“Blizzard blasts Colorado and Wyoming!” “Mountain snows forecast for the Pacific Northwest!” “Cool air slides into New England!” Do these weather headlines have you daydreaming of someplace sunny? In a new slide show, “ Tropical Vacations: No U.S. Passport Required ,” Bing Travel highlights the lovely geographical band that encircles the globe in a warm embrace. Tropical vacations can include far-flung destinations such as Brazil, central Africa and Indonesia. But American citizens have options closer to home that don’t require a U.S. passport. Florida and Hawaii are obvious choices. For other opportunities to enjoy the beach and stimulate...
For the first time since February, the Bing Travel 100 Airfare Index is higher than it was a year ago. Throughout the summer of 2009 (indicated by the red line), fares were substantially lower than they were in summer 2008 (indicated by the blue line). This is mostly because prices in 2008 were extraordinarily costly (due in large part to the huge run-up in oil prices), rather than because this summer was especially cheap. Still, it’s a little bit surprising that fares took so long to get back to parity. If we look at average airfare by travel date, comparing today’s prices to fares a year ago, we can get an idea of what’s driving this trend: Prices this year are higher than...
We learned this week that two people were arrested for stealing up to 1,000 pieces of luggage from baggage claim carousels at the Phoenix airport. While this is shocking news, it also isn’t that surprising, considering how relaxed security is in the arrivals area of the airport, compared to the departures level. If you’re like most travelers, you take great care with any luggage that you plan to check, usually securing a tag with your contact information in the event your bag becomes lost. At the ticket counter, you may have to pay a fee to check your luggage, but you have the comfort of knowing that your bag’s been tagged carefully by the airline. And before it goes down a...
Want to make history? You can still be the first person on your block to sail on Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas, which will debut next month as the world’s largest cruise ship. Oasis could easily have been named “Mammoth of the Seas.” It’s nearly five times the gross tonnage of the Titanic, one and a half times longer than the U.S. Capitol building, sports 16 decks and has a capacity for 6,296 guests. It will have seven “neighborhoods,” loft suites, an ice rink, a zip line, a climbing wall and surfing pools. The ship made news this week when it had less than two feet of clearance to squeeze under a Danish bridge as it left its Finnish shipbuilding...
How’s this for a scary statistic? According to USA Today, the government’s terrorist watch list hit 1 million listings in March. Ah, but not so fast. Because so many suspected terrorists have multiple aliases, the list actually represents about 400,000 individuals, according to FBI officials. And since the government accidentally tags so many innocent people — 33,000 listings were removed from the list last year by the FBI Terrorist Screening Center — the number of actual terrorists is likely much, much lower. That’s good news for all of us. But for innocent folks whose names match those on the list — including such well-known individuals as the late Senator...
Last Friday, we heard news that Southwest Airlines booted a woman and her cranky 2-year old off a California-bound flight. The child’s screams of "Go! Plane! Go!" and "I want Daddy!" were allegedly so disruptive that other passengers could not hear the preflight safety announcements. Southwest has since apologized to the woman, but chatter about the incident has not subsided around our offices. It seems that everyone has experienced a flight with an unruly passenger or two. The funny thing is, it appears that the biggest tantrums are usually thrown by adults. Some of the best stories I’ve heard today are about passengers who burst a gasket when the airline didn’t have the meal...
Most of what you read about airlines these days is bad news. Ticket sales are down, surplus planes are being retired to the desert and long flight delays are stranding passengers. Yet, despite the economic struggles that are affecting many carriers’ bottom lines, some are still managing to make passenger improvements that have been a long time coming. In a new article from Budget Travel, Bing Travel highlights many of the flight innovations that you’re sure to love. From new seats on Cathay Pacific that don’t squash the passenger behind you to cabin lighting on Virgin America that reduces the effect of jet lag, the airlines are stepping up their game. Getting yourself and your...
Three in four Americans believe in the paranormal, according to a 2005 Gallup poll. If you’re one of them, you may be interested to know which accommodations are touting in-room extras that go beyond champagne and chocolates. In a new slide show, “ Haunted Hotels of North America ,” Bing Travel offers a spooky guide to spirited stays. Among other choices, you can safely explore the Stanley Hotel of Estes Park, Colo., which inspired Stephen King to write “The Shining,” and New York City’s Hotel Chelsea, which has the specter of guests who check in, but don’t necessarily check out. Sometimes the most unlikely phenomena can be found at unlikely hotels. The...
