Archive for the 'Global' Category
Five nonsmokers’ paradises: a guide for globe-trotters
November 1, 2009 5:57am
The world’s biggest tobacco-consuming countries that I profiled in my last post, including Greece, Russia and Austria, are also among the top travel spots, but the opposite isn’t quite the case.
Countries with the lowest reported adult smokers, as you’ll notice in the list below, don’t all provide dream vacations.
But there are some nice hangouts not far beyond the top 10. The percentage of adult tobacco smokers in Barbados, the homeland of pop singer Rihanna, is 10.8%, according to a 2005 World Health Organization report. At No. 12, the island is the first on the list that is not on the African continent. We’ve listed some others at the end.
The WHO that data I used, covering 129 countries, were incomplete for several countries. Many of those are smaller or impoverished nations where tobacco may not be in widespread use.
Read the rest of this entry »
10 smokers’ paradises: A guide for globe-trotters
October 31, 2009 6:00am
With so many places around the world instituting smoking regulations, increasing taxes and, quite literally, kicking smokers to the curb, it’s getting harder to find cigarette-friendly vacation spots.
But not every country is trying to kill that buzz. On the flip side, some of them, such as Greece, are attempting to crack down but are failing miserably.
You may feel alone smoking in some major U.S. cities, so we’ve compiled a list of countries with the most prevalent tobacco use among people aged 15 or older, based on 2005 data from the World Health Organization.
Nonsmokers, too, will want to take note of the list. As you might guess, a smoker’s paradise can be, in turn, a nonsmoker’s hell.
Frequent fliers rate LAX the third-worst airport in the world
October 22, 2009 11:22am
Turns out that a $1-billion overhaul of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) (Bradley Terminal, above) can’t come too soon for 14,526 frequent fliers, who rated it the third-worst airport in the world in a just-released survey. The most hated airport? London’s giant Heathrow (LHR), followed by Paris’ Charles de Gaulle (CDG).
The online survey was conducted in September among members of Priority Pass, a program that charges an annual fee for access to airport lounges.
As for LAX: My colleague Christopher Reynolds has a suggestion or two (actually 10) for improving that place. Interestingly, it did not rank as the worst airport in the U.S. among American members of Priority Pass. That dubious honor fell to Chicago’s O’Hare (ORD), with LAX pulling up second and Atlanta (ATL) third.
Air France and KLM join rush to charge for second bag overseas
October 21, 2009 6:33pm
Want to check a second bag to Europe on Air France or KLM? Hand over $50, s’il vous plait.
These European airlines, both owned by Air France-KLM Group, are the latest to charge for what used to be free on overseas flights. In recent months, British Airways, American Airlines and United Airlines have all announced fees for coach fliers to check a second bag between the U.S. and Europe. Although at least one carrier, Air New Zealand, still gives second bags a free ride, the list is dwindling.
In the case of Air France and KLM, the $50 second-bag fee will apply to tickets issued Nov. 1 or later. If you’re flying after Nov. 1 but buy your ticket before that date, you’ll still get two bags for free, an Air France-KLM spokeswoman explained. Like other airlines, they will exempt high-mileage frequent fliers, customers flying in first and business class and some others from the fee. For details, see the airlines’ joint news release.
San Francisco is top U.S. city to visit, says Condé Nast survey
October 18, 2009 7:10am
What’s your favorite city in the U.S. to visit? If you picked San Francisco, you’d be in line with Condé Nast Traveler readers who voted the City by the Bay as the No. 1 U.S. city in the publication’s 2009 Readers’ Choice Awards.
Cities were rated on these criteria: atmosphere and ambiance; culture and sites; friendliness; lodging; restaurants; and shopping. San Francisco fared especially well in — you guessed it — restaurants. But the city boasts many lures, and they are apparently consistent. This is the 17th consecutive year that it has won this category in the annual survey.
Following San Francisco in the top U.S. cities category were Charleston, S.C.; Santa Fe, N.M.; New York; and Chicago, in that order. Ubud, Indonesia, ranked as the best city to visit in Asia, and Sydney, Australia, earned the top slot of all cities internationally. Read the rest of this entry »
British Airways offers $300 to fliers who booked mistaken $40-$100 fares to India
October 9, 2009 2:10pm
British Airways, which declined to honor U.S.-India round-trip fares of $40 to $100 that were posted by mistake a week ago, is now making nice with customers. In an e-mail to travel agents today, the struggling airline said it would offer a $300 discount on a future flight to people who snagged the cheap fares. But it still didn’t say it would honor the fares, which it planned to refund to buyers.
