Coping with airline nightmares

We've heard yet another horror story about passengers trapped on a plane, or more accurately, held captive. While we wait & wait for the dimwits in Washington to do something about it, here's some advice.

Judging from "The Scream," the same thing was happening to travelers in the 19th century, only with ships & not airplanes. Hopefully at least they were able to retreat to the buffet.

Oh, to be in first class...

Commercial airplanes weren't always the flying buses that they are now. If you look at old ads, especially from the golden era of air travel in the 60s, you get the impression that service and even luxury wasn't restricted to first class - it seemed so glamorous just to be on a place. Sadly, those days are gone for most of us, unless we travel a LOT & get enough miles to use for upgrades or hit it really lucky & get bumped when the only seats left on the next plane are in first class. That happened to me once & on a cross-country flight to boot, and I cherish that memory every time I stumble out of the cattle car known as coach or economy class. Recently I was checking out Japan Air Lines, which recently upgraded its fleet, and here's a taste of what we're missing. Now that's luxury!

However, their Economy Plus looks pretty good - leg support just like your recliner at home and a footrest for when you're sitting up. I'll take it...

"Blue Line" (RAI International): travel TV as it should be

A few years ago, my cable company began to offer international channels (for an extra fee, of course) & to my delight, one of them is RAI International. RAI is the state broadcaster of Italy & the International channel combines programs from all 3 RAI channels. It's been great for me to improve my Italian and keep up with the culture.



One of my favorite shows is Linea Blu ("Blue Line"), a program about the many aspects of the coastline of Italy: regional life, history, nature & conservation, and local cuisine, all with the spectacular backdrops of the Mediterranean & Adriatic. It's all very interesting & educational, but it's really a great tourism promotion even if they didn't quite intend it that way!



RAI International airs a similar program, Linea Verde ("Green Line"), about the inland areas of the various provinces. Both shows make me wonder why no one in this country has come up with a similar idea for programming - even though we have several travel shows here & even a channel supposedly devoted to travel, in my humble opinion the programming leaves a lot to be desired. One of my long-standing gripes about our travel TV is that, with rare exceptions, it's all about the hosts (and as we all learned as children, if you can't say anything nice perhaps you shouldn't say anything at all). Travel programs are supposed to be about the location, right?



It might be a cultural difference - perhaps we Americans are just attracted to extreme personalities. We do have travel shows with very good hosts who put the location first but they just don't seem to get the air time that the "stars" do, and that's a shame.

P.S. : the photo of Capri isn't from RAI - it was taken by a friend of my father (not a professional).

Why many are giving up on internet travel & using agents

When I got into the travel business, one of my first questions to my host agent was how to compete with the online travel companies that seemed to be taking over the business. Expedia & the rest were spending a lot of money on a lot of commercial time, and there was no way we could compete with that. I was actually surprised when he told me that although they had affected business, they were not taking over by any means and in fact, there was a modest increase in business from those who had used the internet companies. The New York Times just reported a study that explains why: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/04/business/04frustrate.html?_r=1&ref=global

It boils down to service. Perhaps we agents can't compete with internet travel's advertising budgets, but they can't compete with our experience, knowledge, and customer service.

Florida: St. Pete Beach

Sunset on the Gulf Coast... I wish I were there right now! It had been many years since I'd been to Florida & thanks to a generous tax return, I was able to take advantage of a USAir package to St. Pete Beach. I stayed at the Sirata Beach Resort, one of several similar hotels along the island (St. Pete Beach is a barrier island right off St. Petersburg proper) - it was comprised of 3 separate buildings, 2 of which appeared to be older motel types with a larger & newer property in the center. During my stay, there were several conferences, weddings, & private parties taking place although there were many individuals & families there as well, so no particular group dominated the scene. All in all, it was a very comfortable place to stay and it was right on the beach (as was one of its 2 restaurant/bars).

