Last week was my first time. I was a little nervous at first, but the purple lighting and house music quickly got me in the mood. As I sunk into leather, strapped myself in, and got ready for a long ride, a safety video showed me that this could be easy, even fun, and relaxed me for what would be the rest of my cross-country flight with California-based airline Virgin America.

Now I’ve been with a lot of airlines in my day, but Virgin America does it different. From the aforementioned mood lighting to gate-agent-led games before boarding to the interactive chatting feature in-flight, I stayed busy from start to finish. Like JetBlue, each seat onboard in economy class gets its own TV screen and channels to surf, but Virgin America goes much further, offering an in-flight entertainment system called “Red,” with a choice of movies, games, music videos, radio stations, and even on-demand menu options—plus I had my own remote control!

Mood-lighting photo courtesy of Virgin America.

An hour into the flight, I discovered I could order food and drinks whenever I wanted from my seat, pay for it with a credit card, and—viola!—a flight attendant arrived three minutes and $13 later with a fruit and cheese plate and a glass of wine. No interminable waiting for the aisle-clogging cart and I didn’t even have to miss a second of Amy Winehouse’s latest music video.

The music system kept me busy for the next half-hour. With hundreds of artists and songs to choose from, I set about creating the ultimate playlist, which I then promptly lost by switching over to the seat-to-seat chat room, which was disappointedly empty. Undeterred, I chose my plane alias (“flyerette”) and typed out exuberantly, “Hi plane”! Ten minutes later, I was still waiting for a response when a red exclamation point flashed on my screen.

It was a message! Someone sent me a message on the plane! This was very exciting. Who could it be? While visions of the man of my dreams began flashing before my eyes, it ended up being nothing nearly so thrilling as all that--just my sister texting me from across the aisle to complain about the annoying perfume of the woman in front of her.

I spent the rest of my flight playing a word-scramble video game (yes, I’m that geeky), watching Will Smith evade the lions in “I am Legend,” and memorizing the snack options just in case hunger struck again.

In sum, it seemed to me that in an age of ever-diminishing in-flight perks, Virgin America managed to buck the trend and make flying actually… fun.

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Renowned for its gargantuan statues and mysterious 18th-century population implosion, Easter Island is possibly one of the most fascinating vacation destinations in the world. Each year, tens of thousands of tourists head to this remote island--an impressive statistic, considering it’s located over 2,000 miles from the coast of Chile (its governing country), and is only about three times the size of Manhattan.

The island’s allure, though, is proportionate to its mystery, and perhaps even further amplified by its extreme remoteness. Like Stonehenge and the Lost City of Atlantis, Easter Island is a symbol of the arcane. Everyone from anthropologists and amateur history buffs to supernatural and extraterrestrial enthusiasts seems to have a different theory as to why its once-thriving people built such huge, peculiar statues (known as Moai)--and then suddenly vanished.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member WAE.

In his 2004 book, Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed, author and biogeographer Jared Diamond ascribes the Easter Islanders’ downfall to their environmental irresponsibility. As island population grew, rival chiefs competed to construct the largest and most ornate Moai. Since the Moai were carved from massive blocks of volcanic rock and then rolled on giant tree trunks to their destinations, the need for lumber skyrocketed, and the entire island was soon deforested. A species of giant palm unique to their island became extinct, and their tiny scrap of land became nearly uninhabitable in the space of a few generations.

In an ironic twist of fate, today’s influx of tourists to Easter Island may force history to repeat itself--again, in the space of just a few generations. Since tourism began there last century, a variety of factors have been negatively impacting both the island and its famous statues.

When Europeans first landed on the island, they found most of the Moai toppled over, the result of the competing chiefs’ deadly contests. The statues weren’t returned to their original upright positions until recently. As a result, they’ve become more exposed to natural elements such as sun, surf, wind, and humidity, and have been in an accelerated state of deterioration ever since.

While most tourists are respectful of the statues and take pains not to disturb them, some unknowingly worsen their condition by walking or climbing on them. Others are deliberately disrespectful, the extreme case being that of a Finnish tourist who was fined $17,000 for hacking off one Moai’s earlobe. (Perhaps he saw himself as a sort of modern, anthropological Van Gogh?)

In any case, Easter Island is a shining--if eerie--example of why travel remains so alluring for so many of us. We’re attracted to strange stories and exotic spectacles, especially if they can tell us something about ourselves. Easter Island in particular clearly relays an important message--one that you could apply to almost any destination: Tread lightly, or I won’t be here much longer.

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Posted in Educational & Historic, South America
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This morning I was on NBC’s TODAY Show talking about how to save on your summer vacation. Although summer prices are higher than ever with flights averaging more than 13% higher fares than last summer don’t give just yet. Now is the time to try harder and use every trick in the book to search for your summer savings. You can salvage that summer trip yet.

