The First Church of Christ, Scientist in Boston, Massachusetts

The Christian Science Plaza is a 14-acre site that is home to the headquarters of the Church of Christian Science, founded by Mary Baker Eddy in 1879.

The Plaza holds many buildings, the oldest being the original Mother Church of Christian Science which was built in 1894. The larger extension to the Original Mother Church was built in 1904 and collectively the two buildings are considered the First Church Of Christ, Scientist or simply, "The Mother Church." The Church has daily tours. The extension houses one of the world's largest pipe organs and sometimes there are free concerts. Even if you cannot get inside, a walk around the exterior of the Original Mother Church will show you some wonderful stained glass windows.

The Mary Baker Eddy Library, which houses the archives and a small museum of the founder is also part of the Plaza, as well as the world famous Mapparium. Other buildings that used to be the headquarters of the Christian Science Monitor and other arms of the Christian Science Publishing Society but some of these buildings are now used by other businesses.

The Plaza includes a collonade, a 670-foot reflecting pool and a fountain, the latter is often used by youngsters in the summer to keep cool.

from Atlas Obscura http://atlasobscura.com.feedsportal.com/c/35387/f/665719/s/4123eb2f/sc/10/l/0L0Satlasobscura0N0Cplaces0Cthe0Efirst0Echurch0Eof0Echrist0Escientist/story01.htm

The Sun Sets on the Great Wall

Great Wall BTS Video Here’s a video from one of the first times I visited the Great Wall… an oldie but a goodie! Daily Photo – The Sun Sets on the Great Wall It was an amazing day on this part of the Great Wall. It's my fourth trip to the Wall, and each time […]



from Stuck in Customs http://www.stuckincustoms.com/2014/12/05/the-sun-sets-on-the-great-wall/

AirTran declined my credit card and now I have to buy a new ticket

from Elliott http://elliott.org/the-troubleshooter/airtran-declined-credit-card-now-buy-new-ticket/

You’re More Likely To Buy Food On A Plane If…

The Washington Post published an interesting piece today entitled "People around you control your mind: The latest evidence."

This piece is about a study that was done to test how the actions of those around you impact your decisions. And since it's such a controlled environment, they used buy on board airplane food purchases as the basis for the study:

"After analyzing a confidential database of passenger and time-stamped purchase records, a Stanford professor discovered that if someone next to you buys something on the plane, you’re 30 percent more likely to buy something yourself."

The post You’re More Likely To Buy Food On A Plane If… appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/12/04/youre-more-likely-to-buy-food-on-a-plane-if/

Check it out: The US States Map is here!

WE STARTED OUT BIG with our #Travelstoke World Map, and after the overwhelmingly positive response our Map Team has created an awesome new addition: a map where you can show off your travels within the United States! We’re super pumped about this hot new map, so go ahead and click on the image above, or […]



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/abroad/check-us-states-map/

An Airline Runs the Numbers, Shows You Nearly All Customers Lose Out With Revenue-Based Frequent Flyer Programs

Alaska’s strategy is to award high revenue customers, and their most frequent customers, with more miles. That’s because — as the title of one of their slides at this week’s Investor Day made clear — Industry transition to a revenue-based loyalty prorgram provides opportunity in the near term for Alaska. (Alaska was believed to be […]

The post An Airline Runs the Numbers, Shows You Nearly All Customers Lose Out With Revenue-Based Frequent Flyer Programs appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/12/04/airline-runs-numbers-shows-nearly-customers-lose-revenue-based-frequent-flyer-programs/

Alaska Selling Extra Legroom Seats Starting In 2015

Alaska had their Investor Day conference today, and there are some interesting slides in the presentation.

Arguably not as interesting as their Investor Day conference last year, where we learned what percent of Mileage Plan awards are booked on partner airlines. But this year's was interesting nonetheless. ;)

It's worth noting that Alaska will begin selling extra legroom seats in the first half of 2015. No, they're not adding an "extra legroom" section to economy, but rather they'll start monetizing on bulkheads and exit rows. As it stands, these seats are just open to MVP, MVP Gold, and MVP Gold 75K members in advance, though can typically also be selected by non-elite members at the airport.

