Travel Trends :: Airport Attractions

Aside from the people-watching, waiting around in an airport is tiring and lame (unless you're this girl). Thank goodness for Asian Airports who are at the forefront of entertaining travelers AND setting the bar higher for airports worldwide. Next time you're travelling internationally (or stuck in an airport due to icelandic volcanic ash), make the most of your layover by checking out these airport attractions:

Changi Airport Singapore Winner of the 2010 Skytrax World's Best Airport Award, Changi knows how to entertain its guests.  Get lost in the 300 retail and dining options at Shopping City--the self-proclaimed 'world's best' duty-free shopping. Once you're tired from purchasing perfumes and Fendi bags, relax at the airport's Balinese-themed, roof-top swimming pool. For approx $10USD get access to the pool, jacuzzi and shower facilities, plus a towel and a complimentary non-alcoholic drink from the bar.  Yes please.  Finally check out the 47 butterfly species fluttering about in the airport's Butterfly Garden.

Hong Kong Airport Golf aficionados might want to fandangle a stop at Hong Kong's international airport just to say they played nine holes enroute to Bangkok (although somewhere to currently avoid with the onset of political conflict). Located in Terminal 2, SkyCity Nine Eagles Golf Course is Hong Kong's first nine-hole golf course created to United States Golf Association standards. Don't miss: Island Green, the course's signature hole sitting on an island in the middle of an artificial lake.  When you're tired from hitting the green and want to relax, Terminal 2 is the place to be with a 4-D movie theatre featuring the largest 4-D screen in Asia, 7 multi-sensory special effects and 360 seats.

Vancouver International Airport Relaxation is where Vancouver's Airport sets itself apart. Between the nature sounds played in the background, the water features, the impressive fish tanks throughout, these calming cues take the edge off travel. Taking relaxation to the next level is where Absolute Spa comes in. With outlets throughout the domestic and US terminals (as well as in the Airport hotel: Fairmont YVR), Absolute Spa & Salon specializes in chair massage, jet lag treatments, manicures, pedicures and hair services. Finally, for a pick-me-up, head to the Fairmont YVR to use the hotel's health club, sauna and showers for $15.

Heathrow Airport Along with a Yotel, spa services and lounges, Heathrow's piece de resistance is its significant Harrod's presence in terminal 1, 3 & 4, including an 11,000sf space in Terminal 5.  And here's some additional trivia, apparently T5 is the largest free-standing building in the UK.  Harrod's Heathrow retail spaces are devoted to fashion and accessories for the distinguished traveller, as well as those who want to pick up some last-min, classier-than-normal souvenirs.  Telephone booth tin with shortbread cookies anyone?

Palm Springs Airport I know, this selection seems weird.  Palm springs airport is undoubtedly small and uneventful, but these features add to its charm.  The airport's beauty mark is its outdoor waiting area with benches, grassy patches, palm trees and flowers overlooking a tall mountain.  So many airports spend money on serenity areas with water features, misting stations, butterfly sanctuaries and nature noises but this comes naturally to Palm Springs.

Cruisin' with the Fam

[trip style = cruising] {more pics below}

Not cruisin' as in Sunday drive, cruisin' as in drifting the open seas, visiting far-off lands and clinking champagne glasses.

2 Memories Two memories stick out from my last cruise experience: the flowrider surf simulator (pics below) and enough family reunion t-shirts to sink a ship.... But seriously, the family reunion t-shirts got me thinking: cruising is an excellent family getaway option.  There's a reason you see so many intergenerational family groups getting together aboard the open seas...for better or for worse.

Why Cruise with the Fam? When traveling with a big group, the key is to enter an environment that's stimulating yet relaxing, exciting yet serene and busy yet low-key. Taking on the wild blue yonder with your family might seem overwhelming, but take heart: cruising takes you in, disperses you over multiple floors, engages you in fun activities, encourages you to eat more than you could dream of, introduces you to new places and brings you all together for dinner to talk about it!  Choosing to cruise for the "2010 Jones family reunion" offers something for everyone from bridge-playing grandma Jean to Buzz Lightyear-obsessed toddler Tommy.

Family Cruising Highlights + Insights

• Thou shalt rarely utilize thy wallet: Almost everything (except alcohol, certain restaurants and organized shore excursions) is included.
• Thou shalt enjoy child-minding: Most major cruise lines offer complimentary kids programs for kids aged 3 - teen. Some ships even offer baby & parent programs as well.  Don't forget, if the cruise line has kids programs, it most likely has nightly babysitting as well!
• Thou shalt engage in activities they enjoy. Choose a cruise with lots of activities so everyone can get lost in their niche--even if that's simply lying by the pool or singing along at the piano bar!
• Thou shalt choose thy ship wisely: small ship vs big ship?  With smaller ships like The Yatchs of Seabourne you'll encounter an intimate experience with each other, staff and other guests; whereas larger ships can sometimes cater to each family member's individual tastes a little better given the scale of their offerings.  For example, Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas has a zip line, aqua theatre, dual flow-riders and rock-climbing walls in addition to the regular list of items one would expect from a cruise liner.
• Thou shalt seek adventure beyond the open seas.  Ports of call offer cruise-goers the opportunity to regain their land-legs and explore new territory.  Keep in mind: small ships can venture into less populated destinations, whereas larger ships will need to dock or tender in major ports of call.  Which would you prefer?
• Thou shalt choose thy shore excursions wisely.  Often cruise-endorsed excursions are overpriced and touristy to- the-max.  Seasoned cruisers usually opt to hire a taxi tour guide for the day or find a great beach and lunch spot.

