Flightandroom Blog

Celebrating Valentine’s Day in Zambia? Here’s why and how

2012-02-01T07:21:00.005-05:00

Planning for Valentine’s Day can be quite a minefield if you have got someone to please, right? While a box of chocolates, candle-lit dinner, a nice movie afterwards, and buying gifts makes for staple Valentine pursuits, how about doing something different this time?

While we all go to the known destinations and do the tried and tested things, may we suggest doing something completely out-of-the-box like enjoying a safari in Zambia? It is certainly going to be an experience that you and your significant other shall never forget. "Go big or stay home" is what they say about Valentines, and there’s no better way to make it bigger and better than enjoying something novel while having intimate moments with the backdrop of utmost beautiful natural landscape. Plan a surprise trip to Zambia, you’ll surely be bringing that excitement level various notches up for the both of you, after all witnessing new experiences and making fond memories out of them is always welcomed, isn’t it?

Safari Tours in Zambia

'Livingstone Island', Victoria Falls, Zambia

There are various holiday packages offered by FlightAndRoom that combines cheap flight deals to Zambia along with accommodations like quality resorts or private villas. So, wait no more, book yours today and say hello to a romantic holiday right away.

Boeing 787 Dreamliner lands at St. Louis

2012-01-31T10:18:00.001-05:00

The Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner landed yesterday evening at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport for the first time. After a nearly ten years in development, the $32 billion plane arrived here to honor the engineers from the company’s Hazelwood-based Defense, Space and Security division who helped design the plane.

Boeing’s long-awaited 787 Dreamliner became a reality as it was formally delivered to its first Japanese customer – All Nippon Airways.

What it’s like to sleep with the fishes?

2012-01-30T04:54:00.001-05:00

The underwater suite at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Islands Resort

Holiday lights in New York City - video

2011-12-29T09:24:00.001-05:00

Last-minute planning made easy and cheap

2011-12-22T03:01:00.000-05:00

As much as there are takers for cheap flight deals offered well in advance and to those who adhere to proper planning and well-in time cheap airfares booking, there’s an equal market comprising those that believe in living life on the edge. These latter species of travelers can be tagged as those that always and by default make use of the last-minute flight deals. Calling themselves lovers of all things and plans made impromptu and always doing things by instinct, they make and take their decisions on an impulse and just act on it.

Thank god for them there are these very attractive last-minute flight deals that are not just offered once or twice in a month but provided with almost consistently. Hotels and airline are always competing for your attention and quite obviously, they don’t want to lose out on even smallest of an opportunity to cash in on more business. Therefore, when there happens to be some cancellations, they tend to offer them as cheap airfares and cheap hotel accommodations. So, you can make use of these any time you like, there’s no stopping the enthusiastic tourist or the frequent traveler in you.

Flight and hotel deals for the impulsive travelers

2011-12-21T05:22:00.000-05:00

Do the words last-minute, impromptu, impulsive or generally late describe your identity as a holiday travel planner? Do you see yourself perfectly fitting this description? Well worry not and take heart in the fact that there’s someone out there to help you book airline tickets and that too with the discount tag intact.

Select a leading name in the online air travel solutions industry, understands that hotels and flights make quite a reduction in their prices at the last minute. And, we bring to you a selection of these last-minute cheap flight deals or discounts on room rates at your disposal. But hey! We’d suggest you don’t leave them for too long and grab them as soon as they make an appearance. Prices change by the hour so it is advised that you book them before it gets too late.

From now on you won’t have to lose your mind over planning a spur-of-the-money holiday plan or break your bank in doing so. With some very attractive deals on cheap flights and cheap holiday packages, there’s no holding back the impromptu holidaymaker, what say?

Delta adds flights from Cincinnati

2011-12-01T16:06:00.000-05:00

Delta Air Lines announced an expansion of flight service from Cincinnati International Airport (CVG), including additional flights to Atlanta and Detroit starting in early 2012. Delta is also adding a round-trip, same-plane flight to Portland and a connection to Oakland, California.

The Atlanta-based carrier said it is adding the new flights from CVG to hub airports in response to business requests, giving travelers greater flexibility for connections to major domestic and international destinations.

Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting - 2011

2011-12-01T15:33:00.000-05:00

The holiday season officially kicks off in New York City, lit up by the Rockefeller Christmas tree. We wish you joyful holidays and.. happy traveling! :-)

Princess to offer more Pacific Coast cruises

2011-10-23T08:25:00.002-04:00

Princess Cruises will feature an increased number of Pacific coastline cruises in their 2012-13 sailing schedule. The fall and spring season includes an enhanced seven-day California Coastal itinerary with an added visit to Catalina and an overnight in San Francisco.

Among the other exciting coastal voyages is a wine country cruise from Los Angeles to Vancouver, with themed shore excursions, plus four- and five-day cruises to Alaska and the Pacific Northwest.

In addition to the coastal cruise options, Princess offers a variety of destinations departing from the ports of Los Angeles and San Francisco heading for Hawaii, Mexico, Panama Canal and the South Pacific.

Spooky travel destinations - video

2011-10-23T08:17:00.003-04:00

Take a 'ghost tour' for Halloween in Savannah, Georgia:

Air travel made inexpensive

2011-10-19T08:57:00.018-04:00

We all undertake journeys, irrespective of their length, sometimes for business and other times for leisure. Rail and road travel are all alright, but air travel is a different thing all together. Since this kind of transport gets you to your destination in the shortest possible time, it nonetheless costs the greatest dent in your wallet, too. But we all know that only the fittest survives and that holds true in field of air travel as well.

With such fierce competition among airlines, fliers are spoiled for choice. The Internet offers a variety of places where you can find cheap flights and cheap hotels. For example Bookingwiz.com offers not just discounts on plane tickets but it also have attractive hotel deals.

Finding a cheap hotel is no mean task. This is where online sites come to your rescue. Literally handpicked, they offer you with various packages on cheap hotels, guided tours, and of course, the airfares. One wise man once said “money saved is money earned.” How very true. You can make big savings by booking cheap flight tickets through online travel portals.

Attractive discounts that are hard to resist and useful info on the city your about to visit, what else could one ask for? No matter which part of the world you’re traveling to and which airlines you’ve chosen, you are bound to find a deal that best suits your needs. In the online world, you are never too far away from a cheap airline ticket. So, go ahead, click that mouse, make that booking and have a safe flight.

A luxury yacht like no other

2011-10-16T11:41:00.004-04:00

Boeing 787 Dreamliner now a reality

2011-09-29T11:29:00.005-04:00

After continuous delays, Boeing’s long-awaited 787 Dreamliner became a reality as it was formally delivered to its first Japanese customer – All Nippon Airways (ANA).

The 787 development program has been delayed seven times due to challenges with engineering and other issues. These included supply chain glitches and a 58-day labor strike in 2008.

Boeing has taken orders for 821 Dreamliners, which will compete with the future Airbus A350, due in 2013.

The plane's lighter weight allows airlines to operate routes even when the demand is insufficient for larger aircraft like the Boeing 777 or 747, or the Airbus 380 superjumbo.

The Dreamliner’s first regular international service will be on ANA’s new route from Haneda to Frankfurt, starting January 2012. The aircraft will also be used on the Haneda-Beijing route from December.

Watch video of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner first flight back in 2009.

Allegiant adds flights from Asheville to Orlando-Sanford

2011-09-14T10:08:00.004-04:00

Allegiant Air will begin nonstop service between Asheville, N.C. and Orlando-Sanford International Airport starting November 18.

Andrew C. Levy, Allegiant Travel Co., president, said North Carolinians will appreciate flying nonstop to Orlando. Floridians who summer in North Carolina are also likely to use the service.

The new nonstop flights to SFB will be operated twice weekly by a MD-80 jet aircraft with 150 seats. Flights leaving Orlando Sanford will depart at 6:10 p.m., arriving in Asheville at 7:40 p.m. Flights will depart Asheville at 8:20 p.m., arriving in Sanford at 9:50 p.m.

Allegiant Air is an American low-cost airline owned by Allegiant Travel Co., based in Las Vegas. It is the 10th-largest airline serving the metro Orlando area, flying 1.2 million passengers annually.

When to buy airline tickets?

