An open letter to a traveler living a hundred years from now

by Aaron Hotfelder on

Dear traveler,

You may not realize it, but a lot has changed in the travel world since my fellow Gadling bloggers and I were roaming the globe back in 2010. If you’ll indulge me for just a moment, my dear traveler from the future, I’d like to share with you a look at how things used to be…

First of all, it won’t surprise you that air travel was much different way back in 2010. The airlines were starting to charge us extra for all sorts of things that used to be free – headphones, meals, checked luggage, carry-on luggage, using the bathroom – which inspired many an indignant blog post. (In the previous sentence, you’ll notice I referred to them as airlines, plural. This was before the Great Airline Merger of 2043 in which every single airline merged into UniAir.)

As for the planes themselves, they were not terribly comfortable – the seating was cramped and the air stale – but they were staffed by people called flight attendants who were usually a pretty helpful and polite bunch. (Okay, some of ’em were a bit surly, but they’re a lot better than the robot maids you have now! No personality!) Back in 2010, we sure complained a lot about air travel, but I think most of us, when we stopped and thought about it, were pretty amazed at the technology that allowed us to travel across the world in less than twelve hours. (Hey, don’t laugh! That was fast for us!)

Some of us preferred hitting the open road to flying the friendly skies. A hundred years ago, we drove cars that ran on gasoline, a liquid refined from oil (a substance you’ve only read about – sorry we didn’t leave you any!). Driving across the United States (which once included Texas!) was one of the greatest ways to see the massive scale and the endless variety of our great country.

When exploring an unknown country or city, many of us would carry books (written works containing several hundred pages bound together) with detailed maps and recommendations on the best hotels and restaurants to visit. Of course, I’ll bet there’s much more detailed and accessible information available for travelers in the year 2110, especially with the recent introduction of the Apple iBrain, but we liked traveling our way. Yes, believe it or not, we actually enjoyed the feeling of getting lost in a new place, of rolling the dice on an unknown restaurant, of using sign language to express ourselves to foreign shopkeepers and taxi drivers.

Which reminds me… If I can offer you one piece of advice for your own travels in 2110, it’s this: Don’t over-plan! I’ll bet you have easy access to reviews of every dive bar and chicken shack in Pyongyang, but our most memorable travel moments usually happened spontaneously. Yours probably will too.

As you can see, a lot has changed in the travel world in the past hundred years – not just how we travel but where we travel. Although space travel is common for you now, it was barely a hundred years ago that even the world’s most beloved ex-boy-band member couldn’t scrape together the funds to make it up to the International Space Station.

But despite all the differences, we have much in common too. As travelers, we share the need to explore, to experience the world’s complexity and diversity and vastness. We feel an undying need to learn the world’s languages, meet its people, sample its cuisine, and hear its music. Though separated by time, we are, essentially, the same. We are travelers.

Best wishes from the distant past,

Aaron

p.s. Have you been promised flying cars your entire lives? So were we. Don’t hold your breath.

Ask Gadling: How do I extend the benefits of my elite status?

by Grant Martin on

This week’s question comes from Julie in Ann Arbor, Michigan

“This year I have Gold Medallion status on Delta, which I probably won’t ever have again. Are there any good programs or perks that I qualify for now that I won’t in the future and should consider taking advantage of?”

Gadling: The Gold Medallion status that you’ve earned on Delta Airlines is a valuable perk. With it, you’re entitled to a 50% 100% earned mileage bonus on all of your flights, select seating (including bulkhead and exit row seats) and two free checked bags, among other perks, during this year’s travel. You can find a full list of benefits on Delta’s website.

If you earn 50-75k miles this calendar year you’ll be able to retain these perks, while if you fly only 25-50k miles your status will drop to silver. Below the 25k mark, your status will drop to nothing on the 1st of March, 2011. Those two extra months in the beginning of 2011 are rollover months during which you’ll retain your 2010 status (and perks) but against which you’ll earn miles for the 2011/2012 years. So if you don’t earn 25k miles through the end of this year, well, you can try to earn 25k in January and February of 2011 to keep your status active.

But if your status is due to expire irrespective of your travel plans, there is not much you can do to extend your benefits into next year. The best way to take advantage of 2010’s status is to coordinate and travel as much as you can (perhaps at the whim of one of your friends) before February 28th, 2011. In addition to the upgrades and bonuses that you’ll get as a gold, you’ll also be entitled to numerous other benefits including Delta’s new Sky Priority service.

