Flying with the Linesmen

Last week my husband and I ended up on a Southwest flight out of Bradley, in the back of the jet with about half a dozen retired utility workers returning to their homes in Mississippi and Tennessee.

They had been called back to action and had worked nearly non-stop for a week to restore our power. As one last gift, they provided the entertainment on the flight to Baltimore, teasing each other, telling stories and cracking up everyone within earshot.

One guy said the driver of the repair truck he was assigned to had complained that he had no gym where he could work out in Connecticut.

“I told him, ‘Well, I guess we could wrassle for a while,’” the grizzled linesman drawled.

It was the best in-flight entertainment ever.

I guess could have posted this sooner, but somehow Thanksgiving seems appropriate.

‘Miracle on the Hudson’ Jet Heads South

The A320 that U.S. Airways pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger ditched in the Hudson River in January 2009 has been dried off and the fuselage is being transported by truck to the Carolinas Aviation Museum in Charlotte, NC. My friends at Patch have fun photos.

New Book Shares Travel Horror Stories

Travel can be tough, as Joe Sharkey reminds us in a column about a new book:  “The Titanic Awards: Celebrating the Worst of Travel.” My bad cab driver stories can’t hold a candle to these tales of woe. Sounds like a must-read.

Coach Class Speaks

I’ll be speaking this Thursday, April 22, 2010, at the Burlington (Connecticut) Public Library about the best websites for bargain travel.

The session begins at 7 p.m. It’s free, and I’m told there will be refreshments. I’m aiming to share a load of practical tips on how to save money on travel, and to answer as many questions as time permits.

The library asks that you register here, or by calling 860-673-3331.

The librarians also ask that you not treat this as a drinking game where you knock back a shot every time I say something bad about Spirit Airlines. Apparently this would violate several library regulations.

Cheap Fun Around Honolulu

View from Diamond Head.

$5.50 – $6 Climb Diamond Head. Admission is $1 per person and you can take the bus for $2.25 each way or pay $5 to park a car. Then you have to climb rather a lot (though I’ve seen grandmothers do it, and small children in flip-flops) for a spectacular view of Honolulu.

Read the rest of this entry »

Frommer Reveals Bargain Destinations

Where will the best travel deals be in the coming months? Arthur Frommer revealed all at the New York Travel Show last weekend and then generously shared his wisdom on his blog.

Las Vegas, Orlando, Central America, Cancun and China are on his list. And that’s not all. Head on over to Arthur’s blog and read it all.

New Year, New Direction For Coach Class

Hi, folks. I’ve been giving this blog a lot of thought lately, and I’ve decided to try a new direction in 2010.

In the past couple of years, I’ve drifted more toward commentary on travel news and analysis.

The plan is to focus more on deals and money-saving tips, returning to a focus on the practical aspects of budget leisure travel. I’ll pay special attention to Bradley and the Northeast but I’ll also look for money-saving ideas and opportunities wherever they pop up.

What do you think?

Tourists Camp In Cemetery

A town in northern Australia is having to shoo people away from its cemetery, where some tourists were setting up tents and parking their campers, the Northern Territory News reports. The town of Katherine is now threatening violators with a $50 fine.

State Tourism Promotion Budget = $1

The state of Connecticut has reduced its annual budget for promoting tourism statewide to $1 for each of the next two years, the New York Times reports. This will make it difficult to get across the state tourism slogan, which is “Closer than you think.” Or the new slogan: “We can’t afford a slogan.”

Bradley Gets Nonstop Service To Denver

Southwest Airlines will begin a daily nonstop flight between Bradley and Denver in March.

Tickets are on sale for $79 each way, totaling $179.20 for a round trip when taxes and fees are included.

Frontier Airlines had flown a daily nonstop between Bradley and Denver, but canceled it last September.

Southwest has been expanding rapidly in Denver. Along with Bradley, it is adding daily nonstops to Boise, Ontario, Detroit and Dulles.

Why did I not have this story when Southwest announced it this morning? Because I was traveling all day. On Southwest.

Oh, the irony. The bitter, bitter irony ….