Best Travel Blogs: 04/15/15

April 15, 2015

View From the Ancient Temple of Delphi, Greece

from Everything Everywhere Travel Blog http://everything-everywhere.com/2015/04/15/view-from-the-ancient-temple-of-delphi-greece/

Spreading out across Antarctica

Panorama Software: Autopano I’ve been experimenting with a new panorama software. It’s called AutoPano and it’s super cool! I find it to be way better than the Photoshop tool. It also does HDR Panos, and I have an example of that below! Ratcliff Family Photos during the Honey Harvest Here are a ton of great […]

from Stuck in Customs http://www.stuckincustoms.com/2015/04/16/spreading-out-across-antarctica/

My new treadmill is off track — why won’t anyone fix it?

from Elliott http://elliott.org/problem-solved/my-new-treadmill-is-off-track-why-wont-anyone-fix-it/

Book Southwest Awards Before Unknown Devaluation

In February, Southwest announced that they'd be making some changes to the Rewards Rewards frequent flyer program as of April 17, 2015.

Historically Rapid Rewards has been a pretty straightforward revenue based frequent flyer program, whereby the cost of an award ticket is directly correlated to the cost of a revenue ticket. That hasn't stopped Southwest from making devaluations, though.

For example, last April Rapid Rewards devalued their redemption rates. For Rapid Rewards tickets, they went from charging 60 points per dollar of airfare to charging 70 points per dollar.

However, it looks like the pricing for Rapid Rewards award tickets will become even more dynamic as of April 17, 2015. Here's how Southwest describes the changes:

The post Book Southwest Awards Before Unknown Devaluation appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2015/04/15/book-southwest-awards-before-unknown-devaluation/

Japanese trends we need in the US

Bakeable Kit Kats, chocolate ramen, and anime face masks? Bring it!

from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/bnt/10-japanese-trends-wish-hit-us/

JD Power May Be Smart About Lots of Things, But Hotel Loyalty Ain’t One

I ignored the new hotel loyalty satisfaction survey from JD Power & Associates when it came out last week, but it seems to be getting a lot of play now, so let’s go over why it does not tell you anything useful. This isn’t simply one of those “these things are subjective” or “it depends on whom you ask” kinds of criticisms. The survey is just fundamentally silly. That begins with the factors that go into their ranking: account maintenance/management (23%) ease of redeeming points/miles (22%) ease of earning points/miles (18%) reward program terms (16%) variety of benefits (16%) customer service (5%) The most heavily-weighted factor in the rankings — nearly a quarter of it — was ‘account maintenance’. That just doesn’t strike me as the single biggest factor in how valuable a hotel loyalty…

Continue reading JD Power May Be Smart About Lots of Things, But Hotel Loyalty Ain’t One...

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2015/04/15/jd-power-may-be-smart-about-lots-of-things-but-hotel-loyalty-aint-one/

Air New Zealand Announces Auckland To Houston Flight

Since late last year, Air New Zealand has been hinting at starting a new route to North America. At the time, apparently Chicago, Houston, and Las Vegas were on the short list of cities to get service.

Well, the announcement is now official -- Air New Zealand will be launching flights to Houston as of December 2015.

This will be Air New Zealand's longest nonstop flight, and will be operated by a Boeing 777-200. While the exact schedule hasn't yet been published, apparently the flight will be blocked at 13hr50min eastbound and 14hr30min westbound. It will operate up to 5x weekly initially, with hopes of eventually being a daily flight.

The post Air New Zealand Announces Auckland To Houston Flight appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2015/04/15/air-new-zealand-announces-auckland-to-houston-flight/

City to run 100% on renewable energy

Georgetown, TX, will offer 100% wind and solar energy by January 2017.

from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/life/texas-city-will-run-entirely-renewable-energy-2017/

How to Triple Your Investment With the Citi Prestige Card

At $450, the annual fee for the Citi Prestige card can be an instant turnoff. You might call it a barrier to entry, and indeed, if you can’t advance $450 in travel funds to yourself, then this card isn’t for you. I specifically use the word advance because in the end this card provides at […]

from Frugal Travel Guy http://www.frugaltravelguy.com/2015/04/citi-prestige-card-is-too-hot-to-ignore.html

Upside of being a fearful traveler

Being honest about your fear can get you major bonus points.

from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/life/354269/

Changes to Earning Miles via Google Wallet, Another non-US Airline Status Challenge, and More..

Google Wallet changes its credit card policy, baggage thieves caught on tape, the value of passports, and more..!

Continue reading Changes to Earning Miles via Google Wallet, Another non-US Airline Status Challenge, and More.....

