International Thanksgiving Travel

Fall is the start of low season in Europe, so it's a great time to head abroad for some noteworthy savings and less crowded environments. Traveling around Thanksgiving in the United States can be quite stressful, so why not take the family overseas for the holidays. Europe in the fall is alive with infinite possibilities of a new season . . . theaters and opera houses unveil their newest productions, museums mount their latest blockbuster exhibitions.

Where to go? Visit Berlin’s art galleries, take a stroll through Madrid’s parks and gardens, feast your eyes on the burnt-orange vistas and rust-colored hills of Tuscany as you enjoy fine cuisine or avant-garde music festivals. Operas fill the Czech capital of Prague, or simply enjoy the gorgeous countryside of Champagne with a little bubbly, just minutes by train from Paris.

Of course, there is the small matter of the turkey, but considering all the hustle & bustle exhaustion of the holidays, the family might be willing to entertain the idea of blending American traditions with European travel. Take a chance with the “when in Rome” approach and celebrate your own special family European Thanksgiving, turkey optional.

International Cell Phones

Over the past couple of years, we’ve experimented (and “experiment” is often the operative word) with a variety of international cell phone options. We’ve used country-specific chips as well as “international roaming” chips.

First, an overview. Most countries of the world use a type of phone and service called GSM. There are several GSM frequencies, but if you purchase a tri-band or quad-band GSM phone, you’ll be OK almost anywhere in the world. Secondly, these phones use SIM chips – replaceable little memory cards that you purchase from a cell-service provider. Third, the individual cell providers in each country usually offer a “pre-paid” plan (where you buy a chip and phone time, and when the time runs out you buy more) or a typical monthly service plan, as most Americans are familiar with. (Unless you live in or spend long periods in a country, the pre-paid option is the only real choice.) Finally, you can purchase single-country SIM chips (UK, Kenya, etc.) or an “international” chip, which theoretically allows you to roam in many countries.

To summarize our experiences, we’ve tried the 09, Riiing, United, and Mobal “international” chips. In our tests, they work poorly, are very costly, are terribly cumbersome to use (requiring PIN numbers, call-back systems, manually selecting networks, and other awkwardness), or simply don’t work at all. We’ve also tried single-country SIMs (mostly from the UK), and have been pleased with the service. Some roaming costs have been high (sometimes $1-2 per minute), but new EU rules should cut that at least in half.

Currently, our suggestion is to purchase a tri- or quad-band before you leave (we’ve seen many decent phones in the $50-100 range), then go to a local phone shop at your destination and purchase a SIM chip. Make sure when you get the chip that you “enable” or set up international roaming if you plan to use the chip outside its home country. This seems to work well across most of Europe. We even saw several Brits using their UK cell phones with no problems in east Africa. The cell situation in Europe has recently changed, and international roaming costs have been lowered across the EU. This should make this option even more practical. Your new chip will have a “local” number, so you’ll have to call or email your contacts back home with that number. Be sure they know how to dial internationally, and that you understand how to dial out internationally from your phone

If you’re tempted by the international chips: buyer beware. We’ve tossed more useless chips than we care to admit – after paying anywhere from 25-50 Euros each for them. (The Mobal chip has no up-front cost, but their per-minute rates are high, and in our experience their coverage isn’t as widespread as advertised.)

Note also that some U.S. phone services may allow you to set up international roaming. We use Verizon in the U.S., which is a different system from GSM, so not an option for us. T-Mobile and Cingular are GSM operators in the U.S., and they may be able to set you up with international roaming – be sure you know coverage and rates.

The best overview we’ve found for GSM options is the PrePaidGSM website, at http://www.prepaidgsm.net/.

A tri-band flip phone, a quad-band phone, and 4 SIM chips.

United's Italy Sale: Cheap Fares to Rome, Milan

United Airlines is in the midst of a terrific sale on flights to Rome and Milan. Check out these sample one-way fares based on required roundtrip purchase.

Albuquerque to Milan/$348
Baltimore to Milan/$321
Boston to Rome/$284
Chicago to Rome/$315
Los Angeles to Rome/$354
NYC to Milan/$252
San Francisco to Milan/$354
Seattle to Milan/$361

Book travel by October 10, 2007. Depart between December 1, 2007 and February 29, 2008. Travel is valid Monday-Thursday; a Saturday-night miniumum stay is required, and a 30-day maximum stay is permitted. Fares are subject to availability.

Lonely Planet Goes Corporate

Lonely Planet – the quirky company that brought travel guidebooks to the masses and, in part, created the travel boom we have today – has been sold to the BBC Worldwide, according to Internet Travel News.

We’re not sure how this will affect Lonely Planet’s many fans. It may (as the sale press release notes) “strengthen Lonely Planet’s visibility and growth potential, particularly in the digital arena.” Lonely Planet’s web presence has, in our opinion, left much to be desired, and this may be a good move on their part.

We often have complaints with particulars in Lonely Planet’s guidebooks, yet nonetheless own more of theirs than from any other publisher (partly, because, they publish such a huge variety). In general, we prefer to support the little guy, and are often saddened when they sell out to the big boys, but we can’t see too many negatives for this one.

