Circle the Globe on Budget Airlines for just $1600

by Neil Woodburn on

With the spread of budget airlines across the globe, it’s becoming much easier and cheaper to connect them all together and circle the globe itself.

Take the example of Telegraph journalist Charles Starmer-Smith. He came up with the crazy idea of circling the globe using only budget airlines in as short amount of time as possible. The result was an eight-day, London-to-London haul that cost a mere £800 –- roughly $1600 dollars. Here is how he did it.

London to Bermuda on Zoom, £199
Bermuda to New York on JetBlue, £94
New York to Los Angeles on Southwest, £93
Los Angeles to Honolulu on Southwest, £90
Honolulu to Melbourne on Jetstar £151
Melbourne to Darwin on Virgin Blue £76
Darwin to Singapore on Tiger Airways £68
Singapore to Hong Kong on Jetstar £74
Hong Kong to London on Oasis Hong Kong £115

Wow, that is a long haul to many amazing places. Imagine spreading that out over a three month holiday! Don’t you just love budget airlines?

One bit of advice for Charles Starmer-Smith, however. Head east instead of west next time and you will add another day to your life just as Phileas Fogg did.

For more insight on his round-the-world travels, click here.

Two Kids Get Mixed-Up By Airlines: One Ends Up in the Wrong Place

by Jamie Rhein on

Two kids were recently mixed up by Northwest Airlines. One ended up in Florida instead of Oklahoma. While the other one was talking to a passenger after he boarded the plane, he found out he was going in the wrong direction and hightailed it back to the terminal. The girl showed up at the gate in Florida and met the boy’s grandmother. Both kids were on a connecting flight in Memphis. (Read story.)

The two kids look nothing alike. One is a female, black and 9-years-old. The boy is 11-years old and white. It’s true that one can mistake 9-year-olds for 11-year-olds, but, usually by that age, boys aren’t mistaken for girls and skin color ought to be a give-away. The paperwork was correct. So far, no one is saying what caused the mishap.

For kids to travel alone, parents or guardians pay extra money to make sure their offspring end up where they are supposed to according to plan. Since many divorced parents are living in different parts of the U.S., children traveling alone is not that uncommon. Most of the time the system works well, so there’s not too much to worry about if you send a child winging across the sky on his or her own.

To make sure that your child is as prepared as possible, here are some suggestions from the airline safety experts:

  • If your child hasn’t spent time away from you all that often, consider non-stop flights only.
  • Give your child a copy of the travel itinerary and make sure the person on the receiving end has a copy also.
  • Give your child change, a cell phone or a calling card to use if the plane is delayed.
  • Make sure you know the airline’s regulations for unaccompanied passengers before your child sets off in the airline’s care.
  • Meet the head flight attendant and introduce your child to that person so there is a heads-up that there is an unaccompanied child on the plane, and if possible accompany your child to his or her seat to go over the what to watch out for details.

Here are some reader comments from the New York Times on-line about on sending children off alone on an airplane

For more kids travel safety tips, click here.

Newark Airport Spa: Layover Bliss

by Neil Woodburn on

I’m not a big spa person, but on occasion when my body is sore from sitting too long and my neck muscles are all scrunched up–like when I’ve been on a long fight–a massage can be the perfect remedy.

That’s why I’m pretty excited about D_Parture Spa located, in all places, at the Newark airport.

No, I’m not going to swing by during my next stopover to Russia and get a facial, bikini wax, pedicure, manicure, or any of the other frilly services they offer. But, I sure might consider indulging in their 50-minute European Body Massage ($90) or a 30-minute foot massage for $50.

And the best perk of all? Napping privileges if space provides.

Suddenly that horrific 3-hour layover sounds a lot easier to stomach.

New York Helicopter Taxi: Getting to the Airport on Time

by Neil Woodburn on

It’s expensive, but if you ask me, it’s still a great deal.

For just $159, passengers flying out of JFK or Newark Airports can take a helicopter taxi from Wall Street or East 34th Street in the middle of Manhattan.

Sure, it’s about three times what one might pay for a regular taxi, but it is a major stress reliever when it comes to time. In addition to reaching the airport in just eight minutes, the heliports also clear passengers through security and check them in (Delta and Continental flights only). Naturally, with so few passengers, this process is also incredibly faster than at the airport.

And the best thing of all, you get to fly over New York City in a helicopter. Cool!

Powernaps at the Airport

by Neil Woodburn on

Imagine getting 30 minutes of quality naptime while between flights at the airport. I don’t mean dozing off in some uncomfortable chair, or even curled up in the fetal position on the floor. I mean 30 minutes of uninterrupted, deep REM sleep.

This is now possible at Vancouver Airport thanks to a cool new devise known as Metronaps.

This futuristic-looking Lazy-Boy chair features a “privacy visor” which folds down and blocks out light and noise while enveloping the sleeper with soothing sounds and lullabies.

The idea is based upon the 30-minute powernap–a concept which is gaining much ground these days among health professionals dealing with stressed out employees.

Metronaps initially launched to rent units to companies seeking to boost productivity and morale amongst their employees through capitalizing on the mental health benefits of a quick nap (“improved mood, lowered stress, and greater psychological balance,” according to the Metronaps website).

It wasn’t long before someone realized that this amped-up crib would be perfect for airports. I can’t wait until more start appearing around the world.

In the meantime, if you don’t find yourself anywhere near the Vancouver Airport in the near future, just swing by the Empire State Building where a public Metronaps awaits your Zzzzz’s.