Archive for the ‘Online Travel Videos’ Category

Last week I had the chance to ride on one of Cathay Pacific’s brand new Boeing 777-300ERs from the factory in Seattle to Hong Kong.

This was a “delivery flight” from Boeing to Cathay Pacific, so there were only about 80 passengers on a jumbo jet that can carry about 350. While the seats and service were fine, I was curious to see the large crew rest area on this plane.

Since long-range aircraft like the Boeing 777 can fly nonstop for 16-18 hours, airlines are required to offer rest areas for inflight crews who work on shifts. On this plane, the rest area is located above the economy class section at the rear of the plane. It’s accessed via a non-descript door in the galley area. There’s another rest area (which I did not see) for pilots at the front of the plane.

Come on along and have a look– it might be the only time you’ll ever see a crew rest area since visits by passengers on regularly scheduled flights are forbidden.

Today Google unveiled its long awaited new flight search tool. Take a look at the video and a spin through the tool and share your thoughts…do you like it better than your favorite online booking tool? Is this a game changer?

I like what I see…in typical Google style, its super fast, clean and simple, easy to understand, and unbiased. Right now it’s a work in progress, so there are no international flights, or options for one way travel. It also only displays Southwest flight times, but not fares.

What do you think? Please leave your comments below.

By the time you get back to the office on Tuesday, business travel season will have kicked in and road warriors can begin to reclaim their space at airports, on planes and at hotels. But given recent fluctuations in financial markets and economic uncertainty….what’s it going to be like out there over the next 4-6 months? Are travelers cutting back? Are fares and rates rising or falling?

At the recent Global Business Travel Association convention in Denver, I wrangled interviews with some of the most important executives in attendance— from the likes of American Express, British Airways, Southwest Airlines, Best Western and Singapore Air. I asked them about their outlook for the fall business travel season…. click on the PLAY button above to hear their answers.

What’s your outlook? Do you plan on traveling more, less or about the same amount this fall compared to last fall? Has the recent roller coaster ride in financial markets clipped your wings at all? Please take a peek at the 3-minute video, and leave your comments below!

***

HELP US HELP YOU!  Fwd our URL to friends or share The TICKET via social networking! Tell all your friends to sign up for The TICKET.

Book your trips here:

DELTA: Click here for the latest fare sales and deals at Delta Air Lines

HOTWIRE: Great hotel deals and $13.95 per day rental cars with low Hotwire Hot-Rates!

(VIDEO: Television interview with Chris McGinnis on best/worst days for Christmas/New Years trips.)

Despite the abundance of dark and scary warnings about a Thanksgiving travel meltdown, most of those hitting the skies last week found smooth sailing. There were no major meltdowns at airport security, the weather cooperated for the most part, airlines and airports were hyper-prepared. To the surprise of many, it all went off without a hitch. That’s a good thing.

Now it’s time to focus on round two of the holiday travel season: Christmas and New Year’s. Here’s hoping that we’ll be just as surprised by a smooth peak travel season! But in any case, here are a few points to keep in mind:

1> With Christmas and New Year’s Day both falling on Saturdays this year, the holiday season is going to be very compact. A shorter season means peak travel days are going to be more crowded and more expensive than what we saw over Thanksgiving.

2> Travelocity says that the average Christmas/New Year’s fare this year is $457. That’s 21 percent higher than the $380 or so we paid, on average, for Thanksgiving week travel. If you are planning to travel during this week, you’ve probably already missed out on the best deals and the most convenient flights. Sorry!

3> The best days for holiday travel in terms of crowds and pricing will be the Tuesday before Christmas (Dec 21), Christmas Day (Dec 25) and New Year’s day (Saturday, Jan 1). Keep in mind that even though these days will be slower than others, we are still talking about PEAK season travel, so it’s going to be more expensive and more crowded than almost any other time of year.

4> The worst (most crowded, most expensive) days to be flying will be the Wednesday and Thursday before Christmas (Dec 22 and 23), the Sunday and Monday after Christmas (Dec 26 and 27) and then the Sunday and Monday after New Year’s (Jan 2 and 3). Christmas Eve (Friday, Dec 24) is always relatively a relatively light day– but since it’s on a Friday this year, I’m thinking it might be busier than in previous years.

5> Don’t forget about the so-called “dead weeks.” These are the first two weeks of December and the first two weeks of January. Travel demand plummets during these weeks, so if you are a tough bargaineer and have a lot of flexibility, check out last minute deals on sites like Hotwire.com or Priceline.com during the dead weeks. You’ll be surprised by what you’ll find. (Exception: New York City is at its most crowded and expensive during the first two or three weeks of December due to holiday shopping.)

