JetBlue, United jump on Twitter for cheap tix

by Tom Johansmeyer on

JetBlue and United Airlines are pushing the first taste of cheap fares out on Twitter. They hope to use what USA Today calls the “uber-trendy form of messaging” to push seats on flights that may have vacant seats prior to wheels-up. After deals appear, they don’t always stick around long. JetBlue’s first “Cheep” (a variation on “tweet”) offered a $9 one-way fare from JFK to Nantucket. The model that’s emerging puts JetBlue’s fare tweets out on Monday mornings and offers around eight hours to act on them.

United Airlines has had its “twares” in action since May, and the element of surprise is a factor. The discounts can be released without warning, and there’s no discernable schedule. The deals can live for as little as two hours, forcing Twitter-using travelers to act fast.

Gadling Take FIVE: Week of July 25 – July 31.

by Jamie Rhein on

The end of July is here. This is also the last day of Gadling’s “Hotel Month” and time to vote for the winner of Gadling’s Perfect Road Trip contest. The voting for the contest goes through next week, but why wait?

With vacations in mind, here are posts that offer a mix of where to go, what not to miss and details worth knowing.

  • Luxury train travel is one of the most elegant ways to go across Australia. Kraig gives an overview of “The Ghan,” a wow factor passenger train that on August 4th will have been in service for 80 years.
  • A trip to New York City should include time to see “Lucy’s Legacy: The Hidden Treasures of Ethiopia.” Sean’s post on the exhibit is a thoughtful glimpse of what makes this a must-see happening. Later, head to the beach. Jeremy has five suggestions for beaches close to Manhattan.
  • Tired of the bar scene where it’s hard to hear a person talk or to relax? Katie offers a solution in her post on speakeasy lounges. Her favorite is The Violet Hour in Chicago.
  • To celebrate its 10th anniversary, Hostelworld is offering a contest. Alison has the scoop on how to win a golden ticket and the great prize it will get you.
  • If you need a reason to buy trip insurance, the statistics from Tom’s post on how airline cancellation fees mean big bucks for the airlines might be it.

Take your family to the Millennium Broadway Hotel

by Annie Scott on

The Millennium Broadway Hotel is located right in Times Square, in the midst of the hustle and bustle, the giant cartoonish structures, and the center of the Broadway theater scene. If you want to take your kids to New York City and stay right in the heart of the entertainment, Millennium Broadway has a darn good deal for you.

The “MB Loves Times Square” package starts at just $199 (pre taxes/fees) per night for your whole fam of four. They give you a map of Times Square, and then all this:

  • 20% off Savings on tickets to Mary Poppins on Broadway
  • Discounted Tickets to Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, up to $40 off, for 4 people (2 adult, 2 children or 1 adult, 3 children)
  • A fun-filled afternoon at Dave & Busters fully equipped with great food, drinks and games with buy $10, get $10 towards games
  • $10 Game Cards to the famed ESPN Zone
  • VIP Skip the Line and Complimentary Appetizer with Purchase at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Restaurant & Market
  • Coupon to Hershey’s Times Square
  • A gift card to Toys ‘R Us

Who needs concierge when your perks already have your vacation planned? This package is available through September 30, 2009. Dress lightly. It’s gonna be hot.

To make reservations, visit www.millenniumhotelnyc.com or call 1-800-622-5569. The code is MBLOVESTS.

Undiscovered New York: Top 5 Beaches

by Jeremy Kressmann on

The USA has some fantastic urban beaches. In the Summer, Chicagoans are spoiled by happening North Avenue Beach on Lake Michigan. Miami has South Beach, littered with plenty of palm trees, fake tans and toned bodies. In L.A. there’s Santa Monica and Malibu. But what about New York City? For a metropolis surrounded on all sides by water, you’d think there would be some more obvious beach options, right? The truth is New York does have surprisingly decent sun, sand and surf – you just need to know where to look.

Believe it or not, New York has enough sandy, swimmable beach options to make your head spin. From happening urban beach parties and hidden unspoiled sands within the limits of the Five Boroughs, to some truly great wild beaches within an easy day trip of Manhattan, there’s enough oceanfront out there to please even some of the most die-hard of beach-lovers.

