The Clear service, a fee-based program for frequent travelers that was designed to help people pass through airport security checkpoints faster, has gone out of business. Those who shelled out the annual $200.00 membership fee are now back to waiting in the long airport lines, and no refunds are being offered.
According to the company's website, "At 11:00 p.m. PST on June 22, 2009, Clear ceased operations. Clear’s parent company, Verified Identity Pass, Inc., was unable to negotiate an agreement with its senior creditor to continue operations. Verified Identity Pass regrets that Clear will not be able to continue operations."
Meanwhile, travelers in many U.S. airports will begin seeing display advertisements on the baggage claim conveyor belts as they pick up their checked luggage after a flight. It's a program designed to boost revenues for airports, while taking advantage of a captive audience of travelers waiting for their luggage. Is a program created by Double Take Marketing that will soon launch within at least 15 U.S. airports.
Have questions about travel insurance, or want to discover how travel blogs can help you save money when booking your next trip? Well, check out my two articles that appeared in the "Your Money" section of today's New York Daily News newspaper.
The first article deals with why travelers should consider purchasing travel insurance before their trip (especially if traveling abroad). It features an interview with a spokesperson from TravelGuard. Click Here to read it.
The second article focuses on how to use travel blogs (like this one) to help you save money when planning your next trip. Click Here to read it.
Okay, I have to admit that I am always skeptical of items being sold that make grandiose promises and sales statements that seem too good to be true.
However, being a frequent traveler, I am also always on the lookout for products that make traveling easier, more comfortable and less stressful.
Well, I've been seeing ads for Q-Link pendants in airline magazines and elsewhere, and later read in the company's promotional materials about how these pendents will help people "reduce their stress, increase their energy, focus better, improve concentration, have more restful sleep, and suffer from less jet lag when traveling." Oh, and it's also reported to help your golf game.
The company selling the Q-Link pendents is Clarus (800-246-2765 / www.clarus.com). I visited their website and discovered a complete line of these pendants, which can be worn 24-hours-a-day by men or women. (They even have a version for pets). The prices range from $39.95 to $999.95.
Being a curious journalist (and a sucker for products I see advertised), I ordered a "classic" Q-Link pendant. It just arrived today. I've been wearing it for about an hour so far. To be honest, I don't feel any different yet, but the literature that came with the pendant suggests wearing the Q-Link around your neck for at least 30-days before passing judgement as to whether or not it works.
According to the company, "Some people feel immediate effects, whereas others will notice effects increasing up to 30 days, at which point, 80 percent report positive benefits. However, tests with FDA registered diagnostic equipment show that even if there isn't a noticeable change, the Q-Link is working." So, I guess we'll see what happens. I will be traveling during most of July, so we'll see how my energy level improves and whether or not I suffer from jet lag during my travels as I continue to wear the pendant.
The Q-Link isn't magic. It uses "Sympathetic Resonance Technology," which Clarus reports has been scientifically tested and shown to consistently reduce the stress in one's body. The technology utilizes a copper induction coil and resonating crystalline water embedded with life-supporting frequencies. (Very new age sounding, huh?)
This "technology" is supposed to work well for people who frequently use a cell phone, computer, or other electronic equipment. It's also being used by athletes and golfers - some of whom report their performance playing their sport has improved dramatically.
I'll keep you all posted about my reaction to Q-Link over the next 30-days or so. If you want to learn more in the meantime, however, I suggest visiting Clarus' website.
At this point, I am not endorsing this product in any way whatsoever. I'm simply intrigued, and thought I'd share my fascination, since it potentially could help frequent travelers better cope with the physical stresses of travel and jet lag.
One of the biggest challenges for business travelers is finding hotels that offer the ideal guest room layout, as well as services and amenities that are truly designed for people who need to get work done in their hotel guest room.
What I've found is that many popular hotel chains that promote a business-friendly environment, or that offer special guest rooms designed for business travelers, have missed the mark and never bothered to ask business travelers what, in fact, they need within their guest room and from a hotel, to be productive.
