Travel RoundUp

Now that I have wrapped up our most recent trip to Hawaii what do I have to blog about?!

…

…

…

I guess I will do a Travel RoundUp, it’s been a while since I have done one of those.

1 – This video of some Orca whales is AMAZING! It just goes to show you that what was documented in the film Blackfish is correct.

2 – With the merger of American Airlines and US Airways, American Airlines has become the largest airline company. In honor of the several smaller airlines that helped create the company, AA is releasing retro amenities kits! Take a peek!

{American Airlines, Source}

3 – Have you ever wondered what the true cost of First/Business Class perks? How much did you pay for that seat? And they only spent about $6 on your food?! Check out the details here.

4 – Boeing 787 Dreamliner is nothing but the best!

{American Airlines, Business Class; Source}

{American Airlines, Economy Class; Source}

5 – This whale was in distress and needed some help. Check out the video!

6 – Visiting a Disney park any time soon? Well their ticket prices just went up – the price for a one-day entry for anyone 10 and up is nowat $105!

7 – Check out these perks at some of America’s best airports.

8 – Ever wonder what it’s like to be a flight attendant? This lady spells it out for you!

TWITTER | FACEBOOK | PINTEREST

BLOGLOVIN | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE

Most Terrifying U.S. Airport Runways

Have you ever had a questionable landing? Or landed when you thought there was no way you could make it? We had one when we were flying back in a puddle-jumper from Key West to Tampa. There was no curtain or door to cover the cockpit and we could see just how bad the wind was rocking our little plane.

Here are some of the most terrifying U.S. airports!

Sitka Rocky Gutierrez Airport, Sitka, Alaska

{Source}

Reagan National Airport, Washington, D.C.

Aspen/Pitkin County Airport, Aspen, Colo.

Pilots need a special certificate to land in Aspen, and with good reason, especially during the winter ski season. The strip is wedged between two mountains — requiring strict control — with often low visibility and an icy runway.

John Wayne Airport, Santa Ana, Calif.

Chicago Midway International Airport, Chicago

San Diego International Airport, San Diego

Prepare to kiss the ground upon landing: San Diego International Airport is considered one of the country’s scariest airports due to several factors. First, there are mountains to the north and east, so pilots need to be on their A-game. Mexican airspace is due south, and the west brings pretty intense tailwinds. The airport is also located downtown, which is convenient for getting to your hotel in short time, but it makes for a white-knuckle descent.

Yeager Airport, Charleston, W.Va.

{Source}

Have you ever landed at any of these airports? 

TWITTER | FACEBOOK | PINTEREST

BLOGLOVIN | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE

Strange Things You See in Airports

Have you ever seen something really weird or funny at the airport? I would have said no until we went on this last trip. While we were waiting at the Houston airport I saw a woman who was occupying a seat with her stuffed armadillo!!! Yes, you read that right - AN ARMADILLO! Her husband arrived and she moved the stuffed creature to the floor but still...why did you by a stuffed armadillo?!?!? 

{sorry for the crap quality, it was on a cell phone and zoomed in}

Buzzfeed recently found some pretty funny things too. See some below and then check out the link for more.

{nice cat suit, Source}

{a guy eating frozen veggies, Source}

{money suit, Source}

TWITTER | FACEBOOK | PINTEREST 

BLOGLOVIN | INSTAGRAM

Our Business/First Flight Home

Thank you so much for keeping up with our trip to Europe! I took Friday off from blogging because it was a BUSY week and I feel like I have been posting NON STOP about this trip! I have been posting here and on TripAdvisor. I have one more post about it and then I'm done...I promise! 

First I want to talk about the airports themselves and security. The security in Frankfurt was pretty intimidating. They don’t talk to you…they just stare at you making you feel like you've done something wrong…but you haven’t so don’t worry! I noticed that people weren't taking their shoes off through security so I asked if I had to (I was wearing boots that were hard to get off). She said no but the minute I walked through they patted me down and made me sit and remove my boots?!?! What the heck! When I did this in Paris I asked the same question and they said yes, you need to remove your boots and even gave me some little booties to put on over my socks so I didn't get them dirty.

This was my second time flying this Frankfurt to Houston route. The first time is was horrible because I was sick and in coach. I have to say that our flight back on United was more enjoyable than the flight to Amsterdam. I can’t really put my finger on it but I think the seats were more comfortable but one thing is for sure, they were less noisy! The Lufthansa seats would make a lot of noise when we moved them into reclining position or a bed. So I heard everyone moving them up and down, up and down all night!

