Quick, tell us everything that you know about Nordhordland. Of course, you know it’s a region of western Norway. Don’t know much else? Well, apparently it’s the perfect place for a super villian to establish is base of operations. Why? Well, proximity to the sea, ample power sources and a vast supply of educated labor make are just a few of the reasons that Nordhordland would be a great place to build a doomsday device. Of course, its low crime rate might throw a wrench in that evil machine. Regardless, this is one of the most creative promotional videos we’ve ever seen. Well played, Nordhordland.
Join Gadling + Delta Air Lines + The Nomading Film Festival in New York City this Saturday
It’s been a busy year at Gadling. Paul Brady and Stephen Greenwood hit the road on a wonderful journey across the United States and filed dispatches while Traveling the American Road. David Farley spent a good long month in San Francisco exploring the Barbary Coast and lived to tell the tale. Don George won a Society of American Travel Writers Award for his story the Email and the Aerogramme. We merged with the Huffington Post. We broke a few traffic records. We yelled and chased each other in circles.
Seven years after our inception, however, we’re still here and we’re still telling travel stories. And to celebrate that milestone we’re teaming up with our old friends at the Nomading Film Festival (NoFF) and Delta Air Lines to host a bona fide happy hour for our friends and colleagues.
Delta will be providing free drinks from 7PM as well as prizes for each person in attendance. We’ll also have swag from the Huffington Post Media group and if you’re lucky you might even get your picture taken with the guys from NoFF.
Please take some time to swing by for a visit and say hi. You need to sign up for a free ticket and prizes at this link, then meet us at Lolita Bar from 7 – 9PM. After that, we’ll go where the night takes us.
Once more, here is that link. See you at Lolita.
SkyMall Monday: Is the tugo rolling luggage drink holder clever or idiotic?
I typically have very firm feelings about a SkyMall product. I either love it with all of my heart or hate it with a fiery passion. We’re not shy with our opinions here at SkyMall Monday headquarters. So, you can imagine how I feel this week when, well, I’m not sure what to think about the featured product. My gut tells me that it’s horrible. Heck, my mind tells me that, too. But, some other part of me, as small as it might be (please save your penis jokes for the comments), feels like some people my like it. Or even love it. As much as I want to despise it and question its existence, I’m actually shocked that I’ve never seen it being used before. It strikes me as the kind of thing that hordes of people might actually enjoy. And that’s why I need you, dear readers. Help me decide whether to believe my gut or that other little part of me. What do you think of the tugo rolling luggage drink holder?Meandering around the airport is no easy task. You have to keep track of your boarding pass, ID, luggage, kids, Cinnabon, etc. Your luggage will take up at least one hand (unless you’re towing it behind you with a body harness). That leaves you with one free hand for all of those other necessities. In theory, any device that helps you free up your hands is a good thing (except for Bluetooth headsets, which make you look like a massive douchebag). And yet, the tugo seems so wrong.
Perhaps the product description will help us decide:
No more fumbling with your drink when pulling your rolling luggage. Tugo securely nestles coffee cups, water bottles, baby bottles and more, keeping them stable and level.
Provides a handy and secure place for your drink while walking the concourse or sitting at the gate.
Would you rather fumble with your drink while you’re walking (presuming that you’ve yet to master drinking, in which case, perhaps you should consider using a sippy cup) or have your beverage perched precariously above your moving luggage? Are those the only two choices? In this scenario, it would appear so.
Well, what say you, SkyMall Monday readers? Is the tugo rolling luggage drink holder brilliant or moronic? Vote below and share your thoughts in the comments. Oh, and if you need some help deciding how to cast your vote, there’s a video of the tugo for you below, as well.
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Check out all of the previous SkyMall Monday posts HERE.
Americans leave an average of 11 vacation days on the table each year
We’ve spent the past two weekends trying to plan a last-minute pre-holiday getaway and keep coming to the same conclusion … it’s just too busy at the office to take time off right now. Turns out, we’re not alone – a recent Harris Interactive study conducted on behalf of JetBlue Airways found that 57% of working Americans will have unused vacation time at the end of the year, and most of them will leave an average of 11 days on the table – or nearly 70% of their allotted time off.
