www.kristraveler.com

2010 Restaurant Week in São Paulo

Marcelo K. — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:07:54 +0000

If you are heading to São Paulo in early March 2010, make sure you do not miss the São Paulo Restaurant Week 2010. It starts on March 1st and runs until March 14th. Check the link below and do not forget to make reservations, especially on weekends.

Link: 2010 São Paulo Restaurant Week

Favorite Restaurants:

- Arabia
- Boa Bistrô
- Consulado Mineiro
- Obá Restaurante
- Pitanga

These are just to name a few of the participating restaurants – several offer a great environment and food, so you may want to take advantage of the Restaurant Week’s prices.
Click here to download the 2010 SP Restaurant Week Guide

2010 Restaurant Week in São Paulo is a post from: www.kristraveler.com

This post was submitted by Marcelo K..

airfarewatchdog – Get answers to all your airline related questions!

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:57:59 +0000

I found out about airfarewatchdog a couple of years ago when I was searching for airfare deals, and since then I became a huge fan of these guys. Their search engine is not really that different from many others I typically use, though their fare alerts typically show unadvertised deals, based on the departure airport(s) and destination you choose in your profile.

Nonetheless, the big value-add of airfarewatchdog is in the Q&A section. There you’ll find all the answers that you once had and and didn’t know who to ask. By subscribing to their newsletter you can get those Q&As directly in your inbox and if have stepped on a plane recently, you will find at least one of their tips quite useful.

For you to have an idea, these are some topics I’ve learned from them:
- How Bereavement fees work in airlines
- Best time of the year to book your next vacation
- Information on Baggage Fees
- What to do when the airlines lose your luggage
- Compensation when they sell out or cancel your flight
- and many many more….

Check out their website and let me know what you think or how it was useful for you!

airfarewatchdog – Get answers to all your airline related questions! is a post from: www.kristraveler.com

This post was submitted by kris.

Booking Your Train Trip in China

admin — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:20:42 +0000

As you will read in many guidebooks, train tickets are only sold at rail stations, and typically 10 days before the day of departure. Being used to planning my entire trip in advance and booking everything online, this became a big inconvenience for me, for two reasons: 1. the best trains / seats are generally sold out on the day of the trip; 2. I need to have an idea of timetables so I can plan the rest of my itinerary and be able to make hotel reservations for example.

photo credit: zieak

Here are few tips of what I found along the way that perhaps can be helpful for you as well:

- To avoid leaving to the last day to buy your ticket and having to go to the rail station, you can purchase your tickets through a travel agency recommended by your hotel once you get to China.

- If you prefer the convenience of buying the tickets online and in advance, you can do so up to 30 days in advance through online travel agencies. The process is not ‘real time’ – it takes about 3 days for you to get your confirmation, and the tickets will then be delivered to your hotel in China, so you may want to purchase it only few days before you get to your hotel. The best website I found in terms of clear information and cheaper prices was China TripAdvisor (not related to US tripadvisor review website)

- If you just want to find the train schedules, China Travel Guide is a great resource. The website is easy to use – designed in a wiki layout – and gives you information about the best trains, timetables according to city of departure and destination, reference point prices and much more.

After all my research, I actually found the best resource for rail trips in any part of the world. Seat61 has all the basics in a way that even the least traveled can understand. The site explains the differences of each train, what are the best options according to your preferences and what you should expect, from food options to types of toilets.

————————————–

If you’re planning a trip to China, you may want to check one of these books as a starting point – they are great references to understand the country and culture, and good resources for you to have during your trip as well.

Booking Your Train Trip in China is a post from: www.kristraveler.com

Xitang: A ‘Picture Perfect’ Canal Town Near Shanghai

admin — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 03:40:47 +0000

As I plan for my upcoming trip to China, I’m gathering some information on places to go (and how to get there) and tips that can help keep me out of trouble, but also add some uniqueness to the trip beyond the major Shanghai-Beijing touristic itinerary.

I had heard that Xitang could be an interesting water town to visit, especially for photography. While researching about it on the web, I came across this great post by Ewen Bell, a travel journalist / photographer that clearly has a passion for what he does.

