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Category Archives: World Travel

Travel headaches add up as bad weather hits busy holiday week

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From left, Nick Burton, Clancy Sloan and Graham Anderson rest while waiting for their flight at McCarran International Airport Sunday, Dec. 21, 2014, in Las Vegas.

Image: John Locher/Associated Press

By Jessica Plautz2014-12-24 20:52:13 UTC

The holidays: when good will toward men is on full display at airports and train stations around the world.

Just kidding. Holiday travel can understandably make people a bit crabby, and this year, a storm system in the Midwest and Northeast United States is adding to headaches across the country.

Flight delays began early this week, and showed no signs of letting up as of Wednesday afternoon. According to flight-tracking site FlightAware, the biggest delays are at Newark Liberty International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, Philadelphia International Airport, O'Hare International Airport and San Francisco International Airport.

FlightAware's

The constant stream of travel complaints on social media makes you wonder how people vented their frustrations pre-Internet.

Despite lengthy security and check-in lines, most of the airport delays are due to weather. Passengers at several airports are reporting that Christmas Eve travel is relatively calm.

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Travel headaches add up as bad weather hits busy holiday week

When the World Comes to Kerala, New Worlds Open Up GUIDE’ – Video

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When the World Comes to Kerala, New Worlds Open Up GUIDE #39;
The second in a series of three evocative films done by Kerala Tourism to reflect the new possibilities that Responsible Tourism initiatives are opening up in Kerala. The films are part of...

By: Kerala Tourism

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When the World Comes to Kerala, New Worlds Open Up GUIDE' - Video

World Islamic Travel Summit to debut in Abu Dhabi

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(MENAFN - Emirates News Agency (WAM)) The World Islamic Travel Summit, WITS15, the largest showcase of Halal travel and tourism solutions, is to debut in Abu Dhabi next October.

The pioneering conference and exhibition will run in two halls at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, ADNEC, from October 19th-21st, 2015.

The multi-faceted event will include an exhibition with over 200 participants plus a 1,000-delegate conference, comprising keynote sessions, panel discussions, a Ministerial debate and 150 presentations from 70 international speakers.

Organised under the theme, "Driving the Halal Tourism Revolution", the event will bring together an unprecedented array of international specialists, projects, suppliers and policy-makers.

"The Halal tourism market is booming with analysts saying it now represents 13% of the global market," said WITS15 Events Manager, Hosam Moustafa. "A recent Muslim travel report, released by the consultancy DinarStandard and rating agency Crescent Rating, projects that until at least 2020, Muslim international tourism will increase faster than conventional tourism 4.79% versus 3.8%. At that point, overall annual spending for international Muslim tourism is expected to reach US192 billion and these figures don't even include estimated Hajj and Umrah expenditures.

"The time is right for an event of this size and scope to address the needs of this vast international sector and Abu Dhabi, with its award-winning ADNEC and event facilities in the heart of this market, is an ideal venue and host." WITS15 is being brought to the UAE capital by organiser Cacti Events with the support of Abu Dhabi Convention Bureau the dedicated business events promotion arm of Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority, TCA Abu Dhabi.

"Many Muslim majority markets are now fast emerging economies, with higher than average population growth rates supported by a young demographic," said Sultan Al Dhaheri, Acting Executive Director Tourism, TCA Abu Dhabi. "Against this background, expenditure on Halal tourism is expected to rise more than 6% per annum for the foreseeable future, which is almost double global industry growth.

"With Abu Dhabi now specifically targeting the Halal tourism sector with segment-specific accommodation and product, the staging of this event in the UAE capital will put the spotlight on our offering and ambitions." WITS15 is expected to draw high profile international attendance from government delegations, tourism associations, market-leading private sector operators and leading financiers funding Islamic tourism projects.

"WITS15 is a major opportunity for tourism bodies, private tourism companies and professionals interested in developing business models in the Halal Travel space perhaps the single most important meeting of the decade for this sector," added Moustafa.

"More than 60 countries will be represented at WITS15, with many exhibiting and others contributing presentations and speakers to the conference sessions." WITS15 will focus strongly on the intra tourism between the 57 members states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, OIC, the second largest inter-governmental organisation after the United Nations with a membership spread over four continents.

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World Islamic Travel Summit to debut in Abu Dhabi

Oman Air tops 2014 world rankings for economy class

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(MENAFN - Muscat Daily) Oman Air has been named as the World's Leading Airline Economy Class at the World Travel Awards grand final gala ceremony in Anguilla.

The ceremony presented by award-winning actress Vivica Fox at the CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa was attended by hundreds of dignitaries international media and government and industry leaders.

Following the awards Paul Gregorowitsch chief executive of Oman Air commented 'Oman Air is delighted to accept this award. It is powerful recognition of our outstanding Economy Class service and once again confirms Oman Air as the airline of first choice.

