SoSauce (travel geek blog) an Indian cooking lesson, including Naan.  Yummmmmmm!

LA Times Travel compares and contrasts Halloween activities at Knott’s Berry Farm and Universal Studios.

PlanetEye Traveler – Philippine Culture (formerly Filipina Soul) shares a delicious and easy  lumpia recipe.  I’m going to give it a try.

Intelligent Travel asks us if we’d take the Titanic cruise.

Consumer Traveler debates the issue of whether airport lounges are worth the price of admission.  For frequent travelers, I say yes.

A second post from Consumer Traveler outlining a new boarding process being tried out at Virgin America.  Travelers with NO carry on bags go first.  I think I like it!

PlanetEyeTraveler – Boston lists 5 great north end Italian restaurants.  A trip to little Italy is a must for any Boston visit.

My Bella Vita lists five essential Italian experiences.  How many have you done?

Itallyville provides a recipe and instruction for make homemade tomato sauce.  It’s a lot of work, but can’t you just taste that delicious freshness?!

Sharing Experiences lists five cities sure to part the shopper from some serious cash.  Not that there’s anything wrong with that!

PlanetEye Traveler – Las Vegas (formerly The Las Vegas Adventurer) lists the best places to hang out for Monday Night Football.

Italylogue lists options on how to get to Croatia from Italy, along with costs, pros and cons.  Having done this myself a few months back, I can tell you that it’s a close distance away, but takes a long time.

Up Up and a Gay portrays some classic traveler profiles.  Any Flight Attendant or frequent traveler will recognize these types.

Gadling gives us a look the shower on the Emirates Airbus A380.  First class only!

I hope you enjoy these travel posts as much as I did.  And if you stop by, please let them know that you read about them here at Flyaway Cafe.

Photo credit:

Post from: Fly Away Cafe

First, there was the Heene family, and what it becoming known as the Bubble Boy Flight.  Or hoax, depending on which side of the issue you come down on.  A recent CNN breaking news report said that charges were soon to be filed against the dad.  What charges?  Not yet known, but many who followed the story on Thursday will be curious to find out.

Next, comes the story of Nic (a mom), Jackson (a baby), Atlanta’s Jackson-Hartfield Airport, and the TSA.

On October 16th, Nic posts on her blog that while she was undergoing a secondary screening a TSA official took her baby out of her arms and left her sight.  You can read her story on her blog.  A cry went up from outraged parents and passengers.  And who could blame them.

I read her story and while it sounded outrageous, I had a niggling little voice inside of me that said. . . “there’s more to this story.”  Maybe it’s because I’m naturally suspicious and need corroborating evidence.  Maybe it’s because I deal with the TSA and security screening more than most people.  Maybe it’s because something just didn’t sound authentic.

The TSA chimed in on the TSA blog, citing their attempts to contact Nic and receiving no response.  They posted a video of the individual who they claim in Nic, showing in elapsed time a security process that took around 9 minutes starting from the time she put her items on the security conveyor until she walked away from the security screening area.  What happened in those 9-ish minutes didn’t bear much in common with Nic’s description, with the exception of there was a baby and there was a security screen.  In the video, baby and mom were never more than a couple of feet apart, always within eyesight of one another.

You will never hear me asserting the the TSA is a paragon of efficiency or etiquette.  I have seen everything from people trying their hardest to do a job that no one really wants done to power hungry officials.  Everything from gross incompetency to an I-don’t-give-a-damn attitude.

I’ve seen passengers who are polite, despite the intrusion on their civil liberties and the ridiculous procedures involved.  But I’ve also seen passengers with chips on their shoulder, taking out anger or frustration on people who are just trying to do their job.  I’ve seen passengers who refuse to calm down, becoming their own worst enemy, as well as those who are angry and spoiling for a fight and exaggerating their circumstances.

In this world, it takes all kinds.

Take a look at these videos and decide who you believe told the truth.   I’m not asking whether you agree with TSA procedures, because not many people do.  I’m not asking if you thinking a mom should be separated from her child, because clearly she should not.  What I’m asking here, is who is telling the truth.  If blogging in citizen journalism, we need to care about that.

Watch the video and then vote.  Feel free to leave a comment as well.

Post from: Fly Away Cafe

How can you put all those precious waiting minutes to good use?  You can keep a book nearby, but often you just get into the plot and it’s time to put it aside.  You can talk on your phone, annoying everyone around you and risking private information being overheard my many.  You can stare into space, day dream, or even try to come up a way to save the world.