The Isolated American

Yesterday, I realized how insulated we are in America. I was looking for a metric tape measure – I knew I had one around as I use it for bike/ski work, but couldn’t find it anywhere. I did, though, find 4 other tape measures and 3 rulers – none of which had a metric scale.
Which, of course, got me wondering how many Americans speak another language (not counting Spanish spoken by new immigrants), how many of us have a clue how many kilometers are in a mile, how few of us can begin to convert Centigrade (Celsius) into Fahrenheit, even how few Americans have passports (at least until the new travel initiatives requiring passports between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean).

Less Boredom in the Air with Air France

If you’re like us, flying is boring. We can only watch so many mindless movies, read so many mindless magazines, and listen to so much crappy music. Never mind trying to concentrate enough to “work.” Sometimes we numb out and watch the little plane flying over the little map of the “flight maps” on our little seatback screens. Or we actually listen to the cockpit conversations when that’s offered.

But now along comes something really fun.

Air France is rolling out a new satellite photo view system. It shows satellite photos (not real-time) of areas the plane is flying over. So far, it’s available on several Air France’s Paris-to-India and Paris-to-Singapore routes, and the airlines says it will eventually expand the service to other routes.

Here’s an image of Mumbai from the European Space Agency, one of the satellite services which provides photos to Air France.

The End of ATM Fees?

We’ve written several times about ways to reduce or avoid foreign ATM fees, since ATMs are far and away the best way to get cash internationally. We don’t know if it could be a harbinger of things to come, but Charles Schwab Bank is touting a new High Yield Investor Checking Account. The account claims (currently) 4.25% APY interest, 1-cent minimum balance, and “all ATM fees automatically refunded, worldwide,” at any Visa ATM machine. If this sets a new precedent for on-line checking accounts, could it really be the death of ATM fees? We’re signing up today. Now, if some more credit card companies would begin killing their onerous foreign-exchange fees....

More Delta

After just complaining about Delta, we guess we owe them at least one thumb up. The airline is scheduled to begin non-stop Salt Lake City-to-Paris flights in June 2008. There are currently limited Rocky Mountain-region-to-Europe flights (from cities such as Denver and Phoenix) so any addition from that part of the U.S. is appreciated.

Between 2 Worlds: Driving Across China

Having previously lived in Asia, we always felt that China had one foot in the 21st century and the other in, oh, the 14th. In a Wall St. Journal article of August 25, writer Gordon Fairclough buys a Chinese Chery car (we don’t even want to go there with the name) and drives across much of western China. It’s a fascinating read about how China is driving (sorry) toward being a global presence, and a Westernized one.

Alaska Air

We’ve moved to a region where Alaska Airlines is the dominant carrier at the nearest airports, and have thus been fooling with Alaska’s website. We really like the matrix-style price/schedule system that Alaska now offers for booking flights. We’ve already made one reservation for upcoming travel, and were very pleased with the process, fare, and website ease-of-use.

Delta's Silliness

Delta has joined the niche marketing game. The airline has a new “contest” going, where viewers can watch 5 videos and obtain Delta frequent flyer points by voting for their favorites. The niche marketing comes in with the selection of the travelers that Delta chose to feature. There is the gay couple, the elderly couple, the black couple, the young couple, and the too-cool brothers. But despite several attempts, our log-in to vote failed, after sitting through all 5 annoying presentations. Nice try Delta – maybe next time just give us better air service.

Pondering Amtrak

We’re not sure what to make of Amtrak. The U.S. “national” rail system has been getting higher marks from passengers, some politicians, and even airlines. Considering the crowded, delayed mess that is air travel today, trains make great sense. Amtrak’s biggest successes have been in the crowded Northeast, with runs such as Boston-New York-Washington often more convenient and shorter than commuter air service. While the vast distances between destinations in the central and western states mean that train travel will never be quicker than air for cross-country travel, we could imagine some shorter routes (Los Angeles-San Francisco?) becoming viable. Ultimately, it would require more high-speed lines and system upgrades. But as Gordon Bethune, the ex-CEO of Continental Airlines told the Wall Street Journal, “If the French can do it, why can’t we?”

Air Sardine Can

It wasn't your imagination. If you flew a U.S. carrier in July, you probably were stressed by full planes, long security lines, and delays. USA Today reports the seven major airlines -- Continental, American, Alaska, Northwest, Southwest, US Air, and AirTran -- all had record numbers of seats filled in July.

Do Not Use TracFone

In our original research for our book and website, How To Travel America, we recommended TracFone as a solution for short-term U.S. cell phone service. After still another terrible customer-service experience with TracFone, we no longer recommend TracFone. We will continue to research possible options, and post updated information about cell phone options as soon as we can confidently recommend a quality provider.

The French-American Connection

The New York Times tells us that new French president Nicolas Sarkozy is spending a summer vacation at Lake Winnipesaukee in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. Since it’s August, and the entire country of France is pretty much on vacation, it seems natural that Sarkozy might choose a U.S. destination.

