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?

From Hi to Aloha

Maui. The hot sun, tropical flowers and surfing- lots of surfing. There would be clear turquoise waters that carefully build up the most tranquil chaos as it approached the shore causing the best waves. I envisioned myself sitting under an umbrella chair in a hot pink bikini, sipping on a perfectly made Mai Tai that has been beautifully decorated with a pineapple wedge before indulging in some surfing. No electronics needed as the sound of the brightly colored tropical birds and the graceful waves became the soundtrack to an amazing vacation. Admit it, you are grinning as you picture this.

I had no set expectations going in. I had hopes of meeting the friendliest of people and doing the funnest of things, but would be equally happy of becoming a beach bum for the next 8 days. The beaches themselves would be reason enough for all this excitement. I am a planner by nature but not this time. I had purchased my plane ticket 2 weeks before my trip and my hotel 2 days before take-off (I only booked my first 2 nights) I wanted to have no plans, no expectations and no disappointments. This trip called for full flexibility.

“A good traveler has no fixed plans...”- Lao Tzu

REI Flash 52 Women's Backpack

The Saturday before my trip, I made my way over to REI in Ridge Hill Mall. I wanted a backpack for this adventure, one in which I would be able to fit 8 happy and fulfilled days worth of my life. That in itself was a challenge. I had to narrow down the amount of things I would take. I took 5 outfits, 3 cover ups, 6 mix and match bikinis, 2 scarves, 2 pairs of sandals, 1 pair of sneakers, 2 pajama sets and some toiletries. They fit perfectly. I would wear the heaviest articles of clothing to prevent an overcrowded backpack. I felt accomplished as the scale read 28lbs. I had reduced my life to a mere 28lbs from the usual 50lbs airline standards.

The excitement over crowded my anxiety of being a planner. There I was, entering my stress free happy place (the airport) at 3:13 A.M.  showcasing a total of 8 top teeth in a big smile. I said my goodbyes to my dad who took me to JFK Airport with a long hug, as he had learned only 2 minutes ago that I would go on this adventure without a companion.  As I traveled camera and passport in hand, I couldn't believe I was headed to Hawaii alone yet extremely happy. 

I was going from Hi to Aloha in 12 hours =)

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.

Adventure Invite

Daydreaming of cobblestone streets, open air cafes, and amazing colonial architecture.

Great news was delivered right to my inbox today. I have been researching Colombia for little while now. It appears that JetBlue will now offer service to Cartagena, Colombia. The beauty of this all is that you will get the cheapest rates and promotions when an airline adds a new destination, but act fast as this will not last long. Flights are said to be starting at $140 each way starting November 2, 2012. A new adventure in Colombia? Count me in!! :-)