When To make cruising cost-efficient for every family member--or Aunt Zelda who may be the financier--choose to cruise in off-season: - Caribbean: late fall to mid-december, spring, late summer & early fall (hurricane season) - Europe: late fall, winter, early spring - Alaska: early spring, early fall

Best Cruise Lines + Cruise Websites for Family Travel - royalcarribean.com - ncl.com - vacationstogo.com - kayak.com/cruises - cruisedirect.com - cruisesonly.com - cheapcruises.com

[me on the flowrider]

[my husband on the flowrider]

[me rock climbing]

Loving Low Season Price Battles

[trip style = sun + beach]

Occasionally companies fight for your business.  In the travel industry, April is one of those times.  For the past two weeks twitter and traditional media outlets have been buzzing with airlines and travel co's going to head-to-head on flight deals and vacation packages that could even make a homebody drool!

Low Season Last time I wrote about low season it was early December before rates went sky-high for the holiday season's winter escape artists. Now it's April, the sun's shining longer and people are venturing outside more. Airlines and resorts know that people are more interested in spring cleaning than sitting on white-sand beaches sipping mojitos with crushed mint and a hint of simple sugar...not sure why.  So, flights and hotels are being discounted--in some cases up to 60% off high season rates--in order to entice vacationers to travel south.

Competing with Price Because people travel less in shoulder season, travel companies aren't competing with give-aways or extras. April is when they simply offer really low prices, typically for travel in April, May and June (depending on the destination). WHY? Airlines and resorts need travelers to protect their passenger loads and occupancy rates and would rather discount a little than operate a ghost town. Because airlines don't stop flying and resorts don't close, they still need people to book travel during the spring time.

A Sample of April 2010's Travel Deals [I've opted to post a sampling of spring travel deals vs 'how to find spring travel deals' because everywhere you look, travel to europe and sunny destinations is currently discounted. If you want to travel in the next 2 months, check your favourite travel website; chances are, you'll find a great trip for an excellent price.]

Packages Expedia.ca - Caribbean Sale. Save up to 50%; travel now through September 30, 2010. Book by April 27. Travelocity.ca - Hawaii Sale.  Save up to 60%; travel now through June 6, 2010.  Book by April 30.

Cruises Vacationstogo.com - save up to 75% on Caribbean and early-season Alaskan cruises. [sign up for a free account to see "90-day ticker" rates]

Flights WestJet.com - From $29 one-way. WestJet's Spring Fever sale is here: cheap flights to all destinations. Book by midnight (MT) April 14, 2010. VirginAmerica.com - From $49 one-way.  Book by April 19, 2010.  Fly with 14-day advanced purchase April 26 through June 20th.

Travel iPhone Apps :: Kindle

Having multiple devices for multiple functions is sooooo yesterday.  Forget about buying a Kindle and just download the Kindle app directly to your iPhone. Now, you can travel lighter sans extra book and magazine weight in your bags! Kindle for iPhone App Details

• free
• works with iPhone and iTouch
• buy kindle books from your Mac, PC, iPhone or iTouch and wirelessly transfer to your device
• test drive the beginning of any book before you buy
• download the kindle books you already own for free
• adjust text size and add bookmarks
• tap and hold on a word to create a note or a highlight. Whispersync will back up and synchronize annotations with your other Kindle devices
• read in portrait or landscape
• select alternate background and text colors to improve reading comfort in low light conditions
• tap on either side of the screen or flick to turn pages
• pinch to zoom images in books

Other Travel iPhone Apps we've Reviewed

• Packing Pro
• Skype
• World Fact Book
• AAA/CAA Savings
• Royal Caribbean
• Tourism British Columbia :: Near Me BC
• Postman Postcard
• 2010 Guide
• Nat'l Geo World Atlas
• hostelworld.com
• kayak first class
• flight control (game)

The Wild Web of Airline Affiliations

Go farther with free travel when you book with one or two airline alliances versus traveling with a hodge-podge of airlines and never amassing points.  Then, escape sooner and more often through loyalty to one program.

Australia - that's a lot of mileage... For example, I'd like to go to Australia later this year.  Even though I desperately want to fly there with VAustralia, I must hold back my index finger from buying the fare online since Virgin's mileage program "elevate" is only applicable for redemption with other Virgin carriers.  For a trip with such a huge distance or mileage earning potential (YVR to SYD), you better believe I'll book with my preferred airline alliance.  It would be stupid not to.  The mileage I'd collect from Vancouver to Sydney return, represents two-thirds the mileage needed to fly from Seattle to the Southern Caribbean return in off-season.

Knowing most of us are price-conscious flyers, start to think strategically about collecting points: - weigh the price difference between the flights in question - which option better aligns with your preferred airline alliance? - which alliance do you fly with more (consider your regular destinations & airlines serving your home airport)?

Start your free travel strategizing now!  Here's a list of global airline alliances and their carriers:

Star Alliance Air Canada Air New Zealand US Airways United Continental Adria Air China ANA Asiana Airlines Austria Blue1 bmi Brussels Airlines Croatia Airlines EgyptAir LOT Polish Airlines Lufthansa Scandinavian Airlines Shanghai Airlines South African Airways Spanair Swiss TAP Portugal Thai Turkish Airlines

One World American Airlines British Airways Cathay Pacific Finnair Iberia Japan Airlines LAN Malev Mexicana Quantas Royal Jordanian

Sky Team Aeroflot AeroMexico AirFrance KLM Alitalia China Southern Czech Airlines Delta Korean Air

Note - Most discount carriers aren't part of global airline alliances, yet some offer mileage-style programs like WestJet dollars, giving frequent flyers cash-back towards use of a WestJet flight or vacation package. - Alaska Airlines has a mileage program and partners with a host of airlines, yet is not part of a global airline alliance (except that most of their airline partners are part of One World...).

Related articles Wild Web of Hotel Affiliations Go the Distance with your Airmiles