womantraveler

Airline Travel Up: Plan Ahead

Those of us women who travel, especially for business, should review our airport travel habits developed post-9/11 to be sure we're ready for busy air travel again. The volume of travel Memorial Day Weekend is a sure sign, and airports such as Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) are anticipating full post-9/11 recovery by next summer. If you travel for business or pleasure, you're bound to experience the difference -- so be prepared for more crowded airports and flights.

Two bright signs for business travelers are the merger of US Airways and America West and the expansion of the government's Registered Traveler security screening program at 5 -- soon to be more -- US airports.

Air travel is back up for several reasons. Airlines have cut back flights domestically, but fares are lower and there's more competition for good deals. People are more confident and traveling more by airplane for leisure. Most importantly for this summer, the weak US dollar is sending more international travelers to the US. In fact, LAX expects a 6 percent increase over last summer overall but a 10 percent increase in international travel and more than 13 percent additional international flights. It's good news the travel and tourism industry -- but clearly will impact impact security, food lines, and ground transportation in major international airport and domestic airport hubs across the US -- such as Chicago, San Francisco, New York's JFK, and Washington Dulles.

More information on new conveniences at airports and travel tips...

Cell Phone Wine and City Guides

Busy womentravelers need to make decisions on the go, so we can now download guidebooks to 40 US and 100 worldwide cities through Timeout.com's mobile directory available through cellular services such as T-Mobile. About $5 a city.

And what wine to order at dinner? If you're a Verizon Wireless customer, you can consult the Wine Spectator's ratings by cell phone on the spot -- checking quality and style before you make your selection. Though we want to throw our zucchini at people who talk on their cell phones at resto tables, there are ways to finesse this -- such as stepping out to the lobby. At $5.99 a month.

Stay classy.

Cruising the Central Coast

Halfway between LA and San Francisco is California's Central Coast region. For many out-of-state visitors, it's a pass-through between better-known Santa Barbara, Hearst Castle, and Big Sur. Those of us who know Pismo Beach, the Edna Valley, San Luis Obispo, and Paso Robles are gleeful that overwrought tourism hype hasn't ruined the local feel. After all, look what happened to Santa Barbara County after the highly successful movie, Sideways (see my archived article). Today, the word "overrun" comes quickly to mind.

I try to get to the area once a year. Halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, the area is perfect for an overnight en route -- about 3 1/2 to 4 hours from each end of the trip along US 101. Others I know go to the Central Coast for long weekends or vacations. Here you find funky beach towns with dramatic views from abrupt cliffs, the Pacific Gibraltar of Morro Rock, two intimate wine regions, a charming college town, the legendary Madonna Inn (which beats Hollywood and the Poconos for authentic kitsch in one fell swoop), and wild nature -- monarch butterfly preserves, whale-watching, and elephant seal colonies.

Read on for the full trip...

Healthy Eating along the NJ Pike

In driving up and down the lower 100 miles of the New Jersey Turnpike this week between Delaware and Staten Island, I discovered several ways to eat healthier than the typical fast food restaurants positioned at turnpike rest stops.

Midway, to the west: Take turnpike exit 4 and drive over to Philadelphia, where one of the world's greatest farmers markets, the indoor, covered and huge Reading Terminal Market, is a destination in itself. It's well worth the break from the grinding drive. When I lived in Philly, I would spend entire days there, browsing through the stalls, sampling, eating. Monday-Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Midway, to the east: Take turnpike exit 5 and drive a couple of miles to Mt. Holly, where Christopher's Deli and Catering sits informally in a small strip mall, at 516 High Street (609.265.4000); Mon-Fri, 9-8, and Sat 9-3. On a cool rainy day, we chose from the hot smorgasbord -- Tuesday's special was fresh roasted turkey and dressing -- as well as the cold buffet and sandwich lanes. For a copy of Burlington County's smoke-free dining guide, call 609.261.0001.

On the pike -- Eat at Starbucks (besides non-rockgut coffee and tea, there are juices, sandwiches, salads and yogurt).

For other suggestions, ask a toll booth operator -- they know their communities.

Traveling by Fiction

There's nothing like the travel lust that a good novel invokes. But a novel as a travel guide? When I moved to LA from the East Coast, a colleague advised me to read James M. Cain for a quick historical and culture guide to the region through the roman noir. Now, after The Postman Always Rings Twice, Double Indemnity, and Mildred Pierce, among other LA fiction, I have context for both the wacky and the ordinary. I always check out fiction -- past and present -- before moving or traveling to new places. Writer Peggy Williams, preparing for her visit to Kyoto, reminded me of one of my armchair visits to Japan through Junichiro Tanizaki's pre-World War II epic, The Makioka Sisters.

