Category: In the News

In the News: In the Market for a Timeshare? Now’s the Time to Buy

Published on by Cheryl LockLeave a comment

Check out this video from MSN Money about why now is the best time to snatch up some prime timeshare properties (One man was even forced to give his away. As in for free. I’ll take a free timeshare in Hilton Head, thank you very much!)

The one point that the video makes is that while yes, there are fabulous deals to be had right now, don’t forget the added monthly costs that come along with owning a timeshare. They can really add up—and that’s why some of these people are being forced to sell their properties for rock bottom prices.

Bis bald friends! Hope you had a fabulous Memorial Day!

 

In The News: The Best Airlines For Miles

Published on by Cheryl Lock1 Comment

Check out this WSJ article for a list of the best U.S. carriers for miles (Southwest Airlines and jetBlue are tops) and the worst (hello US Airways and Delta).

I’d throw United/Continental on that list as well 🙁 We all know the troubles I’ve had with them.

Bis bald, friends—have happy summer flights!

In The News: 10 Wineries To Check Out This Summer

Published on by Cheryl LockLeave a comment

Thank you Money for this list of 10 buzzworthy wineries worth checking out this summer. I would love to make a trip out of testing out different wineries…perhaps a few on this list will be a good place to start…

Bis bald, friends!

In The News: The Ins and Outs of the Home Swap

Published on by Cheryl LockLeave a comment
Here's a home. Would you like to swap it?

My DailyWorth newsletter had some awesome advice in it today about how to make sure you’re picking a reliable home to swap for your next vacay getaway. Here are some tips from the newsletter:

1. Use KnowYourTrade.com to pick a reliable home exchange site to start your international shopping. For the world’s coolest cities check out Geenee, and for the largest selection check out Homelink.

2. Cough up the money. According to the newsletter, most reliable networks charge a small membership fee, but it’s worth it because you’re more likely to get qualified, serious swappers. However, the swaps SHOULD BE FREE. If the site you’re using asks you to pay for the actual swap, it’s probably a scam. Check out Airbnb for some listings of homes that are for rent, instead.

3. Verify before you swap. Sure, it’s always a bit of a leap of faith, but read the reviews, Skype or chat via email or phone before you agree to anything—generally, just be sure you do your homework.

Happy swapping friends!

Photo via

In The News: Expedia summer sale starts tomorrow, boasts big savings

Published on by Cheryl LockLeave a comment
I’m hoping to make Brussels one of my vacation destinations this summer

According to this USA Today piece, Expedia will launch its annual summer sales tomorrow with a record number of available properties.

I know one person who will be checking out that sale—this girl! On the docket for the rest of the year are:

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico—IN THREE DAYS!

Jamaica—Mid-November

Chicago (potential)—early October

Brussels and Spain (potential)—some time in July/August with one of my favorite traveling buddies

Additionally, my lovely father wrote myself and my two sisters a few days ago to say that he doesn’t think he’ll be able to use up his miles this year, so if said sisters and I can get our acts together to pick a time and place, he may be happy to shoot us over there with them. Fabulous! Now we just need to work on that time and place….

Still, with all the plans, I feel like I could stick something else in there over the summer for a long weekend.

Bis bald friends! Hope your summer plans are shaping up nicely…..

In The News: Drunk Passenger Causes $40,000-Worth of Damage on Flight, Disrobes Seat Mate

Published on by Cheryl Lock1 Comment

Yowza Jason Dixon—your name should certainly be added to the list of ‘do not fly’ names after the little stunt you pulled on May 2.

According to this AOL Travel piece, 32-year-old Virgin Atlantic passenger Jason Dixon became so intoxicated on his flight from Britain to Jamaica that he somehow managed to become involved in a physical altercation with his seat mate (after she turned down his advances, of course), ripping off her clothes and yanking out her hair, and then causing nearly $40,000 in damages to the plane.

Sounds like a model passenger (and person). Really.

Bis bald, friends! In only 6-days time Steph and I will be Cabo-bound! Cannot wait!

In The News: Have a Peanut Allergy? Better stay away from Air Canada…

Published on by Cheryl Lock3 Comments

Thank you, Mommyish, for turning me on to this crazy story about Air Canada turning away a 19-year-old boy because he had a peanut allergy.

This is my favorite part from the linked story above: “The comments (to a story about how April Burns son was turned away from Air Canada because of his allergy) focus on how far airlines should go to accommodate people with allergies. Some argue Air Canada had a right to deny her son a seat on the plane; others feel any accommodation was an imposition for other passengers.”

First I’d like to point out that those two points are basically the same thing—siding with Air Canada for their refusal to seat the child. Is no one on this kid’s side? What is he supposed to do, never fly because he’s allergic to peanuts?