Make sure you check his website for amazing pictures and more stories: Photography for Travellers

Photographic Field Guides: Canal Town of Xitang in the Shadow of Shanghai

Friday 16th October 2009

Author: Ewen Bell
Original link: http://photographyfortravellers.com/article.php?story=1072

Xitang is a taste of old China, old Shanghai and old charms. Hidden away from the madness of Shanghai and its every expanding skyline, the remnants of Xitang’s old town is something of a rarity. The town is both popular but photogenic, a genuine attraction for tourists and photographers that is close to Shanghai, yet worlds away.

China’s Grand Canal was one of the truly remarkable achievements of the ancient world. Over 1,000 miles of canal were built with some sections dating back to 400BC. To the west of Shanghai the natural waterways and lakes were harnessed to make the most of the canals, and countless town spread along the trading route.

Xitang was one of those towns, and it grew to a respectable size under the Tang and Song dynasties. In recent decades the spread of modernised cities across China has threatened many traditional towns, but in old buildings, canals and bridges at the heart of Xitang still remain. In the last decade the tourism value of Xitang and a few other canal towns has been realised, and as they build ever faster freeways to connect downtown Hangzhou and Shanghai to these grand canal villages the pressure of tourism grows ever stronger.

BEST OF ITS KIND

So far Xitang has held firm under the tide of travellers. Mostly these are Chinese travellers and mostly they arrive by coach for an extended day-trip. Xitang has been one of the hardest towns to reach, a virtue which has sheltered the community from the pitfalls of rapid development. There is an air of quality about the souvenir shops, there are excellent options for local cuisine by the waterways and the day-trip profile of the town has kept large hotels out of the picture.

The good news is that dozens of cute little guesthouses are found all over the town, which means photographers can find a comfortable place to spend the night. Every afternoon the hordes of tourists are herded back to their coaches and they roll out of town. Every morning the local residents go about their business without the crush of sightseers.

I’ve been to Xitang more than half a dozen times and I still love being there. As a tourist town it’s very inviting and a great place to shop for Christmas presents. As a photographic subject the laneways and canals are inspiring, particularly for lucky photographers who spend the night in a guesthouse. This October I visited for the second time in as many months and found the more I learn about Xitang the more I love it.

The photographic highlights for me include the steep bridges that offer raised views of the canals and their houses, the “long corridor” which runs for about a kilometre in total and provides shelter for shooting in the rain, the back lanes that run parallel to the canals with their timber facades, plus the ever present traffic of boats quietly plying up and down the waterways. Xitang is a place to wander rather than be guided. Little details like steamed beans, flower boxes and teapots by a bridge can keep you busy shooting for hours.

THE DAY BEGINS

The residents light their coal fires a little after sunrise, filling the streets with smoke and providing excellent catch-light. At 8am about a dozen boatmen finish their morning “chat and cha”, then jump into their boats to work their way around to the far end of town – where all the tourists normally enter and buy ticket.

8am is also when the museums open up in Xitang. There are 10 of them. If you’re not into historical artefacts as a traveller you can save half the entry ticket for the town and opt for the cheaper ticket. 100 yuan pays for entry to the old town plus all the museums, 50 yuan covers just your fee to spend a day in town.

Having a charming guesthouse by the river is perfect for photographers, but breakfast may not seem so idyllic. Locals enjoy tea boiled eggs, tofu, congee and noodles. Westerners have to wait a while for the coffee shops to open, and even then most sell coffee but nothing more. There are some local flavours that are worth a try however. My personal favourites are the steamed fish dumplings, and a close second are the noodle ladies who sell wanton soup. I have a tendency to want both!

On my last visit I asked the lady how to say wanton in Mandarin, to make it easy to order next time. She looked at me funny and said, “Wan-ton.” Ok, I think I can remember that in future.

GETTING THERE

Buses make a day trip from the Shanghai Long-Distance Bus Station (Next door to Shanghai Stadium in the south of town, get there on the Metro) every day if you want to dip your toe in the water and get a look at the town. Buy your tickets at the stadium the day before, to verify the departure time and ensure you don’t miss out on a ticket. Bus tours to Xitang and other water towns depart between 8am and 9am, returning in the early evening. They make stops to flog tea and visit a few temples as well, and sometime have a guide on board who speak enough English to tell you when to be back so you won’t miss the bus home.