Tip #1: Buy packages. First of all, allow me to clarify, packages DO NOT mean pre-packaged tours that force an itinerary on you. On the contrary, the kind of packages I’m talking about allow you to choose every component along the way. You select your airline and flight times, your hotel and even the room type, you select your car, and can even add in things like theme park tickets. So what’s the benefit of shopping this way, aside from the freedom of total choice? Packages grant access to discounted pricing that you simply can not get when you’re buying these items on your own, or as I say, a la carte. A family of four can save a few hundred dollars on these kinds of packages, sometimes even more.

Another thing I like to explain about packages is that they’re good for every level of traveler. Just because you like luxury doesn’t mean you don’t like to save either. You can find four and five star hotels in these packages too. There should never be any guess work in a good package. Go for what you want and compare the package against the individual items.

Here’s an example: Fly from Dallas to Maui, buying now and traveling at the end of the summer or in the fall, and you can get a package price for seven nights air plus hotel totaling $3,325 for two people. I know that sounds like a lot but compare it to the a la carte total for air and hotel separately, where the air portion alone costs over $3,000. The average savings per person in this case is $1,190.

Tip #2 Be flexible. Ok, so you’ve heard that before. You’re smart enough to look at alternative airports and you’re probably willing to leave at a different time of day if that means savings. But I’m talking about thinking even more widely. Rather than leaving on Friday night after work for your vacation, instead, leave on the first flight out Saturday morning and maximize your time in a destination. Likewise, on the day of your departure, rather than leaving early, request a late check-out and leave your bags with the bellhop and then utilize the day and take the last flight out. This way you’ve basically squeezed two extra days into your vacation without paying for those nights at your hotel. According to Smith Travel Research the average hotel room in the US tops $100 a night which means more savings for you.

With the advance of technology there are other things to look for when you’re shopping an online travel agency, ways of getting cheaper fares may come in the form of a split ticket (where you fly one carrier out and a different carrier back. But there’s another way that sometimes can make sense, something called an “interline” ticket which means you fly two different airlines to get to your destination. Twenty or thirty
years ago they were commonplace but as airline networks grew they became obsolete. Now with technology searching they’re making a comeback and can sometimes be a way of saving. For example: Fly from Atlanta to Portland, OR via Denver on Frontier and Alaska Airlines for $617 versus Atlanta to Portland, OR on USAir the whole way (with a stop in Charlotte) which costs $644.

In this case they take just about the same amount of time but sometimes there’s a longer layover. You'll have to weigh your time vs. the convenience factor but only you can be the judge of that!

Tip #3 Avoid excess fees. Pack light. Ship heavy items instead of taking them with you. On 3 major airlines there are new bag fees in place charging $15 for the first checked bag. Nearly all the airlines will charge a $25 fee for the second checked bag. Overweight and oversize bags will also cost you upwards of $50 to $150. With airlines paying extra attention to costs, it’s possible that if your carry on bag exceeds 40 pounds or 45 linear inches the airline could force you to check it. The airlines will add a few billion to their bottom line with these changes so you bet they’re cracking down
on the baggage policies.

Allow me to illustrate how this could cost you hundreds. Let’s take a family of four people that has six bags (or items) to check. Say one of those items is 95 pounds, making it overweight. The four bags cost $30 each roundtrip totaling $120. The fifth bag costs $50 round trip bringing the baggage total to $170. The overweight bag costs $200 roundtrip. Suddenly your bag fees totaling $370 just ruined your vacation budget.

But the fees extend beyond baggage this summer. It’s also going to cost you more to make a change to a non-refundable ticket, the price has gone from $100 to $150, so be sure when you book and do not alter your plans.

We’re also seeing fees at some airlines for premium seats, snacks, beverages, even stand-by guarantees (they do change from airline to airline though so you will want to check with your carrier.) For example, I changed my standby ticket on JetBlue two weeks ago and I could have paid a $40 fee to guarantee it 24 hours in advance but I didn’t and instead I went to the airport early and made sure I was first on the list and ready to go. I got on the flight without paying the fee.

Tip # 4 Take a long weekend. This is what the Brits call a “mini-break” and it can be a terrific way to get a change of scenery. I suggest visiting a city where you can use mass transportation and keep prices down buy buying smart. For example, stay slightly off the tourist path at a business hotel. You’ll still be able to experience all the city has to offer but business hotels tend to drop their rates for weekenders when they have less business.

For example, the Jury’s Boston in the heart of the Back Bay area which is packed with charming restaurants and shops costs $325 a night for a weekend in July. Where as the Omni Parker House, on School Street just underwent a multi-million dollar renovation updating the property, is located in the “downtown” area of Boston has rooms for $215 per night for the same weekend. The Hilton Boston Financial hotel is only $198 per night. Both of those are considered “business hotels”. And yet, Boston is such a terrific example for an option like this because it’s a very walk-able city. The T (the Boston subway) has stop close by. But if you’re up for it you can access all of Boston’s best sites on foot. You’re near enough to the Boston Commons (one of my favorite city parks!), the Back Bay, Faneuil Hall, the Freedom Trail and the North End.

Tip # 5 Go like a local. The trendy term for this behavior is to call yourself a "locovore." Use mass transit rather than taxis, buy from the supermarket and save on expensive hotel meals, and frequent local locales as opposed to the common tourist spots which are often more crowded and higher priced.

