Category Archives: airlines

15 Fabulous Airplane Shots

airplane shots

I’ve loved to travel for most of my life and in the past few years I’ve made a bit of a job out of it. While it’s not always terribly lucrative, it has been fun. I DO really LOVE to TRAVEL. I like virtually everything about it. BUT I didn’t always love to fly. Now I’ve truly grown to love it. AND, to me, one of the best things are some of the amazing shots I’ve gotten from the window seat of an airplane. I hope you enjoy the view!

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Flying over Miami Beach. One of my favorite views.

aerial thailand

Up in the friendly Thai skies. Aren’t the clouds so gorgeous?

aerial atlantic sunset

Catching sunset over the Atlantic Ocean. What a sky!

aerial london

Descending over Londontown. Ello River Thames.

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Leaving beautiful Bali. What stunning blue water!

aerial china

Sunset somewhere between Mongolia and China.

aerial iceland

The stunning south coast of Iceland.

aerial greenland

Brrr! Greenland below.

aerial jamaica

Coming in for a landing. Welcome to Jamaica, mon.

aerial india

Sunrise goodbye to India.

aerial boston

My pretty hometown of Boston!

aerial english channel

Last bit of land before the English Channel en route to Paris.

aerial harbor island

Pink sand beaches of Harbor Island, Bahamas. Wow!

midnight sun iceland

Seeing the Midnight Sun in Iceland!

aerial new orleans

Saying goodbye to the mighty Mississippi River in New Orleans.

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Filed under airlines, bahamas, bali, boston, iceland, india, jamaica, london, miami, mongolia, new orleans, travel

Surviving Long Haul Flights

boston airplane view

Anyone who travels often surely has tips and tricks to surviving flying. Whether it’s what seat to pick on certain aircrafts or how dress, frequent flyers always have things that work best for them. I, too, have my travel necessities for surviving flying and, in particular, long haul flights.

Stay Hydrated

drinking water while flying

I’ll be the first to admit that on many overnight long haul flights I’ll have a glass of wine or two to help me fall asleep but that’s not a good way to stay hydrated. You truly have to drink a decent amount of water. Yes, you may have to visit the onboard lavatory more than you’d like but you will feel much better when you reach your destination.

Distract Yourself

People always seem concerned about the length of time for long haul flights and avoiding becoming stir crazy. As odd as it may sound, I have started to enjoy the really lengthy long haul flights. I distract myself with movies, reading, writing and, most of all, listening to music. I always have a couple sets of earphones just in case one stops working. Music is my ultimate distractor in my every day life and I find it relieves stress and even helps me to sleep when I fly.

Sleep If You Can

eye mask

Even if you only sleep a little bit, it can help in keeping you feeling refreshed. When traveling on a long haul flight you are going to be crossing many time zones and that can be exhausting. One thing I’ve found that really helps me is an eye mask. This may seem very obvious but I only recently tried it out on daytime flights and it really works.

Avoid Jet Lag

Jet lag is a tough thing. It can definitely take a toll on you and your body. While staying hydrated and sleeping can help, in addition I take a homeopathic chewable called No Jet Lag during the flight. I’ve had no side effects and, more than anything, I’ve found it simply aids me in staying awake until it’s bedtime in the new time zone that I’ve arrived.

Staying Comfortable

long haul flying dress

Staying comfortable in your little space on the aircraft can be tricky. Wearing loose clothes can certainly keep you comfortable as well as help in the rest and relaxation department. Traveling with layers is also a good idea in case it’s chilly during the flight. I have one dress that I almost always wear during long haul flights. No, it’s not my most traveled dress but it’s close. It’s sleeveless, so great when I’m hot, and is t-shirt material, so feels like pajamas. I also travel with a cardigan, scarf and/or denim jacket. All these items can be useful in keeping you warm but also can double as blankets, pillows & face masks.

Don’t Let Your Skin Suffer

Maroc100 flight cocktail face cream

Since you’re hydrating your insides why not hydrate your outside too. Water consumption definitely is a good thing all the way around but that airplane air can dry out your skin and lips like you’ve been visiting the desert. I carry hand cream, Kiehls #1 lip balm and Maroc100. Kiehls is a product I use every day and it truly keeps my lips from drying and cracking even during the harsh New England winters. Maroc100 Flight Creme Skin Rescue Cocktail  is a new product that I have tried on several long haul flights and can say that my face stays moist and I arrive with a glow upon touch down. Best part is after trying it out multiple times this sensitive skin gal has had zero problems with a reaction.

Arrive refreshed

All of the above will help you to arrive to your destination refreshed but there have been too many times where I land starving or in need of the bathroom. I’ve wised up and now always have small snacks in my bag that never go bad like nuts or power bars. Also, I always try to go to the restroom on board the plane not long before landing. Often, with long haul flights, you are arriving in a new country which means immigration and customs awaits. It’s no fun needing to relieve yourself through that entire process. Another tip is to either brush your teeth or have some gum or mints. I’m telling you that wakes you up and everyone you encounter will appreciate your fresh breath.

