Johnny Jet's Travel Blog

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WEBSITE OF THE DAY: BookYourAward.com

BookYourAward.com
I was recently reading a story by @WendyPerrin, in Conde' Nast Traveler, on five travel experts to follow on Twitter. She was raving about a new service run by Gary Leff, a Senior Moderator and member-elected TalkBoard President of Flyertalk.com. For those having difficulty in cashing your frequent flier miles, Gary will do the work for you. They are time-consuming tricks, so his fee of $250 (for the first two people on the same itinerary) may be worth the price…especially since some tickets he books can cost up to $20,000. I know, airlines shouldn’t make booking award tickets into a game, but some do, which opens the door for people like Gary who can add a valuable service.

WEBSITE OF THE DAY: TransWorldExpedition.com

TransWorldExpedition.com
A 33-year-old New Yorker who came over from France at age 18 as an inspired artist is leaving his job, girlfriend, and family to set out on a crazy 40-country journey around the world. The kicker is that he is driving! Now that is crazy. I read his story on MSNBC and you can keep track of his trip through his blog. He leaves on November 15 and is heading south. His estimated total for the trip is $46,000. That’s for the car, tent, gas, repairs, insurance, vaccinations, visas ($550), maps, guidebooks, food, campgrounds, the occasional hotel and shipping the car five times to get to the continents. I wish him luck, as I don’t have the balls to do it.

FEATURED STORY: Marriott Airport Campus

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of attending the grand re-opening of the Marriott Miami Airport Hotel Campus. There was a huge celebration with VIPs like Mr. Marriott himself and Tito Puente junior’s salsa band played, complete with dancers. The campus is a unique concept; it has three different Marriott-branded hotels and a cool $70 million was spent on the transformation. The three hotels comprise a 366-room, full-service Marriott, 300-room Courtyard by Marriott and 163-suite Residence Inn. Read on ... http://www.johnnyjet.com/folder/archive/WheresJohnny11042009.html

WEBSITE OF THE DAY: Per Diem

Per Diem
Ever wonder what the per diem rates are when traveling overseas? Here are the official ones, according to the U.S. Department of State. Even if you aren’t traveling, it’s interesting to see what others are getting when they’re abroad.

WEBSITE OF THE DAY: AirlineFinancials.com

AirlineFinancials.com
Are you interested in airline analysis? If so, then check out AirlineFinancials.com. Not only do they have the usual SEC and BTS data but the analysis here includes dozens of easy to interpret charts and graphs, which compare airline finances and operations with numerous breakdowns from labor costs to passenger ticket expense. They cover only U.S. airlines: Air Tran, American, Alaska, Allegiant, Continental, Delta/Northwest, Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest, United and USAir. But if you're looking for stock advice or predictions, you’d better look elsewhere because author Robert Herbst doesn’t provide them. Mr. Herbst has been a commercial pilot since 1969 and his aviation experience and financial background provides a unique analytical perspective into the airline industry.