Five Destinations Cool With Same-Sex Marriage

Despite the overturn of Prop 8 yesterday, same-sex marriages are still on hold in California for a little while longer. However there are other places around the world where same-sex couples are clearly welcomed. This post on SFGate today talks about five such destinations. Be sure to read the reader comments for other ideas as well.

Hoping for the Best, Preparing for the Worst: Smart Packing for Airline Travel

By Mike Grasso

We've all heard the dreaded stories of planes stuck on the runway for hours at a time, passengers suffering in the cabin lacking some of the basic essentials such as food and water and the pilot refusing to allow people to de-plane. Thankfully, these are rare cases. But there are steps you can take in advance should you find yourself in a similar situation. Many of these suggestions are common sense, and put the bulk of health & safety responsibility back onto you - the passenger. If we have learned anything from these extreme situations, it's that nobody can best take care of you better than YOU.

Bottled Water: You can purchase a bottle post-security, or simply bring an empty bottle through security and refill it at a water fountain before boarding your flight.

Snacks: Energy bars, a cup of trail mix or nuts, or even a sandwich are all great munchies to have handy.

Vitamins/Supplements/Meds: Ensure you have taken your proper dosing before catching your flight, and bring extra in your carry-on bag.

Sanitizing wipes: Bring disposable wipes and wipe down the arm rests, head sets, tray tables, and anywhere else your skin makes contact with the plane. Remember, just because it doesn't appear dirty - doesn't mean bacteria aren't present.

Toiletries: Keep a small toiletry bag with your carry on. Anyone who has ever had their luggage lost by the airline has learned to keep essentials such as a toothbrush and deodorant nearby. The TSA 3-1-1 rule currently allows you to carry personal-care products in 3-ounce containers which are to be placed in a 1-quart resalable bag, 1 bag per person.

Seating and Stretching: The middle seat is bad enough, but if you find yourself stuck for hours on a runway, the middle seat will feel like misery. So, get your seat assignment far in advance, to avoid the middle. Regardless where you sit, be sure to stand, stretch and walk around from time to time.

Entertainment: OK so you've packed everything to ensure "survival", now pack a couple items to ensure you actually have a bit of enjoyment, in an otherwise unbearable situation. Magazines, books, portable gaming devices (think, for the kids), or a deck of cards (nearby passengers would probably love to join in too!) are all fine choices. Ensure portable electronic devices, such as mini DVD players and laptops, are charged-up in advance, to allow for maximum enjoyment.

5 Strangely Colored Beaches

From Premier Holidays comes a post describing some uniquely colored beaches around the world, including Red Sand beach in Hawai'i. Enjoy.

Full story & pictures

inFLIGHTout Tip - Your Printed Itinerary

Before you set sail for your next flight be sure you have a copy of your flight itinerary with you. This valuable document often contains your confirmation and ticket numbers, and most importantly your return trip details. Often the excitement of voyage ends up blocking any thoughts of the return flight. So when it comes time to fly back home, recalling the exact time of departure isn't so clear without a printed itinerary. 

Also, a complete itinerary in-hand is also helpful during tight connections. If your initial flight arrives late at your connection city, show the flight attendant your document so they can make arrangements for you to deplane first. 

Finally, a copy of the itinerary is great because they remind you what time you will be landing. Most boarding passes do not provide this detail. 

JetBlue: Jet Now, Jet Later Promo

Book a flight now and receive a $50 voucher toward future travel in the Jet Now, Jet Later promotion from JetBlue.

Here come the terms: Register on jetblue.com then book a roundtrip flight on jetblue.com between January 29, 2009 and February 8, 2009 for travel between February 24, 2009 and March 31, 2009 and you will receive a $50 voucher good for travel on JetBlue between May 4 and June 17, 2009 (Black out dates of May 21 to May 25 apply). Offer expires 11:59 p.m. MDT February 8, 2009.

If you can comply with the tight range of dates above, you will be rewarded with a $50 voucher by email on or after April 15, 2009.