Here are some pictures from our flight home.

{Lufthansa Paris Lounge}

{Food on the plane}

{Amenities kit}

If you collect rewards points from you preferred airline Mike over at IFlyWithMiles.com can hook you for WAY less points then what you can book them for.

See all the other posts about our trip in the following links:

Flight to Amsterdam

Amsterdam

Germany Pt. 1

Germany Pt. 2

Lucerne, Switzerland

Moulin Rouge

Palace of Versailles

The Eiffel Tower 

Paris Pt. 1

Paris Pt. 2

Holiday Inn Notre Damn

Review and Video

TWITTER | FACEBOOK | PINTEREST 

BLOGLOVIN | INSTAGRAM

Favorite Airport

Happy Friday! I'm so glad its Friday;  this week has been really slow and for some reason I have been really tired...the daylight savings time, Spring Forward thing didn't help much. So today I'm going to keep it short and sweet. Have a great weekend! :)

{this is my favorite picture I took while I was in Norway}

While surfing Facebook or Instagram I saw a post from American Airlines and they asked the question, “What’s your favorite airport and why?” I thought this was a fun question and I immediately knew my answer. Bush International, Houston, TX. Why might I pick my local airport? Because it represents two things 1) I’m on my way to a new adventure or 2) I’m coming home to sleep in my own bed and see my pups! As much fun traveling is it’s always nice to come home and be back in your house.

Now, someone that travels more often might have more insight as to which is a BETTER airport, less congested, less confusing, etc.

What is your favorite airport and why?

TWITTER | FACEBOOK | PINTEREST 

BLOGLOVIN | INSTAGRAM

Working Out on Your Layover

Traveling can be stressful for some people, the lines, the waiting, the sitting, it can really get to a person and bring their physical health down. Some airports have realized this and decided to help a traveler out by adding gyms. And the ones that don’t have gyms… well here are some tips!

Hit the Gym

Some airports are adding gyms to their terminals! Airportgyms.com has compiled a list of gyms either in the actual airport or gyms VERY close to the airport if you have an even longer layover. DFW has one and so does LAX. These gyms appear to be connected to hotels that are on the airport ground; such as the Radisson Hotel at LAX. SFO has their own yoga room, located in terminal 2, and is free to all ticketed passengers.

Use Travelators as a Treadmill

If you find an empty travelator you can walk against the moving belt and get some serious cardio in.

{Travelator, source}

Walking Loops

Some airports have walking loops that are marked so you know the distance you have walked and you can do this over and over until your flight is called.

I also just started using this app called Nike Training, I really like it because you can choose your level and if you don't want to use weights you don't have to; just go with the motions...something perfect for an airport! I usually like to get some nice stretches and lunges in before boarding a long flight. I’m not usually dressed for it though.

{Source}

Do you ever exercise during a layover? If so what are some of your go-to moves?

Inspiration for this post from Samantha Brown.

Airlines Return to Civility... for a Fee

When airlines decided to start charging for checked bags what did the average traveler start doing? Cramming everything he/she possibly could into a carry-on bag!

Airline fees bring in more than $15 billion a year and are the reason the airlines are profitable. But the amount of money coming in from older charges like baggage and reservation change fees has tapered off. So they need to find a way to charge us more! But will we mind this time?

Would you pay a small fee for extra legroom, early boarding, access to quiet lounges, renting Apple iPads preloaded with movies, a hot first class meals in coach, letting passengers pay to have an empty seat next to them, have your luggage delivered directly to your home or office? I have to say after experiencing the extra leg room I am all for paying the extra fee to get it!

Delta Air Lines recently gave its flight attendants wireless devices, allowing them to sell passengers last-second upgrades to seats with more legroom. Count me in for something like this!

"We want to get back to a point where people feel like travel isn't something to endure, but something they can enjoy," says Bob Kupbens, a former Target executive and Delta's current vice president of marketing and digital commerce. I like the sound of that!

Most fares today don't cover the cost of flying that’s why there is a need for airlines to “create” all these fees. While the average domestic roundtrip base fare has climbed 3 percent over the past decade to $361.95, when adjusted for inflation, the price of jet fuel has nearly tripled.

