Jaunted - Tag: open threads

Open Thread: Does Venice Smell?

JetSetCD — 2009-11-18T15:04:29-05:00

Have you been to Venice? Was your visit in summer? Actually, no matter what season you found yourself among the romantic canals of Venice, you may remember whether you did or did not smell something afoul in the city. Stemming from our earlier post on what not to do in Venice—taking a gondola being one "don't"—we want to know if think Venice smells.

We lived in Italy for a while, and sometimes we'd head to Venice for the day, for the weekend, or for the week depending on how much good white wine and risotto al nero di seppia we craved. In the winter, we found the air to smell cold and salty, like any other seaside town that brought in boats of fresh seafood. But the in the summer, thanks to the rotting first floors of most residences coupled with the perfume of a sweaty population barely masked by the scent of restaurants cooking up prix fixe meals, our nose caught a whiff of something other. It's not enough to assault your senses, but it's there.

So tell us: have you smelled Venice? What did it smell like, if anything? Should people bring their gas masks or should Glade invent a Venice-scented room freshener? Let us know in the comments below!

Related Stories:
· What Not To Do In Venice: The Top 5 Tourist Mistakes [Jaunted]
· Venice Travel [Jaunted]

[Photo: mattedgar]

For Whom Would You Take A Middle Seat?

egw — 2009-11-06T16:09:23-05:00

Nobody likes the aisle. That's what we discovered when we asked Jaunted readers what seat they preferred on a plane, and we weren't surprised at all. Given the opportunity to be penned in by two strangers, most people say "pass." Yet, ending up in the middle seat happens to all of us sometimes, and sometimes it's even by choice.

Maybe you're a lot nicer person than we are and you switch seats without complaining or even looking at your fellow traveler. In which case, we salute you and hope we can sit next to you soon. But even you, Nice Traveler, probably have your secret rules as to for whom you will make the move. We'll automatically switch without complaining if you...

Have You Encountered Swine Flu In Your Travels This Year?

JetSetCD — 2009-11-02T13:04:21-05:00

'Tis the year of the Swine Flu and things just haven't died down like we'd hoped they would. Now that the intense and occasionally fatal flu has affected everyone from D-List celebs to former All-You-Can-Jetters, it's apparent that it's not going anywhere anytime soon—or rather, it's going everywhere.

So we want to know: what's been your experience with Swine Flu this year? Have you taken to wearing face masks on flights and in subways or do you scrunch up your nose at those who do? Have you gotten and survived Swine Flu? Has anyone you know been under the weather with it, and if so, where do you think they go it? We're just wondering exactly how prevalent it is in places of travel, versus say at restaurants and in your local bowling alley. Or has your bowling alley had its balls sanitized? Hmm??

Let us know your travel Swine Flu experience in the comments!

[Photo: OhLaLa Mag]

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.

AZ: Frommer Announces Arizona Travel Boycott; Do You Agree?

Jennifer Kester — 2009-08-28T09:29:42-05:00

Travel guru Art Frommer proclaimed on his blog recently that he's putting a moratorium on vacationing in Arizona because of its lax gun laws. To clarify his position, Frommer said he was alarmed that the state's gun statutes allowed about a dozen armed people, including one toting an assault rifle, to sit outside a place where President Obama was speaking to the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He said:

I will not personally travel in a state where civilians carry loaded weapons onto the sidewalks and as a means of political protest. I not only believe such practices are a threat to the future of our democracy, but I am firmly convinced that they would also endanger my own personal safety there. And therefore I will cancel any plans to vacation or otherwise visit in Arizona until I learn more.

Where Would You Travel With $252 Million Dollars?

JetSetCD — 2009-08-26T09:29:41-05:00

Update: the lottery jumps to $325 million this Friday with no winner found for the $252 million.

Yesterday evening, the winning numbers (3, 12, 19, 22 and 40; Mega Ball 2) were announced for one of the biggest MegaMillions lotteries ever: $252 Million Dollars. And it's about to get even larger with no winner this time around. The new jackpot will be $325 million, with numbers picked this Friday.

Megamillions is played in twelve states: California, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Texas, Virginia and Washington, and hopefuls who purchase a tickets stand a 1-in-175-million chance of winning the big payoff.

Whether it's $252 million or $325 million, imagine for a moment that the winner is you. Where would you take your first blow-out trip? Would you hop around five-star resorts in the Indian Ocean or opt for a year of private jet sharing? How about both? How about taking us along?

Let your imagination run wild and tell us your super-millionaire travel dreams in the comments!

Related Stories:
· Cha-Ching! Tonight's Mega Millions Jackpot $252 Million [19ActionNews]
· MegaMillions Numbers Revealed [Cincinnati.com]
· Jaunted Open Threads [Jaunted]

[Photo: Rpbert S. Donovan]

What Are You Ordering During In-Flight Meal Service?

JetSetCD — 2009-08-19T09:29:37-05:00

This sure has been a banner summer for airplane food, what with Times UK naming their favorites and Virgin America winning tops in the Travel + Leisure reader's poll. In addition, summer means menu changes, and Lufthansa sure stepped up with their Ritz-Carlton partnership.

Although legacy carriers are still offering free meals on long-haul flights (check our meal on Delta pictured above), or in first class on selected flights, LCCs like Virgin America are emerging as the leaders of in-flight cuisine with their available-for-purchase options. With less pressure on pleasing everyone and therefore more room to be creative, not to mention the fact that passengers pay for these things, it's not surprising that the for-sale meals on Virgin America are satisfying tastebuds.