But what if during all the waiting around you really could save the world?  Well, maybe not you alone and maybe not the entire world, but what if you could use the waiting time to support a cause that was important to you?

That’s part of the premise behind a new on-line game charity called GamesThatGive that launched earlier this week.  It’s a chance for you to play some of your favorite online games for FREE and while doing so generate funds for your favorite charity.   Funds are generated by the corporations who sponsor the site, who have agreed to donate 70% of its advertising revenue to charity.  All you have to do is pull out your smart phone or laptop, and choose your favorite game.  They say:  “70% of our ad revenue goes to your favorite charity. You play. We donate. No Catch.”

Who are the community minded businesses involved with the venture?  More are being added each day, but so far include Domino’s Pizza, Starbuck’s, Pepsi, Best Buy, Quaker Oats, Dial, and MasterCard.

There are about 9 games that you can choose from, including Solitaire, Blackjack, Gems, Bubble Burst, and Sudoku.  Pick your favorite, or try to learn a new one.  Although I’m not a big game person, when I could help raise money for Breast Cancer Network of Strength, Mercy Corps, or Ronald McDonald House Charities (just three of the charities you can choose), it seemed like gaming was a good idea.

There’s even a social media component, if you want to challenge your friends to beat your scores, raise more money, or get involved.

I just checked the site before writing this post, and it said that $3.147.87 had been raised so far.  If you’re hanging out with time on your hands, play a game or two and make that total go much higher!

Photo credit:  SXC

Post from: Fly Away Cafe

The Vacation Gals entreat the airlines and the FAA not to allow lap children.  The fares are cheap these days, but the costs add up.  Still, think about these issues before keeping your infant on your lap for your next flight.

Italy Mondo strike a chord near and dear to my heart, Italian food.

PlanetEye Traveler – Green Travel is talking about holiday travel.  Already!

Eyeflare has a nice primer on how to capture silhouettes in your travel photos.  Here’s one of the tips – turn off your flash!

Uncornered Market, making its first appearance in my list of favorites, lists the 7 habits of highly effective travelers.  How many can you count as yours?

Travel Savvy Mom, another first timer on my favorite list, tells why spending more money for an executive floor room can actually save you money.  I agree, and try to take that option whenever possible.

Intelligent Travel teases us once again with a very strange hotel, this one in a sewer pipe.

PlanetEye Traveler – London tell s the story of a neighborhood about to be demolished.  Residents of the building have put up portraits on the windows, a reminder of the real people who are impacted by this decision.

Cockpit Chronicles at Gadling attempts to help us understand why waiting in line on the runway is inevitable.

Travellious has some cool travel gear.  And besides that, Kelly is heading off to Italy.  (See Italy Mondo post above. . . again!)

LA Times lists some over-the-top promotions that hotels are trying.  Are you tempted by any of them?  The promotion that I want?  FREE internet access!

Seattle PI reminds me that there are hostels here in Seattle.

That’s it for this week.  Please stop by and say hi to this great group of travel bloggers – and tell them you read about them at Flyaway Cafe.

Post from: Fly Away Cafe

Consumer Traveler – Chris Elliott shares good advice about dealing with a bankrupt, or soon-to-be bankrupt, airline.  Ignore this advice at your peril.

Ciao Amalfi – Taking the boat from Salerno to Amalfi.  Just a little slice of heaven.

London Bridge

Travel Blog Camp – Registration for this travel blogger meet up opens. . . and closes.  If you’ll be in London next month, it may still be worth getting on the waiting list.  I’ll be there, so let me know if you will too!

Almost Fearless – Commonsense tips for travel safety.  Don’t let fear run your life.

PlanetEye Traveler – Green Travel – Green travel iPhone apps.  And you know how I love my iPhone apps!

EyeFlare – A couple travel organizers for your consideration.  These are such personal things, and I think it’s best to look and compare several before making a decision.

Travel & Leisure Blog – It will cost you more to sit next to your traveling companion with these new reservation fees from British Airlines.

IB Traveler – Places to experience French culture, even if you’re not in France.  Good list, but I still want to go back to Paris.

Gadling – Don’t mess with my free wi-fi access.  Could mooching it soon become a thing of the past.

Intelligent Traveler – Ken Burns talks about his new PBS mini-series, The National Parks:  America’s Best Idea.  I’m recording the series.

Location Independent – Tips to lighten your load when packing.  While I’m not a fan of all the choices, everyone should be able to walk away with an idea to implement.  Me?  I’m going shopping for a wireless travel router.

