The Purple Passport launches chic urban guide for New York City

by Jessica Marati on

For the hip, worldly, and discerning traveler, there’s a new guide on the block: The Purple Passport, which just added New York to its roster of web-based city guides.

The Purple Passport offers handpicked hotel, restaurant, spa, nightlife, shopping, and activity recommendations from its team of travel tastemakers, with an easy interface that allows users to add items to personal “passports” that can then be printed or emailed to travel companions. Their listings are candid, comprehensive, and current, with categories like “Well Coiffed” for nightlife spots with a door policy and “Chic & Design” for trendy minimalist hotels. Picks in the New York City guide include home decor emporium ABC Carpet & Home, the Ace Hotel in up-and-coming NoMad, and the swanky Rose Bar at the Gramercy Park Hotel.

Founded by friends and travel companions Emily Brands and Jennifer Garcia-Alonso, The Purple Passport aims to provide a one-stop-shop for urban travelers seeking carefully curated information on the world’s most stylish cities. Guides are also available for London, Paris, Los Angeles, Palm Beach, and Beijing, with Abu Dhabi, Taipei, Chicago, Miami, and Washington DC next on tap.

[image via The Purple Passport]

Flight attendant pranks passenger by hiding inside of overhead bin

by Grant Martin on

Ever had a flight attendant surprise you from inside of a closed overhead bin? You may have if you were flying on Southwest Airlines. Twitter user Holly McNamara (@hollymac) captured a photo and video this evening of a flight attendant pranking a boarding passenger by hiding inside of an overhead bin and closing the lid. When the unknowing passenger opens the bin there’s a noticeable stutter — then he tries to close the bin again in confusion.

Southwest is known for its casual work environment and excellent relationship with its employees, which is why this particular flight attendant probably felt comfortable pulling off the prank. A video showing a rapping flight attendant on the same airline was was widely circulated back in 2009, and has since gathered hundreds of thousands of hits on Youtube.

As for this incident, Ms. McNamara reports that the prank was pulled off on a layover in LAX en route to Las Vegas. In the name of good fun, we tip our hats to the flight crew and the passengers who could take a good joke. Just don’t tell Boeing that anyone is hiding in their overhead bins.



Like Gadling? Please nominate us for a social media award in the Shorties. It should only take 30 seconds on Twitter and it’ll help us continue to find great content like this. Thanks!

A funny letter of complaint to an airline with an unusual response from customer service

by Jessica Festa on

Apparently, Southwest Airlines’ passenger B.J. Schone had a rather unpleasant experience on his flight, or at least once he got off, as his brand new TravelPro suitcase had been damaged. Instead of taking the action that most people on a late-night flight home for Christmas would take (i.e. cursing out a staff member or writing a nasty letter to the company), Schone took a different approach and wrote the funniest letter of complaint I have ever seen, complete with animations, photos, jokes, and a polite ending asking for help.

While many people who have seen the letter, which you can read by clicking here, are skeptical of its validity, what’s even more shocking is the reply that Schone apparently received from a person named Verity from Southwest Airlines, which you can read by clicking here. Instead of just offering to solve the problem, the return letter is written in the same comedic and animated style of Schone’s original, with a happy ending awarding Schone a check for new luggage.

Are the letters real? On Southwest Airlines Twitter account they sent a message to Schone on January 5 saying “Hey BJ! We saw your web site. Someone from our customer relations team will be in touch today!” Then, on Schone’s Twitter account on January 12, he posted the response letter and tagged not only Southwest Airlines in the tweet but also Verity herself, followed by a message saying “Thank you very much. You guys rock!”

While the answer to the validity of these letters isn’t 100% confirmed, it does appear that it is possible. Either way, they’re definitely worth a read.

The Coconut Phone: A quirky luxury in Grand Cayman

by Jessica Festa on

Have you ever been on vacation, laying under a palm tree on a white sandy beach with turquoise waters glistening beneath the sun, and thought about how a tropical cocktail would complement the moment perfectly? For those staying at the Ritz Carlton: Grand Cayman, there’s no need to remove yourself from your comfortable paradise as the hotel offers an amenity that will allow you to order drinks, lunch, and whole lot more right from your lounge chair on Seven Mile Beach: The Coconut Phone.

The Coconut Phone is a complimentary service for guests that allows them to type in and click exactly what they want to eat or drink and have it delivered right to their lounge chair. This sweet piece of technology also relieves the burden of having to bring a smartphone, laptop, or tablet to the beach, as the Coconut Phone is internet-capable and can be used to browse hotel services to make reservations for things like golf outings, the spa, and restaurants. And, since it is iPod Touch equipped, you can also enjoy listening to over 1,000 songs that are already stored on the device, which comes with a waterproof armband. Now, there’s no need to worry about ruining your gadgets at the beach.

For more information, visit the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman website.

New York hotel suite up for auction for an entire year

by Jessica Festa on

This year, Affinia Manhattan plans to make Sunday nights special for one lucky winner. From January 19-Feruary 2, 2012, the hotel will be auctioning off an entire year’s worth of Sunday night stays in a newly revamped one-bedroom suite. The package is worth $20,000 and is perfect for business travelers and those in the outer boroughs or nearby suburbs who come into the city often.

Along with the suite itself, the winner will also get added perks, such as:

  • A virtual closet to store clothing and belongings
  • Late check out at 5PM
  • Free high-speed internet access
  • Sunday “tips” like free parking and free comedy shows

And to make the event even better, a portion of the proceeds will go to help The New York Restoration Project.

Interested in bidding? Visit charitybuzz from January 19-February 2.