Startup pitch: ByHours to go beyond hotels to offer meeting rooms in hourly slots

ByHours is a website that lets travelers book rooms in three-hour increments. A year ago, the Spanish startup raised $3.6 million. In ...



from Tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/article/startup-pitch-well-funded-byhours-lets-book-hotels-3-hour-slots/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=startup-pitch-well-funded-byhours-lets-book-hotels-3-hour-slots

Dunmore Cave in Kilkenny, Ireland

For centuries the relatively small Dunmore Cave has been fascinating writers, archeologists and explorers, and while it's open to visitors today as a lovely bit of geology, it is possibly most famed as the site of a Viking massacre.

The limestone cave, located in County Kilkenny, has been known to modern archeologists since the mid-1800s when the first serious expedition into the depths of the cave was undertaken, however the site was known for centuries prior. The first mention of the cavern is in a 9th century Irish triad poem where it is mentioned as one of the "darkest places in Ireland." The next mention of the cave is the most sensational however where the cave gets named a 17th century manuscript as the site of a Viking battle that took place in 928 CE that racked up 1,000 casualties.

While pieces of gold and silver have famously been found in the depths of the cave, researchers have also found a number of human remains that give some credence to the tale of a massacre (although certainly not enough to prove 1,000 people were killed there).

Since the 1960s the cave has been open as a show cave for visitors to explore. A small amount of safety infrastructure was installed including a roof over the cave mouth to prevent debris from raining down as people enter. However there has been no talk of what's being done about the souls of the restless nords lingering in the air.

from Atlas Obscura http://atlasobscura.com.feedsportal.com/c/35387/f/665719/s/43af521e/sc/10/l/0L0Satlasobscura0N0Cplaces0Cdunmore0Ecave/story01.htm

The Tongue of the Glacier

Awesome Geology I’ve always been interested in Geology, but I think Antarctica has re-ignited my interest in it all. I did not expect to see so many glaciers and so much interesting geological activity. Plus, I was surrounded by geologists while there, so I was able to ask a lot of questions. It was like […]



from Stuck in Customs http://www.stuckincustoms.com/2015/02/23/the-tongue-of-the-glacier/

Should I make an exception to my “no mileage cases” rule?

from Elliott http://elliott.org/should-i-take-the-case/make-exception-no-mileage-cases-rule/

6 Discoveries from Near and Far: Volume XXXIV

Things I found on long walks in foreign cities, or perhaps when someone posted them on Twitter.

• The Journal of Brief Ideas -- A new outlet for short, scholarly ideas of 200 words or less


• The Most Advantageous Places to Visit with American Dollars -- An updated report highlighting Mexico, Argentina, and some of Europe


• Nude Portraits Where the Photographer Himself Is Unclothed -- A change of perspective on the usual photography project


• The FBI’s Top Hostage Negotiator Tells You How To Save Money on Your Phone Bill -- A lesson in asking


• Adventure of a Lifetime -- A detailed guide to visiting Iceland


• JetBlue's CEO Battles to Appease Passengers and Wall Street — He stays up until 3am responding to angry emails

from The Art of Non-Conformity http://chrisguillebeau.com/6-discoveries-from-near-and-far-volume-xxxiv/

Business Class Fares Don’t Get Much Better Than This

One of the beautiful things about the airline industry -- for those willing to put in the time -- is how variable the pricing is.

Whether you're booking a revenue ticket or award ticket, pricing can vary exponentially depending on when you book, where you originate, etc.

For example, I've written in the past about how airlines publish cheap premium fares out of Cairo, Egypt, and Colombo, Sri Lanka.

You can fly from Cairo to Seattle via Doha and Miami in both directions for under $2,000 roundtrip in business class:

The post Business Class Fares Don’t Get Much Better Than This appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2015/02/22/business-class-fares-dont-get-much-better-than-this/

Bill Weir welcomes you to 'The Wonder List'

In his new CNN show, "The Wonder List," Bill Weir travels the globe to find people, places and creatures that might someday be lost forever.

from CNN.com - Travel http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/24/travel/bill-weir-wonder-list-welcome/index.html

Teen hooks massive blue marlin off Hawaii coast

A New York City teen made the catch of his life when he reeled in a 1,058-pound blue marlin off the coast of Hawaii.

from CNN.com - Travel http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/21/travel/feat-kona-coast-blue-marlin/index.html

Should Newbies Get Involved Collecting Miles and Points Given Changes in the Industry?

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 Should Newbies Get Involved Collecting Miles and Points Given Changes in the Industry? appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2015/02/22/how-to-get-started-with-frequent-flyer-miles/

Qantas Status Match Opportunity Available For New Zealand Residents

Qantas is offering a status match to their Frequent Flyer Gold tier for those that have gold or higher status with any other frequent flyer program, excluding Emirates Skywards (given that Emirates is their joint venture partner).

The major catch is that the offer is only valid for residents of New Zealand, which in practical terms means that your frequent flyer account has to be registered with a New Zealand address. The promotion is valid through March 9, 2015.

The process for taking advantage of the status match is quite straightforward:

If you're not a Qantas Frequent Flyer member, follow this link to sign-up and you'll receive a membership number right away.

