TheAirGorillaBlog

Cancun Can Do

Gorillas in Paradise

If you're a student with a week off coming up, the new "hot spot" for Spring Break is Cancun, located on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula along the "Mexican Riviera."  Cancun has become a top Spring Break destination in recent years, partly because of the exposure (in all meanings) from the MTV Spring Break shows and partly because of the abundance of exciting things to do on the beach and off.  Of course for some college-age travelers the big draw is Mexico's lower drinking age, but the combination of water, sand, nearby jungles and Mayan ruins provides plenty of diversions for all.  Ever want to snorkel on a tropical reef or swim with dolphins?  Then Cancun is for you.  Want to try para-sailing or shoot the surf on a wave runner?  Again, Cancun.  And you can do it all while surrounded by all your bff's and bff's-to-be.

 

Cancun boasts clean white beaches and warm temperatures (averaging highs in the mid-80s and lows in the low 70s), with very little rain during the Spring Break season (usually only about 3 inches over the two-month period).  In addition to the high-traffic hotel zone, Cancun has its "El Centro" - the old city - with numerous marketplaces, winding streets, and cul-de-sacs that encourage slower-paced sightseeing and shopping.  About an hour's drive south of Cancun is Xel-Ha Park, a modern aquatic park and ecotourism site located on a natural inlet and lagoon.  Xel-Ha Park features swimming in the protected lagoon which is filled with numerous tropical fish (but no sharks, for the Jaws-phobic), and many other aquatic activities.

 

Early spring is a great time to visit Cancun, although we recommend that families try to time their visits to the end of the season when most college students have returned to studies and left the beaches relatively quiet.  AirGorilla.com has great deals to Cancun and other fun Spring Break destinations.  The Party Primate is just waiting to set you up with a great vacation.

AirGorilla - Going Bananas for Spring Break!

AirGorilla Dave is the Writing and Virtual Spokesperson for AirGorilla.com , an online discount travel company established in 2001 for Airfare, Hotels, Cars, Vacations, Safaris, and more. AirGorilla.com has great travel deals abroad and continues to make in roads to the travel industry. Please include AirGorilla.com next time you are searching for Discount Travel.

Spring Break in Fort Lauderdale

Where the Gorillas Are

We're kicking off our special Spring Break vacation series with Fort Lauderdale, often considered the “grandfather” of Spring Break destinations.  The popularity of this Florida city started in the mid-1930s, but really got a boost with the 1960 movie Where the Boys Are.  Since the mid 1980s its popularity with the college-age crowd has gone down, in large part due to laws passed to discourage much of the rowdy behavior.  However, the city still has much to offer, especially for families.

 

Of course the warm temperatures, averaging from lows in the mid 60s to highs in the low 80s, are always a draw for Northerners thawing out from winter.  For the aquatic types, Fort Lauderdale features 7 miles of beaches and 165 miles of waterways, giving it the title of the Venice of America, plus the nation’s third busiest cruise ship port.  Night life varies from theater to nightclubs, many of them located along Las Olas Blvd.  This Spring the entertainment in and around Fort Lauderdale includes concerts by Eric Clapton and Roger Daltrey (March 11), Michael Buble' (March 12), Aretha Franklin (March 16), and Bon Jovi (April 18). 

 

So, whether you go for the sun, sand, and sea, or for the nightlife, Fort Lauderdale has something for everyone.  Right now AirGorilla.com has great deals for you, so let the Party Primate set you up with everything you need for a fantastic Spring Break in the Venice of America.

AirGorilla - Going Bananas for Spring Break!

AirGorilla Dave is the Writing and Virtual Spokesperson for AirGorilla.com , an online discount travel company established in 2001 for Airfare, Hotels, Cars, Vacations, Safaris, and more. AirGorilla.com has great travel deals abroad and continues to make in roads to the travel industry. Please include AirGorilla.com next time you are searching for Discount Travel.

ROCKET TOURISM - Cape Canaveral has always been a nice spot for the tourist, especially if you are lucky enough to catch an impressive launch of a space shuttle or Atlas rocket. Delays due to weather make it difficult to plan your schedule, especially if you are from a long ways out of town. There are, however, plenty of beaches in central to northern Florida to jump to if a launch is delayed a day. Often the launches get scrubbed several hours before their afternoon launches, so you have plenty of time. You can listen on the radio to keep tabs on the likelihood a launch will go off successfully later in the day. Plus, of course, great tours are available at the Kennedy Space Center (kennedyspacecenter.com). This complex presents the history of the space program featuring the Rocket Garden, IMAX movies, Astronaut Hall of Fame, space history exhibits and a full-sized, walk-through Space Shuttle display. Be sure to check out the latest launch of the Atlas V Rocket with the Solar Dynamics Observatory onboard. There is an amazing display of a rainbox-like sundog occurring simultaneously with visual after-effects of sonic booms:

http://timesonline.typepad.com/science/2010/02/sonic-boom-meets-sundog.html

AirGorilla Goes Bananas for Spring Break

Party Like a Gorilla!

