2011 Holiday Travel Forecast: Thanksgiving and Christmas Airfare and Hotel Prices Down Slightly in the U.S.

As summer fades into fall, you simply can no longer deny the rapidly approaching holiday season. And for travelers, now’s the time to start planning! To help get you started, the Fareologists at Bing have worked their magic by identifying the best deals on flights and hotels to get you where you need (or want!) to be this holiday season.

Below are some highlights from the 2011 Holiday Travel Forecast, which can be found here, with information also available on the Bing Travel Blog.

Domestic airfare is expected to be down 1.4 percent overall, with tickets averaging $302, as opposed to $306 last holiday.
Holiday hotel costs are staying virtually flat for 3 and 4 star hotels, but 5 star hotels are down 8 percent from last year.
Holiday flights to Europe have increased nearly 9 percent – from $860 in 2010, to an average of $936 this year.

While the overall travel forecast is looking relatively merry this season, the biggest savings lie in the hands of those willing to let the destination and date dictate their holiday travel plans. The Bing Travel Fareologists offer tips travelers looking to escape to someplace warm, someplace European or someplace luxurious while still saving money:

Celebrate in the sun. A traditional white Christmas might not be available in Florida, but getaways to the Sunshine State and other warm weather destinations are extra cheap this holiday season, with airfares to Ft. Lauderdale down 21 percent from last year and hotels in Las Vegas down almost 16 percent this year.
Affordable hotel stays. Travelers won’t have to skimp on their hotel stay this season, as prices for five-star hotels are down more than eight percent from last year, with the biggest savings found on luxury hotels in Cancun, Mexico; Las Vegas, Nev. and New York, N.Y.
Making international trips fit your budget. Overall, flights to Europe have increased on average, from $860.56 last year to $936 this year – nearly a 9 percent jump from the last holiday season. While airfares to Europe have generally increased across the board, Madrid represents the lowest average ticket price destination in Europe this holiday.
Don’t let Thanksgiving Travel Gobble Up Your Cash. The week of Thanksgiving is undoubtedly a crazy travel week, but the Bing Travel Fareologists note that shifting your departure dates could save you some serious cash. For example, by traveling the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and returning the Sunday after, you could save 8 percent from traveling Tuesday to Saturday.

Above are just a few tidbits of what you can expect this holiday season. For top destinations this holiday season, see below. Keep in mind that airlines do offer last-minute travel deals and bundled travel packages throughout the year – it’s a good idea to check Bing Price Predictor and Hotel Rate Indicator frequently to see what’s available. Even better – set up Bing Travel Alerts so you can know-on-the-go.

Happy traveling!

Construction Underway at Spaceport America

No this is not Disney’s Star Tours, but might as well be.

According to a Fox News behind the scenes report by Patrick Manning, in the deserts of the western United States, space tourism is becoming a reality as construction progresses on Spaceport America — the world’s first purpose-built commercial space travel facility, 45 miles north of Las Cruces, N.M.

Right now it looks like any old construction site, with men in hard hats and prosaic dump trucks carting rubble in and out. In 2013, things will be different.

“You’ll experience weightlessness, they’ll actually go near space so you’ll see the curvature of the Earth,” Chris Anderson, executive director of the New Mexico Spaceport Authority, told FoxNews.com.

When the facility is finished, a mere $200,000 will let you take a voyage at least partway to the stars: Virgin Galactic will be the first carrier to transport space-curious passengers from Spaceport America on its sub-orbital missions.

Aboard Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo, shuttled by WhiteKnightTwo via a horizontal launch to an altitude of 350,000 feet; the entire trip will take 2.5 hours.

Click here for the full story. Click here for a slide show of the Spaceport. Click here for Spaceport vidoes on YouTube.

Taxi Cab Service to the International Space Station Coming Fast

NASA’s Space Shuttle program is over, leaving a gap in how too service the International Space Station without hitching a ride with the Russians.

