Gadling Take Five : Week of August 30-September 5

by Jamie Rhein on

This week, as the Olympics ended, we welcomed blogger David Breisch to the Gadling fold. This was a busy week of diverse travel options, breakthroughs and oddities.

  • Jerry tuned us into what travel to a volcanic island is like with two separate posts. The first post, of his two part series “The Krakatau Journal: An island paradise that can kill you,’ and the second post, offer Jerry’s personal account of his trip to this volcanic island in Indonesia. He also details other volcanoes one can hit on an adventure vacation.
  • If you’re thinking that Hooters in Beijing is like Hooters in the U.S., like the big Os in the word “hOOt,” think again. As Josh, pointed out, the waitress costumes and build are not the same, even though it sounds like the food is. Josh’s story caught my eye because there was a knock-off Hooters in the town where I lived in Taiwan–except the name was wrong. The sign said, “Hooties.”
  • We can chalk one up for consumer complaints. As Grant reported, United Airlines has decided to nix the idea of charging people for meals on international flights. Who would ever have thought charging was a good idea is beyond me.
  • If you’re looking to bed down for the night in an unusual place, Scott has the answer. In his post “Spend the night in a Jumbo jet without leaving the ground,” he gives the scoop on the Jumbo Jet hostel that will open at the airport in Stockholm. As Scott says, you need to be a mile off the ground a mile to join the Mile High Club. Having adult fun in a jumbo jet on the ground is not the same thing.
  • For entertainment that is not particularly expensive, Meg’s post on the American Shakespeare Center in Staunton, Virginia presents an idea that might be perfect for a fall weekend. The ticket price of the plays are reasonable and the Blue Ridge Mountains, where the theater is located, are stunning when the leaves change color.

Have a wonderful weekend. I hope there’s a festival near you. I hit the Popcorn Festival in Marion, Ohio today and am heading to the Honey Festival in Lithopolis tomorrow. Last week was the Sweet Corn Festival in Millersport.

Virgin America completes inaugural JFK – Vegas flight

by Grant Martin on

As we’ve been reporting on all week, Virgin America just kicked off service between JFK and Las Vegas with their inaugural flight. Christening an A320 aircraft “Entourage Air”, the cast of HBO’s Entourage showed up in a hangar at JFK to squirt Champagne all over an eager Adrian Grenier-googly-eyed audience, then quickly slipped off for other premier events all over the country.

On the way to the kickoff party at the Palms in Las Vegas, passengers were treated to some of the amenities that first class passengers can expect on Vegas bound flights later this fall: (very) plush “Entourage Air” blankets, Godiva chocolates, Altoid mints and Kiehls amenitiy kits with moisturizer, shampoo and lip balm. We also got to see a preview of season five’s opener, which should be airing this weekend – you can catch that and other episodes on their RED entertainment system from now on in flight.

Las Vegas airport was ready for us with a fire engine salute when we got there, and as we taxiied into our gate two giant plumes of water arced over the aircraft – I later learned that traffic at the airport has tapered off recently, no doubt because of decreased demand for vacation flights – so the tourism board is doing whatever they can to make Virgin happy.

In that light they threw an opening reception at the arrival gate, complete with showgirls, cake, more Champagne and a few fine words from local oil tycoons dignitaries.

It took a while to transfer and check into the Palms – apparently they didn’t realize that when an airplane full of people is going to check in that you need to staff your front desk – but near 9PM the party started to get rolling at the Playboy Club up on the top of the tower. We quickly found out that drinks were on “special” until nine thirty, so stocked up on Red Bulls & vodka since most of us were still on Eastern time.

I could tell you about all of the exciting things that went on at the Playboy club and then later on that night – shots, gossip and photos with the Virgin America crew, Michael Phelps apparently showing up at the bar and the wild, wild affection that some of our fellow bloggers share for each other – but you’re probably not interested in that.

The prevailing point is that New Yorkers now have a direct line into Vegas on Virgin America, Travel and Leisure’s “Best Domestic Carrier” and one of the most innovative airlines in the skies. If you have a tenth as much fun as Gadling did on your flight out to Sin City, it’ll be worth every dollar you spent.

Update from the Virgin America JFK-LAS inaugural flight.

by Grant Martin on

Late last month we heard news that Virgin America was kicking off service between New York’s JFK airport and Las Vegas and would be celebrating the event with the christening of HBO’s “Entourage Air” with the cast in New York and a party at the Palms casino in Vegas.

