Archive for the ‘news’ Category

Passport Fee Increase

July 7th
2010
by Becky Youman
posted in:
Caribbean Central America Mexico South America destinations news

If you haven’t gotten around to applying for passport books for those upcoming Europe vacations or renewing your passport cards for those booked Caribbean cruises, your pocketbook will appreciate it if you act before July 13. According to the US State Department website, new “consular fees” go into effect next Tuesday.

The cost of a new passport book for adults will jump 35% from $100 to $135 dollars. Renewal of existing passport books will increase to $110 from $85. Minors will see the cost of a new passport book go from $85 to $105. The cost of a passport card for adults will increase $10 from $45 to $55, while a minor’s passport card will go from $35 to $40.

If you are one of those travelers who collects so many stamps that you run out of pages and need more, that too will cost you. Currently you can just send in your passport and get new pages for free, but starting next week there will be an $82 charge attached to those additional sheets of paper.

Looking at the price difference between a passport card and a passport book, you might wonder if you can get by with just the card. The passport card, similar in size and appearance to a driver’s license, is valid only when entering the United States from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda by land or sea. It is not valid for any international travel by air, so if you will be flying to your destination, you’ll have to get the passport book.
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Airline to Charge for Overhead Bin Space

April 8th
2010
by Becky Youman
posted in:
news

The big news in travel yesterday was Spirit Airlines’s announcement that it is going to start charging for space in overhead compartments. That’s right. Just when you thought airlines had come up with all the ways they could to get more money out of vacationers – including Ryanair’s pee fee – they found another. Sure we all love cheap flights, but doesn’t it seem like this charge is a bit extreme, even for a bargain airline?

For travel starting on August 1, passengers will have to pay up to $45 to place a carry-on in the overhead bin. This payment will also allow said travelers to board the plane first. Any personal items that fit under the seat in front will still be free…for the time being anyway.  A spokesman for the airline tried to couch the fee in a positive light by saying that it will reduce the number of carry-on bags, which will speed up boarding and deplaning.

Spirit Airlines claims that unbundling all its services will help reduce fares by having customers pay for only the services they want and use. They say that those who don’t use every service on the plane are subsidizing those who do and that it not fair. (Spirit Airlines’s own pee-fee can’t be far behind if that is their way of thinking.)
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Up-Scale Vacation Trends

March 30th
2010
by Becky Youman
posted in:
Mexico South America destinations news

Where are up-scale travelers headed in 2010? According to a new report published earlier this month, the most popular international vacation destinations for high-end travelers in 2010 will be Italy and Mexico.  Both Cabo San Lucas hotels and Italian villas will be in high demand according to the 2010 Virtuoso Luxe Report.  The next most popular country to visit will be South Africa. While some Americans might be curious about South Africa as such a hot destination this year, the rest of the world is obsessed with a little soccer event called World Cup that will be taking place there in 72 days.

As far as trips within the United States go, the report lists Maui as the top spot for high-end American travel. Hawaii is followed in the report by the other non-contiguous state – Alaska. The three most popular mainland destinations are cataloged as New York City, Napa, and Las Vegas.

India and Vietnam were named as the top two emerging destinations, meaning those on the cusp of becoming popular. The Galapagos Islands and Chile, two South American favorites, also received emerging destination nods. Interesting, so did Cuba, which is still a difficult place for Americans to visit.
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Elton John to Rock Chichen Itza

March 3rd
2010
by Becky Youman
posted in:
Mexico destinations music news

The ancient Maya ruins of Chichen Itza are one of the top attractions for travelers on Riviera Maya or Cancun vacations. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Chichen Itza is home to El Castillo, The Castle, one of the best preserved and restored pyramids of the Maya world, along with many other impressive structures. It’s a place of profound spiritual significance for the Maya people, especially during the vernal and autumnal equinox, when the rising sun casts a shadow in the shape of a feathered serpent that crawls down the steps of El Castillo.

This impressive archeological site has also become an occasional venue for the hottest concerts on the Yucatan Peninsula. The latest artist to announce a concert there is the Rocket Man himself, Elton John. Riviera Maya hotels are filling fast with fans who want to take part in the special evening concert. Sir Elton John will perform on April 3 on a stage set up at the foot of El Castillo.

Tickets are still available for the show on Ticketmaster, but many vacationers will probably end up buying the tickets as part of a package. Hotels and tour operators are all trying to create unique Elton John concert experiences. Most of the packages include concert tickets and transportation, but one hotel, the Mandarin Oriental Riviera Maya has gone a step further to create the ultimate Elton John concert experience.
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Yoga in Hotels — Ommm

February 22nd
2010
by Becky Youman
posted in:
activities news

Another Monday morning, another body part sore from my weekend adventures.  (This time it was mountain biking racing instead of snowboarding.)  Once again I’ll be headed to yoga class this afternoon to help work out the kinks. And I won’t be alone. Yoga has become so popular that even travelers aren’t content to leave their yoga practice at home. According to a recent article in the New York Times, yoga is becoming so mainstream that, “like Wi-Fi, on-demand movies and fitness centers, yoga is becoming an amenity many hotels and resorts just can’t do without.”

The article states that yoga classes are no longer offered exclusively at resorts and spas, but also at conventional hotel chains. You are as likely to find a yoga session offered at Salt Lake City hotels these days as at fancy San Jose del Cabo resorts.  According to the article, the hotels see yoga as a way to help the bottom line. While the widespread offering of yoga in hotels may be a new trend, there are some chains that deserve kudos for getting the ball rolling, or maybe I should say, “downwalk dog walking”, earlier than others.

