Best Travel Blogs: 04/20/15

April 20, 2015

No, Amazon isn’t launching a travel site, but it did this today instead

No, Amazon is not creating a travel brand to compete with the Expedias of this world, a spokesperson has said. But today ...

from Tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/article/no-amazon-isnt-launching-a-travel-site-but-it-did-this-instead/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=no-amazon-isnt-launching-a-travel-site-but-it-did-this-instead

Startup pitch: RoomsTonite focuses on last minute hotel bookings

Bangalore-based RoomsTonite places itself under the startup pitch microscope with a refreshingly straightforward proposition – it connects travellers looking for a room ...

from Tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/article/startup-pitch-roomstonite-focuses-on-last-minute-hotel-bookings/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=startup-pitch-roomstonite-focuses-on-last-minute-hotel-bookings

Exploring the Reflections of Dubai

Quick Review of TEDxQueenstown I had a great time there! Here’s a mega quick review of what happened! The video should be done in a few weeks ND Filter? I’m on the edge of getting a good ND Filter for my lenses so that I can do some long-exposure stuff during the daytime. But one […]

from Stuck in Customs http://www.stuckincustoms.com/2015/04/21/exploring-the-reflections-of-dubai/

Forced to return his Avis car to another location — what’s with this extra charge?

from Elliott http://elliott.org/case-dismissed-2/forced-to-return-his-avis-car-to-another-location-whats-with-this-extra-charge/

5 things Kiwis learn in the US

You're about to hear A LOT of Lord of the Rings jokes. Good luck with that.

from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/notebook/5-first-things-kiwi-learns-move-us/

10 reasons NOT to go to Mexico

The Caribbean paradise and surf beaches with amazing breaks are nothing to write home about…

from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/notebook/10-reasons-never-travel-mexico/

I Heart My National Park: Glacier

Montana's Glacier National Park is home to some 762 lakes, dozens of glaciers, and innumerable waterfalls that glisten in forested valleys. But perhaps best of all, a scenic highway and more than 700 miles of trails criss-cross the park, making much of its pristine beauty accessible to visitors. Geographer Richard Menicke arrived at Glacier in 1992, and quickly carved out a niche for himself as the park's foremost GIS specialist. Here's his insider guide to this "Crown of the Continent" jewel.

from Intelligent Travel http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/2015/04/20/i-heart-my-national-park-glacier/

Citi AAdvantage Executive Card Adds $100 Global Entry Credit

After launching an improved sign-up bonus for the Citi ThankYou Premier Card earlier this morning, Citi is making more good news by announcing a major improvement to one of its premium travel rewards cards. Starting today, the Citi AAdvantage Executive World Elite MasterCard will offer a statement credit of up to $100 to cover application fees for either Global Entry or...

from The Points Guy http://thepointsguy.com/2015/04/citi-aadvantage-executive-card-adds-100-global-entry-credit/

Citi Gets AGGRESSIVE: Now Big Bonus and Lower Fee on ThankYou Premier Card

Citibank has bumped up the bonus for the ThankYou Premier card to 50,000 points -- at the same time they're improving the spending category bonuses and reducing the annual fee (it is still $0 the first year). And ThankYou points are much more valuable than they used to be. It's part of an overall trend with Citi...

Continue reading Citi Gets AGGRESSIVE: Now Big Bonus and Lower Fee on ThankYou Premier Card...

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2015/04/20/citi-gets-aggressive-now-big-bonus-and-lower-fee-on-thankyou-premier-card/

The Festival of Las Fallas, Valencia, Spain

Last week, I went for a run to the park near our home. And by “run” I…

from The Everywhereist http://www.everywhereist.com/the-festival-of-las-fallas-valencia-spain/

Cheap Flights: Round-Trip to Morocco (~$567) & Los Angeles or San Francisco to Southeast Asia ($586)!