To get legit local ideas use a good review site as your guide, I like www.IgoUgo.com
or www.Yelp.com. True locovores only eat things that were grown relatively nearby. A farmer’s market is the perfect place to get snacks and items for a picnic lunch or dinner. A good resource for them is the website localharvest.org which lists farmers markets found all around the country and you can search by your destination.

In a city like San Francisco there is no shortage of amazing food. But I try not to miss going to the Ferry Plaza farmer’s market. I can spend under $5 on a fantastic meal of fresh tomales and seasonal fruit for dessert.

Remember that staying in a room with a fridge or a kitchenette will help you cutting down your costs. For some family a suite with a kitchen may make sense too.

Cash in by putting all these tips together on your summer vacation. If you’re lucky you may have a little extra left over that can offset the rise in your gasoline bill this summer.

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In T-minus four months, I'm getting married. When I got engaged I promised myself that I wouldn't be that bride-to-be: no talking about my wedding all the time (obviously failing at that), no obsessing over silly details, and no crash diets to fit into my dress.

But I'm here to tell you that wedding dress shopping is a humbling event. Those ornate gowns are altered to fit like a glove--and if you aren't in top physical form, it will show every single buckle and bulge.

That's why I was intrigued when my friend Carly indulged in a "shapecation" with her bridesmaids. In fact, millions of people were probably intrigued because Good Morning America followed her on her journey. Check out the video here.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member joyvoyager.

A shapecation is similar to a girls' spa weekend but with a heavy emphasis on slimming down for the big day and making some lasting lifestyle changes. Carly and her closest friends decamped for a long weekend at Desert Springs J.W. Marriott in Palm Desert, California and signed up for an expensive comprehensive package. But cheaper options do abound.

You don't need an upcoming wedding to organize a shapecation with your female friends. Many gyms, resorts, and athletic programs across the nation offer short-burst weekend adventures you can mix in with shopping and spa treatments, which will help you keep costs and calories down.

While normally I hate to work out, shapecations appeal to me because of the travel element. Getting up and jogging a few miles would be a lot more tempting if I were running through a stunning desert or on the sidewalks of a glittering city. Plus, hitting the gym together is always more fun and it would be nice to come home from vacation weighing less--not more--for a change.

Thrill-seeking ladies could even take the concept outdoors by staying in a state park and setting personal goals for hiking and biking. Or for a more structured environment, book a stay at a resort like the Red Rock Casino Resort Spa in Las Vegas, which offers an entire Adventure Spa program. You and your friends could kayak, mountain bike, and rock climb your way to thinner thighs and still catch up on all the good gossip.

Is the girls' getaway moving away from late nights and decadent wining and dining? I don't know, but I, for one, am willing to give anything a try that helps me de-stress and fit into that unforgiving dress.

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Posted in Group & Companion, Health & Wellness, Nature & Outdoors, Ski & Sport, Spas
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For anyone watching any of the Euro 2008 Cup, I don’t need to explain how exciting some of the games have been. From Turkey’s monumental upset over the Czechs, Croatia’s win over Germany, or the Russian ouster of the Dutch in the quarterfinals, the tournament has been compelling. I really don’t know what it is about international football (referred to as ‘soccer’ from here on out. Sorry, old habits…), but I love it. I have great memories of watching World Cup play since Maradona’s Hand of God, but this particular Euro Cup has been amazing, despite England’s embarrassing absence. With no team to root for outright, I’ve been able to just sit back and watch, celebrating good play and pulling for the underdog.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member onesundaymorning

Americans are great sports fans. We’re rabid and loyal, though also demanding and, at the risk of sounding contradictory, fickle at times. Those expectations are often raised by exorbitant salaries for underperforming players. After all, who wants to pay eight bucks for bad beer to watch star players strike out, miss the net, or ride the bench? That is not to say that European soccer stars aren’t overpaid or spoiled. In fact, one of my major qualms with soccer is the preponderance of flops, dives, and anguished faces that I hope I wouldn’t make if I were shot, let alone kicked in the shin. I digress wildly.

What is so fascinating about international play, and Euro Cup play in particular, is the vehemence with which fans support their sides, and how crestfallen they appear when things go badly. I love to see the fans in the stands, decked out in flags and colors, faces painted, arms linked, voices raised in unison. It is something that is simply not done here. Well, in particularly tense situations during football season, my brothers and I will link hands or arms before a big play and, if the Giants had lost Superbowl XLII—which they didn’t, they beat the then-undefeated Patriots—I probably would have stayed indoors for days.

The point—there’s a point!?—is that while our state and city rivalries are intense, we have trouble appreciating the vast cultural differences that exist within Europe. Sure, Boston and New York are big rivalries, but the history is a bit different. I was in a pub watching the Poland-Germany game when I realized what was at stake for the folks at the bar, in their scarves of red and white or red, yellow, and black, who were screaming at every crossing pass. I’d hate to think that Americans have no national pride, and I suppose it could be shown in ways other than spectator sports, but it is amazing to see countries galvanize with something as simple as a 90-minute game.

