Gadling’s 10 days of gadget giveaways – day 7 – Yougetitback tag pack

by Scott Carmichael on

Welcome to day 6 of Gadling’s 10 days of gadget giveaways. Today’s prize is for a pack of Yougetitback security tags.

Yougetitback tags were recently featured as one of the best travel technology products of 2008 in our top 25 lineup.

These sturdy tags attach to your gadgets, luggage or keys and provide an ID number and toll free phone number for honest people to contact, should they find your lost item.

Don’t forget to enter our previous giveaways, and to come back later this week to enter the remaining 3!

  • To enter this contest, simply leave a comment below telling us whether you have ever lost something valuable on a trip.

  • The comment must be left before Tuesday December 2nd 2008 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time.
  • You may enter only once.
  • Three Prize Winners will be randomly selected to each receive an assortment of Yougetitback tags.
  • Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, and the District of Columbia who are 18 and older.
  • The total value of each prize is $40.
  • Click here for the complete official rules of this giveaway.

Zagat’s 2008 best airlines survey

by Grant Martin on

After receiving my 37th email of the day from an airline PR firm hailing their place in this year’s Zagat survey, I decided it might be worth taking a look into it. Rather than trumpet one airline’s accomplishments over the rest in any particular category, however, I’ll give you the straight up list of their #1’s. You can find it on their website too.

  • Best Large Domestic Airlines (Premium Seating): Continental Airlines
  • Best Large Domestic Airlines (Economy Seating): Jetblue Airways

  • Best International Airlines (Premium Seating): Singapore Airlines
  • Best Airline Websites: Southwest Airlines
  • Best In-Flight Entertainment: (Domestic): JetBlue Airways
  • Best In-Flight Entertainment (International): Virgin Atlantic Airways
  • Best Consumer On-Time Estimates (Domestic Only): Southwest Airlines

  • Best Midsized Domestic Airlines (Premium Seating): Virgin America
  • Best Midsized Domestic Airlines (Economy Seating): Midwest Airlines
  • Best International Airlines: (Economy Seating): Singapore Airlines
  • Best Frequent Flier Programs: Southwest Airlines
  • Best Value for the Money: (Domestic): Southwest Airlines
  • Best Value for the Money: (International): Continental Airlines
  • Best Luggage Policy (Domestic Only): Southwest Airlines

Prevailing theme? LOW COST CARRIERS. The airline with the best hedged fuel and most leverage in industry, Southwest, captured the most awards, while other carriers like Jetblue and Virgin America cleaned up with most of the rest. The only other domestic airlines to take home prizes were Continental Airlines and the near-defunct Midwest Airlines.

Perhaps this will send a message to the legacy carriers that they’re quickly losing ground to the younger, low-cost crowd and that it’s finally time to come off of their high horse and cater to the masses. Or perhaps they’ll use this as another excuse to instill fees and figure out how to make mileage tickets more expensive. My guess is the latter.

Photo of the day (11.24.08)

by Abha Malpani on

This is an aerial shot of Lake Nasser, in Abu Simbel, Egypt, taken by flickr user BrittElizabeth. Great shot. But how must it have been taken? From a helicopter, or from a high cliff facing the lake? Or with some super lens?

I also like this shot because it’s not something you expect to see when you think of Egypt. In the glory of the Pyramids and the local culture there, we forget that there exist remote, dry, desert-like spots. I also find this shot interesting as it shows arid land next to water; makes you wonder why there isn’t more vegetation in this area.

Got a pic you want considered for Gadling’s Photo of the Day? Submit it here.

Luggage weighs more than you think it should? Maybe it’s the scale if you’re at JFK

by Jamie Rhein on

Let’s say you’ve weighed that piece of packed luggage at home. You’ve checked the weight several times. You are satisfied that the weight is not over what the airline will allow for no extra charge. You know that you have a terrific scale that doesn’t lie.

Feeling confident in the weight that you are now hoisting onto the scale at the airline check-in counter, your eyes bug out because your luggage is two pounds over. “How can that be?” you ask the person who is getting ready to write you up the bill for overweight baggage.

If you are at an American Airlines ticket counter at JFK, the difference between your luggage weight at home and your luggage weight at the airport may be caused by the scale at JFK. According to this NY Post article, the American Airlines’ scales are sometimes not calibrated correctly. In one instance, a check of scales at both La Guardia and JFK found that 102 scales out of 810 were not accurate.

When a scale is not accurate, it’s supposed to be taken out of commission until it is fixed. Although airlines aim to comply with this rule, sometimes faulty scales are still used. For example, of the 120 that were not working correctly, 10 were still being used a couple days later.

From what I gather after reading the article, the scale problem is mainly with American Airlines. The airlines does claim to spend mega bucks on scale calibration.

If you see a red sticker on a scale that says ‘condemned’ and the scale is still being used, let the Department of Consumer Affairs know about it. With American Airlines charging the heftiest fee for overweight baggage, one pound can make a difference.

[The photo by Todd Huffman is of a scale at the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. I wonder how accurate this one is? Maybe American should look into it.]

Airport people watching games

by Annie Scott on

I try to get work done at the airport. When I manage it, I usually do very productive, focused work. But by “manage it,” that means I need a comfy place to plug in my computer, decent wifi reception, and preferably someone bringing me food and drinks and not staring me down to get the table back.

When these conditions are not met, I make up people-watching games. “I Spy” is so last millennium. Here are two that worked for me at JFK last week, as I munched on ciabatta bread that had the texture of a rubber doorstop.

1. Hairwatch
You can play with a friend (whoever spots the ‘do first gets the points), or against yourself in twenty minute intervals. Points are allotted as follows:

Didn’t brush their hair today and probably not yesterday either – 1 point
Creepy/bad highlights – 1 point
Unnatural colors like purple or green – 2 points
Mullet – 10 points
Big as Texas – 5 points
and the ultimate: Scrunchie – 20 points

Watch for foreign flight attendants with the scrunchies. Who told them that was okay?

2. Baby Mamma Drama
Another point game:

Stroller – 2 points
Stuffed animal – 2 points
Stroller with pregnant mom – 5 points
Twins – 5 points
Child strapped/harnessed to adult – 5 points
Crying child – 10 points
Child in bar – 10 points
Child on leash – 20 points

But don’t let people know you’re looking at their children, they’ll think you’re creepy.