Favorite Bloggers & Websites

We're in the midst of a pretty big move. Don't expect much from us until the middle of August.
In the interim, for your reading pleasure, here are a few of our other favorite travel bloggers & websites:
Cranky Flier
Upgrade: Travel Better
Today in the Sky
Ellipses
Telegraph (UK)
USA Today Travel
Times Online (UK)
EuroCheapo Blog

Yellowstone National Park parking lot

Fly the (Cough-Cough) Skies

If you haven't heard yet, a new European airline start-up, SMINTair (Smokers International Airline), is planning to begin operations October 28. SMINTair is planning to be an "all smoking" airline. Now that the TSA has so wisely decided to allow lighters on planes (but not water), SMINTair may be even able to fly to the U.S.
We love the SMINTair website so much, we thought we'd quote verbatim the text from the opening page.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

SMINTair is set to be the World's Most Luxurious Airline.
Since April 2005, the SMINTair DEVELOPMENT TEAM has been working on every aspect to set base for launching a successful airline on a long-term perspective. Ideas, some completely new to the airline industry, have been developed and pursued until working perfection.

As SMINTair now enters the final stages leading to its first fligh this year, the TEAM can look back onto two years of meticulous preparation. During this time, SMINTgroup has been established, parent to SMINTair, SMINTcard and SMINThospitality, as well as the future SMINTrail and SMINTexpress, the latter projects are still under development. One can see, many businesses have evolved in the past two years and many roads had to be followed until this point. It is satisfying to see all of the planning finally being put into motion.

Apart from the cutting-edge technology OnBoard Entertainment System and spaceous seating, according to the final floor-plan, SMINTair offers three lounges in every aircraft for the recreation and enjoyment of all guests. Talks have been entered into with the top-ranked producers of luxury goods, worldwide, including cars, couture, jewellery/watches, fine spirits and champagne. The unique setup of SMINTair has been very well received by the industries and first contracts will be finalised within the month of July 2007.

Tourism in China

The world’s most populous country, China, is set to become the world’s top tourist destination by 2014.
According to the World Tourism Organization, China was originally expected to take over number one in 2020. China is also now projected to take over number two from Spain by the end of 2010.

Old postcard, China, early 1900s.

Olympic Games

Since the winds of politics, marketing, the media, and geography have created such a brand for the Olympics, events are now awarded far in advance. Olympic fans currently have four different games to look forward to. Each event’s website offers a variety of newsletters that you can subscribe to. If you want to stay on top of everything Olympics, here are the contacts for all four games, as well as for the IOC. (It’s interesting to see the four Olympic logos side-by-side on the IOC home page.)

Beijing, China, Summer 2008 - http://en.beijing2008.cn/

Vancouver, Canada, Winter 2010 - http://www.vancouver2010.com/en

London, England, Summer 2012 - http://main.london2012.com/en

Sochi, Russia, Winter 2014 - http://sochi2014.com/

International Olympic Committee - http://www.olympic.org/uk/index_uk.asp

A Resurgence of Europe Train Travel?

If you’re anywhere near as fed up with air travel as we are, consider taking the train. Obviously, we’re not talking about the U.S. here, but Europe. The Paris-based International Herald Tribune reports that rail operators from the UK, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, and Belgian are developing a new rail alliance called Railteam.

The system hopes to have an on-line ticketing site available by 2009. The Trib reports that already, “Eurostar, which runs trains from London to Paris and Brussels, said it saw a 39 percent jump in the first three months for tickets that connect to French high-speed services that bring travelers to the Mediterranean and the Alps.”

By 2009, we wouldn’t be surprised to see prices competitive with some European air travel. And after you factor in fewer luggage hassles (you have lots of room and convenience on the trains), scheduling convenience (if you miss one train, just get on the next), lots more personal space (no cramped 31-inch seat pitch), easier terminal access (the train stations are often in or near city centers, not out in the countryside), and simplified security (no hours-long waits), rail may again become the way to travel in Europe.

Take a bottle of wine (try that on a plane), a baguette sandwich, some cheeses. Actually see the countryside you’re traveling through. Have room to get up, walk around, socialize. We wouldn’t be surprised to see overseas air travelers re-configuring their air arrangements so that wherever they land it’s more convenient for making train connections.

Keeping Frequent Flyer Miles Current

As you’ve probably read elsewhere, the airlines are shortening their frequent flyer activity periods. Many are down to 18 months – if you don’t have some sort of activity in your account every 18 months, your mileage balance may disappear. But any activity works – buy a book, send flowers, dine out, stay in a hotel, use an airline-branded credit card. There are hundreds of possibilities with most airlines. If your credit is good, consider getting an airline’s no-fee credit card. You won’t get 1-for-1 miles for dollars spent (usually only 1-for-2), but the cards have no annual fees and all you need to charge is a few dollars. The banks/airlines don’t heavily promote these cards, but we know that US Air, United, and American all have no-annual-fee credit cards. (Others may also. Check Gary Steiger’s FreeFrequentFlyerMiles.com for more information.)