The offer came after the U.S. Department of Transportation said it was investigating the incident, which has unleashed a barrage of criticism in Internet chat rooms on sites such as FlyerTalk and in comments posted on my earlier post. A DOT spokeswoman declined to elaborate on the investigation.
Some people who bought the low fares on Oct. 2 said they had thought they were valid because, with taxes and fees, they could total more than $500. Others worried that the mistake could wind up costing them hundreds.
Got pink? Global travel guessing game for Breast Cancer Awareness month
October 9, 2009 8:55am
This October marks the 25th anniversary of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which spreads awareness and provides education about the disease. It seems like every family has been touched by breast cancer in some way, whether it was an aunt who is a survivor or a friend who passed away from the illness which is is expected to take the lives of 40,610 women and men in 2009, according to the American Cancer Society. Pink is the trademark color for the awareness program, and to show our support we put together a pink-themed photo gallery and guessing game geared to travelers.
Have a look at the 11 photos in this post and see if you know where the picture was taken or the name of the item in pink. The answers are at the bottom of the page.
1. Even though a recent remodeling toned down some of the pinkness of this palace (pictured at top), this grand old dame of the hotel world looks, from the outside, like the color of the Pacific sunsets it fronts. The hotel was established in 1927 as a destination for cruise ship passengers from the old Matson lines. But visitors today seem to prefer the swiftness of a jet, which takes less than six hours from LAX. Where are we?
2. A flock of low-flying pink flamingos. Where in Africa are these beauties from?
3. The color pink can be found in the northern lights. They are best seen at night in polar regions, but have been spotted throughout the world, including Montana. Was this photo taken in Alaska or somewhere else?
British Airways goofs, sells $40 round-trips to India
October 7, 2009 6:38pm
How’s this for a dream deal: Fly round trip between the U.S. and India for as little as $40, plus taxes, fees and surcharges. For about two hours last week, that dream was reality for untold numbers of British Airways customers who booked these fares. Alas, it was a computer error, and now the carrier is trying to fix it.
“We sincerely apologize,” British Airways spokesman John Lampl said today. “We’re trying to figure out how to best rectify the situation.” He added that it might be taken on a case-by-case basis and involve not only refunds but possibly credits toward other flights.
In an e-mail sent to travel agents today, the airline was more specific.
“As these fares were so clearly below the normal fare levels, British Airways is unable to honor these bookings,” the e-mail said. “We have cancelled all affected bookings made during this two-hour window, and will make a full refund for any paid for and issued ticket.” It also said it would refund any fees associated with rebooking other airline segments on the same ticket.
Meanwhile, Lampl gave us the scoop on how the glitch happened.
2010 Watch List of ‘at-risk’ sites announced by World Monuments Fund
October 7, 2009 2:32pm
Sharing a commonality as of late: Traditional houses called machiya in Kyoto, Antoni Gaudi’s Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família in Barcelona, the Suq al-Qaysariya in Bahrain, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin in Wisconsin, and the bridges of Merritt Parkway in Connecticut.
These and 87 other treasures, from the ancient to the modern, are included on the 2010 Watch List issued by World Monuments Fund. The nonprofit organization, working on cultural preservation issues, puts out the list to draw awareness to the dangers that threaten certain cultural heritage sites — “irreplaceable monuments to human culture” — around the world, according to the organization.
A Watch List is published every two years, with some sites, such as Machu Picchu in Peru, making repeat appearances. That world-famous archaeological site has survived time, warfare and natural disasters, but “steady and significant increases in visitation at the site have prompted development and urbanization in nearby areas to meet the growing tourism needs,” according to a WMF press release. Read the rest of this entry »
Visit Beijing for $788, with airfare and hotel
October 7, 2009 8:30am
Winter in Beijing can be a chilly affair, and that’s why tour companies give you a break on prices then. But really, it’s not hard to warm up to $788 — or even $588, if you’re willing to pay cash — for a seven-day trip to China.
That’s the starting rate for the “China Express: Beijing Free-Style Travel” deal from China Spree, a company based in Blaine, Wash. Here’s the 411:
Deal: You get round-trip, nonstop airfare from San Francisco or New York, airport transfers, five nights at the Beijing Joy City Hotel and daily breakfast. Prices range from $788 per person, double occupancy, for departures November through January to $1,088 for departures in March. Prices do not include airport taxes and Chinese visas. Day tours of Tiananmen Square, the Great Wall, 2008 Olympic venues and other sites also are not included, but at $50 to $70 per person, they seem reasonably priced.