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2015/04/15/changes-to-earning-miles-via-google-wallet-another-non-us-airline-status-challenge-and-more/

13 honest questions for Argentina

How are so many Argentine women so damn skinny when they appear to live off of carbs and sugar?

from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/abroad/13-honest-questions-american-argentina/

Delta Posts Record Net Income; Reduces International Service

The airline plans to cut some winter flights as the rising value of the dollar erodes revenues abroad.

from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/456e4e70/sc/28/l/0L0Snytimes0N0C20A150C0A40C160Cbusiness0Cdelta0Eposts0Erecord0Enet0Eincome0Ereduces0Einternational0Eservice0Bhtml0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

American AAdvantage Awarding Bonus EQPs On Beijing “Mistake” Fares

While Delta SkyMiles and United MileagePlus have switched to revenue based frequent flyer programs, American AAdvantage has stayed more "traditional" as of now, and continues to award miles based on how much you fly as opposed to how much you spend.

That being said, in order to go after the (minority) of high yield customers who come out ahead under a revenue based system, AAdvantage has published a couple of promotions to incentivize them to fly American. These promotions are both valid for all of 2015:

-- American is offering bonus redeemable miles for flying paid first & business class tickets

-- American is offering up to 3.0 EQPs per mile flown for paid first & business class tickets (as opposed to the normal maximum of 1.5 EQMs per mile flown)

What's interesting is that when American published the promotion for bonus elite qualifying points, they put the following at the bottom of the terms & conditions:

The post American AAdvantage Awarding Bonus EQPs On Beijing “Mistake” Fares appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2015/04/15/american-aadvantage-awarding-bonus-eqps-on-beijing-mistake-fares/

App Smart: Video Feature: Navigating London From Your Smartphone

Many apps offer information on the city’s events, transportation, historic sites and more.

from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/456e186d/sc/28/l/0L0Snytimes0N0C20A150C0A40C160Ctechnology0Cpersonaltech0Cvideo0Efeature0Enavigating0Elondon0Efrom0Eyour0Esmartphone0Bhtml0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

South Korea Orders Review of Airbus A320 Pilots After Asiana Jet Skids Off Runway

The Asiana Airlines plane approached the runway so low that it clipped a 20-foot-tall wireless communication tower that stood almost 1,000 feet before the runway.

from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/456ddedc/sc/16/l/0L0Snytimes0N0C20A150C0A40C160Cworld0Casia0Csouth0Ekorea0Eairbus0Ea320A0Epilot0Ereview0Easiana0Bhtml0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

Signs you learned to drink in Russia

The key to drinking like a Russian? Lots of practice, lots of toasts, and -- wait for it -- lots of pickles.

from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/life/10-signs-learned-drink-russia/

#NGTRadar: Travel Lately

Travel Lately—a roundup of the best new dispatches from the travel blogosphere—is a regular feature on Intelligent Travel every other Wednesday. You can play, too. Follow us on Twitter @NatGeoTravel and tag your favorite travel stories #NGTRadar to help us find the crème de la crème on the Web.

from Intelligent Travel http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/2015/04/15/ngtradar-travel-lately-51/

U.S. to tell Americans why they're on No-Fly List

Americans on the United States' No-Fly List will now be privy to information about why they have been banned from commercial flights and be given the opportunity to dispute their status, according to court documents filed by the Justice Department this week.

from CNN.com - Travel http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/15/travel/americans-no-fly-list-feat/index.html

I Heart My City: Jen’s Las Vegas

After more than a decade of welcoming visitors to Las Vegas as a convention planner, you might think Jen Lee would tire of talking up her hometown. Not so. “There are always sights and experiences to explore and rediscover,” she says. Here are a few of her favorite things about Nevada's city that never sleeps.

from Intelligent Travel http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/2015/04/15/i-heart-my-city-jens-las-vegas/

16 signs you're from New Mexico

You’ve been told your English is very good for a foreigner:

from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/life/16-signs-born-raised-new-mexico/

For the Cheapest Airfares Think Global, Buy Local

When you’re traveling outside the United States, it’s always worth checking local airfare. Don’t just assume the fares you see on Orbitz or other US-based online travel websites are the cheapest available. Fares sold in U.S. may be higher, the cheapest fares may only be available in-country. For that you need to book on a website whose “point of sale” is local. Rapid Travel Chai shows you the difference for travel on Vietnam Airlines. He searched for travel on the Vietnam Airlines website – and so issued locally in Vietnam – and found that fares were less than one-fifth the price he was seeing on US booking sites. The US sites were showing ‘full fare’, all that was available to them. The simple solution is to book on an airline’s own website. But using local…

Continue reading For the Cheapest Airfares Think Global, Buy Local...