If you don’t speak Mandarin then you’ll need some help to enjoy an overnight visit. The best option is pre-arrange a driver and accommodation with the help of Imperial Expeditions (www.imperialexpeditions.com). I use these guys for custom travel arrangements in China a lot, as they have good connections with local agents and are helpful to a fault. Imperial have an existing relationship with a few guesthouses in Xitang, so you can be assured of a good view in a great location.

If you do speak Mandarin then you can arrive in Xitang and have your pick of guesthouses – just avoid the holidays and weekends when the crowds are less than ideal for photographers anyway.

Many coffee shops have a few spare rooms and there are dozens of places to chose from that offer a view of the canal, private toilet and a hot shower. Be warned that the local standard for towels is about the size of a handkerchief! The best accommodation in town is also brand new – Liu Yun Ge Hotel offers a range of unique rooms at a better standard than the guesthouses, it is centrally located deep in the old town but the hotel lacks views of the canal.

This hotel literally opened days before my last visit, converting several shops on a back street into a proper 3 to 4 star facility. The rooms are charming with original timber, modern bathrooms to suit westerners and separate showers. TV and air conditioning are standard but not all rooms have windows overlooking the laneway below. No two rooms are the same. This will be the hot hotel in town for some time to come, at least it will once the word gets out.

More Information:
The official website for Xitang is found at www.xitang.com.cn, and it contains enough information to wet your appetite. The town is 95km from Shanghai and a mini-van takes 2 hours to reach it from HongQiao airport Shanghai.

Guesthouse Accommodation:
“Zhong Xin Yi” is a quaint guesthouse located on the main canal with fabulous views of the water. The owners are charming and don’t speak a word of English. Phone 159 5737 9465.

Hotel Accommodation:
“Liu Yun Ge” on TangDong Street is brand new and appears to be making an effort to cater for English speaking clients. Phone 138 6733 9238 or email yyj2518@163.com

Custom Packages:
Imperial Expeditions are my personal favourite for anything in China and Xitang is no exception. www.imperialexpeditions.com or phone +86 29 8839 0682 for their head office in China, (718) 312 8486 in the USA, or (02) 8005 0499 in Australia.

More from Oleg Novikov:
Oleg has an informative guide for Xitang and a few other water towns on his website – www.olegnovikov.com/cptg/zhejiang/xitang.shtml. I have visited the towns of Tongli and Wuzhen as well, and I like Wuzhen enough to make more than one trip but found Tongli to have been a little over-run by travellers.

——————–

Source: http://photographyfortravellers.com/article.php?story=1072

Pictures: www.xitang.cn/

Xitang: A ‘Picture Perfect’ Canal Town Near Shanghai is a post from: www.kristraveler.com

Eat, See & Do: Favorites in Maui, Hawaii

admin — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 20:49:00 +0000

This is not the first post about Hawaii, as it is one of our favorite destinations. Though what makes this a special post is that it is authored by one of our readers who’s been living in Oahu for many years and knows Hawaii like the palm of his hand. I can personally say he has excellent taste and all his recommendations have been way above the highest expectations. And better yet – many of the venues recommended won’t be the typical touristic place, the tips are from a true Hawaii insider.

————-

Eat, See & Do: Favorites in Maui, Hawaii

By Eric for kristraveler.com

EAT

· Favorite little restaurant (by far):

Mala Ocean Tavern (137 Front Street, Lahaina (808) 667-9394)

It’s a little hole-in-the-wall literally on the water. Best breakfast and sunset dinner you can have on Maui. Owner uses all local, organic

ingredients with which to make magic. There are only about 6 or 7 tables outside on the waterfront, so call ahead and reserve a spot.

· Other cool places:

Lahaina Grill (127 Lahainaluna Road, Lahaina, (808) 667-5117)

On Lahainaluna Road, just 20 yds from Front Street. For years acclaimed as best restaurant on Maui – fun, busy though a bit pricey.

Gerard’s (174 Lahainaluna Road, Lahaina, (808) 661-8939)

Also on Lahainaluna Road – quiet, most romantic spot in an old mansion. Exquisite French cuisine. Dinner only – very quiet, romantic.

Mai Tai Lounge – on the water on Front Street

Longhi’s – an old classic Lahaina place. Great steaks, great wine bar.

· Favorite Friday/ Saturday dinner place:

Hali’imaile General Store (900 Haliimaile Roadm, Makawao, (808) 572-2666) – Incredible food, fun atmosphere, on the way to upcountry Maui

SEE, SHOP & DO

· Favorite places to stroll:

Front Street, Lahaina

· Favorite place to stroll along the beach:

Kaanapali Beach – Lots of little shops at Whaler’s Village, cool restaurants along the beach path

· Favorite places to explore:

Pa’ia Town – On North Shore of Maui. Pa’ia is an old plantation town-turned-hippie-surfer-artist town. Lots of art galleries, funky places to visit and to eat. My Favorite in Paia is Flatbread Company (89 Hana Highway, Paia, HI 96779, (808) 579-8989)

Makawao Town (just upcountry from Pa’ia) – Old Cowboy town – only 2 – 3 blocks long. Lots of little art galleries, boutiques; cool weather & fresh air. Very close to Haliimaile General Store

Big Beach – if you have time, this is on Maui’s South / Southwest shore. Incredible beach – and like the name says, it’s big – and feels like old Hawaii.

Kapalua Resort Golf Course – on the North Shore of Maui, world-class course where Mercedes Open is held every year

· Must do:

Drive up to top of Haleakala Crater: Ideally, leave at 4:00 am to arrive in time for sunrise from the top. Top elevation: 10,023 ft. So take warm clothes. For the most adventurous, you can try a bike ride down Haleakala – a 30-mile, all-downhill bike ride – wheeeee! Requires an early start; locals get upset because bikes block traffic – so you may or may not like that part.

Whale Watching: We like the tour that goes on the large (25-person) Zodiac – we’ve gone on Ultimate Whale Watch. Very cool – zodiac boat makes it possible to get “up close and personal” with whales. The whales approach you (boats are restricted from approaching the whales, but if they drift toward you it’s ok)

————————————-

About the Author:

Eric is an architect, born and raised in Brazil but lives in Hawaii. Avid traveler and former hotel executive – so very picky about his accommodations.

Favorite thing to do on a trip: photograph the experience so he can share it with others who may not be able to get there.

Eat, See & Do: Favorites in Maui, Hawaii is a post from: www.kristraveler.com

Best Pizza in NY

David H. — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 03:31:44 +0000

By far the best pizza in New York, Don Giovanni’s in Hell’s Kitchen. Here’s the link to their uptown location: http://www.dongiovanni-ny.com/uptown_location.htm Well worth the visit! Best Pizza in NY is a post from: www.kristraveler.com This post was submitted by David H.. Related posts:2010 Restaurant Week in São Paulo airfarewatchdog – Get answers to all your airline related questions! Booking Your Train Trip [...]

Best Pizza in NY is a post from: www.kristraveler.com

Out of the Ordinary Lodging in Italy

Thiago M. — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 02:07:26 +0000

I just came back from Sicily in Italy, a great trip and different from the usual, thanks to the hotel we stayed at. Granary was basically a farmhouse, but with stylish decoration – almost like a boutique hotel. The owners grow olives in their several acres of land, and we could also taste their home made wine along with the gourmet meals they offer.
Granary is part of the Cognoscenti Boutique Hotels; there are many other unique hotels mostly in Europe, but also in the Caribbean. Definitely worth checking if you’re looking for a unique trip, and their prices were not bad either.

Out of the Ordinary Lodging in Italy is a post from: www.kristraveler.com

This post was submitted by Thiago M..

Eating Like the President

admin — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 02:36:44 +0000

Where would you eat if you were a very important person…. hummm, let’s say the president of the US…. and could choose anywhere from the fanciest table to a chili bowl joint in DC?

Here are some places the Obama himself has been to for you to feel inspired…

————–

Dear Mr. President

by Todd Kliman | Washingtonian | July 1st, 2009 | Link to Original Post

So far, so good on your dining-out choices. Here are ten other places you should try.

Congratulations on the good judgment you’ve shown in your first few months. Not your economic plan—your dining-out judgment.

Some critics in the press have suggested that you’re playing a kind of culinary politics with your eating-out excursions. They point to the fact that you followed up date-night dinners with Michelle at Equinox and Citronelle—temples of fine dining—by swinging by Ben’s Chili Bowl (with DC mayor Adrian Fenty) for a chili dog and Ray’s Hell-Burger (with VP Joe Biden) for a hamburger. That’s the same high/low approach you took when you lived in Chicago: Your date-night restaurant was the elegant Spiaggia, with its vistas of Lake Michigan. But the place you went most often was MacArthur’s, a soul-food cafeteria where a plate of chicken with two sides costs $6.99.

like to think that your sensibilities are my sensibilities—a love of eating out at the extremes of the dining spectrum. And so, in that spirit, I’ve come up with ten of my favorite spots you really ought to try.

