Trash your technology
When it comes to using technology on a business trip, less is more. For example, downsizing your laptop carrying case - jettisoning unneeded extension cords, batteries and peripherals - doesn’t just lighten your load (and save your back). It also can expedite your trip through airport security checkpoints.
But can turning your gadgets off actually make [...]
Brave new Mickey
Walt Disney World’s newest character is cute, charming - and controversial. My Pal Mickey, a 10½-inch doll stuffed with fluff and microchips, is a state-of-the-art interactive tour guide created just for Disney’s theme parks. But this little mouse is rumored to do more than talk. Some of the Magic Kingdom’s conspiracy-minded critics have accused My Pal of tracking them on their vacation and using the data for nefarious market-research purposes. How dangerous is this $47 rodent? Only one way to find out: We imposed on our one-year-old son, Aren, to take the toy for a spin around the park.
United won’t pay for my hotel
Q: I recently traveled from Washington Dulles to Vancouver on United Airlines with a change of planes in San Francisco. My outbound flight from Washington was delayed by two hours for mechanical reasons, causing me to miss my connecting flight.
When I arrived in San Francisco at around 9 p.m., I was handed a pre-determined [...]
Moneysaving tips from the jet set
Pinching pennies is a time-honored tradition among leisure travelers. But it’s a practice that’s now gaining increasing popularity among an unlikely group: business travelers.
Road warriors long have had rich tastes in travel. Back in the late 1990s, when the economy was white-hot, they routinely bought expensive airline tickets and stayed in pricey hotels while away [...]
Doggone Sun Valley
The spring water is served in plastic bowls - on the floor - at Sun Valley’s finest restaurants. The biscuits are cold and hard, and they taste doggone funny, come to think of it. But patrons pant for more. Sometimes they bark, too. Welcome to the most dog-friendly resort in America.
Blacklisted by National?
Q: A few years ago while I was on a business trip to San Antonio, National Car Rental invited me to join its Emerald Club at no charge. When I got to the portion of the application that asked for a credit card number, I explained to the agent that I travel on business, but [...]
Bear hug
They dragged me all the way out to Sanibel Island, along with Grandma and Grandpa. There’s nothing quite like spending four hours in a van. Then again, the beaches here are terrific. Better than what we have in the Keys. And these shells! They look good enough to eat.
Are we going for a walk or what?
Will you hurry up with the bug spray? Let’s hit the road. I love going cruising through the neighborhood. Saying hello to the dogs. Meeting other babes. Next year, I’m upgrading to a Porsche. Dad, are you reading this?
Read me a story?
You have no choice. Either read me Bob the Builder for the fifth time today or I’ll scream. And I have to warn you, my lungs are developing quite nicely, thank you. So what’s it gonna be? Book or belt?
Calling the whole thing off
When should you call a trip off?
Just after Sept. 11, 2001, one-third of the business travelers surveyed told pollsters from YPB&R, the Orlando, Fla.-based marketing company, that the threat of a new terrorist attack would make them change their plans.
How about a war? A survey by AAA found that more Americans postponed their trips after [...]
Island birds behaving badly
Key Largo is for the birds. Roseate spoonbills stand like statues in the shallow saltwater flats. Broad-winged hawks cut circles in a cloudless tropical sky. And yellow-crowned night heron perch on the sulfur-scented mangroves at low tide. But this being the Florida Keys, the eclectic island chain that stretches more than 100 miles from here to Key West, the bird encounters can also be a little … odd.
Dude, where are my miles?
Q: I flew from Miami to Tel Aviv on El Al Israel Airlines recently. I am a Delta SkyMiles member, and when I booked my ticket through a travel agent, I gave her my frequent flier account number. The number was printed on my ticket receipt.
According to Delta’s program guide, I would be able [...]
Chicken Pox!
It was bound to happen one of these days, but why did it have to be now? Yes, the dreaded childhood disease has struck (I’ve got the pock marks all over my back, but it’s not as bad as Daddy had it when he was in fourth grade.) Oh well, I’ll survive.
Summer squeeze
Just as the busy summer travel season took off earlier this month, American Airlines announced it would scrap its roomier economy-class seats on nearly a quarter of its flights serving leisure and vacation markets. Midwest Airlines also said it would rip out its spacious seats on its new “saver” service and replace them with narrower ones. Both airlines are playing catch-up with the competition, which seems intent on squeezing the most passengers into the least amount of space.
One step, two step, three step … floor
I learned how to walk today! It was so easy. I just let go of the table and took a couple of steps. This is the day my parents have been dreading, because now that I can walk, I can get into almost anything. Mom, Dad, you better tie everything down. This is [...]