Our suggestion is to simply do a once-a-year checkup. In our case, it’s in November, when we do holiday shopping, we may dine out more often, etc. If we haven’t had activity in a particular program, we do one of the things above. This is especially important for those airlines where you have miles you don’t want to lose, but you no longer regularly fly that airline.

Airlines expiration policies:
United 18 months
Continental 18 months
American 18 months
US Air 18 months
Delta 2 years
Alaska 3 years
Northwest 3 years

Guest Bloggers

I'm getting really tired of some of my favorite (travel) bloggers associating themselves with "guest bloggers" to do the dirty work while the head honcho is ... on vacation/sick/too tired to write a new post/whatever. I look at blogs for a personal touch, and now it's disappearing in many instances. Relatedly, too many bloggers (at least in the travel world) feel that it's better to say something inane every day than have some insightful and thoughtful comments whenever it happens. I'd rather read real news and information every 2-3 days or every week than crap on a daily basis.

Paris Summer Shutdown

Almost everyone traveling to Europe knows that many city destinations pretty much shut down during August – when most Europeans themselves are on vacation. We saw a short article on Fodor’s website about restaurants in Paris which remain open in mid-summer. Better yet, we discovered a great blog by a Canadian living in Paris.

UK Airport Situation

By now, everyone should know the news about the bombing attempts in London and at Glasgow airport. The UK terror alert levels have been raised, air passengers are being encouraged to only arrive at UK airports by public transportation, and other security measures are in place. On a practical level for most travellers to Europe, this means one simple thing – PLAN MORE TIME. More time to get to the airport, more time at check-in and security, and more time for just about everything associated with air travel.

Trip Advisor's Top 10 Attractions

Some reporters and bloggers are whining about the Grand Canyon only being fourth on Trip Advisor’s latest list of “Top 10 U.S. Attractions.”

Personally, I’m surprised the Grand Canyon made the list at all. Hey, it says “Attractions” – man-made fun, get it? Here’s the complete list:

1. Orlando, Florida (Universal Studios, Sea World, Discovery Cove, and everything Disney)
2. Cirque du Soleil, Las Vegas, Nevada
3. Hana Highway, Maui, Hawaii
4. Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
5. Central Park, New York City
6. Alcatraz, San Francisco, California
7. Top of the Rock Observation Deck, New York,
8. Monterey Bay Aquarium, California
9. Bellagio Fountains, Las Vegas, Nevada
10. San Diego Zoo, California

First Report: Camping Trailer Adventures

Before writing about our trip to Washington itself, let’s clear the air about the pop-up camping trailer. Basically, it was (is) a piece of shit. We purchased a Rockwood tent trailer from Bob Scott RV in Grand Junction, Colorado, and the unit totally failed to live up to expectations and what we were told. All systems died within the first two days – electrical, water, propane. We basically had the pleasure of towing an expensive tent for nearly two weeks from Colorado to Washington.

Upon our return, Bob Scott RV completely disregarded our request for a refund, instead offering to “fix” the trailer and “show us how it really worked.” We will never buy or recommend any type of RV from Rockwood and especially from Bob Scott RV.

Our attorney says that, unfortunately, there is no “lemon law” in Colorado for trailers and RVs. So buyer beware – only buy from a reputable dealer, or be like us and figure out how to cut your losses by getting the unit repaired and then selling it.

More about the good aspects of our Washington trip in the next few entries.

Oh Goody: A Hundred People to Help with Passports

The U.S. State Department is asking for up to "two groups of 50" diplomats with "consular experience" to volunteer to help at the National Passport Center in New Hampshire to help deal with the backlog of 3 million passport applications.

Any foreign service diplomats who qualify can spend their summer vacation (July and August) helping the government out of its own mess. Unless my math fails me, that works out to 500 applications per worker per day - including weekends - which means each person would need to process one application per minute.

Our wise government is offering these folks lodging, travel, and a per-diem. Sure seems like a bunch of folks would just jump at this wonderful opportunity. Although New Hampshire is awful pretty in summer.

Travellers, please don't expect your passport to show up any sooner.

London 2012 Olympic Logo

Well, if it’s not political, it’s not the Olympics. While there are still two Games before it (Beijing Summer 2008 and Vancouver Winter 2010), the London Olympics is already feeling the heat of controversy.The new logo/brand has been revealed, and it seems nobody much likes it. It’s pretty blocky and rather boring to me, but what strikes me most is that it says nothing about London. The logo could be for any city, any place on the planet.

As a former marketing (and occasional branding) consultant, one thing I always stressed to destination or location clients (example) was to have their brand establish or reinforce a sense of their unique place in the world. The 2012 logo isn’t, to me, totally dreadful, but it simply neglects to tie itself to what is arguably the greatest city in the world.

See more on the official London 2012 Olympics website.

Passports for Travel Between U.S. and Canada

As with most things governmental, the recent passport requirements for travel between the U.S. and Canada are taking longer to implement than anticipated. The U.S. Office of Travel & Tourism Industries issued the following statement on June 12.

