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Tags: Pet Airways / Videos / Pets / Animals / New Airlines / → All Tags
How Pet Airways Plans To Keep Your Pet Happy In-Flight
We've been extremely curious about the offerings aboard Pet Airways which plans to make its first flight on July 14 for the introductory one-way fare of $149.
As all overprotective pet parents know, flying our babies in cargo is a painful decision to make. What if they freeze? What if they get dehydrated? What if they get shipped off to another destination? Will someone sing them lullabyes to help them sleep?
Most vets and animal experts (i.e. pet store owners and the people you meet at dog parks) will tell you that flying your animal in cargo is a bad idea. It stresses the pet out and it's just too risky.
Well, judging from this Pet Airways video, those painful decisions might be over. Pets on Pet Airways fly in the main cabin, not in cargo. There's a dedicated pet flight attendant walking throughout the cabin (every 15 minutes) making sure the pets are happy in their crates and the temperature control is "just right." Your pets can even walk on a red carpet up into the plane!
This all sounds so wonderful but we still worry a little. What if this is just a long-running April Fool's joke? What if Pet Airways is just bluffing about their personal attention to your loved ones? What if, thanks to the economy, the airline will shut down right quick like Skybus?
We won't be the first ones to put our pet on the Pet Airways flight but if things go well, we will seriously consider it. That and a doggie or kitty valium too. For them, not for us. Well...maybe for us too.
Related Stories:
· Pet Airways coverage [Jaunted]
Tags: Jetblue / Airline Marketing / Airline News / Videos / → All Tags
Jetblue Saves You From the 'Seat Monster' in New Videos
Riding on the wave of humor that Jetblue has enjoyed with the success of their "CEO's Guide to Jetting" videos, they've returned with two new and fun shorts, this time aimed at the average air traveler's needs for space and entertainment.
With animation by Against All Odds / Blacklist and visual effects company Mass Market, the two cartoons transport a frustrated flyer from "Other Guy Air" (which curiously looks like a Ryanair plane) into the comfy, private entertainment-stocked environs of Jetblue.
Tags: Hong Kong Field Trip / Hong Kong / Transportation / Videos / → All Tags
Taxis, Cable Cars and Ferries, Oh My!: A Guide to Hong Kong Transportation
For a self-admitted transportation nerd, Hong Kong is dream come true. We just can't decide on a favorite way of conveyance, and thankfully with HK's bounty of trams, ferries, taxis and even a famous chain of escalators, we didn't have to--we rode them all! So for all of you daydreaming of 80-degree days spent hopping between ferries and funiculars on a single "Octopus" transit card, here's our short and saucy guide to the awesome transportation options of Hong Kong:
· Double-Decker Trams and Buses: The former British influence is still felt here, although they've long exchanged afternoon tea for a Starbucks latte. In Central on Hong Kong Island, the slice-thin double-decker trams pile up on commuters for short trips not worth the subway. Tapping your Octopus card also works on these, although during rush hour there's barely enough room to do even that. The buses, which match London Routemasters in size, are a better option for venturing into residential neighborhoods, and routes are clearly presented at each bus stop pole.
· Victoria Peak Funicular: Along with the Star Ferry, this ranks as a seriously touristy thing to do. Still, it's the most unique and direct way to mount Victoria Peak and take advantage of the jawdroppingly steep ascent. Heading up is often crowded, but the descent leaves plenty of room for picture taking and gawking at the skyscrapers below you.
Tags: Mid-80's Travel / Virgin Atlantic / Steve Ridgeway / Videos / → All Tags
Virgin Atlantic Already Thinks 2009 Is "Depressing"
Tossing out hope for '09 so soon, Sir Richard? The mogul's right hand man and CEO of Virgin Atlantic Steve Ridgeway says the global financial crisis could make this year a tough one, despite the fact that the carrier will celebrate its 25th anniversary come June. Having to cut costs, shrink capacity and fight off British Airways when he should be planning parties? "It’s slightly depressing," Ridgeway tells Bloomberg.
Yet Virgin says its planning a batch of fare sales to help everyone forget about "the doom and gloom in the airline industry." (Details on those deals have yet to be announced.)
Better than the vague promise of low fares, though, is this new ad hyping the carrier's anniversary. Set in 1984, it's got the requisite giant cell phone, along with a Rubik's cube, incredible fashion, an awesome synth soundtrack and, is that Madonna? (We're resisting the urge to download a clone of Asteroids after seeing the arcade version in this clip!)