The survey also showed that while more than 60% of those with vacation days believe they deserve to take their time off, 39% report having reservations about asking their boss for a vacation.
It’s difficult, as numerous studies show that employees who don’t use vacation time have lower levels of productivity and satisfaction with their job, as well as higher rates of health problems.
To assist, JetBlue launched a “Getaways Granter,” a new custom Facebook application that serenades bosses with a custom video request for vacation approval.
“We were surprised to learn that almost a third of American workers feel guilty, nervous or stressed when asking for a day off of work,” said Grant McCarthy, director of JetBlue Getaways. “Whether outdoor wrangling, island hopping, or romantic retreating, JetBlue Getaways wants to help people make the most out of their unused vacation days. We believe people deserve their vacations, so much so that we will go out and ask their boss for them.”
With the new Getaways Granter, JetBlue will take the edge off of requesting vacation days by allowing fans to plug in their desired number of days off before choosing from four destination themes to suit their getaway needs. They can even upload a photo of their supervisor to be featured in the video, crooning bosses everywhere into letting employees take their much-needed getaway.
Hmm. We’re pretty sure that our boss would prefer a politely-worded email. The program, while creative and an interesting way to use social media to get the world out about Jet Blue, seems like a gimmicky promotion that won’t go over well in the workplace. Still, we hope you remember to take advantage of your vacation time.
Flight museum offers a ride to the past
Galveston features a number of attractive features for travelers. In the Texas island town over the weekend for the US debut of Carnival Cruise Lines new Carnival Magic, Gadling got to sample a few of them. One that stands out as a must-do for aviation buffs is the Lone Star Flight Museum. This rare collection of restored war aircraft ranks as one of the finest and most rare in the world. Uniquely, many of the museum’s historic aircraft still fly today and were flying while we were there.
Tours of the museum that can take as little as a hour ($10 per person) for the “just curious” or far longer (and far $more) for “this is my dream come true” aviation fanatics. That later group might enjoy a ride in one of these “warbirds” and for them, the price may be well worth every penny.
The B-17 Flying Fortress ($425 per person with group rates) was flying while we were there and was an Army Air Corps heavy-duty bomber in World War II. The four-engine aircraft flew strategic bombing missions over Europe armed with .50 caliber machine guns and five thousand pounds of bombs. 13,000 B-17’s were produced over the course of the war, of which only 13 still are airworthy today. The aircraft flew around Galveston Island while we were there, offering a birds-eye view and perspective not possible driving in from Houston. The Flight Museum’s B-17 is painted in the colors of ‘Thunderbird’, an aircraft with the 303rd bomb group which flew 116 missions during World War II.
Another prize of the collection, the B-25 Mitchell was a versatile medium-duty bomber which flew in both the Pacific and European Theaters during World War II. The Flight Museum’s B-25 was the official aircraft of the Doolittle Raiders. It honors the 80 brave men who flew 16 land-based B-25s off the USS Hornet in the first raid against the Japanese on their own soil. A ride on this one runs $375 per person with group rates.
Probably one of the best parts of a visit to the museum is the walking tour led by aviators who have flown these aircraft and offer a unique perspective on their contribution to the wars they were used in.
“The logistics of even being able to fly these aircraft in a European war are staggering” said Larry Gregory who heads the museum. “Some of these burn 200 gallons of fuel an hour, would fly four hour missions, and thousands of them could be in the air at any one time, all very far from the United States. Getting them there, keeping them repaired and loaded with fuel and ammunition was an immense job, a tribute to American ingenuity and one of the main reasons the US prevailed.”
The internationally recognized Lone Star Flight Museum contains an award winning flying collection of over 40 historically significant aircraft that also includes a P-47 Thunderbolt, F4U Corsair, F6F Hellcat, Spitfire and Hurricane.
Photo: Chris Owen