Using a Mobile Phone in Flight? That'll Be $7,500
Posted on 08/15/2016, 4:00 AM
China's not putting up with any more monkey business, do you hear? A draft amendment to the country's Civil Aviation Law calls for fines of up to 50,000 yuan (USD $7,535) for passengers who turn on their mobile phones or other electronic devices. The rules may have softened in the United States, where aircraft tends to be equipped with anti-interference systems, but in China, where ...
Booking.com Pulls Plug on Last-Minute App
Posted on 08/15/2016, 4:00 AM
After only a year and half on the market, Booking.com is euthanizing Booking Now, its app specifically designed for last-minute hotel deals. When it was released in January 2015, Booking Now was hailed by publications such as Wired as a probable silver bullet to slay reigning last-minute hotel deals app Hotel Tonight. It even expanded development to include iOS, Android, and the Apple Wat...
Bali Tourism Could Collapse with Alcohol Ban
Posted on 08/12/2016, 4:00 AM
Tourism leaders are sounding the alarm in Indonesia, where two Islamist parties have jointly presented a bill to ban the sale of alcohol throughout the nation of Indonesia. Illegally distilled spirits have caused a few deaths over the years, and last year, the country instituted Ministerial Regulation No. 6/2015, which restricted the sale of beer and some pre-mixed alcoholic drinks to ...
Hotel for People with Autism to Open
Posted on 08/12/2016, 4:00 AM
Not so long ago, the Elephant on the Tyne was one of the most dreadful hotel-restaurants in England. "Stay away from this place if you can help it," moaned one typical online review. Or: "The location is great with a nice view over the [River] Tyne... everything else about this place was bad—so the view only helped you wish that you were somewhere else." What better place to start o...
American Airlines Makes In-Flight TV Free
Posted on 08/12/2016, 4:00 AM
Looks like JetBlue and Virgin America have finally forced the monolithic major carriers to up their games. A few months ago, Delta finally recognized one of the things passengers love about its competitors and announced it would make its in-flight entertainment systems free. Now American Airlines has finally followed suit. Previously, the airline offered a paltry complimentary selec...
App Lets Anyone Sneak into Airport Lounges
Posted on 08/11/2016, 4:00 AM
Ever gazed longingly at the door of an airline business class lounge when you were only carrying a pathetic economy-class ticket? Polish computer security expert Przemek Jaroszewski has—and he hacked his way past the velvet ropes. Jaroszewski, a frequent flier, figured out that most airport lounges don’t actually cross-reference passengers with actual bookings. They merely scan codes prin...
30-Acre Re-Creation of The Flintstones' Bedrock Can Be Yours
Posted on 08/11/2016, 4:00 AM
It’s a real estate opportunity that comes along once in a Stone Age: You can be the proud owner of a full-scale, real-life version of Bedrock from the classic animated sitcom “The Flintstones.” The 30-acre spread, a master architecture class in mid-century Road Trip Folly, comes complete with a gift shop, a diner serving 5¢ coffee, RV park, campground, and a full-size brontosaurus with a ...
Perilous Glass Cliff Walk Opens in China
Posted on 08/11/2016, 4:00 AM
Terror has a new name: Zhangjiajie. This destination in China’s Hunan province was previously known for its stunning mountains. But now, with this week’s opening of the “Coiling Dragon Cliff” skywalk, adrenaline is the main attraction. The five-foot-wide glass walkway clings to a cliff on Tianmen Mountain, petrifying those who dare to amble along its 110 yard length with views of th...
New Hotel Set to Open Steps from Elvis Presley's Graceland
Posted on 08/10/2016, 8:45 AM
Elvis Presley fans will soon get the chance to rent rooms mere steps from Graceland, the King of Rock 'n' Roll's former home turned museum and showcase for 1970s interior design in Memphis. Set to open on October 27, the Guest House at Graceland is a new six-story, 450-room hotel with a stately Southern Colonial facade and a modern interior with touches of Kingly purple and gold but an overa...
UK Tourism Boom Following Brexit and Falling Pound
Posted on 08/10/2016, 8:30 AM
Looks like Brexit has given a short-term boost to tourism in the United Kingdom. Flight bookings to the UK have surged since June, following a sharp drop in the pound after Britain's vote to leave the European Union. Overall, the number of flights booked to the UK are up 4.3% compared to last summer. Bookings from Hong Kong jumped by 30%, while they've increased by 9% from the U.S. and 5% ...