"WASHINGTON – The U.S. Departments of State and Homeland Security announced today that U.S. citizens traveling to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda who have applied for but not yet received passports can nevertheless temporarily enter and depart from the United States by air with a government issued photo identification and Department of State official proof of application for a passport through Sept. 30, 2007. The federal government is making this accommodation for air travel due to longer than expected processing times for passport applications in the face of record-breaking demand."

Some bloggers have mentioned a requirement for a birth certificate during this temporary period. We don't see this in the above statement.

Camping Trailer Adventures

We’re trying something new for us over the next two weeks. We’re towing a small pop-up (Francesca calls it the Pop Tart) camping tent trailer from Colorado to Washington. If we can get internet access in the woods of the northwest (unlikely where we’re going and with this trip’s agenda) we’ll post some news and photos. Otherwise, look for a report upon our return.

Another Great International ATM Option

Bank of Internet USA has several checking plans offering an ATM card that can be used anywhere, with no ATM fees from Bank of Internet. In addition, Bank of Internet will reimburse account holders up to $8 per month (depending on account) for ATM fees charged by other banks/ATM owners. ATM withdrawals are limited to $305 per day.

Old Travel Guidebooks

Much has been made recently of this year being the 50th anniversary of the publication of Arthur Frommer’s Europe on 5 Dollars a Day. It surely was a breakthrough work, but was far from the first travel guidebook. So we thought we’d “review” some old travel guidebooks from our bookshelf (some older than Frommer’s, some newer, some just plain eclectic). First on our list:
TWA Vacation Guide and World Atlas – 1956


This book, “compiled for Trans World Airlines,” presents a fascinating picture of world travel in the mid 1950s. Despite covering nearly the entire globe, Russia is not even mentioned in the book. Yet in the Cuba section, the island’s description begins: “For excellent swimming, exciting deep-sea fishing, or just relaxing in the bright sunshine, no place surpasses it. In addition, there is ... beautiful, gay, sophisticated Havana.” So much has changed in the world, yet the photo of Trinidad, Cuba, in the book could have been taken in 1955, yesterday, or 200 years ago.
The TWA Vacation Guide not only covers the then-already-popular riches of Europe, but also speaks highly of Iran (“Land of Omar Khayyam”) and Iraq (“Land of the Arabian Nights”).
Overall, there is hardly a negative word about any destination in the book. We find it most fascinating in its view of a world sometimes seemingly very far away. Yet in many places, it’s still quite possible to use it as a travel guide – the London section would work decently today. (Although you’d not be able to find the once-famous Simpsons of Piccadilly store, Harrods and Fortnum and Mason’s are still London stalwarts.)
The book doesn’t neglect America, with even the state of Nebraska receiving nearly a full page of coverage. And the maps and photos in this 390-page book are still fascinating and educational.

U.S. Airlines Near the Bottom of the Pile

Can you say, “unhappy”? In general, U.S. airlines scored lower than all but one of 19 industries in customer satisfaction, according to the University of Michigan. On a scale where 100 was the best, the airline industry scored 63. For comparison, the cable/satellite TV industry scored the worst at 62, and even the IRS managed to beat the airlines with a 65.

Postcard from the S.S. Normandie's inaugural voyage, 1935

Photo of the Day - Camping & Hiking Season

New (To Us) Brit Travel Site

We've long been fans of the British (granted, sometimes odd) travel sensibilities and experiences. So we were shocked, shocked I say, to recently discover a travel site we'd never found before.
The Telegraph.co.uk is the on-line home for the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph newspapers. As an example of what's on their travel page, we found articles about the new French high-speed rail service, one about the "Not So Little Green Men," and a great blog with entries about female gondoliers and "Why Don't Single Women travel?"

Still More Re Foreign Credit-Card Fees

We wrote recently about credit card foreign-exchange fees, touting Capital One and Washington Mutual as the best (lowest fees) in our research.

We just realized that while the American Express Platinum Business “FreedomPass” card carries a 2% foreign-exchange conversion fee, the card’s rewards percentage works out to 1-1/4% ($100 ticket value redemption for 7,500 points, earned at 1 point per $1). This brings the “net” foreign-exchange fee down to 3/4% – better than all but Capital One (0%).

Responsible Tourism

World Responsible Tourism Day offers a way for businesses (especially travel businesses) to become involved in making tourism more responsible and “local friendly.”

In our personal lives we try to “eat local” – buying foods produced near where we live – and to “shop local” – favoring purchases at independent local stores rather than national big-box chains. So why shouldn’t we support the local economy and environment of the places we visit?

Several good responsible-tourism resources include:
The Responsible Tourism Partnership
Harold Goodwin (Director of the Responsible Tourism Partnership)
World Responsible Tourism Day

For our part, we’ve decided that as our way of supporting responsible tourism, now through November 14, 2007 (World Responsible Tourism Day), Travel America LLC will contribute 5 percent of all How To Travel America book sales revenue to art education in Africa.