Kimpton Hotels

Kimpton was the first chain hotel to offer in-room wellness and yoga. The idea was to make it easier for guests to maintain the practices that keep them calm and serene, even while traveling. Most of their hotels offer special yoga tote bags for guests that include yoga props, mats, and straps. Combine those with an on-demand video yoga class and you might not even need the famous complementary Kimpton wine hour in the evening.
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Earning Airline Perks

February 19th
2010
by Becky Youman
posted in:
South America news tips

Want free airfare for your unborn child? Try to give birth on one of Bolivian airline TAM’s flights. A couple of weeks ago a woman went into labor on a flight to La Paz and ended up delivering her baby at 24,000 feet. Luckily there were both a doctor and nurse onboard as passengers who assisted in the delivery. According to the Miami Herald, the child will be given free domestic flights on the airline until she reaches the age of 18. In a funny twist, the girl’s mother named the newborn Tami in honor of the airline.

While you might not be willing (or able) to go to those lengths to get cheap tickets or free airfare, there are other things that you can do to try to get airline perks.

Fly the Same Airline – A Lot: As we all learned from watching George Clooney’s character Ryan Bingham in Up in the Air, super-elite frequent fliers are treated like royalty by airlines. News stories since the movie came out have reported airlines that have private check-in areas and procedures for these fliers, as well as unique meal and boarding services. These VIPs get rebooked as soon as there is a flight delay and even have connecting flights held for them.

Even if you don’t make the super-elite status, having any status at all on an airline is a good thing. People who qualify for the lowest level of elite status on US Airways for example, get free space-available upgrades, are allowed to check in via the always shorter first class lines, and are one of the first groups to board the airplane, meaning they don’t have to fight for overhead space. Another perk, not having to pay for checked bags, is a bonus with true monetary value these days.
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Cuzco, Peru

February 2nd
2010
by Becky Youman
posted in:
South America destinations news

Famed Inca ruins, Machu Picchu, were in the news last week when torrential rains in the area caused flooding and landslides that temporarily stranded thousands of travelers. Once the skies cleared, helicopters were sent in to transport the wet and weary vacationers out of the area. Now the government has announced that Machu Picchu will be closed for up to eight weeks because the floods washed away entire sections of the rail line that provide access to the ancient site. The site itself was unharmed, but there is no way for people to get there.

While Machu Picchu is an incredible South America vacation destination, there is no need to cancel your Peru hotel reservation if you have a trip planned in the next eight weeks. There are enough archeological ruins and cultural opportunities in Cuzco, the closest city to Machu Picchu, to make the trip worth taking.

Here are some of my favorite Cuzco area attractions and activities:
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What’s New in Vegas?

January 28th
2010
by Becky Youman
posted in:
Las Vegas U.S. West destinations news

The New York Times recently published an article naming The 31 Places to Go in 2010. While the number seems rather arbitrary, I love these kinds of lists because they get me thinking about taking vacations in places that might not have been on my radar otherwise.  Although there are several places I hadn’t heard of before, like Koh Kood in Thailand, there were a surprising number of old standbys. Checking in at number 17 on the list was perennial party favorite Las Vegas.

Although there are great travel deals on Las Vegas hotels and entertainment right now, the article didn’t tout the bargains as reasons to go. Instead, it cited a number of new hotel projects that continue to raise the bar on Las Vegas luxury and fun.

Here is what’s new in Vegas in 2010:
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A Closer Look At Airport Body Scanners

January 23rd
2010
by Joshua Ritchie
posted in:
news

You have probably heard a lot lately about new security measures being introduced at airports worldwide, so we prepared an infographic to help you understand how the machines work and where you will encounter them. Let us know your thoughts on the topic in the comments below. Have you been scanned? Would you avoid flying to cities that already have them implemented, or do you think it is not a big deal? Click on the infographic below to enlarge.

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Blackberry Burial Ceremony in Cabo

January 22nd
2010
by Becky Youman
posted in:
Mexico beaches destinations news

Marquis de Los Cabos, a luxury hotel at the tip of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula, announced on its Facebook page that it has introduced a Blackberry Burial Ceremony. This ritual is designed to help guests symbolically disconnect from the outside world upon arrival.

In today’s reality of instant communication, it is often hard for people to unplug from their daily lives. Even if they are not online for work, they tweet and update friends with posts about their Mexico vacations.  The Marquis de Los Cabos has created this ceremony to assist with the letting go process.

Upon arrival guests are greeted with the standard welcome drink and cold towel. That is not where the welcome ends however. Those who wish to take their initiation into the world of relaxation a step further are led to the beach for the Burial Ceremony. While “Blackberry Burial”, with its alliteration, sounds the best, all manner of smart phones from IPods to Palm Products are welcome.

The phones are placed inside coffin-shaped boxes with Mexican calavera skeleton decorations on front. (You might want to put your phone in a baggie before dropping it in the box just in case any sand gets in there.) While the phones are laid to rest, the hotel guests are treated to  ten-minute hand massages to help invigorate and restore text-weary fingers. Although the phones are returned after the ceremony, the idea is that people will have mentally let go of their need for constant communication and will actually keep their phones off long enough to truly relax.
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