Search Results for: blog travel kiosks

Travel Tidbits: Easy Check-In and Another Reason to Visit Germany

American Airlines is making it even easier for passengers to check in for flights… provided you have a Web-enabled cellphone and know how to use all of its features. The airlines’ newest service won’t help cellphone-free travelers like my mom, but if you are a frequent flyer who never leaves home without your personal electronic device then I would highly recommend using American’s recently upgraded mobile website. The expanded service allows customers to check in for flights and look at itineraries on their Web-enabled cellphones. Waht’s more, in a few weeks the airline’s new service will allow travelers to book … Continue reading →

Budget Travel Tips: Florida and Las Vegas

FLORIDA If your holiday travel plans include a trip to one of Florida’s many theme parks you can save your screams for the rides instead of shattering eardrums at the admission gate. Ticket prices at Florida theme parks are enough to send a lot of folks screaming from the gates, but if you are planning to visit the parks this holiday season you will be thrilled to learn that your wallet won’t be hit as hard as in years past. Busch Entertainment Corporation—–the owners of SeaWorld Orlando, Busch Gardens and other Florida based theme parks—just unveiled new a new pricing … Continue reading →

A New Option For Those Traveling With Banned Liquids

I’ve covered the new rules regarding banned liquids stored in carry-on bags. I’ve even covered the new relaxed rules regarding banned liquids. If you’ve been able to keep track of it all, here’s one more to add to your packet of airline info: Travelers flying out of Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport are now being offered an alternative to tossing out precious perfumes and other high priced liquids that are banned on carry-on bags. According to officials, the airport has implemented a 60-day pilot program (that started Monday) whereby passengers can either mail the items to their final destination or have … Continue reading →

Getting Your Camera Vacation Ready

Memory cards, memory cards, memory cards… if only I had remembered the memory cards. I just returned from a trip to Hawaii where I learned a few lessons about digital cameras… the hard way. First, memory cards. I did remember to place one in my digital camera prior to flying 5,000 miles from my house. However, that’s all I brought—-one. Granted it was a 4GB memory card that could accommodate more 1000 images on my particular digital camera, but here’s the rub: Not all stores in Hawaii are equipped with photo printing kiosks that can read cards with more than … Continue reading →

Oregon Road Trip

In a previous blog I noted that there are ways to tour the state of Oregon without blowing out your entire travel budget for the year. As I mentioned earlier, U.S. Highway 101 in Oregon takes you by some of the Beaver State’s most incredible scenery. The well-traveled road also leads you to some of the area’s most affordable lodgings (think $35-$50 per room per night). You can save more by setting up camp in one of the state’s lush parks. From Astoria, Oregon take the drive south to save even more in Newport. The historic waterfront district has a … Continue reading →

Busy Airport Gets Major Boost

The good news: London Heathrow Airport just opened a new $8.6 billion state-of-the-art terminal with some of the most luxurious accommodations in the world. The bad news: Unless you are a higher-fare premium customer you won’t get the opportunity to indulge in the terminal’s ultra-luxe amenities. Still, airport officials say the addition of the new Terminal 5 will greatly improve the travel experience for millions of travelers who fly British Airways. (The new facility was designed specifically for the 30 million or so passengers who fly with the carrier.) For example, frequent flyers will now be pampered in the terminal’s … Continue reading →

Ways to Save Money on Vacation

Settling on a vacation spot everyone in the family can agree upon is only half the battle. Once you know where you are going there is the challenge of budgeting for transportation, meals, souvenirs and other incidentals. The following tips are ones I have compiled from my own family’s cross-country adventures. Some may seem a bit obvious, but the fact is they are effective and have served us well over the years. Hopefully they can do the same for your family as well. COUPON BOOKS. Never underestimate the power of a coupon. I used to completely ignore those kiosks loaded … Continue reading →

Would You Stay In A Hotel Like This?

I’m all for staying in an affordable, clean hotel room. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but it would be nice if I didn’t have to worry about the roof falling in while I slept. I’m fairly certain all four walls would remain standing with the newest trend in hotel rooms… but then again how many hotel rooms have you stayed in that came out of a box? Qbic Hotels is introducing low-cost, high design prefabricated rooms that can be plugged into any existing space in any city in the world. Which begs the question: Would you pay to stay … Continue reading →

How To Eliminate Waiting in Long Lines For Lady Liberty

Maybe great minds think alike. Or, perhaps imitation really is the sincerest form of flattery. Either way it seems there’s a growing trend among top tourist attractions—the use of technology to cut down on wait times to get in. Just yesterday I told blogged about the Colosseum’s efforts to shorten the time tourists have to stand in line to experience one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. The ancient Roman arena has catapulted itself into the 21st Century by allowing visitors to purchase tickets in advance and bypass the mile-long lines that can form during the height of … Continue reading →

Tsunami Museum

My mom was just an infant when a deadly tsunami obliterated her hometown of Hilo, Hawaii back in 1946. The massive wave killed 159 people, but spared thousands of others, including my mother and my grandparents. In the decades following the incredible natural disaster, the city has been rebuilt and is prospering. However, the memory of what occurred in the early morning hours of April 1, 1946 will live in perpetuity thanks in part to the creation of the Pacific Tsunami Museum located in exact location where the tidal wave hit. The museum is one of the Big Island’s most … Continue reading →