Apparently St. Pete Beach "updated" its name recently, the official name being "Pete" & not "Petersburg", but the beach is still the same wide stretch of the famous sugary sand. The hotel provided cabanas for 2 for a small fee, complete with padded lounges, but I was rather disappointed that they closed up at 6 p.m. - in early summer, that's still prime beach time!

Of course, one of the best things about a beach vacation is the chance to eat as much fresh seafood as you can. For the most part, I stuck to the Sirata, which had surprisingly good food (most mid-priced places offer bland, chain restaurant-type fare) but for a treat, I went to the grand old hotel of the area, the Don Cesar. If only I had the money to stay there... at least I could have dinner & look at the sunset (top photo). I also went to the historic district of Pass-a-Grille, a short trolley ride up the island's coast, but sadly my camera died the day before & I couldn't get any shots of that charming area. If I had stayed longer, I would have also taken advantage of the many boat excursions operating at St. Pete Beach - but that gives me a reason to go back, doesn't it?

July 4, our "great feast"

A few days ago, my best friend from high school was reminding me of the time we went to Rome over the 4th of July. We were trudging around Piazza di Spagna in the heat & stopped in a corner coffee bar for yet another cold drink. Naturally I ordered in Italian but upon hearing us speaking to each other in our native language, the clerk asked me in English. "Today is your great feast?"

"Oh yes, the 4th of July, Independence Day," we answered. To which he said, "So why are you not speaking in English?"

I was taken aback a bit and wondered if he was joking, but he seemed to be serious. I explained that although it was indeed our "great feast", we were not at home and being guests in his country, it was only common courtesy to speak his language. All he did was shrug in that inimitable Italian way & handed us our drinks, so I wasn't sure if that satisfied his curiosity. In any event, it was one of those things that reminds me that traveling abroad not only makes you learn about another culture, but perhaps even more so causes you to appreciate your own. I had never been away from my own country on our most important national holiday and in all honesty, I wasn't thinking about it much until that fellow brought it up. In that respect, I was indebted to him, whether he was joking or not, for reminding me of something that I shouldn't have taken for granted.

Even in our homeland these days, it often seems unfashionable to be openly grateful for the fact that we are Americans and celebrate that every July 4. Yet our patriotism is something that foreigners automatically associate with us. Italians in particular have always remarked upon this to me while quickly adding that they are not very patriotic, at least not in the same sense that we are. An Italian identifies himself with his city or town first and perhaps his province, and even though his country has been unified for almost 150 years, often he still regards some of his countrymen as akin to foreigners. Therefore it must be puzzling to them and yet the ones I know that have spent time here have said that they can understand why Americans feel the way they do. Perhaps we should take a minute to do the same.

Nationwide High Speed Rail On the Way?

Apparently the current administration is very interested in a comprehensive high-speed rail network, so much so that officials have been spending time in Europe studying Spain's pioneering system and those of other countries. Perhaps they are also on their way to Asia, where the exemplar of high-speed rail (Japan's Shinkansen, photo) serves a massive population with astonishing efficiency. It seems logical since they have already stated their intention to expand Amtrak passenger service - if the plan is to replace a woefully outdated rail infrastructure, why not go all the way?

As anyone who has taken high-speed trains abroad will say, it's a fantastic way to travel. If you've ever been on a standard type train, you will find the speed dazzling and the ride so smooth that you almost forget that you are indeed on a train. When I first took the Italian Eurostar from Rome to Florence, I couldn't believe it - the usual transit time of 3 hours was cut in half. And it was spotlessly clean and smoke-free from the beginning. However, the biggest advantage to high-speed rail is that train stations are in the center of major cities, unlike airports, so even though it isn't technically as fast as flying, you save major time avoiding long taxi rides to the airport, long security & check-in lines, and long layovers. I haven't ridden the Amtrak Acela, our only venture to date, but I have heard firsthand that it is the equal of its foreign counterparts and frankly, I'm praying for the day that it expands to serve the entire U.S.A.

In the meantime, get a taste of what they enjoy across the pond with Rail Europe's latest special on the Thalys (Paris-Brussels-Amsterdam-Cologne), 50% off the regular fare. Since European travel is suffering as well, I expect to see many more Rail Europe deals come along in the near future.