Tips to Make Air Travel Easy

By Kelly Kilpatrick
Guest Contributor

Taking to the air is often the shortest route between two places, especially if they’re far away. But not many people are comfortable
flying – some are plain scared while others don’t like being cooped in a seat that’s too small for them in a small area that could get claustrophobic. Frequent air travelers resort to certain tricks to make their journey more comfortable, so if you’re apprehensive about air travel, you’d benefit too by implementing these tips:

·Plan your journey well in advance.
·If you’re travelling far, choose a flight plan that allows you to stop over at airports that are known to be comfort havens for travelers.
·If you’re traveling long distances and expect to be jet lagged, book flights that get in at night so you can rest overnight and begin your work refreshed the day after.
·Plan for traffic jams and other impediments when you leave for the airport.
·If you like to be undisturbed during the flight, book a window seat, but if you’d like to get up and move around, ask for an aisle location.
·If you have the option of checking in over the Internet from home, use it to save you some time.
·If you’re travelling with children and/or the elderly, allow enough time for emergencies and delays.
·Aircraft cabins are pressurized, and this tends to dehydrate you. So, as tempting as those in-flight drinks are, avoid them because they only tend to make you thirstier.
·If you’re prone to stiff legs or hate long journeys, walk around the aisles of your plane when it’s safe to.
·Read up on security instructions for carryon and other luggage before you travel.
·Tag your bags with bright colors so that they’re easily identified on the conveyor.
·Wear comfortable clothes and loose shoes so that you’re able to fit your legs into them even if they’re swollen because of the long journey.
·Keep your travel documents carefully.
·Make sure you know enough about the country/place you’re travelling to.
·Talk to others who have been there before, especially about cab fares to and from the airport.
Most drivers tend to rook foreigners and take them for a ride, both literally and figuratively.
·Follow security rules at the airport to avoid unnecessary hassles.

Travelling is a fun experience, and if you have planned your trip well enough, you should come out of it longing for the next one.

This post was contributed by Kelly Kilpatrick, who writes on the subject of Visa airline card offers. She invites your feedback at kellykilpatrick24 at gmail dot com

Six Ideas Toward Peaceful Flights for All

By Mike Grasso
mike@inflightout.com

Let's face it, even in the midst of long lines at airport checkpoints, overly crowded airplanes, and a lack of overhead bin space, passengers remain fairly civil with each other at 40,000 feet. But compared to last winter, there will be fewer flights in the coming months, meaning fuller flights, and with the nickle-and-diming game by the airlines charging for everything from pillows to soft drinks, tensions may be running a little high up in the sky.

But, there are some steps you can take to make the flying experience a little more enjoyable for both you and others seated around you. I've come up with some ideas, partially inspired by the Live Aloha movement, intended to show how very basic actions individuals take can result in a positive cumulative result.

1. Smile, say hello, acknowledge your seatmate and the people around you. No need to become best friends here, but you are traveling together some distance, why not exchange neighborly greetings?

2. Help passengers boarding the plane who seem lost or a bit distressed. If someone is uncertain where their seat is located, help them. We sometimes forget our fellow travelers can be international tourists, or others not accustomed to the American boarding procedures and aircraft types.

3. If you encounter a passenger having difficulty lifting their luggage into the overhead bins, give them a hand. It's tempting to ask questions such as why someone packs their carry-on bags so heavily in first place knowing they can't lift them in the bin, but regardless, the passenger still needs assistance at that moment. It is a nice gesture to lend a hand.

4. Once you have located your seat, step in and let other passengers through. The flight attendants preach this common courtesy because it really does help. It could mean the difference between an on-time and late departure.

5. Be cognisant of passengers with tight connections. On particularly late arrivals where several passengers may misconnect, the flight crew should ask folks to permit those with onward connections to deplane first. But in other instances where only a few may be impacted by the late arrival, no such announcement may be made, so listen for others commenting on their concern and invite them to proceed off the plane ahead of you.

