American Airlines and United Airlines Merger

Every couple of years, it’s good to take a look at how much we have grown. It gives us a chance to reevaluate how we are doing and what we can change. For American Airlines, it seems that 2013 is that time. They took time to reflect on recent years’ debts, bankruptcy and lay-offs.

American Airlines is coming back with a vengeance to take what they once dominated. So what strategies will they put in place?

-New Look- logo and aircrafts

-New management team

-New merger with United Airlines creating the largest airline in the world

-New Advertising strategies

What does this mean for us jet setters?

American Airlines is trying to modernize our travel experience by offering better customer service, redesigned airport terminals, offering new hubs, Wi-Fi, new apps and smoother check-in.

AMR (American Airline’s parent company) already reported $44 million profit in January. Check out this video with insights on the new aircraft interior.

What are your thoughts on this merger?

Less Thoughts More Actions!

Bourdain Travel Rants

Anthony Bourdain

He is just so frank, a genius of his craft and truly an admirable man. I think anyone who knows me well is clear on my fascination with Anthony Bourdain. I wouldn't miss his shows "No Reservation" and "The Layover", as he travels from city to city pin pointing the best points of interest, the culture and the most amazing culinary experiences.

Ha! Safe to say, I idolize this man and would love to work with him. In reality, it seems his job is just to go all over the world and try new food.
(Food + Travel = My Ideal World)
I follow him on Twitter and on occasions, I pretend we are friends and I tweet him.

Well, in his most recent set of tweets, he speaks about being en route to the Cayman Islands for another culinary experience. His flight from MIA to the Cayman Islands was delayed through American Airlines. We have all been there, at an airline's mercy for timely transportation because let's be honest here, what's the point of being able to pick your flight times, if they will be delayed 9 times out of 10.

In his outrage, Anthony mentions that he has been waiting for 2 hours. While he waited, as the greatly frank man he is, he updated us real time as it was all happening. His tweets started with:

@Bourdain: Love the poor gate agent, standing mute under the “on time ” sign when clearly we are f**ked. #AA

@Bourdain: What does “special situation” mean in airlines speak? Ain’t nothin’ special about late departure #AA

@Bourdain: Latest news is it took #AA two hours to admit a passenger dropped a wet deuce on a seat. Need to change planes

Unbelievable, how in our day and age a flight can be delayed for 2 hours for something so primitive. Someone had defecated on the plane. They left the flight attendants a less than pleasant surprise. As analytical as I am, I got to thinking. How severe could this "number 2" have been, that it caused an airline to delay for exactly that, 2 hours. Comical but real, there is never a dull moment in travel. One of Bourdain's last tweets on the subject, was him jokingly thinking of paying it forward with the airport panini he had eaten earlier.

American Airlines opted for a very diplomatic answer to this rant by stating that "the flight in question was delayed approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes. We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience."

Cyber Monday Year-Round

Every year we wait for the infamous "Black Friday". It's supposed to be a day of discounted prices for all of our retail needs and wants. How does this translate into the travel industry?
I believe Travel Tuesday is the infinite Cyber Monday. Is this a Loaded statement? Not really, you just have to be aware of when the best time to purchase flights are and use the tips below. If you are interested in taking a vacation at any point during the year, chances are that you will not want to break the bank in the process. When shopping for airfare, there are not many factors we can really control. The airlines have a serious lock down on competitive pricing. But every week on Tuesdays is when we have that slight possibility of finding the best deals on flights 90 days out. Where? you ask. I know, there are so many sites and they all appear to do the same thing. I have taken the liberty of compiling my favorites for your personal use.
(At this point, I suggest that you take notes because these are my best kept secrets and potent weapon)

Skyscanner: Ahh skyscanner. It is my best friend. So, I actually have an app for this website. Skyscanner is a very user friendly, fast comprehensive flight comparison free site. It allows you to insert your home airport in the "From" field and to write in the word "Everywhere" in the "To" field. Once you write in the words "Everywhere" it will show you deals domestically and internationally.

Fly.com: I believe this site is affiliated with another honarable mention, Travelzoo. It has a clear and easy to navigate format. The fare calendars show you which dates will be cheaper based on your departure. Their search engine uses many of the lesser known discount sellers which gives you more options. It also saves your resent searches. So if you are the type that likes to think about it over night or over the next few weeks, your cache will help you out, as the search will be there next time to get on fly.com.

Momondo: It has by far the cheapest prices I've seen thus far. It is used mostly by backpackers to compare airfare prices from 700+ travel sites. If you are flexible on the dates, the monthly bar graphs help you visually see when the cheapest dates to travel will be.  It will then direct you to the travel site or airline.There is also an app for this one.