The post Alaska Selling Extra Legroom Seats Starting In 2015 appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/12/04/alaska-selling-extra-legroom-seats-starting-2015/

Silvercar Offering Free Gifts With Rentals For The Holidays

I've written in the past about Silver, the innovative car rental company that's quickly growing in the US. They have a fleet of A4s with free GPS, wifi, satellite radio, fair toll tracking, and a reasonable fuel plan.

But what makes Silver equally interesting is that as of late they're more or less paying you to rent from them.

I just received the following email from Silvercar:

The post Silvercar Offering Free Gifts With Rentals For The Holidays appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/12/04/silvercar-offering-free-gifts-rentals-holidays/

Free Hilton HHonors Silver Status (and Fast Track to Gold)

euflyer points out that the free Hilton HHonors silver offer I wrote about a little over a year ago is still available. Better to walk into Hilton as a silver than as a base member. First, because of the bonus points and in some cases free bottled water. But second and more importantly is that […]

The post Free Hilton HHonors Silver Status (and Fast Track to Gold) appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/12/04/free-hilton-hhonors-silver-status-fast-track-gold/

Australia Part 3: Melbourne to Hobart and Port Arthur, Tasmania

My son Andrew and I crossed off some bucket list items and had some adventures in Australia this summer! Read Part 1 and Part 2. We took the inland route from Warrnambool (on the western edge of the Great Ocean Road) back to Melbourne for our flight to Hobart on the island of Tasmania. It […]



from Frugal Travel Guy http://www.frugaltravelguy.com/2014/12/australia-part-3-melbourne-to-hobart-and-port-arthur-tasmania.html

Etihad A380 First Class Apartment Award Space

Later this month Etihad will finally begin service with their cutting edge new A380s. The inaugural flight will be from Abu Dhabi to London on December 27, and I can't wait to be on it in the First Class Apartment.

As is often the norm when airlines take delivery of an aircraft with a new type of "product," Etihad is heavily restricting award space on the A380.

They don't seem to be releasing any first or business class saver award space on the A380, and certainly aren't releasing any saver award space in The Residence.

However, reader Carlos notes one oddity -- Etihad has released A380 first class award space between Abu Dhabi and London on October 10, 2015, only.

The post Etihad A380 First Class Apartment Award Space appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/12/04/etihad-a380-first-class-apartment-award-space/

Airfares Expected To Rise Next Year, Despite Fuel Drop

The Department of Justice ignored a flurry of airline mergers, and now passengers are paying the price.



from Travel Feedly http://www.ibtimes.com/did-justice-department-do-enough-protect-american-airline-consumers-1734845

Why I Love London in the Winter

London isn't high on many people's travel lists past early fall, but I happen to love London when it's cold outside. "You get to see the city for what it really is in the winter,” my friend Lauren Bryan Knight told me. “It’s London with her hair down, devoid of anything other than the quiet rhythm of Londoners living out their daily routines." Here’s why the English capital should be on your winter-travel list—and how to make the most of your time while you're there.



from Intelligent Travel http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/2014/12/04/why-i-love-london-in-the-winter/

Footsteps: In Tuscany, Following the Rise and Fall of Machiavelli

Five centuries after “The Prince” was written, visiting spots in and around Florence that track the arc of Machiavelli’s life.

















from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/4121dc32/sc/10/l/0L0Snytimes0N0C20A140C120C0A70Ctravel0Cin0Etuscany0Efollowing0Ethe0Erise0Eand0Efall0Eof0Emachiavelli0Bhtml0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

In Transit Blog: A Revival for Watergate Hotel

The Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C., dormant for seven years, will get a renovation and is scheduled to reopen in the summer.

















from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/4121dc33/sc/10/l/0Lintransit0Bblogs0Bnytimes0N0C20A140C120C0A40Ca0Erevival0Efor0Ewatergate0Ehotel0C0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

Miles And Points For Infrequent Flyers

Last week I wrote about how to book awards from multiple accounts. This can be a big challenge for families, particularly in the case of schedule disruptions.

