The Travel Thread

[Courtney]

Haha. Sleep deprivation mixed with conducting interviews of important people kinda sounds like a recipe for disaster.

[TomAz]

Ooh both Bryce Canyon and the Keys sound pretty exotic to me. Please share photos when you get back!

I booked a flight to Maui for a freelance writing assignment next Friday, but I'll only be there for 48 hours so it's not really that exciting.

Siesta Key is not in "the Keys". it's near Sarasota.

[Courtney]

Can I delete my post and pretend that I knew that?

[TomAz]

this is why god created the edit button.

[Courtney]

But now you've quoted me. IT'S A TRAP.


Wait sorry, actually I mean: Why did you quote me falsely TomAz? Geez way to be sneaky and misleading.

[TomAz]

Drats. Foiled again.

[TomAz]

24 hours of commercial aircraft flight traffic condensed into one minute.

[higgybaby23]

^That video was so entertaining I watched it twice. Europe and the US look like a complete clusterfuck during daylight hours.

[TomAz]

I was impressed by the volume of transatlantic traffic too. and you can see it change directions as the day goes on.

[Courtney]

That is super neat. I like how it shows the trans-atlantic flights all going east first and then all going west, depending on the time of day.

On the travel front, sadly I haven't gotten my act together to book any trips to Mali or even Portland/Seattle, but I do have two trips coming up to New York City. The first is in September for ATP, and I just booked a second trip for November to go visit a few MBA programs I am considering applying to. The first trip's airfare was $306 roundtrip, and the second was $256 roundtrip. I used some of my airfare credits from a layover delay last year, so the combined out-of-pocket cost for both trips ended up being about $112. I'm kind of expecting United to go out of business any day now.

[TomAz]

Leaving for family european vacation in 3 weeks. Berlin-Munich-Salzburg-Vienna with a side daytrip to Cesky Krumlov. I'm really looking forward to it, I have spent almost no time in Germany.

[amyzzz]

You couldn't wait until Oktoberfest? <sp?>

[TomAz]

Kids are in school. <sp?>

[Courtney]

Ooh have fun! Berlin and Vienna have some great art. And beer.

[miscorrections]

Vienna was SO FUCKING HOT when I was there. I slept in the bathtub because it was just that bad.

[higgybaby23]

From what I've heard, Berlin is one of the most decadent places in Europe. But, if traveling with family in tow, probably best to stick with the art and culture.

[captncrzy]

24 hours of commercial aircraft flight traffic condensed into one minute.

Tom, I have a Star Alliance screen saver at work. You can see all of the flights in real time or in a 30 second condensed version.

http://www.staralliance.com/en/trave...reensaver.html

It's like watching a fish tank-especially the real-time version.

[york707]

Leaving for family european vacation in 3 weeks. Berlin-Munich-Salzburg-Vienna with a side daytrip to Cesky Krumlov. I'm really looking forward to it, I have spent almost no time in Germany.

I have been to all of those places except Salzberg. That is all.

[faxman75]

I just booked airfare to Dublin from 11/24-12/1. I found super cheap flights to Belgium from Dublin as well so I think i'm going to try for a weekend in Brussels. Round trip it's only 8 Euros plus taxes and fees. I am pretty damn excited to be going back to Europe!

[TomAz]

Tom, I have a Star Alliance screen saver at work. You can see all of the flights in real time or in a 30 second condensed version.

http://www.staralliance.com/en/trave...reensaver.html

It's like watching a fish tank-especially the real-time version.

Thanks for pointing this out to me, this is now my screensaver. I stare at it and get hypnotized. I probably even drool.

[Courtney]

I just booked through Priceline for the first time. I'm not a fan of middle men and generally try to go through the hotel directly, but can't complain too much when the result is reservations at the Newark Marriott located right inside the airport loop for $53 instead $170 or whatever the going rate is. Almost makes my upcoming 6:30am flights palatable.

[TomAz]

The Newark Marriott is a shithole. I hope the shuttle trains are working that day. They weren't last time I was at EWR.

sorry to spoil your fun.

[algunz]

Why would you stay by the airport, Courtney? Tom is right as usual.

You'd be better off sleeping on Stuporfly's floor, or I could hook you up with friends of mine.

[faxman75]

or I could hook you up with friends of mine.

Pimpin'

[TomAz]

Why would you stay by the airport, Courtney? Tom is right as usual.

I guess she's thinking the 6:30 am flight rules out The Plaza.

[algunz]

There is no Plaza anymore.


Nevermind, they reopened it.

[TomAz]

I wonder where Eloise went while they were renovating it?

[Courtney]

I'm not staying there for my whole trip, just the night before my departure. I want to be as close as possible to the airport, because 6:30am flights mean being at the airport by 5:30am. Staying nearby the airport means catching an additional hour of precious sleep. And plus, I don't really feel comfortable making a 3 hour drive to EWR at 2:30am when totally sleep deprived.

I suppose I'll find out soon enough for myself, but I'm surprised by your bad review, considering it's the #1 ranked Newark hotel on TripAdvisor. Have you stayed there since the 2007 renovation?

[TomAz]

I last stayed there in March 08. I did not enjoy myself. this is due in part to the 1 1/2 hrs it took me to get to the hotel from the terminal because the shuttle train thing was all fucked up. late at night. and then I had to be up early the next morning. To go to a funeral.

[Courtney]

That sounds like a painful trip all around. I will cross my fingers that they have gotten their shuttle act together. But if not, at least it's only one night and it only cost me $53. Better than getting into a car accident trying to drive from upstate New York or Connecticut at an ungodly hour of the morning.