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Have you ever wanted to know what time the sun rises and sets in a specific location? I always do -- especially when I plan my travels. I prefer not going to a place without a lot of hours of sun - I get depressed. That's why I log on to SunRiseSunset.com. They offer times for all major cities around the world. They even give the current local time, and allow users to make a custom sunrise sunset calendar. | ||
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WHERE'S JOHNNY JET ? |
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= WEBSITE Didn't have a chance to read last week's newsletter? Click here! 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 (we get a commission and it doesn't cost you any more money). "If you want Johnny Jet to continue I need your support and the support of your fellow travelers". This week's map is featured by MyTripJournal.com . Click here to set up your own free travel website. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Greetings! Before we get started, first let me ask for your help. If you like this newsletter, PLEASE help us get the word out by forwarding it to your friends and colleagues, and encourage them to sign up for it. Make sure to tell them it’s free (people love free helpful information). One more thing: We have just added new search boxes for Hotels and Flights to our homepage. So when you book online, make sure you use them -- in addition to helping you find the lowest deals and being really cool, it helps support our site. In the next few weeks you will see lots of changes and improvements, so make sure to log on to JohnnyJet.com to keep up to date. And if you can’t remember an airline, hotel, or cruiseline phone number or website, just check out these helpful sites that we also run: AirlineNumbers.com, HotelNumbers.com, CruiselineNumbers.com. They have everything you need. Thanks for the support! Last week I wrote about some highlights from my month-long stay at home in Los Angeles, but I left out my most important experience. I’m telling it now because chances are at least somebody will greatly benefit from it, just as I have. Are you ready? (Deep breath). As you know, my mother passed away almost four years ago from cancer. I still miss her terribly. Over a year ago a nice lady emailed us to advertise her 2003 psychic cruise (the next one is in October) in this newsletter. She offered to pay in cash, or a very unique way. She said she could set me up with an appointment with Francesca Kimpton, a highly respected medium and clairvoyant who could most likely put me in touch with my mother. Of course that got my attention -- and of course I was suspicious. But I did a quick background check, and could not turn down such an incredible opportunity. What if it was true? It was difficult for me to make an appointment, because who isn’t skeptical about mediums and psychics? But one thing travel has taught me is to keep an open mind. It took me over a year to meet with Francesca, but finally I got up the courage and found a date when we both were in town. She lives in London, but travels frequently to the U.S. for work. I was more than a little nervous about going to see Francesca at her hotel, on Sunset Boulevard. I had no idea what to expect. I didn’t know if she would be some freaky-looking lady in a dark room, with candles all over the place and a crystal ball. That’s why I arrived a bit early at her upscale hotel, and scouted things out. I waited outside her door, and was happy to see a "normal"-looking client leave her room. That put me more at ease. Her hotel room was a suite -- nothing like what I had pictured. It was bright and clean. She was very nice, and looked like nothing out of the ordinary. However, although I was excited I was still a bit nervous. Francesca briefly explained how she communicates with folks on the "other side." She said she never knows who will come through - similar to John Edward, the medium who had his own TV show. I did very little talking, and then she pressed "record" (she makes everyone a tape, so they can go back and listen). Immediately -- just as she told me she would -- Francesca starting doing some funky things with her eyes. They shifted rapidly from side to side. The first thing she said was "Wow! I have a very strong spirit who claims she is your mother, and she is with two men." Francesca asked me if my had mom passed on. My life is an open book for the world to see, so I was not yet convinced. Francesca described my mom to a "T," which gave me a small knot in my throat. But I still wasn’t convinced it was really true. Then she starting telling me that she my mom was with a man named John, who is tall, slim and quiet, and was in the Navy. I sat straight up -- that’s my mom’s brother, who died in 1991. The other man she described was my grandfather. My palms were starting to sweat. I couldn’t believe what was happening. I won’t go into any more detail, because it’s way too personal. But I will say that she told me things there is no way she could ever have found out -- anywhere. It was mind-boggling. I told my close friends and family members, and most of them believed me. At least a half a dozen set up meetings or phone appointments with Francesca. They all had the same experience as mine -- unreal. I always knew I would see my mom again, but meeting Francesca she just confirmed it. For more information about her, check out FrancescaKimpton.com , or send her an email: francesca@francescakimpton.com. Appointments last an hour, and cost between $200 and $250. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t hear back from her right away -- the lady is in serious demand. Now let’s go travel. My sister invited me to come out to their house in Erie, PA. I know what you’re thinking: dreary Erie. I agree -- except in the summer. My sister and her family have a phat piece of property right on Lake Erie. It’s an amazing place to relax (except when the kids run around like hoodlums). I wanted to use miles, since it was a last-minute trip and tickets to Erie International Airport were pricing out at $450. USAir flies there via Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Charlotte (the latter two are brand new connections, because USAir is cutting back flights from Pittsburgh), Delta goes through Cincinnati, Continental through Cleveland and Northwest through Detroit. It’s also very reachable by flying into its: alternate airports Buffalo (105 miles away), Cleveland (112 miles), and Pittsburgh (134 miles). But those airports were pricing out high too. I have miles on almost all the airlines, but the majority of my flights are with United. I prefer to use them, so I earn miles toward elite status. United sells tickets to Erie, but they are on Star Alliance partner USAir. United’s website came up empty for using United miles, so I tried to use some of my USAir miles. (It’s always good to check both -- you never know which one has availability. It sounds crazy, but it’s true.) I learned that USAir’s website is the absolute worst when it comes to booking award trips. It makes no sense at all – and even worse, it gives users false hope. The first page makes it seem like tickets are available and then the next you find out that is not true. It’s basically a waste, and their phone system is not much better. Every time I tried calling I was put on hold for 10 minutes (though it seemed like an hour). Then the system would hang up on me for no reason. After a few days of this I was so mad that I almost had to check myself into a crash course on anger management. Finally I asked my sister (who lives near the airport) to go in person to see what she could do. She almost had to take that anger management class too, because the agent was so not nice. I gave up on using miles, and ended up buying my ticket on United (using the website that I now have search boxes to) -- even though I would be flying USAir. What’s crazy is that by going through United my ticket was a few dollars cheaper than what USAir was offering. Go figure. That brings up another tip: It’s always a good idea to shop around every possible resource. That’s one more reason why JohnnyJet.com should be your jumping off place. The LAX-PIT (Pittsburgh) flight took only four and a half hours, and the flight was great. I was on an Airbus A321 in a bulkhead aisle seat. I had plenty of leg room, which meant I could do work on my computer. Just my luck: I had a really cool person sitting next to me (of course, when I have nothing to do I end up sitting beside a total jerk). I got very little work done, because I spent almost the entire flight talking with Susan. She told me all about her motivational speaking business. USAir serves only a snack (cheese and crackers) on this flight, but thankfully they offer BOB (Buy On Board, better known as "real food for sale"). I was starving, so I ordered the biggest item they had: a Hard Rock Café lunch box containing a turkey sandwich, BBQ chips, coleslaw, and two chocolate chip cookies. It cost $10, and hit the spot. My layover in Pittsburgh was only 40 minutes. I wished it was longer, because PIT is more than an airport -- it’s a mall with over 100 shops and restaurants. The best part is that they all charge normal mall prices. It’s not the typical jacked- up airport prices, where you walk out feeling like you just got robbed. My flight to Erie was on a much smaller plane: an Embraer 145 that holds 50 passengers. I’m not a big fan of small planes, but this one was fine because the flight was only 25 minutes (and smooth). I landed late, around midnight, but my father -- who splits his time between his home in Connecticut, and Erie where his fiancee Nancy lives -- surprised me by picking me up. We drove to my sister’s house, after which Carol, my dad and I chatted for an hour