Our friends at HotelChatter worked hard to document and compile a list of the best hotel chains as far as wireless access is concerned. Check out their detailed post for details. Update: here's a follow-up post dedicated to the worst Wifi hotels.
Chris Cloud notes all is not well in frequent flyer programs, aka Nickel 'N' Dime Land:
"In March American Experess started charging a fee per point (up to $50) for transfer of Membership Awards points to frequent flier miles. Diner's Club also tacks on $.95 for every 1,000 miles redeemed throught its Club Rewards program."
A stream of articles during the last few weeks and months shows there's a growing trend to kill two birds with one stone and get some medical procedure done while traveling abroad. In some cases medical care is the main goal of the trip, leisure coming only as a bonus. Even accounting for the cost of flight and lodging there are significant savings to be made.
Western Europeans enjoy cheaper plastic surgery and dental work in Central Europe countries which have recently joined the European Union such as Poland and Hungary, since EU membership simplifies things from an insurance coverage perspective (Molvanîa however seems left behind again). Meanwhile, India and Thailand seem to attract significant attention from Asian and even American patients (it was not reported whether these were considered to be Benedict Arnolds by John Kerry). Don't forget to import your post-surgery drugs from Canada for a fully-globalized healthcare experience.
Now for the educational part:
You're supposed to come back from a vacation rested and free from stress, ready to get back to a productive schedule. Georgia resident Beverly Mitchell wasn't so lucky. She took a 2-1/2 trip to Greece only to arrive home and find that some nut had moved into her house, was wearing her clothes, had changed the utility bill to her name and redecorated the place to suit her tastes. Police say they'd never seen anything like it. CNN reports.
CNN lists ways to achieve the best travel deal. I didn't know you could "achieve deals," but CNN has professional editors and I learnt English as a second language, so who am I to criticize?
Among other things, you are advised to buy cheap tickets on overcrowded flights but to look the part for a business upgrade. That, a fresh breath, fluent use of polysyllabic language and not ostentatiously staring at the check-in personnel's sexual parts will get you a long way to an upgrade. Notice how I myself obviously fully qualify. Thanks CNN for the precious insight.
Amusing faux travel guide: Molvanîa: A land untouched by modern dentistry. From Jetlag Travel Guides, "Taking you places you don't want to go." The book appears to be not-so-loosely based on Romania, in my estimation. From the back cover:
Molvania, birthplace of the polka and the whooping cough, is often overlooked as a tourist destination, but thanks to this updated Jetlag Travel Guide, the keen visitor can now enjoy one of Eastern Europe's best-kept secrets...WHEN TO GO: Those wanting a quieter, less-crowded experience might consider visiting in the "off season" periods such as winter or during the Lutenblag Jazz Festival. WHERE TO EAT: Cafe Cravben is run by a married couple — if the arguments from the kitchen are anything to go by — and the menu is changed frequently. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the table linen.And so on.
For whatever reason, the publisher promises a whole series of these make-believe travel guides.
