European Union officials say the limit imposed on liquids flying in and out of the EU could be lifted by 2010. They are relying on new scanning technology to differentiate between regular liquids and dangerous substances, such as explosives. Read more…
Here’s another reason to work while on vacation…
According to Reuters:
CHICAGO (Reuters) - AMR Corp’s American Airlines began offering Internet access on long-haul domestic flights on Wednesday, making American the first U.S. airline to offer full in-flight broadband.
The world’s largest airline said its passengers on Boeing 767-200 aircraft can pay $12.95 for Internet access on nonstop flights between New York and San Francisco, New York and Los Angeles, and New York and Miami.
According to the New York Times:
WASHINGTON — Advocacy groups and some legal experts told Congress on Wednesday that it was unreasonable for federal officials to search the laptops of United States citizens when they re-enter the country from traveling abroad.
Civil rights groups have said certain ethnic groups have been selectively profiled in the searches by Border Patrol agents and customs officials who have the authority to inspect all luggage and cargo brought into the country without obtaining warrants or having probable cause. Read more…
Finally, someone has made finding a hostel as easy as finding a hotel. Tfthostels.com is the world’s first online search engine for hostels, combining searches from Hostelworld, Hostelbookers and Hostelsclub to give you as many (and as cheap) choices as possible. Works just like any of those hotel search sites, except you get a much smaller bill at the end of your stay.
Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, has gained a reputation for putting up buildings bigger and faster than anywhere else in the world. The city is chock-full of superlatives: the world’s tallest building, the world’s largest mall, and, coming soon, the world’s longest bridge. An oasis of skyscrapers and urban sprawl in the Arabian Desert, this city is determined to do everything with luxurious flair: hotels (Dubai claimed the world’s first seven star hotel), bars, and restaurants with the highest quality service—but be prepared for sky-high prices.
More on Dubai HERE
Check out WatchMojo’s Travel Profile on Dubai:
Montclair, CA (PRWEB) March 4, 2008 — The iMCruzer Apple carrying case creates a sigh of envy among iMac owners who fear a data crash when transporting the delicate high-end 20- and 24-inch computers.
The indestructible Pelican iMCruzer air-line safe shipping case is designed to protect your expensive and delicate Apple iMac 20- and 24-inch computer with aluminum keyboard and mouse. The revolutionary design is another CaseCruzer travel solution.
This breakthrough Pelican carrying case with its custom foam interior protects slim monitors against the jolt and impact of rocky roads, careless baggage handlers and bustling trade shows. The case is 27.38 inches in length and width, and 16 inches high. It weighs about 38 lbs when empty. And like all Pelican products, the iMCruzer is watertight, airtight — and arrives with an unconditional lifetime guarantee.
The ingenious concept of the iMCruzer carrying case ensures an ideal fit for your elegant desktop because it was inspired by the compact, disposable packaging your iMac arrived in. You know Apple wants your computer to arrive safely. But a shipping box really only needs to succeed once — upon delivery. Now add CaseCruzer’s Pelican Plus mindset and quality control takes on a whole new dimension. The iMCruzer design provides safe arrival not once or twice — but every time you hit the road or lift off.
Also, the iMCruzer’s retractable handle and wheels make it easy to roll through any airport, convention hall or business presentation with flying colors. And the two mangle-proof fold-down side handles provide safe lifting into or out of a car or airport transport vehicle. This lightweight yet crush-proof case is the natural choice for professionals who cannot be without their powerful computers while on business or vacation trips.
Jim Wilson, deputy director of photography at the Boston Globe, had a special destination in mind for his two 20-inch Apple iMacs — the 2008 Super Bowl in Arizona. He was disappointed that the New England Patriots lost, but thrilled with the reception of his iMCruzers.
“They were the envy of the Super Bowl. We showed up with these things and everybody was like, ‘Wow. Where’d you get those?’ The other photographers and editors wanted one,” he said.
Wilson configured the two iMacs to edit images the six Boston Globe photographers shot during the big game. “I’ve done a few Super Bowls, and in the past other cases have broken in transit. Or I’m used to shipping equipment in boxes with gaffers tape. I shipped the iMCruzers FedEx and they arrived at my hotel without a problem. I’m a happy customer,” he said.
It’s no riddle why “Have Apple Will Travel” has emerged as a new irresistible way of life.
Trusting a flimsy laptop and notebook bag is no way to treat a legend. Owners of the sleek and revolutionary Apple iMac have grown accustomed to quality performance and excellent service. And that’s the long and short of why CaseCruzer began developing the iMCruzer carrying case: Before the new iMacs were even available, the firm received inquiries about its intentions to create an exclusive travel case that lived up to its reputation for innovation and superior strength and design, all coupled with crowd-pleasing reliability.
