Posting has been light here on Jianantonic.com for the past few days — I’ve been doing my best to take advantage of the incredible weather we’re getting in the Pacific Northwest, and I’ve got company in town to share it with.  I’ll be posting some updates soon, but I wanted to put this photo up here.  I’m in a hotel in Vancouver, Washington, across the Columbia River from Portland, and we have a magnificent view of Mount Hood right out our window.  The windows here open, but only just a smidge, so I held my camera out to get a photo.  I couldn’t see the display on the camera at all, so I had no idea if the mountain was properly framed — I just took my best guess and clicked.  That bird, which appears to be a bald eagle, had amazing timing.

Travelers are generally outraged that American Airlines will be charging $8 for blankets on their domestic flights.  Nevertheless, the announcement comes as no surprise, and I pretty much expect other airlines to make similar announcements soon.  JetBlue and US Airways already have charges in place.

Can you think of any flight that was ever a comfortable temperature?  It’s almost always chilly on airplanes, and AA is hoping to capitalize on passengers’ silly optimism that their next flight might actually be different.  But you do not want that blanket — even if it’s free.  According to a flight attendant friend, those blankets rarely get washed and are probably dirtier than the airplane lavatory.  So wear warm clothes on your flight.

Even if you’re flying from Miami to Cancun in July, you’re going to want to wear a sweatshirt and long pants for the plane.  Your shorts and tank tops go in the suitcase for when you reach your destination.  This is a no-lose situation.  No one ever overheated because they were wearing jeans, and a full zip hoodie lets you regulate just how bundled up you’ll be, and you get a little extra pocket space for anything you want handy on the plane.  In the rare event that it gets too warm for long sleeves on the plane, shed your hoodie and use it as a pillow (pillows are also no longer free on American Airlines).

While it’s fair to whine about being nickel-and-dimed by the airlines in most cases, blanket charges are totally avoidable, and if you find yourself “having” to pay $8 to stay warm on a plane, it’s your own fault.  Wear layers and quitcherbitchin’.

When that little groundhog told us we were in for a long winter, was anyone prepared for all the snow, snow, and more snow that’s been falling?  Everyone dreams of a white Christmas, but come mid-February, we’re back to dreaming of flowers blossoming, green trees, and warm rays of sunlight, right?  It might be a while before you see any of that at home, but it’s all waiting for you at Grand Cayman island in the Caribbean Sea.  The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman is offering a special Stingray Splash vacation package with a complimentary fifth night at the luxury hotel.

The package includes accommodations at the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman, a trip for two to Stingray City, and a free fifth night of your vacation.  What is this Stingray City?  According to ocean explorer and preservationist Jean-Michel Cousteau, it is one of the best snorkeling sites in the world.  To get there, you’ll board the Intrepid motor yacht at the resort’s dock with a group of no more than 8 total visitors.  It’s a 15-minute boat ride to the shallow sandbar in Cayman’s North sound known as Stingray City.

In crystal clear, 3-foot-deep waters, guests can snorkel, play with and feed the gentle stingrays which are accustomed to human visitors.

When you’re not communing with friendly rays, there’s plenty more to enjoy at the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman:  Silver Rain, a La Prairie Spa, Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ambassadors of the Environment family program, Blue Tip, a 9-hole golf course designed by Greg Norman, and of course all the fine dining options you’d expect at any Ritz-Carlton property.

The Stingray Splash package starts at $609 per night for the high season.  Visit www.ritzcarlton.com for reservations and more information.

Packing your bags for a trip is a complete nightmare.  Almost all the major airlines in the US charge passengers to check luggage, and those fees keep going up — most of these carriers upped fees again just last month.  Airlines are cracking down on their carry on policies more than ever, too, and you’ll be hit with more fees if you try to sneak an oversized carry on bag, or an extra carry on, onto your flight.

The best way to avoid extra fees when you fly is to pack all of your things in a carry-on.  Keep in mind, though, that you’ll have to remove certain items at the security checkpoint, like laptops and liquids, and you’ll also have to tote that bag with you everywhere you go.  You need a piece of luggage that meets size requirements, is easy to transport, and provides easy access for the things you’ll need to remove and replace at security.

