This has to be the worst nightmare of any passenger seated at the window on a plane. A woman documented the man beside her in the middle seat reaching past her in order to photograph out the window. He leans. He reaches. He, in effect, took over both his middle seat and her window seat.
Following my stab at a list of the 13 best movies about travel, I thought I’d work to come up with the very best songs about travel.
That’s a very different exercise than the best travel songs, this isn’t a ‘play list for the road’ it’s about borrowing someone else’s poetry to describe the travel experience. There’s no question that George Gershwin didn’t write Rhapsody in Blue to be about travel, but it’s equally clear that the 1924 composition has become inextricably linked with United Airlines.
What songs most evoke travel for you and are missing from my list? Which ones here are new to you?
A share in my social feed reminded me of this incredible story that links Chicago O’Hare and Al Capone. It’s really two stories, but stay with me until the end.
A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
My county takes credit cards for property taxes, but they charge a 3% fee. I could have Plastiq charge my credit card for the rewards and send the county a check, but they now charge a 2.9% fee.
Property taxes in Texas are a big deal. I pay about 1.5% of my home’s assessed value each year (the assessed value is likely lower than current market).
This hotel had been ‘off my list’ for awhile. They finished renovations a little over a year ago, and they did a fantastic job of it. My priors had been stuck in 2012, when my wife stayed at the Park Hyatt Chicago and reported a dirty, dusty in-room phone with missing and stuck buttons.
That’s no longer the case. The hotel is much brighter than it used to be – no longer the same dark tones – and the service and attention to detail here were fantastic. I absolutely enjoyed my stay.
A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
At the end of last year I shared the hotel observations of a reader who racked up 249 elite nights on the road, mostly with Marriott, Hyatt, and IHG hotels.
He expected his travel to slow down to no more than 150 nights. That didn’t happen. And he reports back after a year on the road, sleeping around a bit across different chains.
Most checked bags in the U.S. are limited to 50 pounds. Anything heavier than that and you’ll pay extra. First and business class passengers, and those with elite status, may be allowed 70 pounds. When you approach the check-in counter, they’ll weigh your bags, and if your luggage is overweight you’ll be assessed an extra fee. But some passengers are using a trick to make their luggage seem lighter.
A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
