Share your travel deals with friends with Yapta’s Frugal Travel Flaunts

by Katie Hammel on

Yapta, a website that tracks prices and helps you figure out when to book your airfare, has launched a new Facebook application called Frugal Travel Flaunts. When you find a deal on a flight and add it to “my trips”, you can choose to publish it on your Facebook page, alerting all your friends to your great find.

The idea behind the app is pretty solid. How many times have you found out about the amazing low-cost flight a friend found, but too late? Hearing that my friend spent just $300 on a round trip ticket from Chicago to London after she gets back from the trip doesn’t help me take advantage of the same deal. And likewise, I feel bad when friends ask why I didn’t share the news of my cheap fare purchase with them. The Frugal Travel Flaunts application allows you to use social media to alert your friends to good deals and helps you score your own with a few easy clicks.

Yapta will also help you get a credit if a flight you’ve already purchased drops in price. The site will alert you to the fare decrease with a link that sends you to the page on their site with credit info. You can also “flaunt” that on your Facebook page, though I see that as a less useful tool. Sharing news on killer deals is one thing, boasting about refunds is another – there’s a fine line between a flaunt and a taunt.

Anti-wi-fi paint will make it harder to scam free Internet

by Sean McLachlan on

The days of scamming free wireless Internet may soon be over.

Researchers at the University of Tokyo have developed a paint that blocks wifi signals. So if a room is painted with this stuff, only computers inside the room would be able to pick up a wireless signal originating there. At a projected cost of £10 ($16) a kilo, the paint would be a cheap way of keeping hackers and moochers from using your wireless to download dodgy files.

The paint is infused with an aluminum-iron oxide that blocks all radio signals at 100Ghz, the frequency at which wifi transmits.

As ingenious as this sounds, there are a couple of downsides. First, it won’t protect the user from online threats, and of more importance to travelers, it will stop people from scamming free Internet while on the go. In Madrid I can go to my local park, pop open my laptop, and surf the Internet on somebody else’s euro. I can do this in many other European capitals too. With all the new costs being added to airline tickets, it would be a shame if this travel freebie were to disappear.

Perhaps we should tell the nice folks at the University of Tokyo “thanks but no thanks”? Anybody know how to say that in Japanese?

The Poconos pair autumn foliage with a wide-range of lodging options

by Jamie Rhein on

Located in northeastern Pennsylvania, the Poconos Mountains have been a haven for people looking to escape the bustle of city life ever since Buck Hill Falls Inn and The Inn at Pocono Manor resorts opened in 1901 and 1902. With its reputation as a perfect getaway location, the Poconos has continued to be developed with things-to-do offerings and options for places to stay. In the fall, the more than 100 types of trees become a palate of color brilliance.

With a bit of planning, you can time your visit to hit the foliage at its peak and settle in for a night at one of the Pocono’s lodgings whether you prefer a vacation rental tucked in the woods, or a Poconos resort like the Inn at Pocono Manor that includes a golf course, horseback riding and a spa. Because eighty percent of Pennsylvania’s resorts are located here, there are plenty of choices. The Buck Hill Falls Inn, however, is no longer open. It is for sale, though. Annie also suggests Rentalo.com for seeking out lodging deals. She found a Poconos hotel for $75 per night. There are even less expensive digs listed here. If you’re interested in a couple’s only retreat, the Caesar’s Paradise Stream may be the answer.