NASA and some friends have a plan or two. Think of 2001: A Space Odyssey if you like.

First you might not know but public access to a multi-passenger spacecraft like Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo may still be a few years off, but NASA’s personal Cab Service to and from the International Space Station is set to kick off ahead of schedule.

NASA recently gave the go ahead on the very first cargo delivery to the ISS by the private spaceflight company Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX on it’s Dragon Capsule, pictured here. The private spacecraft is slated to launch at the end of November, and dock with the ISS by the end of 2011 — several months sooner than originally planned.

Designed to launch on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rockets, the Dragon space capsule is expected to initially make unmanned cargo delivery flights to the International Space Station. But they could eventually be modified to serve as private space taxis for orbit-bound astronauts. Looks like a big Apollo spacecraft to me, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.

SpaceX is just one of the private companies courting NASA in a race to become the agency’s go-to choice for the delivery of crew and supplies to and from the space station.

The shift to commercial space transport signifies just one of the major overhauls NASA is undergoing to help refocus its efforts on deep-space exploration.

(Just a few days ago, NASA announced the official creation of its Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, the organization charged with putting a man on Mars.)

The SpaceX Dragon design can only fuel the imagination of tomorrows rocket designers that will have to come up with a safe and long term 21st Century NASA program.

According to a statement issued by SpaceX on Monday, Aug, 16, 2011, the company hopes that ongoing, commercial delivery of astronauts and supplies to and from the ISS will serve to improve the reliability, frequency, and safety of space travel.

Just shows that space travel is taking the next giant step to mankind’s colonization and exploration of the cosmos.

I hope so, because in space we can only have the very best TAXI service to ISS and one can only hope the competition will help drive down the cost and overhead of space travel, and, ideally, carry over to industries like space tourism.

I, for one, am ready. Beam Me Up, Scotty!

Via io9.com and The Wall Street Journal

Summer Travel & Grill Time Gadgets

Summer is winding down as travel time gets into high gear before it’s back-to-school-time. Here are some cool gadgets that will help you enjoy your expensive gadgets and have a better barbecue too. My two favorite are the NewerTech iFolio iPad Leather Carrying Case, which is perfect for my iPad2! The other is iGrill Bluetooth Meat Thermometer, which help you make sure you don’t distracted by talking guests and over cooking that mouth watering steak.

FOR TRAVELING WITH YOUR IPAD

The NewerTech iFolio leather case lets you travel with your iPad or iPad 2 in the ultimate of luxury and craftsmanship. Handcrafted in the USA from premium imported Brazilian leather, iFolio is available in 11 fashionable colors (from cognac, black, yellow, red and more) and can be used with or without the shoulder strap. It provides padded protection that hides your iPad/iPad 2 for security while on the road and includes a slot for document storage as well as an ID/business card holder. Great for the on the go gadget guru like me.
Pricing: starting at $87.99, Website: www.macsales.com, Available at: Other World Computing www.macsales.com, Info: http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/Apple/iPad_Accessories

FOR SUMMER BBQS – iGrill Bluetooth Meat Thermometer

No more over cooked meat or chicken! iGrill is the world’s first wireless meat thermometer for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch via long-range Bluetooth (over 200 feet) and App-enabled connection. iGrill from iDevices turns your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch into your own personal sous-chef, enabling you to multitask between your grill or oven and guests with the peace of mind that your food is perfectly cooked, at target temperature and safe for consumption.

Pricing: $99.99, Website: www.igrillinc.com, Available at: www.igrillinc.com and Apple Stores

FOR MUSIC AT BBQS & BEACH PARTIES – foxL tiny Bluetooth Hi-Fi Speaker

foxL could be one of the world’s best sounding tiny hi-fi portable Bluetooth speaker for iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, Android and other Bluetooth devices. The perfect portable Hi-Fi music speaker for the summer, you can bring the tiny foxL with you in your bag wherever you go — to the beach, picnics, and BBQs — to enjoy this great sounding high-tech device. Created by former NASA engineer/audio legend Dr. Godehard Guenther, Soundmatters foxLv2 Bluetooth is the first pocket-sized wireless speaker that audio purists will love.