Reader Matt S. left a great comment, which I think poses an interesting question:

"@Tiffany,

I think this is a great article, but it also highlights my concerns about over-diversification with points/miles accumulation. I am a casual traveler only, and only fly 2-3 times a year. I live near DFW, so I mainly fly AA. For the same reason, I have AA Citi personal and business cards to rack up AA miles. However, after reading this post and several of Ben’s other posts on miles, I’m starting to wonder if that’s the best strategy. What point/mile strategy would you recommend for casual travelers? Thanks!?

Now, full disclaimer: this might not be the same advice you'd get from Ben. We tend to agree on most things, but every so often we have different opinions about stuff like which airline is most awesome or which is the best One Direction song.

The post Miles And Points For Infrequent Flyers appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/12/04/miles-and-points-for-infrequent-flyers/

Alaska Airlines Introducing Extra Legroom Seating in First Half of 2015

Alaska Airlines is going to add extra legroom seats in economy during the first half of 2015. Per Alaska’s vice president and chief information officer: That means they join United, American, and Delta which all offer extra legroom seats in coach. (United and American do not comp the cocktail, though — although American does for […]

The post Alaska Airlines Introducing Extra Legroom Seating in First Half of 2015 appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/12/04/alaska-airlines-introducing-extra-legroom-seating-first-half-2015/

Uber reigns with $1.2 billion additional funds, skyrocketing valuation

Uber has raised another round, this time at an enormous valuation of $41 billion. The round, which comes in as one of ...



from Tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/article/uber-reigns-1-2-billion-additional-funds-skyrocketing-valuation/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=uber-reigns-1-2-billion-additional-funds-skyrocketing-valuation

Photo of the Moment: Down the Steps at Seapoint, Dublin

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© Giuseppe Milo

The post Photo of the Moment: Down the Steps at Seapoint, Dublin appeared first on Vagabondish.

from Vagabondish http://www.vagabondish.com/photo-steps-at-seapoint-dublin-ireland/

Singapore Airlines Refusing to Honor Business Class Mistake Fare

My cousin Lauren passes along this piece about a Singapore Airlines business class mistake fare that the airline apparently doesn’t want to honor. Singapore Airlines loaded business-class fares for flights between Australia and London into a global booking system that travel agents use to sell tickets to their customers. The cost of business-class tickets that […]

The post Singapore Airlines Refusing to Honor Business Class Mistake Fare appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/12/04/singapore-airlines-refusing-honor-business-class-mistake-fare/

Amex PRG Card Still Worth It For Airfare Spend?

Reader Jay asked the following question on the "Ask Lucky" page of the blog:

"Hi Lucky,

I’m approaching the annual fee on my AmEx PRG card and I’m torn about what to do. On one hand, I am extremely displeased about them discontinuing the 15k bonus after $30k spend and I think $175 is a little on the high side. On the other, I easily put $30k of airfare on the card yearly do to business travel and the 3x bonus more than covers the fee.

My question is: is there a better (or comparable) card to put my airfare spend, or should I suck it up and continue with the AmEx PRG?"

The post Amex PRG Card Still Worth It For Airfare Spend? appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/12/04/amex-prg-card-still-worth-airfare-spend/

Limited Time: 50,000 Bonus Miles on U.S. Airways Card

Breaking news from the card that refuses to die: for a limited time, you can now earn an increased signup bonus with no minimum spend.



from The Art of Non-Conformity http://chrisguillebeau.com/50000-bonus-miles-on-u-s-airways-card/

Naughty and Nice: Krampusnacht

If the yuletide season has seemed more like Halloween of late, it’s because a contingent of horned, long-tongued beasties is slowly making its way west from the forests of Germany. Make way for the Krampus, the dark counterpoint to the benevolent St. Nicholas.



from Intelligent Travel http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/2014/12/04/naughty-and-nice-krampusnacht/

Secrets of an Americanized Brazilian

"Ok, I hold my hands up — I look like a duck when I dance samba and I don’t know how to cook feijoada." YouTube star Joanna Franco confesses the secrets of being an Americanized Brazilian. Read on for more!



