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Now this is a great idea. Everyone knows that the best food (especially in Italy) is found in local homes. That makes the best meals usually difficult for visitors to experience, unless they have friends or relatives. Now, thanks to Home Food, travelers to Italy (usually between 6-8) have the opportunity to go into a local home, and watch how their host prepares a meal. Then everyone sits down for a traditional Italian dinner -- with vino, of course. The entire experience costs between 25 and 40 euros. For more information visit HomeFood.it Click on the British flag to translate into English (unless you can parli Italiano). | ||
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WHERE'S JOHNNY JET ? |
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HYPER LINK = WEBSITE HOUSE KEEPING: Remember when you click on the pictures in "Where's Johnny Jet," they will open up in another window. Just click the "x"(close) in each picture to get back to the newsletter. This should alleviate complaints about closing Johnny Jet. Thanks again for your support, and remember: If you book trips on the web, please go through JohnnyJet.com. (It will save you money). "Maps of Johnny's travels courtesy of MyTripJournal.com. Start a travel website of your own for free now." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Wow! I suspected the spam filter on Topica (our e-mail publisher) was blocking a few thousand of you, and I was right. To everyone who responded: Thank you! (We’ve included a small fraction of your comments in our "Reader Air E-mail" section.) I’m not sure which email publisher we will end up with, but we will continue to test other companies until we find the perfect fit. When we do, you will be the first to know. Since many of you have missed so many newsletters, here is a link to the archives so you can read any or all of our past newsletters. Back to travel news: This past week I bought an inexpensive ($267) multi-city plane ticket from Orbitz (they were the cheapest, and offered the best times). The first leg, to Chicago, was on United's 8:55 a.m. flight. I sat starving in coach, because I was running late (as usual). I reluctantly bought an Eli's cold egg and turkey sandwich on board for $8, even though I knew it was nasty (I’ve had them before). What a fool I was for not preparing my own food. I think I was the only one to purchase that on-board sandwich – well, for sure I was the only frequent flyer to do so. I don't mind spending $8 for breakfast, but United has to offer a better meal than this. I wish they used the catering company Song Airlines does -- in my opinion, that's the best on-board food buy around. Making up for my gnarly sandwich was a combination of an empty seat next to me and a clear day over much of the U.S. The scenery was incredible, but the best part of all was flying over the Palos Verdes coast. This was taken right after takeoff. It was so clear I could see Trump's new golf course vividly. I landed in Chicago at 3 p.m., and guess who I ran into at ORD? My cousin Dennis! What great timing. He was on his way back to L.A. What was even more incredible about seeing him was that his girlfriend Joelle had dropped me off less than five hours earlier at LAX, and five hours after I saw him she would picking Dennis up at LAX. Maybe that doesn't sound impressive to you, but air travel still blows me away. I was in Chicago for only one night, but I found an amazing hotel deal. A week before my trip I clicked on our homepage's homepage's new hotel search engine. With this, you only have to put the city and dates in once; immediately it searches 10 or so different travel providers. I discovered all the major online travel agencies (Travelocity, Orbitz, Hotels.com...) had nothing less than $100 for a 4-star hotel in the area I wanted. However, our search engine picks up a site I had previously not paid much attention to: Hotwire.com. Before closing the Hotwire window I noticed a 4-star hotel with a "Best Value" check mark next to it. The price was just $54 (plus $14 taxes and fees). Although the site would not tell me the name of the hotel, it did show which area it was in: Magnificent Mile. I figured at that price, it was worth the gamble. Hotwire works similarly to Priceline: They don’t show you the hotel (or airline or rental car agency) you will use until after you pay. The difference is that on Priceline users bid for services, while Hotwire displays the price that is offered. I submitted my credit card info, held my breath and clicked "accept." Moments later the next page read: "Congratulations! You