Via Secret Flying, you can fly coach from New York or Atlanta to Morocco for ~$567 round-trip! You can find these flights on Kayak for travel between January 2016 and March 2016. Secret Flying also reports, you can fly from Los Angeles or San Francisco to Bangkok, … Continue reading →

Choosing the Best Card for American Airlines Flyers

I’m a huge fan of American Airlines not only for the quality of service and the value of the AAdvantage program, but also for the strength and diversity of its co-branded credit cards. In this post, TPG Contributor Richard Kerr explores the various options to help you pick the one that best suits your needs....

from The Points Guy http://thepointsguy.com/2015/04/choosing-the-best-card-for-american-airlines-flyers/

Hotwire’s stars led this guest astray

from Elliott http://elliott.org/from-the-trenches/hotwires-stars-led-this-guest-astray/

How to piss off a Swede

Italians, Danes, Spaniards! Don't even think about trying to claim the meatball. Us Swedes invented them.

from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/notebook/piss-off-swede/

Everything You Need To Know About Citi Prestige Lounge Access

Citi has two fantastic sign-up bonuses on cards which accrue ThankYou Preferred points at the moment, including:

-- The Citi ThankYou® Premier Card, which offers 50,000 ThankYou Rewards points after spending $3,000 on the card within the first three months
-- The Citi Prestige Card, which offers 50,000 ThankYou Rewards points after spending $3,000 on the card within the first three months

The Citi ThankYou® Premier Card is a mid-range card with excellent spend category bonuses, so is intended to compete with Chase's Sapphire Preferred® Card, and with American Express' Premier Rewards Gold Card and EveryDay℠ Preferred Credit Card.

The post Everything You Need To Know About Citi Prestige Lounge Access appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2015/04/20/everything-you-need-to-know-about-citi-prestige-lounge-access/

How Will Southwest’s New Award Pricing Impact You?

I wrote about the last day to book Southwest award flights at the fixed rate of 70 points per dollar. The details on what these changes would entail were sketchy at best. But now we have a better idea how they … Continue reading →

Really, mobile is the travel destination

“On and shortly after April 21, 2015, a lot of people in e-commerce and SEO at travel companies are going to get ...

from Tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/article/really-mobile-is-the-travel-destination/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=really-mobile-is-the-travel-destination

Deal Alert: More $99 Fares to Iceland on WOW Air

We’ve written in the past about the cheap WOW Air fares to Iceland and onto Europe, and how the fares were still available earlier this month, while it turns out that the airline is still offering some cheap fares this summer to Iceland and beyond if you’re looking to head oversees. Here’s what I was able...

from The Points Guy http://thepointsguy.com/2015/04/deal-alert-more-99-fares-to-iceland-on-wow-air/

Rick’s Picks: Citi Does It Again! Premier Card Offers 50,000 Points in 3 Months

Citi is stepping up their game again with a simplified sign-up bonus for their Citi Premier card. The old bonus took two years to earn the entire sign-up bounty (which was a strange retention move, in my opinion). The new plan calls for the full 50,000-point bonus upon completion of the $3,000 minimum spend in the first […]

from Frugal Travel Guy http://www.frugaltravelguy.com/2015/04/ricks-picks-citi-does-it-again-premier-card-offers-50000-points-in-3-months.html

British Airways Wants to Take Away Lounge Access and Priority Boarding from Elites on the Lowest Fares

British Airways plans to exclude elite lounge access and priority boarding benefits from their lowest fares, extending the concept where these fares do not permit a free baggage allowance either.

That's a huge devaluation for British Airways members and also for American AAdvantage elites. And it's a really bad idea for BA, too.

Continue reading British Airways Wants to Take Away Lounge Access and Priority Boarding from Elites on the Lowest Fares...

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2015/04/20/british-airways-wants-to-take-away-lounge-access-and-priority-boarding-from-elites-on-the-lowest-fares/

Sacrificing free coffee and peanuts for on-board wifi [INFOGRAPHIC]

In a similar vein as guests apparently now willing to swap some hotel amenities for free wifi, air passengers are also willing to trade ...

from Tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/article/sacrificing-free-coffee-and-peanuts-for-on-board-wifi-infographic/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sacrificing-free-coffee-and-peanuts-for-on-board-wifi-infographic

When should your kids sit in the front seat? Here’s the surprising answer

from Elliott http://elliott.org/advice-you-can-take/when-should-your-kids-sit-in-the-front-seat-heres-the-surprise-answer/