The new Samsonite xSpace Spinner might just be the perfect carry on.  It’s compact enough for a standard overhead bin, but large enough to fit up to a week’s worth of clothing.  It comes with a TSA-friendly quart-sized clear toiletry bag that you’ll need for your liquids at security and plenty of pockets to separate things like your clothes, toiletries, and portable electronics.  Seriously, this thing has so many pockets, I keep finding new ones on mine.  It’s great — makes it very easy to stow my laptop in its own pocket for easy removal and replacement at security.  The spinner also comes with a removable toiletry kit and a day pack/laundry bag.

The fabric of the bag is a stain-resistant poly/nylon blend that will be able to handle a bumpy ride like a champ.  It’s got four wheels, so it smoothly rolls upright.  You won’t have to drag it along through airport after airport.  I love this suitcase, and I’d recommend it to any traveler — and I’m going to give one away!

Here’s how you can enter to win a free Samsonite xSpace Spinner:

Leave a comment on this post and tell me a story about a luggage nightmare you’ve experienced while traveling, or just tell me where you’ll go on your first trip with a new Spinner.  Interesting stories will earn brownie points, but I’m going to select the winner at random from the valid entries.  You may only enter the contest one time.  Multiple entries from the same person will be disqualified.  You must provide a valid email address so I can contact you if you win.  Your email address will only be visible to me.  I will close the contest to new entries on 2/28/2010 at 11:59pm PST, and select a winner on 3/1/2010.  You will be notified by email if you win.  Good luck!

Valentine’s Day isn’t really known as a big travel holiday, but what’s a more romantic Valentine’s Day gift than a luxurious getaway for the two of you?  The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills is offering up an unforgettable Valentine’s Day experience this year called Everlasting Valentine’s Day.

Couples will stay in newly-renovated luxury guest rooms, dine on a romantic breakfast for two, and sip custom Valentine’s Day cocktails like the Chocolate Covered Orange Martini or the Chocolate Covered Raspberry Martini.  Here’s the everlasting part:  the two of you will meet with Opus Oils Jitterbug Perfume Parlour perfume specialist Kedra Hart in a private suite to create your own custom-blended fragrance.   Hart will work with you to select your favorite aromas and blends, and while creating your signature scent, you will learn about the history of scent in conjunction with love rituals throughout the ages.  At the end of the experience, you’ll get to take home a 2oz Eau de Parfum spray and a travel size roll on.  Your personalized perfume formula will remain on file so that you can order refills in the future.

This sounds like a truly romantic experience for any couple, but an especially great idea for couples planning a wedding.  You can create your own wedding day perfume, or give your signature fragrance as a bridesmaid gift or wedding favor.

The Everlasting Valentine’s Day Package is available Friday, February 12, Saturday, February 13, and Sunday, February 14, starting at $535 per night.

If you want to sweeten your romantic getaway even more, sign up for the Lover’s Duet Couples Massage at the spa.  Choose either a 60-minute or 90-minute aromatherapy massage for two in a private suite, complete with rose petals and romantic music.  Couples will be given champagne elixirs infused with dark chocolate and passion fruit and special keepsake items of custom blended massage oil and bath salts.  If you’d like to bring the spa experience home, ask about the 30-minute private massage instructional session for you and your sweetie.

A romantic getaway like this will go down in history as one of your greatest Valentine’s Days of all times.  Treat each other to something spectacular this year.

We didn’t have great weather when we flew to Bermuda, but at least we were able to land — several of our friends on other flights were not so lucky.  It was mostly cloudy the day we flew to Bermuda (BDA), from Richmond (RIC) via Newark (EWR), but I got some cool shots of the clouds and a few of the land below when the clouds broke.  Leaving Bermuda the next week, the weather was nicer and I captured some shots of the island as we turned west back toward the states.

We took off from RIC just after sunrise.  Once we were above the clouds, it was hard to believe just how gloomy the weather was on the ground.

Always take the exit row.  If you’re not in First Class, these are the best seats on the plane, and you’re guaranteed not to have to sit next to children.

I always think airports look really neat from the sky.  I’m not sure which one this is — anyone recognize it?  I’m guessing we were somewhere over Delaware or maybe southern New Jersey when I snapped this one:

I think this is the Wilmington, Delaware skyline, but I’m not sure.  These were the last shots I took before I had to pack my camera away for landing in Newark.  You can tell the weather was just disgusting that day.  Anyone recognize the city?

