If a close friend or family member is unable to go on a trip with you, enlarge a photograph of their face and attach a paint-stirrer to the back with duct-tape. Take pictures of you and the face in key locations on the trip, such as at monuments and attractions.
You can then send the photos to the person in a letter to remind them that they’re there in spirit! This souvenir idea is both thoughtful and frugal!
On your long flight, learn a simple magic trick.
You can learn some tricks for free on the Internet. For example, a trick with your business card may impress your international client or maybe someone you find interesting. At the very least, you may entertain a child for a few minutes.
Magic tricks don’t always require speaking, so it’s a great ice breaker even with a language barrier.
One way to never forget the essentials is to maintain a “forever-packed travel bag.”
Find a small travel case and put travel sizes of all the basics — a toothbrush, floss, toothpaste, mouthwash, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, hair spray, styling products, comb or brush, contact lens solution, soap, razor, shaving cream and lotion — inside. Other items to consider adding include safety pins, nail clippers, emery boards, shower cap and shoe shine cloth.
Each time you return from a trip, replenish what you used out of the bag before you put it away. Then, the next time you need to pack, you’ll save yourself time (no need to repack) and worry (“What did I forget?!”).
The expression “dirt cheap” applies to my keepsake hunting.
I like to collect soil from different historical locations. I then take said dirt home and mix it into my garden. My garden has soil from Normandy, Bunker Hill, Gettysburg, Kitty Hawk, Jerusalem, Fenway Park, Sarajevo, Kuwait, Mogadishu (my husband was in the military), and dozens of other spots.
My sister thinks that it’s sort of ghastly that I steal soil from what is essentially, in places like Antietam, a mass grave. I point out that over 22,000 people died to help grow my Shasta daisies.
To each, their own.
With the new motto “Inspiration of Japan,” Japanese carrier ANA (aka All Nippon Airways) is launching a new luxury flight experience, the like of which we’ve never seen.
When one thinks of Japanese hotels, supreme convenience comes to mind — the curtains on a switch by the bed, everything from dramatic lighting schemes to room service controlled by a touchscreen panel — and ANA is bringing that personal accommodation and comfort to flying with their seating.
In the video above, I’ll give you a tour of the various seating classes, including Japan’s first 180° reclining Business Class seats. With the new floor plan, all seats in Business and First Class are aisle seats. The plane will also be equipped with the world’s first in-flight rice steamer, designed exclusively for ANA, guaranteeing the freshest rice you’ve ever had at 30,000 feet.
I chatted briefly with Gary Weiss, ANA’s Director of Market Development about the changes.
Gadling: What’s the philosophy behind these new developments?
Gary Weiss: This is a long-range investment. A lot of carriers are re-trenching; cutting capacity and cutting corners. We decided to just go for it. 2010 represents a great opportunity, with the opening up of more slots at Narita and Haneda. If we don’t do it now, we’ll probably never do it, so we decided, “Let’s hedge our bets, get the best product in the sky going, and we should be able to retain a good yield.”
G: So, rather than cutting corners, you’re making your brand more luxurious?GW: Correct.
G: Is that in response to the economy?
GW: No, this has actually been in research in development since prior to September ’08. It was a good seven, ten year plan. We wanted to be first with some of these luxurious, innovative products — and I’m glad that we have the guts to take the risk.
G: How do these changes translate to your rock-bottom, Economy Class passengers?
GW: It’s the same idea. We actually made it bigger and better. There’s three more inches of seat pitch, the distance between the rows. That intrusive seat back doesn’t come into your face anymore — your neighbor in front of you won’t hit you in the head or close your laptop.
The first flights to include these new features will be the Narita-New York route on the new Boeing 777-300ER, commencing in February 2010. Keep an eye on the ANA SkyWeb for more updates.