6. As you deplane, thank the flight crew. Many crew members have taken pay cuts, been stripped of their pensions, and find themselves working in a economically suffering industry. Despite these setbacks, many continue to provide service with a smile.

Helping others need not be performed on a grand scale. Simple individual courtesies and favors to others are almost always appreciated, both by the recipient and often by nearby onlookers - wanting to help, but failing to step forth. Plus, who can dispute the great feeling attained from simply lending a helping hand to a stranger? Putting these ideas (and others) into action will help everyone toward a more peaceful journey.

"The idea that seeing life means going from place to place and doing a great variety of obvious things is an illusion natural to dull minds." -Charles Horton Cooley

"I swims in the Tagus all across at once, and I rides on an ass or a mule, and swears Portuguese, and have got a diarrhea and bites from the mosquitoes. But what of that? Comfort must not be expected by folks that go a pleasuring." -Lord Byron

Travel Tips For A Relaxing Flight

By Mike Grasso
It seems much of the travel news lately has been dominated by service cutbacks and added fees. We've heard everything from airlines slashing routes, cutting out in-flight entertainment, utilizing fewer flight attendants, and now even an increase in the cost to purchase alcohol; so much for drinking away the aches of air travel. But there are steps you can take to improve your next flight experience, even in the wake of industry changes negatively impacting travelers.

-Bring your own _____ (fill in the blank). Pillow, food, toiletries, hand sanitizer, baby wipes (for those foul tray tables). Do not let the poor quality or lack of these items on your flight be the cause of a bad experience. Bring your own goodies. Chances are, the food you bring on the plane will be an improvement over anything the airline is serving up.

-Carry water on board. TSA permits empty water bottles to be carried through security check points. You can fill these up at water fountains, or at food vendors inside the airport terminal before boarding your plane. We all know staying hydrated is important for health, but it is particularly necessary during flight when the air is quite dry.

-Create your own entertainment. As fun as watching passengers try to cram oversize luggage into the small overhead compartments is, at some point the plane must leave and you will be forced to find other forms of entertainment. Consider bringing along a variety of books, magazines, digital music player, laptop, diary or camera. Conversation with a fellow traveler can be pleasing, at times, too. The idea is to have a reserve of options available to you.

-Pick your seat in advance, then again at check-in. That is, pick your seat once you buy your ticket, then look again during check-in. Sometimes a better seat opens up, or an aircraft swap (for a larger or smaller one) means your original seat assignment changed.

Rite Aid $3.99 Passport Photos

Bay Area residents living near a Rite Aid store can appreciate this weeks circular. On the Photo Shop page (page 12 locally, but may vary by market) advertises Passport photos for only $3.99 a set, after a $4 rebate. Best of all, Rite Aid rebates are submitted electronically, saving you the hassle of submitting forms and receipts by mail. Passport photos can often cost between $8 and $20 elsewhere. Click here to view this weeks Ride Aid circular.

State of the Skies: Has flying become more dangerous?

In an ABC News closeup report dated January 10th (above), we learned that significant staff shortages are effecting key Air Traffic Control Centers in the United States. Some experts claim that under staffing, as well as fatigue and large numbers of ATC personnel recently retiring may be to blame for close calls by aircraft. The FAA asserts new personnel are quickly being hired to replace outgoing staff, and says regardless, the skies are safe.

Related Link: Fox News report describing close calls on the runway.

Oakland - Columbus, Ohio $40.16 round-trip!

Skybus, the ultimate in low-cost-carriers within the United States is selling seats on many routes for $20.08, just in time for the new year. Oakland-Columbus is the only route Skybus operates from the Bay Area, though many other routings throughout the U.S are included in the promotion.

The price of $20.08 is each way + tax, so it will run you about $60 dollars for a round-trip ticket to Columbus, and checking their website this morning, it seems there are plenty of seats left.

Visit SkyBus for more information. Book soon, these prices won't last.

