The international airline business is improving, said an industry group Thursday, and while losses are still expected for 2010, they should be half the size previously forecast.
Flying in and out of New York -- which is usually no picnic -- is likely to get worse this spring. A new rule on tarmac delays, possible exemptions to that rule and a runway closure may create a perfect storm for travelers.
As the relatively dormant air travel season ends, the ramp-up of airline service to accommodate the demand of spring and summer travelers begins. This is good news for most, as more flights are added, providing more options for travelers. But as many frequent fliers know, more flights can mean more delays.
Many authors can move readers with their words, but Frances Mayes has the power to actually make readers move. Her new book might tempt some more would-be Tuscans. | Excerpt | Recipe |
A Texas man who became enraged when a flight attendant refused to serve him alcohol and spent part of a flight locked in the lavatory has pleaded guilty to interfering with an airline flight crew.
A New Jersey man who breached security to give his girlfriend a kiss, causing scores of flight delays, pleaded guilty Tuesday to defiant trespass, his lawyer said.
A runway closure at John F. Kennedy International Airport has prompted JetBlue Airways and Delta Air Lines to ask for a temporary exemption at JFK to a rule designed to keep planeloads of passengers from getting stranded on the tarmac.
Dark green indicates a dedicated bike-only trail; Light green indicates a dedicated bike lane along a road; Dashed green indicates roads that are designated as preferred for bicycling, but without dedicated lanes.
Researcher Daniel Gilbertis one of the world's foremost authorities on how ordinary people can learn to make smarter decisions. He studies decision-making in lots of different situations. But the first paragraph of this new profile of Gilbert in Harvard Magazine has relevance to travelers in particular.
Your parents recommend taking a Caribbean cruise and tell you about a discount deal. You've never taken a cruise and aren't so sure you'd enjoy it, so you dig up some information on the Web and even watch a couple of videos. You recollect the times you've been on ships, and your past visits to Caribbean islands—rum drinks, aqua waters. But will you really enjoy an eight-day cruise? Turns out there is a better way to answer this question: ask anyone who has just gotten off a cruise boat—a total stranger is fine. That way, you'll be 30 to 60 percent more likely to accurately predict your own experience than by basing your decision on painstaking research and inner speculations.
Another traveler's verdict is "a useful guide because we are far more similar to each other than we realize."
Daniel Gilbert (Courtesy PBS)
A key part of the cruise example is that you need to ask people who have just gotten off a ship. According to Gilbert's study (published in a recent issue of the journal Science), the other traveler's experience must be recent. "People are very poor at remembering how happy they were," Gilbert says. "So it's not very useful to ask, 'How much did you like something you experienced last year?' People get most questions about happiness wrong. But there is one question they get right: how happy are you right now?"
This research may sound counter-intuitive to some people, though it certainly explains the popularity of user-review sites like TripAdvisor.
What do you think? Will you ask a stranger (or friend or family member) who's just back from a destination whether you should go there? Or will you make up your own mind?
MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL Get Psyched! Even storm clouds and crying babies can't dim the glow of a getaway if you follow these sometimes-counterintuitive strategies—based on scientific research.
Travelers who booked rooms at Wyndham Hotels and Resorts late last year may have had their credit card information stolen by thieves.
Wyndham has acknowledged that it was hit by a hacker attack between October and January—the second such hacker attack in the past couple of years.
In the incident announced yesterday, a small percentage of the luxury chain's guests had their names, credit card numbers, and card expiration dates stolen, says the company in a letter on its website.
Sadly, Wyndham isn't alone. "Hospitality companies became the most breached sector in 2009, representing just over a third of all data breaches," says a report from Trustwave, a seller of Internet-security software.
Is it your first time visiting the City of Light? From tourist traps to fashion don'ts, follow our "what not to do" guide to avoid the top 10 mistakes that first-timers always make.
Not dressing like a tourist when on vacation is a lot harder than you think. Trade in your jeans and fanny packs for more culturally appropriate looks.
Although just steps away from great shopping and the Mekong River, you may never want to leave the hotel. See why La Résidence Phou Vao in Luang Prabang, Laos, made our 2010 Gold List.
Take a look at what the Riviera Maya has to offer with its white sand beaches, bright coral, and incredible shipwrecks dating back to the 18th century.
Early spring is the season to shop the souks. Find everything you need, from authentic clothing to fresh spices to intricate ironwork. Plus, get tips from our editors on how to bargain!