3 American habits I lost in Spain

"I always thought napping was great, but guilt-free napping is even better."

from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/notebook/3-american-habits-lost-spain/

Great Family Trips: Island Hopping in Greece

The family vacation, like the concept of family itself, has evolved. Kids are traveling with grandma or a single parent or an indulgent uncle (or all three). However you define your kin, this island-hopping itinerary is all relative.

from Intelligent Travel http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/2015/04/20/great-family-trips-island-hopping-in-greece/

Top 10 Travel Credit Card Offers for April 2015

In the constantly shifting landscape of loyalty programs, which credit cards you carry are key to the success of your award travel strategy. Not only do frequent flyer mileage and hotel points programs change at a moment’s notice, but so do the credit cards associated with them. Sign-up bonuses rise and fall, benefits are added...

from The Points Guy http://thepointsguy.com/2015/04/top-10-travel-credit-card-offers-for-april-2015/

Latin America’s first legal weed

Medical marijuana is winning so much global support that even the United States’ surgeon general approves. Yet it seems somebody had forgotten to tell Latin America, until now. Chile has begun harvesting what’s thought to be Latin America’s first ever crop of legal medical marijuana.

from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/pulse/behold-latin-americas-first-legal-medical-marijuana-crop/

$99+ Fares to Europe are Back!

Wow Air flies from Boston and ‘Washington DC’ (cough, Baltimore) to Reykjavik and beyond. And their one-way fares really do start as low as $99 to Iceland, with connecting flights beyond an add-on price. The return flight starts at under $160. Boston – Reykjavik is available at $99 during April, May, June and October. $99 really is the all-in price for the outbound. Return flights start at $164.39. They’re a low cost carrier, so expect fees or everything. Here’s the charges for pre-assigned seating (left column for online payment, right for seat assignments at the airport). You’ll pay for anything more than an 11 pound carry on. Checked bags are expensive — the first checked bag is $48 online in advance, $67 at check-in, and if you are forced to gate check that’s $95. That’s…

Continue reading $99+ Fares to Europe are Back!...

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2015/04/20/99-fares-to-europe-are-back/

You learned to drink in Buffalo

You’ve had enough SoCo limes and fishbowls to drown a cat:

from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/nights/21-signs-learned-drink-buffalo/

Congress is worried about new cruise regulations — you should be, too

from Elliott http://elliott.org/blog/congress-is-worried-about-new-cruise-regulations-you-should-be-too/

How to Book Awards with United MileagePlus Miles

Earning points and miles is the surprisingly easy part of award travel; it’s learning how to maximize value when redeeming that takes practice. In this post, TPG Senior Points & Miles Correspondent Jason Steele explains how to use your United Airlines MileagePlus miles to book the flights you want. Do you ever have trouble using your miles to...

from The Points Guy http://thepointsguy.com/2015/04/how-to-book-awards-with-united-mileageplus-miles/

New 50,000 Point Bonus On Citi Thank You Premier Card!

Beginning today, Citi has improved the sign-up bonus on their mid-tier card, the Citi ThankYou® Premier Card. You can now earn 50,000 bonus ThankYou Points after $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. The annual fee is waived the first year, and $95 per year thereafter.

Previously the card had a sign-up bonus of 20,000 points after $2,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening, and then an additional 30,000 points after another $3,000 in purchases within the first three months of your second year of being a cardmember. In other words, you had to wait a whole year (and pay the second year's annual fee) before earning the sign-up bonus (for those of us that like instant gratification, that's not so fun).

This improved sign-up bonus coincides with the positive changes which Citi made to this card as of yesterday, April 19, 2015.

The post New 50,000 Point Bonus On Citi Thank You Premier Card! appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2015/04/20/new-50000-point-bonus-on-citi-thank-you-premier-card/

Time for the communicative airport to take flight

Over the past few years, airlines and third-parties have been the primary source of day-of-travel information. But today’s travelers now expect airports ...

from Tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/articles/airports-communicate-travellers/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=time-for-the-communicative-airport-to-take-flight

What Italians learn moving to the US

Our intensity of discussion needs to come down a few notches:

from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/abroad/5-first-things-italian-learns-move-us/

Discounted Fairmont Hotel Packages With Daily Getaways

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. We're now in the home stretch of Daily Getaways, as this is the last week of the 2015 promotion.

