Reading time once again.  I offer up a good variety to keep you informed and entertained this Sunday afternoon.
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.
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 …read more

I’ve used many a Lonely Planet Guide when researching travel, so when they offered to send me the new edition of their Travel With Children, I was eager to give it a read.  While a non-parent myself, I’ve had occasion to travel with some small fry, and after working for 20+ years as a Flight Attendant (and I’m not telling you how many years that + represents), I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the ugly about kids on planes.
So I settled in for a good read.
Unfortunately, I didn’t make it past more than a handful before I began …read more

There are great room, good rooms, and then there are the truly horrible.  We all love the great ones, get by with the good ones, but no one should be stuck with a truly horrible room.  What do you do when that’s the one that you’re sent off to?
Last Friday night, I arrived in Las Vegas, caught a cab, and was off to my hotel, arriving there 10:30 pm.  I had a reservation at a major hotel, and my credit card had already been charged for one night.  At the front desk, I was told that I could have a …read more

I had lots of time for travel reading this week, finding great destination suggestions, tips, and following current events in the industry.  There’s a lot of great topics and writing, and I invite you to visit these blogs and bloggers who caught my eye.  Leave them a comment, and tell them that Flyaway Cafe sent you!
iTravelnet writes about ActionAid Australia’s TOTO project.  They’re looking for an outreach blogger to write about poverty.  Deadline to apply is August 30th, so if you’re interested move quickly.
My Bella Vita explains how a simple geography question about how many continents there are can fuel …read more

Hello fellow travelers!
I’ve gathered up some great weekend reads, so grab a cup of coffee, and settle in.  These posts are sure to make for great Sunday (or any day) reading:
Filipina Soul introduces us to the Ayala Museum which houses world-class collections based on the history of the Philippines.  Beautiful!

Travel Writers News lists the best online travel resources.  I was aware of most of these, but picked up a few that I’ve now added to my list.  You’ll find this very helpful.
The Los Angeles Guide introduces to the mobile food vendors are the latest, hippest, dining experience to hit LA, …read more

Another great week of travel reads, covering topics both serious and fun.  Take a read at these great posts, and see if you agree.
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 …read more

One of my favorite ways to research my travel destinations, as well as have a little enjoyment all year long, is a magazine subscription.
There are some great general travel magazines that I get every month, and additionally, if I know that I will be traveling to one particularly destination, I also like to subscribe to that city’s regional magazine.  It’s an easy way to get current information about what’s going on, new restaurant openings (that you won’t find in a guide book), current events, festivals, etc.  For a relatively small investment, you can learn a lot. 
And the small …read more

The confusion between a direct flight and a non-stop flight comes up all the time, so it’s worth a mention again.  It’s a key travel decision that you need to keep straight.
They are not the same thing, and if you don’t pay attention to the difference, you may find yourself on a direct flight from Miami to Seattle with all sorts of stops in between.
Here’s a simple explanation of the difference.
Non-Stop Flight:  You will travel from your Departure City to your Arrival City without any scheduled stops in between.  One take off, one landing, one airplane.  It’s the fastest …read more

With all the tools available for booking travel online, more and more people choose to do it themselves rather than use the services of a travel agent.
I think the ability to research, sleuth out the best and perfect deal, and make reservations yourself is a wonderful thing.  BUT – it also means that you have to take responsibility for those reservations, including the mistakes that you make.
One mistake that I’m seeing on a regular basis, is travelers not allowing sufficient time to make a connection.  This can have unintended consequence that can wind up costing you money.
Here are a few …read more

The best part about getting on the plane, is knowing that you’ll be getting off at your destination, and that you  have loads of great times ahead of you.
For many travelers, however, the landing and deplaning process can be just as confusing and challenging as the boarding process.
Here’s the scoop on how the landing process works and some tips that will make it easy for you to get off the plane.  Frequently flyers – pay attention, because you should take some of the suggestions to heart.

Once the aircraft is on the ground and taxiing into the gate, most airlines …read more