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Sanctum Soho's Restaurant is a Little Underwhelming

July 1, 2009 at 5:17 PM | 0 Comments

We liked Sanctum Soho when we looked around it back in April (a lot more than the New York Times did, as it turned out). We said at the time that, as long as the clientele were up to scratch, it held a lot of potential.

Last night we found ourselves back there, eating at No. 20, the restaurant. We had high hopes – it looked pretty fine when we saw it pre-opening, what with its sexy booths and scarlet bar – and we were looking forward to the puddings described in the Sunday Times as ”the sort of thing that could make all the difference on a first date”.

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London's Flashmob Moonwalk in Honor of Michael Jackson

June 26, 2009 at 12:46 PM | 0 Comments

Calling London. If you plan on being near the Liverpool Train Station in the next 30 minutes you could be a part of the flashmob moonwalk being organized by Twitterer Milo Yiannopoulos in honor of Michael Jackson. According to his updates, the police have "approved" this flashmob event inside the train station on the main concourse but only the first 300 moonwalkers will be allowed to participate. (Remember, this is where the T-mobile flashmob dance commercial was also filmed.)

Afterward, revelers are going to the after-party at the Lucky Voice karaoke bar on Upper Street in Islington.

Meanwhile, folks back in the U.S. can pay their respects to the King of Pop by visiting his boyhood home in Gary, Indiana or the Motown Musuem in Detroit, where many fans are gathering today. If you're on the West Coast, you can hang out with the throngs of fans and media at the UCLA Medical Center in West Los Angeles where Jackson was taken after suffering cardiac arrest or visit his star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Or you could just go out tonight as usual and drink with your friends. But even if you aren't much of a dancer, when "Billie Jean" or "The Way You Make Me Feel" comes on through the stereo, you better pay your respects to MJ on the dance floor.

Related Stories:
· The Station Where the Crowds Danced for T-Mobile [Jaunted]

No More Waiting For the Wonder of Wimbledon

June 23, 2009 at 2:27 PM | 0 Comments

In case you didn't notice, the annual tennis extravaganza that is Wimbledon started on Monday, but don't fret as the best is still to come. This year's championships culminate on July 5, so there's still almost two full weeks of Wimbledon action to entertain us.

If you're lucky enough to be in London and are keen to head along to eat strawberries and cream (and watch a match or two), the good news is it is never too late. Wimbledon always keeps some tickets to sell on the morning of the match—at least 500 tickets for the three main courts await the firstcomers at the turnstiles each day, apart from the final days.

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Live @ Virgin Atlantic's 25th Birthday Bash in London

June 22, 2009 at 6:33 AM | 0 Comments

Sir Richard Branson and Kate Moss just did a photo shoot on the wing of VA's Lady Penelope here at Heathrow. The two were later joined on the wing by Branson Next, Sam and Holly. Kate Moss? She is British right? Guess that explains her appearance on the wing.

Today is Virgin Atlantic's 25th birthday and the celebration, which is now ongoing in London goes trans-atlantic later this morning. While the 1984 inaugural VS1 flew from Gatwick to Newark, today's birthday flight will go from LHR to EWR.

Branson just announced that Virgin Atlantic has placed an order for $2.1 billion worth of Airbus A330-300 aircraft. Delivery of 5 planes will be in 2011, while the second 5 will arrive in 2012. These planes are 10% more fuel efficient than todays and will all have USB ports and power sockets as well as email capabilities.

New Virgin Atlantic destinations were also just announced: Beijing, Vancouver and Cancun were mentioned by Sir Richard at his LHR presser today. Furthermore, Branson noted that it is "likely inefficient big carriers will disappear, and in a sense they should. In a forest, when some big trees die new saplings can get going." The VA founder went on to lament that upstarts like his Virgin America can not get additional slots at JFK because of legacy carrier squatting at NYC's biggest airport.