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/notebook/confessions-americanized-brazilian/

How to Spend Four Days in Hong Kong

Hong Kong. Its name inspires visions of a chaotic, jam packed city with soaring skyscrapers, thick smog, endless noodle stands, big finance, and wild nights out. It’s one of my top five favorite cities in the world and I relish any chance to visit. The fast pace creates a sense of permanent change and the crowds, the multi-culturism, and the food keep me continuously coming back. Oh, the food! I could be bent over a noodle bowl all day long! […]

The post How to Spend Four Days in Hong Kong appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

from Nomadic Matt's Travel Site http://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/four-days-in-hong-kong/

Trying to get a handle on 5 years of consumer travel startups

Numerous consumer-focused travel startups have launched in the past five years. They tackle many facets of travel, ranging from hotel and flight ...



from Tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/article/5-years-b2c-travel-startups#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=travel-startups-2

Do You Give Honest Feedback When Checking Out Of Hotels?

I was at CVS yesterday picking up some stuff, and when I went to pay, the associate at the register asked if I found everything alright. In the past I've always instinctively said "yes," though this time I decided to be honest.

"No, actually."

"Sorry about that. What couldn't you find?"

"Well, I was looking for [name of toothpaste]."

"Oh, we didn't have that?"

"Nope."

"Sorry about that."

"And I was looking for travel sized shaving cream."

"Oh we should have had that in stock."

"I looked over in the travel section, and it wasn't there."

"Sorry about that."

The post Do You Give Honest Feedback When Checking Out Of Hotels? appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/12/04/give-honest-feedback-checking-hotels/

7 reasons to ditch your group tour

You can abandon the itinerary. On a group tour, the itinerary's almost sacrosanct.



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/trips/7-definitive-reasons-ditch-group-tour/

Banff, Alberta as Seen From the Top of Sulphur Mountain

from Everything Everywhere Travel Blog http://everything-everywhere.com/2014/12/03/banff-alberta-seen-top-sulphur-mountain/

Travel Like Bond: 5 Great Gift Ideas for the Sophisticated Traveler in Your Life

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Most holiday travel gift guides feature silly, Skymall-esque novelties, like portable humidifiers, ultraviolet toothbrush sanitizers, and compact, hand-powered espresso makers ‘for the metrosexual on the go!’. Hogwash, I say. Here are five great gifts for the badass, sophisticated jet-setter in your life: #1: How to Stay Alive in the Woods: A Complete Guide to Food, […]

The post Travel Like Bond: 5 Great Gift Ideas for the Sophisticated Traveler in Your Life appeared first on Vagabondish.

from Vagabondish http://www.vagabondish.com/holiday-travel-gear-gift-guide-2014/

London Flight Taxes to Be Reduced, Flights that Don’t Earn Miles, and an Airline Dropping $500mm on Wine!

News and notes from around the interweb: Emirates spending $500 million on its wine program. I’m skeptical of the number, and it just sounds like prepurchase of years’ worth of bottles in any case. Their wines are better than what US airlines serve, but the eye popping number doesn’t make their wines the best either. […]

The post London Flight Taxes to Be Reduced, Flights that Don’t Earn Miles, and an Airline Dropping $500mm on Wine! appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/12/04/london-flight-taxes-reduced-flights-dont-earn-miles-airline-dropping-500-wine/

How to hit on a Brazilian

I taught my American gringo friend how to hit on a Brazilian in Portuguese and it went a little something like this.