around the kitchen table. The kids and Tom (my sister’s husband) were all passed out. I finally hit the hay around 2. Around 6 a.m., the little monsters woke me up. My niece and nephew snuck into my room and gave me one of the grandest rude awakenings ever recorded (no pun intended). Amanda, who had so much makeup on that I almost didn’t recognize her, had a video camera in one hand and a hamster in the other. Johnny wore nothing but multiple pieces of underwear all over his body -- including a pair on his head. These kids are getting way too smart and sneaky. I woke to their giggles, feeling four sharp claws (I thought it was a rat) crawl up my leg. They slipped the hamster under the sheets -- and mind you I sleep naked. I flung out of bed like I was shot from a cannon. As I jumped up, little Johnny decided to show Uncle Johnny his new Tae Kwon Do moves, and kicked me you know where. I thought I was going to die. How quickly I remembered that every time I hang out in Erie I feel like I am in the twilight zone. But the Twilight Zone episode lasted 3 weeks, because I kept prolonging my stay. After a while a person gets used to the abuse. One of the most interesting things we did was go to the Erie Air Show. I had seen it once before, about 10 years ago with my sister. Back then she talked me into taking a helicopter ride. That copter was so small that it had one seat that held the pilot, my sister and me. The thing probably had a lawn mower as its engine. I was scared out of my wits. It also had no doors. so my big butt was sticking halfway off the seat (into the open air) as I held on for dear life. When the pilot asked if we wanted the "roller coaster ride" I screamed "NO," but Carol flashed him a twenty spot and down we went. Just like my stomach, which went into my toes. When we finally landed I kissed the ground, and didn’t speak to Carol for several days. This year the air show was bigger and better. The place was packed. There were all kinds of planes, food, and kiddy toys. The main event was watching the F-1 (those bad boys are really loud) and biplanes cruise above the crowd doing insane tricks. This year they offered rides in a 1930 standard biplane. I looked at my sister and said with my eyes: "Don’t even think about it!" However, I did agree to take a spin (with the whole gang) on another helicopter ride. The difference was, this time it was no rinky-dink piece of machinery. This was a 1969 Medium Utility Helicopter used in Vietnam. The aircraft (called the "Huey") was restored back to the Vietnam combat era. It even had guns hanging on the side. The kids met the height requirement. We paid $40 (apiece-- not bad, huh?) and were good to go. Three choppers were giving rides, and we were in line for only half an hour. When it was time for our group to go (the helicopter holds 10 passengers and 3 crew members), we were briefed by a Vietnam veteran. He told us all about the history of the copter, but more importantly how to put on and take off our seat belts. He also gave us ear plugs, and made us take off anything that would fly out. Did I mention these copters didn’t have doors either? Gulp. He asked who wanted to sit in the gunner seats. Of course I didn’t want to, but I couldn’t let one of the kids or my sister sit there so I volunteered (so did Tom). When it was time to go I got a little nervous because I was right on the edge, held in by only a skinny piece of material they called a seat belt. When we took off my heart dropped. I had no idea it would be so windy. We headed towards the lake. That made it even more windy, but the chopper cut through the air well. It was so windy, we couldn’t hear anything but the wind. (I don’t know why I was even talking -- we all had ear plugs). After we made it to the lake -- the halfway point for the ride – in 10 minutes, I started feeling braver. That’s when I decided to make this video with my new camera. To see it, just click this link. Toward the end of the video, take note of the flap with the metal button that kept smacking me on the head. Doink! I don’t know how much more of those I could have taken -- and I don’t know how our vets flew in these every day, for long distances. God bless them. Next week I will show you a ton more pictures (and a funny video of my dad) from my stay here in Pennsylvania. Happy Travels, Johnny Jet and book all your online travel through JohnnyJet.com. *Please tell us what you think of this week's newsletter! |
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Airfare 101, Part 4: Save big with discounted airfares In addition to understanding the basics, naming your own price, and booking last-minute airfare, the educated air traveler also needs to know about buying consolidator fares, taking advantage of specialty discounts, and a few exceptions to the rules when booking an international flight. Click Here To Read Article |
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