Kayak: It has one of my favorite features. If you are indecisive like me and have a budget in mind but are not sure where to go, this is the best website to narrow that down. It will show you where you can vacation for that particular price on a map and clicking on the price will reveal the dates in which you can go to your destination for that price.

After finally booking your flight, enter your information at Yapta. This website will track the price so you don’t miss out on savings if the price drops. If the difference in price is more than the re-booking fee (around $75-$100), Yapta will send you, free of charge, an email so that you can claim a credit from the airline.

Tips:

• Best time to purchase tickets- Tuesdays around 1am and at 3pm
• Cheapest day to fly: Tuesday, Wednesday & Saturday
• Cheapest time of the day to fly: First flight of the morning (red eye)
• Use your miles

Where will you fly to next?

Alone.

The expression on her face. The thought process behind her uncomfortable smile as her eyes grew wider, Alone?

There was so much taboo around being a female solo traveler. As I recited to her that I would be taking a trip alone, I felt her tone change drastically. The longer the conversation, the easier it was to hear the mix of confusion, admiration, shock, horror and....well, pity. It is easy to judge when you are standing on the opposite end of the spectrum. The side where you are co-dependent on another human being for what should be, your natural happiness.

For a couple of months now, I had been standing at the edge. I'd been researching my heart out, as curiosity and knowledge overwhelmed me. I had been so reluctant to take the plunge but with good reason, as it was a scary leap of faith. One that would enrich me with insurmountable amount of fun experiences and new sights. When you want something this bad, you can either find an excuse or find a way. I had been bitten by the travel bug and in desperate need to travel. I asked myself, which was more pathetic; The constant disappointment of waiting for a travel companion and watching as my nomadic dream life dissolved? or continually wondering what else is out there?. It was the perfect timing. Contrary to those my age, I did not have a husband or kids. What I did have was, this crazy ambition and fascination with traveling. Why not now? The fear of regret trumped the fear of the unknown once again.

I didn't think myself as very different from this friend but our conversation left me to feel as though we weren't cut from the same cloth. Physically, we resided in the same borough yet mentally we were worlds apart. It was almost as if she didn't understand the concept that there was another way of living rather then conformity (she obviously hadn't read my last post). There was a whole community of people who thought like me, a community of solo travelers. The kind that hadn't limited themselves to the social norm. They too, were also marriage, husband and babies free!-The fact that I was trying it out, made me feel bold, daring and...well, pretty BADASS!!

As I thought about our conversation, a sense of relief, freedom and liberation overcame me and I pulled out my debit card. It takes determination and courage to step into where the magic happens and you do what you love. I was there again. I was at my favorite place, the online airline checkout. The confirmation email verified my happiness once again and the count down began.

Havaianas on Tamarindo Beach- Off the beaten path

The objective was to keep moving. As I brainstormed about my next trip, I couldn't help but wonder where on the map would be an intriguing culture to indulge in. Off the beaten path to satisfy a different appetite.

I craved surfing, warm beaches, friendly people and most of all a new adventure. I found myself looking up the pacific coast of Costa Rica.

Pura Vida. JetBlue was now offering direct flights to Liberia, Costa Rica. Eager for all the former cravings, I booked without hesitations. I convinced one of my best girlfriends Cydney to come with me. We stayed at a surf camp/hostel in Tamarindo, which is in Guanacaste region of Costa Rica. The place was called Blue Trailz. It was located right across the way from the beach, along side restaurants, near a convenience store and plenty of surf shops. Renting the surf boards would cost about $10-$12 per day.


Tamarindo was the equivalent of what the LES is to New York. It's inhabited by free spirited young people and fun atmosphere. Everyday we were greeted with a high tide as well as an exhibitionist sun that was far from disappointing. Oh, and let's not forget the great warm-hearted people, who made it their mission to help us in any way possible. They yell "pura vida" while honking their car horn in greeting while they driving by.

Buying "Gallo Pinto" off the back of her truck

Gallo Pinto Traditional Breakfast

The food was exquisite with burst of fresh flavors encompassing all natural herbs and spices. Their traditional dish "gallo pinto" was rice and black beans and was also offered as breakfast. Going against everything I knew, I ate out the back of a lady's white rusty station wagon for $2,000 colones ($4 american dollars) and it was by far the best meal I had while I was there.