'Earlier this year the World Travel Awards named Oman Air as Best Business Class Airline Middle East and Best Economy Class Airline Middle East. To now take the global Economy Class title shows that not only the World Travel Awards judges but also air travellers around the world continue to be extremely impressed with what Oman Air offers. I would like to thank them all on behalf of Oman Air for their support.'

He added 'And it is particularly satisfying to be able to accept this award at a time when we have just launched our latest expansion programme.

'This will see us operate more aircraft to more destinations than ever before. It will also allow us to delight our customers by making even more improvements to our Business Class and Economy Class cabins. We are taking the best and making it even better!'

Oman Air's growth strategy was launched in November 2014 and will see the airline expand its fleet from 30 to around 50 aircraft by 2018. The first of 15 Boeing 737s and three Airbus A330s touched down at Muscat International airport recently. Six Boeing 787 Dreamliners will also be delivered from late 2015.

The new aircraft offer brand new Business Class and Economy Class cabins. Each Economy Class seat provides exceptional comfort and features a one-piece composite seat back structure a high seat back pivot and articulating bottom pan and a four-way adjustable headrest. Meanwhile the 10.6-inch seatback LCD screen offers access to the same IFE options as those enjoyed in Business Class. A USB port is mounted on the seatback screen allowing customers to charge mobile phones and seats also have a PC power port

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Oman Air tops 2014 world rankings for economy class

World class travel to America

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Staff reporter

Monday, December 22, 2014

The world's largest airline by revenue and passengers carried has a daily 16-hour direct flights between Hong Kong and Dallas, Texas where travelers can transit to 220 destinations in North America and 80 more in Latin America.

It also has a daily flight between Beijing and Chicago, from Shanghai to Chicago, Los Angeles, and Dallas. It also flies from Tokyo and Seoul.

The Dallas-based airline features a 777-200, a fully refurbished cabin with specially-designed fully lie-flat seats in Business Class. "Now that we have the network to compete globally, we're going to deliver a product that's better than our competitors," said Doug Parker, American Airlines chairman and CEO.

"Refreshed cabins and clubs, modernized ticket counters, improved technology and new aircraft are further examples of how American is going for great - providing our outstanding team members the tools they need to deliver a great experience for our customers."

These capital investments include fully lie-flat seats; international Wi-Fi; more in-flight entertainment options; a new, modern design for Admirals Club lounges worldwide; and an upgraded assortment of complimentary healthy food, cocktails and more. American closed the merger with US Airways on December 9, 2013, and has made significant progress in combining the two airlines. Customers now have full access to the combined network, thanks to the world's largest codeshare.

They can also earn and redeem miles on flights operated by American and US Airways and receive reciprocal access to clubs and upgrades.

American's cargo operation now functions as a single airline.

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World class travel to America

The Top 11 Travel Trends for 2015

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TIME Living Travel The Top 11 Travel Trends for 2015 Courtesy of Boeing Whats on the horizon for the coming year? Here, a look at 11 trends that are changing the way we move through the world

Remember when you actually had to go to an airport check-in counter to get your boarding pass? When calling home from abroad racked up exorbitant fees (hat tip, Skype), or when catching a cab meant waiting forlornly for one to pass? (Thanks, Uber and Lyft).

Every year, the travel industry takes an evolutionary step forward, as companies offer up innovative solutions to the inevitable problems we face on the road. In 2015, we will see the rollout of Boeings new overhead Space Bin luggage compartmentspromising a faster, easier airplane boarding processand the rise of even-more-comfortable premium economy cabins to tempt us from the increasingly pinched back of the plane.

Our smartphones, which serve as navigators, translators, itinerary managers, and taxi summoners, will get us into fully booked restaurants and double as our wallets (as if our relationship with them werent codependent enough). And our social media profiles will open doors and unlock deals at hotels, and connect us with useful business contacts while were traveling. Hotels, meanwhile, will find new ways to help us sleep better.

But the changes ahead for 2015 are more than just improvements. This will also be a year of expanding horizons. Well stay in private houses and apartments that feel surprisingly like hotels (and vice versa). Well visit resorts and travel with companies where the bottom line is measured by how much goes back into local communities. And well make the world our classroom, attending workshops, salons, and conferences across the globe.

In our annual trends package, Travel + Leisure tracks the biggest changes for the year ahead. Here are our predictions for how youll travel in 2015.