Since not everything in the world is as neat as the manicured fields on which the matches are being played, it’s nice to know that an entire people can be excited and happy about something. And for those of us not directly affected, it’s still pretty fun to watch.

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Posted in Eastern Europe, Ski & Sport, Western Europe
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Checked bag fees – they weren’t the first fees, but they were the most publicized. One by one, each of the major carriers began charging $25 to check a second piece of luggage, and the traveling public wondered just how far these fees would go. When American Airlines announced a $15 first-checked-bag fee and United Airlines and US Airways followed, most thought fees had reached the limit. But when US Airways announced on August 1, they would begin charging $2 for non-alcoholic beverages, air travelers started to sense this wasn’t the end of the fees, but just the beginning.

So pack light and avoid the checked-bag-charge and bring your own post-security-purchased beverage on board the plane, but it’s time to come to terms with the fact that a la carte pricing is the new reality. Whatever your thoughts on this flurry of fees – necessity due to the soaring price of jet fuel or sneaky nickel-and-diming – consider that for some travelers some of the time, some of these new fees may actually be worth paying, if just for a bit more comfort when we take to the skies.

More legroom
It’s not always possible to snag the exit-row seat or the bulkhead. For passengers of a certain height, a few more inches of legroom makes a flight much more pleasant. JetBlue offers the option to purchase seats with 38 inches of legroom – up from the typical 34 – for $10 - $30, depending on the flight distance.

United Airline’s “Economy Plus” lets passengers pay up for more legroom – $14 on short-haul flights and more for longer routes. AirTran charges a $20 each-way fee for reserving an exit-row seat with more legroom.

Seat selection with reservation
There is, perhaps, no seat worse than the middle one. For those who find themselves fighting for the armrests and growing more and more irate as the passengers on both sides encroach into their personal space – a few extra dollars for an aisle or window seat may well feel like a bargain.

Spirit Airlines has long charged passengers for every piece of checked luggage, a practice many worry will become standard and has already been adopted by three major airlines. Spirit now also charges passengers to select their seat at the time they make a reservation – $15 for the exit row; $10 for a window or aisle; $5 for a middle seat. The charges are each way.

AirTran passengers traveling on discounted or sale seats in coach can pay $6 to reserve their seat selection at time of purchase or anytime before departure.

Window and aisle seats
The abovementioned Spirit Airlines charge for seats at time of reservation covers window and aisle seating, but Sprit isn’t alone in capitalizing on traveler’s dread of the middle. US Airways offers “Choice Seats,” which are the window or aisle seats in the first few rows of the aircraft. The airline charges $5 and up, depending on length of the flight, for the privilege of sitting up front, charge business travelers, often in a rush to de-board the plane, might deem this fee worth the money.

Northwest Airline’s “Coach Choice” customers can confirm reserved exit, aisle and window seats for a one-way fee of $5 - $35 on domestic flights and $25 - $50 on international flights. The seats are saved until check in and can be purchased on the website or at self-service kiosks.

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Posted in Air Travel, Travel News
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Two years ago I suffered a bit of an identity crisis. I’ve always thought of myself as, first of foremost, a traveler, and I had a decent collection of stamps in two passports to prove it. But I realized there was one place I’d never really seen, despite having spent a lot of time there: America. All those stamps suddenly looked completely inadequate and sort of misguided.

Somewhere between my adolescent rush to Europe, my collegiate youth-hostel tours, and my post-college steps further abroad, I’d neglected to see much of my own country. I’d oohed and aahed at the Alps without ever having seen the Rockies, and omissions like that one had left me ignorant about the world’s most beautiful places closest to home.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo Member Philly_Girl

So I embarked on a See America campaign and, over the course of nine months, drove down Highway 1 in California, lined up to see the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, learned about the Amish in Lancaster County, and explored Wrigley Field in Chicago. Since then I’ve seen the Rockies, and made a good list of more American classics I plan on visiting soon. Crisis averted.

Until last week, when I came to the stunning realization that I’ve never been to a national park. I racked my brain for some forgotten trip, but it’s true: I’ve never visited Yosemite, Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, Zion, Acadia, nor any other national park. A few national battlefields, yes, but not one full-fledged, hiking- and biking- and camping-worthy national park. So I drew up a See America List #2, which currently contains the names of five national parks I’m dying to see. By next July 4th, I hope to have made the trek to at least one of them.

Any other travelers care to comfort me with stories of their own glaring travel omissions? And if you’ve been lucky (or diligent or smart) enough to see some of our nation’s great parks, do you have any you’d like to recommend to a nature-loving national-park novice like me?

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Welcome to The Window Seat Podcast!

Voluntourism

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Welcome to The Window Seat Podcast!

Offsetting

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Welcome to The Window Seat Podcast!

Children and Nature

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With travel woes at a fever pitch lately, I'm finding that it's the perfect time to leave reality behind and revisit my most far-flung travel fantasies. Laugh if you like, but one of the things I love most about travel is the dreaming part: thinking about where I'd like to go, reading about new places, and imagining all the travel-friendly hobbies I'll someday take on and drift around the world to do (scuba diving is my latest). So when I saw this month's cover of Islands magazine, which touts the 2008 list of the 10 Best Islands to Live On, I was a goner.