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Filed under airlines, fashion, travel

Flying the Friendly Skies with Air Miles

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There are many ways to rack up miles to use for plane tickets. I have a couple of credit cards I use to collect them. While there’s a lot of thoughts around how best to do this, the other challenge with the air miles game is how best to use them. Last summer I was on the other side of the globe needing to get home and had no plane ticket. BUT I did have a big stockpile of miles and some flexibility. This is where I Fly With Miles came to my rescue.

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After I finished the EPIC Mongol Rally, I was over in beautiful Bali but wanted to get back to Boston by Labor Day weekend. While I would never say no to a business or first class ticket it is definitely not my mode of flying transport. I’d rather spend my money other ways. However, I Fly With Miles was able to get me business class flights from Bali to New York City for a minimal amount of miles used and small taxes and fees out of pocket. It really opened up my eyes to the opportunities of using miles and the benefit of having someone to help me navigate the mileage system.

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I worked with Mike from I Fly With Miles who took into consideration minimum legs, working with partner airlines for luggage ease, least layover time and best use of mileage. For example, I flew from Bali on Singapore Airlines in business class to Singapore. It was awesome to go to the check in and not be in a long line to check my luggage. Also, my 3rd leg was going to be on Air India, both airlines are part of the Star Alliance, so my bags could be checked in Bali all the way through to New York. What a huge hassle relief. Finally, flying business class afforded me lounge access which was also nice for the layover parts of my long journey home.

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Besides the spacious seating, wonderful customer service, delicious meals and electronic outlets that made me giddy, my favorite part of my journey home was being met in Delhi by a Singapore Airlines representative to insure my way through security and transferring to the Air India lounge without any issues. He was so friendly and helpful – I didn’t expect this level of care. What a wonderful way to travel.

india

In all, it was 78,000 miles I had to put into partner airline programs to sort out my return. I had these points in my American Express Membership Rewards account and Mike with I Fly With Miles told me what frequent flyer accounts to create (if I didn’t already have them), how many miles to place where and if any needed to be transferred elsewhere. Baggage fees were included because of the class of service. All I had to pay for was a one-way ticket home from JFK New York and the taxes/fees associated with using the mileage for a ticket. Out of pocket, it cost me less than $200 to fly back from Bali to Boston.

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Check out I Fly With Miles and all that they can do for you and your stockpiles of miles. Who has time to figure that out? It’s a small consulting fee toward their frequent flyer booking service, that’s it. I’d rather just think about packing my bags and spending my hard-earned money on some yummy meals and a swank hotel. Don’t  you agree?!

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Filed under airlines, bali, boston, singapore, travel

Next up for Lola: #IcelandStopover in Iceland!

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I’ve made it NO SECRET how much I loved Iceland. Soooo when I knew I had to get to the UK for the Mongol Rally in July, I thought to myself, why not take advantage of that awesome stopover option with Icelandair to go to Iceland in the summertime and see my lovely friend, Inga, of Tiny Iceland fame as well. I mean, I did fall for Iceland in the wintertime so I can only imagine how smitten I will be with her in the summer.

edda

I’m thrilled to be going back and not only returning to some of my favorites from my March visit but also focusing on a new part of Iceland that I was unable to see before. This visit I’ll be going with Inga to West Iceland and the Westfjords. I absolutely loved the fjords in East Iceland so I know I’m going to be in for a treat. The Westfjords in Iceland are often overlooked by travelers because it’s sometimes inaccessible (i.e. roads closed in the wintertime). Our plan is to take four full days to see this area in a relaxing & stress free way and really taking in all that Mother Nature has to offer. We will have the pleasure of staying Hotel Edda Laugar in Sælingsdalur, with a fantastic central location for the area and are partnering with the fabulous Sixt to give us a safe, sweet ride for those Icelandic roads. I cannot wait!!

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BUT to kick off our little tour, first, we will revisit Laugarvatn Fontana Spa. Remember how I said the geothermal waters have restorative powers? Well how better to ward off jetlag than having a relaxing soak? We’ll be staying at Hotel Edda ÍKÍ, a summer hotel about an hour from Reykjavík and located right next to Fontana Spa. Another cool thing to note about this location is that it’s in the Golden Circle (Þingvellir national park, Geysir hot spring area and Gullfoss waterfall) which is always of interest to visitors of Iceland.

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After touring and sharing the best of the West of Iceland, Inga & I will spend my final night back in Reykjavik and at my favorite – Icelandair Hotel Reykjavik Marina. I’m sure we’ll find lots of good fun in the capital city, maybe even some new discoveries. It’ll be like returning home for me. So excited! AND a perfect send off before the craziness ensues with my Mongol Rally journey.

