel http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/us/2014/11/27/nr-pkg-foreman-drone-airliner-near-collisions.cnn.html

30 things travelers do in their 30s

If you know all about taking a vacation from your vacation and long ago replaced Lonely Planet with Rick Steve’s...you're probably a traveler in your 30s. Read on!



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/bnt/30-things-travelers-30s/

48 ways traveling is like sex

Some people like to photograph it, or take videos... Ooh la la! Managing Editor Katka Lapelosa gives us 48 ways traveling is like sex. Warning: This article will make you laugh out loud. A LOT.



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/life/48-ways-traveling-like-sex/

10 ways you’re making your life harder than it has to be

Constantly comparing yourself to others? Sounds like you're making life harder than it has to be. Read Tim Hoch's advice on how we can all be kinder to ourselves.



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/life/10-ways-youre-making-life-harder/

How I’m Using Credit Card Rewards for Family Holiday Travel

Even though my husband’s family lives more than 12 hours away in Minnesota, we try and see them at least twice per year. The drive is long, but it’s always worth it to get together and have some good old-fashioned family fun. But this year I wanted to try something different. A 12-hour drive is […]



from Frugal Travel Guy http://www.frugaltravelguy.com/2014/11/how-im-using-credit-card-rewards-for-family-holiday-travel.html