Albatross and Chick Nesting in the Falkland Islands

from Everything Everywhere Travel Blog http://everything-everywhere.com/2014/11/09/albatross-chick-nesting-falkland-islands/

Hand of the Desert in Antofagasta, Chile

The scorched moonscape of Atacama stretches for hundreds of miles on both sides of the Pan-American Highway, undisturbed by any sign of human activity. About 75km south of the town of Antofagasta, its monotony is shattered by a sight even more alien then the desert itself, and yet undoubtedly human: an 11-meter-tall hand protruding out of the sand.

Mano de Desierto is a work of the Chilean sculptor Mario Irarrázabal, built in the early 1980s. It was financed by a local booster organization called Corporación Pro Antofagasta.

The motion of hands rising from the ground is an obsession of Irarrázabal's. His other famous works include another over-sized sculpture exploring the same idea: "Monument to the Drowned" is located on Parada 4 at Brava Beach in Punta del Este, a popular resort town in Uruguay. Another large sculpture, "The Awakening," by American artist John Seward Johnson II expresses a similar idea and is located at National Harbor in Prince George’s County, Maryland.

from Atlas Obscura http://atlasobscura.com.feedsportal.com/c/35387/f/665719/s/4051c42c/sc/10/l/0L0Satlasobscura0N0Cplaces0Chand0Edesert/story01.htm

Kjeragbolten in Forsand, Norway

Hidden in the Norwegian mountains, Kjeragbolten is a place that looks like something from Middle Earth.

Kjeragbolten is a boulder wedged in a mountain crevasse by the edge of the Kjerag mountain in Lysefjord, near Stavanger. You might have seen it in one of the "Where the Hell is Matt" videos, which feature a man doing a crazy dance in dozens of locations around the world.

The boulder itself is a five-cubic-meter large block of stone suspended above 984-meter deep abyss. Despite its impressive appearance, it is easily accessible on foot without any special equipment. The whole of Kjerag mountain is a popular hiking area, and Kjeragbolten is a favorite photo spot.

Apparently, for some the thrill of standing on a boulder suspended between two cliffs isn't quite enough, as Kjeragbolten has become a very popular spot for base jumpers to use when launching themselves into the air.

The hike up can be somewhat challenging for non-experienced hikers. It is not appropriate for small children. Good hiking shoes/boots are recommended. Also, bring plenty of water and sunscreen, as there are no trees to shelter under on the mountains.

from Atlas Obscura http://atlasobscura.com.feedsportal.com/c/35387/f/665719/s/4051c431/sc/10/l/0L0Satlasobscura0N0Cplaces0Ckjeragbolten/story01.htm

Wish I could forget about the Hideaway Inn

from Elliott http://elliott.org/can-this-trip-be-saved-2/wish-forget-hideaway-inn/

Nine Killed In Small Jet Crash In Bahamas

The executive jet had left the Bahamian capital of Nassau and crashed while attempting to land around 5 p.m. local time.



from Travel Feedly http://www.ibtimes.com/lear-jet-crashes-approach-grand-bahama-airport-plane-destroyed-nine-dead-1721309

What to Prize Above All Else in the World: Lessons from a Soviet Forced Labor Camp

“What about the main thing in life, all its riddles? If you want, I’ll spell it out for you right now. Do not pursue what is illusionary — property and position: all that is gained at the expense of your nerves decade after decade, and is confiscated in one fell night. Live with a steady…



from The Art of Non-Conformity http://chrisguillebeau.com/what-to-prize-above-all-else/

Small Jet Crashes On Approach To Grand Bahama Airport

The plane was ferrying a group to a Faith Ministries International conference.



from Travel Feedly http://www.ibtimes.com/lear-jet-crashes-approach-grand-bahama-airport-plane-destroyed-1721309

American Flight Attendants Reject New Contract

The first work group that the "new" American has attempted to create a single contract for have been the flight attendants. The proposed agreement was industry-leading in many ways.

While the union acknowledged that it wasn't perfect (not that any contract ever will be), they also explained that it's as good as it gets. Here's what they told their members, via Dallas News:

“Eight months ago, our Joint Negotiating Committee came together with the difficult task of blending two contracts, two distinct cultures, and two very different operations. Comprised of seven LAA and seven LUS Flight Attendants, our team forged a strong unity as we worked through our differences. Together, we reached an agreement which will benefit all 24,500 Flight Attendants at the New American Airlines."

