The Ritz-Carlton hotel chain is once again offering guests the chance to do good in 2012 with their Give Back Getaways project.

The philanthropic initiative gives guests the chance to spend a half-day volunteering with Ritz-Carlton employees in the communities surrounding their properties across the world.

The Give Back Getaway projects often also include an experience volunteers wouldn't be able to have otherwise. The Dallas Soup Savior Project, for example, lets hotel guests work with the culinary team behind the scenes in The Ritz-Carlton kitchen. The end result is a soup that will be delivered to the SoupMobile, which serves approximately 600 meals to the homeless in Dallas on a daily basis.

For more information about what projects are available this year, visit RitzCarlton.com.

[Photo: Ritz-Carlton Dallas]]]> cmb 2012-01-25T14:30:01-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/12/5/61015/4633

There’s plenty good causes that would appreciate a few moments of your time or a little extra funding this holiday season, but American Airlines’ Snowball Express has to be one of the best for #avgeeks. Despite their own misfortune this holiday season, they’re going full speed ahead to bring a little cheer to the children of fallen military heroes.

American Airlines has been doing this for a few years now, and this year is no exception. This year’s events kick off of December 9 and run through December 13 in Dallas. It all begins with a Walk of Gratitude on December 10 in and around the American Airlines Center, as one and all are encouraged to welcome the children and families flown into town for a few days of rest, relaxation, and fun. ]]> kjb 2011-12-05T08:47:15-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/10/27/81530/477

There’s a new tourist attraction headed to Big D, and it might just change the city’s skyline. Great City Attractions has been chatting up the city about installing a giant Ferris wheel in downtown Dallas, around the intersection of Houston and Elm streets—that’s in Founders Plaza for those who call the city home.

Right now it sounds like things are very much still on the drawing board. However, Texas has quite the reputation for going big or going home, so we think as long as the pricing is right it’s practically a sure thing. The wheel could be as high as 200-feet tall, and apparently may be ready to go in around ten days or so once approval is granted. The Ferris wheel at the state fair—that’s the one in our picture—already soars to around the same height. ]]> kjb 2011-10-27T09:31:54-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/9/9/94552/21194

Happy Friday! Finally, right? It's been a long week, but you're mere hours from the weekend and thus, we thought it proper to celebrate by pointing out that even airports like to have a little fun.

We're specifically thinking of Dallas-Love Field—total Southwest Airlines turf—and their outdoor "dog rest areas." You know what we're talking about—the little plots designated as places for your pets to do their business before and/or after flights.

A friend of Jaunted recently spotted one such area at DAL, complete with the cheeky sign above. For pet owners traveling with their best furry friends, taking a flight isn't exactly the easiest thing in the world, and a little injection of humor such as this can go a long way to diffuse the anxiety.

[Photo: Erica Nevas]]]> JetSetCD 2011-09-09T10:00:23-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/8/8/92635/44354

We already know that Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport isn’t a fan of paying taxes—well, kind of—and now they’re looking to offer even more savings to those looking to spend some coin in the terminals and concourses.

The airport is teaming up with Foursquare and Facebook Places—clearly they’re not playing favorites—to offer up all kinds of location-based deals and steals when you and your crew are killing time before your flight. ]]> kjb 2011-08-08T11:25:22-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/7/27/93310/2384

Dallas-Ft. Worth International Airport is starting a program where Texas sales tax can be made optional to those visiting from overseas. Sure the tax needs to be paid up front, but afterwards they’re making it pretty easy to get a little percentage back on that Tony Romo jersey or bottle of BBQ sauce.

Apparently it’s one of the first big airports in the country to do this, and it’s all available through a little kiosk in the North Ticketing Hall inside Terminal D. TaxFree Shopping is the one running this new system, so be on the lookout for their sign if you want a little bit of money back. Sure you’ll need to show receipts for what you bought, but the refund here is instant—and via cash, PayPal or check—so there’s no waiting period or need to deal with overly confusing paperwork or mailing stuff in. ]]> kjb 2011-07-28T08:38:17-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/6/17/14621/0534

Do you ever wonder what happens at airports...after hours? Well, if it's a small airport, it likely shuts down, but if you're lucky enough to be stuck at one of the major ones, like Dallas-Fort Worth, then it's a playground. Case in point: two travelers, Larry and Joe, had a layover at DFW and found their connecting flight cancelled. Instead of moping about and sleeping while uncomfortably stretched across chairs, they whipped out their cameras and got up to some old-fashioned mischief.

We won't spoil the video above for you, but let's just say that the part around 1:35-1:45 is our favorite. That takes more than just a pair of a balls; serious creative processes are at work here.

As a fan of airport spelunking, we usually find it easier to engage in hijinks in European airports. Kudos to these guys for having fun, documenting it and not inconveniencing other passengers while doing so.

[Video: Joe Ayala on Vimeo] ]]> JetSetCD 2011-06-17T15:03:17-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/