Suffer through coach with dignity

by Tom Johansmeyer on

In three hours, I’ll be boarding a plane for an eight-hour flight – assuming we don’t get held up on the runway. So, when I saw “How to make the most of flying coach” on MSNBC.com, I hoped for some great advice. It would have been timely … if it was provided at all. Instead, Travel + Leisure’s Reid Bramblett only explained how much it sucks to pay for a non-alcoholic beverage and watch a shitty movie while wedged between two long-lost friends who have never met before.

“These days, it’s not easy being comfortable – and happy – in coach,” he says. Really? Since Bramblett was little help, let me give you a few tips you can use.

First, put your carry-on in the overhead bin, even though you’re encouraged to put it under the seat in front of you. Though it inconveniences the airline, you’ve now recaptured a bit of space for your feet. You may not be able to stretch your legs fully, but you won’t be as cramped. Be sure to take your book, magazine, bottle of water and iPod out of your bag first. There’s no need to disturb the lucky guy who got the aisle seat.

Bring enough to keep yourself distracted … but not too much. There’s nothing worse than running out of reading material when you’re on a long flight, but over-packing can be a burden as well. Do you really need all seven magazines? Even if you don’t read them, you’ll have to carry them.

Eat before you fly. It’s no secret that airline food blows, and it’s easier to say “no” on a full stomach. Bring a few snacks along (again, don’t go overboard) in case you need a quick fix. This should help you avoid unidentifiable airline grub.

Liquor gets mixed reviews. I know some people who love to have a few drinks to take the edge off (and maybe help them sleep). I tend not to imbibe when I fly. It dries me out and makes me a little lightheaded, worsening an already wearying the experience.

Finally, the best thing you can do is leave any expectations you have at the ticket counter. You’ll only be disappointed anyway. Instead, walk into the airport knowing that you only have to complete the experience; you don’t have to enjoy it. The destination is your reward for perseverance.

[Via MSNBC]

Drink makes you sing for your spirits

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Get what you want, even if you have no idea what you need. That’s the point of Drink, it seems, a new bar in Boston. The bartenders are expected to figure out what’s ailing you and fix the situation with a carefully concocted cocktail.

Strangely, there is no menu. If you tend to scan (or scour) the list at your local dive, Drink will jar your system. Instead of reading and deciding, you’ll actually have to communicate with somebody. You form a relationship with your bartender, telling him what you’re feeling, what you like and how you want it.

So, instead of thinking about what you normally shove down your throat to the cheers of the crowd, focus on your thoughts. Think about your day and the mindset in which it has left you. Share this with your mixologist, and enjoy the cure.

[Via The Atlantic]

Booze and air travel – a bad idea or a travelers necessity?

by Scott Carmichael on

If there is one thing we never seem to have a shortage of here on Gadling, it’s stories that involve drunk passengers misbehaving.

We’ve written about a planeload of 40 drunk Irish, a drunk Russian with an empty bottle of Chivas, a passenger so drunk he beat up his wife and blamed the airline and of course a passenger who drank so much, he killed 5 others (and himself).

Of course, this brings me to the bigger issue; are airlines creating these problems for themselves by refusing to serve some passengers, or should they simply stop service booze on all their flights?

Booze on aircraft is a big thing – it’s often the one time a year when some people get to drink fairly decent liquor and cocktails (assuming they are flying a decent airline and are not in coach), and when booze is free, why hold back?

I actually know several people who fly to drink – that’s right – they cash in their miles, use their elite status to liquor up in the airline lounge, and continue the binge on board. With mileage tickets costing as little as $25, it’s a cheap and efficient way to get hammered.

Some frequent flier boards are regularly filled with outrage when an airline changes its brand of champagne to something less expensive and some folks seem to obsess over the size of the glasses the booze is served in.

Some of the comments in recent booze related articles mentioned that alcohol is a major cash cow for the airlines, but I have to disagree – the expensive stuff is mainly served in first and business class, and is free. And alcohol sales in the back of the plane never really seem to be that high, certainly not on the flights I’ve taken.

So, would you survive a flight without booze? Airlines already banned smoking, so would removing the one final vice be that much of a blow to your comfort level?

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When in Europe do as the Europeans do: Get drunk and have sex

by Anna Brones on

Fitting in with the local culture is often the most difficult of tasks when traveling. But if you’re a young adult headed to Europe this summer, acting like a European might only entail living up to frat party standards. According to a study published in BMC Public Health, young adults in Europe deliberately booze it up to increase their chances of scoring.

According to the BBC, the study was done with 1,341 people from 9 different cities across Europe. A third of the men, and 23 % of the women — who were all between the ages of 16 and 35 — said they drank to improve their chances of having sex. The researchers concluded that the fun-loving youngsters were “strategically” binge drinking or taking drugs to improve their sex lives.

All jokes aside, drinking and sexing is a health concern; especially since the rate of unprotected sex goes up. However, now that we know what the European strategy is, it looks like we no longer need a “How to Score a European Fling” post.

The World’s Best Places to Catch a Buzz

by Willy Volk on

Recently, we mentioned some of the best places to grab a beer in Eastern Europe. If you were hoping for drinking tips with a more global appeal (both in terms of alcohol and destination), then you want to check out this list, which overflows with 13 of the world’s best places to catch a buzz.

In addition to telling you what’s bubbling about each of the destinations, the list runs down some of the local spots for sleeping it off. In short, travelers who love tippling will rejoice. Some of the pointers are somewhat sobering (Bourbon in Kentucky; Sake in Japan; Scotch in Scotland), but the majority of the destinations will make you drunk… with delight:

  • Port in Portugal
  • Rum in Barbados
  • Tequila in Jalisco, Mexico
  • Cognac in Cognac, France
  • Valtellina in Valtellina, Italy
  • Cachaça in Minas Gerais, Brazil
  • Pastis in Provence, France
  • Trappist ales in Flanders, Belgium
  • Meritage in Paso Robles, California
  • Microbrewed beer in New Glarus, Wisconsin

I’d like to point out that Stellenbosch’s Wine Route is pretty divine, too, though it didn’t make the list.

Evidently, we love drinking here at Gadling, because we have a number of related posts for you to drink in: