Jaunted - Tag: 2009 Travel Awards http://www.jaunted.com/ The Pop Culture Travel Guide en-us Copyright 2006 - SFO MEDIA 2012-02-11T17:19:06Z Jaunted Jaunted Jaunted http://www.jaunted.com/images/jauntedw.jpg http://www.jaunted.com/tag/2009%20Travel%20Awards Jetting Off Into 2010 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/12/31/11542/419

Well, 2009 is over and good riddance; we're anxious to see what 2010 holds for travel and our passport. Before the ball drops on 2010 however, don't forget to look back on the year that was. We're cutting out early today to shovel the snow outside and get our party pants on, but we're be back bright and early on Monday.

Enjoy the full collection of our 2009 travel awards below, and be sure to check out the awards from our sister site HotelChatter as well. Happy New Year!

· Best Domestic Airline
· Most Improved Airline
· Worst Domestic Airline
· Biggest Travel Media Story
· Best Jaunted Field Trip
· Destination of the Year
· Best Jaunted Map Mashup
· Best Travel Movie
· Celebrity Traveler of the Year
· Most Ridiculous Airline Idea
· Most Missed Industry Casualty
· Worst Travel Experience
· Best Travel Newcomer
· Best Airport Photo Shoot
· Worst Travel Failure
· Biggest Villain ]]> Jaunted09 2009-12-31T11:44:52-05:00 2009's Biggest Villain Is... http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/12/31/01939/940

You know, if we were naming the winners of these 2009 awards a few weeks ago, Ryanair's crazy CEO Michael O'Leary would have easily won this category for "Biggest Villian"; hello, the man wants airplane passengers to pay to pee and to have a standing-room-only section on planes with just handrails. But then last weekend's attempted terrorist event struck, bringing with it days of TSA failure after TSA embarrassment.

Therefore, the Transportation Safety Administration is 2009's Biggest Villain. We had only just forgiven them for stupidly releasing the unedited version of their entire security proceedings on their own site when they go and subpoena two travel journalists over source information for the security directives the writers had posted following the Christmas Day terrorist attempt and the TSA's knee-jerk new batch of rules.

It gets worse, after the jump...]]> Jaunted09 2009-12-31T09:49:52-05:00 2009's Worst Travel Failure Is... http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/12/31/02214/172

First we were doubtful, then we were excited, and then were worried, and then were saying "I told you so." The meteoric rise of hype for Toledo-based LCC airline JetAmerica and its plunge when the airline couldn't get off the ground defined 2009 for us. It was evocative of the recession, a reminder of the few glory days of Skybus, and a huge personal letdown since the airline would have provided us with $9 flights back home for the holidays.

But like any pipe dream, this one flushed itself out when JetAmerica couldn't secure the landing slots needed at the airports. But then, we never saw an airplane ready to fly...so maybe it was more than just problems with airports, considering how the airline cancelled flights only eleven days before the scheduled inaugural and then completely folded a few days later. Where are we, Europe?!

Deep in our heart of hearts, we did want JetAmerica to succeed, we really did. But common sense prevailed as always, and we had major doubts from the beginning. Way to prove us right, JetAmerica, we only wish it had been on something more positive.

Related Stories:
· All 2009 Travel Award stories [Jaunted]
· Jaunty winners for 2008 [Jaunted]]]> Jaunted09 2009-12-31T09:14:52-05:00 2009's Best Airport Photoshoot Is... http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/12/31/02051/066

Although we were really tempted to pick the photo where Lily Allen is cuddled up on the bag X-ray machine at Belgrade airport for our top airport photo shoot, we're a little uncomfortable with how it was staged to be funny for her Twitter followers. So instead we turn to a completely candid shot of Twilight star Kristen Stewart transiting through LAX, with passport and heinous bag out in full view of the paparazzi.

We called her out for being so casual with her personal travel documents with so many people fussing about around her; that passport only has to slip a few centimeters more and it's the newest lot on eBay. And with Twilight's Eclipse film shooting over the border most of the year, this is girl who cannot afford to be losing her passport.

Related Stories:
· All 2009 Travel Award stories [Jaunted]
· Jaunty winners for 2008 [Jaunted]

[Photo: WENN/EntertainmentWise]]]> Jaunted09 2009-12-31T09:04:53-05:00 2009's Best Travel Newcomer Is... http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/12/31/01742/409

2009 wasn't a huge year at all for travel launches, but luckily one of the new ventures that did get off the ground (literally) this year was Pet AIrways, like private jet service just for your pooch. When they launched in mid-summer with cross-country and Florida routes, the flight were fully booked by families and pet owners who didn't want to put their pet in a cargo hold or kennel while they went on vacation.

We've actually considered using the service ourselves—well, for our four-legged friend—since their average airfare of $149 beats upscale kennel rates when you're spending more than a few days out of town. Expect Pet Airways to expand in 2010, and the fluff stories on it by news channels to continue.

Related Stories:
· All 2009 Travel Award stories [Jaunted]
· Jaunty winners for 2008 [Jaunted]

[Photo: NY Daily News]]]> Jaunted09 2009-12-31T08:34:53-05:00 2009's Worst Travel Experience Is... http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/12/30/105410/05

When Continental Connection Flight 3407 crashed in upstate NY last February, the disaster took the lives of all 49 passengers and ended the US's two-year record of no civilian aviation fatalities. A month earlier however, an emergency landing off Manhattan ended much less tragically, though to be honest we still can't believe that US Airways Flight 1549 ended the way it did.

A commercial jetliner had its engines knocked out, landed in the freezing waters of the Hudson River, evacuated the cabin, and the total number of people killed was zero? From the outside, the heroics are enough to make you tear up. For the passengers though, it royally sucked. The flight, plus some subsequent nonsense from US Air, easily qualifies the entire episode as 2009's Worst Travel Experience.

The story of the flight is now pretty famous, but just for the record: US Airways Flight 1549 took off from LaGuardia bound for Charlotte on January 15, 2009 with 150 passengers and 5 crew. Within minutes the plane was hit by a flock of Canada Geese, which immediately knocked out both of the Airbus A320's engines.

The drama continues...]]> Jaunted09 2009-12-30T17:24:52-05:00 2009's Most Missed Industry Casualty Is... http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/12/30/01055/320

For once, the award for most missed industry casualty doesn't go to an airline that hit bankruptcy and became a mess of depressed and angry former crew and teary airports (ahhem Skybus); nope, it's going to something that became the victim of the decline of the print industry: National Geographic Adventure Magazine.

As the active travel sibling magazine of National Geographic, Adventure was on the case with mountain climbers, vulcanologists and the ever-deathdefying. It was not only a fixture in many waiting rooms, but we even had a subscription at a point. Luckily, National Geographic Traveler magazine will stay in business (for now) and Adventure will hold onto its website.

Related Stories:
· All 2009 Travel Award stories [Jaunted]
· Jaunty winners for 2008 [Jaunted] ]]> Jaunted09 2009-12-30T16:42:59-05:00 Search Jaunted Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/