Alison Brick reports on an uptick in museum visits in the U.S.
We've finally found an upside to the recession--thriving museums.
According to a report by the American Association of Museums, attendance increased at 57 percent of museums in 2009. It's all because of the recession--specifically, people opting to stay local, preferring the price of a museum ticket (averaging $7) to a more expensive movie ticket, and wanting a peaceful experience during stressful times.
The AAM survey was conducted online over ten days in January, collecting responses from 481 museums (ranging from art museums to children's museums, zoos to gardens). Interestingly, the museums that felt the biggest boost in attendance were those focusing on science and technology.
That's not to say that museums weren't affected negatively--let's not
forget that they're vying for entertainment dollars. More museums now
charge an admission fee (66 versus 59 percent in 2008), and 23 U.S. museums
closed in 2009.
But as a whole, museums are adapting to these tough financial times. They're directing
more of their marketing dollars locally, offering new discounts to
local residents (18 percent), and adding free days (29 percent).
So if we're heading to museums because of the bad economy, it's the free
admission days that should really make us happy. They come in all
shapes and forms, from one-offs to reoccurring to month-long. Click through for a list of free museum days happening near you. More
Elise Ford shares the secrets of a tiny French town in Lorraine that has us longing for some currant jam.
It's not everywhere that you can walk streets
lined with 16th-century townhouses, tell the time by glancing at a
medieval clock tower, admire Renaissance art in a Gothic cathedral, or
savor freshly made red currant jam hand-seeded with a feather quill,
but in the little Lorraine town of Bar le Duc, these experiences are a
way of life.
From its 1st century beginning as a Gallo-Roman staging post, this
river valley settlement expanded to encompass a Ville Basse (Lower
Town) and its Ville Haute (Upper Town) perched upon a rocky promontory.
Bar le Duc's heyday arrived with the Renaissance. French royalty
partied here; merchants and artists flocked to the town. Prosperity
reigned and the Dukes of Bar celebrated by erecting grand churches,
houses, and schools ornately decorated with gargoyles, friezes, and
fancy cornices--most evident in the Upper Town's strollable, compact
Renaissance Quarter.
The highlight is Rue des Ducs-de-Bar and its
aristocratic limestone townhouses. Note the musical instrument
festooned at no. 73, the much-gargoyled no. 47, and the military-themed
friezes of no. 41. Tour the Musée Barrois (the dukes' former chateau)
to trace Bar le Duc's history, in eclectic displays of Gallo-Roman
artifacts, 16th- century weapons, and a Renaissance cabinet of
curiosities (look for the shrunken heads). Then sample regional cuisine
at La Meuse Gourmande.
Now that the Olympics are over, Canadians must decide (among other very important things) what to do with the giant inflatable beaver that made an appearance at the closing ceremonies. Well, if you're thinking, "Man, my lawn gnomes could use some company," you're in luck. The beaver is selling for $5,000. To learn more about how to buy the beaver, click here, and if you can't afford a beaver of your own, you can still become a fan on Facebook. I just wonder what giant inflatable creatures the next Olympics will bring us. [ESPN]
Carpuccino, anyone? A 1988 VW Scirocco--dubbed the Carpuccino--runs completely on coffee grinds. The car was designed by a team at BBC science show "Bang Goes the Theory," and gets 56 espressos per mile. It seems cars can run on anything these days, so this news begs the question: Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts? Says the show's producer: "Coffee, like wood or coal, has some carbon content so you can use
it as a fuel. The coffee needs to be very dry and in pellets to allow
the air to move through the pile of coffee as it burns. The brand
doesn't matter." [Inhabitat]
It began at a standard checkpoint, when agricultural specialist Herbert Kercados with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) stopped to inspect a crate at Miami International Airport that had been shipped from an art gallery in Spain. Inside the crate was an Egyptian sarcophagus, supposedly being brought to a collector--legally--in Canada. But the inspector's sixth sense went off, and he had the inkling that something wasn't legitimate about the deal. It turns out that he was right.
