Book A Night On An Airplane With AirBnB

by Meg Nesterov on

Vacation accommodation website AirBnB has no shortage of unique places to stay, from a “boatel” aboard a converted ferry, to a private island in Fiji. For airplane nuts and those wanting the luxurious exclusivity of a private jet, AirBnB has a collection of airplane accommodations.

Accommodations range from a New Zealand two-unit motel inside a 1950s Bristol freighter plane (rates start at $180 per night, sleep in the cockpit or tail), to $10,000 for a night on a Gulfstream G5 jet in Beverly Hills (rate includes one hour of flight time and three hours of flight attendant service. Divide that by 18 passengers and that’s…still a lot of money, but a priceless experience. Don’t want to leave the airport? If you can find a flight into Teuge Airport in the Netherlands, you can stay aboard a former government plane, now fully tricked out into a private suite. If you’d prefer a more traditional place to stay, you might enjoy the Wine Country Airplane House in Sonoma county, which has not only an airplane tail on the front of the secluded house, but also a piece of the old Golden Gate Bridge.

Check out more unique AirBnB listings in their collection of wishlists.

Tour Paris By Zeppelin

by Meg Nesterov on

Looking for a way to avoid the tourist crowds in Paris? You might try looking up. Airship Paris is a new company offering tours of the French countryside around Paris by zeppelin.

Tickets range from 250 euro for a half-hour “first flight” tour of the castles around Vexin (including the Villette Castle from “The Da Vinci Code” movie), to 650 euro for a royal tour of Versailles with Paris in the background. Flights take off from the Pontoise airport about 25 miles from Paris. The 250-foot-long airship carries up to 12 passengers and cruises at an altitude equivalent to the Eiffel Tower.

After takeoff, you are free to take in the views from the panoramic windows, sitting or standing. Unlike a hot-air balloon or blimp, the zeppelin is wind-resistant and heavier than air, with a low level of vibration and noise (the company compares it to that of a dishwasher). Airship Paris is the first commercial airship service in the area in 30 years.

Read more and book tickets here.

Video Of The Day: Flughafen München, Lip Syncing

by Jake Thiewes on

For those not fluent in German, Flughafen München means Munich Airport. And how does that relate to lip-syncing and travel? Well, roughly 200 employees at the airport got together to film an OKgo-esque video, in which they lip-sync to “Come Away With Me” by The Donots. Apparently everyone from baggage handlers to the CEO was involved in some capacity.

Would the pre-flight security process at your airport be less of a drag if you knew something like this was waiting on the other side of the metal detectors?

We’d love to feature your photos and videos on Gadling, so please add them to our Flickr Pool (with Creative Commons licensing!), tag @GadlingTravel on Instagram or email us at OfTheDay@gadling.go-vip.net.

The Nation’s First Airport Dog Bathroom Opens

by Reena Ganga on

When you’ve gotta go, you’ve gotta go, and that’s no different whether you’re a man, or man’s best friend. Now dogs have been given their own special place to do their business thanks to the creation of a “Pet Relief” station at San Diego International Airport.

The recently opened airport pet bathroom is the only one of its kind in the nation. The 75 square foot room includes fake grass to create the illusion of being outdoors and a bright red fire hydrant which gives dogs something to aim at. The pet potty also offers complimentary plastic baggies and hand washing stations for the animals’ owners.San Diego’s airport actually boasts four other doggie bathrooms, however, they’re all located outside, which means passengers have to leave the terminal (and the secure zone of the airport) in order to give their pets some relief. Conversely, the new bathroom is located right alongside the men’s and women’s restrooms.

This is just the latest in a long line of airport amenities designed to make travel more comfortable for pets. Earlier this year, Chicago O’Hare opened a first class lounge to pamper pooches, Virgin Australia started offering frequent flier points to furry fliers, and several countries started issuing passports to make international travel easier on four legged family members.

Would you like to see more pet potties pop up at airports?

Fake Plastic Food In Japan Evolved From Less Than Appetizing Origins

by Reena Ganga on

Walk through any food court or eatery in Japan and you’ll find yourself face to face with walls of plastic food. These displays are designed to show potential diners exactly what they’ll receive if they order a particular dish, from the portion size to the ingredients right down to the little garnishes. They’re helpful for foreigners who can’t decipher Japanese menus but even the locals have come to depend on the fake food when eating out.

These sample meals have always had an uncanny realism to them – and now we know why. It turns out these plastic food replicas were borne out of a more scientific art form. The original maker of fake food started out creating models of human organs and diseases, with the realistic plastic replicas aimed at helping doctors study illnesses. Pretty soon, restaurants came knocking on the artisan’s door – despite it’s unappetizing origins, they figured fake food was the perfect way to familiarize country folk with the unique fare city restaurants had to offer.Like most things in Japan, the plastic samples don’t come cheap, especially since the food samples are modeled off real dishes and created for each individual restaurant. A life-like plate of plastic sushi or a heaping bowl of fake spaghetti sell for around $100 each, although budget-conscious restaurants can rent their fake food for about $6 a month.

The sample-making company says they haven’t been able to get the concept to take off in the Western world… after learning the less than appetizing story behind the samples, we’re not sure they ever will.

Do you like the idea of plastic food? Do these samples help you pick your meal or are they are turn off?