If youre interested in staying at the new Drift San Jose, a stylish eight-room property in Los Cabos, Mexico, that appeals to independent millennials, you wont be able to book through its website, or any hotel website, for that matter. Rooms are available only through Airbnb. Thats a sign of things to come: since the apartment-rental behemoth enlisted boutique-hotel guru Chip Conley in 2013 to advise hosts on how to improve the guest experience (scented candles, fresh fruit, ambient music), the line between hotels and rentals has become blurred. Airbnb has introduced a range of initiatives to this effect, including a Super Host program that highlights some of the sites most professional-style listings and a three-day conference that offers tips for aspiring hosts. Other rental services, such as the high-end One Fine Stay and the affordable-minded BeMate, are also stepping into this nebulous middle ground, offering guests cleaning and concierge services. BeMate will even store luggage for you and, in lieu of room service, deliver food from nearby partner hotels.

If your phone starts buzzing the next time youre in an airport, it could be location-specific alerts enabled by nearby beacons, low-frequency Bluetooth sensors that can tell you which currency-exchange counters have the best rates, how long itll take to reach your gate, and other useful tips. The technology is already being used in airports from San Francisco to Amsterdam.

Las Vegas may be the best place to rest up right now, thanks to an array of sleep-centric tech enhancementsin lighting and furniture designin 171 rooms (and counting) at the MGM Grand. And that hotel isnt alone in prioritizing your REM sleep. Fifteen years after introducing the Heavenly Bed, Westin is piloting wearable monitors with a companion sleep-coach app, which it hopes to roll out to hotels in the near future. Crowne Plaza, meanwhile, has unveiled a new headboard that helps cut ambient noise by 30 percent. Heres a closer look at how hotels are rethinking your bedtime routine.

Stay Well Dawn Simulator: The bedside fixture at the MGM Grand gradually wakes you up with cortisolproducing shades of blue light.

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The Top 11 Travel Trends for 2015

Getting paid for selfies and other 2015 travel trends

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Are you thinking of traveling in 2015? How will you be planning your trip? Where will you be going? What can you expect from the airlines? What will you be doing once you get to your destination? And how will you be showcasing your trip? We put these questions to several travel experts and heres their take:

Planning: Mobile, mobile, mobile

When it comes to travel, were already doing so much on our mobile phones, from booking travel to tracking flights to checking in and more. (In 2018, World Travel Market predicts that 35% of online travel bookings will be via mobile.) In 2015, well not only see this continue, but we will also be checking in at our hotels via mobile app, and even using our phones as room keys at some of the larger chains. Hotels are going into robotic mode, and while a lot of the technology makes sense (like the ability to turn things on before you get to the room, like the heat and air-conditioning), the art of hospitality should involve a conversation; when theres a conversation, you can learn things and maybe get something that you cant get with an app, like a complimentary upgrade, says Peter Greenberg, CBS News Travel Editor, Peter Greenberg.

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Getting paid for selfies and other 2015 travel trends

Elizabeth Gallagher Will Travel the World for Free, Thanks to Her Name

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By Kristi Palma

Boston.com Staff | 12.18.14 | 9:53 AM

A Canadian woman will leave Sunday for a free trip around the world. Shell spend Christmas in Milan and then jet off to Prague and Paris. Shell ring in 2015 in Bangkok and then flit over to New Delhi before returning to Canada January 8.

Why is the trip free? Simply because of her name.

In March, Jordan Axani, a 28-year-old Canadian man, booked a trip around the world for himself and his girlfriend Elizabeth Gallagher.

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Then they broke up.

Axani found himself stuck with non-transferable airline tickets in his ex-girlfriends name and no one to travel with. Whats a guy to do? Find another woman with a Canadian passport and his ex-girlfriends name so the tickets wont go to waste, of course!

Joran Axani/AP

And so the hunt for another Canadian named Elizabeth Gallagher began. Axani posted the following on Reddit in November:

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Elizabeth Gallagher Will Travel the World for Free, Thanks to Her Name

This Woman Will Travel the World for Free, Thanks to Her Name

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By Kristi Palma

Boston.com Staff | 12.18.14 | 9:53 AM

A Canadian woman will leave Sunday for a free trip around the world. Shell spend Christmas in Milan and then jet off to Prague and Paris. Shell ring in 2015 in Bangkok and then flit over to New Delhi before returning to Canada January 8.

Why is the trip free? Simply because of her name.

In March, Jordan Axani, a 28-year-old Canadian man, booked a trip around the world for himself and his girlfriend Elizabeth Gallagher.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Then they broke up.

Axani found himself stuck with non-transferable airline tickets in his ex-girlfriends name and no one to travel with. Whats a guy to do? Find another woman with a Canadian passport and his ex-girlfriends name so the tickets wont go to waste, of course!

Joran Axani/AP

And so the hunt for another Canadian named Elizabeth Gallagher began. Axani posted the following on Reddit in November:

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This Woman Will Travel the World for Free, Thanks to Her Name


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