Travel Alert! Get to Belize for under $150

by Grant Martin on

[ Edit: Looks like this one is dead, foks. Congrats to those who booked a ticket — ed.]

I’ve been sitting on this fare for a few days because I was sure that it was going to evaporate, but here, as I sit in a cafe three days after the fare went live, I stand corrected.

American Airlines is offering some pretty outrageous fares down to Belize for this fall and early winter from New York City (EWR) and Houston (IAH). For only abouht $150 round trip, you can get down to Central America, the jungles, beaches, strong dollar, and some classic adventure travel. Other cities around the country are clocking in at the $200 – $300 range, which, for a trip of this magnitude is still pretty fantastic.

The problem, in this case, is that the layovers on the connections are pretty terrible. If you’re planning on making a weekend out of the fares, you may have to reconsider the 13 hours that you may have to spend in Miami (or maybe you’ll enjoy it.)

They key, however, is to keep everything in perspective. You’re paying $150 to fly to BELIZE on a fare that’s less expensive than it usually is to fly 400 miles domestically. Book it, spend some time in Miami, bring a laptop and some movies and you’ll have a great time.

Watch a quick Bose video for 150 free American Airlines miles

by Grant Martin on

A few miles short on that dream vacation to Djbouti that you’ve been planning for the last 5 years? Afraid that your mileage account is going to expire due to inactivity? Force yourself to watch a video about the Bose QuietComfort headphones and they’ll give you 150 miles American Airlines just for your time.

I’ll bet you can even turn the video on, alt+tab over to failblog and return in a few minutes to get your reward.

If you’re really interested in milking the system, you can also go to the Bose store to check out the headphones in person, try them on and collect a voucher for an additional 350 miles. Once you get that you can return to the website, drop in your code and collect your miles in a few weeks.

You might laugh at the prospect of jumping through hoops to earn a paltry 150 or 350 miles (you would have to do a silly 150 point excursion 167 times before you earned enough for a ticket) but many of us have been saving for years and are just at the cusp of an award redemption. This bump could put you over the top.

You’ve got until the end of the month to sign up for the promotion and it’ll take 6-8 weeks for the miles to show up. Pull the trigger now, forget about it and you’ll get a surprise just in time for Thanksgiving.

Which airlines let you watch porn?

by Mike Barish on

Last month, fellow Gadling blogger Grant Martin wrote about airlines filtering in-flight wireless content. Now MSNBC has an article on exactly which airlines are filtering adult content. So, who is letting you join the mile high club alone?

Well, if you are flying on American or Delta, be prepared to pack your own copy of Juggs, because they have asked their wireless provider, AirCell, to filter adult content. Coincidentally, these are two of my least favorite airlines to fly. Southwest is currently testing the use of in-flight wi-fi and their partner, Row 44, will also be filtering content. You’re now free to move about the country. But not your own genitals.

Air Canada will begin offering wireless next spring and their spokesman said that it is too early to comment on filtering. Their fellow hosers at Alaska Airlines have no immediate plans to filter content but will include “a few key bullets in the terms of service area” that will outline what they mean by “appropriate use.” That sounds hot.

Meanwhile, those rebels over at Virgin America have no plans to filter their wireless access. And they also do not filter their seatback touch-screen entertainment. It’s basically a flying peepshow. Kudos to you, Sir Richard Branson. I’d give you a high five, but I think I know where your hand has been.

So there you have it. Armed with this knowledge, your laptop and a 3 oz. container of hand lotion, you are now prepared to indulge in whatever internet habits you deem appropriate while crammed inside a flying tube. Remember: The only safe travel is self travel.

Why It’s a Good Time to Fly to Asia

by Josh Lew on

With the present conditions offering little reason for airline execs to break out the expensive cognac to toast to their success, some airlines (at least those who aren’t fearing for their lives) are looking to the future. The likes of Cathay Pacific and Finnair are developing routes to Asia that they hope will become lucrative once the world economy starts playing nice. These airlines are starting early, trying to have their brands in place before the competition. Some are offering added amenities or advertising new, faster routes. Here are some of the players:

1. Finnair claims it has the shortest route between New York and New Delhi, via its hub in Helsinki.
2. Cathay Pacific, already one of the top names in Asia, is trying to compete by adding flights to India via its Hong Kong base.
3. Northwest Airlines is trying to further develop its long running service to Japan.
4. Even American Airlines announced a 12% increase in passengers on its routes to Japan and China.
5. Singapore Airlines launched an all business class service between New York and Singapore.
6. New airlines are also competing for this growing market. India-based Jet Airways is developing a route between San Francisco and Mumbai that has become favorite of business travelers.

Via IHT

Amercian Airlines considering an “à la carte” price plan

by Scott Carmichael on

Blah. That pretty much sums up my reaction to a plan by American Airlines to introduce an à la carte package of services on their flights. Dan Garton, the VP of marketing for AA recently discussed the idea during an interview with MSNBC.

What this means to us travelers is that the base price of the flight involves nothing more than the airline committing to getting you from A to B. Anything else, including checked luggage, food or even assigned seating, will be an extra fee.

This à la carte concept is like your cable company; $20 gets you the most basic package of channels, if you want anything decent, you’ll have to pay up.

The concept of unbundled services is not new, several major carriers already do this, and it has proven to be quite successful for them. United Airlines started removing free services several years ago, and currently makes $700 million a year in fees alone.
What started as the removal of basic things like headphones and warm food, has evolved into a major new source of revenue for airlines. When you book a ticket with United, you are presented with the option to pay for Economy Plus and even the option to pay for double miles. With just a little effort, United can add an additional $200 to your ticket price, especially if you are checking bags.

The big question is where the madness will end. We’ve already lost free blankets and pillows on some carriers, and others have started charging for all beverages.

And while I agree that airlines need to do what they can to stay in business, converting themselves into budget carriers is not always going to be the best way to go. This nickel-and-diming would not be so bad, if the airlines were charging for new amenities, but at the end of the day, it’s just the same stuff they have offered for years.

My advise, is to do what you can to make some kind of frequent flier status on the airline. Most of them have provisions in place that waive many fees for their “elite” members, including those on the lowest tier.

Next time you book a flight, consider trying to stay loyal to one airline, do some homework on the airline bonus programs, and try to generate enough miles to get that silver card.