Put some of these novels on your summer reading list to travel afar or learn more about places you may never visit. In either case, the trip can't be spoiled -- unless your book falls into the pool.

The Virgin's Lover, by Phillippa Gregory -- A love triangle burns among the newly crowned Elizabeth I, her lover, and his wife.

Skeleton Man, by Tony Hillerman -- A robbery investigated by Lt. Joe Leaphorn leads to the Hopi Underworld.

Caramelo, by Sandra Cisneros -- The author of The House on Mango Street weaves a dazzling family saga about three generations of Mexicans, Mexican Americans, and Americans.

Prague: A Novel, by Arthur Phillips -- Budapest ex-pats in the 1990s characterize the post-Berlin Wall generation of Eastern Europe.

Nights of Rain and Stars, by Maeve Binchy -- Four strangers cross paths in a tiny Greek seaside village.

Graceland: A Novel, by Chris Abani -- A street performer attempts Elvis in the deeply fractured city of Laos, Nigeria.

Spring Flowers, Spring Frost, by Ismail Kadare -- An Albanian mystery demystifies the exhilaration and chaos following long oppression.

JetBlue, How Are You?

JetBlue may be falling out of favor with some of its fans. Passengers are complaining about flight delays, baggage handling, and even the lack of amenities compared to other airlines. Still, reports the New York Times, JetBlue has one of the highest load factors -- or percentage of seats filled -- and ranks just under Southwest for customer complaints. But success and growth bring challenges -- and JetBlue needs to be listening.

Luxury and Adventure for 2005

Ready for luxury or adventure this summer? Here are some of the worldwide hot spots that might not otherwise be on your radar screen. But hurry -- summer leisure travel is really heating up again.

Wondrous and strange hotels -- a cave, an icehotel, baseball stadium views, and more...

World's top luxury resorts -- Morocco, Patagonia, Napa, Nantucket, to name a few...

French language immersion -- The Loire Valley village of Sancerre, France, and the chance to experience France through French eyes...

Hawaiian wineries -- who would have thunk?

Fodor's Europe -- Da Vinci's mind, Coco Chanel's Paris, Spain's parador castle hotels, great drives, Majorca, and other exotic spots...

More tips on summer 2005 travel, and if you have the flexibility, consider off-peak summer travel in hot spots like Miami, Australia, and St. Croix.

Bags 1, Luggage

On our way to a Caribbean cruise, my friend and I decided to fly down a couple of days early, unwind in a casual resort, and be tanned and fresh for our weeklong multi-island journey. The trick would be to pack a carry-on bag for two days -- and ship our cruise luggage ahead to have it waiting for us onboard. We filled out the customs paperwork, made the proper arrangements with the cruise line and FedEx, and packed all our bags. But at the last minute, we couldn't ship our cruise luggage ahead due to post-9/11 customs jitters on the departure island.

It was those carry-on bags and cell phones that saved us. The two of us, each with one carry-on bag and two overstuffed pieces of checked cruise luggage, flew through JFK International Airport in New York and had to change planes. We and our carry-ons arrived as planned on our departure island. But our cruise luggage did not -- in fact, not for two very long days that seemed like two weeks. Those four overstuffed darlings apparently spent a couple of days riding the conveyor belts at JFK between airlines before an eagle-eye baggage handler noticed that they hadn't made the flight transfer. Meanwhile, we sunned, fretted, and spent about $200 on cell phone charges to track down our luggage through the airlines (see article on this site: "International Cell Phones, Simplified.") Fortunately, we were all happily reunited just hours before the ship's departure.

Every womantraveler knows that bags have the word "headache" written all over them. Read more for tips on how to make your luggage hassles somewhat smoother:

US Airways, America West Merger and You

It's too early to tell how the merger announced May 19 of US Airways and America West will affect all travelers, but here are some early indicators that might affect you, from the Business Journals in Washington, DC, Charlotte, NC, and Philadelphia -- all major East-West connection hubs for US Airways -- and from Sacramento, CA, and Denver, major locations for America West. This may open up new opportunities for Southwest Airlines in locations like Philly, as well.

Great Deals Around the Web

New deals for summer -- book soon:

Destinations

Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands

Caribbean

Airlines

United Airlines (international)

US Airways (international)

Air Canada

Air France

American Airlines

Miscellaneous

40 bargain trips

Summer airfare deals

Cheap fares weblog