Komi. The most personal, the most soulful, the most distinctive restaurant in DC. Can you set aside your BlackBerry for three hours? Dinner is a lingering affair. From the mezzethakia, which starts a meal and takes at least an hour, to the communal-style final course, where you’ll be tearing the crisped meat off a baby goat or baby pig, the cares of Washington will seem a million miles away.

Palena. Frank Ruta might be the most technically proficient local chef who’s in his kitchen every day. His soups and pastas are very good, and his charcuterie will open your eyes to the small miracle of cured meats. As great as Ruta’s brand of French-Italian cuisine can be, maybe the greatest thing about it is that you come out of the place talking not about the chef but about how good simple cooking can be.

Vidalia. You’ve professed your love for Southern cooking, and this subterranean roost does soulful refinement as well as anyone in the country. Start with a perfect mint julep, load up on the cornbread in the stellar breadbasket, and then settle back and enjoy the imaginative preparations of country staples such as shrimp and grits and crabcakes. If you don’t have room for the killer lemon chess pie, ask for a doggy bag.

Four Sisters. This is one of the oldest Vietnamese restaurants around, newly relocated to the Merrifield section of Falls Church. I don’t think there’s an area restaurant that’s more beautiful, more delicious, or more inexpensive. An order of the marvelous shrimp toast, the juicy lacquered quail with blood-orange segments, the mushroom-filled rice crepes, and a Vietnamese coffee—and all that carping by the Republicans will be like water under the bridge.

Ravi Kabob House and Ravi Kabob II and III. Here’s the other reason to head into Virginia: It’s got the area’s best and most varied ethnic eating. The kebabs—marinated 18 hours and tended with great devotion over a charcoal flame—are superlative: as juicy and tender as any grilled slab at a big-ticket steakhouse. Go for lunch, and take Joe with you. But beware: If the right-wingers could light into you for chowing on a gourmet burger at Ray’s, just think what they’ll do to you for eating at a Pakistani restaurant.

Pete’s New Haven Style Apizza. Everyone knows you like pizza, and I know your favorite spot in Chicago is a thin-crust place. I think you’ll fall hard for Pete’s, which is serving the area’s best pizza. Big, crispy thin-crust pies with a balance of sauce, cheese, and topping. Take the girls and get the Sorbillo’s Original (a glorious turnover) and the clam pie, which is better than the one at Manhattan’s legendary Lombardi’s.

Poste. In a dining landscape ruled by chefs with bigger names and splashier dining rooms, this DC brasserie doesn’t receive nearly as much chatter as it deserves. The chef, Rob Weland, is the kind of kitchen talent whose confidence never crosses the line into showing off, and his Americanized bistro cooking, built on a foundation of top-notch ingredients—including herbs from his garden out back—is consistent and creative.

La Caraqueña. You got some flak over your handshake with Hugo Chávez, so coming to this Venezuelan-Bolivian restaurant would amount to a tweaking of those critics. But it also would mean a great afternoon of cheap eating. The sopa de mani (peanut soup), the fried arepas, and the salteñas are all superb.

Volt. This restored townhouse in historic Frederick is the best restaurant in the Maryland suburbs—elegant and unfussy American cooking in an atmosphere as cool as it is serene.

Faryab. Remember when you addressed the Muslim world and said we weren’t at war with Islam? Think about what you might achieve by dropping by this Afghan cafe for aushak (scallion-filled dumplings topped with a tomato-based meat sauce and spattered with yogurt), kadu (sweetened pumpkin), and mantu (dumplings with meat sauce and yogurt). You’ll be reassuring the Afghanis of your sincerity—all by having a delicious and inexpensive dinner.

This appeared in the July, 2009 issue of The Washingtonian.

Eating Like the President is a post from: www.kristraveler.com

Booking an Award Trip? Here are some tools!

admin — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 02:14:16 +0000

I had mentioned about Expert Flyer here on kristraveler.com before. Here’s another article from the WSJ that gives more details of how it works and also mentions another tool – MileageManager.