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2015/04/15/for-the-cheapest-airfares-think-global-buy-local/

Review: KLM World Business Class 747 Los Angeles to Amsterdam

Ben's flown in KLM's new business class from Amsterdam to Chicago before, but KLM's business class was a new product for me and one I was very excited to try. KLM World Business Class passengers flying from LAX have access to the Korean Air Lounge at the spectacular Tom Bradley International Terminal. Ben's reviewed the lounge before, and there's nothing really worth recapping, except to say that while it's rather beautifully designed and outfitted, the catering at the KAL Lounge (basic snacks, tiny finger sandwiches, poorly stocked self-serve bar, Woodbridge-branded wines and, to Ben's horror, no champagne) seems straight out of an Alaska Airlines Board Room in Spokane. I'd suggest if you get to LAX early, you explore the shops and restaurants in the terminal rather than waste your time at the middling lounge.

Boarding started about 25 minutes late for an unspecified reason, but once boarding began, we were directed into the nose of the 747. KLM's World Business Class occupies four rows on the lower deck, at the nose, and six additional rows comprising the entirety of the upper deck. However, the lower deck offers a few seats which are by themselves rather than two-by-two (1A, 4A, and 4E), which are the seats to select if you're able to choose them.

The post Review: KLM World Business Class 747 Los Angeles to Amsterdam appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2015/04/15/review-klm-world-business-class-747-los-angeles-to-amsterdam/

36 Hours: What to Do in Left Bank, Paris

The Right Bank may be more international and trendy, but sometimes you want to pretend you’re inside a black-and-white Robert Doisneau photo.

from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/456cb943/sc/15/l/0L0Snytimes0N0C20A150C0A40C190Ctravel0Cwhat0Eto0Edo0Ein0E360Ehours0Ein0Eleft0Ebank0Eparis0Bhtml0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

What nationality are your tastes?

Does what you like make you more Japanese, or French?

from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/life/what-nationality-does-your-taste-belong-to-quiz/

15 sick Instagrams of Hawaii

Hawaii brings out the Instagrammer in all of us. Here are 16 talented Instagrammers showing us their best snaps across all the islands:

from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/pulse/n-instagrammers-show-us-top-spots-hawaii/

Hate Paying Taxes? It Could Be a Lot Worse: You Might Not Have to Pay Them

I do wish it were simpler. I was surprised last year to learn that I agreed with Donald Rumsfeld on something.Part of it is my own fault: I keep starting new businesses and entities. I have a tax return for my career as an author, another for my entrepreneurial work, another for WDS, another for the WDS Foundation (a separate organization), and now another for Pioneer Nation. Who knows what else I’ll have next year! Why can’t Amazon or Zappos or Apple figure this out for the federal government? Imagine the possibilities.

from The Art of Non-Conformity http://chrisguillebeau.com/hate-paying-taxes/

Think banning cell phone use will end distracted driving? Think again

from Elliott http://elliott.org/advice-you-can-take/think-banning-cell-phone-use-will-end-distracted-driving-think-again/

Boxever continues growth with march on US

Boxever has signed US tour operator InterRail as its first customer in North America. The Dublin-based customer intelligence specialist has been making ...

from Tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/article/boxever-customer-intelligence/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=boxever-continues-growth-with-march-on-us

10 signs you're from Delhi

You are insanely possessive about your parking space:

from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/life/10-signs-born-raised-delhi/

No, I Do Not Trust IHG Rewards Club. Here’s Why.

IHG is going to start expiring their points. At the same time they say they're introducing new benefits, but aren't telling us what those are. We should trust them.

Yet they're sneaking in that they will be changing the award categories of ~ 10% of their hotels. They won't tell us which ones.

This program has a history of making changes without notice. I walk through some of those, and remind what their boss stated publicly about no-notice changes. Hopefully all he needs is a reminder.

Continue reading No, I Do Not Trust IHG Rewards Club. Here’s Why....

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2015/04/15/no-i-do-not-trust-ihg-rewards-club-heres-why/

A FedEx delay and a frantic search to save a limb

from Elliott http://elliott.org/the-good-news-guy/a-missing-knee-a-fedex-delay-and-a-frantic-search-to-save-a-limb/

Heart-melting French phrases

The French don’t “sleep like a log”...they “sleep like a marmot” (Dormir comme une marmotte).

from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/life/11-french-phrases-will-make-heart-melt/

Citi Prestige Card Fourth Night Free Hotel Benefit Details

I've written extensively about the increased 50,000 point sign-up bonus on the Citi Prestige Card. Among other things, that sign-up bonus can get you $800 worth of travel on American and US Airways.