While planning every trip in recent memory, I've found myself straying from hotel listings and tourism websites and browsing through real estate sites, reading about expat experiences, and wondering what would happen if I just left on my trip and never came back. It's a notion that was planted in my head at an early age, when my mom and I traveled to London one summer and ended up staying for a year. My earliest memories were formed there (I was 4), and I can't imagine that I'd be nearly the same person had she not taken that leap of faith and adventure and stayed put as our departure date came and went. And now that I'm an adult living in New York, wondering "Could I live here?" has become something of an obsession when traveling to other cities. (I usually spend a good deal of time waffling, then settle on "No, it's not New York.")

Mind you, I don't have the money saved to buy a home in another country, nor have I ever really thought through what it would take to pick up and make an international move—this is purely dreaming territory. I love imagining my Under the Tuscan Sun-style escape from real life as I plan my trips, and I'll never let go of the chance that I'll abandon rational thought when I get there and really do it. Who knows? I thrill at the possibility, however slight.

But of all the places I've visited, there are only a few where I could truly imagine staying. Martinique was one—I'd steer clear of Fort-de-France and move to a little fishing village on the north end of the island, which sees few tourists and melds French culture with Caribbean joie-de-vivre in a beautiful setting; imagine hand-painted boulangerie signs along tiny main streets facing the sea, where fisherman alight on the beach in the early morning with their daily catch. London, of course, is another—it offers (almost) everything I love about New York, along with a calmer, saner pace (the abundance of gardens and parks and neighborhoods anchored by high streets and surrounded by quiet residential territory make for some genius city-planning). In another island setting, Rarotonga, Cook Islands, bowled me over with its ridiculously gorgeous landscapes; friendly, carefree people; and fascinating culture—I could imagine taking up residence in a modest beach hut and living out the rest of my days there quite happily. Perhaps I'd take up sea kayaking.

Now, for a show of hands: how many of you indulge in this flight of fancy when planning your trips? And what destinations had you eyeing "for sale" signs on houses and dreaming about what your life there would be like? After all, there's no time like the present to let go and dream a little.

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It's no secret that flying today often ranks somewhere between getting a root canal and slamming your finger in the car door, but a few months ago, I posted about the surprisingly excellent customer service I received---apparently apropos of nothing---on Alaska Airlines. The entire incident, in fact, served to restore my faith in current-day air travel and reminded me of how little we passengers actually need to feel understood and taken care of.

And then, of course, it was back to the usual delays and---hurrah!---a whole new host of fees.

Last week, however, I flew with Air Berlin, and was absolutely bowled over by the superior customer service, the calm and pre-emptive professionalism, and the (utterly novel!) way each passenger was treated like a human being rather than a warm body in a seat.

Leaving for Dusseldorf from JFK, we sat on the runway for three hours. Yes, three hours. It wasn't Air Berlin's fault, of course, it was merely a result of the traffic jams for which JFK is so famous. Since I had a connecting flight from Dusseldorf to Berlin, however, I started to worry about whether I was going to make it. And then I stopped worrying about whether I was going to make it, and realized resolutely that I absolutely wasn't going to make it, and no amount of willful finger-crossing could help it happen while I was mid-air.

But this is where Air Berlin won me over: not only had they already rebooked every single passenger on a later connecting flight, which they announced to us via loudspeaker before we even landed---bonus: none of us had to wait more than ninety minutes in Dusseldorf airpor---but they also gave every single person on the plane a voucher for 8 Euros (about $12) so we could buy a "refreshment" at the airport between flights.

Is that classy or what? Because I think that's pretty classy. Listen up, competing airlines: that's the way it should be done. While I could hardly believe it---being helped! without having to make a fuss!---I did make a mental note to fly Air Berlin whenever I could in the future.

I really think that the airlines---or airline personnel---who go the extra mile deserve a proverbial pat on the back, particularly in the current climes, as we're being nickeled and dimed five ways to Friday. So spill: any similar stories of great customer service from your recent travels? (Or more likely, perhaps: any awful ones?)

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Lake Powell, a summertime hotspot that straddles the Utah-Arizona boarder, has lured vacationers for decades with its golden cliffs, hanging gardens and blue waters. But the lake is mostly known as a place where houseboats dock during the summer, a tradition that has been somewhat hampered by low water levels and the closing of Castle Rock Cut, a 12-mile shortcut on Lake Powell.

Yesterday Lake Powell Resorts & Marinas announced that The Cut has opened for the first time in five years because of rising water levels attributed to the heaviest winter snowpack in the past eight years, reports the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

Lake levels at Lake Powell have been rising approximately one foot per day since mid-May, and the Reclamation projects lake levels to reach an expected peak of roughly 3,638 feet by July. According to the Reclamation’s most recent analysis, the Castle Rock Cut is expected to remain open indefinitely.

Photo Courtesy of ARAMARK / Lake Powell Resorts & Marinas.

