Oct 21st, 2010 at 10:00AM: It could be worse. Whether it's lack of funds or lack of availability in your usual class, almost everyone flies in Economy Class (charmingly called "Fiesta Class" by Philippine Airlines) now and then. Heck, some of us fly coach all the time.
Flying is an enormous privilege many of us have come to take for granted. Consider the miraculous nature of it: you get on a big metal tube with wings, ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
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Ask Gadling: What to do when you have to fly coach
Oct 21st, 2010 at 10:00AM: It could be worse. Whether it's lack of funds or lack of availability in your usual class, almost everyone flies in Economy Class (charmingly called "Fiesta Class" by Philippine Airlines) now and then. Heck, some of us fly coach all the time.
Flying is an enormous privilege many of us have come to take for granted. Consider the miraculous nature of it: you get on a big metal tube with wings, ...Top five travel documents to email yourself before you travel
Oct 11th, 2010 at 11:00AM: A lost or stolen passport or ATM card is a surefire way to add stress to any trip. As a preventative measure, I keep a list of travel documents (scanned, as necessary) in my inbox, so I have them at the ready should I run into trouble. Before you head out on your next trip, make sure you have the following documents, copied, prepped and prepared in the event you need them quickly:
1. Passport ...New York City: 5 best restaurants for affordable brunch
Oct 10th, 2010 at 2:00PM: Brunch in New York City is a classic weekend experience, but ordering $20 eggs benedict at Jean-Georges' Nougatine or $18 brioche French toast at Pastis doesn't fit into everyone's travel budget. Here are five affordable brunch alternatives to help start your day off right.
1. Le Pain Quotidien, Central Park
I know Le Pain Quotidien is a chain, but it's not like its Belgian Waffle dusted ...10 ways Gadling readers save money when they travel
Oct 7th, 2010 at 5:30PM:
Sometimes, when you travel, it can feel like you're bleeding money. Often, the problem starts even before you go, as you stock up on the right gear for the trip and make sure you have all your (expensive, not-covered-by-insurance) shots.
There are endless ways you can thwart this problem, and we wanted to know what readers like you do to save money. We asked our Facebook fans to give us their ...Marseille's Noailles quarter: a taste of Africa, in Provence
Oct 6th, 2010 at 5:00PM: The Provencal port city of Marseille has historically been associated with bouillabaisse, and, to a lesser extent, whores, thieves, and the usual debauchery that goes with being a sea port. Things started to turn around about a decade ago, and today it's a safe, vibrant, thoroughly charming city whose cuisine and culture reflect its past as a colonial trading port with North Africa.
When France ...Ask Gadling: What do I do if my flight gets canceled?
Oct 6th, 2010 at 3:00PM: We've all been there. Fourteen seconds after getting to the airport in a mindless blur you look up at the departure boards and see that dreaded word next to your flight: CANCELED. Your weekend appointment, your deeply important business meeting, your tickets to the Knicks game – everything is suddenly on the line thanks to the fault of one airline that was supposed to get you to your ...Ask Gadling: How do I standby for an earlier flight?
Oct 4th, 2010 at 3:00PM: It wasn't too long ago that it was easy enough to walk up to the counter of an earlier departing flight to a destination of your choice and hitch a ride. The notion, at least back then, was that the empty space you saved on your next flight was insurance for the airline in case something went wrong – you were one less passenger that they had to deal with.
These days of a la carte pricing ...Ask Gadling: How do I get more miles for an airline ticket?
Oct 1st, 2010 at 3:00PM: You're almost there. Seventeen years of flying from Orlando to Detroit in an aluminum tube with no legroom, incessant fees, unruly flight attendants and sky high fares and you've finally reached 24,4486 miles. You've only got 514 left to go before you reach Eden -that holy, hallowed ground where you turn in those miles for a free ticket to anywhere the airline flies. Oh, the possibilities that ...Traveling over Thanksgiving? Here's the best time to fly
Sep 28th, 2010 at 3:00PM:
The only thing that's worse than traveling through congested airports and highways during the Thanksgiving season is the airfare that's associated with it. Taking advantage of the demand, airlines perennially jack up the prices on everyday airfare, making the simplest of tickets outrageously expensive.
Naturally, the easiest way around these fares is to fly on lower-demand days, or not ...Washington, D.C. hotel booking tips for the Oct. 30 rally
Sep 28th, 2010 at 2:00PM: Like thousands of people who are either fans of Jon Stewart and/or Stephen Colbert, I'll be D.C.-bound for the Oct. 30 rally. And like so many travelers, I intend to keep costs low for the spontaneous trip. Or at least I'll try to.