Not only is this a great sign-up bonus, but the Citi Prestige Card is one which has value beyond the bonus. The card comes with a lot of perks, including the following:

-- A $250 annual airline credit

-- Access to American Admirals Clubs

-- The most comprehensive Priority Pass membership offered by any card

-- A $100 Global Entry fee credit

-- A great points earnings structure

-- No foreign transaction fees

The post Citi Prestige Card Fourth Night Free Hotel Benefit Details appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2015/04/15/citi-prestige-card-fourth-night-free-hotel-benefit-details/

Expect To See A Lot More Ethiopian Airlines In Dublin

You're about to see a lot more of Ethiopian Airlines in Dublin!

In June 2015, Ethiopian Airlines will begin flying between Addis Ababa and Los Angeles... via Dublin. The route will be operated by a 787, and is especially interesting since Ethiopian will have pick-up rights in Dublin. So if you wanted to, you could fly Ethiopian exclusively between Los Angeles and Dublin.

The schedule on that flight is quite interesting as well, as they're operating one of the earliest westbound transatlantic flights, and one of the latest eastbound transatlantic flights, as follows:

The post Expect To See A Lot More Ethiopian Airlines In Dublin appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2015/04/15/expect-to-see-a-lot-more-ethiopian-airlines-in-dublin/

Addressing the mobile fraud versus convenience conundrum

Travel has gone mobile. But with new customer channels come new challenges, one of which is eliminating the threat from fraudsters without ...

from Tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/article/mobile-fraud-prevention-convenience-Jumio/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=addressing-the-mobile-fraud-versus-convenience-conundrum

Developers in the Emerald Isle – shout Slainte during THack Dublin

Developers in Ireland are getting their first chance to participate in an open travel hackathon over the weekend of May 9-10 2015. ...

from Tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/article/developers-in-the-emerald-isle-shout-slainte-during-thack-dublin/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=developers-in-the-emerald-isle-shout-slainte-during-thack-dublin

Learning from travel with elderly

Printed maps actually work:

from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/bnt/11-things-learn-travel-elderly/

Simple Truth: There are Too Many Hotel Brands, and We’ll Keep Getting More

Scott Mayerowitz writes about the proliferation of brands across the lodging industry.

"The world's 10 largest hotel chains now offer a combined 113 brands at various price points, 31 of which didn't exist a decade ago."

Too many brands leads to consumer confusion, and makes it more difficult to understand what each one's basic idea is. Do hotel chains proliferate brands in order to sign more properties, but while undermining their core business? With lifestyle brands the range, and more new brands coming online every few months, can consumers even keep up -- and know which loyalty program to credit their stays to?

Continue reading Simple Truth: There are Too Many Hotel Brands, and We’ll Keep Getting More...

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2015/04/15/simple-truth-there-are-too-many-hotel-brands-and-well-keep-getting-more/

Today Only: Buy Discounted Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Points

As I first posted about several weeks ago, Daily Getaways is back earlier than normal this year, and is a great opportunity to purchase hotel points and travel packages at a discount. It’s sponsored by the US Travel Association, and every weekday for five weeks they’re offering discounted travel packages.

While there are all kinds of travel packages available, so far I've focused almost exclusively on the packages involving hotels. These came both in the form of hotel points packages as well as hotel stay packages.

Today Hertz Gold Plus Rewards points are on sale, and I think they're at least worth a mention.

As a reminder, Daily Getaways packages go on sale at 1PM ET, so if you want to buy Hertz Gold Plus Rewards points, be sure you're there when the promotion starts.

The post Today Only: Buy Discounted Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Points appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2015/04/15/today-only-buy-discounted-hertz-gold-plus-rewards-points/

Become a true local in Bolivia

You actually know what to do with cocoa leaves now:

from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/abroad/12-signs-youve-become-true-local-bolivia/

Startup pitch: Qaribu wants to be the go to social online travel agency

Proving that there may still be life in the social travel concept is Qaribu, a startup which is part trip planning, part ...

from Tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/article/qaribu-social-travel-startup/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=startup-pitch-qaribu-wants-to-be-the-go-to-social-online-travel-agency

Saudia Baggage Handlers Hard At Work

A video surfaced a couple of days ago of a couple of Saudia baggage handlers loading checked bags onto a belt. We see videos like this pretty often, though this one is especially jarring. It almost seems like they're going out of their way to throw the bags with as much force as possible.

Here's the video:

The post Saudia Baggage Handlers Hard At Work appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2015/04/15/saudia-baggage-handlers-hard-at-work/