Related Stories:
· Virgin Atlantic Launches £6 Million Ad Campaign [UK Travel Weekly]
· Virgin Cuts Fares, May Shrink [Bloomberg]
· Despite Facebook Scandal, Virgin Atlantic Continues To Deliver [Jaunted]
Tags: Improv Everywhere / Public Transportation / Videos / → All Tags
No Pants, No Problem
Commence pantless preparations: Improv Everywhere is calling on its global network of rascals to make No Pants 2k9 the biggest yet. What started as a trouser-free ride around the New York City subway system in 2002 is this year expanding to Adelaide, Amsterdam, LA, San Francisco, Toronto and even more cities.
On January 10, pranksters around the world will hop the local public transportation, drop their pants and play it cool while fellow riders pull confused faces and wonder why there are dozens of commuters standing around in their underwear.
If you're headed to the main event in NYC, you can toast to your fellow pranksters at the "official No Pants after party" at Sidebar on 15th Street, where you'll get a free drink if you walk in with your pants off.
Related Stories:
· Global No Pants Subway Ride [Official Site]
· "Welcome Back" [Jaunted]
Tags: Homeland Security USA / Airport Security / Television Travel / Videos / → All Tags
New ABC Show Sadly More "Cops" Than "Airline"
Our worst fears have been realized: ABC's new show "Homeland Security USA" is more flag-waving, isolationist propaganda than it is a documentary look at the way DHS does business, from guarding borders to ensuring airports are safe. The new sneak previews--available on the network's website--are so hilarious, they spoof themselves. To wit: On the subject of the Swiss miss arriving at LAX without proper papers, one customs officer says:
We found mostly in her bag, uh, her belly dancing equipment.
Meanwhile in Miami, an Ecuadorian man has some illegal guinea pig steaks in his bag. The overriding message seems to be foreign visitors are silly and can't speak English well. What levity--and in the face of unspeakable danger!
Also, suspected drug runners off the coast of Puerto Rico are scary--but eye-in-the-sky enforcers are making sure America is safe. Or something: The preview cuts out before we find out if they were actually packing dope. Is it just us, or is this show about seven years too late to cash in on post-9/11 paranoia?
Related Stories:
· "This Isn't Theater, This Is War" [Jaunted]
· TSA To Get Reality Show Treatment [Jaunted]
Tags: Not Surprisingly / Tourist Traps / Videos / → All Tags
Fake Taj Mahal May Not Merit A Visit
The Indian embassy in Bangladesh is fuming mad that film director Ahsanullah Moni has built what he calls an exact replica of the Taj Mahal about 20 miles from Dhaka for $56 million. The idea, says the director, is to give Bangladeshis who might not be able to afford a trip to Agra a chance to see the Taj. Entrance to the mocked-up Mahal is 75 cents.
But an Indian official tells Sky News:
You can't just go and copy historical monuments.
From the look of the marble, granite and bronze replica, though, you can. Thousands of tourists have already visited to recreated Taj, though in a suspiciously one-sided article, the Times of India reports many people leave disappointed:
"The whole project is done in a shoddy manner. It is nothing compared to the real Taj," another visitor, Sohana Parvin, told the paper. "There is no sign of the valuable stones, tiles and diamonds the owner has spoken of using."
Related Stories:
· India Angry Over Bangladeshi Plans for Taj Mahal [Sky News]
· Bangladesh Taj Invites Visitors' Criticism [Times of India]
· Tourist Traps coverage [Jaunted]
Tags: Airport Security / TSA / Videos / → All Tags
TSA Releases Another Round Of YouTube Videos
The TSA image makeover continues, and the latest front isn't "60 Minutes" but rather YouTube. After releasing a small batch of short-on-specifics videos earlier this year, the agency is back to the tubes with four more shorts.
While November's videos purported to explain why the TSA does what it does, these new ones are more instructive, reminding you that you'll need to remove shoes and jackets, have your ID and boarding pass out and ready for inspection and take your laptop out of its bag when hitting the airport. (Wait, why no mention of checkpoint friendly luggage?) The agency also highlights its well-received "self-select" and family lanes.
We're all about transparency at the government agency we harp on the most, but while these videos were clearly well-produced, they've yet to take off with the Reddit set: The "Traveling with Children" video has a pathetic four views so far.
