Jaunted - Tag: First Class Travel

United Was Wrong to Deny Track Suit Guy His First Class Seat, But Still, a Track Suit?

Victor Ozols — 2009-11-07T13:34:18-05:00

Did you hear the one about the guy who was denied a first class seat on a United Airlines flight because he was wearing a track suit? It's a corker. Armando Alvarez (not pictured), an executive at Best Buy, used his frequent flier miles to upgrade to the front of the cabin for a flight from Washington Dulles to Connecticut on October 26, but a gate agent took one look at his Puma getup and deemed him unworthy of the fancy seats, insisting he sit in coach with the riffraff instead. United has come out and said it was all a big misunderstanding, and that the agent apparently thought Alvarez was an airline employee - and thus required to follow a dress code - but not before the story became the latest example of the inhumanity of airlines today.

Would You Camp In A Tent Shaped Like The Sydney Opera House?

Omri — 2009-11-05T17:09:22-05:00

There's a certain class of people who enjoy the idea of being in nature but are less than enthusiastic about the "dirt" and "sleeping on the ground" and "being outside" parts of the experience. Their idea of roughing it involves a covered caravan, a $750 credit card bill at REI, and a case of white wine. Not red wine, because that would be too luxurious. Within that group, there's a certain subclass of folks who also have something of an nouveau riche air about them. In addition to actually "camping" in decadent comfort, they need to look like they're camping in decadent comfort. The new Opera capsule caravan, styled after the Sydney Opera House, is designed with them in mind:

We can't believe we're saying this, but this "tent" has a wine cabinet and more. Find out what else after the jump.

India Re-Imagines The Orient Express For $950 Per Night

JetSetCD — 2009-10-29T08:59:18-05:00

If you know even the littlest bit about train travel, then you've probably heard of both the Orient Express and the Trans-Siberian Railroad. Both luxury trains associated with the gilded age, they are now shadows of their former selves, carrying fannypacked tourists on shorter or altered routes instead of the evening gown-wearing, long cigarette-smoking moneyed classes who indulged in a leisurely trip between Paris and Istanbul, or through Mongolia and into Moscow.

Luckily for those who have romanticized these luxury trains, there is a country that still embraces the idea: India. In the new few months, two new opulent trains will launch on routes that aim to cover some of the most famous sites in India, including the Taj Mahal and Varanasi of course. Per person, per night prices for the trips—the shortest trip being a week—begin at a staggering $500. But you'll be getting your money back in spades with these choo-choos...

What Airlines Boast The Best Business Class?

JetSetCD — 2009-09-23T11:21:16-05:00

Everyone knows the allures of ponying up the extra cash to fly business class: free drinks, more attention from the flight attendants, use of business class lounges which usually have more free drinks and sometimes free wifi, extra seat space, and—if you're lucky—in-flight entertainment when coach has none.

Since we were just upgraded to business class on a two-hour flight and we know very well how it feels to walk through the business class section during deplaning, with the free flight kits and plush blankets abandoned and mocking us, we're wondering on what airlines would it be worth it to go for business class. We're thinking Emirates, Singapore Airlines, and Cathay Pacific, because long hauls would give us ample time to drink our fill of bottomless wine and then pass out on a semi-flat bed.

It Sure Beats a Turkey and Cheese Sandwich: Virgin America Unveils New Menu

juliana — 2009-09-18T15:11:45-05:00

We've always dug the snacks, meals and libations on the flights of Virgin America but did you know the menu options were seasonal? Yup, just like a real restaurant changes its menu based on seasonal ingredients that are available, Virgin America has announced their new fall menu for both the main cabin and First Class.

While a reader recently wondered if VA was skimping on snacks in First Class, the menu's meals (created by Chef Luke Morgan) have been given a boost with herb omelets on grilled challah bread, filet of beef with mushrooms, naan Tandoori chicken and a roast turkey breast with sage stuffing. Of course, the options vary from route to route and we're gonna go ahead and say you won't get Tandoori chicken on a an-hour long flight from SFO to LAX.

Additionally, folks flying First Class in the morning will have freshly baked croissants to snack on. The folks immediately behind them in coach will probably want to kill them for flaunting such buttery goodness in their face, but the Main Cabin is getting some new additions as well.

Play With Richard Branson's New Toy For $88,000 Per Week

JetSetCD — 2009-09-15T10:28:53-05:00

When we aren't out jetting around or hopping a high-speed train, we like to fantasize about that other form of transportation: the almighty ship. So to allay our own curiosity as much as yours, we're spotlighting yachts with either notorious owners or histories...or both. Know of a bootylicious boat? Let us know.

Who doesn't dream of owning a lush private island in the Caribbean? Perhaps Virgin Group head honcho Richard Branson, who has been living the dream since 1979, when he purchased Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands and turned it into a private resort.

If you can't afford to take over the whole island for your vacation, at a cost of $47,000 a day, then how about chartering his new catamaran yacht, the Necker Belle, for a mere $88,000 a week? She'll be fresh from a makover (she used to be the Lady Barbaretta) in February 2010, just in time to catch the end of the rich exodus to the Caribbean in winter.

Look, It's Brad Pitt on a Plane!

juliana — 2009-09-08T09:34:48-05:00

It no longer seems as if first class is safe for mega-celebrities like Brad Pitt. A ~~stalker~~ passenger on a United flight from LAX to JFK last month found himself sitting across the aisle from Brad and decided to film the Super World Traveler and send it off to Star Magazine. Star promptly posted the video on their website. Ahh, the perils of an iPhone with video capabilities.

Brad doesn't seem to be doing anything too unusual--just eating, drinking, trying to get some sleep, hitting up the lav, reading a magazine, scratching his nose--so this video is purely voyeuristic. That is, if you can get over the shock of finding out that Brad Pitt flies United.