Pricing: $199, Website: www.soundmatters.com, Available at: www.soundmatters.com & online retailers, including Hammacher Schlemmer, Sharper Image, Frontgate, Music Direct, Amazon.com and more.

FOR USING YOUR IPAD IN THE SUN AT THE BEACH – NewerTech NuVue Anti-Glare Screen Protector for iPad

The NewerTech NuVue Anti-Glare Screen Protector for iPad reduces eye-strain in the sun for easier magazine or book reading while on vacation.

Its Anti-Glare static cling film provides clearer iPad viewing by reducing both glare and smudges with no “rainbow effect,” like other conventional anti-glare shields.

It is custom-designed to fit the iPad perfectly with a peel-and-stick easy install that won’t create air bubbles like adhesive-based screen protectors.

Pricing: $12.17, Website: www.macsales.com, Available at: Other World Computing www.macsales.com

FOR BICYCLING

The iBike Dash CC cycling computer from Velocomp is a light-weight wireless bicycle computer system that turns any iPhone or iPod touch into your own personal fitness trainer. It enhances the cycling experience in a much more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before to take advantage of the summer to get into shape!

Pricing: $199, Website: www.ibikesports.com, Available at: Apple Store: http://store.apple.com/us/product/H3828LL/A or Velocomp: http://www.ibikesports.com/ibikestore.html.

FOR SUMMER VACATION ROAD TRIPS: Kidz Gear Wireless Car Headphones for Kids

Trips will be more relaxing with the Kidz Gear Wireless Car Headphones for Kids that keep fussy children quiet on long car trips. These wireless IR headphones are designed specifically for the largest user market of built-in auto DVD and video systems – children. With 100% IR Compatibility Guaranteed and manufactured with the highest quality wireless technology components available, the Kidz Gear wireless headphones deliver extremely rich sound quality for a variety of video and audio content – DVDs, video players, radio and more. Available at many fine retailers as well as the Kidz Gear website. Just one more thing, parents once in a while check to see your kids are no blasting each ear drum out.

Pricing: $34.99, Website: www.gearforkidz.com

Google DROID No Match for Winter Blast

On a recent family trip to see snow, I thought it would be great to see if my Droid phone from Verizon Wireless would have any problems at 3500 ft and in the bitter cold of the mountains of Blowing Rock, N.C. over New Year’s Eve.

Well the temp ranged from 23-8 degrees and a wind chill factor of -5 to -18. Yes -18 wind chill! For us you can keep the winter, I will stay with my Miami, sunny hot weather any day.

So during my stay the famous “Can you hear me know,” failed so many times that it got frustrating. First I averaged one lousy bar if I was lucky. I asked others that had an iPhone 3G from AT&T, and they had the same signal problem. So much for the 3G map both companies use in commercials showing signal coverage.

Later I went sliding down a hill with my kids and filmed myself going down the same hill. The video quality by the way was clear. But the phone was so cold to the touch that far too many applications slowed down to a crawl.

The worst part is that trying to answer a phone call using the screen thumb slide, it took 3 times to work. Even today, Sunday Jan. 3rd it still takes that long. Luckily for me, the phone never got wet, I made sure that the phone was dry, but nothing could be done for the bitter air temps.

But to be fair the only two applications – Phone Cam & Google Maps GPS worked almost as they should in the cold. The GPS made the road trip less stressful. Only one thing I ask, please Google upgrade the maps feature that allows you to drag your route to an alternate route, similar to Google Maps on your PC.

Not sure if Motorola tested the Droid in the cold weather but mine acted like an old 386 PC. Meaning that here are a few factors that you should take into consideration if you go to cold weather with any phone.