The post American Flight Attendants Reject New Contract appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/11/09/american-flight-attendants-reject-new-contract/

The Insider Scoop on the Starwood’s New “Your World Rewards”

The new Starwood Emirates partnership has just gone live: Your World Rewards Details on the Starwood Emirates Partnership A week ago part of the story leaked early when a Starwood website went up with the information unintentionally. What they’re doing with Emirates is very similar to Starwood’s partnership with Delta, Crossover Rewards (minus the upgrades; […]

The post The Insider Scoop on the Starwood’s New “Your World Rewards” appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/11/09/starwood-emirates-partnership-your-world-rewards/

Royal Jordanian Hiring Female Flight Attendants

I always find job postings for non-US flight attendant positions to be interesting. While we're used to hearing about how "equal opportunity" jobs in the US are, in many other countries that's not a thing.

Take Royal Jordanian, for example. They Tweeted today about how they're hiring female flight attendants.

What are the requirements?

The post Royal Jordanian Hiring Female Flight Attendants appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/11/09/royal-jordanian-hiring-female-flight-attendants/

My 2015 Asian Festival Bucket List

I'll cut right to the point. I've been thinking long and hard about this, and there are two Asian festivals I'm keen to check out in 2015:

The Harbin Ice Festival is the world's largest ice and snow festival, whereby basically an entire city is created out of ice sculptures. In 2015 it runs from January 5 through February 28.

Here are a couple of videos.

Ordinarily I hate the cold and can't say I love flying within China, though I'll do everything in my power to attend. I'll have to take a brief break in international travel so that I can get a Chinese visa, since all my recent visits to China have been using a 72 hour transit without visa.

I have a limited range of dates during which I can attend, given the US Airways award to Australia I have planned over that time period, via Europe and the Middle East.

The post My 2015 Asian Festival Bucket List appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/11/09/2015-asian-festival-bucket-list/

Understanding Double and Triple Miles Awards: And When They Make Sense for You

I try to get the best value out of my miles, which means not just getting awards at the lowest mileage price but also paying attention to value even then – do I want to pay cash, or use miles? Are there ways of reducing the cost of a ticket? Miles are a currency, and […]

The post Understanding Double and Triple Miles Awards: And When They Make Sense for You appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/11/09/understanding-double-triple-miles-awards-make-sense/

How Concerned Are You About Hotel Room Safety?

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

"Hi Lucky!

Have you thought much about hotel room security/safety? I’ve been reading your blog for a long time but don’t recall any posts on the topic. Might you consider one? Unfortunately, I think this topic is more on women’s minds but still should be an important issue for everyone.

I generally feel pretty safe in my hotel rooms but I sometimes worry about someone breaking into the room either when I’m in it (and forget to use the deadbolt and latch) or when I’m away. This vine I just came across isn’t making me feel any safer.. https://vine.co/v/Oia69WPbV1H. Kind of scary in fact."

The post How Concerned Are You About Hotel Room Safety? appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/11/09/how-concerned-are-you-about-hotel-room-safety/

Reader Success Story: Around the World in As Many Days As We Want

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/2014/11/reader-success-story-round-the-world-in-as-many-days-as-we-want.html

Alaska Board Room Members Get Additional Admirals Club Access

Yesterday I posted about how American Admirals Club members now get access to Alaska Board Rooms under more circumstances. Previously Admirals Club members would only get Board Room access when flying American.

However, per the new rules, Admirals Club members now get Board Room access when flying Alaska, American, or US Airways, which is great news.

It seems that this change was in fact reciprocal.

Alaska Board Room members have also long received access to the Admirals Clubs in Austin, Chicago, Denver, and Newark when flying Alaska Airlines. The relationship is limited to those airports, since they're the stations where the Admirals Clubs are conveniently located for departing Alaska Airlines passengers.

The post Alaska Board Room Members Get Additional Admirals Club Access appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/11/09/alaska-board-room-members-get-additional-admirals-club-access/