Bargain flights to Europe, but be quick about it

It may seem ironic but the worse the economy gets, the more affordable travel becomes. Especially concerning European travel, there's an extra-thick silver lining in the grey cloud since the economies across the Atlantic are struggling as well ( I put that currency converter on the sideboard for a reason - just check how low the euro and the pound sterling are against the dollar right now). An example: right now, Icelandic Air is offering a flight to London for $489.

Of course, there's a catch. The European suppliers are putting very strict time limits on these deals so that they can keep making a profit in the event that their currencies gain against the dollar in the near future. For example, Icelandair just announced this deal on May 8 and it will expire on the 15th.

Just for the sake of comparison, I priced a USAir flight to one of the most popular domestic destinations (Las Vegas) for the same period and it came in at $544. Granted, this was a direct flight from my home city & the Icelandair deal would require connecting to one of their gateways at an additional cost, but it still reinforces the point I've been making to people who have never been to Europe because they think it's too expensive. With some planning and flexibility on your side and help from a good travel agent, you can afford to go to Europe.

Blog from Italy: Rose Roams Rome

Recently a friend sent me the link to a blog by an American student in Italy for a term. It's interesting to experience something familiar through a pair of young, fresh eyes. I've included it in my reading list but here's the link again: http://ashleyrosebryan.blogspot.com/

That reminds me: I have to find that Blogspot guide about creating a hyperlink in a post... It makes me wish I had a technically skilled college student around to tell me how to do these things!

Language Matters

One thing I've learned from experience is that you have to be careful when speaking a foreign language. Dictionaries are helpful for basic words but unless they're very thorough (the huge doorstop type that you can't fit in a suitcase), they might not show you exactly what you need to know. This happened to me on my second trip to Rome when I was at a party with my Italian relatives, most of whom spoke no English. I had spent quite some time improving my Italian with classes & conversation and so I felt pretty confident about being able to chat with them. One of my American cousins was traveling with me and I was trying to explain that he was also my landlord - the translation in my pocket dictionary was proprietario. Fortunately, our English-speaking cousin was sitting with us and quickly added, "di casa" - right away I realized that actually I had said that he was my pimp... (the word proprietario also means "owner" so adding di casa, "of the house," makes the meaning clear).

It's also easy to get into trouble if your pronunciation or spelling slips even by a single letter. Another time in Rome, I was traveling with an old friend who knew some Italian and my cousins invited us over for lunch. My pal tried to say that the bread (pane) was delicious but inadvertently substituted an e for the a and wound up saying... well, something R-rated. Like most people I've met abroad, my cousins were understanding of foreigners who struggle with their language, but they got a great big laugh out of it too.

So in countries where I had absolutely no prior knowledge of the language, like the Czech Republic (where the picture was taken), I played it safe. However, everyone should make the effort to learn even the most basic words and phrases. It's common courtesy. Not only does it help you, but it makes a good impression on your hosts who might have run into one too many "ugly American." Again, with rare exceptions people are tolerant of foreigners, especially in places that depend heavily on tourism, but learning some of their language shows that you are trying to understand and appreciate their culture. It always breaks the ice and it might make you a new friend who's just as eager to practice their English.

Travel history: transatlantic liners of Italy

Recently my cousin Tony was telling me about his first trip to Italy when he was a very little boy; they sailed from New York directly to Naples. This was in the early 1960s when the last of the transatlantic liners were still running, and his family took the Cristoforo Colombo, a ship of the Italian Line. Read more about the line here:

http://www.lastoceanliners.com/cgi/lolline.pl?ITA

It's a very interesting site about a part of travel history that is all but gone.

Get on the bus

I confess that I get irritated by certain TV travel show hosts for several reasons, one being their scorn of organized tours. One even used a tour bus as the backdrop for the ads introducing his program, his look of disgust making the point that only the most un-cool, unthinking of tourists would lower themselves to doing such a thing. The assumption that these people seem to be making is that travel is a one-size-fits-all matter, the size naturally being their particular approach (and whatever else they happen to be selling).