Today at 1PM we’re seeing 20 Fairmont Hotel stay packages go on sale. These are split between their properties in Hawaii and Scottsdale, as follows:

The post Discounted Fairmont Hotel Packages With Daily Getaways appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2015/04/20/discounted-fairmont-hotel-packages-with-daily-getaways/

Frequent Traveler University (Advanced) Tickets for August and September are Now Available

Tickets for the next two Frequent Traveler University – Advanced events are now available. Hyatt Regency Crystal City at DCA – August 21-23, 2015 Hyatt Regency DFW – September 25-27, 2015 Tickets for each event are $249 rooms for each are available at $99++. The regular Frequent Traveler University events can be huge, they’ve been as large as more than 600 people. Participants often requested smaller, more intimate events allowing for greater in-depth discussion and really getting to know fellow participants. The smaller ‘advanced’ sessions sell out in a day or two at the most, at least in the past. So this time two sessions are being released at once. That way people can decide which one is best for them, without feeling that they’ll lose out if they don’t just on the first available.…

Continue reading Frequent Traveler University (Advanced) Tickets for August and September are Now Available...

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2015/04/20/frequent-traveler-university-advanced-tickets-for-august-and-september-are-now-available/

New 50,000 Points Bonus for Citi ThankYou Premier Card

Today Citi made some updates to the Citi ThankYou Premier Card, including a lucrative new sign-up bonus offer, a reduced annual fee, and improvements to the bonus spending categories. You can now earn 50,000 ThankYou Points after making $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. That’s a huge improvement from the previous bonus,...

from The Points Guy http://thepointsguy.com/2015/04/new-50000-points-bonus-for-citi-thankyou-premier-card/

8 of New Mexico's most epic hikes

In every corner of this Southwestern state, you'll find hikes that will give you perspectives on New Mexico you can't otherwise get.

from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/trips/8-of-new-mexicos-most-spectacular-hikes/

Review: Air France Business Class Lounge Paris

Having had a harrowing experience on my flight from Madrid, I was desperate to land on solid ground and head to an Air France business class lounge for a bit of rest before my next flight.

I just wanted solid ground.

Upon deplaning, I noticed my connecting flight to New York was leaving from Terminal 2E, Gate M49, and we had arrived into terminal 2F. Now, in most airports, you'd think, "oh, Terminal 2E and 2F must be right next door to each other."

Not at Charles de Gaulle!

The post Review: Air France Business Class Lounge Paris appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2015/04/20/review-air-france-business-class-lounge-paris/

Villa Rose in Gland, Switzerland

Villa Rose

Located on the Toblerone defensive line in Switzerland, the Villa Rose is one of twelve fortresses that was built to defend the country from invasion during World War II. Although you could be forgiven for not knowing that since, from the outside it appears to be a garish pink suburban home.

This hidden stronghold was built in 1940 as part of a larger defensive line that is usually defined more by the miles of cement dragon's teeth connecting 12 fortresses including the Villa Rose. The fortification itself looks like a harmless two-story home but instead of a nuclear family lounging inside, the false house held massive guns. The large green garage door could open to reveal two huge cannons which were assisted by a third hidden behind the shutters of a ground floor window.

The whole thing was made of thick cement walls which were painted pink, apparently in an effort to make the fort seem even less harmless. There are even false windows on the second floor that are simply painted on the concrete.

The Villa Rose had a companion fortress along the Torblerone Line known as the Villa Vert which was a similarly disguised battlement that was painted green. Both of the villas were just a couple of examples of "false chalets" built all around Switzerland during the war. Villa Rose is the best maintained example of these secret forts and is now open as a museum.

from Atlas Obscura http://atlasobscura.com.feedsportal.com/c/35387/f/665719/s/458e4b88/sc/15/l/0L0Satlasobscura0N0Cplaces0Cvilla0Erose/story01.htm

April 20, 2015

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