The post Qantas Status Match Opportunity Available For New Zealand Residents appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2015/02/22/qantas-status-match-opportunity-available-for-new-zealand-residents/

The How’s and Why’s of Travel Insurance

our years ago I wrote a post titled “9 Ways I Break Conventional Travel Wisdom”. One of the items (which I wasn’t proud of at the time) was that I traveled for a significant time without travel insurance. I got lucky that nothing serious happened to me while I was traveling without insurance. I have [...]



from Everything Everywhere Travel Blog http://everything-everywhere.com/2015/02/22/the-hows-and-whys-of-travel-insurance/

Readers Prefer American Miles Over United Miles 2-to-1

The extra 1000 miles from Kaligo.com with your first hotel booking didn’t draw all that many clicks. Data is interesting to me in its own way, and I’m fortunate to be able to look and see what people click on and learn about my readers as a group that way. When I wrote that the […]

The post Readers Prefer American Miles Over United Miles 2-to-1 appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2015/02/22/readers-prefer-american-miles-united-miles-2-1/

Immerse Yourself in What You Want to Become

In reading the transcript of Bob Dylan’s speech at MusiCares, I also liked this part on the origins of his songwriting:

“There's nothing secret about it. You just do it subliminally and unconsciously, because that's all enough, and that's all I sang. That was all that was dear to me. They were the only kinds of songs that made sense.

I learned lyrics and how to write them from listening to folk songs. And I played them, and I met other people that played them back when nobody was doing it. Sang nothing but these folk songs, and they gave me the code for everything that's fair game, that everything belongs to everyone.

For three or four years all I listened to were folk standards. I went to sleep singing folk songs. I sang them everywhere, clubs, parties, bars, coffeehouses, fields, festivals. And I met other singers along the way who did the same thing and we just learned songs from each other. I could learn one song and sing it next in an hour if I'd heard it just once."

from The Art of Non-Conformity http://chrisguillebeau.com/immerse-yourself-in-what-you-want-to-become/

How to Save on An American Award Ticket and Which Card Next?

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 How to Save on An American Award Ticket and Which Card Next? appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2015/02/22/how-to-save-on-an-american-award-ticket-and-which-card-next/

Here’s the amazing, surprising and inspiring way you are changing how people travel

from Elliott http://elliott.org/advice-you-can-take/heres-the-amazing-surprising-and-inspiring-way-you-are-changing-how-people-travel/

Review: Gulf Air Falcon Gold Lounge London Heathrow

My morning wasn't off to an especially good start. I spent the night at the Hilton London Heathrow Terminal 4, which is quite convenient given that it's connected to Terminal 4 (which Gulf Air flies out of) by a covered bridge.

I set my alarm for 4AM, figuring I'd get up nice and early so I could get some work done before my wifi-less flight to Bahrain.

Unfortunately my body seemed to have different plans for me, as I overslept and only woke up at 8:15AM, which was 75 minutes before departure.

I literally sprinted to the terminal, and arrived at Gulf Air's check-in at 8:22AM, which was just a few minutes before their check-in cutoff.

The post Review: Gulf Air Falcon Gold Lounge London Heathrow appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2015/02/22/review-gulf-air-falcon-gold-lounge-london-heathrow/

Send Credit Card Payments Free, the Best Vacation Bargains, and the Biggest Devaluations

News and notes from around the interweb: United is launching once-weekly New Orleans-Cancun flights. I always find these routes strange and fascinating, there’s usually a backstory to them that’s not always immediately obvious. New mobile payment app that lets you send $3750 by credit card without fees. Air Canada has a promo code for 15% […]

The post Send Credit Card Payments Free, the Best Vacation Bargains, and the Biggest Devaluations appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2015/02/22/send-credit-card-payments-free-the-best-vacation-bargains-and-the-biggest-devaluations/

You know you live in Oz when...

Most of your income goes towards beer.



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/notebook/13-things-inevitably-happen-move-australia/

The Long Way From Abu Dhabi To Doha: Introduction

I've lived in hotels full time for close to a year now. When I started this experiment the plan was to always spend a couple of weeks in one place before moving onto the next. Unfortunately that's not how it has worked out in practice. Instead I've been horrible at planning, thanks largely to the fact that I've had commitments all over the place which have prevented me from spending extended periods of time outside the US.

Not only have I not spent extended periods of time in one place, but I've also planned super last minute. Like, I've literally checked out of hotels without anything else booked, and then sat in the lobby connected to wifi until I figured out where I was going next. Not so glam, sometimes!

As I start to write this trip report, I have no clue how to even begin to tackle this, given that it basically covers a month of my life which was full of nonstop travel.

The post The Long Way From Abu Dhabi To Doha: Introduction appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2015/02/22/the-long-way-from-abu-dhabi-to-doha-introduction/

21 reasons you should move to Seoul

"#5. The booze is cheap, abundant, and a prerequisite for everything."