London's 2012 Olympics Already Have a High-Speed 'Javelin' Train

June 19, 2009 at 3:24 PM | 0 Comments

While we were off flying on Jetblue's Inaugural LAX route, a few lucky folks in Britain were taking their newest transportation toy for a spin, the high-speed Javelin Train. The Japanese-built Shinkansen superfast trains will be the country's frirst high-speed domestic commuter service, cutting travel time immensely (think from 80 minutes down to 37) and preparing for the 2012 London Olympics.

When the 140-mph service hits the tracks on June 29, it will run on the newly-built Channel Tunnel raillink tracks between London's St. Pancras station and the towns of Ashford and Ebbsfleet. This way, the bullet trains need not lean like Virgin's Pendolino service; the raillink route was built for speed, with gentle curves and updated signaling.

Although commuters will totally benefit from the time saved, their wallets will nonetheless be hit by the upgraded service; Yahoo UK reports that a single fare from Ashford to St Pancras which now costs £22.20 ($37) will go up to £26.60 ($44). Let's hope they don't have to commute too often.

For the Olympics in 2012, the train will add a stop at the Olympic Village at Stratford, which, on the Javelin, will only be a 7-minute train ride away from central London. If we give in to our minor fascination for the Shinkansen trains, we just might see you there in 2012.

Related Stories:
· Javelin Train Service Launches [Yahoo UK]
· The Javelin, from point to point [BBC News]
· Train Travel Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: RMTBristol]

London's Underground Expected to Come to a Halt as Strike Begins

June 9, 2009 at 4:37 PM | 0 Comments

If you're in London, you won't need to "Mind the Gap." You'll need to mind the underground strike that's threatening the city tonight. Thousands of London's unionized underground workers are expected to stay away from their posts for the next 48 hours as part of a protest over pay and disciplinary issues. And the timing couldn't be worse.

About 3.5 million people use the subway system, colloquially known as 'The Tube,' every weekday, and its closure is expected to cause disruption across the capital. It's also expected to cause problems for the thousands of fans coming to north London's Wembley Stadium for England's World Cup qualifying soccer match against Andorra on Wednesday.

Backup plans have been put into place such as extra buses, taxi-sharing at major rail stations and free river shuttle services. And of course, walking and cycling are encouraged.

Related Stories:
· London faces travel chaos as subway workers strike [AP]
· Underground strike begins as talks collapse [Times Uk]

Delta Opens The Doors To Its Newest International Lounge In London

June 1, 2009 at 9:07 AM | 0 Comments

If you just happen to win a free trip to Europe, why not spend a little of your own cash for access to one of the airport's stellar departure lounges. This is especially tempting if London's Heathrow airport is on your itinerary as passengers flying aboard Delta or one of its many partners like KLM or Air France, as they'll soon be enjoying a new two-level luxury lounge. The fresh digs will have a minimalist, contemporary-style feel to it, so you might easily imagine that you’re at the local spaceport rather than airport.

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On the Road Again: How to Reach London-Heathrow

May 19, 2009 at 12:42 PM | 2 Comments

Your flight has landed, you've claimed your luggage and now you're trying to get the hell out of the airport. To erase confusion and get your on your way, all week long at Jaunted we will be detailing the various ways to get to and from major airports, and what those modes cost, from cheapest to the big blowout entrance. Got any tips or an airport suggestion? Let us know.

· The Underground, aka The Tube: If you're a typical London tourist, you'll be going underground many times during your visit, so why not start early by getting familiar with the system from the airport? Catch the Tube at any terminal, and it'll run you right into town, with usual stops at places like Victoria Station, Kensington, West End, and Paddington Station.
Total cost: £4.00 ($6.19) per person, each way
Total time: 45 minutes

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Posh Spice Takes Fashion Tips From Her Chauffeur

May 15, 2009 at 9:16 AM | 0 Comments

While we're now accustomed to watching Victoria Beckham aka Posh Spice strut through airports in decidedly un-airplane friendly gear, we usually just chalk it up to celebrity image. More often than not, this means that Posh flouts comfort and walks through security or the baggage claim in 5-inch stilletos with a tailored suit or structured shoulders so big that we're thankful she has a seat in first class.