The Vacation Gals – Tips to deal with a fear of flying.  It’s real and it can be paralyzing, but it also can be tamed.

Travellious – All those gadgets need power, and here’s how to get it.

PlanetEye Traveler – Disney – Help your kids have a successful experience in getting Disney character autographs.  These tips will help kids of all ages.

West Seattle Blog – A local story that brought tears to my eyes about an assisted living center and the cats who live there.  If you doubt the healing powers of a pet, these stories will change your mind.

Seattle MetBlogs – Great photo of a reptilian resident of the Pike Place Market.

Photo credit: slideshow bob @flickr

Post from: Fly Away Cafe

Earlier today I was interviewed by Addison Schonland from IAG (Innovation Analysis Group), an airline industry consulting company.

Addison and I talked about what it was like to travel these days, managing airport security and the TSA, dealing with potential confrontational situations on the airplane, and ways to deal with potentially difficult situations.

My simple answer is that when you can’t change something, you have to change the way you think about it.  And for air travel, there’s lots that you can’t change – at least at the very moment it’s happening to you.

I hope you’ll take a few minutes and go listen to the interview, Air Travel Etiquette.

Post from: Fly Away Cafe

Now, word is out about a holiday fee.  That’s right, Delta, American, United and US Airways have added on a $10 surcharge to fares on the weekends after Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.  The fares for that time already priced higher to start with (don’t believe me, try searching), and now we have a fee on top of the fare simply for traveling.  The fee applies to most ticked purchased for travel on November 29th, January 2nd and January 3rd, the traditionally busiest travel days of the year.

While airlines may be able to make an argument that the other fees are going to offset charges that they have to absorb (OK, the argument might be a stretch, but at least it’s there), there is no legitimate arguments other than greed that supports this holiday fee.  Simply put, the airlines know that people will be traveling, and they’re going to make a grab for as much additional money as they can get. 

I’m not a fan of a la carte airline pricing to start with, so this fee truly galls me.  Anyone else outraged, or is it just me?

Photo credit: SXC

Post from: Fly Away Cafe

ecoLiving Essentials biodegradable travel booties

The company was founded by two moms, who, as frequent travelers. were concerned about their germ exposure when removing their shoes at airport security.  They saw the bins of plastic booties offered at a few of the airports, and although they admired the concept, were concerned about the amount of plastic being sent to the landfill.  (TSA allows booties to be worn through the security screen, but requires that they be disposed of in that area.)  Refining the concept, the two were able to come up with a disposable and biodegradable alternative that could protect travelers from germs and was still affordable.

A second travel product, the shower cap, attempts to accomplish the same thing – replace a commonly disposed item with a biodegradable option.  You can stop using the ones you find in your hotel room, using, and re-using, a biodegradable one.

The company claims, that in addition to the products themselves being eco-friendly, all the packaging is also naturally biodegradable, completely eco-friendly, BPA-free and non-toxic (the bags are made of plant material).  This means you can toss the products and packaging into the recycling bin, compost pile, or in the trash (if you must).  As an additional selling point, both packaging and products are made in the US with local materials.  Yay for creating local jobs!  While I think we all prefer re-usable products, the reality of travel is that we often are faced with making disposable choices.

The travel booties are priced at $5.95 for two sets of booties, and the shower cap at the same price point for three caps.

I was sent a sample of the booties for review, which gave me the chance to check out the packaging and product.

Biodegradable travel booties

The first thing I noticed was that the exterior package felt and crackled like cellophane (that really noisy crackling type of cello wrapping paper), and carried a choking hazard label.  I don’t know why that warning label bothered me, but it did.  I know that it’s important labeling, and packaging can be a serious danger to small children, but I guess I naively want my package to be both earth friendly and kid friendly, too.  It’s my issue, but needn’t be yours.

The booties are large (one size fits most), and heavy enough that you feel like you’re getting real protection on your feet.  These aren’t the flimsy kind that you pick up at the airport security bin, and they did make me feel like my feet were protected.  Elastic around the ankle area is designed to keep them on your feet, rather than slipping off, and with bare feet it worked fairly well.  With socks on, however, it felt like the booties were going to slip off.  They didn’t, it just felt that way.  The plastic was also textured enough that I didn’t slip and slide on the airport floor.

In short, the product did what it claims it can do – keep your feet protected.  And if walking through security in your stocking feet is a big gross out for you, then these booties are a product that you’re going to love.  It may also mean you can wear sandals or flip flops and not have to worry about going barefoot in the security area by putting on the booties.