As someone who traveled quite a bit before getting into the business, I strongly disagree. Yes, organized tours aren't the best choice for certain people. If you're adventurous and in relatively good shape, you would prefer more freedom and less structure. However, the majority of travelers would like having at least some of the details of trip planning left to someone else, especially if it's the first trip to a foreign destination. Even an experienced traveler can benefit from fitting organized day trips or even shorter city loop tours into their itinerary: on my most recent trips to New York and Rome, I took bus tours because my traveling companions hadn't been to those places before and even though I had been to each city several times, I enjoyed the ride. It was useful to jog my memory of the city layout and the locations of places I wanted to revisit, but it was also refreshing to be with a group of people who were new to the experience and catch a bit of their excitement.

So what are the advantages of organized tours?

1. A completely organized tour takes care of all the details and often costs less than booking the same places independently. You also have the security factor of being with a group.

2. Tours provide professional guides who can also help you with venturing out on your own.

3. Day trips or city tours are more efficient and less tiring that running around on your own. Most cities have loop tours that can be used as transportation since you can hop on & off wherever you like.

4. Tours are great choices for those with mobility issues like the elderly or disabled.

You're spending your hard-earned money on a trip, so be sure that you get to do what you want to do. An organized tour can help you do that. No single approach is right for everyone.

Florence discoveries: lemons in November

There are countless treasures in the birthplace of the Renaissance. Usually the first that come to mind are the Accademia Galleria, home of the Michelangelo David, and the Botticellis in the Uffizi Galleries. Another archive not to be missed (according to some) is the Ferragamo museum and "gift shop." There are the restaurants and shops featuring the great wines of Tuscany or the goldsmiths on the Ponte Vecchio. I've seen most of these but on my last trip, I ran across something totally unexpected in my hotel's garden: lemons still on the tree in late November.

This was at the Monna Lisa on Borgo Pinti, one of many small hotels in the city that were formerly the posh homes of nobles but thanks to off-season rates and currency fluctuation, available to certain humble office workers from Pittsburgh. I can only imagine what it's like in the warm weather when they open the breakfast room onto the garden.

Food is always a good discovery. A few doors away from the hotel was a tiny bakery where I bought snacks every day. Although I couldn't very well get a whole loaf of the delicious-looking bread, they had little savory pies that more than made up for my loss. They must have been a local specialty because I haven't seen them elsewhere in Italy: tender crust like focaccia filled with all sorts of things like onions, potatoes, and the fresh porcini mushrooms that were in season. I bought them by the sackful and munched on them all day.

Snacks are very important when you're traveling, especially in places like Italy where the restaurants open late in the day. It's a long time between meals!

Aside from its proximity to the little bakery, the Monna Lisa is a lovely place with an attentive and helpful staff. It's located within easy walking distance of the city center and all the major attractions (Florence is very compact). The hotel conversion preserved much of the original architecture and interior details, so you can pretend you live in a palace at least for a few days.

Welcome - put on your traveling shoes!

I've always been interested in traveling, so much so that I got into the business. When I was a schoolgirl, I spent hours reading about faraway places and dreaming about seeing them someday: Vienna, Rome, Tokyo, Honolulu, Hong Kong... and when I grew up, I finally saw some of those dreams become reality. I'm still working on the rest but planning trips is part of the fun. In any event, back then I never imagined anything like the Internet, someday reaching people all around the world in seconds and gathering a library's worth of information with a few keystrokes.

Yes, I intend this blog to be a business tool but I want it to be more than that. There's nothing I love more than talking about traveling and sharing my experiences and discoveries while learning from others. My background is in education and I see my travel career as an extension of that. However, I want us to have fun while we're at it! Other people have done a much better job of discussing world history and art, and I urge you to learn about those aspects of the places you plan to visit, but here I'll stick to smaller matters that you probably won't find in guidebooks. My goal is to make you enjoy travel as much as I do.