Photo of the Day (9.13.09)

by Jeremy Kressmann on

Take a good look at this towering iron monolith. Is it from the base of the Eiffel Tower? The scaffolding of a New York City skyscraper? It’s actually part of the Aerial Lift Bridge in Duluth, Minnesota. The city is one of the most important shipping ports on the Great Lakes, linked all the way back to the Atlantic Ocean by a series of locks and waterways. Today’s photo by Flickr user mlmartense, shows us the scaffolding of this massive bridge, which allows giant container ships to pass through below. I particularly like the perspective and angle of the shot, which transforms the structure into a kind of Great Pyramid of hulking iron.

Want your photo considered for Gadling’s Photo of the Day? Upload your best shots here.

Cast your vote in Trazzler’s big summer contest

by Katie Hammel on

Trazzler, a website that provides travel inspiration through destination descriptions submitted by users and freelance writers, runs a monthly contest that usually offers a prize of $250, and a contract to write 10 trips for the website. For their summer contest however, the team at Trazzler decided to up the ante.

They’ve teamed up with NYCgo, AKA Hotels, and jetBlue to offer one lucky winner an amazing prize – a 2-week writer-in-residence contract in New York City (including free flight and accommodations), and $10,000 to write 30 trips about his or her experiences in the city. Over 800 entries fitting the theme “oasis” were submitted. 200 moved on to the semi-final round, in which the public can vote on their favorite. The ten trips with the most votes when the voting ends (Monday at 7:59pm Eastern time), will move on to round three, where a panel of judges will choose the grand prize winner.

I entered the contest, and have made it to the semi-finals, where I’m fighting to stay in the top ten. You can vote* for my trip, check out the others in the top ten, or “trazzle” through the site to find your perfect travel inspiration.

*To vote, you need to register for the website, which is easy to do if you sign up with Facebook. Then just click “wishlist” under the trip to vote. You can only vote once per trip, but you can vote for multiple submissions.

Relationship with JAL: Delta or American?

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Fliers in the United States may get more options when traveling to Japan, but it’s unsure which airline will be the one to deliver. Both Delta and American are said to be in talks with Japan Airlines, and the winner is likely to have greater access to the largest travel market in Asia. Delta’s deal is reported to be worth several hundred million dollars, while the American Airlines offer is said to be in excess of $1 billion.

For travelers, the result will be more choices when traveling to Japan. In addition to route sharing, frequent flier programs will show the impact of the relationship that either Delta or American will win … assuming they can get past the regulators. For Delta, the main problem will be that the largest airline in the United States will have a significant relationship with the largest airline in Japan, raising issues about competition.

It’s still early in the game, and the talks aren’t even being revealed by the airlines themselves. A tough financial year for the airline industry is likely to be a factor in any final deal, as well. There are a lot of moving parts, and it will take time to show which ones will eventually fit together.

Megabus $1 fares still available for this fall

by Katie Hammel on

In August, we announced that Megabus would be releasing an extra 50,000 $1 fares for travel between September 14 and November 19. If you weren’t able to jump on the deal then, you aren’t out of luck. The low-cost bus service has just announced that is still has plenty of $1 fares available for travel this fall on select dates and routes.

Even if you can’t score a $1 seat for your trip, you may still end up paying far less for a seat on the bus than you would for a plane ticket. For dates I searched in November, a ticket from Chicago to Detroit was $20 per person, round trip. I’d say that beats the average $160 round trip flight ticket. To book the deal, use the promo code HOTDEAL at checkout.

Disney Cruise Line heading to Alaska in 2011

by Scott Carmichael on

Starting May 3rd 2011, Disney Cruise Line will be offering an Alaska itinerary. The 7 night Alaska cruise starts in Vancouver and after day at sea will take guests to Tracy Arm, Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan, followed by another sea day before arriving back in Vancouver.

The cruise will be offered on board the Disney Wonder, their 964 foot long, 2400 passenger vessel. The Disney Wonder offers guests three pools, 6 youth clubs, 7 lounges and bars, 9 restaurants and of course a whole host of Disney themed entertainment.

For a modest fee, parents can check their little ones into one of the on-board kids clubs, allowing them to enjoy themselves without the kids for a couple of hours.

The Disney Wonder currently sails in the Bahamas, Mexican Riviera and the Panama Canal, so the repositioning to Alaska during the summer is an interesting choice – I’m guessing it has something to do with a drop in passenger numbers on cruise lines, especially in that area, along with overcapacity. The Alaska Cruise market is still relatively popular, so this Disney gamble should mean they’ll be able to fill their ships quite easily.

If you are interested in a Disney Alaska Cruise, you’ll be able to book your voyage starting September 28th 2009. In addition to the Alaska route, Disney will also be offering 2 repositioning cruises from Los Angeles to Vancouver (April 27th 2011) and Vancouver back to Los Angeles (September 20th 2011).

(Via: Anchorage Daily News, thanks Matt!)