Like other CaseCruzer products, iMCruzer is an excellent example of a unique and timely response to the special needs of a population on the move. Ready to roll with your Apple iMac? Think iMCruzer carrying cases. Where one legend meets another.
For more info, visit www.casesbypelican.com; call 800-440-9925 in the U.S.
This can’t possibly be good news. I am all for Wifi on flights, but calls? Oh no, sacre bleu!
read more.
For the price of a couple of drinks, you will soon be able to log on and surf the Web, access emails and what now. That is pretty sweet.
“I think 2008 is the year when we will finally start to see in-flight Internet access become available,” said Henry Harteveldt, an analyst with Forrester Research, “but I suspect the rollout domestically will take place in a very measured way.” “In a few years time,” he added, “if you get on a flight that doesn’t have Internet access, it will be like walking into a hotel room that doesn’t have TV.”
I’ve always being against phone calls… the noise pollution would be insane, but surfing the web… yeah, I can go for that.
If you thought Dubai was on a crazed mode to build and conquer the world, China is never one to be left behind:
Higher than both the London Eye and the Singapore Flyer, which opens in March, the Beijing Great Wheel will tower 208 metres (682 ft) when finished in 2009, executives said on Monday, which would make it the highest and largest in the world.
The giant ferris wheel will have 48 air conditioned observation capsules, each of which can carry up to 40 passengers, and on a good day even the Great Wall is expected to be visible in the mountains to Beijing’s north.
Wow. Read more.
NEEDHAM, Mass., Oct. 25 /PRNewswire/ — TripAdvisor®, the world’s largest travel community, today announced the results of its annual travel trends survey of more than 2,500 travelers from around the world. Top trends identified in the survey are concerns about germs, the growth of green tourism, and opposition to cell phone use on planes. TripAdvisor also unveiled its TravelCast list of emerging hotspots for 2008 with Jerba, Tunisia topping the list.
Clean Conscious
Eighty percent of respondents are concerned about germs, bacteria and viruses when traveling. Airplanes are the most germy, according to 28 percent of those polled. Public transportation was next, followed by restaurants, hotels, and airports. Respondents outside the U.S. were particularly worried about the risk of germs at restaurants, while Americans are far more wary of airplanes.
Fifty-five percent of travelers said they tend to wash and disinfect their hands more often while traveling. In keeping with the germaphobia trend, 27 percent of Americans either bring their own disinfectant and cleaning supplies, shower shoes, pillows, towels or linens, when going on a trip. This number has climbed from 22 percent, when TripAdvisor first spotted the germaphobia trend in 2005. Forty-five percent of travelers said their worst experience at a hotel was a dirty bathroom or dirty sheets, and 17 percent said their worst experience was the presence of vermin. Travelers also cited clean restrooms as a top criterion for what makes an airport great.
Growing Greener
Twenty-six percent of respondents said they will be more environmentally conscious in their travel decisions in the coming year. The green trend may be evident in their choice of transportation — 22 percent said they’ll go biking while on vacation this year, compared to 13 percent, last year. Forty-seven percent of travelers plan to go hiking this year, up from 43 percent, last year.
Tech Turn-off
Seventy-eight percent of travelers believe that mobile phones should not be allowed on flights. When asked if they think they have a right to tell an airline passenger sitting next to them to turn off video content they deem inappropriate, 58 percent said “no.”
Weak Dollar Woos Outsiders
Fifty-four percent of respondents from outside the U.S. said that favorable exchange rates will inspire them to travel to the U.S. more in the next 12 months. On the contrary, 41 percent of Americans said the unfavorable exchange rates will either prevent them from going, or limit their travel to Europe in the coming year.
Waste Not, Want Not?
Fifty-four percent of Americans have four or more weeks of vacation time each year, and 47 percent believe they “need” six weeks of vacation or more. But, they are not even spending all the time they currently have. Only 64 percent of Americans used all of their vacation time in the past year. Asked why they won’t take all of their vacation time, 28 percent of U.S. respondents said they can’t afford to be away from work. Forty-eight percent of Americans check their work voicemail or email on a long weekend, which jumps to 78 percent when taking a trip of a week or more.
Head of the Class
Thirty-two percent of travelers (and 34 percent of Americans) are planning to engage in educational activity on vacation this year, such as a cooking or art class, up from 25 percent (and 28 percent of Americans), last year.