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/nights/hit-brazilian-portuguese/

TUI Travel bows out on good online growth, roll on the merger

TUI Travel has reported strong online growth highlighting £4.1 billion in online sales for mainstream business for the year ended 30 September ...



from Tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/article/tui-travel-2014-growth/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tui-plc-bows-good-growth-roll-merger-german-parent

Earn 5,000 Southwest Points For Referring A Friend

For the past month or so Chase has been offering a 50,000 point sign-up bonus after spending $2,000 within three months on their co-branded Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Cards. I was told that this offer would expire on Tuesday afternoon, but there's still a chance to take advantage of the increased sign-up bonus if you haven't already.

Current cardholders can refer a friend and receive a 5,000 point bonus when their friend is approved and makes their first purchase before May 31st. The landing page suggests the offer will be valid for referrals sent out through February, though that could change.

The post Earn 5,000 Southwest Points For Referring A Friend appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/12/04/earn-5000-southwest-points-referring-friend/

Valuable sinkhole Vette set for fixing

For expert car restorers at General Motors, a wrecked, super-valuable 1992 Corvette represents a tall mountain to climb.

from CNN.com - Travel http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/04/travel/1-millionth-corvette-museum-sinkhole-restoration/index.html

The ultimate adventure travel bucket list

From Kauai to Kenya, discover your inner explorer with these once-in-a-lifetime adventures.

from CNN.com - Travel http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/04/travel/adventure-travel-bucket-list/index.html

Funtasy Island: The $240 million eco-island paradise

It may sound like a bad copy of a Robert Louis Stevenson novel but Funtasy Island is aiming to become a major eco-tourism resort in Indonesia's picturesque Riau Archipelago.

from CNN.com - Travel http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/03/travel/funtasy-ilsand-indonesia/index.html

The 20 craziest party hostels

Matt kepnes searched high and low, enduring sleepless nights by the toilet to bring you this report.



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/nights/20-craziest-party-hostels-around-the-world/

Special Report: Art Basel in Miami Beach: Street Art Floods Nepal With Color

Vibrantly hued works are appearing across the capital and Katmandu Valley, as artists take advantage of the lack of laws against decorating buildings, fences, walls and gates.

















from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/411c9d53/sc/38/l/0L0Snytimes0N0C20A140C120C0A40Carts0Cinternational0Cstreet0Eart0Efloods0Enepal0Ewith0Ecolor0Bhtml0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

Special Report: Art Basel in Miami Beach: Art Fair Energizes Economy of Region

While art existed in Miami before the Swiss organization decided to base its winter fair there, its presence has fostered an invigorating scene.

















from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/411c9d56/sc/38/l/0L0Snytimes0N0C20A140C120C0A40Carts0Cinternational0Cart0Efair0Eenergizes0Eeconomy0Eof0Eregion0Bhtml0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

Has Lonely Planet lost its mojo?

Has Lonely Planet lost its mojo? Author Benjamin Lucca Iaquinto gives 10 compelling reasons why the guidebooks are no longer what they used to be.



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/goods/lonely-planet-guidebooks-decline/

Lufthansa Cancels Several Flights As Pilots Strike

Lufthansa has canceled half of its long-haul flights as pilots oppose the airline's move to do away with an early retirement plan.



from Travel Feedly http://www.ibtimes.com/lufthansa-cancels-half-all-long-haul-flights-pilots-strike-again-over-retirement-1733625

Why to travel with your partner

This is a must read. Olivia Christine Perez writes beautifully about you should travel with your partner before getting serious.



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/notebook/definitely-travel-partner-getting-serious/

13 experiences you can only have in Arizona

Go to Sedona for an incredible light show as the setting sun turns the desert peaks orange and blood red.



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/trips/13-experiences-can-arizona/

A Schedule Change Can Be Good News: How I Booked My Entire Family in First Class

Unless I am forced to fly JetBlue, which has been the case more times than I would like over the last couple of years, American is my primary U.S. airline. Anytime I have to fly another U.S. airline (which mostly only happens on awards), I am extremely intrigued about how the experience will be. The […]



from Frugal Travel Guy http://www.frugaltravelguy.com/2014/12/a-schedule-change-can-be-good-news-how-i-booked-my-entire-family-in-first-class.html