When oil prices spiked in 2008, airlines added checked baggage fees. Passengers still bought tickets on the base price and didn't think about the extra expense until the day of travel.

Now airlines are recasting fees as trip enhancements. Tricky, very tricky!

On one traveler’s recent late-night US Airways flight home landed past six-year-old son's bedtime and she had to work early the next morning. So, for $30 she bypassed the baggage carousel and had the suitcase delivered.

U.S. airlines collect more than $6 billion a year in baggage and reservation change fees. They also collect $9 billion more from selling extras like frequent flier miles, early boarding and seat upgrades. Together, the fees account for 10 percent U.S. airlines' revenue.

Airlines now alter fees based on demand. United Airlines used to sell its Economy Plus extra legroom seats for one price per route. Today, aisle seats cost more than middle seats; prices are higher on popular flights.

Airlines are also starting to bundle items. Passengers purchase items they might not necessarily buy alone; it also simplifies the dizzying array of offers.

American Airlines offers a package for $68 roundtrip that includes no change fees, one checked bag and early boarding. Delta is experimenting with a $199 subscription that includes a checked bag, early boarding, access to exit row seats and extra frequent flier miles on all flights a passenger takes between now and Jan. 5, 2014.

You can find the full, original article here. 

Have you ever paid for any of these new extras?

Most Crowded Airports in the US

The airport can (and usually is) the worst part of traveling. You have to deal with crowds of people and long lines that at sometimes seem to stand still. When I travel I get into what I call "airport mode" and I walk about 10x faster than usual and I am on high alert! I start taking all my stuff of to go through security as soon as I get in line (an I wish others would do the same). 

Here are the top ten most crowded airports in the US (most are airline hubs)

1 - Hartsfield - Jackson Atlanta International Airport

2 - Charlotte Douglas International Airport

3 - Los Angeles International Airport - Had a layover here when flying to Hawaii, thought taking the tram was going to be a problem but it wasn't. We made our flight with time to spare!

4 - Chicago O'Hare International Airport

5 - Seattle - Tacoma International Airport

6 - McCarran International Airport - I have never had a problem here, employees are trained for large crowds

7 - Denver International Airport

8 - San Francisco International Airport

9 - Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport

10 - Newark Liberty International Airport - Again, this airport's employees are trained for crowds


Have you ever had to change planes at any of these airports? Have a story about it? Share!

How to Make Your Flight Less Miserable

Let's be real, air travel can be pretty uncomfortable sometimes. I have never really been bothered by it, I'm 5'4" and I fit in the seats pretty comfortably but my 6'1" husband does not! So anywhere we go we opt for extended leg room or business/first class if it's within reason (which it usually isn't). On our last trip to Hawaii I was finally affected by the long flight. The flight from Honolulu to Houston was over night and I fell asleep and didn't move once. So when I got up my feet where swollen! What the @*?! Guess I am starting to get old! :P

{More leg room!}

Here are some helpful tips to making your flight less miserable.

Quick change

Try and make all your seat/flight changes and have your questions answered prior to getting to your gate. You can call the airline in advance to see if you can move seats or help you out with any other questions you may have.

Loyalty matters

You'll want to join a loyalty program so you can get those free upgrades into business or first class. You'll be more comfortable and get better perks and treatment. AND you'll get much better sleep!

p.s. to get more miles get a rewards credit card from your favorite airline!

Carry on

Checked bags can be expensive these days. If we didn't have our rewards card that allowed us each to have one free checked bag we would ALWAYS try and make it with just our carry ons. I will either take my small rolling suitcase or a backpack and then a large purse. I always prefer to do carry on anyway because my number one fear when traveling is the airline losing my luggage or it being delayed.

Smart security

Ugh, make sure you know the TSA rules before even getting to airport. There is nothing more frustrating than waiting in that line and they guy in front of you goes, "you mean I have to take my belt off too?!" DUDE! Have you not traveled in the past decade?!?! COME ON! That is what I want to yell at people that do that.

In a perfect world I wish they would have 3 lines. Line 1 - People under the age of 65 traveling without children. Line 2 - People traveling with children ages 0 - 13 (all others go to Line 1). And Line 3 - People over the age of 65 and people with disabilities.

Hear no evil

Always have some earplugs when you get on a plane. Whether you plan on getting some sleep or not, you never know when you're going to have crying baby in the seat behind you.