Business-Friendly Hotel Checklist
As you're planning your next business trip, use the following checklist to help you find the best business-friendly hotel in order to insure your comfort and productivity, without having to overspend on extras:
Free Wi-Fi Internet access throughout the hotel (including within the guest rooms) - Traditional (wired), high-speed Internet access in the guest rooms is fine too, but you should not be charged up to $20.00 per day for it. Look for hotels that offer free Internet access and free local calls. Or, find a hotel that offers a flat rate for unlimited Internet, local and long distance calls. If you travel for more than three or four days per month, seriously consider investing in a wireless Internet card for your laptop computer. (Contact AT&T Wireless, Sprint, T-Mobile, etc., and shop for the best wireless service plan that meets your needs). A wireless Internet card for your computer will insure you have high-speed Internet access virtually anywhere you travel within the U.S. (airports, hotels, on trains or buses, etc.).
A good size desk and workspace with a comfortable chair.
Ample lighting near the workspace.
Multiple electrical outlets located near the desk. (Surprisingly, few hotels offer this). Many business travelers need to plug in their laptop computer, cell phone, PDA, iPod and other devices simultaneously. One quick fix is to travel with your own power strip. I have stayed at countless hotels that offer wired Internet service (with the cable attached to the desk), but the desk had no electrical outlets nearby, so guests could not plug in their laptop computer while it's connected to the Internet.
Two phone lines.
Free parking.
Coffee machine in the room and/or a coffee shop (Starbucks) in the lobby.
A business center that is open 24-hours-a-day, and that doesn't charge a fortune to use a printer, fax machine or copier.
Complimentary daily newspaper.
A concierge to offer restaurant suggestions and make your reservations, especially if you need to impress important business associates.
Express check-in and check-out.
24-hour room service (since many business travelers prefer to dine in their guest room, as opposed to alone in a hotel's restaurant).
A kiosk in the lobby or business center for airline travelers to check-in with their airline, obtain seat assignments, and print boarding passes 24 hours before a flight.
In-room iron and on-site dry cleaning/laundry service (preferably that offers express service). It's common for a business traveler to unpack and find their business clothing has become too wrinkled to wear, or it somehow gets stained before an important meeting or presentation.
The ability to earn and redeem airline frequent flier miles and hotel rewards for each stay.
If you can find an affordable business hotel offering some or all of these business services and amenities, your next business trip will be more productive, hassle-free and comfortable.
In terms of saving money when booking a business-friendly hotel, I strongly recommend using Hotels.com, Travelocity.com, Kayak.com, Orbitz.com or one of the other popular online travel sites. I am also a big fan of TravelZoo.com for finding travel discounts and special deals.
Make sure, however, that you understand the online service's hotel rating system. I have discovered that Priceline.com, for example, sometimes tends to over-rate some hotels it offers at a discount. For example, I booked what Priceline.com called a "four star" hotel in Los Angeles recently, but every other hotel rating service called it a "three star" hotel (and that was being generous).
Sometimes, visiting a hotel's website directly and looking for online specials, and/or utilizing a AAA or corporate discount will allow you to find the best possible rate for a hotel.
So while many airlines allow pet owners to bring their small dogs aboard an airplane for a hefty fee, the options for large dog owners is more limited.
Crating a large dog and placing him into an airplane's cargo hold during a long flight is uncomfortable for the pet, potentially unsafe and costly.
Now there's a solution to transporting your pet cross country or between a handful of popular U.S. cities. A new airline, called Pet Airways, is exclusively for dogs and cats. It offers a safe, comfortable, supervised and convenient way for pets to fly (albeit without their owners).
According to Pet Airways' website, a one-way flight starts at $149.00 (between New York and Chicago), for example. A one-way flight between New York and Los Angeles will cost $199.00. Pet owners can track their pets throughout the flight with ease. This is the first attempt by any airline to treat pets like passengers and not cargo. To learn more, visit Pet Airways' website.