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American Airlines announced in May that beginning June 15, 2008, most economy-class passengers would have to pay $15 for their first piece of checked luggage. Travelers waited and hoped that no other airlines would follow, and American would be forced to drop the charge. No such luck. United Airlines and US Airways announced similar policies for tickets purchased on or after June 13 and July 9, respectively. Passengers on those airlines will have to pay $15 for a first piece of checked luggage. Most recently, Northwest Airlines became the fourth major carrier to implement this new charge for tickets purchased on or after July 10 for travel on or after August 28 and smaller carrier Hawaiian Airlines added a $15 for a first checked bag on flights between the mainland and Hawaii for tickets purchased after August 1 for travel starting October 1.

At the same time US Airways announced the new $15 charge, it announced several other new charges -- the most interesting of which (at least for the media) was the $2 charge for non-alcoholic beverages. JetBlue no longer gives out free headsets to watch the in-flight entertainment (the headsets now cost $1).

So how did it come to this? Though airlines have been cracking down in recent years on existing charges for overweight / oversized bags, the real frenzy on charges began when US Airways announced a $25 second-checked-bag fee, and this $25 fee quickly snowballed into an industry-wide trend. The six major airlines – American Airlines, Continental, Delta, Northwest, United, and US Airways – all charge passengers to check a second bag; $25 on every aforementioned carrier excluding Delta, which now charges $50. Several smaller carriers – Air Canada, Alaska Air, Air Tran, and JetBlue among them – have enacted similar policies.

Travelocity’s FAQ page is constantly updated with the details of each policy.

Keep in mind that this fee does not apply to all people on all flights. While policies vary, the charge is generally limited to passengers sitting in economy-class seats on flights in North America, excludes any elite members of frequent flier programs, and does not apply to anyone flying in business or first class. Trouble is, it’s not these frequent fliers that generally check lots of bags anyway – it’s the infrequent flier – also the traveler least likely to be aware of these new fees.

And don’t even think about trying to stuff everything into one bag to get around the rule. Several carriers have increased their overweight / oversized baggage surcharges, and we’ve seen in recent years the airlines have become very stringent on enforcing these rules.

Other new fees to be aware of: -
- Delta Airlines raised fees for booking over the phone, bringing along your pet, and unaccompanied minors on direct flights
- United Airlines recently upped the change fee from $100 to $150 and reinstated the Saturday-night-stay requirement on some routes
- JetBlue has begun charging for seats with the most legroom

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Please join us in welcoming Catherine Sanderson to The Window Seat. She is the author of Petite Anglaise, a popular blog and new memoir of the same name. Her guest blog gives you an insider's look at a special Paris neighborhood off the beaten path.

Every time I cross over the rue de Belleville, just below Pyrénées métro station, I’m greeted by a surprisingly clear view of the Eiffel Tower. From this vantage point, the city’s most famous landmark dominates the thin sliver of skyline, looking deceptively close, even though it’s actually four miles away. This view sums up what I love most about my neighborhood—and why it plays such a prominent role in my memoir, Petite Anglaise—it’s undoubtedly Parisian, but also a world away from the bustle of the city center and the well-trod path of the tourists’ trail.

Once a hilltop village named for its belle vue of the city, Belleville had morphed into a working-class town by the time it was brought within Paris’s city limits 150 years ago. Successive waves of immigrants have since transformed the area—nicknamed Babelville—into a colorful melting pot of cultures with a vibrant street life. Here Tunisian couscous restaurants, Jewish bakeries, and Mandarin bazaars stand side by side, beckoning passers by with their goods. Though too many of the neighborhood’s original houses, farms, and workshops have given way to soulless tower blocks in the name of urbanization, pockets of old Belleville still subsist, with its cobbled backstreets and leafy hidden courtyards. You just have to know where to look.

One of the best ways to appreciate the hidden charms of this neighborhood is to visit in mid-May, when the numerous art galleries and craft workshops in the area throw open their doors to the general public for the ‘Portes Ouvertes des Ateliers de Belleville’. But whatever the season, it’s well worth downloading the festival’s itinerary and using it as a route map for your visit. Better than any guidebook, it will lead you to many of Belleville’s most photogenic backstreets—rue des Solitaires, Villa de l’Adour, rue de la Mare, to name a few—where many of the ateliers listed are open year round. If you’d like to hear historical and cultural commentary as you stroll, Ca se visite organizes guided walking tours of Belleville, in both French and English.

Whether you discover Belleville on your own or with the help of a guide, I guarantee you’ll come away feeling like you’ve seen a refreshingly different side of Paris.

Catherine Sanderson writes the blog Petite Anglaise, which boasts over 100,000 visitors per month. Her memoir of the same name publishes today. She lives with her daughter in Paris.

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Posted in Author's Corner, Western Europe
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It’s easy to do, but I am rooted in the mindset of saving as many of my vacation days as possible, either to go on an annual family vacation or to take a heap of long weekends in the summer. Even with more days than most with which to work, I find myself longing for a six-month sabbatical. With no summer home to head to when the temperature soars, I have to look to other ways to checkout. Taking a page out of Cameron’s book, I jumped at a chance to get out of the city for a day, even if it didn’t mean a long weekend. Last Thursday, I woke up far too early, drove down to Jersey City to pick up my old college buddy, Kam, and drove north to Pine Plains, NY.