Europe Travel Tip of the Week

If you’re going to Europe and traveling either to or through the UK (as many U.S.-to-Europe flights do), it’s worth signing up for the BAA WorldPoints program. Kind of like a frequent-shopper program for goods sold at Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Southampton, Aberdeen, Glasgow, and Edinburgh airports, the program also often offers bonus points for surveys and such. Since you’ll probably buy something (even if just water, a newspaper, and a snack) in a London (or other BAA) airport, you’ll accrue points. Without any exorbitant purchases, we’ve gained points for several half-price Heathrow Express tickets (currently discontinued, unfortunately) and £5 shopping vouchers. Other rewards are also available.

Paris Opera, postcard late 1920s

Frequent Flier Ticket Availability

Recent research by Ed Perkins at Smarter Travel and Scott McCartney with the Wall Street Journal generally found that, in order, the best airlines for snagging frequent flier seats were:
American – good
United – good
Continental – fair
Northwest – fair
US Air – poor
Delta – none
We’ve recently had fairly good luck with United and American, but haven’t tried any of the other airlines lately.
(The Wall St. Journal original article above requires a paid on-line subscription, but a forum discussing the article is available here for free.)

ADDENDUM: Just tonight, after writing the above, we're trying to book a frequent flier ticket for next Thursday (a week away; domestic). We can't even GET INTO US Air's award booking site, while we found several flights available on United. Nuf said.

Flying Loves & Hates

Everyone has their priorities when it comes to air travel. Some folks want the absolute lowest fare, others want amenities. For us, it’s about two primary things – seat comfort and non-stop flights.

We can’t afford business class (much less first), so we want the best bang for our economy-ticket buck. Which is why we like United’s Economy Plus; why we love SeatGuru; and why we’ll pay a little more for a butt that still has feeling after we deplane. And since we really hate the airport experience part of traveling, we also want the most direct flights possible. We’ll gladly pay a little more to get to Europe from our small-town airport in one stop instead of two.

Some of what we don’t like we have control over (what airline to fly), some we don’t (airports and security).

What we don’t like is unassigned seating (we live three hours from a Southwest airport, yet have only flown them once); not enough counter agents; unexplained delays; criminally high airport parking fees; onerous change fees; unfriendly/unpleasant flight attendants (hey, your job IS customer service, get over it). And, finally, security. The sole purpose of our current security system is to keep us in a constant state of low-grade fear. In Bowling for Columbine, one of Michael Moore’s contentions is that government and some businesses have a vested interest in keeping Americans in a culture of fear. We have seen the future, and airport security is the closest we’ve seen to an Orwellian nightmare.

Mostly Ignored: Airline Ticket Fees Benefit Non-commercial Airports

Despite a headline which should have raised a lot of eyebrows (“Airline Passengers Subsidizing Private Aviation”), the travel media mostly ignored another potentially hot issue. A recent Associated Press story, reported on CNN.com last week, raised the issue that many ticket fees airline passengers pay are used for benefits to private aviation airports (which don’t see commercial air traffic, and therefore have no direct benefit for commercial passengers).

The story leads by saying: “The federal government has taken billions of dollars from the taxes and fees paid by airline passengers every time they fly and awarded it to small airports used mainly by private pilots and globe-trotting corporate executives.”

Fees and taxes on airline tickets just keep increasing. Read the full AP article, and if this makes you mad, contact your Senators and Representatives. Congress is currently looking into new ways of financing the FAA (which doles out the money to private airports) before the agency’s funding expires on September 30.

The Crap-Free Web Campaign

The web is a wonderful place. But it sometimes seems that it’s going the route of trash TV, and of graffiti vandalism being called art. In the course of our business and life, we look at way too many websites (especially travel sites) on a daily basis. There is so much crap, intrusive crap, annoying crap, and just plain bad crap on websites now. Not that I’ll ever be able to do anything about it, except ignore those sites completely that don’t respect my sensibilities.

Complaint #1 – The “dancing moron” ads. Most of these are from LowerMyBills and ClassesUSA (both Experian companies – yes, the credit agency folks). Maybe I’m not in their target demographic and just don’t get it, but I will never patronize any business which annoys me so much so frequently.

Complaint #2 – “Enter” pages on websites. I don’t want to see your gauzy, too-cool intro pages. I don’t want to wait (even with broadband) until I finally see a “skip intro” button. I just want to see your damn information.

Complaint #3 – Unwanted noise, music, narration on any website, for anything. I like Yakima car racks, but their moronic little narrator “coach” drives me away from their products. Especially when I can’t get him to shut up. Mobal’s world cell-phone site has another very annoying narration with no easy "SHUT-UP" option.

Complaint #4 – Browser pop-up blockers have finally helped control pop-up and pop-under annoyances, but some still get through. The latest are the “floater” or “fly-over” ads, the little boxes which run across your screen too fast to hit the close X (unless you’re a better gamer than I am), and which obstructs the article you really want to read.

Complaint #5 – Spam. Yea, it isn’t directly a website issue, but every website should be conscious of the ways in which it may inadvertently help promote spam. Spammers are the lowest form of life on the planet – another form of vandalism, just like graffiti. If caught, spammers (and graffiti vandals) should have one testicle removed upon first offense, and the second one if caught again. At least that way they can’t breed.