2011-08-31T05:04:00.007-04:00

* Book 6 to 8 weeks before the date of travel
* Cheap last minute airfares are often released on Tuesdays
* Sign up for deal alerts from airlines and travel websites
* Connect through Facebook and Twitter to view exclusive deals

AA to launch nonstop flights between JFK and Antigua

2011-08-30T10:07:00.004-04:00

American Airlines announced it will add a direct flight connecting New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and V. C. Bird International Airport in Antigua (ANU), beginning Nov. 17. The new service will be operated four times a week by a Boeing 737 aircraft with 148 seats.

"Antigua and Barbuda, known for their beautiful beaches and wide variety of land and sea activities, are a popular destination for passengers traveling from and through New York," said Art Torno, American's Vice President. "As American celebrates 30 years of service to the island, we are pleased to begin this new service from JFK Airport, offering convenient access to Antigua and Barbuda as well as additional travel options for our valued customers."

American Airlines currently serves Antigua with one daily flight between Antigua and Miami. American Eagle operates one daily flight between Antigua and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Combined, American Airlines and American Eagle offer service to 35 destinations throughout the Caribbean, more than any other U.S. airline.

Find more flights from JFK here!

Software detects fake travel reviews

2011-08-08T07:28:00.003-04:00

Online travel reviews have come under strong criticism in recent days with reports of fake paid evaluations. Review sites are increasingly becoming targets for ‘opinion spam’ – deceptive positive reviews posted by sellers to help sell their products, or negative reviews meant to downgrade competitors. Fortunately, Cornell University researchers have developed software that they say can detect fake reviews.

In a test on 800 reviews of Chicago hotels, the system was able to pick out deceptive reviews with almost 90 percent accuracy.

The researchers made a computer analysis of the text of known true and false reviews. They revealed that that truthful hotel reviews focused more on the hotels themselves, like “bathroom,” “location” or “small”, while deceptive writers used more context setting words like “vacation,” “business” or “my husband.”

Fake writers also used more verbs than real review writers did, while the real writers used more punctuation than the deceptive writers.

But what happens when everyone knows what the software looks for? The fake writer will also know how to trick it. Back to square one.

Las Vegas named Most affordable US city for toursits

2011-08-01T04:28:00.006-04:00

Las Vegas is the best bargain in the US, according to TripAdvisor’s TripIndex. The travel review site based its rankings on the combined cost of one summer night's lodging in a four-star hotel, a large cheese pizza from a globally recognized chain, a dry martini at the bar in a top-ranked hotel and a five-mile taxi ride at each destination.

Las Vegas is the least expensive city in the U.S. for domestic travelers, with a total TripIndex cost of $164. In Las Vegas, according to TripIndex, the average four-star hotel costs $121.30 per night, compared to $324.38 in steamy New York City.

Asia has four of the world's 10 cheapest cities (Bangkok, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur and Dubai) and only one of the priciest (Tokyo, which costs US$371.98 versus $111.99 for Bangkok).

In costly Europe, where Paris, Zurich and London top the charts as the world's most expensive cities at $428.88, $379.62 and $373.79, respectively, the Bulgarian capital Sofia is a relative steal at $135.66.

Prices were taken in local currencies between May and July and converted into U.S. dollars on July 14.

TripAdvisor's TripIndex compares key cities from 50 countries worldwide and 15 US hotspots.

Corsica - what an amazing island!

2011-07-15T09:17:00.007-04:00

Austin airport gets free Wi-Fi

2011-06-07T10:07:00.003-04:00

Austin Bergstrom International Airport travelers can now use wireless Internet for free thanks to a revised deal with operator Boingo Wireless.

The free wireless Internet is for 30 minutes in a 24-hour period and after the time limit, users have to pay $4.95 per hour, $7.95 for a day pass, or $9.95 for a month of unlimited access to more than 30,000 hotspots in North and South America.

Note that the half hour of free Internet is for a single, continuous session. So if you disconnect after 5 minutes and try to connect again you won't be eligible for more free internet minutes, at least for another 24 hours.

If you are flying to Austin Bergstrom (AUS) and you want longer free Internet, there are several computer stations located at the lower level baggage claim areas of the airport.

United announced daily nonstop Los Angeles-Shanghai flights

2011-05-23T08:43:00.005-04:00

United Airlines will offer daily, nonstop flights between the carrier’s hub at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Shanghai.

