GADLING’S TAKE FIVE: Week of June 10

by Adrienne Wilson on

Here’s a handful from the week that you may have looked over some how and for one reason or another they deserve all your attention. Take five, 15 or 50 minutes exploring these posts from this week.

5. Urban Camping: Tents in the Big City?:
Like camping or sleeping in your car? Here’s a lovely gear idea to get you doing both right out on your urban neighborhood street or avenue or boulevard.

4. Internet Everywhere with AutoNet Mobile:
This one is for real internet junkies or professionals who actually need the net on the GO. See how you can get broadband internet service for your car.

3. America’s Most Miserable Airports:
A trip through the airport can be a trip in itself. Find out which airports you should try avoiding this summer when making plans that may include a layover or flying through them all together.

2. Eating Your Way Through the Ethnic Neighborhoods of Los Angeles:
Looking for something different to feast on in the city of Angels tonight? The options are endless as Neil points out in this spotlight on some of the ethnic neighborhoods serving up exotic plates. Oh, and they’re delicious too…

1. A Canadian in Beijing: Shannon’s Wings:
Ember pays homage to a close friend who committed suicide and walks us through the details of an accidental bird sanctuary visit. The piece is touching, beautiful and thought-provoking. Hands down one of the best for the week…

America’s Most Miserable Airports

by Willy Volk on

US News & World Report recently looked at the 47 largest hub and non-hub airports in America. After analyzing data that included on-time performance and average load factor (i.e., how crowded the airplanes are), they assigned an “Airport Misery Index” to each airport. The more tardy the airport and the more crowded the airplane, the higher the Misery Index.

Guess which airport is the most miserable:

This list represents only the top 10 “most miserable” airports in the US. For the entire list, see US News & World Report. Some things of note about the results:

  • JFK ranks as the airport with the greatest percentage of flights delayed.
  • Honolulu is the best at maintaining on-time departures.
  • Honolulu has the highest average load factor.
  • Houston’s Hobby Airport has the lowest average load factor.

Pricey, Gourmet In-Flight Meals

by Neil Woodburn on

While the rest of us poor mopes are forking out $10 for an in-flight boxed lunch with soggy sandwich and a few carrot sticks, the wealthy are now enjoying entrées from some of the world’s most famous restaurants while jetting around Europe.

NetJets, a company which specializes in “fractional ownership” of jets for individuals and companies, has inked a handful of deals with some of the best restaurants on this planet to provide catered food on their flights.

Thinking of jetting from London to Barcelona? Just peruse the online menu featuring items from Ubon, the Four Seasons Hotel, Yayatcha, Vama, or other culinary heavy hitters and your boxed meal will not only be waiting for you when you board, but heated up and tasting just like it does in the exclusive restaurant from whence it came–or so I’m told.

But, it doesn’t come cheap. Lunch from Ubon, for example, runs up to 140 euros. And, of course, it’s only available on NetJets where, if you have to ask how much, you can’t afford it.

There are ways to land yourself a tasty gourmet meal on a commercial airline as well. If you happen to be staying at the Bulgari Hotel in Milan, for example, their acclaimed chef will whip up a scrumptious lobster salad with caviar, prawns, and lemongrass to go for just 80 euros. I’m sorry, but if you sit next to me and my bag of peanuts on United Airlines with such a meal, I just might have to beat you with the seatback tray and steal your food.

Hurricane Season: Be Prepared to Protect Travel Dollars

by Jamie Rhein on

Once, when flying to Taiwan for a vacation, we were delayed in Seoul for a night because a typhoon was possibly coming through. The delay didn’t cost us anything because Korean Air put us up and gave us meal vouchers. We also didn’t have an expensive hotel waiting for us in Taiwan. I think we were staying in a hostel or something and our friend who was to meet us at the airport in Taipei contacted them when our plane didn’t show up.

With hurricane (and typhoon) season here, it doesn’t hurt to know some steps to not let the weather wreck havoc on your vacation budget. One suggestion is to get travel insurance. The insurance guarantees a refund if you have to cancel or delay a trip. Extra days in a hotel and rebooking flights are covered. Other expenses are covered also. You may not need insurance though if you’re flexible. (I think this is true after I read the article “Don’t let a hurricane blow summer travel.”)

For example, if you’re already on a trip, and you have to leave your lovely abode on the beach because a hurricane is seriously on its way, the airline, according to the article, will rebook you on whatever flight is available. In this case, you’re already covered. Where the insurance comes in is if you want to change your itinerary because a possible hurricane is coming and you don’t want to take a chance. If you haven’t left for your trip though, you may be able to switch the dates for the trip if a hurricane is heading to where you planned to go.

If you’re on a cruise, the cruise-line may have to rework the itinerary, so the island you thought you were going to is not a destination. In that case, you probably won’t get compensated by a refund, but you can get some credit to spend money on the ship.

Hotels also may refund or give credit for future hotel days for your unused days. To get refunds on admission to Florida’s theme-parks you needed to have bought your tickets through the theme park booking agent. At least that’s what I gathered from this article. When we were in Disney World on Christmas Day it rained buckets for about four hours. It turns out there was a hurricane that passed through 10 miles away. Since the weather wasn’t severe, just inconvenient, I assume this didn’t count. The park was packed.

Basically, if you’re not much of a risk taker and want piece of mind, perhaps it’s worth the cost of the trip insurance to know that a refund is on its way. Here’s a travel insurance Web site I came across that let you compare companies and coverage. Here’s a Lonely Planet link to a travel insurance they recommend for international travel.

Cheap Flight to Europe via Las Vegas

by Neil Woodburn on

Sometimes the cheapest way to fly is not always the most obvious. Take for example Condor Airlines. This German-based budget airline has a direct flight from Frankfurt to Las Vegas that can save you a bundle–providing you can get a cheap flight to Vegas, baby!

This is how it works. Last night I priced out a fictional trip leaving June 24 and returning July 1st on the Vegas/Frankfurt flight. The price was $613. The only problem is that I don’t live in Vegas. But, I do live in Los Angeles, a cheap gateway to Vegas. A quick jump over to Southwest determined I could buy a roundtrip ticket from Los Angeles to Vegas for $196. That brings my total to $809.

The cheapest Los Angeles to Frankfurt ticket on Kayak, on the other hand, starts at $1349.

The Vegas detour saves $540!

The trip becomes even cheaper if you plan far enough in advance and buy your Southwest ticket for $100. And then, of course, there is the possibility of winning big at the slots in the airport while waiting for your Frankfurt flight–although I wouldn’t fold that possibility into your expenses.

Las Vegas not close enough for you? Condor also flies to Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Orlando, as well as a couple of places in Canada. And, Frankfurt isn’t their only European destination.

Mixing and matching airlines in such a manner can certainly save you some dough, but keep in mind that if Southwest gets you to Vegas late and you miss your Frankfurt flight, the airline has no obligation to help you out since they are not partners with Condor. But, for $540, I’m willing to take that chance.