 

If there is one thing AirGorilla Dave likes, it’s a good party.  And no time of the year says “Party!” like Spring Break.  So for the next few weeks AirGorilla.com is going to be looking at some of the great Spring Break destinations around.  We will be featuring both college-age and family getaway locations as we help you plan for your next vacation.  We'll also try to give you the goods on special events going on in those locations during March and April.  And AirGorilla.com will have specials to help you out with your planning - just join the email list to keep up with what we have going on.  So be sure to visit AirGorilla.com and the AirGorilla blog for your Spring Break vacation plans.

AirGorilla - Going Bananas for Spring Break!

AirGorilla Dave is the Writing and Virtual Spokesperson for AirGorilla.com, an online discount travel company established in 2001 for Airfare, Hotels, Cars, Vacations, Safaris, and more. AirGorilla.com has great travel deals abroad and continues to make in roads to the travel industry. Please include AirGorilla.com next time you are searching for Discount Travel.

United States To Promote Travel via New Non-Profit Corporation

Last week Congress passed legislation to create a Non-profit corporation to promote travel to the United States. Travel to the US is down 9% since 2000 while travel worldwide is up 39%. 

Through a $10 fee, U.S. aims to draw more visitors

A $10 fee imposed on incoming travelers will create the funding necessary for the venture. This seems like a well-intentioned move to counter the post 9/11 attitude towards the United States. Regardless the United States is still at War and I can see where that can be a little unsettling. 

Whether your traveling to or from the US then please include AirGorilla.com in your travel research. 

FEATURED DESTINATION OF THE DAY... IGUAZU FALLS is one of the great natural wonders of the world, the Iguaçu Falls (Portuguese: Cataratas do Iguacu, Spanish: Cataratas del Iguazu) are situated near the border of Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. The area is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The town on the Argentine side is called Puerto Iguazu and is small and pretty. Although the Iguazu Falls are between Brazil and Argentina only, Ciudad del Este, the city on the Paraguayan side, is just across the bridge from Brazil. It's a hectic (but exciting) centre for contraband and cheap electronic goods. It is not uncommon for policemen to check passports in the Argentinian side of the falls, even during domestic journeys. It is advised to carry some documentation of citizenship, when needed. From Foz do Iguaçu buses run every half hour from the bus terminal to the visitor's centre at the national park entrance, passing many of the main hotels in the city along the way. Garganta del Diablo - The main attraction of Iguazu Falls on the Argentine side. There is a free train running up to a 1 km-long walkway across the river to stand just back from the main horseshoe of falls where the roar and spray are most tremendous. Spectacular boat trips for the traveller to Iguazu Falls can be made under the falls, but they are kind of pricey, if you take the Safaris offered on the Brazilian side of the Falls. If you go all the way to the "Las Cateratas" station on the Brazilian side, you will be offered e.g. wildwater rafting & abseiling activities at better rates. Two options are the only hotels close to the waterfalls. However, they are far from everything in the evening. Most people prefer to stay in either Foz do Iguaçu on the Brazilian side or in Puerto Iguazu in Argentina, where a large number and range of accommodation options can be found. Foz do Iguaçu International Airport (Brazil) is served by TAM Airlines, Gol Transportes Aéreos, Trip Airlines and Sol Linhas Aéreas, with direct scheduled flights to and from Sao Paulo Guarulhos/Congonhas, Rio de Janeiro, and other cities. In the Iguazu Falls area, taxis are readily available - go to the taxi desk at the entrance to the terminal building and tell them your destination (they speak English) and they will arrange for a car and give you a price. The bus passes many of the main hotels on the way into the city (stops are frequent) and ends up at the bus terminal on the far side of the city where there's a friendly tourist information office. In the other direction the bus will drop you off just outside the main visitor's centre at the entrance to the park. (sources WIKI travel and WIKI)

American Airlines Now Charging for Blankets

 
Just as we were getting over the Delta/Northwest upgrade on baggage charges, now comes word that American Airlines will be charging coach passengers $8 for a blanket and inflatable neck pillow on domestic flights over two hours.  On any flight less than that, these goodies will not be available in coach, although premium passengers will still get free blankets on all flights.  USAToday reports that AA has decided to do this as a part of their "bottom line" decision making.  Blankets and pillows will still be free for all passengers on international flights, and AA said that it will provide a $10 coupon for Bed, Bath, and Beyond if you "buy" the blanket.  We wonder how many fliers will decide they want to take it with them.