Secondly, in what scenario would it be appropriate for a fellow passenger to kick up a stink about needing to skip his bag of peanuts (which, by the way, usually contain about 12 peanuts total, if you’re lucky) because a fellow passenger has a deadly allergy to them. How exactly would that go?

As a side note—the boy was on his way to Fiji where he was going to be volunteering for a few weeks.

As an additional side note, the boy had five EpiPens with him. One could therefore deduce that he was not placing the sole responsibility for his peanut allergy on the shoulders of Air Canada.

I feel enraged by this, but maybe that’s just me? Of course the boy would have to assume some of the risk of getting on a flight in general, knowing that other passengers may have peanut products on/with them, and that Air Canada cannot be held responsible for every single passenger on its plans. But to deny him a seat at all? That seems a bit off the mark, if you ask me.

Bis bald, friends! And don’t bother flying Air Canada if you’re allergic to peanuts!

In the News: Peace Corps Cover Up

Published on by Cheryl Lock1 Comment

Although I may have never mentioned it here (or even out loud at all, for that matter), the Peace Corps has always been in the back of my mind as one of those potentially fabulous opportunities to combine travel with community service. The time commitment is what always kept me from looking more into it.

However, this piece in the NY Times today is terrifying. As a volunteer in a foreign country, you of course plan for all contingencies, I’m sure, to include the horrible events like what took place with poor Jess Smochek when she was a 23-year-old Peace Corps volunteer in Bangladesh.

I’ll spare the gritty (and they are gritty) details outright here, but let’s just say it looks like the Peace Corps may have some serious explaining to do.

Bis bald friends, and please, be careful when you’re traveling.

In the News: TripAdvisor Announces Travelers’ Choice Destination Winners

Published on by Cheryl LockLeave a comment

Thank you, Aol Travel, for pointing out that TripAdvisor has announced its Travelers’ Choice Destination Winners.

So which city was No. 1? None other than my own hometown of NYC.

Check out the full (somewhat unsurprising) list through the link above.

Bis bald, friends! Only 10 more days until I’ll be in Cabo, Mexico!

In The News: Why Do You Travel?

Published on by Cheryl LockLeave a comment
I travel because there's just so much to see

The NY Times asked an intriguing question of its readers today—Why do you travel?

Through the reader-submitted essays, which range from sweet to sad to factual, the answers really allow us a small glimpse into what drives other people to travel. For my own part, travel means a thousand different things to me. I travel to learn new things and to challenge myself. I travel to see different parts of the world and experience history. I travel for fun, or passion, or to just get away. I travel to visit friends and family, or to spend quality time with friends and family. I travel because it’s what I’ve done my whole life, and I hardly know how to be without it.

Why do you travel?

Bis bald, friends!

Back in the Borough: A Twist in Fate

Published on by Cheryl Lock1 Comment

Tonight I traveled back from a weekend in D.C. to my home in good ole’ Manhattan. In a twist of fate, I managed to miss my 5:30 p.m. TripperBus back into the city. As my friend Lisa and I sat in her car in the parking lot waiting for the 7 pm. bus, I mused, “Maybe there was some reason I wasn’t supposed to be on the 5 p.m. bus.”

Then, at around 11:15 p.m., as our bus approached the city, I glanced up at the open laptop of the girl sitting in front of me and saw the headline “Osama bin Laden dead, Obama to announce.”

Sure enough, I googled the news on my own iTouch and discovered it to be true. Then, I looked out the window, as we passed over the bridge towards the Lincoln Tunnel, and saw the beautiful New York City skyline glistening in the night.

So that, my friends, is why I missed my 5:30 bus—I’m sure of it. I was in the right place, at the right time, to be reminded of just how proud I am to be American. And just how far we have come since that fateful day in September. My city was waiting for me to come home, and I embrace her with open arms.

Bis bald, friends!

In The News Part Deux: New Rules for Lost Baggage

Published on by Cheryl Lock3 Comments

Two blogs in one day? Fancy that!

I just saw this article and had to share—”The Obama administration said Wednesday it would start requiring airlines to refund baggage fees when luggage is lost as part of new rules that also target ticket surcharges and lengthy tarmac delays involving international flights.”

Sounds like a score to me! I am hesitant to even say this out loud, but I’m one of those lucky few who has never lost her bag in a flight. I can only imagine how frustrating that would be, though. Hopefully these rules will at least alleviate a little bit of that annoyance…

In The News: Rodent Waste Found on Plane

Published on by Cheryl Lock1 Comment

Rodent waste anywhere is gross, don’t get me wrong. But on a plane—that’s just wrong.