Unlike international visitors to the U.S. (see related post, “ Visiting the U.S. shouldn’t be this hard ,”) American travelers are usually welcomed warmly by state governments the world over. There’s no place on Earth where Americans are forbidden to go, save for maybe Cuba, which doesn’t mind “forgetting” to stamp the passports of American visitors who violate the U.S. embargo. Americans need only a passport to visit more than half the countries in South America, and any country in western Europe. That includes Greece and Poland, two members of the European Union whose citizens must obtain a visa to visit the U.S. And only since June 1, 2009, have Americans...
While most first-time visitors to Europe choo-choose to travel by train, consider the convenience of driving. Behind the wheel you’re totally free, going where you want, when you want. Driving in Great Britain and Ireland is wonderful — once you remember to stay on the left and after you’ve mastered the roundabouts. But be warned: Every year I get some emails from traveling readers advising me that, for them, trying to drive in Great Britain and Ireland was a nerve-wracking and regrettable mistake. Here’s a tip: If you want to get a little slack on the roads, drop by a gas station or auto shop and buy a green “P” (probationary driver with license) sign to put...
Stonehenge. The Egyptian pyramids. The lost city of Atlantis. These are the kind of travel mysteries that ignite the human mind and kindle the desire to travel. Then again, there are travel mysteries of a more mundane nature that leave us yearning for more information. For example: Where does lost luggage go? Why are there no cruises from Boston to Miami? And why don’t most hotels have a 13th floor? Writer Eric Lucas tackles these questions in a new article on Bing Travel, “ 8 Unsolved Travel Mysteries .” He also explains why your cell phone may not work overseas, why you have to be 25 years old to rent a car and what happens to all the shampoo, soda and toothpaste confiscated...
The comments on my last blog turned into an informal but telling poll on which destinations speak most eloquently to Bing readers. Topping the list was Paris, which got a third more votes than any other destination. I’m hoping this means that the pervasive prejudice against the French and French culture, which has blossomed in the U.S. over the last eight years, is on the wane. If you read the original post, you’ll see that the City of Light is certainly on my list. With more museums and historic sights than any other destination in the world (a whopping 160+), extraordinary restaurants and an intellectual, fashion-savvy populace that sets the standard for sophistication, I think...
The pop-culture phenomenon of the “ Twilight ” book series, and the films based on those four books by Stephenie Meyer , has resulted in a tourism boom from the dampest corners of the Pacific Northwest to the hill towns of central Italy. “Twi-tourism” will even reach the high seas when a “Twilight”-themed cruise sets sail in August, 2010. From the time the first book, “Twilight,” was released in 2005, Forks, Wash. , was on the minds — and maps — of many of its readers. Located in the northwest corner of the state, Forks appealed to the author for the record rainfall (and the resulting lack of sunshine) the area receives. It is where...
Today marks the first day of our second Bing Travel “TwavelTwivia” Twitter sweepstakes. Tout your travel smarts and you could be one of our lucky winners* to receive a $500 travel voucher. The first prize up for grabs: a $500 voucher to @AlaskaAir ! Don’t miss your chance to have some fun and win free travel on us, with additional prizes including $500 vouchers for JetBlue, Virgin America, Marriott Hotels, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts and more. There are 10 opportunities to win, so be sure to pay close attention to your Twitter feed for our twice-daily #TwavelTwivia questions. Who wouldn’t appreciate a little help getting home for the holidays? Sweepstakes details...
When Northwest Airlines Flight 188 missed the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport by about 150 miles on Oct. 21, only to double back and land safely, speculation began to swirl around what happened. After investigating, the National Transportation Safety Board issued an advisory stating, “The crew said they were in a heated discussion over airline policy and they lost situational awareness.” But could the pilots have been so chatty that they failed to notice they were out of radio contact for one hour and 18 minutes? Or, as some have suggested, did they succumb to fatigue and fall asleep? Cockpit-voice recorders could have the answers. Trouble is, the one involved is outdated and contains...
