Packing is not easy to do. It’s something many people struggle with, especially if you don’t travel much. It’s part of the reason why I wrote a post a few months back giving packing tips.
But, I’m afraid it may soon get harder. The airline industry (specifically, the International Air Transport Association) wants to make your carry-on about 40% smaller than it already is! Seriously. That’s not good for pretty much everyone I know.
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This is slightly disturbing. The Transportation Security Administration, whose mission is to protect you while flying is under fire. Again. This time for failing to ID 73 airport employees with links to terrorism. This on the tail of another report that found the TSA failed to find fake bombs strapped on people going through security 95% of the damn time! I mean, what are they doing with that $7.4 billion annual budget? It’s no wonder some media outlets call them the “Three Stooges Agency.” It seems they’re embarrassingly bad at their jobs. But I'll let you be the judge.
Traveling is a blast. There’s no question about that. But there’s also no question that sometimes the lead-up to a vacation (ya know, when you’re thinking about all the fun things you’re gonna do) is more exciting than the actual vacation. Vacation let-downs suck. But there are ways to make sure that doesn’t happen.
Eat/drink local Doing this leaves things exciting! Why? Because locally owned restaurants are not back at the place you call “home.” Going out to a place where you can’t go to every day is fun. And special. Which is exactly what a vacation should be. As an example, if you go to Jimmy John’s three days a week when at work, going there on vacation would seem kinda lame. I remember going to Vegas for my brother’s bachelor party and we were all looking for a place to eat. Where did we end up going? In ‘N Out Burger! Why? Because there aren’t any where we came from! And it was my first time (which made it even better)! I loved it. That example may initially seem strange. After all, In 'N Out Burger is a chain. But it just shows you that the place you go doesn't need to be a local mom and pop shop. If you're ever in the Chicago area I recommend trying Portillo's.
Traveling this summer? Well, you’re not gonna be alone. In fact, you’re gonna have to deal with a crap ton of people traveling with you if you’re flying. U.S. airlines expect this summer to be the busiest ever. I’m talking a whopping 222 million fellow travelers to fly the friendly skies from June 1 through August 31. That’s roughly 2.4 million people traveling through an airport every single day.
Even though Memorial Day is popularly thought of (and portrayed in the media) as the “beginning of the summer travel season,” the real reason we have the day off is to remember, and honor those who died while serving this country. It’s one of those holidays where it doesn’t make much sense to say “happy Memorial Day, neighbor,” because for many it’s not a happy day. It’s a somber day. With that said, there’s no reason why you can’t, or shouldn’t travel somewhere for the weekend. And believe it or not, there are many places you can go where you can honor the fallen.
I’m super pumped! I got a Fitbit Flex!
I’ll be the first to admit, I probably don’t get the exercise I should be getting (not to say I’m “unhealthy,” though). With that in mind, I asked for a Fitbit for my birthday. I thought maybe getting one would motivate me to be, at least, a little more active. I’ve read blogs written by Fitbit users before, and they say reaching your 10K steps on the daily is addicting. And that’s good if you’re looking to get into better shape! As much as I hate to admit it, I’m a damn millennial. But why am I ashamed? Well, because it seems like everyone thinks we suck. But I shouldn't be ashamed. And if you're a millennial, neither should you. Let me start by telling you what the powers that be say a millennial (sometimes called Generation Y) is. They say millennials are born between 1980ish (I’ve read everywhere from 1978-1982) and 1994. All of a sudden you’re a millennial too? Yeah, the thing is, I don’t feel like one. Or, should I say, I don’t feel like I fit into a generation that’s called many unpleasant names like narcissistic, moocher, financially illiterate, and foolish. To add, most millennials I know aren’t like that either. In fact, they are the exact opposite.
Smart phones have changed a lot about this world. That includes the rise of the selfie! It’s the thing everyone loves to hate. The thing is, just when everyone thinks no one is looking, guess what we're all doing? That’s right! Taking a selfie. I can't blame them. Taking a selfie is fun. You make yourself look good by picking an appropriate angle, and then show the world just how attractive you really are by posting it on Facebook. Not only that, but they’re easier to figure out than reheating last night’s dinner. My point is, it’s easy to see why they’re so popular. I mean, they’re so popular a “selfie stick” was invented. And now those are being banned from many museums, sporting venues, concerts, and other popular tourist attractions.
So get this: there's an online dating community where you go on a vacation with someone you've never met. Odd? I thought so too. It's called MissTravel.com. Before seeing this Nightline segment, I had no clue this even existed. Here's a description from the website:
When it comes to loyalty programs this could be a game changer. Come sometime this spring, American Express will be launching Plenti, a cross-brand loyalty program that includes some of the biggest companies in the country. The program will basically allow you to earn Plenti points at one place and redeem them at another. Right now, a total of eight companies are part of the program: AT&T, Exxon, Macy's, Mobil, Nationwide, Rite Aid, Direct Energy, and Hulu. In addition, American Express says they expect to add more companies (what's not clear is whether it'll be before or after the launch).
It looks like Southwest Airlines will be making a few changes to their Rapid Rewards program. They posted this announcement on their website:
We created Rapid Rewards® because we think you deserve to actually feel rewarded. And, from time to time we must make some updates to our program. Beginning April 17, 2015, the number of Rapid Rewards Points needed to redeem for certain flights will vary based on destination, time, day of travel, demand, fare class, and other factors. However, there are still many flights which will stay at the current redemption rate. And don’t forget that when fares go on sale, so do the points needed for redeeming for a reward flight on those fares.
What does this mean?
About a month ago, American Airlines got their first Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Today, we know the very first route it'll fly. American says the Dreamliner will begin service on May 7th from Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW) to Chicago O'Hare International (ORD). They'll fly this route for just about one month, which is a normal practice for airlines. The reason for this, is to give the flight crew the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the plane.
Is it true that if you don't use it, you lose it? Well, maybe. I'm talking vacation days, people. Mine don't roll over. That's why I, without question, use all of my vacation time every year. Hell, I don't get much to begin with. Many of you are probably in the same boat. Breaking it down How did Americans do when it came to vacation time in 2014? We did better than 2013, but there is still room for improvement. A recent study done by Expedia concludes that Americans took an average of 14 out of 15 vacation days. Wait. We get barely over 2 weeks of vacation and we can't even use all of that? The dash-cam footage that caught a TransAsia Airways plane right before it crashed is as horrifying as it is incredible.
The aircraft was carrying 53 passengers and five crew members. More than 30 have died. That number will likely be higher in the days to come.
Gas prices are still cheap. They'll stay that way as long as oil prices are low. Recently, crude oil prices have gone up from the $45-range to about $55 (which is still low. I would argue a price at around $80 is good for everyone, but that's for another blog).
Why are cheap gas prices good? That's an easy one. Everyone who buys gas for their cars already knows why cheap gas is good. It means immediate extra cash in your pocket. Instead of paying $50-$60 to fill up, you're paying $25-$35. That's big savings! |
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