Don’t Forget! BOOK ALL YOUR ONLINE TRAVEL VIA LINKS FROM THE TICKET! It helps us help you!

Just click here:

airtran.com | delta.com | Hotwire

Asia’s got us beat when it comes to the world’s best airports.

Hong Kong is one of three “Five-Star” airports in the world according to SkyTrax, a well-respected international organization that ranks both airlines and airports based on surveys of thousands of frequent international business travelers from around the world.

For 2010, the only three airports to get “five star” status are Singapore-Changi, Seoul Incheon and Hong Kong Kong International. (Full report here)

On this side of the Pacific,  San Francisco International placed second in North America after Vancouver. SFO’s also the ONLY U.S. airport to place in the top 25 worldwide.

Have you ever flown through one of these “Five Star” airports? What did you think? How do they compare to other international or U.S. airports? Please leave your comments below.

FLIGHT CHECK: On a recent business trip to Asia, I flew via SFO to Seoul’s Incheon Airport on Korean Air and was VERY impressed with both airports. I made a two-minute video about that journey which included coverage of Incheon Airport. (See video below and note that Korean Air business class seats on 777s out of SFO are identical to the ones offered on its 777 nonstop from ATL to Seoul-ICN. They are nearly flat, but not completely flat. However, KAL says that it plans to have fully flat “Prestige Sleepers” on the ATL-ICN route in August.)

Like what I’m doing here? Then follow me on Facebook!

Don’t Forget! BOOK ALL YOUR ONLINE TRAVEL VIA LINKS FROM THE TICKET!

airtran.com | delta.com |  Hotwire

In April, your TICKET editor was on a business trip to Asia and checked in at the new Best Western Shinjuku ASTINA Hotel in Tokyo. It’s currently the only Best Western in town and offers a great value to business travelers visiting one of the most expensive cities in the world.

A few unusual touches to see in the video below: Pajamas and buckwheat pillows, smoked trout and miso soup on the breakfast bar and heated toilet seats!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgONunfdG7U

(Disclosure: I contribute to Best Western’s travel blog at youmustbetrippin.com)

Good Morning America called. We answered!

Take a look at this short (1.5 minute) video of TICKET editor Chris McGinnis offering up tips and advice for choosing the fastest airport security screening line. The theme of the overall segment was about how to get through lines faster, be it at grocery stores, or on the freeway. We edited out the non-travel elements for you.

Thoughts please!

[ F6P47YY2TKWF Technorati Claim ]

SF-based Joie de Vivre hotels recently invited your TICKET editor Chris McGinnis  to Long Beach, CA for the grand opening of the Hotel Maya, located right there on the waterfront between the Queen Mary and downtown. They’ve done a great job! If you find yourself on the southern side of LA or in Orange County, it’s worth a look! Here is my video review. Below you’ll find the voice over script to the video in case you can’t watch it.

Video Review of the Hotel Maya

In typical fashion, designers from the mod San Francisco based Joie de Vivre hotel chain have gone to Long Beach, California…

…where they found the UN-gracefully aging  Coast Hotel …

…and transformed it into a Latin lover called the Hotel Maya to the tune of about $20 million dollars

The property is set in a forest of 400 palm trees on the Long Beach waterfront.

Rooms are decorated with unusual touches like river stone headboards…

Bathrooms are brand new… I love that brown granite and burnt orange wallpaper!

Every room’s got a big desk area, flat screen TV, mini bar— and thankfully free and fast wi-fi

There’s a dramatic pool area with Vegas style cabanas good for play, and for work….

Plus an ample gym and meeting space for business travelers.

The airy Fuego Restaurant specializes in three things: seafood, tequila, and a stunning view of the city AND the Queen Mary docked nearby.

All in all this a great redo— like a stodgy old aunt going in for a makeover and coming out a flamenco dancer!

The Hotel Maya is located about 30 mins south of LAX on the border of LA and Orange county.

Rates start at around $140 for garden views. Water views are closer to $200.

www.hotelmayalongbeach.com

I made the following video for my Best Western blog at www.youmustbetrippin.com and it’s sorta gone viral (nearly 1000 views as of Aug 27)

It’s a video report on the opening of the cool new Hotel Avatar in Santa Clara, Calif….in the heart of Silicon Valley. Very clever re-do of the classic motel with all the modern amenities you’d expect, like free and fast wifi, nice pool, gym with elliptical trainers, etc.

Rates start in the very reasonable range of about $130 per night and it’s a nice colorful change compared to a lot of the beige box hotels in the area.

Check out the two min video and see for yourself:

Check out Chris McGinnis Talking Summer Travel Trends on FOX NEWS