Hydration, hydration, hydration

You should always have water with you, not just while you're on a plane. But staying hydrated it key in staying healthy while on a flight. Once when I was flying from Frankfurt back to Houston I caught a full blown cold about 2 hrs into my 10 hr flight! IT-WAS-AWFUL! You definitely don’t want to get sick while on a plane where you can't lay down and curl up and get some good sleep.   

{Drink 2 of these a day!}

Fliers’ digest

I always try to eat before we go to the airport because the food at the airport and on the plane is a) not good for you and b) expensive! Try not to have a full stomach when you get on the plane, those bathrooms are small and about 100+ or so people are sharing it with you!

{This was like $7.50}

Temperature control

You never know what the temperature is going to be like while your 35,000 feet up in the air. I always bring a jacket or hoodie and I can either use it to keep me warm or as a pillow. And if you jacket does have a hood then you can use it to keep the light out of your face while catch some z's! 

10 Ways to Cut Travel Costs

Here are a few tips to help you save when booking your next vacation.

1. Save when the flight is oversold

If you have a flexible travel itinerary this could save you (make you, depending on how you look at it) money. Airlines always overbook flights because there is a good chance someone is going to miss their flight. But in the event that everyone is present and ready to board the airline is going to offer some sweet credits and vouchers for someone that is willing to take a later flight. They could even put you first class on a later flight...SWEET!

2. Talk to the airline

Talking to airlines has gotten me nowhere in the past. The only time I can see this helping you out is if you have multiple destinations and those can get tricky to book online. Plus if you book over the phone there is usually a nice $25 fee associated with it. 

3. Book airfare and hotels

When we have done our trips to Hawaii we have booked air, hotel and car together in a package and it has saved us money no doubt! When looking at just hotel and car you'll pay that same amount if you also book air. Talk to your travel agent before booking a trip.

4. Fly out of a smaller airport

Eh, I have tried this before when I was studying abroad and in the end I don’t think it really saved us money. We flew out of the smaller airport in Oslo and flew into the smaller airport in London and we had to take a train to London and a little longer bus ride to the airport in Oslo. With the cost of the flight and the extra costs from the train and bus I think it would have been a wash. So this one greatly depends on your starting and stopping locations.

5. Choose the days you fly wisely

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday are going to be the best days to fly when it comes to saving you money. Since we don’t have kids yet we tend to fly in and out in the middle of the week because that is when there is less travel. On the weekends you get the families leaving for vacations and business people flying back home and then on Mondays you get the business people flying to their work destinations.

6. Time matters

Those 6am flights and the red eyes are going to save you some money and if your down for catching some z's on the plane why not book?!?

7. Book well in advance

We seem to book our trips about 7 - 8 months in advance. And I'll be honest, if the airline allowed me to book over a year in advance I probably would! Since we do book so far in advance we always get travelers insurance to protect us if something happens (illness, natural disaster, family emergency, etc.)

8. Coupon Codes

I personally have never used a coupon code for an airline but I do watch out for sales! I get emails from United, Southwest and American. 

9. Airport Parking

Luckily for us we are able to get uncovered long term parking for about $4 a day and all we have to do is hop on one of their buses and have them drive us to the terminal doors. If this is something that you are thinking about doing make sure you give yourself plenty of time to catch the bus and let it pick up a few more travelers and get to the terminal.

10. Special fares

I remember looking online when I was in college for student airfare and for some reason or another i never booked anything with them. Probably didn't go to the airport I needed or the times weren't right for my schedule. 

Travel RoundUp

1- Ryan Air is known for their super cheap flights around Europe. Well they are able to make these flights so cheap because stupid people mess up and are forced to pay $380 for 5 pieces of paper. This UK family was traveling back from Spain and did not print their boarding passes before arriving at the airport. Ryan Air clearly states that if you need to print your pass at the airport they will charge you for it. Do you think this is reasonable or do you think Ryan Air is going overboard?

2- Icelandair is offering free stopovers for flights from the US to Canada and over 20 European cities. Hmmm, something I'll have to think about! Iceland is on my bucket list!

3- The new iPhone is going to cause hotels all over a major headache! The one major change seems to be that the "Lightning Connector" that is located at the bottom of your phone is now smaller. This is where you plug in your cords to connect to an outlet, computer, and the iPod docks. So either you'll have to provide your own on your travels (they will cost about $30), hotels will have to provide you with one (for a fee I'm sure, how will they keep track of them?), or hotels will have to change out all their iPod docks. But what about us with the iPhone 4, what will we do?