Edit:  According to a reader, this is the Philadelphia International Airport, followed by downtown Philly — I should have known I was looking at a hub.  (Philly is a US Air hub.)

Here’s a closeup:

The next leg of our flight was EWR to BDA.  I know exactly what skyline this is:

Here’s a shot of EWR, a Continental Airlines hub, from above:

My best guess is that I was looking at Long Island and the Hamptons when I snapped this shot.  Am I right?

We were over the Atlantic Ocean for the next two hours, which wasn’t much to look at.  Though even from five miles up, I could tell it was a choppy day in the water.  I knew our landing would be an adventure.  Our first view of the island was a wet one:

At this point, I put my camera away and held my breath.  It was a shaky approach, and we didn’t land on the first try, but after circling the island for half an hour, we did finally touch down with a few big bumps on the way in.  Aside from some of the scariest landings ever, the Bermuda airport is one of my favorites.  There’s a big pair of pink Bermuda shorts above the entrance, welcoming visitors and reminding you that you came here to relax.

While you wait in line at customs, there’s live local music.  The first time I visited, there was a steel drum band.  This time there was a saxophonist.  It really relaxes you after a dicey landing, and it relaxes you as you wait in the stressful customs line.

We enjoyed Bermuda for a week, which you can read about in other posts, and then we left.  The weather was nicer when we departed, and I was able to get a couple nice shots of the island on our way back to the states.  But first, I discovered that there’s a seat I prefer to the exit row, at least on a 737-800.  Bulkhead rules!  I’m almost six feet tall, with a 34″ inseam, and this is me stretching my legs straight out in front of me on the plane:

Bulkhead seats also mean you get off the plane first, which is a pretty sweet deal, but I guess you’re not here for pictures of my legs.  Here’s more of Bermuda from takeoff:

Bye, little islands, I’ll miss you!

These reefs surround the island, and have been responsible for many a shipwreck over the years — probably a large part of the reason the Bermuda Triangle has such a reputation.

Here’s one last shot of the island as we flew away:

Bermuda is exactly the kind of place where you don’t miss the internet.

We made it!  Our hosts warned us that planes had been turning back due to high winds earlier in the week, and when we saw the forecast for the day of our flight, we were none too confident that we’d get to land.  The pilot came on the PA as we were making our descent to say that it was windy and rainy, but we were going to attempt to land.  Yay:)

Once we were below the clouds, I could see the ocean tossing violently.  I’m not going to lie — I was pretty tense.  Our plane was bouncing all over the sky, and I held my breath.

Finally I caught a glimpse of the island from my window seat — we were very close!  I have no idea how to estimate our altitude at the time, but let’s just say we were probably no more than 10 seconds from landing when the pilot pulled the nose up and we started to climb again.

Damn.

I woke up at 4am for that flight, and I’ve never been one to sleep on a plane, so I knew if we had to turn around, I’d be in for an even longer and more stressful day.  Luckily, we circled the island and made a successful landing on the second attempt.  It was the bumpiest landing I’ve ever felt, but we made it! 

Today the winds are even wilder.  The wind actually woke us up this morning, screaming at our window and shaking the house.  Our hosts say this is not uncommon for this time of year in Bermuda.  My bridge partner is scheduled to land this afternoon, and let’s just say I’m not exactly counting on it.  I’ve been checking BDA on FlightStats.com, though, and all three of today’s flights so far have landed, so I’m at least cautiously optimistic.

I’ve never flown on a rickety old turboprop in the Himalayas, or on any Air Third World airline, but in all the flying I’ve done, approaching Bermuda (this is my second visit) is definitely the diciest landing I’ve ever experienced.  Even for a frequent flying globetrotter, this one’s a little bit terrifying.  But it’s so, so worth it.  Stay tuned for more from Bermuda all week.

Before I met McKenzie, I was married for about five minutes to my college — I hesitate to say “sweetheart” — I was married to that dude I dated in college.  During that five minutes, I updated my passport, so I have this ID that doesn’t expire for a bunch of years yet, and it’s got my old married name on it.  When I married McKenzie, I couldn’t drop “Taylor” fast enough, so all my IDs reflect my first name, maiden name, and married name.  Except my passport, which everyone said I wouldn’t have to update.  I’ve done a little bit of international travel with this passport, and it’s never been an issue.  But that was before that jerkwad set his pants on fire on a plane last month.