Despite the tough economy, great travel deals can be found by anyone who taps the Internet in search of money-saving offers, travel packages or other promotions.
For example, JetBlue is launching non-stop service between New York's JFK Airport and Barbados on October 1, 2009. As a special promotion, the airline is offering a $99.00 one-way airfare. Travel must be booked by June 17th, and take place between October 1st and November 14th, 2009. Additional conditions and restrictions apply. Call (800) JET-BLUE for details. To learn more about Barbados, visit www.visitbarbados.org.
Meanwhile, for golfers, The Boca Raton Resort and Boca Raton Beach Club, both of which are part of Hilton's luxurious Waldorf Astoria Collection of resort hotels, is offering a $100 golf or spa credit when a guest redeems their Hilton HHonors points in order to stay at one of these two resorts between now and December 31, 2009. For details, call (800) HONORS.
Between May 2nd and June 7, 2009, thousands of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered tourists and activists flocked to Zurich, Switzerland for EuroPride ’09 – the largest festival for gays and lesbians in Europe.
All of the gay pride events held throughout the past month collimated with a massive and festive Gay Pride Parade, which attracted upwards of 50,000 people on June 6th. Winding down the streets of Zurich, dozens of organizations and corporations took part in this event. The parade featured colorful floats and thousands of individual participants (some of whom truly dressed up for the occasion).
Corine Mauch, the Mayor of the City of Zurich, kicked off the parade, however, representatives from countries throughout all of Europe took part. Zurich tourism is quick to point out that as Switzerland’s largest city, it is home to a well-established and diverse gay community that goes well beyond the typical gay bars and clubs found in many most cities throughout the world.
According to Zurich Tourism, “Zurich’s residents have a very liberal attitude towards gays and lesbians.” What was both surprising and refreshing about this year's EuroPride was the total lack of protestors, as well as the overall sense of acceptance and safety one felt throughout the city during these events.
Regardless of your sexual preference, throughout the year, Zurich is a wonderful vacation destination for anyone looking to visit a beautiful European city that has a rich history, diverse culture and an abundance of activities suitable for the entire family. From museums and art galleries, to world class shopping and dining, Zurich offers something for everyone.
Americans looking to visit Zurich can take any of several major airlines, including Swiss Air International, which offers affordable nonstop flights from several U.S. cities, such as New York, Boston and Los Angeles, to Zurich.
Once in Zurich, acquiring a SwissPass offers tourists unlimited use of the city’s ultra-modern and convenient transportation system (including buses and trains), so no rental car is needed. The SwissPass also includes unlimited entry into many of the city’s more than 50 museums and 100 art galleries, as well as admission to many popular tourist attractions and historical landmarks.
As the city that’s located in the heart of Europe and the center of Switzerland, Zurich is continuously ranked as one of the most desirable places to live in the world. After spending just a few days here, it’s very easy to see why. In addition to being a beautiful city, the people here are extremely friendly and welcoming to all visitors.
Once in Switzerland, however, don’t just limit your visit to Zurich. Using the country’s train system, traveling throughout the country as a tourist is extremely inexpensive and easy, plus top-notch hotel accommodations can be found throughout the country.
Out of all of the European countries I’ve had the pleasure to visit, Switzerland is definitely my favorite for a multitude of reasons, including the multitude of activities and attractions it has to offer, the wonderful restaurants, the abundance of shopping opportunities, and the friendliness of the population. Americans truly feel safe and welcome here.
For more information about traveling to or vacationing in Zurich, Switzerland, visit www.zuerich.com. Additional information about EuroPride ’09 can be found at www.europride09’eu.
The following is a sampling of photos from EuroPride '09...
I am a bestselling author of more than 52 books, as well as a frequent contributor to numerous national magazines and major daily newspapers. I am also an accomplished photographer. You can view my work at www.JasonRichPhotography.com and visit my main website at www.JasonRich.com.
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