In her recent airport "photo shoot" at London's LHR, she's sporting her usual uniform of stilettos and skin tight jeans as well as a white Hermes Kelly bag that could easily fit two Olsens inside (or in this case, two Posh Spices). We can look beyond this, save for the questionable choice to also rock a chauffeur's hat.

Is this a new airport fashion statement or did she just snag this off her driver so she wouldn't be recognized? We're thinking it's the former unless the cabin pressure really did a job on her 'do.

Related Stories:
· Victoria Beckham Hangs Onto Her Handbag [Just Jared]
· Victoria Beckham coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Just Jared]

Hop a Free London Cab with British Airways, But It'll Cost Ya

May 14, 2009 at 1:46 PM | 0 Comments

Not content with having four separate classes of service aboard their planes, the focus on hierarchy continues at British Airways with their new complimentary London taxi service from Terminal 5.

From May 18 on through August 15, passengers on BA who arrive in London on a First Class or Club World Business Class ticket are eligible for totally free transfers in a classic black cab within 100 miles of the airport. Perhaps you can make sense of this offer, because we are unable to fathom why, when a First or Business Class passenger can easily furnish their own luxury transportation without batting an eye, BA would want to put them into a taxi.

Perhaps this would work better for those who have sprung for full-fare, or Y-class, economy tickets, since they might not be upgraded and may have to endure a transatlantic flight squashed in with other who paid half their fare and want to spend all seven hours bragging about that fact. A free taxi would help ease the annoyance and give them a taste of what it would be like to travel in Club World. But whatever—we're not about to tell British Airways what to do; we just hope they feel proud of all those empty cabs.

Related Stories:
· Enjoy a Complimentary Taxi Service [British Airways]
· British Airways Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: a_trotskyites]

How Gritty Is Too Gritty When You Travel?

May 13, 2009 at 5:39 PM | 2 Comments

Something of a travel journalism brouhaha erupted a few weeks ago, when Guardian UK travel writer Benji Lanyado penned an article for the NY Times entitled "In London, New Cross and Deptford Attract the Hip." This was taken in some quarters as risible, since in addition to attracting hipsters Deptford is also known for attracting criminals, junkies, and all manner of people who rob and kill other people.

The British media being what it is, newspapers and tabloids immediately began to pile on:

The New York Times dubbed the deprived districts of Deptford and New Cross as "London's Wild West" and urged Americans to visit the area's gritty attractions. Readers of the respected newspaper are told that Deptford has "that most heady of urban ingredients: an edge". That edge includes being the tenth most violent place in the country,... But the article praises the area's indie club scene where "rude boys and art students with asymmetric haircuts party side by side to raucous live acts""... Barmaid Sandra White, 41, said: "... I hope they like hoodies, muggers and junkies - there are enough of them here."

We don't know what a hoodie is, but fair enough. Most tourists go out of their way to avoid the bad neighborhoods of the cities they travel to. We certainly can't think of many people who would pay to fly to London specifically with the intent of visiting a slum. Targeting the article towards the NYT's demo was probably not the best of editorial decisions.

That said, there's probably a flavor of hipster travel that Deptford fits into comfortably.

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Best Jewish Delis in the World:: London's New York Deli

April 22, 2009 at 8:41 AM | 0 Comments

When Shira Lazar went behind the counter at Schwartz's Deli in Montreal, it got us craving some overstuffed pastrami sandwiches and potato latkes with applesauce. So this week Jaunted is taking a look at the Best Jewish Delis in the World. Got your own suggestion for tasty goody delis? Let us know.

As a native New Yorker, I consider delis as much of a necessity as by-the-slice pizzerias, meaning that whenever I travel outside the City I get really upset that there isn't one on every corner. This is a particular problem in Europe, so I was pretty excited to learn that London finally got a centrally-located New York-style deli.

The Soho-area eatery opened a couple of years ago under the name Zvika, but the owners quickly realized no one had any idea what kind of restaurant "Zvika" would be, so they just changed the name to "New York Deli."

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