When we booked our tickets to Bermuda, my husband double checked that the name on my passport, which has my actual first and middle names but former last name, would not be a problem.  He was told that as long as the passport is not expired, and I have valid ID with my current name, this is no problem.

When we checked in online, Continental Airlines’ website even asks if your name matches the name on the passport.  Mine doesn’t, so I entered the correct information and checked in.  No problems.  I was actually impressed with how easy Continental’s online check-in was, especially with the passport information.  Of course, it was too easy.

We needed to print our boarding passes at the airport, which for some reason required us to go through the whole check-in all over again.  Because we are flying internationally, the ticket agent has to scan some badge to verify that she’s checked our passports — though I wonder why this is necessary, considering that if we’d had a printer, we would have skipped this step altogether.  It was about 5:30am at the Richmond International Airport (RIC), and no one was in a great mood.  This ticket agent was particularly grumpy.  When she saw that my passport had a different name on it, she told me I couldn’t fly unless I could produce proof that the passport was mine.

Apparently a driver’s license, social security card, face that matches the passport photo, and a stamp from customs in Bermuda when I took the exact same trip two years ago do not constitute proof.  They wanted my marriage license.  They told me it was my responsibility to know that I would have to have this.

I disagree.  I think it’s Continental’s responsibility to tell me, when I tell them that my legal name doesn’t match my passport, 24 hours before I try to fly, that I’m going to need more documents.  Or maybe when I book the ticket, you know, WHEN WE ASKED THEM. And you know what?  I’m pretty sure Continental WOULD HAVE given me this information.  I think that their user-friendly online check-in would probably include a blip about this requirement, were it actually a real requirement. After all, remember that I could have skipped all this nonsense if only I’d printed my own pass.

After a few minutes of arguing with me and telling me I should be more responsible (because all responsible people carry their marriage licenses around, along with at least two forms of government issued identification, at least $100 in cash, their Kroger Plus card, and their pets’ vaccination records), she changed my ticket to my former married name, as if this was some gargantuan favor.  Why the hassle in the first place, then?

Look, I get that rules are necessary, and having inconsistent IDs could indicate some sort of threat, so I get that they have to be careful with this sort of thing.  But there don’t appear to be any actual rules about it, and those that exist are at best halfassedly enforced.  So until the guidelines are clear and consistent, I reserve the right to bitch about it.

I’m sitting in Newark waiting to make my connection to Bermuda, and I’m a little tense about potential issues with customs and my return ticket, but at least I’m on my way now.  What’s the worst that could happen?  I get stuck in Bermuda?  What a shame that would be.

I love the window seat on flights.  Aisle seats have the advantage of a little space to stretch out to your side and not having to climb over anyone to move around the plane, but in my opinion, the view is the best part of a flight.  I’ve recently started keeping my camera in my carry on bag so I can take photos of the views I just don’t get any other way.  It was mostly cloudy on Sunday’s flight from Portland to Salt Lake and then Salt Lake City to Atlanta (guess what airline I was on!), but there were still some nice views.

We flew out before sunrise.   I wasn’t on the right side of the plane to capture the sun itself, but here’s a hint of sunrise coming through the clouds:

The clouds started to break somewhere over Idaho:

The clouds came back, though.  I love how the tallest mountains poke through, almost like some sort of liaison between the earth and the heavens:

Flying from SLC to ATL, I was at the back of the plane, so a wing made it into most of these shots.  Some photography snobs might edit the plane out of these photos, but I like it, actually.

I really love how the low clouds just lap at the base of these mountains in Utah like a calm lake.  The Great Salt Lake is under there somewhere.

The mountains in Utah are just stunning.  I kept snapping photos until they were out of sight.

As we headed east, we crossed that great landmark, the mighty Mississippi River:

On Friday, I fly to Bermuda.  I’m hoping it’s clear enough to get some good photos of the gorgeous approach.  I’m experimenting with some photo gallery features here so that future Window Seat posts will be in gallery form — I hope you enjoy them!