Best Travel Blogs: 02/03/15

February 3, 2015

American AAdvantage Now Waiving Most Phone Ticketing Fees

Here's some great news! American is making some positive changes to their AAdvantage award ticketing fees, as follows:

-- Effective February 3, 2015, the Reservations Ticketing Service Charge will be waived for award bookings that cannot be booked on aa.com.

-- Effective February 16, 2015, a Reservations Ticketing Service Charge of $30.00 for domestic itineraries and $40.00 for international itineraries will be applied by AA Reservations when ticketing award bookings that can be booked on aa.com.

So basically American is finally waiving their phone ticketing fees for award tickets which can't be booked through their website. Meanwhile in a couple of weeks they'll be raising their ticketing fees by $5 per ticket for awards which can be booked online (which shouldn't be a big deal, since I don't think anyone anyone savvy enough to read a blog will literally choose to throw $25 out the window). ;)

The post American AAdvantage Now Waiving Most Phone Ticketing Fees appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2015/02/04/american-aadvantage-now-waiving-phone-ticketing-fees/

TransAsia Flight GE 235 Crashes Near Taipei, At Least 12 Killed

The plane, an ATR-72 turboprop with 58 people on board, was flying from Taipei Songshan Airport to Kinmen island off the Chinese coast.

from Travel Feedly http://www.ibtimes.com/transasia-flight-ge-235-58-board-crashes-keelung-river-near-taipei-least-12-dead-1804696

8 World Heritage Sites you can skip

Yeah...just head to the pub instead.

from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/trips/8-world-heritage-sites-definitely-skip/

What Does Hyatt Platinum Status Really Get You Anymore?

Hyatt Gold Passport Diamond status is my favorite top tier hotel status, along with Starwood Platinum. I mean, I'm staying in the below room thanks to my status as I write this, so what's not to love? ;)

The way I see it, there are two downsides to the Gold Passport program on the elite status front:

-- There aren't any marginal benefits for over-qualifying for Diamond status, unlike with Starwood (which offers additional points and Your24 after 75 nights, and Ambassador after 100 nights -- not that I value either of those perks immensely, but it's something)

-- Their only other elite tier is Platinum, which is really more like elite status-light... and that's even more so the case as of this month

The post What Does Hyatt Platinum Status Really Get You Anymore? appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2015/02/03/hyatt-platinum-really-get-anymore/

6 reasons introverts should always travel solo

"Every day is a chance to change who I am, and to forget that people know me as the quiet one. Because there is no one who really knows me, and there’s no pressure to be anything other than what I’m feeling at that moment."

from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/notebook/6-reasons-introverts-always-travel-solo/

Most airport workers don't receive daily security screening

from CNN.com - Travel http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/02/us/airport-security-investigation/index.html

Update: What Travelers Need to Know About Measles

After an outbreak of measles at Disneyland in California, doctors emphasize the importance of immunization.

from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/4301e9c2/sc/14/l/0L0Snytimes0N0C20A150C0A20C0A30Ctravel0Cwhat0Etravelers0Eneed0Eto0Eknow0Eabout0Emeasles0Bhtml0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

In Transit Blog: ‘Fifty Shades’ of a Stay

Two Kimpton hotels in New York are offering a “Fifty Shades of Grey” promotion for the Valentine’s Day season.

from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/4301e9c7/sc/10/l/0Lintransit0Bblogs0Bnytimes0N0C20A150C0A20C0A30Cfifty0Eshades0Eof0Ea0Estay0C0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

Closing a $1.4M round, Tiqets aims to boost ancillary sales for travel firms

Tiqets, a ticketing technology platform for museums, entertainment, and other local attractions, says it has received $1 million in seed funding from ...

from Tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/article/tiqets-attractions-ticketing-platform-raises-1m/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tiqets-attractions-ticketing-platform-raises-1m

HURRY, IT’S BACK: US Airways Business Class Award Space to Europe (Use American Miles With No Fuel Surcharges)

A couple of weeks ago, immediately after US Airways transitioned to using American’s fare class codes, the floodgates opened on US Airways international awards in business class. Then over the weekend things opened back up for summer travel — not the floodgates of the first wave, where whole cabins were practically available for redemption on […]