This wasn’t an impromptu day of hooky, far from it. Kam and I took a vacation day to participate in a fundraiser for the Boy Scouts of America. The Greater New York chapter is the largest in the country with more than 120,000 scouts. Neither of us was ever, in fact, a Boy Scout, but a friend of mine has put the event together for the last four year. We also love the fact that the BSA provides the kids with a lot more opportunities to get outside and make friends than would ordinarily be afforded them. Here at the Window Seat, I’m certainly not the first one to expound upon the wonders of the great outdoors. Additionally, I’m an avid shootist (though not a hunter—the clay’s the thing), and Kam has a budding passion and ability for the sport as well.

Held on the grounds of the Mashomack Preserve Club, the two-day event consisted of an invitation extended to 40 scouts who had completed their Shotgun Shooting merit badges to receive expert instruction on shooting and firearm safety on Wednesday, followed by the actual fundraiser the following morning. The event itself was a 15-stand, 75-target sporting clays* course, set on the club grounds in amongst the picturesque hills of Duchess County, NY. The course at Mashomack is both challenging in the variety of shots and beautiful in the way that each station presents a wholly different and more stunning view from the last.

After a few days with temperatures rising above 100F, I was worried that a day spent trekking around outdoors with my large shotgun might be a less than enjoyable way to spend one of my precious and delicate vacation days. Waking up early to pick up my friend did not help. However, it wasn’t long before we were driving through the rolling landscape of the Hudson Valley, catching up, and enjoying a day full of sunshine and absent the humidity that had blanketed the region only days prior.

Though I didn’t shoot nearly as well as I’d hoped (10 fewer hits than last year), I was more appreciative of the fact that my friend and I were able to spend perhaps the most beautiful day of the year outside, enjoying the scenery and the competition, and helping to raise money for a good cause. When it comes to shooting, I can be a bit hard on myself, but it was hard to be too upset. After each miss, or if I had a particularly bad station, I could at least look around and just be happy to be outside. The line of the day as overheard from several shooters was “it beats being in the office.” Well, I have to say I like my office, but it was a tough day to beat for a half-day excursion—one of the best vacations I’ve had in a long time.

*Sporting clays, as the name suggests, involves the use of clay pigeons (clay discs, usually around 4” in diameter) thrown by a machine in a variety of directions and patterns. It’s true that the theory behind the sport itself could be labeled as a bit barbaric—targets are named after the path of flight of the game, usually bird or rabbit, that they represent—but the game itself is harmless. The clay targets along with the steel shot and the wadding from the cartridges are biodegradable, and the course itself takes up considerably less space than a golf course while also using the features of the landscape to dictate its design.

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Posted in Nature & Outdoors, Ski & Sport
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Each year I take an annual “Girls Weekend” retreat to Amelia Island in Florida. Turns out, I’m not alone as 33% of the traveling public takes an annual vacation each year and women are even more likely than men to do this kind of a trip, according to the Travelocity Forecast poll for 2008. According to the research, women tend toward beach vacations though they like shopping and spa. My group of women, about 14 in all, do the same thing year after year.

We love the beach and the rolling sound of the waves, though we habitually sit by the pool where we can overlook the ocean and catch the magnificent breeze but remain close to the bathroom, food, and a power outlet should we be in need. (Yes, blackberries abound at this weekend retreat for professional women.)

We always opt to stay in the condos at the Amelia Island Plantation so that we have maximum flexibility and maximum amenities. The day we arrive we do a simple dinner or order in. Saturday day some go to the spa, we all meet for lunch poolside, there is optional golf or tennis, and usually at some point during the day we break off into groups finding time for private conversations as we drag our heels in the surf. Saturday night we go to a nice dinner on the Plantation or in nearby Fernandina Beach. By Sunday mid-day we’re all rushing to get our things together, checkout and head back to Jackson where we re-engage in our busy lives. Over the years I realized that I’d barely have taken the time to get to know the resort.

So this year, I made a point of trying to see Amelia as regular visitors might. Instead of my routine beach walk, a friend and I explored the pathways that wind through marshes and byways around the resort. I had always known there were paths to avoid the roads when heading to the center of the Plantation where the shops and spa are, but little did I know there were actually seven miles of them great for walking, biking or jog. We spotted gorgeous cardinals, egrets and loads of lizards (though they may be salamanders I’m not sure.) In the heat of the afternoon the tree canopies towered above us and offered a welcome shade.

Although in years passed I’ve worked on my pathetic golf game at the golf center. I haven’t worked up to actually going out on the courses, one of which is famous for it’s ocean-side links that wind through the sand dunes across six acres with some stunning views. Instead I decided to indulge at the spa. It was the perfect backdrop for my restorative weekend. The spa has a nice sanctuary feel to it – and the more I explored the more I realized this was really a good description for the entirety of the Plantation property. All 1350 acres have been designed with preservation of the natural environment in mind. The Plantation has been doing this long before eco-chic, they’ve been at it since the ‘80s. They even have a nature center and guides who can teach you about the local flora and fauna. While watching a family tour the island on Segways I realized I’ve been limiting the way I think about Amelia.