"United operates more routes from the U.S. to China than any other airline, and this new service is another step in the expansion of our U.S.-China network," Jim Compton, United's executive vice president and chief revenue officer, said in a statement.

United’s rival American Airlines began a direct Los Angeles-Shanghai route on April 5.

United will operate the flights using Boeing 777 aircraft with first-class, business-class and economy sections. The flights are timed to provide convenient round-trip connections at United's Los Angeles hub to cities throughout the Western United States, Canada and Mexico, United said. The airline offers more than 225 daily flights from LAX.

United Airlines is a subsidiary of United Continental Holdings Inc., formed after the merger of United Airlines and Continental Airlines, and operates an average of 3,332 daily flights to 238 U.S. and international destinations.

Show your birth certificate, get a Hawaii hotel discount!

2011-05-08T08:37:00.004-04:00

President Obama produced his birth certificate to prove he was born in Hawaii. If you can find yours, you can get a 15% discount at participating Aqua Hotels in Hawaii.

From now until August 4, 2011 (President Obama’s birthday), any guest who presents their birth certificate at check-in can get the discount at any Aqua managed property in Waikiki, Maui, Kauai and Molokai.

Aqua runs a dozen hotels in Waikiki alone, so anyone looking for a Hawaii flight and hotel package will have a lot of choice. Some of the hotels are pretty decent and affordable too. For example, the Aqua Waikiki Wave is located within a block of Waikiki Beach and within walking distance of the Hawaii Convention Center.

CruiseTrends report names most popular cruises

2011-04-21T10:15:00.004-04:00

CruiseCompete released its “CruiseTrends” report which found:

Most Popular Cruise Lines
(Ranked by the total number of quote requests for each particular line in the given month)
1. Premium/Contemporary: Carnival Cruise Line
2. Luxury: Oceania Cruises
3. River Cruises: Viking River Cruises (over AmaWaterways last month)

Most Popular Cruise Ships
(Ranked by the total number of quote requests for each ship)
1. Premium/Contemporary: Allure of the Seas
2. Luxury: Queen Mary 2
3. River: MS AmaDolce

Most Popular Cruise Regions
(Ranked by the total number of quote requests for each region)
1. Premium/Contemporary: Caribbean
2. Luxury: Mediterranean (over Europe last month)
3. River: Europe

Most Popular Cruise Departure Ports
(Ranked by the total number of quote requests for each departure port)
1. Premium/Contemporary: Fort Lauderdale
2. Luxury: Civitavecchia (Rome)
3. River: Amsterdam

Most Popular Countries Visited
(Ranked by the total number of quote requests for each country visited during cruise itineraries, excluding countries of departure)
1. Premium/Contemporary: Bahamas
2. Luxury: Greece
3. River: Germany

Hottest Months for Cruising
(Ranked by the most requested months)
1. Premium/Contemporary: April
2. Luxury: June (changed from July in February)
3. River: October (changed from July in February)

Helpful tips for efficient and comfortable air travel

2011-03-25T09:08:00.004-04:00

Travel tips form the ones who know best: an AirTran flight attendant gives some helpful tips for a 7-day trip.

Airlines divert Tokyo flights over nuclear radiation fears

2011-03-17T05:57:00.005-04:00

German flag carrier Lufthansa has begun rerouting its Japan flights due to the threat of nuclear radiation following more explosions at power stations north of Tokyo.

The airline is diverting all Tokyo-bound flights to airports south of the capital, in Nagoya and Osaka.

Meanwhile, other major airlines including Air France/KLM, Austrian Airlines and Qantas, have adapted their Japan schedules so that cabin crew do not have to stay overnight in Tokyo.

Flights are continuing to operate to Toyko but are being re-routed via Hong Kong or Seoul so that crew can stay in those cities to avoid disruption in the Japanese capital

At this time, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are continuing to operate their Japan flights as normal.

A BA spokesman said: "We continue to fly to Tokyo's Narita and Haneda airports. We are in close contact with our local team and the relevant authorities and will keep the situation under review. We would never operate a flight unless it was safe to do so."

A Virgin spokeswoman said: "We are currently operating a full flying programme to Narita airport but we continue to monitor the ongoing situation."