Much of my past professional career was in marketing and advertising. I understand what all the above techniques are trying to accomplish, and certain (questionable) studies show that even annoyances, especially in advertising, create name recognition (the theory that “bad publicity is better than no publicity”). Maybe that once worked for toilet-paper purchases in the grocery store, where you grabbed whatever name first came to mind, not remembering that it was a negative connotation. Maybe I’m in the minority, and annoying web ads, noise, and navigation really do work in today’s sound-bite world. I hope not, because there aren’t many ad-free and noise-free places left in the world. Maybe I’ll start by moving to a state (Maine, Vermont, Alaska, and Hawaii, last I knew) or community with an anti-billboard law.

The 8 Wonders of ..... Kansas

Kansas wants to be more on the minds of travelers and tourists. The state, through the non-profit Kansas Sampler Foundation, is soliciting nominations for The Eight Wonders of Kansas. To us, Kansas is a state of sweeping vistas, beautiful tall-grass prairies, and, well, more nice stuff.

The Associated Press reports that Caleb Asher, spokesman for the Kansas Department of Commerce, told The Wichita Eagle: “The best places you can find are in those small towns, in some of those family-owned restaurants that fix fried chicken and fresh-baked pies.”

The Eight Wonders campaign is seeking nominations through May 6, when 24 finalists will be selected (we hope they find that many family restaurants serving fresh pie). Voting on the finalists will continue until December 31, and the eight winners will be announced on “Kansas Day,” January 29, 2008.

Whistler's Gigantic Gondola

If you’re a traveler and skier, you’re probably already anticipating the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, Canada. And what will be the best way to see the vast slopes of the Alpine ski venues at Whistler? How about a new 2.7-mile-long (4.4 km) gondola which will stretch from the peaks of Whistler Mountain to Blackcomb Mountain.

Scheduled for completion in December 2008, the gondola will feature a free span of nearly 1.9 miles (3 km) and will have 28 cabins, each capable of holding 28 passengers. Whistler’s Peak to Peak website has artist’s views and information (just be sure to turn off the obnoxious music on the intro page).

We generally prefer smaller, powder-rich ski areas, and don’t get too excited about BIG ski resorts (and Whistler is the biggest in North America), but we’d love to see the views from this baby.

American Airlines - Women's site or ....

So is American Airlines’ “women’s” site really about women, or another foray for AA into the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) market? American was just named the official airline of Olivia, a “lesbian-focused travel company” (according to today’s Wall St. Journal). On their Rainbow web page, American boasts that they have the “American Airlines Rainbow TeAAm - The only LGBT Dedicated Sales Team in the industry.” As we said before, it’s all about marketing.

UK Carry-on Reminder

With the high season for travel to Europe soon upon us, we wanted to remind travelers going to or connecting through Britain that you’re allowed only one carry-on bag. You can not have a purse, laptop bag, camera bag, or briefcase in addition, as you can in the U.S. That one bag must not exceed 56x45x25 cm (22x17x10 inches). The same 3-ounce, 1-plastic-bag rule for cosmetics/liquids as in the U.S. is in force, and your plastic baggie must be able to fit within your carry-on. (Note that you can put a purse, camera bag, or at-your-seat bag inside your carry-on, and remove it after you board.) The latest info can be found at www.dft.gov.uk under the “airport security” section.
There is also a wealth of Europe travel information available at How To Travel Europe.

Travel/Destinations in the Movies – Part I

We love films that take us places – intriguing places we desire to visit; nostalgic glimpses of places from the past; or destinations we’re familiar with, which convey a wonderful sense of that specific place. Here are a few of our favorite travel/destination movies.

The Quiet American – Michael Caine in Vietnam in the early 1950s. Atmospheric and edgy. Like most of our favorite travel films, this makes us wonder what it was really like in that time and place.

Casablanca – Rick’s Café, Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Morocco. What more is there? If you don’t want to visit North Africa after seeing this, you just don’t have the travel bug.

Havana – This is Robert Redford’s remaking of – and homage to – Casablanca, but set in Cuba just before Fidel’s victory. Much of it was filmed in the Dominican Republic, but the B-unit shots are certainly Havana, and the historical context is wonderfully entertaining.

Under the Tuscan Sun – Diane Lane as “Francesca” (one of us). Francesca saw the movie just before a trip to New Zealand and a friend said to her, “You’re not going to come back, are you?” (She did.) Wonderful sense of a place.

Planes, Trains & Automobiles – Silly, rude, and wonderful. Too goofy for words, but it “moved” us.

The Out of Towners – The original, not the remake. Who hasn’t been in some sort of similar situation in a big city (in this case, New York)? Plans go awry, flights are missed, lack of sleep – sounds like the typical travel “adventure” to us.

Amelie – The early, cute Audrey Tautou in locations all over Paris. The fun is recognizing sites and attractions. The best evocation of French cafés since Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast.

Notting Hill – For the anglophile in us all. Portobello Road, plus the disgustingly cute Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts. Loved it nonetheless.