are staying at the Hyatt Regency Chicago on East Wacker Drive." I was more than relieved – I was truly impressed. To prove to myself I had a great deal, I priced out the Hyatt Regency for the same night on other major travel websites. Here’s what I found (tax and fees included): Travelocity $104.21; Cheap tickets $101.99; Hotels.com $101.50; Orbitz $98.87. The rates on Hyatt.com are guaranteed to be the lowest internet rate for any Hyatt hotel or resort worldwide. Well, they were the cheapest ($96.51) out of the other non-opaque travel websites. But I didn't get Hyatt's guarantee of matching the rate, plus an additional 20% off, because the small print reads: "This Guarantee does not apply to: Opaque or auction sites where the hotel brand and/or the specific hotel is not known until booking is finalized. Examples of these types of sites include but are not limited to Priceline and Hotwire." The Hyatt Regency Chicago caters primarily to business travelers (the hotel hosts a lot of conventions), and I can see why. It's in a good location, only minutes from Chicago's business and financial district. The hotel is huge (2,019 guest rooms). So is the front desk (located on the second floor). It looks more like a Las Vegas hotel check-in than a Midwestern one. The Vegas-like atmosphere includes a four-member group singing in a lively bar, and bunch of popular restaurants located inside the hotel. Up on the 20th floor, where my room was located, the hallway lighting and wallpaper were a little depressing. My room was also missing its number sign. That was pretty strange. I never heard of a business traveler taking a room number as a souvenir. I guess the previous patron must have had a very good night. The inside of my room was a much more upbeat, comfortable place. I’ve stayed in hotels where the opposite is true – the hallway is nice, but room is not -- and this situation is much better. My non-smoking room had a king bed, full couch, and a big desk complete with a plug-in for inexpensive high- speed access ($9.95 for 24 hours). The windows offered a partial view of the city. The bathroom tile was clean, and the curved curtain rods made the shower a much roomier and more pleasant place. Hyatt Regency Chicago, 151 East Wacker Dr., Chicago; tel.: (312) 565-1234. I was in Chicago to do a 9-minute travel segment on WTTW's "Chicago Tonight." I love doing this show, because everyone from the PA (production assistant) to the hosts are very cool. They all make me feel like I’m at home. After the show I went to dinner at PJ Clarke's restaurant on East Illinois. I didn't even know there was a PJ Clarke's in Chicago, let alone two. PJ Clarke's is a New York institution, but it seems they’re making their way west. In New York I always get one of their famous burgers, but in Chicago I had a hot turkey sandwich for $8.95. The best part of the meal was the side of mashed potatoes with gravy. Oooh -- they were incredible! PJ Clarke’s, 302 East Illinois St., Chicago; tel.: 312-70-1650. The restaurant was close to my hotel, so I walked back 10 minutes. It was freezing cold, but the views were well worth it. The next morning I headed to O’Hare International Airport, 18 miles away. As usual, instead of a $40 taxi all the way to ORD, I took a $3.20 taxi to Clarke and Lake. Then I took the Blue Line train right to O'Hare, for just $1.75. The whole trip took less than an hour. It's amazing what being genuinely friendly to people (especially gate agents) will get you. When I walked up to the counter to get on an earlier flight, I smiled and asked the agent how she was doing, and how her day was going. I cracked a couple of jokes, and sat down in the closest seat (which just happened to be next to a very pretty woman). We had a nice conversation, and the next thing I know, the agent came over and said, "Since you are so nice I’m going to upgrade you." I said, "Thank you very much, but I was just about to ask you if I could sit next to my friend here so we can finish our in-depth conversation." The agent said, "Since you’re so nice, she must be nice too -- so I’ll just upgrade you both." It's gate agents like that who make United a pleasure to fly. Just as important,the flight attendants were awesome as they quickly served everyone in first class a meal. The flight took only 1:38. We flew over downtown Chicago, Lake Michigan, Lake Erie, and the Whitestone Bridge in NYC. When we landed at LaGuardia Airport I saw a sign for the Travelers’ Aid desk (which they call "iHelp"). I decided to find out if there were any new, inexpensive ways to get into Manhattan. Although I am practically an expert on getting into