For me, however, the germ issue when passing through security isn’t enough of an “ick” factor for me to spend the money (albeit a nominal amount) and time to deal with the booties.  I know all the arguments about germs on the floors, mats, etc., and I know that the security area doesn’t get cleaned nearly often enough.  But I work on an airplane.  I am exposed to more germs in one flight that many people are in an entire month.  I deal with it by taking steps to keep myself healthy, keeping my immune system in great shape, washing frequently, and by trying not to think too hard and long about all the germs.  In this case, denial helps me keep the issue in a neat little box, allowing me to do my job.

However, that’s just me.

If the thought of all these germs creep you out, if you have a compromised immune system, or if you’re prone to picking up every bug that happens by, that will be enough to send you running for booties.  And if you’re going to use them, I can recommend the ecoLiving Essentials booties.  $6 will buy you two pair, enough for a roundtrip, and plenty of peace of mind.

Overall rating:  3 1/2 stars (out of 5).  I think it’s a quality product, but am not sure that there’s really a need.  I’m not sure it’s one of those things that makes traveling that much easier and/or enjoyable.

Your thoughts?

Post from: Fly Away Cafe

Up, Up, and A Gay, a recently discovered blog from another Flight Attendant, dishes about why we’re always dishing about work.  It’s true, too!

Los Angeles Times tries to makes sense of the security rule regarding exact name matchups.  There may be flexibility now, but what little there is will be going away soon.

The Venice Guide captured my attention again this week with a post about the etiquette of dining in Italy.  If you’re planning a trip there, give this post a once over.

Consumer Traveler enters the debate about travel agents being charged fees to book tickets on United.  No matter which side wins this battle, it’s us travelers who will wind up paying.

Gadling reviews a gadget with a name too long to remember.  Bottom line, though, is this little gem will help you get better wi-fi reception in hotels.

The Rio Guide gives suggestions for saving on your food budget by hitting up the right supermarkets.

Intelligent Travel tempts us to the 49th state with a post about Homer, Alaska.

Wanderlust and Lipstick has a travel writing contest.  You can win a 12-day culture and spa tour of Vietnam.

The Miami Guide writes about the story behind Vizcaya, a landmark property along the Miami shore.  You may want to catch the upcoming PBS documentary about it, too.

Tripbase lists 20 ways to screw up your Labor Day road trip.  These are good trips for any time at all.

Ron Dubin Photography has a great shot of Los Angeles and the smoke blanketing the city from the aggressive forest fires.

Traveling the Green Way reviews recycled travel speakers from OrigAudio.  Compact and green, what a great combo.

USA Today writes about the conception vacation promotion.  Provide some medical documentation to support your claim that your baby was conceived while vacationing at the The Westin Resort on Aruba, and get a credit for a return visit.

Photo credit: SXC

Post from: Fly Away Cafe

The Edinburgh Guide – Although it has been called Auld Reekie, it never meant smelly until now.

Wisebread – Good tips for finding free wi-fi at airports.  Unfortunately, some of these means are getting encrypted and/or shut down, but it’s a great starting point.  And why, oh why, can’t there just be free wi-fi at the airport?!

Concierge – From Conde Nast Traveler comes this great guide to tipping around the world.  Read it, print it out for future reference, and understand how tipping appropriately maintains the culture of where you’re traveling.  It’s really not about throwing your money around to feel important!

The London Traveler – The Cult of Mithras, the patron god of the Roman Empire Army, is depicted in statues around the city.  Andrea puts it all together and explains why it’s important to the history of the area.

Wanderlust and Lipstick – What’s worth the money and what’s not.  Mostly not.  A good read on how to avoid the airline fees that plague us all.

Intelligent Travel – A review of S’Mac, in New York City, where the specialty is macaroni and cheese.  Ooooh, oooooh, I love my mac and cheese, and this lower east side restaurant serves their versions of it right in the skillet.  My mouth is watering even typing about it!

Tripso – A great discussion of how social media can help make your vacation better.  Twitter anyone?

Stood There – I love this fun site where there are lists and list of attractions and locations where you must have your photo taken.  Divided up by geography, these lists are a lot of fun.  How many can you check off?

Traveling the Green Way = Travel is certainly not the most green of activities, but seeing the world and learning about other cultures is important.  Jennifer lists a variety of ways to help minimize our traveling impact, giving us good food for thought.

Photo credit: SXC

Post from: Fly Away Cafe