According to this WSJ article, Delta is going to need to keep up a bit more stringently with their cleaning practices after U.S. health regulators found rodent waste on a plane in Atlanta earlier this year.

According to the FDA letter, “numerous rodent excreta pellets” were found near areas of the plane where the food is prepared. Some were even found above door panels and passenger seats. Additionally, the “rodent excreta pellets” were “too numerous to count.”

Just ick! Unfortunately my press trip to Cabo was booked today, and guess who I’ll be flying with? Yup. Delta. Hopefully they’ll get their s*&% together (pun intended) before May.

Bis bald, friends!

In The News: Air Traffic Chief Resigns

Published on by Cheryl LockLeave a comment

In the wake of recent reports of air-traffic controllers sleeping on the job, Hank Krakowski, the head of the Air Traffic Organization at the Federal Aviation Administration, resigned today. The FAA has announced plans to beef up overnight controller staffing at 26 airports nationwide—but is it too little too late?

Does this story make you think twice about air travel?

In The News: What a Government Shutdown Means for Travel

Published on by Cheryl LockLeave a comment
Planning on visiting the National Zoo? Think again.

Hi friends.

If you’re already traveling, or plan on traveling in the near future, I just ran across this extremely useful article in the NY Times that runs down a bit of what the impending government shut-down could mean for travelers.

Some things to keep in mind:

  • The National Park system will close its doors, including access roads and look points, at midnight on Friday.
  • Passport offices will be closed for the acceptance of new applications.
  • The Smithsonian’s 19 museums and galleries in Washington, D.C. and New York City, and the National Zoo, will be closed to visitors. Don’t worry though, the animals will still be taken care of by zookeepers.

Sheesh. Look what drama occurs when we all can’t just play nicely.

Bis bald, friends!

Hitting Up Manhattan Soon?

Published on by Cheryl LockLeave a comment

Then you should check out this great source of all things NY Museums related. Easy access to free hours, locations, and links to actual sites.

Bis bald, friends! Have a fabulous weekend! Get a little cultural and try one of these museums…..

In the News: Know Your International Rules

Published on by Cheryl LockLeave a comment

 

Mind your rice when in Asia

Thanks to my good friend Kate over at Her Two Cents for turning me on to this ABC piece about the Lonely Planet piece about customs from around the world. A few tidbits to keep in mind:

When in Asia, never stick your chopsticks straight up in the rice—that’s how the dead are fed.

 

When in Japan, never fill your own glass with alcohol—just pour it for others and wait for them to reciprocate.

It’s totally fascinating stuff—a must for anyone traveling to a country where customs are a mystery.

Bis bald, friends! And have respectful travels!

In The News: Face lift for airline miles?

Published on by Cheryl Lock1 Comment
Alternative ways to cash in your airline miles can be, well, a bit odd...

Well according to this WSJ article, it’s true. For those of us who have ever been burned by airline miles (I’ve complained on at least one occasion, myself), apparently the airlines are dipping into a new way to make pay-offs—including plastic surgery, big-screen TVs, lawn tractors (?), and even dinner with the New York Yankees.

Seems odd, to me, but then again, I could use a big-screen TV?

Would you cash in your miles for something other than, you know, miles?

Bis bald, friends!

Photo illustration via

I have travel envy…

Published on by Cheryl Lock1 Comment

I'm green, too.Lots of my friends are jetting off (or driving off) to fabulous vacations this weekend.

Chris will be at Mt. Snow.

My former roommate will be heading to Florida.

My co-worker (of New Brunswick fame) is heading to Firenze and Venice tomorrow.

Another friend (of former blogging fame) responded to an email of mine yesterday requesting some hang out time by saying that she is currently in Strasbourg and then Brussels for work.

Can you sense how green I am?

For my own part, I will be lying low in the city this weekend, and preparing to bug each and every one of these people upon their return for a super-special blog post. Wouldn’t we all just love that?

Bis bald, friends! Have a fabulous weekend, wherever you might be.

In the News: The Allure of the Package

Published on by Cheryl Lock2 Comments
Do bundle sites really save you money?

I admit it—I’m a package traveler. What I mean by that is that I love me a good package deal travel Website— Expedia, Orbitz, Travelocity—I’ve used ’em all.   Well in today’s New York Times, yours and my favorite, The Practical Traveler, debates whether or not vacation packages can actually save you money, and whether or not the concessions you sometimes have to make (ickier hotels, early morning flights, etc.) for those savings are worth it.

Personally, I’ve found these Websites to generally be very helpful. Usually when I search for hotels or flights on their own, I always come up with a much more expensive trip. One difference—Chris’s upcoming marathon in Chicago. When he told me how much he was spending per night for just the hotel (somewhere around $120 per person, if I’m remembering correctly), I thought I’d be sure to find a better deal on a package site.

