tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102991782009-07-10T13:57:46.584ZThoughts & experiences of an online travel editoronlinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10902040076973941233noreply@blogger.comBlogger340125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10299178.post-26662424821257647372009-07-10T11:43:00.007Z2009-07-10T13:57:46.593Z

OK, I am pretty much the last person in travel media to post this, and plenty has been said about it already by the likes of Neville & Shel and Alex Bainbridge and Nathan Midgeley etc ...But it is a great (and self-explanatory) video (and the truth is, while I was aware of it before, I've only just got around to watching it!).....enjoy!Apparently a 'grown-up' at United who knows what social

onlinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10902040076973941233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10299178.post-83693768461370987182009-07-09T11:47:00.003Z2009-07-09T12:42:43.792Z

I saw the Guardian's story about News of the World phone hacking breaking on the Internet late last night, and I've been watching it go into high gear this morning.It's a story I've been morbidly keeping an eye on because I used to know someone at NotW who I suspect might get caught up in it. As usual Twitter is the index to any new stories/angles but I've been surprised that the 'conversation'

onlinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10902040076973941233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10299178.post-26358557311563685222009-07-08T10:40:00.003Z2009-07-08T10:49:03.076Z

I'm not really sure what to make of this.It's a promo survey for Park Resorts, but unlike many such marketing releases it has ok credentials (ICM Omnibus survey of 2038 UK adults conducted between 19th – 21st June 2009), so I have to take it seriously.Once a ‘must have’ item, the research has revealed that 2.5 million UK adults will not renew their passports when they expire, as they state that

onlinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10902040076973941233noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10299178.post-29281262721566695202009-07-07T12:57:00.004Z2009-07-07T13:31:59.871Z

On a Friday evening back in April, my 13-yr-old son & I caught the bus from outside our door to St Pancras where we climbed on board a Eurostar to Paris Nord. Then, while we went and ate some supper, our bags were taken round to the Snow Train for our overnight journey in a sleeper compartment down to the French Alps, arriving in Moutiers at 8.00am.I was quite surprised. I had fully expected the

onlinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10902040076973941233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10299178.post-80300698156339108302009-06-29T11:17:00.009Z2009-06-29T11:46:59.417Z

Got an ethics question for you...How many times does this happen to you, and what do you do about it?You could take a stab at guessing the web address of a brand, but you use your favourite search engine to find it (for 80+% of us, that means Google). You are now presented with a choice. Click on the organic link or click on their text ad, in which case they will pay whatever they bid for their

onlinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10902040076973941233noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10299178.post-16270178969439431412009-06-23T13:17:00.006Z2009-06-23T14:34:52.363Z

There was much chatter about the role of the media embargo in a faster moving Web 2.0 world at the start of the year. It started with the Techcrunch announcement that they would no longer honour embargoes, and occupied 'the conversation' for a while (here are a couple of blogs on the subject: Shel Holz, In Media ). The general view seemed to be that embargoes are a relic from the age of print,

onlinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10902040076973941233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10299178.post-31065107621715485902009-06-18T14:06:00.007Z2009-06-18T15:12:48.477Z

There was an important travel moment on Sunday, but looking through travel blogs and mainstream news sites, virtually nobody noticed.Funny though.* They all noticed today's news about South Eastern's 140mph high-speed commuter train... and missed the completion of Belgium's high speed network, which means Brussels and Paris are now directly connected to Cologne and into Germany's high speed rail

onlinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10902040076973941233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10299178.post-8556916056335761662009-06-08T15:49:00.003Z2009-06-08T16:07:34.064Z

My guidebook-writing chums in the BGTW are furious about the reported deal between Penguin Books and WH Smith that will lock out other guidebook publishers from WH Smith transport outlets.The Bookseller broke the story and I have been one of those who have left comments at the bottom of the original article.On the face of it, the issue seems to be a straightforward assault on consumer

onlinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10902040076973941233noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10299178.post-24541350638887447742009-05-26T10:06:00.003Z2009-05-26T10:18:48.058Z

Hmmm, let's see.....On Friday British Airways announce record losses for their financial year, ended 31 March 2009.Today, one bank holiday weekend later, Virgin Atlantic announce a doubling of profits for their financial year....which ended a month earlier...Anybody else struck by the timing of these announcements?

onlinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10902040076973941233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10299178.post-81108846146211247172009-05-20T10:03:00.008Z2009-05-20T13:39:47.797Z

Gratz to fellow guildie, Stanley Slaughter - Editor, Air & Business Travel News (ABTN) - who has just won the 2009 Alan Fredericks Business Travel Journalism Award.The award is given by the National Business Travel Association (NBTA) in America, and was awarded to Stanley for his "prolific and widespread coverage of the business travel industry, as well as his insightful commentary".NBTA

onlinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10902040076973941233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10299178.post-21289210822224460722009-05-15T15:10:00.005Z2009-05-15T16:32:37.112Z

I've never been very keen on covering shopping malls and factory outlets (as destination travel subjects). I just don't find them very interesting. So it wasn't the press releases I was sent last year & this about the newly opened Westfield London mall in Shepherds Bush that prompted me to visit it a few months back. I was simply curious because it looked so big from the outside. I wasn't

onlinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10902040076973941233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10299178.post-79330437950952428732009-05-14T18:59:00.008Z2009-05-14T19:40:02.199Z

Do you remember that urban myth about the Nasa space pen and the Soviet pencil?The Americans spent a fortune developing a ballpoint pen that would write in zero gravity, while the Russians simply sent their cosmonauts up with pencils...? (actually it is a myth...partially true but if you're interested, the detail is here)Well,  I was reminded of that this afternoon when I got an email from

onlinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10902040076973941233noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10299178.post-78606387856533942742009-05-14T13:19:00.006Z2009-05-14T16:19:29.260Z

