“The Economist’s” business travel blog, Gulliver, posted this video entry yesterday on fuel dumping. In this instance, fuel dumping isn’t what the F-111 pictured above is doing; it’s the practice of booking extra legs on a trip, which you don’t plan on taking, to trick airline-booking systems into offering you a much lower fare.
New York City Expected to be Top Thanksgiving Destination
Whether it’s for the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, to visit relatives or just to do a little drinking, New York City is expected to be the top U.S. travel destination this Thanksgiving, according to TripAdvisor. If you’re planning on being part of that in-crowd, here are some dining and entertainment options for you.
And if you’re heading home to New York City, here are new places for you to check out.
Thanksgiving Dinner
That same TripAdvisor report said that 16 percent of Americans will eat at a restaurant on Thanksgiving, largely to avoid cooking. The Refinery Hotel’s Refinery Rooftop $25 continental breakfast comes paired with a view of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. At The Maritime Hotel’s La Bottega, chef Lucia Piscopo is putting an Italian spin on Thanksgiving dinner with dishes like sautéed Tuscan black kale and offers a vegetable lasagna.
Entertainment
Looking to get away from the relatives for a spell (or at least get everyone out of the house)? The New York Pass can get you into 80 attractions. It comes in one- ($85), two- ($130), three- ($160) or seven-day ($210) increments. If the options are overwhelming, make use of one of its itineraries, which are based on neighborhood or theme. The New York Pass also includes fast-track entry to 15 marquee sites.
Airport Dining
Not only are U.S. airports are continuing to increase their health dining options, they’re getting tastier too. Restaurants by OTG in Delta’s gates in LaGuardia Airport (concourses C and D) feature collaborations with famed New York chefs Michael White (Cotto), Andrew Carmellini (Victory Grill) and Anne Burrell (Vagabond Burger Bar). And if you’re traveling with kids, the iPads on every table should keep them occupied, at least until boarding time. Then, you might want to follow these tips for flying with kids.
And this May, Delta unveiled a revamped terminal 4 at John F. Kennedy International Airport, which features Danny Meyer’s Shake Shack and Blue Smoke on the Road. Terminal 2’s dining options are undergoing a similar overhaul. While renovations aren’t slated to be finished until next summer, some temporary eateries opened in September.
U.S. Airports Continue to Increase Healthy Dining Options
So much for the “there’s nothing else to eat” excuse for a preflight bender at Cinnabon. According to a new report from the nonprofit Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, “76 percent of restaurants in 18 of the nation’s busiest airports offer at least one cholesterol-free, plant-based entrée.”
In 2001, the same group found just 57 percent of airport restaurants offered at least one healthy option. The healthiest airport according to this year’s study was Denver International Airport where 86 percent of eateries offered a high-fiber, plant-based option.From the press release:
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport makes the most impressive gain this year, with a 14-point increase, and ties with Los Angeles International as the third healthiest airport.
Las Vegas McCarran International Airport takes a nosedive, with a 23-point decrease from last year’s score, moving the airport from second to second-to-last place. Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson loses 7 points and finishes last with a score of 51 percent.
The study made no mention of how the food tasted.
Tour Owner’s Response to Bad TripAdvisor Review Recorded, Set to Music
It’s a story almost as old as the Grand Tour of Europe itself: traveler takes tour in Italy, traveler gives it a poor review on TripAdvisor, guide allegedly calls traveler to complain about the review, traveler records phone call, call gets set to music and posted on YouTube where its language makes it NSFW (at least without earphones)..From YouTube:
A tourist gave a bad review on TripAdvisor for a very boring tour (he had 8 other tours with 4-5 stars in his profile – but this one was just bad). After the tour guide read it, he flipped out and called the tourist & decided to go into a tirade, despite being told he was being recorded. When I heard the story (from the tourist), I was shocked & offered to make this video of his story (I am better at MovieMaker). The tour guide’s name may not be able to be posted without his permission due to Italian privacy laws (TBD). But anyway, enjoy & be careful on review sites!
Gay Marriage Expected to Boost Hawaii Tourism by $217 Million
Yesterday Hawaii governor Neil Abercrombie signed a bill legalizing gay marriage in the state. The move means the archipelago should be saying aloha to an influx of tourism dollars.
“Now, the island chain is positioning itself for a boost in tourism as people take advantage of the new law,” according to The Washington Post, which cited an estimate from a University of Hawaii researcher that gay marriage will boost tourism by $217 million over the next three years.The researcher’s rationale: gay couples in other states will travel to Hawaii for ceremonies, receptions and honeymoons. The boost to Hawaii’s tourism industry is expected to level off, however, as more states legalize gay marriage.