Related Stories:
· "Traveling with Children" [YouTube]
· "Choose Your Lane" [YouTube]
· "Laptops and Electronics" [YouTube]
· "This Isn't Theater, This Is War" [Jaunted]
Tags: TSA / Kip Hawley / Airport Security / Videos / → All Tags
"This Isn't Theater, This Is War"
Those words were spoken by TSA chief Kip Hawley last night on CBS's 60 Minutes about the all-too frustrating hassles of airport security.
It turns out those too-little, too-late TSA ads are part of an image makeover for the agency to convince Americans that security precautions are totally worth the time and money they cost us. When Lesley Stahl probed the effectiveness of airport security (i.e. Is it really necessary to pat down little old ladies?), Kip came back with such strong statements as "Terrorists still want to kill us," "We are at war" and "Al-Qaeda is watching."
Tags: Bad Seatmates / Airline Hell / JetBlue / Shalom Yarimo / Videos / → All Tags
Reminder: Don't Talk About Shooting People Mid-Flight
JetBlue Flight 359 from JFK to Burbank late Monday night had to land in Salt Lake City so the FBI could arrest what it says was a drunken and unruly passenger. Shalom Yarimo, though, told local TV station KSL that everyone onboard just misunderstood him--including when he was chatting with another passenger about the people he shot while in Lebanon.
In an phone interview from his jail cell, the alleged troublemaker said he wasn't even drunk on the flight:
It wasn't on an empty stomach. It was a full stomach and I know how to drink and I don't go over.
After making a few trips to the bathroom, he admits, the crew told him they were diverting to Salt Lake City. But while Yarimo says the crew is just vilifying him, FBI Special Agent Timothy Fuhrman, who's heading up the case, paints a different picture:
Some of his activities included running up and down the aisles, opening the overhead bins, shouting at the flight attendants, making a statement he had shot people in Lebanon.
Yarimo is slated to make his first appearance in federal court today on charges of interfering with a flight crew, and he'll likely also face questions about his immigration status. The FBI says the Israeli may be in the US illegally.
Related Stories:
· Man Arrested on JetBlue Flight Talks to KSL [KSL]
· Unruly Passenger Forces Plane to Land in SLC [Salt Lake Tribune]
· Bad Seatmates coverage [Jaunted]
[Video: KSL.com]
Tags: When Animals Attack / Animals / Hunting / Videos / → All Tags
Urban Boar Hunting In Berlin
Not content to be known for terrifying and lovable bears, Germany is now in the midst of a boar-induced panic. The two-tusked pigs are running wild through Berlin, where they've lately gone from occasional oddity to backyard menace, with as many as 7,000 now roaming the city.
Berlin has appointed some Stadtjäger, or "urban hunters," to control the boar population, says The Wall Street Journal, but locals who've taken to the city's newest mascot don't appreciate them shooting down animals in the streets:
Part of Berlin's human population is siding with the boars against those who shoot them. Urban hunters have been beaten with sticks, called "murderers" and had their tires slashed. [One] had to call for police protection when a crowd of young partygoers, enraged after he shot a boar that had been wounded by a car, threatened to beat him up.
Some locals are even feeding the animals, thus luring even more into the city, where they're more difficult to hunt than they would be in the countryside around Berlin. Even with some success, says one urban hunter who figures at least 500 animals have been culled so far this year, the boars may never be eradicated:
There is no way that hunting can get rid of them all. Ultimately we must learn to share the city with the swine.
Related Stories:
· In Berlin's Boar War, Some Side with the Hogs [WSJ]
· When Animals Attack coverage [Jaunted]
Tags: Hi Mom / Tourism Board Travel / YouTube / New Zealand Travel / Videos / → All Tags
Tour New Zealand, Beam Embarrassing Videos Back Home
The tourism board down in New Zealand is determined to be modern and they've done a pretty good job with their newest idea. The Have Your Say campaign has a mobile recording studio traveling around the whole country recording YouTube videos so tourists can tell their friends and family how amazing New Zealand is.
The Kiwis are hoping this combination of social media and word of mouth marketing gets a whole bunch of positive messages out to the world about why everybody should visit the country. What you can actually see so far is a bunch of camera-shy travelers not really knowing what to say, but it is entertaining in a weird kind of way.
The mobile studio is in Auckland now and after Christmas will spend four months stopping in 40 different locations around New Zealand. Keep an eye out for it if you're traveling in Kiwi land in early 2009, because we're dying to see how embarrassing your message home can be.
Related Stories:
· Pure NZ Have Your Say [Official Site]
· Tourism Radio is Watching Your Every Move in New Zealand [Jaunted]
· New Zealand Travel coverage [Jaunted]