Do’s:

1. Keep your phone in a warm pocket or in a zipped pouch.
2. Make sure your phone battery is fully charged, the cold drains the battery faster.
3. If you use gloves make sure they are not wet.
4. Have another person takes your picture so you can fun in the snow.
5. Transfer your pictures from your phone cam or camera as soon as you can. Like to a laptop or upload them to facebook, flicker or any other photo library. That way if your camera breaks, freezes mor get lost you can save your memories.

Don’ts:

1. Do not ever use your Droid as a snow ball mold.
2. Never use a wet glove after a snow ball fight to call home.
3. Don’t expect a good signal in a mountain range.

Final verdict: The Droid works flawlessly in warm weather, but Jack Frost blows the Droids circuits into a frozen wasteland.

NOTE: All pictures taken with the Google Droid by Motorola, Dec. 31, 2009-Jan. 2, 2010, by Roy Bassave.

TOP TEN HOLIDAY TRAVEL TIPS

Take it from me, while traveling to visit loved ones or vacationing during the holiday season is always an exciting time of year, it can also be one of the most stressful, as booking flights and finding the best deals can cause anyone a headache.

The folks and EL AL Airlines, Israel’s national airline, offers the tips below to make travel easier and more convenient for globetrotters this holiday season.

Covering everything from the best times to fly, getting the most for your money, flying with children, etc., the tips below outline ways you can make the most of their time and money this holiday season.

But remember these tips are perfect for year round traveling!

TOP TEN HOLIDAY TRAVEL TIPS FROM EL AL AIRLINES

Plan your trip as far ahead of time as possible – Book NOW. As the holiday season gets closer, the prices will inevitably go up – If possible, try to purchase the tickets for your flight as far in advance as possible.

Try to fly during the week – If at all possible, book your flight sometime in the middle of the week. Normally, weekend departures have a much higher demand than mid week flights, and often times the best prices can be found during the week.

Check for hotel/airfare deals – Many airlines offer packages and discounts on hotels, as well as combination air/car rental packages, depending on the airline and destination. Call the airline or check out the airline’s website for deals as many of these combinations are very competitively priced.

Check for special discounts – Many airlines offer discounts for families, children, and anyone over the age of 60 as well as their travel companions. Call the airline or view the website to find out discounts and special accommodations.

Consider late flights or red eyes – Red eyes and late night flights offer several advantages. First of all, when leaving at night, travelers can have a full day at the office or home. On the return, when taking a late night flight, travelers have a full day at their destination and don’t have to pay for an extra hotel night. Evening flights offer early morning arrival, as well as a quieter flight that allows for a better nights sleep on board.

Plan to arrive at the airport or station earlier than usual – The holiday season means many people are traveling, so there are more traffic jams and long lines. Allowing for a margin of time will pay off in reduced stress and could also mean the difference between a missed flight and one caught in plenty of time. 2 hours is ideal for a domestic flight and at least 2 and a half for international. Be sure to check with the airline prior to your flight but always leave extra time!

Prepare your pets for travel – As pets are often part of the family and hence the holiday travel plans, help prepare them accordingly. Pets should exercise before the flight: taking your pet for a quick jog or walk will help calm your pet before the flight so that they will sleep easier and be more comfortable. Pets should be fed a few hours before departure.

Dress airport appropriate - Wear slip-on shoes to make your trip through security checkpoints easier. Wear an outfit with plenty of layers to be appropriately prepared for various weather conditions and in-flight temperature changes. For children, get them ready for the flight by dressing in loose, easy to change, comfortable clothing and shoes. It is best to have the child dress in layers of clothing.

Prepare children for travel –Leading up to any flight or planned trip, gradually adjust the child’s sleeping schedule in order to prepare for long flights or when traveling through different time zones. Have them stay up a bit later every night.

Plan activities for your children while at the airport – Pack a bag with a lot of supplies to keep your child involved in fun games and activities. Bring items such as a sketch pad, crayons, stencils, books, educational games, and more.

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Cool gadgets for any gift idea!

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