Outside Influences
Sixty percent of respondents from the U.S. said that the possibility of terrorism is still a consideration when planning where to go on their next vacation. Forty-five percent of Americans said the possibility of natural disasters (such as a hurricane, tsunami or earthquake) is on their mind, and 36 percent said the cost of fuel influences where to go on their next vacation, despite the recent decline in gas prices. Five percent said uncertainty with mortgage rates is affecting the way they plan travel in the next year, and six percent said the volatile stock market is affecting their travel decisions.
Loosening Up
Fifty-three percent of travelers said it takes them less than a day to unwind when on vacation, while 35 percent take 1-2 days to relax. Twenty-four percent of travelers said they are likely to dress more provocatively while on vacation and 19 percent of travelers have had to impose the “whatever happens in X destination, stays in X destination” rule with their travel partners. Twelve percent of respondents have been to a clothing-optional or adults-only resort.
New Airlines Are Hot
Seventeen percent of travelers are planning to try a new airline this year. Virgin America is the most popular choice of new airlines among respondents.
Golden Wings: Top Airlines
American Airlines was the favorite airline among worldwide respondents, and British Airways and Southwest tied for second favorite airline. British Airways was selected as the top airline by travelers outside the U.S. Travelers selected these airlines as their favorite primarily because of their friendly and helpful staff, good on-time arrival and departure records, and comfortable seats. U.S. Airways was the least favorite airline, according to respondents.
Golden Gates: Top Airports
The favorite airport in the world, according to travelers, is Schipol International Airport in Amsterdam. Las Vegas McCarran and Orlando International tied as second favorite. Eighty-one percent of travelers said the primary factor that makes an airport great is it’s easy to navigate and get to your gate. London Heathrow and Chicago O’Hare tied as the least favorite airport in the world, according to travelers.
Additional Travel Tidbits
Travelers will average about three vacations in the coming year. Beaches continue to get hotter, as 64 percent plan to vacation to a sandy destination this year, compared to 59 percent last year. Florida is the most popular U.S. state that worldwide travelers intend to visit in the next 12 months, and internationally, 34 percent of Americans are planning to visit Europe in the year to come.
Jerba, Tunisia, TravelCast’s Next Hot Spot in 2008
TripAdvisor(TM) TravelCast is a barometer of what’s hot in travel destinations. TripAdvisor engineers have developed a proprietary algorithm that looks at several criteria including changes in search activity and postings throughout the world’s largest travel community, www.tripadvisor.com. The TravelCast then predicts the rising stars in travel. The top three emerging world hotspots for travel are Jerba, Tunisia, Makadi Bay, Egypt and Phangnga, Thailand. The complete world and U.S. top ten lists are provided below.
TripAdvisor TravelCast Top Ten World Destinations for 2008
1. Jerba, Tunisia
2. Makandi Bay, Egypt
3. Phangnga, Thailand
4. Kovalam, India
5. Sabaudia, Italy
6. Asilah, Morocco
7. Ko Phangan, Thailand
8. La Plagne, France
9. Yangshuo, China
10. Kotor, Montenegro
TripAdvisor TravelCast Top Ten U.S. Destinations for 2008
1. Sunny Isles Beach, Florida
2. Kitty Hawk (Outer Banks), North Carolina
3. Seward, Alaska
4. Kailua, Hawaii
5. Blue Ridge, Georgia
6. Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania
7. San Marcos, Texas
8. Paso Robles, California
9. Rockport, Texas
10. Copper Mountain, Colorado
“The major trends we’re observing are that travelers value cleanliness above all else and are becoming more environmentally conscious,” said Michele Perry, director of communications for TripAdvisor. “Based on TripAdvisor’s TravelCast, the top emerging world destination is Jerba, Tunisia, and Thailand is the hottest country, featuring two destinations in the world’s top ten.”
About TripAdvisor Media Network
TripAdvisor® Media Network, operated by TripAdvisor, LLC, attracts nearly 30 million monthly visitors (source: comScore Media Metrix, Digital Calculator Report, July 2007) across eight popular travel brands, TripAdvisor® sites, bookingbuddy.com (TM), cruisecritic.com(TM), independenttraveler.com(TM), seatguru.com®, smartertravel.com(TM), travel-library.com(TM) and travelpod.com(TM). TripAdvisor-branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, with more than 25 million monthly visitors, five million registered members and 10 million reviews and opinions. Featuring real advice from real travelers, TripAdvisor-branded sites cover 270,000+ hotels and attractions and operate in the U.S. (http://www.tripadvisor.com), the U.K. (http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk), France (http://www.tripadvisor.fr) and Germany (http://www.tripadvisor.de).
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