Also consider: Top 10 things to do in Columbus (From TripAdvisor)

Take the Traveler IQ Challenge

From Travelpod comes a fun little IQ challenge for travelers, or anyone who thinks they're a geography smartie pants. This is the same application seen on Facebook and other related sites.
Have fun! Traveler IQ Challenge

HOT! San Francisco to Ft. Lauderdale (FLL) -$177 round-trip, taxes incl. United & US Airway
Valid from April 2008 thru the Summer! Book at http://www.united.com/ or http://www.travelocity.com/
Fare basis: LR14NX

Renovation Plans for SFO's Terminal 2

The outdated, empty, and unused Terminal 2 at San Francisco International Airport will soon get some much needed tender loving care.

Formerly known as the old International Terminal, Terminal 2 has been closed since 2000, which is when the impressive and grand International Terminal debuted. Then with the drop in air travel around and after 9/11, considerations for reopening the terminal seemed pointless.

Now, business at SFO is up, but available space is not. International travel is up 8% year-to-date versus last year, and domestic up 2%. The airport simply needs more gates than currently available.

So, Airport commissioners voted last week to solicit bids for contractors for the renovation of the terminal. Once the bidding and design process are completed, it will take about 30 months of constructions before flights would begin again from Terminal 2. 14 new gates are expected once the renovation is finished.

About those drinking glasses in your hotel room...

(Thanks JR) From Liveleak.com comes this hidden camera story about how some Hotels aren't cleaning the drinking glasses in rooms, cleaning them with glass cleaner, or using gloves they used to cleaned the toilet with! The suspects in this video: 1 Sheraton Suites property, a Embassy Suites, and a Holiday Inn. Lesson learned: Do some cleaning of your hotel room after housekeeping leaves.

Priceline Eliminates Airline Ticket Booking Fees
This month, Priceline began eliminating airline ticket booking fees on all published domestic and international fares. The change does not apply to Priceline's Name Your Own Price airline ticketing service, which offers already discounted tickets.

There are many pro's and con's to using Priceline and other travel sites such as Expedia, Orbitz and Travelocity. A con has historically been the added service charge for airline tickets, though often only $5-$15 per ticket. This policy change at Priceline may be a wake up call to the other travel sites to reexamine their fees, while at the same time making such travel sites a more attractive option to consumers.

Many of us have stories of the "worst" airplane delay or getting stuck in some airport because of a dreaded snowstorm. I certainly have a bucketful of war stories to share. But sometimes I like to step back and put it all in perspective: I can travel. Many in this world cannot.

Consider how air travel has enabled us to roam this great earth, soak up far-off cultures or partake in a grand fiesta in a distant land. Some will snap pictures and have a lifetime of memories. Others will be permanently moved by what they see, feel and experience away from home. Whatever your end goal remember that we have been blessed by have the opportunity and capacity to freely roam the world. Others will never leave their country, if not even their own village. Is that 2-hour airport delay really that big of a deal?

Many great quotations on the net about travel. Here are a few of my favorites that I think tie in quite well with my above thoughts. I hope you enjoy them. -Mike

"If we are always arriving and departing, it is also true that we are eternally anchored. One's destination is never a place but rather a new way of looking at things" - Henry Miller

"Far away is only far away if you don't go there" - O. Povo

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness" -Mark Twain

"Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living" - Miriam Beard

NASA: 'You don't want to know what we know about flying safely'

Anxious to avoid upsetting air travelers, NASA is withholding results from an unprecedented national survey of pilots that found safety problems like near collisions and runway interference occur far more frequently than the government previously recognized.

A senior NASA official, associate administrator Thomas S. Luedtke, said revealing the findings could damage the public's confidence in airlines and affect airline profits.

Among other results, the pilots reported at least twice as many bird strikes, near mid-air collisions and runway incursions as other government monitoring systems show, according to a person familiar with the results who was not authorized to discuss them publicly. CBS NEWS