Here are 3 strategies to help you (and me) stay on a budget:
Tip #1: Cash in any frequent-flyer points, hotel loyalty points, or other rewards that you've ...Wiki catalogues pay-as-you-go SIM cards by country
Sep 22nd, 2010 at 2:00PM: Our good friend and technomad Paul Oppenheim stopped by this week with a dispatch from Germany and some more info on his current holy quest: to find an international phone plan that supports data and that doesn't cost more than the mortgage on his condo in San Francisco.
Those familiar with data plans and roaming charges outside of the US might be familiar with the sad details: taking one's ...Ten wild cab rides that you'll never forget
Sep 20th, 2010 at 3:00PM: Everyone has their own way of immersing in a culture. Some jump in knees-deep into the food scene, massacring the local food blogs and munching their ways through every gastic adventure that they can find. Others enjoy the philosophical and soft-edged days of lounging in street side cafes, watching passers-by and drinking coffee in the early afternoon sun. Here at Gadling though, we prefer the ...Earn elite qualifying miles on Delta with Hilton stays
Sep 5th, 2010 at 2:00PM: It's pretty common in the travel world to see alliances between airlines and hotels when it comes to earning miles and points; a few points exchanged here and there among giants is an easy way to keep brand loyalty and momentum among the masses.
Normal earnings, however, are almost always limited to redeemable miles -- that is, mileage earned won't count towards elite status or any tiered ...Like Cheapflights, get $50 in airfare credit
Sep 4th, 2010 at 2:00PM: Interested in selling your Facebook soul for $50 off of your next flight? I am! The marketing folks over at Cheapflights and Vayama launched a campaign soliciting "likes" and shares late last month, in an effort to spread the word about their fare booking site across the web.
All that you have to do to earn $50 worth of credit redeemable from September 8 through October 5 is navigate over to ...Hotel booking tips: 5 things you need to know before reserving group rates
Sep 3rd, 2010 at 11:00AM: While in Los Angeles for my brother's wedding, I was looking forward to staying at the Westlake Village Inn. But unfortunately, things went downhill even before we could check in.
Though the wedding itself was held off-site at a country club, a block of rooms were reserved at a discounted rate. With the group rate, I decided to treat myself to a suite with a king-size bed and gas fireplace (a ...New York City restaurant grades: would you eat at a place with mice?
Aug 29th, 2010 at 3:30PM: I was in the East Village last night and encountered my first sighting of New York's new restaurant grading system.
Starting last month, every New York City restaurant is now required to post a letter grade that corresponds to its health-inspection score. (Los Angeles has already successfully implemented the system.)
Based on the new system, a restaurant is awarded an A for scores between ...Test driving the Zipcar iPhone app
Aug 27th, 2010 at 2:00PM: My brother got married last weekend in Los Angeles, which meant that I had to fly out Thursday night and back to New York City on Sunday. Rather than deal with getting off a long flight and renting a car from the airport -- I didn't think navigating an unfamiliar city at midnight when your body thinks it's 3 a.m. was the best idea -- I cabbed it to my hotel and retrieved a Zipcar the next morning. ...Budget Stockholm: How to afford a summertime trip to Sweden
Aug 23rd, 2010 at 9:00AM:
Stockholm has an expensive reputation -- those who return from a visit to this swanky Swedish capital rave about its slick design, luxurious cuisine and modern amenities. As a result, would-be travelers automatically expect it will be more expensive than other European destinations. It isn't.
Though subtle, the capital of Sweden has a thriving and widespread budget culture – you just ...The ultimate Minnesota Twins fan getaway package
Aug 18th, 2010 at 6:00PM:
The Millennium Hotel in downtown Minneapolis, which is walkable to Target Field, has unveiled a Baseball Fever Package for die-hard Twins fans who want to stay downtown (even if they just live over in Wayzata).
The package, which includes:
Standard accommodations for two
Convenient complimentary parking in the hotel's attached parking ramp
2 Minnesota Twins t-shirts, 2 Minnesota Twins ...5 tips for a budget traveler's makeover
Aug 18th, 2010 at 11:30AM: I travel on the cheap, which means that instead of waking up refreshed and well-rested after a night in first class, I often wake up with dried drool on my chin and crazy hair from trying to get comfortable on an all-night bus or hard-seat train ride. Though I've certainly spent my fair share of mornings stumbling around a new city without bothering to wipe the drool or put my contact lenses in, ...