I've written about this before (...somewhere, but I can't find it) and it's been on my mind again recently...Tip for PRs: Listen up guys. If you really want to know which buttons to press when it comes to bloggers, then there is one button in particular. The bloggers' g-spot. PHOTOSBloggers have a weakness for photos because they need them to 'dress' their posts but, unless they are blogging for

onlinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10902040076973941233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10299178.post-42337994382000277002009-05-12T08:15:00.003Z2009-05-12T08:20:00.403Z

The Barbados Tourism Authority is so confident in its weather, they are offering a cash guarantee to American visitors if the weather turns nasty.The Perfect Weather Guarantee pays back $100 per rubbish weather day, defined as 'a day, between 28 May - 18 Dec, on which the average daily temperature (measured at the airport) falls below 78 degrees F, and it rains more than a quarter of an

onlinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10902040076973941233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10299178.post-80965717487904712772009-05-11T14:55:00.006Z2009-07-10T12:14:21.864Z

Last week the Intercontinental Hotel Group organised a global gimmick to launch largest ever free rooms giveaway promo.The "the world’s biggest bed jump" had thousands of people jumping (for 16 hours) on four of the world’s largest beds, in four countries - London, Shanghai, New York and Paris.This is London...... pity it wasn't "the world's largest pillow fight"! That might have been

onlinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10902040076973941233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10299178.post-65526430767477587062009-05-11T10:52:00.004Z2009-05-11T11:18:51.562Z

Something else, I can't see our guys doing...Starting today, French Railways (SNCF) are throwing open their doors at over 200 locations on their rail network and allowing the public to wander in and see what they get up to 'behind the scenes'.It's the 5th annual J'aime le train event and between now & the end of the week they are expecting a million members of the public to enjoy over 500

onlinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10902040076973941233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10299178.post-45912865446212297832009-05-11T02:42:00.006Z2009-07-10T12:17:56.134Z

There are pre-flight announcements, and then there are Southwest Airlines' pre-flight announcements...I can't see this happening on a BA or easyJet flight somehow!

onlinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10902040076973941233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10299178.post-22583244864083381002009-05-07T07:25:00.005Z2009-05-07T07:44:24.863Z

Is this new? Or am I running way behind everyone else?I clicked a display banner ad on Yahoo last night and got this Moroccan National Tourist Office campaign.Somebody has put in a lot of work on this. I'm not sure whether it's a little over the top, too laboured, but it is funny...especially the test, and especially if you are slow to start the test.What do you think? Time for some therapy?

onlinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10902040076973941233noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10299178.post-24850680585705819122009-05-05T10:54:00.005Z2009-05-05T11:06:34.554Z

There's something slightly surreal about this artistic endevour. Perhaps if you find yourself in Vienna in July you might like to report back on it?Being Jack UnterwegerAmerican actor John Malkovich stars as serial killer Jack Unterweger at the Ronacher.From July 1-5, 2009, Vienna’s Ronacher Theater will host a very special musical theater project. “John Malkovich is Jack Unterweger: The Infernal

onlinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10902040076973941233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10299178.post-41564919000912603112009-04-29T09:32:00.006Z2009-04-29T11:08:41.820Z

Back in January, the political editor of the New Statesman, Martin Bright, wrote a piece recognising the way that Roosevelt's 'New Deal' in the thirties sponsored not just public infrastructure projects, but arts & culture projects too. He argued that Gordon Brown should be doing the same.The paragraph that caught my eye was this...Meanwhile, the Federal Art Project conducted classes attended by

onlinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10902040076973941233noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10299178.post-63931507424375789782009-04-16T16:49:00.004Z2009-04-16T17:01:09.477Z

LMAO!You have to laugh! The mighty U.S. Travel Association, all those State Tourist Offices, all those PR companies... all busily working away to promote the USA in the UK media, and when it comes down to it the person who actually makes the strategic marketing decision on whether to host a journalist.....is a bottom-feeder in a Glasgow call centre who schedules visa appointments at the embassy!

onlinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10902040076973941233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10299178.post-39591118358333355182009-04-16T14:10:00.002Z2009-04-16T14:48:01.761Z

Duh! I've done it again!Travel-Lists.co.uk is an independent online travel directory. It is not a travel agency.So, there is no reason why anyone should phone for travel advice. But they do, sometimes, and I really don't mind (assuming I'm not too busy). These calls are pretty rare and they come out of the blue. Like today's. A woman phoned. She's going out to the far east for a break and while

onlinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10902040076973941233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10299178.post-5852859624812849382009-04-09T14:58:00.003Z2009-04-14T10:03:03.783Z

An American company called Bluehost.com is hosting a copyright thief and ignoring our complaints.See details.Does anyone have any ideas how to get them to shut down the rogue site? -----------------UPDATE (14/04/09): Bluehost have now been in touch and sent a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) form. We'll see how this goes.

onlinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10902040076973941233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10299178.post-3752970355950258452009-04-09T08:16:00.005Z2009-04-09T08:26:07.256Z

Hehe. I've been sent a press release about powered luggage (which is appearing at the Gadget Show Live in Birmingham's NEC on 17 Apr, BTW)....Coincidence?I think not!

onlinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10902040076973941233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10299178.post-38891964443951891572009-04-07T13:47:00.002Z2009-04-07T13:50:07.402Z

Still unable to update Travel-Lists. Hostway have had problems with FTP on their windows platform since Saturday. I'm not the only one  suffering. I've seen tweets from other webmasters bemoaning their inability to get on their websites.Sigh :(

onlinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10902040076973941233noreply@blogger.com0