The post HURRY, IT’S BACK: US Airways Business Class Award Space to Europe (Use American Miles With No Fuel Surcharges) appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2015/02/03/hurry-back-us-airways-business-class-award-space-europe-use-american-miles-no-fuel-surcharges/

Adventure 101: Kitesurfing in Turks and Caicos

Kitesurfing is guaranteed to help your spirit soar. “[It] feels like what I imagine it must be like flying around heaven,” says Brendon Held of "inMotion Kitesurfing" magazine. When it comes to giving the sport a whirl, few places rival the Turks and Caicos. This dreamy collection of Caribbean islands north of Hispaniola and east of Cuba dazzles with miles of warm, shallow turquoise water and sand so fine it feels like fairy dust. Factor in locals who exude a relaxed, friendly vibe, and you have all the ingredients for a perfect tropical adventure.

from Intelligent Travel http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/2015/02/03/adventure-101-kitesurfing-in-turks-and-caicos/

8 reasons to look at Ciudad del Este

Bootleggers, human smugglers, problem priests, and purported extremist funders? Something's gone wrong in the Paraguayan city of Ciudad del Este.

from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/pulse/8-reasons-we-should-all-pay-more-attention-to-this-place/

Would You Refinance Your Mortgage for 100,000 Miles?

If you’re considering a mortgage refinance anyway, Capital One is now offering an extra incentive for its Venture and Venture One Cardholders. The deal is this: refinance your mortgage or purchase a new home with Capital One and earn 100,000 bonus miles worth $1,000 in travel. You must be a Venture or Venture One cardholder […]

from Frugal Travel Guy http://www.frugaltravelguy.com/2015/02/would-you-refinance-your-mortgage-for-100000-miles.html

Is This An Acceptable Email From A Hotel After A Stay?

Am I the only one that gets kind of annoyed by the hotels that send you an email after your stay asking you to complete a survey?

I've come to accept it, but I find it quite frustrating. In order to unsubscribe from those emails you have to unsubscribe from all marketing emails, which I don't want to do. I wish it were possible to just unsubscribe from post-stay surveys.

Anyway, while the above is just a minor annoyance, here's something that actually pisses me off. A couple of weeks back I stayed at The Airport Hotel, which is the airside hotel at Hamad International Airport. It's super convenient, and I enjoyed my stay.

The post Is This An Acceptable Email From A Hotel After A Stay? appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2015/02/03/is-this-an-acceptable-email-from-a-hotel-after-a-stay/

My Favorite Part of the Qatar Airways A380 Flight Was the First Class Lavatories

On my recent Round-the-World trip I was fortunate to be able to fly two 7-hour flights in First Class on Qatar Airways new A380 service from Doha to Paris and back again. It was such a great experience through and through. I still get excited about traveling—sometimes very excited. I’m not completely a grump. But…

from The Art of Non-Conformity http://chrisguillebeau.com/qatar-airways-a380-lavatories/

You Can Now Book American and US Airways Standard/AAnytime Awards With Either Airline’s Miles

US airlines generally allow you to book miles at a ‘saver’ or ‘low’ award level, and at a more expensive price point that offers greater availability. The old standard used to be that spending ‘double miles’ would get you any seat, any flights. That’s how it worked at American for the most part until April […]

The post You Can Now Book American and US Airways Standard/AAnytime Awards With Either Airline’s Miles appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2015/02/03/can-now-book-american-us-airways-standardaanytime-awards-either-airlines-miles/

Do you get girls by being a polyglot

Will becoming a polyglot insta-solve your dating problems?

from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/notebook/will-learning-new-languages-help-pick-girls/

Medics check 175 aboard United flight after emergency landing

Passengers aboard a flight from Chicago to Denver got sick just moments after their plane apparently lost pressure and forced a quick landing.

from CNN.com - Travel http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/03/travel/united-flight-passengers-ill/index.html

Deal Alert: La Compagnie Business Class NYC – LHR $1,007 Roundtrip

La Compagnie is a French startup airline that flies all-business-class flights between Paris Charles de Gaulle and Newark. It launched last summer with 4-5 weekly flights with its first aircraft, and took delivery of a second back in December and now plan to launch service between Newark and London Luton Airport starting April 24, 2015....

