Last Saturday, the Olympic Torch relay set off in Great Britain and began a 70-day journey through the United Kingdom that will end on July 27 at the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympic Games. The countdown has begun.
Set on making it across the pond this summer? It’s not too late—but you must act now! To inspire you procrastinators to begin booking, we present our last-minute get-to-London guide.
The good news: flights to the city’s hub airports (Heathrow, Gatwick, London City) are still available. Right now, a search of round-trip fares from major U.S. cities range from $1,100 to $1,500. Departing from Chicago, you’ll fork over about $1,200 for a round-trip economy ticket on Virgin Atlantic Airways (a seat in the carrier’s newly revamped Upper Class cabin will cost you $2,800).
These fares are steep—and getting steeper—but they aren’t higher than this time last year. “I don’t think airlines are price gauging,” says George Hobica, founder of AirfareWatchdog.com, a site that monitors ticket prices. “It’s still the summer season and we’re seeing reasonable fares for this time of year.”
If you want to make absolutely sure that your tip is distributed evenly, follow this rule of thumb: leave $5 to $10 for each day in an envelope at the front desk. Note your room number and dates of stay on the envelope, and that you’d like it divided among all your housekeepers.
Have a travel dilemma? The trip doctor is in. Send your question to Amy at tripdoctor@aexp.com.
You may have heard the news: Spirit Airlines, one of the first carriers to implement a carry-on fee, will charge up to $100 per bag starting November 6.
That’s up from $45, the current carry-on cost for customers who wait and pay at the departure gate. Even if you plan ahead, you’ll still have to fork over a fee: the carry-on price at the airport kiosk will increase to $50 from $40. (Spirit considers carry-ons to be luggage stored in the overhead bin—passengers will still be entitled to a free personal item that can fit under the seat.)
What can you do to avoid a carry-on crisis the next time you travel?
There are two kinds of travelers in the world: over-packers, those who try to stuff their entire closet into the overhead compartment on the plane, and under-packers, those who head directly to the store once they get to their destination because they don't have what they need. Not only am I a former over-packer, but I was a random over-packer, so I had a suitcase full of nonsense. Nothing ever went together so I was constantly asking myself, "Why did I pack that?"
I'm proud to say I've come a long way in the packing department. But it's an acquired skill and one worth spending some time on as summer approaches.
Here, 10 questions to ask yourself when you're trying to decide what to put in your suitcase.
1. What activities do you KNOW you're going to do? The reason I was an over-packer was because I allowed my mind to go crazy with 'maybes.' Maybe I'll want to do this activity, maybe I'll want to do that activity, and pretty soon I was taking my whole closet because I wasn't focusing on what I was really going to do. So first and foremost: what activities do you KNOW you're going to do? Start there, and then you can tweak at the end as space allows.
Travel Pulse | Virgin Atlantic Airways has introduced a new Upper Class cabin that is part of its £100 million redesign of the Upper Class product. Virgin has created a new website that has a virtual tour of the new cabin. The site links to more than 40 YouTube videos that feature the new cabin.
The new cabin features an eight-foot-long bar billed as the longest in the sky...
As Travel + Leisure's news editor, I've spent nearly a decade working behind the scenes to deliver the strategies you need to make the most of your travels. Now it's time to speak with readers directly. In my new role as T+L's Trip Doctor, I'm here to answer your most pressing travel dilemmas, from how to save money in a time of rising airfares to what apps and websites you really need to make your life easier.
Tomorrow afternoon, in honor of our upcoming June hotels issue, I'll be hosting a live Facebook chat to tackle your thorniest hotel questions—just in time for your summer getaways. Want to know when to book a hotel room online to get the best rate? Curious about which guest-rewards programs give you the most bang for your buck? Want to know the tricks for getting a room upgrade, or how (once and for all) to tip your housekeeper? Log onto Facebook.com/TravelandLeisure tomorrow, April 24, 3 p.m. - 4 p.m. ET to send your questions my way. And look for our new Trip Doctor column in Travel + Leisure's June issue.