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You can follow us on our journey from July 11-15 at:

TinyIceland: TwitterInstagramVine App & Facebook AND introducing Snapchat (add @TinyIceland) to give readers and followers the chance to see real, authentic, unedited and behind the scene footage!

Lola: FacebookTwitter & Instagram

Our Official Hashtag is #ICELANDSTOPOVER

A bit about Tiny Iceland – Those who have followed me around for the past two and half years know my passion to promote Iceland, interact and meet travelers, share photos and videos via social media, and that all with personal, informative and fun touch! I really appreciate all the friends, followers and success I’ve gained since starting Tiny Iceland april 2012 and I can’t wait to share this trip with you guys. Make sure when visiting Iceland to use my official hashtag #TripInIceland so I can follow along via social media.

iceair

And more on Icelandair’s awesome stopover program: Traveling from the US to Europe or vice versa you can stop in Iceland for up to 7 days, free when flying with Icelandair. Click here to read all about it! The Icelandair stopover is a brilliant way to get a taste of what Iceland has to offer.

TAKK to our partners: IcelandairSixt car rentalHotel EddaIcelandair Hotels and Laugarvatn Fontana. We can’t wait to share more of why Iceland is so special!

 

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Filed under airlines, hipster hotels, iceland, travel

how i traveled to five major cities in 18 hours

and not just 5 cities – five major cities in four countries!

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on my way to Spain in March i ran into some trouble. for one, there was a massive overnight snowstorm on the East Coast that waylaid everything. at first, this actually seemed to be a good thing as i underestimated time to clear off my car and drive the snowy roads of Massachusetts. i was terribly relieved to find out my flight was delayed. once i got settled at the airport, however, it became evident it was going to be so delayed that i would miss my connection in NYC direct to Barcelona. (now you see where i’m going with this, right?!)

once in NYC i was told i was being re-routed now through London. GREAT! Heathrow. the roughest security on earth. plus, i brought my €’s not my £’s for the airport. moving on. what about my bag?! i was told some kind of airline mumbo-jumbo term for “we’ll call and tell them you’re changing carriers and to pull your bag”. fingers crossed i ever see that bag again…

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what’s this? Lola wasn’t supposed to be over this land mass!!

so off i go from NYC to London. once i land in London and make my to the next security check point (UGH) they won’t let me continue on. WHY? there’s no way i’ll make my next connection. SO…go stand in another airline ticket line. get told there are no more directs on their carrier and you’re switching to another and being routed through Amsterdam!! SERIOUSLY…goodbye luggage.

now faced with extra time at Heathrow and no Pounds to speak of i had to use my credit card. luckily, a while ago i had taken the time to compare credit cards i currently held with others out there and now have one that is accepted worldwide with NO foreign transactions fees. Lola wouldn’t have to go hungry at Heathrow.

i spy wooden shoe key chains & bottle openers. i must be at the Amsterdam airport?!?!

i spy wooden shoe key chains & bottle openers. i must be at the Amsterdam airport?!?!

the remainder of the flights were glitch free. i met a nice man on the flight to Amsterdam, made my final leg to Barcelona and arrived there only 8 hours later than anticipated. during this whole debacle i was coming up with a contingency plan for the bag situation. you see, i made a rookie travel mistake and only had the clothes i was wearing with me…no spare set in case of delayed/lost baggage.

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cute dress from El Corte Ingles – disaster averted!

well you can be sure, after 3 different carrier changes and flying through all those massive airports that my bag DID NOT arrive with me. CONTINGENCY PLAN springs into action. i had been madly tweeting with Barcelona friends and was tipped off where to go for one-stop shopping. basically, as soon as i claimed my luggage lost i had approximately 2 hours to shop and get ready before heading out for dinner!! i wasn’t about to miss going out on Saturday in Barcelona at a trendy restaurant and cool late night club. Thankfully El Corte Ingles came to my rescue and i could find a cute dress, top for the next day, a pair of sandals for both days & some new underwear pretty efficiently. AND even with my lack of Spanish and the staff’s lack of English, somehow they were able to tell me to go get a discount card so tourists don’t pay the VAT tax. Gracias!

fun top a la El Corte Ingles - gracias!

fun top a la El Corte Ingles – gracias!

i still need to claim my purchases with the last carrier so i can be reimbursed! UGH – PAPERWORK. the only thing that makes it all less painful is that i used points from my reward credit card to purchase the flight so it’s not like i’m out TONS of money. 

PS – i had a super fun Saturday night out in my new outfit in BARCA & my bag did turn up 24 hours later. it apparently had a great night out in the UK!

 

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Filed under airlines, barcelona, london, new york, travel