To help you decide where and when to go and the best route to take for the best fall foliage here are 8 suggestions:

  • Ricketts Glen State Park–Considered the most scenic part of Pennsylvania, this park has more than 20 waterfalls, a gorge and old growth timber. Some trees are 500 years old. The area not to miss here is Glens Natural Area, a National Natural Landmark.
  • Lehigh Gorge State Park–Great place to see wildlife because the gorge’s river serves as a transportation corridor. A unique way to visit the area is by taking an Audubon Auto Tour.
  • Hickory Run State Park –Has scenic overlooks, hiking trails and trout streams. The park’s Boulder Field, is also a National Natural Landmark. An Audubon Auto Tour is also available for this park.
  • Big Pocono State Park–From the summit of Camelback Mountain the view includes part of New Jersey and New York. There’s a paved scenic drive, so you can get the view without hoofing it.
  • Lacawac Sanctuary–This historic nature preserve is a place to pair foliage with wildlife viewing thanks to folks who treasure the environment and share. In October there are fall foliage walking tours.
  • World’s End State Park–If you go here, head to Canyon Vista.
  • Beltzville State Park–The park’s 949-acre lake is a stopping place for migrating birds and if you walk along Saw Mill Trail you’ll pass through remnants of area history going back to the 1700s.
  • Delaware River Gap National Recreation Area–Why not see fall foliage from the water? Adventure Sports offers canoe, kayaking and rafting trips through the end of October.

    To help plan a scenic drive, here’s an excellent resource I found. This page on TripCart outlines specific driving routes and highlights places to look for and things to do along the way.

    Call the Pocono Mountain Fall Foliage hot line at (570)421-5565 for an up to date report on what colors can be seen where and when. Included in the recording are the types of trees that show such glory. I just called and can vouch for this resource. It’s terrific. Here is an on-line version.

    • Travel Insights 100 reveals the importance of Twitter in the travel world

    by Scott Carmichael on

    Like it or hate it – Twitter is here to stay. I’ll admit that I was one of those that tried to stay away from the service as long as I could. But eventually, I gave in, and I too have become obsessed with checking the latest from the people I follow.

    The Travel Insights 100 is a collection of 100 industry experts from all corners of the travel world. The list of members is a real who’s who, and even includes several of us from here at Gadling.

    The first Travel Insights 100 survey asked its members about Twitter and travel. The results describe how people use Twitter, and what direction they expect Twitter to take in the future. Check the results below (click the “full” button for a full screen view of the results).

    Tweet yourself to Hawaii!

    by Brenda Yun on

    Talk about a sweet tweet deal: Marriott Resorts Hawaii is running a social media contest where 25 lucky winners will receive all-expense paid trips for two to a designated Marriott resort on Kauai, Oahu, Maui, or Hawaii’s Big Island.

    You can enter the contest via Twitter, Facebook, and email. The winners are announced on Twitter, so you’ll need to sign up to follow @MarriottHawaii to see if you win.

    Here is what the lucky winners will receive:

    • Roundtrip for two on Hawaiian Airlines from any of its ten U.S. West Coast gateway cities: Seattle, Portland, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Sacramento, Oakland, San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles and San Diego.
    • A five-night stay at one of Marriott resorts in Hawaii: JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa, Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa, Kauai Marriott Resort & Beach Club, Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa or Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa.
    • Rental car, courtesy of Hertz.
    • $100 per day resort dining credit.
    • Access to fun activities and attractions on all islands.
    • Please note: All trips must be completed by December 20, 2009. Winners will be announced on Facebook and Twitter, and also will be notified by email. Winners have 48 hours to claim their prize, or a new winner will be randomly selected.

    If that’s tweeting sweetness, here’s an even sweeter deal: Submit a video on why you love Hawaii for a chance to win a TweetUp Trip for TWELVE! To enter this contest, submit your YouTube video link to www.marriotthawaiitweets.com by December 20, 2009. The public will be asked to judge their favorite from a selection of finalists. The one with the most votes will receive:

    • Roundtrip for winner and 11 friends/family, courtesy of Hawaiian Airlines from any of its U.S. West Coast gateway cities
    • Seven-night stay at any two Marriott resorts in Hawaii
    • One luau dinner and show
    • A commemorative Hawaii state quarter
    • A keepsake group photo
    • 25,000 Marriott Rewards Points for the winner

    The winner will be selected in January.

    I’m loving all these “tweet” trip giveaways! You all know I’m from Hawaii, so it wouldn’t be right for me to enter, but I’m rooting for you all to join me in my tropical paradise!