——————–

Have Miles but Can’t Get a Seat? How to Snare One

JANUARY 14, 2010 By SCOTT MCCARTNEY

Source: The Wall Street Journal

Even though recession-weary consumers may want to cash in frequent-flier miles to get free trips and upgrades more than ever these days, it’s gotten harder to snare those awards.

Continental Airlines, the only U.S. airline to report award redemptions monthly, says awards and upgrades claimed in its frequent-flier program were down 20% in the first 10 months of 2009 compared to the same months of 2008.

And this year may be even tougher. Since airlines aggressively reduced capacity through the economic downturn, they’ve filled flights fuller with paying customers and appear to have reduced availability of award seats and upgrades. As the economy picks up, passenger demand for seats will get tighter.

“Awards and upgrades will be harder to find, unless you are constantly looking,” said Chris Lopinto, president of ExpertFlyer.com, a service used by road warriors that focuses on airline inventory and seat availability.

Landing the free seat you want using frequent-flier miles has long been one of the biggest frustrations for travelers. The prizes offered by airlines are enticing, but the seats never seem to be available on the flights and routes you want. Some people try to call airlines at midnight 11 months before the date they plan to travel—typically when booking opens for a flight—to be first in line for frequent-flier award seats. Some know to check repeatedly because airlines change inventory daily. And many give up the search, letting miles accumulate and cursing airlines for selling false hope.

New Tools

Still, there are several new tools available to help you find that elusive award. Some airlines have made it easier to find award seats—when they are available—and several Web sites have tools to help you search. ExpertFlyer and another site called MileageManager.com have award alerts that send you an email when a frequent-flier seat or upgrade opens up on a flight you want.

Airlines often hold back frequent-flier award seats or upgrades on popular flights, hoping that bookings by fare-paying passengers will be strong. But if seats don’t sell as briskly as predicted, awards can be made available for booking in reservation systems at anytime.

ExpertFlyer’s award alert feature works on 22 airlines worldwide, including Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, a unit of Hawaiian Holdings Inc., in the U.S., plus Air Canada, Air China, Air France, which is a unit of the Air France KLM Group, Qantas Airways and others. ExpertFlyer says that more than 50% of customers who look for an award actually find one that works for them.

Using the alert system, it takes about 25 days on average for travelers to find the award they want, says Mr. Lopinto. His customers typically look for seats about 10 weeks in advance, and the most-searched-for award is a business-class upgrade. “More and more business travelers book into economy and then try to use their own miles to upgrade into business,” he said.

MileageManager’s AwardPlanner function lets you put in up to five different itineraries and when availability is found, AwardPlanner alerts you by email so you can book it. The award alert service works with 10 different airlines: American, British Airways, Continental, Delta, Deutsche Lufthansa, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines and US Airways.

MileageManager requires you to register your frequent flier accounts with the service, turning over your airline account number and password, before its AwardPlanner function can be used. Both MileageManager and ExpertFlyer offer free trial periods, but after that MileageManager is $14.95 per year and ExpertFlyer costs $9.99 a month.

Checking Alliances

On the airline side, road warriors suggest checking alliance Web sites—StarAlliance.com, oneWorld.com and SkyTeam.com—that show flights on partner airlines that may not be displayed on your own airline’s booking site. Those partner airlines may have award seats available, but you’ll need to call to find out. LOT Polish, for example, might offer something that doesn’t automatically show up on UAL Corp.’s United Airlines’ Web site, but you can often use your United miles to book it if you know what to ask for.

Sharon Adcock, a publicist for the entertainment industry and elite-level member of United’s program, says she usually has success using StarAlliance.com to get free tickets or upgrades even when United’s Web site says nothing is available.

“They tell me they don’t have anything and then I say, What about this one? What about that one? I manage to get award tickets the way I want,” she said.

Charles Witt, a facilities planner who travels the world, has the same kind of success using alliance Web sites.

“If you lead the airline, it can work out. That’s part of the game, too. You know the answer before you ask the question,” he said.

More Options

Airlines have long told customers that flexibility is the key to booking awards—a willingness to travel on different days or even to different cities increases your chances of finding an award. But now airlines are also becoming more flexible and giving customers more options to redeem their miles. That’s because it is actually in the airlines interest to encourage fliers to use miles.