Compared to the recent increase in baggage fees, this is actually an easy charge to deal with.  Simply wear a jacket or sweater when you get on the plane and you're set.  You can take it off and stow it in the overhead bins or just slip it behind you until you need it.  Of course, this simply begs the question, "What will they charge for next?"  To deal with the rising ancillary fees, AirGorilla.com can help you find the lowest air fares so those other pesky charges won't be hurt quite as much.

AirGorilla Dave is the Writing and Virtual Spokesperson for AirGorilla.com, an online discount travel company established in 2001 for Airfare, Hotels, Cars, Vacations, Safaris, and more. AirGorilla.com has great travel deals abroad and continues to make in roads to the travel industry. Please include AirGorilla.com next time you are searching for Discount Travel.

Here's a great surprise travel spot I recently visited. Outside Tucson, AZ, is Mt. Lemmon. The web site skithelemmon.com gives you their story. It is a gorgeous drive up there. There is a scenic village of log cabin homes and a few stores among the many pine trees. A small ski resort is there as well. They received multiple feet of snow from the recent El Nino storms that have hit the southwest (January, 2009). There are a lot of scenic overlooks with weird rock formations as you work your way up into the mountains. The restaurant at the end of the road does close early, though, but that's likely because you don't want to be driving back down the mountain when its dark.

Looking for Baggage Loopholes

Last week, following the increase in luggage check fees at Delta and Northwest, we took a look at ways to get around this increase in travel cost.  Well, the venerable New York Times is now covering this same story in an article scheduled for its Sunday travel section (but already available online).  However, with their greater resources and contacts the NYT article is able to go into a bit more detail on the situation than we were.

Writer Michelle Higgins came across some interesting ways that travelers are using to try to get around the unwanted expense.  For example, she found that some airlines are willing to check some slightly large luggage at the gate, rather than try to find space in the bins.  Sometimes this works well and results in bags showing up at the gate along with strollers and baby seats; other times it doesn't and the flier not only has to pay for checked luggage but gets the "dirty look" from airline personnel and other travelers.

Meanwhile, the scramble for bin space is getting to be on par with trying out for an Olympic team - many attempt but few succeed.  Some folks are even planning their seat location based on an airline's usual boarding method: those that load from the rear forward vs those that load from the front back.  Rear loader?  Go for a seat behind the wings to ensure plenty of room available for your carry ons.  Front loader?  Well, you get the idea.  What about an airline like Southwest that has no assigned  seating?  Well, since  Southwest doesn't charge for bags (and makes that a part of their advertising) it doesn't matter.  It seems bin space isn't an issue there.

One thing for certain - things are only going to get more challenging as airlines try to "recapture" expenses with baggage fees and the TSA increases scrutiny of carry-on luggage to protect travelers.  Since the airport is getting more hectic, why not at least let AirGorilla.com help make the preparation smoother with discount air fares and more.

AirGorilla Dave is the Writing and Virtual Spokesperson for AirGorilla.com, an online discount travel company established in 2001 for Airfare, Hotels, Cars, Vacations, Safaris, and more. AirGorilla.com has great travel deals abroad and continues to make in roads to the travel industry. Please include AirGorilla.com next time you are searching for Discount Travel.

Travel + Leisure's Best and Worst Airlines for 2009

We recently came across Travel + Leisure Magazine's Best and Worst Airlines for 2009. This was based on on-time arrival and came from Bureau of Transportation statistics from February 1, 2008, to March 31, 2009 (so wouldn't that be the best and worst for 2008?).  The numbers are interesting - for example, the best airline saw its on-time arrival rate drop from 92% to 89.5% and the bottom spot went to a carrier with a 70.7% on-time rate.  So overall there is not a great statistical spread.  Of course, statistics don't mean much when you're trying to catch a connecting flight.

So who was the tops overall?  That spot went to Hawaiian Airlines which was on time nearly 9 times out of every 10 flights.  The bad news?  It doesn't do much good for anyone not flying to or from Hawaii.  In fact, of the "Big 5" carriers (American, Continental, Delta, Northwest, and United), not one cracked the top 5.  The best of the group was Northwest at #7 with 79.6% on time rate; the worst was American Airlines at #18 (out of 19 airlines) with a 73.4% rate.  On the other hand, if you want to go with a non-regional top 5 airline you can pick Southwest (#3 at 83%) or US Airways (#5 at 80.4%).

Now, should you choose your airline only on the basis of on-time rate?  Maybe, if that is most important to you.  Of course there are always other qualities to use for picking your carrier - like price.  But no matter how you decide to choose, let AirGorilla.com help you find the best deal on your air fare and other travel needs.

AirGorilla Dave is the Writing and Virtual Spokesperson for AirGorilla.com, an online discount travel company established in 2001 for Airfare, Hotels, Cars, Vacations, Safaris, and more. AirGorilla.com has great travel deals abroad and continues to make in roads to the travel industry. Please include AirGorilla.com next time you are searching for Discount Travel.