Iceland’s economy turns away from finance to —- tourism!

by Grant Martin on

With the financial sector steadily imploding, Iceland is in a bit of trouble. As Aaron wrote about earlier this week, much of the Atlantic island’s economy was built upon credit and finance, and now that those industries are failing, the country needs extra income to keep up its highbrow status.

And where else can you quickly reap foreign investment but in tourism? Iceland Air, long one of the premium transatlantic carriers (if you want to stop in Reykjavik) is leading the charge to get American dollars by offering some killer fares to the North Atlantic this winter. Book by October 21st and you can get cheap round trip tickets from New York or Boston to the Icelandic capital for only $400 plus tax.

Add the fact that the dollar is suddenly making a killing in Iceland (as of this morning, 222 Krona to 1 dollar, from 80Krona a couple of weeks ago), and you could have a pretty nice inexpensive vacation on your hands.

Check out Icelandair’s website for further details on the deal, and while you’re in town make sure to check out the ice ring road, blue lagoon (pictured) and drink with some vikings.

Megabus Experiences: Is Cheaper Better?

by Josh Lew on

High airfares and high gas prices have had many people feeling like they are stuck in a corner. Or at least stuck at home. For me, a Twin Cities resident with friends and family in Chicago, the $100 round trips of the past (AirTran and NW) made it easy to call The Windy City a second home. Likewise, my Cubs-loving acquaintances were only an hour or two away from watching a team that has actually won the world series in the past 100 years.

But, rising fares have recently made the two neighboring cities seem farther away than in the past. A drive is still doable, if you have a car that gets good mileage. But there is an even cheaper alternative: Megabus. A ride between MSP and Chicago averages around $25, depending on when you buy your ticket. That’s cheaper than one tank of gas. But is it worth it?

Most college students and budget travelers had a certain reverence for the bus line, which is owned by Coach USA. You can’t beat the price. But there were a few negatives:
1. The buses arrived later than scheduled. Every. Single. Time.
2. They offered free wi-fi but it often didn’t work.
3. If you don’t have headphones, you’re in for a noisy ride.
4. The drop off point in Minneapolis is a bit dodgy, especially late at night. Basically, it’s under a bridge, next to a vacant lot.

And, to be fair, the good:

1. Price
2. Dropped off in central locations
3. Price
4. Reasonably comfortable
5. Price

Could Budget Airlines Unite?

by Josh Lew on

A recent post on Ben Mutsabaugh’s Today in the Sky blog focused on statements made by Frontier Airlines CEO Sean Menke. Menke told a Denver newspaper: “I have been very vocal about (low-cost carriers) having to be aligned through some form or fashion…and not necessarily through mergers.” That’s not a surprising statement from a Frontier exec because of his airline’s buddy-buddy relationship with fellow budget carrier AirTran. The two help each other with ticketing, destinations served and promotions.

But the current economy and gas prices may make Frontier’s approach to the budget game a model for other LCCs. While some airlines, like Southwest, have the clout to challenge the big boys on their own, most carriers are finding their low-cost business model in jeapordy. Alliances could help when it comes to ticket sales and frequent flier programs, but also with the costs of using airports. A band of small carriers could agree to make a LCC hub at all major airports, sharing gates, ticketing counters, even employees. Helping each other a little could keep them all in the game longer.

Race across Europe with nothing but Redbull

by Grant Martin on


You know those television shows where they drop teams off in the middle of nowhere and they have to race across the world with nothing but their wits and trickery to get them by? Well Red Bull might give you the chance to live that dream using your wits, trickery and…. Red Bull to get you across Europe.

Later this month, the German Austrian company is sponsoring an event where 250 teams of three students will race across Western Europe starting in various destinations and headed towards Paris. Teams will be stripped of cash, credit cards and cell phones and instead will be given, you guessed it, Red Bull as currency. Along the way they can stop at various checkpoints to pick up more of the energy drink with which to barter, and in the end all teams will be judged not on time, but on creativity and adventure incurred on the trip.

The first question that comes to my mind is how much Red Bull a team can carry to trade for anything of value. I imagine any serious transaction would require at least a case. Are there also trucks of Red Bull following these students around?

Either way, the journey sounds incredible. Unfortunately, Redbull is no longer taking any American teams. If you can finagle your way onto a foreign team or convince Redbull to let you in though, give it a shot. I wish I could do it. Check out the contest page at redbullcanyoumakeit.com.

Frommers community site revamps, enters 2008

by Grant Martin on

Back when I was originally getting started in my travels, I used to do a lot of research and scouring through Frommers.com. As one of the oldest guidebook publishers, I found their website had a lot of user content that was useful for self planning and execution.

Maturing as a traveler, I moved onto sites that specialized in my needs — VRBO for apartments, Kayak for bookings, Flyertalk for deals. Frommers, alone, couldn’t satiate my appetite as an engaged traveler. Needless to say, I always wandered back now and then to the forums to get the lowdown on a particular community niche. I still remember spending weeks discussing Egyptian cotton with a local in Cairo and how I couldn’t fathom why it was better in The States.

And that has always been one of the strengths of Frommers — a dedicated, honest user base in which you can embed yourself and learn about local communities.

This week, Frommers.com started pushing out some changes to their site, starting with their community hub. Part of their updates include the addition of user photos and blogs to help integrate users better into the network, and I’m told that the blog will soon be strengthened and expanded as well — you can already see some small changes in effect. Wandering over into the forums, you can see that the structure has been redesigned completely.

All in all, the changes should help foster a better community — and therefore offer a better research base for readers. Stop by and take a look.