4- I found this super awesome picture online this past week and wanted to share. The photo was taken by Ho-Yeol Ryu at the Hannover Airport in Germany. Its number 14 on the list if you click the link and here is his website.

Travel RoundUp

1. Norwegian Cruise Line’s new ship, The Breakaway, is well underway. Check out the cool picture they posted on their Facebook!

Norwegian Breakaway

2. Flight delay due to lack of XL pajamas in first class….very silly!

3. A stranded jet skier was able to climb over the fence at JFK International Airport, walk across two runways and into the Delta terminal before being noticed and arrested. Come on! He was just trying to get some help!

4. Check out the invisible helmet, an awesome invention these two Swedish girls thought up! Might be a little hot in the warmer climates

5. Ikea is getting into the hotel business! I think I would stay here if I was traveling in Europe, great way to let people test out their furniture too!

6. Singapore airlines was at the Galleria today letting people see their new Business Class seats! If this is Business Class I want to know what First Class looks like! I checked out how much it would cost for Business Class from Houston to Moscow and it was $7,000!!!

America’s Worst Airports to Catch a Connecting Flight

When I travel I get into what I call “airplane mode” I walk probably 10x faster then I normally do and people can’t seem to get out of my way fast enough! I also prefer to get to the airport about 3 hours in advance. I want to leave PLEANTY of time to find parking and get to the airport via bus from the parking lot. And then of course we have to check our bags and go through all the check points. I don’t care if I am sitting for 2 hours waiting for my flight; I am there and ready to go!

I found this article online about the top 10 worst airports in the US for connecting flights. I noticed that many of them were in the Northeast and perhaps some of these delays are due to weather but regardless; keep these airports in mind when you are traveling and need to make a connecting flight. The original article was written by Daniel Bukszpan.

                 

10. Fort Lauderdale – Hollywood International Airport

The airport is located in Broward County, FL and is about 20 miles north of Miami. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics says that 78.88% of flights landed are actually on time. So if you were in that 21.12% that was on a late flight you were running through the airport at warp speed to catch your flight. Not to worry, 19.74% of flights don’t take off on time either.

9. Washington Dulles International Airport

Dulles airport is about 25 miles west of Washington DC and in 2011 it served over 23 million passengers. 21.39% of incoming flights that year were late and 20.19% of flights had late departures.

8. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport

This other Washington DC airport served far less passengers then Dulles; 4.2 million less. Even with less traffic, 22.28% of incoming flights were late and 17.59% left late.

7. Philadelphia International Airport

In 2010 it serviced almost 31 million passengers and is the 12^th busiest airport in the world. Being so busy is going to cause some delays; 23.84% of incoming flights did not arrive on time and 21.1% of flights were late taking off.

6. O’Hare International Airport

In 2011, 24.52% of arriving flights were not on time and 25.6% of flights taking off were delayed. However, from 2004 – 2007 O’Hare was voted Best Airport in North America by Global Traveler magazine.

5. John F. Kennedy International Airport

24.66% of incoming flights arrived late and 22.49% of departing flights left late. Also, JFK’s Terminal 3 has been called the worst single airport terminal in America…ouch!

4. Logan International Airport

Logan International is the largest airport serving New England so naturally it will have some delays in 2011 they served 29 million passengers and 26.35% of incoming flights were late and 21.11% of departing flights left late.

3. LaGuardia Airport

LaGuardia, Kennedy, and Newark make up the largest airport system in the US (all airports are on this list). 27.82% of incoming flights to LaGuardia were late and 22.49% departing flights left late.

2. San Francisco International Airport

The only airport on the list that is on the West Coast, 28.62% of incoming flights arrived late and 23.72% of all outbound flights left late.

1. Newark Liberty International Airport

With a massive 33.28% of arriving flights being late and 27.03% of departing flights leaving late Newark comes in 1^st for the worst airport for connecting flights.

When I was flying back from Norway we had to turn around for an emergency landing of course making us late to arrive and we landed just as our connecting flight was taking off. But we got food and hotel vouchers and it wasn’t all bad…now if we had to sleep on a cot I would be singing a different tune I’m sure.