But then I checked Expedia. Flight plus hotel for the 7th thru the 9th are somewhere around $450-$550.  And a quick Kayak search tells me that flights are currently lingering around somewhere around $243 for the same weekend. So with the $120 per night hotel that Chris found, that’s a comparable trip price, if not even a little bit cheaper.

There’s no rhyme or reason to it, that I’ve found at least. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don’t.

What about you? Have you ever used a bundle site? And were you happy with it?

Bis bald, friends!

 

In The News: Egypt in Distress

Published on by Cheryl Lock1 Comment
Nightfall over Tahrir Square in Cairo on Tuesday.

Let’s all just take a moment to pray for the people of Egypt. It’s a bit crazy what’s going on over there right, and whatever comes of the protesting, hopefully it can end peacefully, and with as few people hurt as possible.

Bis bald, friends….and keep your civil unrest…well, civil!

Photo via

A Non “11” List for 2011

Published on by Cheryl LockLeave a comment
Melbourne, Australia made the list of 41 places for 2011. Been there, loved that.

I blogged the other day about the cliché of writers using the last two digits of a year to equal the number of suggestions they need to make—11 ways to cut on travel costs in 2011, etc. But here’s a number that appears to be completely arbitrary (and large!). The 41 Places to Go in 2011.

Of course, with locations like Chile, Thailand, Iceland (that’s one of my new travel goals, remember?!), and Milan making the top of the list, these suggestions may be for those of us who are fortunate enough to be able to spend thousands on travel (I, sadly, am not one of those).

Still, a few of the places seem attainable, and maybe even a few of the attainable places thrown in one lavish spot could be do-able? Park City, Utah, doesn’t seem all that out-of-reach. Neither does London or Olympic Park, Washington, or Durham, North Carolina.

Will you be visiting any of these 41 places this year?

Bis bald, friends!

In the News: Cut Your Travel Costs

Published on by Cheryl LockLeave a comment

 

Insert money here for more traveling.

I meant to blog about this a few days ago when I first read it in the NY Times‚ but better late than never, right?

 

If you’re like me, you spent a lot more money than you have this season on gifts, parties, traveling to and from holiday shindigs, etc. So what we’re left with (or at least what I’m left with) is a dismal looking January credit card statement and a ton of travel plans for 2011 that I’m not sure how I will pay for.

That’s why I love the above article. I mean who wouldn’t love an article titled “11 Tricks to Cutting Travel Costs in 11.” I can’t wait until we get to a later year when the numbers get larger and writers have to give us even more travel cost-cutting tips to match up with the year (99 Tricks to Cutting Travel Costs in ’99 anyone?)

Anyway, I’ll spare you the details, because you can just read the piece, but let’s say “private sales,” “refund,” and “negotiating” are all words used in this piece.

Bis bald friends! And save up that money to go traveling!

G4: The Universal Packing List

Published on by Cheryl LockLeave a comment

If you’re like me, you have tons of lists scattered haphazardly about your apartment or house before you leave on any trip (seriously, any trip. Home for a weekend? I’ve got a list for that).

But even though I consider myself the queen of all things list-involved, I could still use a little help remembering all the different Gear, Gadgets, Gizmos, and Goodies I like to bring along with me. That’s why I’m loving the Universal Packing List. Just plunk in a few generic details about your trip (date, guestimated temps, where you’ll be staying, activities you may be partaking in), and the site generates a pretty thorough beginning list for you. Whatever you do, don’t forget where you put the list. That would just be a bummer.

In the News: New York City for $100? It’s possible…

Published on by Cheryl LockLeave a comment

Another classic Frugal Traveler post over at the NY Times has visitors of this great city taking on full Friday, Saturday and Sunday adventures for just $100 (that’s $40 in food, $30 in culture, $20 in subway fares, and $10 for drinks—you’ll need to find a free place to crash to make this work for just $100).

One of my favorite take-aways from the post—pay-what-you-wish admission at the Guggenheim every Saturday afternoon from 5:45 to 7:45. Genius! After my last (and first) trip to the Guggs, I’ve decided that this beautifully built building is definitely one of my favorite museums in the city. And to be able to see it for $1? I may be a jaded New Yorker, but even this has me excited.

Whether you live in this great city or not, the post has some fabulous ideas for totally cheap places to hang and eat and drink.

Bis bald, my friends! Tomorrow, a New Years Eve Eve post looking back on my own personal year of travel…

Oh, and one last thing. If you’re bored, head on over to AOL Travel News to read my first travel post for them.

Photo via