P.S. If you can't make the chat, you can always reach me at TripDoctor@aexp.com and by following @afarles on Twitter.
From hotel deals to cooking classes, Travel + Leisure's digital projects director, Sarah Spagnolo, shares her favorite tips for making the most of New Orleans right now.
For my last round-up, I shared a collection of my favorite new cell phone accessories. This week I want to showcase a my fave iPad accessories. So let’s just cut to the chase and dive right on in, shall we?
Not everyone likes to bring their iPads with them when they’re walking around a strange city. For starters, showing off your flashy, expensive toy can turn you into a target for a mugging. Second, you kind of look like a jerk using an iPad as a camera. I’m sorry, but it had to be said. However, it can be understandably nerve-wracking leaving it behind in your hotel room, especially when there is no personal safe. For peace of mind, pick up the TechSafe Case ($80; griffintechnology.com), which connects to a steel cable that can be tethered to just about anything (like the heavy hotel desk, perhaps).
Need help planning your next dream vacation? Looking for a few money-saving travel tips? You’re in luck! T+L invites you to our first-ever "Ask An Editor Day," taking place right on our Facebook Wall tomorrow, April 12.
From 10 a.m. ET to 6 p.m. ET, you can post your travel quandary on our Wall—and throughout the day our expert editors will respond with an answer.
Simply like our Facebook page and then head over to the Wall, where the Q+A party will take place. Don’t miss this chance to access T+L's expert editors—and get tips straight from the ultimate travel source! We look forward to hearing from you.
Booking a trip to Europe? Have a ton questions that need answering? Then join us tomorrow (April 11), from 3 p.m. until 4 p.m. ET, for a live “tweet-up” chat. Hosting the chat will be Travel + Leisure Senior Editor Clara Sedlak. Also joining in the conversation is a panel of travel experts, all eager to answer your burning travel questions. Our expert panelists include:
- Alexia Gobit-Abril, Manadarin Oriental, Paris: @MO_Paris - Dan Askin + John Deiner, Cruise Critic: @CruiseCritic - Ellen Lecompte, T+L A-List Travel Agent, with Brownell Travel: @BrownellTravel - Geri Jacobs, Vice Chairman for the European Travel Commission: @VisitEurope
How does it work?
1. Log in to Twitter any time from 3-4 p.m. ET and be sure to follow the chat hosts: @TravlandLeisure and @csedlak1 2. Use the hashtag #TL_Chat to follow and participate in the Getting Great Service Tweet-Up. 3. To keep up with the chat in real time, head over to http://tweetchat.com/room/tl_chat 4. We'll pulse out some questions for our expert panel to answer, but feel free to post your own answers to our questions! Or ask your own questions! Take advantage of this special access to this fab panel and get some expert travel advice.
We hope to "see" you there!
Joshua Pramis is the social media editor and resident tech aficionado at Travel + Leisure. Follow him on Twitter: @joshuapramis
Last Saturday, the Olympic Torch relay set off in Great Britain and began a 70-day journey through the United Kingdom that will end on July 27 at the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympic Games. The countdown has begun.
As Travel + Leisure's news editor, I've spent nearly a decade working behind the scenes to deliver the strategies you need to make the most of your travels. Now it's time to speak with readers directly. In my new role as T+L's Trip Doctor, I'm here to answer your most pressing travel dilemmas, from how to save money in a time of rising airfares to what apps and websites you really need to make your life easier.
Not everyone likes to bring their iPads with them when they’re walking around a strange city. For starters, showing off your flashy, expensive toy can turn you into a target for a mugging. Second, you kind of look like a jerk using an iPad as a camera. I’m sorry, but it had to be said. However, it can be understandably nerve-wracking leaving it behind in your hotel room, especially when there is no personal safe. For peace of mind, pick up the TechSafe Case ($80; 
