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Tags: The Inhumanity of Airlines Today / Track Suit Guy / Corkers / Fashion / Airlines / United Airlines / Track Suits / Dress Codes / First Class Travel / → All Tags

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

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.

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Tags: Camping / Rich Travel / Luxury Travel / First Class Travel / Travel Gear / → All Tags

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

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.

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Tags: Train Travel / India Travel / First Class Travel / → All Tags

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

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...

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Tags: Open Threads / Business Class / Airlines / First Class Travel / → All Tags

What Airlines Boast The Best Business Class?

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.

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Tags: Airplane Food / Virgin America / In-Flight Meals / First Class Travel / → All Tags

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

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.

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Tags: Hot Yachts / Yachting / Richard Branson / Ships / First Class Travel / Virgin / Virgin Charter / → All Tags

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

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.

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Tags: Celeb Travel / Brad Pitt / Super World Travelers / American Airlines / First Class Travel / → All Tags

Look, It's Brad Pitt on a Plane!

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.

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Tags: Airport Photo Shoots / Celeb Travel / Bradley Cooper / Virgin America / No Fly List / First Class Travel / → All Tags

Bradley Cooper is Obviously Not on The No-Fly List

Hmm...perhaps we should start traveling with hunky Hangover star, Bradley Cooper? The so-hot-right-now actor and possibly Renee Zellweger romance was spotted checking himself into first class on Virgin America over the weekend, bound for NYC.

Unlike our recent travel partner, Bradley was able to actually check-in at one of the airport kiosks, something that the folks innocently listed on the No-Fly list no can do.

Another perk for Bradley? Flying first class ensures that he doesn't have to pay any extra checked baggage fees. The folks in coach however, now have to cough up a $20 fee. Main Cabin Select passengers--those who pay a little bit more for legroom, free movies and food--also skip paying the checked baggage fee.

Related Stories:
· No-Fly List Drama And Baggage Fee Trauma At United's 'Easy Check-in' [Jaunted]

[Photo: JustJared]

Tags: Travel Snapshot / First Class Travel / Delta / Airplane Food / → All Tags

The Saddest Fruit Plate In All Of First Class

SeatGuru.com just put out a new survey that declared American, United and US Airways as tops in worst airline food. But we got our own findings today on the topic.

We received this snapshot from a passenger aboard a Delta flight out of Fort Lauderdale to LaGuardia. Yes, this is first class and yes, this appears to be a wedge of pineapple, some thin apple slices and a strawberry. Or in airline speak, "a fruit platter." The plane was apparently an old Northwest A320 and the snack even looks like something leftover from the pre-merger days.

The passenger writes us:

Obviously they are trying to control costs, but this is embarrassing (even the flight attendant said she was ashamed to serve it). My suggestion is that they think should think about investing in smaller bowls...

Delta's not the only one downsizing its in-flight fare. JAL announced that it would reduce the size of its cutlery to drop plane weight, and thus cut down on fuel costs. Folks, this is what it has come to these days. Less fruit and smaller spoons.

Related Stories:
· Virgin Atlantic and Others Serving Moldy Food [Jaunted]

Tags: First Class Travel / Air India / Travel Snapshot / → All Tags

Air India Breaks Out the Bling In First Class

When we last took a peek at the first class cabin of an Air India Boeing 777, we were a little concerned about the bright Bollywood-purple lighting in the publicity shots. So we sighed with relief when we saw this "real life" shot of what business class and first class looks like on a recent flight from Delhi to London.

The scary purple-ness is gone, and now what we see is blissful gold bling. Beyond what you can see in this picture, there's even more shiny gold bits with gold trim on the windows and other parts of the seats. This is so Bollywood that we're practically awaiting dancing girls to come down the aisles; we already spot a colorful sari off to the left.

In case you're tempted to mix in with this bling, a one-way business class ticket—they call it Executive—from Delhi to London will set you back just under 72,000 Rupees ($1,500); or you could just rent a good Bollywood DVD for $3.95.

Related Stories:
· Air India's First Class Seats Have That Bollywood Glow [Jaunted]
· First Class Travel Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: vm2827]

Tags: First Class Travel / Qantas / British Airways / → All Tags

Qantas Parks Its First Class Seats (For Now)

It's a tragedy. We've been saving all our pennies to afford to travel somewhere in first class, and now first class is disappearing. If it wasn't enough to hear that British Airways isn't building first class in to its new planes, now Aussie airline Qantas is cutting first class from existing planes.

The Qantas news comes after demand for first and business classes dropped almost 20 per cent, and the Flying Kangaroo then decided to drop first on its San Francisco-Sydney, Melbourne-London and Sydney-Buenos Aires routes. Of course, the first class cabin will still be there, and if you book business class you might end up sitting there, but you'll just be getting treated like a business class passenger.

Unlike BA, though, Qantas isn't saying first is out forever – for now, they're not selling first class tickets for those routes between July 6 and October 31. If demand increases again, first class will make a comeback. So perhaps we can keep saving after all.

Related Stories:
· Qantas Scraps First Class on Long Haul Routes [SMH]
· BA Ejects First Class From Flights [Scotland on Sunday]
· First Class Travel Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: x_jamesmorris]

Tags: First Class Travel / Virgin / Train Travel / Britain Travel / → All Tags

Virgin's Pendolinos Understand First Class Train Travel

We're pretty familiar with flying through the air on Virgin, but less schooled in Virgin Trains, their network you can use to scoot around the United Kingdom in style.

Being underneath the wings of Richard Branson, you can expect these sleek trains to include some very sexy first class carriages; it's as sexy as a train can be, that is. The first class carriage pictured above is actually on a Virgin Pendolino train; a special high-speed train out of Italy that "leans" on corners, enabling it to go faster than regular trains, but on the same tracks. Presumably it doesn't lean so much that the china or napkins go sliding off your first class tray table, or that wouldn’t be so impressive at all.

Apparently there are 52 Pendolino trains being operated by Virgin across Britain, and at 125 miles an hour, they sound like a very comfortable and accessibly alternative to airplanes. That is until you check the prices—a London to Liverpool first class ticket on a Virgin Pendolino could set you back £185 ($280) just one way. But it looks so nice...

Related Stories:
· Virgin Trains [Official Site]
· Keeping the Railways on Track [Jaunted]

[Photo: Train Chartering]