This morning at the National Geographic Society headquarters, Executive Vice President of Missions Terry Garcia stood in front of the sarcophagus and detailed the twisted tale of its arrival in the States. Teams from ICE and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection collaborated to track down the false paperwork and black market dealings that led the artifact to end up in the "silent world of illegal antiquities trade," Garcia said. Egypt had never authorized the export of the sarcophagus, he explained, and every item stolen is a "lost piece of history that could be a key to secrets of the past." More
His name is synonomous with skateboarding, and despite not being on the competitive circuit for a number of years, Tony Hawk has become a sort of alternative sport emissary to the world,
traveling widely to put on skateboarding exhibitions and to promote his
charitable foundation. One of his greatest pleasures is traveling with his own four
children, who sometimes accompany him on business and exhibition trips. Traveler Editor in Chief Keith Bellows spoke with Hawk in the March issue about some of his recent travels:
What drives you to do your mission work?
The least I can do with
all the success I've had is to help give the same opportunities to kids
who might not otherwise have them. I started a foundation to build
public skate parks in low-income areas. I also went to Sierra Leone on
behalf of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation and for the Right To
Play organization. It was probably the most eye-opening experience of
my life. Poverty was so prevalent, yet the kids were excited to see us.
We were there to give out sporting goods and to help get former child
soldiers, for example, playing with other kids again. They learned
volleyball, Frisbee, jump rope. They called my skateboard--something
they'd never seen--a "roller buggy." The only cement I found where we
could skate in the town we visited was at a bombed-out school. I gave
kids rides up and down the hallway on my skateboard.
After massive flooding struck the area around Machu Picchu this January, the country has been struggling to get its tourism back online. Andrew Berg gives us an update on where things currently stand.
By the end of January, after days of unremitting rain, deadly mudslides, and flash floods, the swollen Urubamba River eased its rampage through the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Roads, bridges, and nearly 18 miles of railway--including the sole link to Aguas Calientes, the riverside pueblo at the base of the Machu Picchu sanctuary--had been damaged or destroyed. At Machu Picchu itself, where the grounds of the Inkaterra Pueblo Hotel had been commandeered as a makeshift heliport, a four-day airlift had successfully evacuated some 4,500 stranded tourists and residents. Armed soldiers patrolled the valley. A 60-day State of Emergency was in effect.
Until April 1st, according to Tourism Minister Martin Perez, the highlands of Peru--from the city of Cusco to the Inca's famed 8,000-foot citadel--would be effectively closed for business.
While travelers may have experienced a major inconvenience, local people had suffered a calamity. Twenty-six deaths were reported nationwide, with five fatalities in the Sacred Valley. More than 20,000 residents were left homeless, and damage to crops and farms was put at $200 million. But with the region losing nearly a million tourism dollars every day, the authorities have clearly prioritized their response.
"The rail line repairs are moving at a fast pace," said Claire Andre de Cerff, Research & Development Manager for Inkaterra, which operates an eco-lodge in Cusco as well as Machu Picchu. "Neither our properties nor the sanctuary and ruins suffered any damage. But in the Sacred Valley, where many houses are made of adobe, people will have to rebuild. And those who live exclusively on tourism are at a stand still." More
Break me off a piece of that... green tea Kit Kat bar? Americans might get excited when they can chose from "original" or "dark chocolate" Kit Kat bars, but the Nestle market is taking "variety" to a whole new level overseas. In Japan, chocolate fans can chose from miso, soy sauce, green tea, red bean sandwich, blueberry, kinako (soybean), wasabi white chocolate, and baked corn, among many others. Click here to learn about more flavors and to learn why Kit Kat varieties are so popular in Japan. [AdAge]
Spring is almost here, and bikers looking to get away should check out Shenandoah National Park's "Ride and Relax" package. The package includes an overnight stay in Skyland Resort or Big Meadows Lodge, breakfast for two, and an "I Drove Skyline Drive" patch. Packages start at $131 and are good through November. Click here for more details.
Amid the commotion of modern Tokyo close to Ueno Park, Sawanoya Ryokan provides travelers a glimpse of Old Japan. This traditional inn furnishes its tatami-matted rooms with a sleeping pallet, yukata robe, and tea set. TVs are available, but most guests are content to relax in Sawanoya's Japanese-style hot baths or sip tea in the outdoor courtyard. From $56 (one person), $106 (two people). ? www.tctv.ne.jp/sawanoya
Kyoto ? Shunkoin Temple Guesthouse
Set in the hills of Western Kyoto, a landscape dotted with renowned Buddhist temples, the Shunkoin Temple Guest House offers travelers the opportunity to enrich their temple explorations with an overnight stay. Accommodations are spartan but include discounted Zen meditation classes and a complimentary tour of the centuries-old Shunkoin Temple and gardens, where you can walk among moss-covered boulders, stone structures, and assorted pink and purple peony flowers. From $56. ? www.shunkoin.com.