Yes, it’s my annual girls retreat but it’s a wonderful place for the whole family. What has always struck me about the place is that it’s so vast – that they literally have something for everyone – and yet you never feel the place is over-run with people. There are areas for kids (which on this weekend we tend to avoid) but which are marvelous, and a never-ending list of options and activities.

Amelia will always have a special place in my heart as my place with The Girls but I might be tempted to go back with the family…

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Posted in Beaches, Family & Kids, Green Travel, Nature & Outdoors, Spas
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US Airways is the third major carrier to begin charging $15 for a first piece of checked luggage. United Airlines announced a similar policy on Thursday. American Airlines was the first to announce this new fee last month.

In addition to charging $15 for a the first piece of checked luggage, US Airways will be the first major carrier to charge for non-alcoholic beverages in flight. The cost for soda, juice, coffee and bottled water will be $2. This comes on the heels of an announcement from the airline that they will no longer serve free pretzels in-flight.

The carrier has also announced it will assess a fee to travelers redeeming frequent flier miles. The fee will be $25 for domestic (excluding Hawaii) and Canada flights; $35 for flights to Mexico and the Caribbean; and $50 on flights to Hawaii and international destinations outside of North America.

The airline will also eliminate jobs and capacity in an effort to control fuel costs. US Airways plans capacity reductions of up to eight percent in the fourth quarter. The airline will eliminate roughly 1,700 jobs.

According to the US Airways, the cost of jet fuel has increased more than 90 percent over the last 12 months and more than 200 percent since 2000. Most major carriers, including Continental, American, and Delta have announced capacity reductions and job eliminations in recent weeks, citing the high cost of jet fuel.

In May, all six major carriers along with several smaller carriers, announced they would charge passengers $25 to check a second piece of luggage. Elite members of the individual carrier's frequent-flyer programs are generally exempt from this charge, as are passengers with plans to travel outside of North America.

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Posted in Air Travel, Travel News
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Have you ever seen a sea turtle in the wild? Me neither. Although they’ve been around for tens of millions of years, sea turtle populations have dwindled rapidly since the 1600s, making the creatures among the world’s most critically endangered species. Their Caribbean population alone has declined by over 99%.

Although many causes of the decline, such as turtle hunting and harmful fishing techniques, have been curtailed over the past 50 years, sea turtle populations still struggle to regain earlier numbers. Even if you’re a nature lover, you could be negatively impacting their numbers: As human population and tourism have augmented, so has development in turtles’ traditional nesting areas. They have increasingly fewer places to lay their eggs.

Photo courtesy of the Ritz-Carlton, Cancun.

Fourteen years ago, the Ritz-Carlton Cancun recognized this problem and decided to offer a program to help reverse the trend. Each summer during nesting season, guests can help patrol the beach at night, rescue eggs in danger of being plundered, and bury them in a safe area, where they remain until they hatch and return to the ocean. The program, called The Turtle Guardian Experience or “Turtle Camp,” is jointly run by the hotel and Cancun’s Department of Ecology, and also features unique educational opportunities. It costs $20 for adults and $10 for children, and is available nightly from July 1 to August 31 each year.

The Ritz-Carlton Cancun isn’t the only place in the world to feature a program like this. You can find similar experiences in tropical zones throughout the globe. Unlike other programs, though, Turtle Camp has no long-term commitment requirements: You help out for just one night, or more if you please. Given Cancun’s easy access for American visitors, as well as its general allure, the Turtle Camp program is also a great way to do something good for the environment without sacrificing your vacation. Children especially can benefit from the program by actively learning, helping, and having plenty of fun--all in the comfort of one of the Riviera Maya’s most luxurious resorts.

The world’s sea turtle population isn’t going to spring back overnight. In fact, it may never reach pre-1600s levels. But saving turtles one egg at a time is a considerable step toward reversing the downward trend--and being a hands-on part of the solution must feel utterly amazing.

You can find out more about The Turtle Guardian Experience on the Ritz-Carlton Cancun’s Packages page.

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Posted in Educational & Historic, Family & Kids, Green Travel, Mexico, Nature & Outdoors
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Here it comes, the dreaded matching that I hoped wouldn't happen, has. But today United Airlines (the second largest US Carrier) said it would follow American Airlines (the first largest carrier) in imposing a fee for the first checked bag.

That's right. Starting tomorrow it's going to cost you to check a bag, any bag!, on United Arlines for travel booked after August 18th. The fee is $15 for the first bag and $25, now somewhat of an industry standard, for the second checked bag.

Does this mean we can expect to see charges on most airlines for that first bag? I'm afraid it often follows this theme.

What's next?! you say? I can't say for sure but it's no wonder the Derrie-Air spoof has gotten so much attention.

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Posted in Air Travel, Budget Travel, Packing & Baggage, Travel Alerts, Travel News
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