Mindwalk – Deep, talky, and mostly ignored. My Dinner with Andre in France. This still draws Kenneth toward Mont St. Michele.

As we’re movie fans, filmmakers, and travel writers, we’ll add some more to this list again soon. Let us know your faves, too.

Sloppy Joe's Bar, Havana, Cuba, early 1930s

American Airlines New Women’s Website – Point/Counterpoint

American Airlines has come out with a new website and (obviously) a new marketing campaign aimed at women travelers (www.aa.com/women). While we applaud almost everything that contributes to the equality of the sexes, we’re not exactly sure what to make of American’s effort. Do women really want or need different booking or destination information? Is there some added value for the female traveler in using a sex-specific website?

Kenneth’s (male) take:
It’s obviously a work-in-progress. Will there be sections of the website that are actually useful for women (those “personal” travel hygiene tips)? Will there be an interactive component of the site, such as a woman-to-woman forum?
Also obviously, the site isn’t designed to offer special discounts just for women – that would be completely discriminatory.
So my take is that it’s simply an American Airlines marketing tool – trying to get more women to fly American. Which, as a former marketing consultant, makes sense to me. Differentiate yourself from the pack, even if it’s with only the sizzle and not the steak.
This is not a knock against American. We’ve generally had good travel experiences on the airline. But my final take is that this is a good marketing gimmick for American, while at this time offering information of questionable value which can probably be found better elsewhere.

Francesca’s (female) take:
I’m sorry, but to me the new women-specific marketing campaign of American Airlines is insulting and offensive to women and men alike. The battle of the sexes was decades ago, and if I recall from my history class, it ended nicely in compromise.
Women have been treated equally and fairly in most walks of life since this treaty’s conception, so why stir up old grumblings now? What inequality is there now while traveling? What “privileges” do men have over women on a plane? Being a very happy, independent, well-traveled, and fulfilled-in-life woman, I feel used like a pawn in the game which big companies play to stay on top.
I’ll be traveling to the shower now to “wash that airline (man) right out of my hair.”

So, are we missing something here? Let us hear your thoughts.

Old postcard 1930s, Luzern (Lucerne), Switzerland

HSBC Ups Foreign Credit Card Fees

After just praising HSBC in the previous entry for having only a 1% foreign-transaction fee on credit card purchases, today I got in the mail a change of terms and conditions stating the fee will now be 3%. So scratch HSBC off the list. Looks like Capital One (0%) and Washington Mutual (1%) are the last good options.

Our Latest International Credit Card & ATM Research

In the process of planning some upcoming international travel, here’s what we’ve discovered about credit card foreign-exchange fees. This is based on information from the credit card terms-and-conditions literature, the card company’s website, or from talking with customer-service personnel. It may not be correct for your card or your travel situation. It may also not apply to all cards in a company’s lineup. Check with your card company, but this seems to be the latest we could find:

Capital One charges 0% foreign-exchange fees.

HSBC charges 1-3% foreign-exchange fees.

Washington Mutual charges 1% foreign-exchange fees.

America Express charges 2% foreign-exchange fees, but is not as widely accepted internationally.

All other cards we researched charged 3% or more.

Since most “reward” cards (miles, points, cash-back, etc.) generally offer their rewards at roughly equivalent to 1% – and some do not offer rebates/rewards for non-U.S. purchases – the reward would seem generally not enough to offset a higher foreign-exchange fee. Also remember that should you return a purchase while overseas, you’ll get hit with the foreign-exchange fee again for the credit. Finally, don’t ever fall for a merchant’s offer to charge the purchase in U.S. dollars instead of the local currency. Again, you’ll pay dearly in increased fees.

ATM fees are another matter. Most banks (probably yours) charge a fee for use of a “foreign” ATM – but in bank-speak this means any ATM that is not one of theirs. This is usually a fixed amount – we’ve seen most of these fees range from $1.50-$5.00 per ATM withdrawal. Which means, withdraw as much as you think you’ll really need, rather than smaller amounts several times. But... don’t get so much cash that you’ll have to convert it back to dollars, as then you’ll really take a hit. We’re generally really pleased with ourselves if all we have left after our trip is a few dollars worth of coins (which will come in handy for our next trip). ATMs also charge a 1% wholesale exchange commission, on top of the fee above.

Two ways to lower your ATM fees that you might consider:

1 – Get an HSBC ATM card, and hope that you can find an ATM in the wide HSBC network (18,000 locations). A good way to do this is to open a free on-line checking account with HSBC, fund it with only a little more than you think you’ll need in cash for your trip (to limit your potential theft/fraud loss), and get an ATM card linked to that account only.

2 – Get an ATM card from Bank of America. BofA is a member of the Global ATM Alliance, which claims 12,000 ATMs operated by member banks in the U.K., Germany, Australia, New Zealand, France, China, Mexico, and Canada.

Despite the fees, credit cards and ATM cash withdrawals are still better and cheaper than carrying traveler’s checks or exchanging hard dollars for local currency. Still, you might as well pay as little as possible for the convenience and safety of plastic.

Old postcard, Thames Embankment, London, 1928