Hiroshima ? World Friendship Center
Embracing Hiroshima's message of peace, the volunteer directors of the World Friendship Center enthusiastically welcome travelers into their creaky wooden home furnished with soft tatami mats. Upon request, they arrange personal tours of the nearby Peace Park and opportunities to meet with A-bomb survivors. From $44, includes Western-style breakfast. ? www.wfchiroshima.net.
--Amy McKeever, from the April 2010 issue of Traveler
Robinson Crusoe Island,
which lies 400 miles west of Chile in the middle of the Pacific Ocean,
was hit by a tsunami--a 65-foot wave struck the island after an
magnitude 8.8 earthquake rocked the Chilean mainland.Margie Goldsmith has visited Robinson Crusoe Island, and shares the story of a local family.
The 400-million-year-old Robinson Crusoe Island is a Polynesian Island with rain forests, lush valleys, cascading streams, and mountain peaks rising 3,000 feet. It's the kind of island that should be filled with tourists, especially now when it's summer in the Southern Hemisphere. But even without a tsunami, tourists have not yet discovered Robinson Crusoe Island because it's such an inaccessible destination. You can only get there in a five-seat plane once a week--if the weather allows--and you land on a matchbox-sized strip between two mountains; or you can come via boat, which sails only once every 45 days and takes 30 hours from the mainland.
Robinson Crusoe Island is part of the Juan Fernández archipelago composed of Isla Santa Clara, Isla Tierra, and Isla Afuera. In 1968 the government renamed the islands in order to promote tourism, and now Santa Clara is called Robinson Crusoe and Isla Afuera is Alexander Selkirk Island. Scotsman Alexander Selkirk was the sailor on whom Daniel Defoe based the book Robinson Crusoe. Selkirk's violent temper got him dropped off on Isla Santa Clara in 1704 where he was marooned for four years and four months before finally being rescued.
Each day, searching the horizon for a ship to rescue him, Selkirk climbed to a cliff high on the island. But for years, only enemy ships passed by and if they landed, the marooned sailor had to race deep into the forest and hide. Selkirk lived in complete solitude, and today, visitors who make the steep trek through the forest will see the remains of Selkirk's forest hut: a big hole in the ground surrounded by a crumbling stone wall. Hike to the top of the cliff looking out over Cumberland Bay, and you'll see a plaque hammered into the rock, commemorating Selkirk's lookout point.
Six months ago, I visited Robinson Crusoe Island because I like remote destinations without hoards of other tourists and because I hoped to see the place where a real marooned sailor had lived. When the small plane touched down on the airstrip, Pedro Niada, my guide and host, was waiting. Niada lives in the only inhabited town on the island, San Juan Batista in Cumberland Bay: population, 629; main occupation, lobster fishing. Here, Niada owns a three-bedroom inn, Hostal Club Pez Volador (Flying Fish Club) that took eight years to build (everything had to be shipped in from the mainland), and has been open less than three years. More
Los Angeles may not initially come to mind as a top romantic destination, but don't forget that it's the city of angels -- cupid's always lurking somewhere. Evidence abounds in the following 11 spots.More
Taking in postcard-worthy views with a beverage in hand is the quintessential way to kick back. Whether you prefer pinotage or rally around rum, sublime selections can be found in the most picturesque of places.More
Your vacation can be made or broken as early as the planning stage. Pauline Frommer visits CNN.com to count down her choices for the top travel planning websites.More
At a time when international travel has taken a hit due to the recession, Israel's tourism is thriving. 2008 was a record year, and experts predict that the boom will continue throughout 2009, as long as the political situation in the Middle East doesn't take a serious downward turn.More
Panama is changing fast, quickly emerging from under Costa Rica's shadow to become the next spot for retirees, entrepreneurs, and those looking to escape cold winters in Europe and North America, as well as coming into its own as a major ecotourism hotspot.More
Once again, U.S. travelers will be getting more bang for their bucks in Vancouver and Victoria, which means that U.S. prices in Frommer's Vancouver & Victoria 2009 need to be adjusted downwards to reflect the new exchange rate.More
Why is Switzerland so cheap? Why is a deal to the Ukraine a deal? Why do fares to Australia keep dropping? These answers and more in our weekly roundup of airfare news.More