Now, in the midst of the debauch we’re checking in to update you on how the event is unfolding. Just after 1PM Gadling was asked to show up at hangar 12 right outside of JFK airport, an open air structure with the Virgin America “Entourage Air” A320 parked underneath. Walking up to the gate, two models showed up to escort us down the red carpet towards the hangar, where music was playing, couches were laid out and there were a hundred or so people milling about.

With Champagne, Grey Goose and Bombay Dry flowing freely, the crowd patiently snacked on hors d’oeuvres speculating about the arrival of Branson and the entourage until finally the crew snuck into the back of the aircraft, a few suits made some announcements and the entire lot burst from the front boarding door.

I’m not sure how rehearsed the entire spectacle was – apparently Sir Branson was late getting in – but after they posed for a few photos the entire crew of Adrian Grenier, Kevin Connoly, Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrara and Richard Branson as well as the creator, Doug Ellin came down the steps, grabbed bottles of Champagne and burst them open in front of the port engine. Someone tracked down a microphone for a few nebulous questions, then the cast unfortunately had to leave. Later, Devon, one of the PR associates at Virgin told me that they had tons of events associated with the HBO premier so had to jet out to the city as soon as possible.

As for the hundred or so people in the hangar, however, we were headed to Las Vegas for the after party and some grand old socializing. At 35,000 feet we were privy to another speech from the brass then delighted with a pre-screening of the first episode of this season’s Entourage which airs this weekend. With four more hours left to Vegas, we were left to explore own wiles, which is where you’ll find me now, tucked under a plush “Entourage Air” blanket.

Supposedly the afterparty takes place at the Playboy club in the Palms. Stay tuned for a full report from the event and all of the juicy pictures!

New Airline Makes Catching a Plane Almost as Easy as Catching a Taxi

by Josh Lew on

It happens all the time. The one hour flight from one city to another is turned into a five hour adventure with security checkpoints, baggage claim traffic jams and surly airport staff. It would often be easier, cheaper and faster to drive (literally). If only there was an easier way to fly.

A new airline in the Pacific Northwest is seeking to take the hassle out of commuter flights. The small Portland-based company SeaPort only has 3 turbo-prop commuter planes. That’s all it needs, because its only route is between Portland and Seattle. But what’s special about SeaPort is, like corporate airplanes usually reserved for the rich and/or famous, they fly under the FAA’s general aviation rules. That means that they can fly out of smaller airports where security screening and other hassles aren’t required. In Portland, for example, SeaPort uses the business aviation area, not the main terminal, of the Portland International. In Seattle, they land at Boeing Field, a crowd-less airport six miles from downtown Seattle. The result, no waiting in lines. The airline’s goal is to get passengers from downtown Portland to downtown Seattle in 90 minutes. The price of a flight: $149 one-way. That is marginally more expensive than flying the same route on a traditional budget carrier. But, the time saved just might be worth it to many.

Holy water may be blessed, but don’t carry it on the pope’s plane: The pope says so

by Jamie Rhein on

A friend of mine told me this summer about how his small jar of apple butter was confiscated at the TSA security check. He was hoping to bring it from Minnesota back to Montana..

Another person recently told me that the snow globe she was bringing back as a souvenir from her vacation to California this summer was also confiscated by TSA. Unfortunately, she read the post about snow globes not being okay in a carry on after she lost her treasure.

Turns out, there is something else to think about when you pack. If you have holy water on you, even if it is blessed by the pope, better be safe and tuck it into your checked bag–particularly if you are traveling with the pope on his plane. Put it in your carry on and it might be confiscated.

Pope Benedict XVI, recognizing the hazards of holy water in a carry-on, is warning people that even the smallest amount could be a problem reports this Reuters article. Pope Benedict was specifically referring to people traveling with him to Lourdes, France from September 12-15.

People travel to Lourdes on a pilgrimage to see the spot where the Virgin Mary appeared to a peasant girl in 1858. Picking up holy water as a souvenir is part of the occasion.

Like the pope, Air France has warned against bringing holy water onto the papal plane as well.

As for other airlines, other planes, and other occasions where you may be bringing holy water home with you, I’d pack it in a checked bag, or take your chances with a bottle if it’s no more than 3-ounces.

But, remember the apple butter and the snow globe and those half empty bottles of bottled water dumped into the trash by TSA. There’s no telling what might happen when you hoist that carry-on onto the conveyor belt that passes through an X-Ray machine.

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