Manhattan from the local airports, it never hurts to ask the real experts. You never know if a new service has been created. There wasn't anything this time, but it’s good to know the guy behind the desk was very friendly and knowledgeable. He first offered Super Shuttle (I think the shuttle folks must have a deal with the desk) for $15. Then he suggested a bus to Grand Central for $12, or a taxi for $20 (plus toll and tip). I had to ask a couple of times to "learn" the cheapest method, but he did tell me that the M60 bus to 125th street connects with subway trains 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 1, 9, A, C and D. Bus and subway fares are $2 each (a Metrocard or exact fare in coins is required). If you have a Metrocard, free transfers between subways and buses are available. The only mode the help guy left out were inexpensive car services ($29 without tip & toll) like Tel Aviv (212-777-7777) and Carmel (212-666-6666). I took a taxi. When ever I am in NYC I stay at my family's apartment. The place is only as big as some people's closets, but it's in a great location and I know I am lucky to have access to it. It was nearly half a year since I the last time I was there. I was hoping wireless internet connections had improved, because back then I could only get one weak signal. It's amazing what happens in just a few months in this wired world. Now there are over 20 signals! Unfortunately, no one on our floor has high speed wireless, so all the signals were too weak for me to connect. But unlike last time, I was able to walk downstairs with my laptop in hand, until I found a strong enough connection. When I took my eyes off the screen, I was standing in front of a neighbor's door. I hoped they wouldn't mind me borrowing their signal, and of course I was praying they didn't come out and see some strange dude with a computer in front of their door. My exit plan was to pretend I was waiting for the elevator. If you’re not from New York you might not understand, but although my family has had this apartment for 18 years, in New York people are weird. In fact, every time I see my neighbors in the elevator they act like they have never seen me before. They either stare at the floor, or their dog. Standing in front of a neighbor's door with a laptop in hand is a nerve-racking, especially in paranoid New York. To avoid doing this too much, I created an insane process. I would run down to the neighbor’s door, download emails, run back up, reply to them offline, then go back down to send them and retrieve new ones. This worked fine, until I finally got busted on about my 50th trip. I thought I wouldn't get caught, because I could hear footsteps or the elevator approach (which gave me plenty of time to sneak upstairs). But I never heard the light footsteps of the neighbor’s 8-year-old kid. He quickly opened the door, and I panicked. Instead of pretending to wait for the elevator, I ran upstairs like a fool. As I ran I heard the kid scream, "Daddy, I just saw an internet thief!" Speaking of freaks: I was walking to lunch when a tall, clean-cut middle-aged man, dressed in a suit and tie, pointed his finger at my hat and smiled. I slowed down, thinking I was wearing a JohnnyJet.com ski cap and that he was going to say something nice about the website. Then I realized I had on one of those Roots hats all the 2002 Olympians wore in Utah. I thought he might ask me where I bought it. Instead he said, "That -- (long pause) -- that is the stupidest-looking hat I’ve ever seen." Fortunately, I didn't break my stride at all. I just said "thank you," and he said, "You’re welcome." Of course I felt like slugging him, but that could have gotten me shot or arrested. I probably shouldn't have said anything, but it would be nice to have been wearing one of these t-shirts the street vendors sell. We’ll pick up here in New York next week. Until then: ciao! Happy Travels, Johnny Jet *Please tell us what you think of this week's newsletter! RESOURCES  |
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Hot cruises and trends for 2005 This year promises to be another blockbuster for cruising. More ships are sailing to more ports than ever before, and more travelers are planning vacations at sea. The cruise industry is hot, but the question on many savvy cruisers' lips is which destinations and ships are the hottest of all. We did a little investigation to bring you the word on the most popular cruises, plus the latest booking trends and best advice on snagging the hottest sailings at the lowest prices. Click Here To Read Article |
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