View more Ask Gadling: Travel Advice from an Expert or send your question to ask [at] gadling [dot] com.

One forward reaching benefit that you may want to consider is enrollment in the Delta Sky Clubs. While not as nice as they once were, Sky Clubs provide a pleasant oasis from the normal airport hubbub with free limited snacks, televisions, soft chairs and wireless internet. Memberships range from one year to three years to a full lifetime, and those rates are discounted based on your elite status.

Though there aren’t many ancillary benefits that Skymiles Gold can afford with other companies, you may want to consider trying to “status match” to another airline. At year’s end, get in touch with a competing airline, tell them that you’re switching preferred carriers and ask for similar status. They’ll ask you to send over your credentials and depending on their policy, should give you some sort of status. I’ve done this with British Midlands (bmi) before and have been very pleased with the accompanying benefits from Star Alliance Gold.

If you haven’t earned enough miles by March 1 2011, it’s not unheard of for the airline to offer you a “soft landing” from gold to silver, though given Delta’s recent revenue management tactics this may be a far reach. A polite letter to Skymiles indicating your planned flights (ie revenue) upcoming may further validate your case.

Until then, take advantage of your status and hoard as many miles as you can. Skymiles has been particularly stingy on releasing inexpensive rewards lately, so you’ll need every single mile that you can get your hands on.

SeaWorld offers $5 admission for kids

by Leigh Caldwell on

SeaWorld theme parks in Orlando, San Antonio and San Diego are offering $5 one-day tickets for kids now through Dec. 31, 2010.

To get the $5 deal, you need to buy a full-priced adult admission for each discounted kid’s ticket you purchase. Adult tickets are $69 in San Diego, $58.99 in San Antonio and $78.95 in Orlando.

And you’ll have to buy the cheap tickets online in advance; they aren’t available at the park gate.

The SeaWorld $5 tickets are good for kids ages 3 to 12. That’s unusual, because the cut-off for a child’s ticket at many parks is age 9. That’s right, theme parks typically consider your 10 year old an adult. Kids under 3 years old get free admission.

What’s more, that $5 goes to doing some good in the world. SeaWorld says 100 percent of the proceeds from the discounted tickets will go to wildlife conservation projects.

Stick to a budget – Dinging out tip

by Gadling Staff on

Stick to a budget.

It’s easy to overspend on food on vacation, because you get excited about trying new dishes or regional specialties. Try setting yourself a budget for each meal ahead of time, and go into the restaurant mindful of your goal.

We’ve found it helpful to set budgets before we even leave on a trip, because once you’re in the moment, it’s easy to spend more than you planned.

Note that budgeting doesn’t have to mean eating boring or familiar dishes; choose restaurants that don’t cater to tourists, and you’ll find lower menu prices in many places.

National Geographic Traveler’s Tours of a Lifetime 2010

by Kraig Becker on

With the economy starting to show signs of life, people are starting to plan to travel again soon. In fact, the outlook for 2010 is much more promising for travel companies and tour operators around the globe than it has been for some time. With that in mind, National Geographic Traveler magazine has released its 5th annual Tours of a Lifetime list, offering up suggestions for every kind of traveler looking to escape to a new destination this year.

The list, as usual, contains 50 “tours of a lifetime”, with a focus this year on “innovation and cross-cultural tours”. Those tours span the globe from the wilds of Africa to the remote regions of Asia, to the well worn paths of Europe, and beyond. We’re even invited to rediscover North America, with a host of adventures located relatively close to home. Whether you’re an adventurous traveler or prefer something a bit more relaxed, there is sure to be something on the list for you.

Traveler also has great suggestions for families planning a trip this year as well, offering tips for finding the right outfitter, planning your itinerary, and getting the kids involved in the process as well. Similarly, they also offer up their picks for the best deals in travel for the year ahead, with companies offering a variety of discounts and other special savings.

The latest issue of Traveler hit newsstands last week, and is available now to help plan your travels for 2010. I’m sure it’ll serve as a great resource, both now, and for future journeys, as this issue always has a knack for expanding that “life list” in new, and unusual ways.