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/abroad/21-reasons-drop-everything-move-seoul/

Kluane National Park in Yukon, Canada

from Everything Everywhere Travel Blog http://everything-everywhere.com/2015/02/21/kluane-national-park-in-yukon-canada/

Qantas Offering Gold Elite Status Match: Get Free American Airlines Club Lounge Access

Qantas is offering to status match New Zealand residents with competitor airline status to their Gold elite tier. Emirates elites are excluded. Status matches are common for US airlines though increasingly airlines will only give you status for a limited period of time, if at all, until you first fly a certain amount with them. […]

The post Qantas Offering Gold Elite Status Match: Get Free American Airlines Club Lounge Access appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2015/02/22/qantas-offering-gold-elite-status-match-get-free-american-airlines-club-lounge-access/

American Still Waives Change Fees When Upgrading Award Tickets

Last July I wrote a post about how American will waive award change fees when you're voluntarily upgrading the class of service for an award within the same region. Basically, American has the following verbiage regarding fees when changing award types:

"A $150 USD charge or additional miles will apply for a change to an eligible origin or destination on a MileSAAver or AAnytime award, (waived for AAdvantage Executive Platinum members using miles from their account). This additional charge or miles are waived when voluntarily upgrading to a higher award level in the same region."

Ordinarily if you change the origin, destination, or award type, you'd pay American's $150 change fee. So if I had a business class award and wanted to change it to economy I'd have to pay $150 to do so. Along similar lines, if I had booked a standard award and saver space opened up, I'd have to pay $150 to change that award.

The post American Still Waives Change Fees When Upgrading Award Tickets appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2015/02/22/american-still-waives-change-fees-when-upgrading-award-tickets/

The “Crisis Text Line” Helps Thousands of Young People Each Day

The Crisis Text Line provides free support and “active listening" for teens through the method of communication that many people now prefer. Volunteers are available around the clock and communicate with thousands of users in need every day.

The organization’s quantified approach, based on five million texts, has produced a unique collection of mental-health data. C.T.L. has found that depression peaks at 8pm, anxiety at 11pm, self-harm at 4am, and substance abuse at 5am.

Counselors are trained to put texters at ease and not to jump too quickly into a problem-solving mode. Open-ended questions are good; “why” questions are bad. Also bad: making assumptions about the texter’s gender or sexual orientation, sounding like a robot, using language that a young person might not know.

If you need help, you can reach the Crisis Text Line by texting START to 741741.



from The Art of Non-Conformity http://chrisguillebeau.com/the-crisis-text-line-helps-thousands-of-young-people-each-day/

Can I Earn AAdvantage EQMs By Booking Tickets for Others?

TPG reader Todd emailed me to ask: “Can I earn American Airline EQMs or points by booking tickets for others? I may have occasions where I purchase tickets for my wife and son, and want to maximize my EQMs/points if possible.” Todd, your wife and son will always earn the Elite Qualifying Miles (EQMs) for...



from The Points Guy http://thepointsguy.com/2015/02/can-i-earn-aadvantage-eqms-by-booking-tickets-for-others/

What Are the Best Excursions in Princeville, Kauai, Hawaii?

TPG reader Matt tweeted me to ask: @thepointsguy – “I’m going to Princeville in Kauai, Hawaii in May! What excursions do you recommend?” I just got back from an incredible trip to Kauai, and I know how excited Matt must be for his trip. I’ve been to Princeville twice now, three years ago in February,...



from The Points Guy http://thepointsguy.com/2015/02/what-are-the-best-excursions-in-princeville-kauai-hawaii/

This Is One Way To Protest Airport Security…

Alrighty then. This one comes to us from Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg, Russia:

The post This Is One Way To Protest Airport Security… appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2015/02/22/this-is-one-way-to-protest-airport-security/

Tenba Switch 10 Mirrorless Camera Bag for Travelers [First Look]

Join Vagabondish on Twitter and Facebook.

Mirrorless (micro 4/3 format) digital cameras have been around for a while now. But, until recently, surprisingly few camera bags have been available for the new format. Tenba — one of my favorite camera accessory manufacturers — has released their latest Switch series of pro bags specifically designed for the new format cameras. They were […]

The post Tenba Switch 10 Mirrorless Camera Bag for Travelers [First Look] appeared first on Vagabondish.

from Vagabondish http://www.vagabondish.com/tenba-switch-10-travel-camera-bag/

New Debit Card You Can Order Free Online and Load With a Credit Card

There’s a discussion on Flyertalk about several prepaid debit products that you can buy online (free, with free shipping) and that you can then load online with a credit card. They’re branded cards issued by Metabank for Boys & Girls Clubs of Deleware, Goodwill Deleware, and others. (These groups don’t manage the cards, they just […]

The post New Debit Card You Can Order Free Online and Load With a Credit Card appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2015/02/22/new-debit-card-you-can-order-free-online-and-load-with-a-credit-card/

Reader Success Stories: ‘Small Change’ to the South Pacific

Over the years, we’ve had many readers share their success stories with us. Folks for whom traveling domestically once a year was a luxury are now traveling the world with just a few credit card sign-up bonuses. And the best part? They are sharing their stories with us and others who benefit from knowing that […]



from Frugal Travel Guy http://www.frugaltravelguy.com/2015/02/reader-success-stories-small-change-to-the-south-pacific.html