A change in accounting rules has made it more expensive for airlines to carry unredeemed miles on their balance sheets. And miles have become a huge cash generator for airlines, primarily by selling them to credit card companies that give them out as customer rewards. If the miles lose their shine by being difficult to use, credit card companies may curb their purchases. Last year, American pre-sold $1 billion worth of AAdvantage miles to Citicorp, propping up the airline financially and showcasing the importance of miles.

In an effort to spur mileage redemption, Alaska Airlines began offering one-way awards in 2007, allowing customers to use miles for just a one-way ticket, or mix-and-match different mileage levels into one round-trip. The result has been a sharp rise in award redemption for that airline. In 2008, the number of awards redeemed with frequent- flier miles jumped 26% and mileage balances in accounts declined, according to Alaska, a unit of Alaska Air Group Inc. (The airline hasn’t yet reported 2009 redemptions.)

AMR Corp.’s American and Delta now offer one-way award pricing as well. Continental and US Airways Group Inc. also allow different award levels to be combined. A flight at the cheapest award level, typically 25,000 miles round-trip for domestic itineraries, might be available for the outbound part of a trip, but not available for the return the customer wants. Book the return at the 50,000-mile level, and you get the seats you want for a total of 12,500 outbound plus 25,000 for the return, or 37,500 miles total.

Most airlines also now offer calendars on their Web sites that quickly show customers what dates have awards available, and at what mileage levels.

Still, many consumers find using miles frustrating, especially when they focus on scarce awards like summertime trips to Europe. That’s an area where there’s huge variation in availability at different airlines.

IdeaWorks, a Wisconsin-based loyalty-program consulting firm, did 6,400 booking queries last year to rank airlines by award availability on trans-Atlantic flights. The study looked for flights between April and November and found that Iberia had the most liberal offering among 10 U.S. and European airlines, with 83% of the Iberia queries offering award seats. Lufthansa’s program was second at 66% and British Airways third at 63%.

American out-distanced U.S. airlines with 58% of queries successful. United offered awards on only 18% of queries made and US Airways, which has far fewer flights to Europe than larger rivals, offered award seats on only 4% of the queries IdeaWorks made.

The study reinforces the importance of checking partner airlines: Iberia is a partner of American, for example, but American’s Web site doesn’t automatically display all available awards on its partners, IdeaWorks noted.

Booking an Award Trip? Here are some tools! is a post from: www.kristraveler.com

NYC Restaurant: Blue Ribbon Bakery

admin — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:50:52 +0000

Yesterday I was making a short list of places you cannot miss in NYC and I had completely forgotten about this fantastic restaurant! How could I have forgotten about it?! Though I still have such great memories of this place and thank goodness I remembered about it today (hahaha)… Blue Ribbon Bakery offers one of the tastiest brunches in the city and is perfectly located between Soho and the West Village … It’s the perfect place to go in one of those sunny afternoons that demand you to take a nice walk around Soho! The breads are absolutely wonderful: do not miss them because they are baked in a brick oven that is 135 years! The truth is that the restaurant was only created because of this oven that was found abandoned: after a nice renovation, the restaurant opened in 98, and since then the superb oven never stopped working… Simply amazing!

Blue Ribbon Bakery
33 Downing Street
212.337.0404

Original post in Portuguese:

http://iamleaving2day.blogspot.com/2010/01/nyc-restaurant-blue-ribbon-bakery.html

——————————————————————-

About the author:

Camila Penteado Cilento graduated in Business Administration in 2005 and works in the financial market (“the job that pays the rent”)… But the real “Cami”, as she is called by her closest friends, hasn’t found her dream job yet, but she just knows that her real passion is the aesthetics that she finds in fashion, in architecture, in gourmet, and in visual arts. In 2008, she finally had her dream come true and moved to New York City, where she learned that to feel alive you have to run after your dreams! In the end of 2008, she started a blog called “I am leaving today” (http://iamleaving2day.blogspot.com), where she writes about all the discoveries made when she was living her dream for real. While blogging she realized that writing is one of the best ways to communicate her ideas to the world and by doing this she has the opportunity to talk to people that are as far as they are close. Stay tuned…

NYC Restaurant: Blue Ribbon Bakery is a post from: www.kristraveler.com