This video of a Delta jet making a rather amazing landing has been making the rounds. I’ve seen it on Facebook, and three readers sent it to me. The strength of the nose gear on the Boeing 787 is very impressive! But… this didn’t really happen. Delta has ordered 18 Boeing 787’s. None have yet been delivered. This sure looks like a computer-generated background. Microsoft Flight Simulator? A training simulator? Definitely not a video of an actual landing. Don’t try this one for real, pilots! You can join the 40,000+ people who see these deals and analysis every day — sign up to receive posts by email (just one e-mail per day) or subscribe to the RSS feed. It’s free. You can also follow me on Twitter for the latest deals. Don’t miss out!
It’s Too Dang Early for This!
The meal service standards that US Airways went to in the spring — and American adopts tomorrow — call for an ‘enhanced snack basket’ in first class on all flights from 700 to 999 miles. Fort Lauderdale – Washington National is 899 miles. So it gets an enhanced snack basket. It’s not an ‘exception market’ for a meal like the shorter Chicago O’Hare – New York LaGuardia. Here’s the thing. There actually is some variation in the snack basket. Sometimes it has fruit. Sometimes there are shrink wrapped breakfast cakes. And sometimes there’s not. Like on a 6:55 a.m. departure. I appreciate catering, especially departing from a terminal where the only ‘restaurant’ offering hot food didn’t get the hot food ready for opening and where only one place offers something they even call a cappuccino…
Two Rolex Watches Were Stolen From This Hotel Guest. You’ll Never Guess Where They Were Found!
News and notes from around the interweb: Simon Mall gift cards – that come with PINs and can be used to buy money orders – can now be purchased online for ~ $5 per $500 all-in. An important reminder for avoiding tourist scams: you’re not that good looking and irresistible (and expensive watches just make you a target, not an amazing wooer of women). That rolex will just get stolen. (HT: Alan H.) Pretty cool new DC public transit app Thai Airways is getting a bailout. What the front desk is saying when they talk about you. Hint: It’s all quite necessary and business-appropriate. (HT: Alan H.) 500 Virgin America Elevate points for 99 cents You can join the 40,000+ people who see these deals and analysis every day — sign up to receive posts…
Always Enter Your Car Rental Confirmation Numbers into Autoslash for Savings – It’s Free!
Reader Brian B. offers a good reminder: Needed minivan + different city return… ended up with Budget @ [$600+] + $350 one-way fee! …I fill out Autoslash’s form. I forget about it. 10 days later (4 days before my trip) i get a response. Mid-size SUV @ $450 (instead of $950 for a minivan). Wow! Book immediately. Two more emails and the price is $410. I would not have re-checked Avis four days before the trip. This saved me $600! But yet service remains shady looking. But I now love those guys more than usual. I first covered Autoslash.com in June of 2010. Back then there were two things this free website would do for you: They would automatically test and apply coupons and discount codes to get you the lowest rate on your vehicle…
A Sneaky Test to Determine if a Hotel’s Improvements Are Real or Just for Show
Back in April I reviewed the W Austin. I led with it being a good hotel, but I had a few beefs. I’ve reviewed several hotels in the Austin area: the Hyatt Place Downtown, Westin Austin at the Domain, and Hyatt Regency (also here and here). The W is my favorite of those by far — right smack downtown, but not by all the 6th street bars (so quieter) and with a view of the river. What I didn’t like was mostly housekeeping-related. There were usually room service trays sitting in the hallway outside of doors for most of the day, and room servicing was a bit less than thorough. At the end of May I wrote about a much, much better experience there where they had seemingly fixed their issues. But they had also…
The Westin Diplomat – and its Limitless Ocean View Suites – Becoming a Hilton
The Westin Diplomat outside of Fort Lauderdale has been sold and it is leaving Starwood and will apparently become a Hilton. SPECIAL CONDITIONS Leaving Starwood At 11:59 PM On October 29, 2014 The Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa, Hollywood, FL will be leaving the Starwood system at 11:59pm on October 29, 2014. Reservations for dates on or after October 29, 2014 will not be eligible for Starwood Preferred Guest membership benefits, award redemption or accrual. Starwood may have to re-accommodate guests that have booked award stays past October 30 elsewhere,
Mystery Solved: What’s That You’re Eating, and What’s That Plane Doing There?!
To complement Ben’s Chili Bowl at National airport we have Five Guys re-opened on the fa US Airways upper gates pier. I genuinely don’t understand the closure for the better part of the last year, the re-model looks… just like it did before. The real mystery, though, that took me several minutes to figure out was why I was seeing this American plane on the far US Airways pier. There are American regional jet flights now leaving from the far pier, utilizing US Airways bus gates. But I hadn’t seen any American mainline aircraft re-positioned. When I got to the gate, I saw it wasn’t an American flight after all! It was a US Airways aircraft that had been repainted in American’s livery. Well that’s confusing! Change is coming to National airport in many forms!…
Here Are The Worst Airports in the US. Is Yours One of Them?
Vice President Joe Biden thinks New York LaGuardia is a national embarrassment. It’s home to a new American Express Centurion lounge. Terminal C is much-improved, and the new US Airways club there is no longer the worst airline lounge in North America. The Marine Air Terminal, home to Delta’s Shuttle to DC, is super easy in and out (and the other terminals aren’t bad in this regard). Plus it’s close-in to Manhattan, I’ve frequently left midtown after 3pm and had no problem gliding onto the US Airways Shuttle to DC at 4. No, the truly worst airports in the US feature long travel distances to their respective city centers, are difficult to navigate especially for connections, and are often dilapidated as well. Here are my six worst airports in the US. Miami There’s very little…
Booking Star Alliance Awards Using Amex Points And No Fuel Surcharges With Aeroplan
Aeroplan is an American Express transfer partner. Points transfer instantly in my experience over the years. The Aeroplan program is great for booking awards on Star Alliance partners. Nearer Europe is just 45,000 miles each way in business class. But not all partners are created equal when using Aeroplan to book awards — because three years ago they started adding fuel surcharges onto awards booked with some airline partners. Aeroplan does not impose fuel surcharges on all of its airline partners, though.
Friday Evening Open Thread: The Very Best Travel Wisdom
I’ve learned a few things, from the time I traveled frequently as a kid (my parents were divorced and lived on different coasts), to when I first started traveling for work in the mid-1990s. But the very best learning has come from other frequent flyers. So I’d love to hear from you. What is your best travel tip? What you you learned – about travel, or anything else – this week? But also, What are you wondering, or what would you like to know? Have you booked any great awards recently? Have you found any great restaurants or off-the-beaten path spots in your travels? If instead of offering a tip or idea, you decide you have a question, leave it in the comments. It would be great if other readers had answers. Hope your weekend…