We ventured off the beaten path with a tour company called "Get Lost in Costa Rica" which we stumbled upon while laying out on Tamarindo beach. Don, our tour guide scheduled a day packed of relaxing activities. We began the day by stoping at a local bakery for some Tico pastries and coffee at 8am. The sun was at its highest peak and my belly was full, I was a happy camper. We continued on and stopped at a supermarket for beers and liquor. He took us to a resort which seemed to be desolate. As we approached the pool side, I glance over n see a bar with in walking distance. There were no kids splashing around, no lines near the bar or bathroom but best of all, we were the only ones at the pool. I couldn't be any happier. He served us drinks and played some reggae music. He came over ever so often to make sure we were enjoying ourselves, refill our drinks and take pictures of us. The only thought that came to my mind was "I could get used to this".

Cyd & I in CR waterfall

Don continued on with the private tour. He took us to an all you can eat buffet before walking over to the steam room, vapor room, followed by the hot springs. These outdoor hot springs were 100% nature made thermal  waters due to the proximity of the volcanoes. They are so relaxing and ten times better than a Jacuzzi. After 3 hours, we drove half an hour to our next destination. Don asked us to bring our shoes and to be careful. We hiked down what seemed to be a huge mountain filled with boulder rocks and tall exotic trees to find a well kept secret. It was a waterfall. I was freaked out at first because there were really big fish in the fresh cold water. But the fact that it was 90 degrees and we had just hiked for the last 20 minutes made it easy to accept that I would benefit more from this then the fish. A great way to conclude the tour.

New friends

As if that wasn't eventful enough for one day, we headed back to the surf camp to figure out what our new friends were up to that evening. They all had interesting experiences to share and came from different places. People who like me had the travel bug and were on their way elsewhere. Friends who I still keep in contact with. After all, we had partied at Aqua discotheque, walked what seemed miles to an amazing breakfast spot, surfed together, played cards and explored the country together.

7am high tide -Tamarindo Beach-Surf Buddies

Every day started off as an adventure as we met different people who we instantly connected with. I practiced my surfing most mornings at 7am (high tide). See, to me surfing was symbolic of so many things. It was about balance, being at the right place and time to embrace the opportunity and riding the wave out without fearing the fall or predicting the end. I watched the sun rise and the sun sets while surfing and found that the days seemed shorter but far more meaningful while in a different country. The only worry seemed to be where to eat next and I was ok with that.
 This was only the first half of the trip. Stay tuned for Costa Rica on the lap of luxury.

Recommendations for Off the beaten path:
1. Blue Trailz Surf Camp- best value lodging
2. Witch's Rock- great place for drinks
3. Khahiki- amazing place for breakfast
4. Blue Trailz- cheap surf board rentals
5. Get Lost in Costa Rica Tours- best valued tours

Insatiable Wanderlust

Euphoria. An overwhelming feeling rushes through me the second I enter my debit card information during the online check out for an international flight. It just gives me a sense of accomplishment and relief. I am constantly asking myself why is it that such a simple change of scenery and direction brings excitement to my life.

Maybe it's the way the tiny white grains of hot sand massages the soles of my feet leaving a footprint with every step as I slowly approach the vast ocean in front of me, or the way the bright rays of sun kiss my skin ever so lightly causing my pigmentation to be a darker shade. It could very well be the warm hearts and caring smiles of a native stranger that with one look helps me forget the distant past and troubles. I enjoy embracing a new culture. As a New Yorker, I live in a society in which everyone is always on the go, and therefore find myself wanting to go somewhere new. See, home is dead time to me. I am constantly living in anticipation of being someone somewhere else.  It's not the destination but more the journey and the objective is to learn as much as possible. I have come to the realization that I have a restless spirit (or a mild case of ADD, depending on how you look at it).

I sit at my desk at work day in and out daydreaming of all the places I would rather be traveling to. Trying to break away from life’s tedious monotony, I look up destinations; sign up for vacation deals and indulge in reading travel blogs to help me pass the time. It has become an addiction in which I now wish to not only participate in but also contribute. A couple of years ago, I fell in love with a nomad, whose stress free and careless ways were a constant reminder that there was a world out there ready to be explored.  He recited a quote that will forever be embedded in my memory.

"The world is a book and those that do not travel only read one page"

And what kind of person would I be if I didn’t attempt to read the whole book? You see, I have been bitten by the travel bug and for the past two years found myself immersed in what some call "Wanderlust", which by definition is a very strong and irresistible impulse to travel. This blog is mostly in his memory. He would be proud of the places I will visit and the things I will see. Yes, it’s a travel blog. But above all, it’s a love letter to the love of my life. A crazy, random, and poorly written love letter. The kind he’d appreciate and know me to write.

Along the way I will also share tips, deals, and experiences that I find whilst documenting the memories because as we all know, they have a tendency of fading. So I invite you on this journey, see the world through my eyes, because life is an adventure!

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