Jaunted - Tag: Magazines

Air France Magazine: Like U.S. In-Flights, Only Fatter and More Artsy

Victor Ozols — 2009-08-29T15:42:17-05:00

We recently flew Air France between Dulles and Charles de Gaulle, giving me the chance to pore through one more in-flight magazine, the aptly-named Air France Magazine. As it turns out, Air France Magazine is a lot like an American in-flight, only fatter. It's fatter, of course, because every article is published in both French and English, a polite gesture to passengers such as me. But other than that, it seems to cater to the same demographic, rich (or aspirational) travelers obsessed with health, beauty, and duty-free items.

New 'AFAR' Travel Magazine Promises More Than The Expected

kjb — 2009-08-11T11:34:32-05:00

One can never have too many travel magazines; after all, we need something to read while we’re flying to our destination—you know, after the iPhone battery dies. Launching later this month is AFAR, a magazine focused on places and people off the beaten path. The founders are hoping to bring cultural connections and new experiences to the masses, but we’ll have to wait for their inaugural issue to see if they deliver.

They’ll be all about experiential travel at AFAR, and their team will look to hit the Internet in 2010, assuming the magazine hits the newsstand running. Some of their upcoming regular features include: The A(FAR) List, which will reveal destinations around the world that are a little less common than the local state fair, and Spin the Globe, featuring a writer's musings after she's been randomly sent to a location—sounds like something we'd read for sure.

Travel + Leisure Opening Very Suave Airport Retail Stores

Omri — 2009-07-14T08:59:18-05:00

Glossy travel magazine Travel + Leisure, American Express Publishing's upper class answer to Lonely Planet, has decided to enter the retail market and launch stores in several North American airports. The first store opened its doors at Vancouver International last month, just in time for the Olympic hype. Halifax International and JFK are slated for the next two openings, with further stores in the works at Orlando and San Francisco.

The T+L shops, done in partnership with airport newstand brand Hudson News Group, will "sell products aimed at enhancing the travel experience" which means a typical array of luggage—Samsonite, North Face, etc. plus Travel + Leisure's own printed materials, two of the more prominent selections being T+L magazine, of course, and its sister publication Food & Wine. Although we haven't figured out why T+L gets a plus sign and F&W gets the ampersand, we're sure the explanation is very refined and sophisticated.

Hemispheres Sticks to the Classics, Sky Gets Busy

Victor Ozols — 2009-05-02T12:21:58-05:00

Airlines have cut out just about every perk imaginable, but for now, you'll still find an in-flight magazine in the seat pocket in front of you, tucked between the barf bag and SkyMall catalog. As a service to those readers who choose airlines based on the quality of their in-flight magazines, Jaunted is publishing a series that takes a look at the flagship magazines from airlines big and small. In the fourth installment, Victor Ozols notices a sharp difference in style between United's Hemispheres and Delta's Sky.

I've recently had the good fortune to get my hands on the April, 2009 issues of both United's Hemispheres magazine and Delta's Sky magazine, and a casual comparison reveals some sharp differences in editorial philosophy. One represents a traditional approach to in-flight reading, while the other seems determined to provide a digital experience in a paper format.

In-Flight Magazine Extravaganza, Part III: A Double Dose of Continental

Victor Ozols — 2009-01-04T14:59:35-05:00

Airlines have cut out just about every perk imaginable, but for now, you'll still find an in-flight magazine in the seat pocket in front of you, tucked between the barf bag, emergency procedures card, and SkyMall catalog. As a service to those readers who choose airlines based on the quality of their in-flight magazines, Jaunted is publishing a multi-part series that takes a look at the flagship magazines from airlines big and small. In the third installment, Victor Ozols pores over the December, 2008 and January, 2009 issues of Continental, the in-flight magazine of Continental Airlines.

We flew Continental round-trip to Phoenix from Newark over the holidays, and were rewarded with not one but two issues of their surprisingly high-quality in-flight magazine, which is cleverly titled Continental. I didn't expect too much when I pulled out the December issue (left), with its "Hurricane Fighters" cover. Hey, I'm not saying Houston Mayor Bill White and Judge Ed Emmett aren't sexy as hell, but the cover didn't really "pop," to use the lingo of the graphic designers I know. But once I started thumbing through it, I quickly came to the conclusion that Continental could almost be a "real" travel magazine, escaping the confines of the seat pocket and crawling to the racks at Barnes & Noble under its own power.

In-Flight Magazine Extravaganza, Part II: Delta Sky

BS — 2008-12-08T13:00:27-05:00

Airlines have cut out just about every perk imaginable, but for now, you'll still find an in-flight magazine in the seat pocket in front of you, tucked between the barf bag, emergency procedures card and the SkyMall catalog. As a service to those readers who choose airlines based on the quality of their in-flight magazines, Jaunted is publishing a multi-part series that takes a look at the flagship reads from airlines big and small. Today, Brendan Spiegel gets hopped up on Delta Sky.

I usually don't spend much time flipping through in-flight mags--SkyMall is my preferred source for ogling unnecessary luxury items I'll never be able to afford. But on a recent Delta shuttle from BWI to Logan, Delta Sky actually grabbed my attention.

The reason was the theme of the November issue, which focuses on my drug of choice: Coffee. I was impressed that the magazine committed itself so fully to the cover subject. Almost every item in the book is java-centric, from notes on Costa Rican coffee tours, to coffee cocktail recipes (note to self: remember to check out Rosa Mexicano's Patron-and-dulce-de-leche concoction) and even a "coffee break" crossword puzzle. This seems like a risky business decision: If a tea drinker picks up Delta Sky this month, you've lost them at hello. But for my caffeine-obsessed self, it was perfect.

In-Flight Magazine Extravaganza, Part I : American Way

Victor Ozols — 2008-12-07T14:52:16-05:00

It's an all-too-common scenario. You've made it to your seat, stowed your carry-on bag in the overhead bin, and fastened your seat belt securely when you realize that you've forgotten to bring any reading material. What will you do to pass the time? Don't worry: airlines have cut out just about every perk imaginable, but for now, you'll still find an in-flight magazine in the seat pocket in front of you, tucked between the barf bag, emergency procedures card, and SkyMall catalog. As a service to those readers who choose airlines based on the quality of their in-flight magazines, Jaunted is publishing a multi-part series that takes a look at the flagship magazines from airlines big and small. In the first installment, Victor Ozols pores over the November 15, 2008 issue of American Way, the in-flight magazine of American Airlines.

I'll admit to being a fan of in-flight magazines. Though generally bland and inoffensive, there's a cheerful peppiness inherent to them that makes every flight seem like it's going to Disney World. I nabbed a copy of American Way on a recent trip on American Airlines and found plenty of nifty articles on food, destinations, and quirky attractions. But, as is the case with every in-flight magazine I've ever read, the best part is the route map at the end.