from The Points Guy http://thepointsguy.com/2015/02/deal-alert-la-compagnie-business-class-nyc-lhr-1007-roundtrip/

Remote-controlled airport suggests tech-heavy future of air traffic control

Last year marked the first deployment of the world’s only remote-controlled air traffic control module. After initial tests, the technology is set ...

from Tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/article/remote-controlled-airport-suggests-tech-heavy-future-air-traffic-control/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=remote-controlled-airport-suggests-tech-heavy-future-air-traffic-control

Cathay Pacific Starting Hong Kong To Dusseldorf Flights

Here's one that really surprised me at first, but makes perfect sense after further consideration.

Cathay Pacific announced today that they'll launch 4x weekly flights (Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays) between Hong Kong and Dusseldorf as of September 1, 2015.

The flight will be operated by a four class 777-300ER (meaning it will feature first class, business class, premium economy, and economy), and operate with the following schedule:

The post Cathay Pacific Starting Hong Kong To Dusseldorf Flights appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2015/02/03/cathay-pacific-starting-hong-kong-dusseldorf-flights/

Looking at world population [map]

Can you guess which six countries house half the global population?

from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/pulse/half-worlds-population-lives-6-countries/

The Mixed Reactions of Falling Fuel Prices

No matter where you look, fuel prices across the United States are leveling out at lower prices. At the end of January, AAA reported the average price of a gallon of regular gas was $2.05 — over a dollar cheaper than the same point one year ago. As a result, consumers are seeing a savings […]

from Frugal Travel Guy http://www.frugaltravelguy.com/2015/02/the-mixed-reactions-of-falling-fuel-prices.html

Maui, Hawaii

For our list of 52 Places to Go in 2015, we ask readers each month to nominate a 53rd place. January’s selection brings us to Maui, Hawaii.

from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/43006850/sc/10/l/0L0Snytimes0N0Cinteractive0C20A150C0A10C110Ctravel0C520Eplaces0Eto0Ego0Ein0E20A150Bhtml0DplaceId0Freaderschoice0Gpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

In Crimea, a Park in Search of a Theme

As the French operators of a popular historical theme park look to expand into Crimea, one question is, whose version of history will the park depict?

from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/43006407/sc/1/l/0L0Snytimes0N0C20A150C0A20C0A40Cbusiness0Cinternational0Ccreating0Ea0Ehistorical0Etheme0Epark0Ein0Ecrimea0Bhtml0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

Royal Caribbean cruise cut short by illness

The trip wasn't so grand for many guests on board Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas.

from CNN.com - Travel http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/03/travel/feat-royal-caribbean-grandeur-of-seas-norovirus/index.html

You Should Celebrate Mardi Gras This Year

But wait, when is Mardi Gras again?

from Travel Feedly http://www.ibtimes.com/when-mardi-gras-2015-new-orleans-rio-venice-host-epic-celebrations-feasting-revelry-1803768

American’s Lounge Food Improvements and… Non Skid Slippers

Yesterday I wrote about American’s new brand heritage amenity kits and posted photos of the TWA business class amenity kit. American is out today with more information. These new amenity kits are offered in international business class and their New York JFK – Los Angeles / San Francisco first class cabins. Non-Skid Slippers Are Coming.. […]

The post American’s Lounge Food Improvements and… Non Skid Slippers appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2015/02/03/americans-lounge-food-improvements-non-skid-slippers/

How well do you know British slang?

Think you know your British slang? Test your knowledge! Bonus points if you're not actually British.

from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/life/how-well-do-you-know-british-slang-quiz/

Problem Solved: Adopting Pets Abroad

National Geographic Traveler editor at large Christopher Elliott is the magazine’s consumer advocate and ombudsman. Over the past 15 years he has helped countless readers fix their trips. Here’s his latest advice.

from Intelligent Travel http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/2015/02/03/problem-solved-adopting-pets-abroad/

Why we have comments – and why you should care

from Elliott http://elliott.org/blog/comments-care/

Lucky’s Lucky 7th: Favorite Travel Memories

I'm celebrating seven years of blogging this week, and it has been a really fun first few days. Hearing about your best mileage redemptions and seeing your travel photos (check out the gallery -- you guys are amazing photographers) has been really fun.

