A number of years ago, as we were seated on a plane with several other couples from the same company en route to a business conference, one woman was told she had to give up the seat she was sitting in because the flight was oversold. Her husband had to continue without her, as he […]

Even though we no longer have to pull out our plastic bag of regulated small-sized liquids and gels when going through the Pre-Check line on domestic flights, we are still not able to have bottles of alcohol or other large size liquids in our carry-on luggage. But, change may be coming, even if it is […]

We have had a very favorable year so far with no major hurricanes disrupting people’s vacations. Planning a holiday to the Caribbean before November can be a gamble, although the islands of Aruba and Curacao are not usually bothered by hurricanes. However, to avoid the problem altogether you have the excellent option of heading to […]

One of the interesting parts of my job is visiting different luxury hotels and resorts to see whether they meet the high standards we demand for our clients. The best way to learn about a resort is to visit it personally and try out the same services the clients will be using. Recently, I spent […]

Have you ever gone to a highly recommended restaurant when you were very hungry and left feeling you had had one of the best meals of your life, only to find when you returned in great anticipation for a second out-of-this-world meal, the same quality was not there? Unfortunately, that happens frequently and it is […]

If you are a winter Olympic athlete, you will be heading to Sochi, Russia in February to compete. What can you expect? Presumably, enough snow and ice in the mountainous Greater Sochi area to accommodate the different events. However,  now during the summer Sochi is the major Black Sea summer resort for the Russians and […]

It is not unusual to learn about New Zealand from our New Zealand friends in the travel industry, but today it was a pleasure to hear about a beautiful, natural area on the South Island that is perfect for hiking in the Abel Tasman National Park, biking on scenic trails, and tasting Pinot Noir and […]

Have you ever entered an airport lounge and thought you were in the wrong place? Most airport lounges are geared toward providing members with a quieter, more comfortable area to wait or work between flights. You can usually count on some small work cubicles, plugs for your laptop, cell phone and iPad, fairly comfortable chairs, […]

Until recently, Munich Airport has been an easier and faster airport to connect through than Frankfurt Airport for several reasons. Frequently, when landing at Frankfurt Airport the planes land far out on the tarmac making it necessary to climb down an outdoor stairway to leave the plane before taking a bus for a 10 minute […]

Could you fast all day without any food or water for an entire month? That is one of the striking things about visiting a Muslim country during Ramadan, when dawn to dusk fasting is obligatory for all healthy adult Muslims. Although they are expected to offer more prayers during this time, everyone continues to work, […]

Everyone who has studied the history of World War II knows that the famous Yalta Conference in 1945 changed the face of Europe. Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin met to decide on the spheres of influence that would exist following Hitler’s downfall. Germany was divided with Berlin as a partitioned city and the country split into […]

Maybe you have heard the expression in a phrase such as, “She raced through the mall like a whirling dervish.” So what would that mean? It refers to the movement of men as they twirl around while in a trance-like religious state. It is possible to watch these real whirling dervishes in Istanbul, where the […]