With Summer weather in full swing, there’s no better time for Undiscovered New York to count down the city’s top 5 best beaches, all either within city limits or close enough for a day trip. Think you’re a New York beach veteran? We bet there’s at least one great waterfront on this list you’ve never visited. Click below for our picks!
Beach #5 – Water Taxi Beach(es)
A trip to the New York City beach might seem like it involves trains or boats, but did you know there are beaches you can get to with no more than a taxi ride? We’re talking about New York’s three Water Taxi Beaches, which feature over 1,000 tons of sand, food, frequent live music and some killer views of New York City (see left).

Want to check it out? Just hop in a taxi, get on the subway or grab a water taxi and head one of their three locations at Long Island City, South Street Seaport or Governor’s Island.

Beach #4 – Long Beach
Just an hour from New York on the Long Island Railroad is Long Beach, a surprisingly happening Summer beach town and favorite beach day trip for claustrophobic New Yorkers looking to beat the heat. Grab one of the daily express trains from Manhattan’s Penn Station and you’ll be laying on a towel near the ocean in no time. Play some frisbee or volleyball, have a swim and then be back in the city in time for happy hour cocktails.

Beach #3 – Sandy Hook
We first mentioned Sandy Hook during our exploration of New Jersey back in April, and in terms of New York area beaches, it’s one of the best. Just a 30 minute ferry ride from Manhattan’s South Street Seaport is one of the more unspoiled stretches of sand in the Tri-State Region boasting wild beach grasses and some interesting history to boot. When you arrive at the Sandy Hook landing, be sure to check out historic Fort Hancock, which at one time played an important role in the defense of New York Harbor.

Beach #2 – Robert Moses State Park
Finding the best spots in New York sometimes takes effort, and the beaches at Robert Moses State Park are no exception. Although this pristine sandy stretch along New York’s Fire Island is not really accessible by public transportation, it’s worth the car trip to get here. And because Robert Moses is located on a barrier island well off Long Island proper, it’s home to some coastline that could hold its own with some of the best beaches anywhere in the U.S. All within about an hour’s drive of New York.

Beach #1 – Fort Tilden
As far as “undiscovered” New York City finds, Fort Tilden’s unspoiled beach has to be one of the best. This little-known beach, located near the site of an abandoned military installation in the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens, is one of the more remote and serene stretches of sand you’ll find anywhere in the city limits.

Forget Coney Island – on Fort Tilden’s beach you’ll have plenty of sand all to yourself. The hard part is getting there – you’ll either need to take a car or 12 mile bike ride from Manhattan. Check out this piece for advice. Good luck!

What’s that bad smell? Travel impressions through the nose

by Jamie Rhein on

I haven’t noticed it, but there’s a bad smell at the Greyhound bus station in Columbus. A woman got off the bus and noticed it. As she pointed out in this article, a bad smell the first thing someone gets off a bus is not the best way to make a good first impression. As a matter of fact. it’s hell on tourism.

A bad smell might give a person an idea to get back on the bus and head back out as quickly as possible. Considering that I wrote up a walking tour of Columbus with the idea that someone might come in on the bus, I’m hoping that the odor caused by old cooking grease from the bus station restaurant is dealt with soon.

Last time I took the bus to New York City, I stopped in a Port Authority bathroom before I headed to the subway and have to say thought that New York had really gone down. There was a terrible smell. Unfortunately the smell was connected to a person. That made me feel bad and indicates a much more serious problem than a grease receptacle that needs to be emptied more often. As wonderful as New York City is, and it is, the smells can be overwhelming for a person not used to pungent odors. New York streets are not the days when women spritzed lavender on handkerchiefs to put up to their noses when passing by particularly bad spots, but there are those whiffs that can make a person’s eyes water.

This June, a green market was started at Port Authority and is now held each Thursday as one way to create a better impression. What better smell is there than fresh fruit, vegetables and flowers?

In Columbus, which generally has a neutral smell, I don’t notice a difference from one block to the next, although there used to be a strong fresh baked bread smell near the Wonder Bread plant that could get overwhelmingly sweet depending on which way the wind blew. The plant was to close in May which has narrowed Columbus’s repertoire of olfactory experiences.

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