I was originally planning on highlighting a "favorite" travel story today, and asking you to do the same. But I've given it some thought, and I think emphasizing "favorite" does a disservice to so much of what we love about travel.

Taking tuk tuks around Bangkok when the Grand Palace is, ahem "closed."

Fresh waffles shared with friends on a Belgian street corner.

The post Lucky’s Lucky 7th: Favorite Travel Memories appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2015/02/03/luckys-lucky-7th-favorite-travel-memories/

Google’s StreetView sets sail on Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas

Google has been deploying its StreetView mapping technology into new locations, such as offering inside views of businesses around the world. Royal ...

from Tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/article/googles-streetview-sets-sail-royal-caribbeans-quantum-seas/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=googles-streetview-sets-sail-royal-caribbeans-quantum-seas

Ticos could learn from the Chinese

Sadly, most of us are more ignorant than the average Chinese person when it comes to local culture.

from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/notebook/5-things-ticos-can-learn-from-the-chinese/

12 people you'll meet at Sun Valley

From A-list celebrities to the true Sun Valley royalty—dozens of storied local Olympians. Here's where you'll find them.

from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/sports/12-characters-youll-meet-slopes-sun-valley/

Cities Less Traveled: 4 Boutique Hotels in Cambridge, Massachusetts

Join Vagabondish on Twitter and Facebook.

Travelers looking to escape Boston’s urban hustle would do well to look to nearby Cambridge. As one of the country’s most historic destinations, it’s arguably the most beautiful, most “New England” city in Massachusetts. But the area is infamous as one of the most expensive in America for travelers. Even so, affordable accommodations are available, […]

The post Cities Less Traveled: 4 Boutique Hotels in Cambridge, Massachusetts appeared first on Vagabondish.

from Vagabondish http://www.vagabondish.com/boutique-hotels-cambridge-massachusetts/

AMAZING $1,000 New York To London Roundtrip Business Class Fares On La Compagnie

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about how La Compagnie, the French all-business class startup airline, will soon be launching flights between London and Newark. While they initially announced that the service would launch on March 29, 2015, they’ve now started selling tickets for travel starting April 24, 2015. La Compagnie Newark to London…

The post AMAZING $1,000 New York To London Roundtrip Business Class Fares On La Compagnie appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2015/02/03/amazing-1000-new-york-london-roundtrip-business-class-fares-la-compagnie/

100,000 Free Hilton HHonors Points, Plus Check Out the Airport With No Air Traffic Control!

News and notes from around the interweb: Qualified for Hilton Diamond? You may be able to register and receive 100,000 points instantly from this targeted promotion. (HT: Double Wides Fly) On the no fly list because of accusations against your brother? Enter my hotel points giveaway. If you win you get to choose the program, […]

The post 100,000 Free Hilton HHonors Points, Plus Check Out the Airport With No Air Traffic Control! appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2015/02/03/100000-free-hilton-hhonors-points-plus-check-airport-no-air-traffic-control/

How flight delays affect you and your business – even if you’re not flying

It has probably affected us all at some time, is totally indiscriminate about who it attacks and frequently causes pain and inconvenience ...

from Tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/article/flight-delays-affect-business-OAG/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=flight-delays-affect-business-even-youre-flying

T Magazine: Baccarat’s Crystal Palace

Unsurprisingly, the grand mansion, designed by Patrick Gilles and Dorothée Boissier, is a shiny affair.

from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/42fedb79/sc/15/l/0Ltmagazine0Bblogs0Bnytimes0N0C20A150C0A20C0A30Cbaccarat0Ehotel0Emanhattan0C0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

Epic canyoneering in Spain, Portugal

Over the last year, MatadorU alumnus and full-time photographer Rui Romao has traveled to epic gorges in Span and his native Portugal to bring these 12 views into canyons that few people ever get to see.

from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/sports/photoessay-epic-canyoneering-spain-portugal/