Travel Blog: News and Briefs
Runway Dangers, FAA Cover-Up Make Front-Page News
by Michael Yessis | 04.25.08 | 10:47 AM ET
The New York Times fronts a story reporting, “Groundings have raised flags about skipped inspections, but what really worries specialists is runway collisions,” while the Washington Post leads its print edition with a piece revealing “Federal Aviation Administration managers covered up mistakes by air traffic controllers.” Scary reading for a Friday morning, but not entirely shocking.
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Yahoo! BuzzWorld Hum Travel Movie Club: ‘Y Tu Mamá También,’ Part Two
by Eli Ellison, Eva Holland | 04.25.08 | 10:09 AM ET
World Hum Travel Movie Club: ‘Y Tu Mamá También,’ Part One
by Eli Ellison, Eva Holland | 04.24.08 | 5:27 PM ET
Politico: ‘Why Congress Can’t Fix Air Travel’
by Michael Yessis | 04.24.08 | 3:33 PM ET
Interesting examination of why air travel stinks these days and what government’s role should be in fixing it. David Rogers writes in Politico: “[F]rustration levels are such that even libertarian think tanks endorse a greater government role in easing traffic congestion. And air travel taps into a larger political theme in this election, as more Americans feel pushed around by often technical forces out of their control.”
Related on World Hum:
* Average Domestic U.S. Airfares Near Record Highs
The Onion, Vonnegut, God and Travel
by Michael Yessis | 04.24.08 | 10:47 AM ET
The Onion’s A.V. Club picked this quote from “Cat’s Cradle”—“Peculiar travel suggestions are dancing lessons from God”—as one of 15 Things Kurt Vonnegut Said Better Than Anyone Else Ever Has Or Will.
Average Domestic U.S. Airfares Near Record Highs
by Michael Yessis | 04.23.08 | 4:39 PM ET
The Department of Transportation revealed today that the average domestic ticket in the U.S. cost $331 in the final quarter of 2007, the highest average for that time period since 2000. Back then, tickets averaged $340. The DOT report also identified the most expensive U.S. airport to fly from: Anchorage, at an average of $539 per flight. USA Today has an overview of the DOT data.
Photo by veganstraightedge, via Flickr (Creative Commons)
‘Do Travel Writers Go to Hell?’ Debuts, Second Wave of Reaction Ensues
by Michael Yessis | 04.23.08 | 11:33 AM ET
Thomas Kohnstamm’s now infamous book hit booksellers this week, spurring another batch of reviews, considerations and rants around the web. Among them:
Meet Li Yang, ‘China’s Elvis of English’
by Michael Yessis | 04.23.08 | 9:51 AM ET
Terrific story in the New Yorker about the Beijing man behind “Li Yang Crazy English,” whose slogans include “Conquer English to Make China Stronger!” Evan Osnos writes that Li is “the world’s only language teacher known to bring students to tears of excitement.” Officials in Beijing have turned to him to teach English to his compatriots before the Olympic Games this summer, but as Osnos writes—and that slogan hints at—it’s about more than language.
‘Long-Neck Women’ Fight Against Confinement in ‘Human Zoos’
by Michael Yessis | 04.22.08 | 11:20 AM ET
Marie Claire, The Age and the Times UK are among the publications with recent stories about the plight of the “long-neck women,” a group of Kayan refugees from Burma who are known for wearing brass coils around their necks. Tourists from around the world flock to Northern Thailand to see them, but many of the long-neck women have apparently had enough of living in a “human zoo.” Several of the women have removed their coils and are fighting to move to New Zealand and Finland, where they have been offered resettlement.
The United Nations High Commission for Refugees has taken up their cause, but so far no exit visas have materialized. The stories allege that the Thai government refuses to let the women leave, fearing that their departure will hurt tourism in the region.
Be a World Hum Intern
by World Hum | 04.22.08 | 10:31 AM ET
We have a great opportunity in the Washington, D.C., area for an aspiring travel writer or editor. Internship responsibilities include:
Tax Rebate Tourism
by Jim Benning | 04.21.08 | 2:31 PM ET
According to one study, 10 percent of Americans plan to use their stimulus-package tax rebate checks on travel. If that includes you, the San Francisco Chronicle has some ideas about where to go.
Where the Minister of Tourism is King
by Eva Holland | 04.21.08 | 2:00 PM ET
Photo by garybembridge via Flickr (Creative Commons)
I came downstairs the other morning and picked up the local paper, the Barbados Advocate. The top headline, in bold two-inch font, was: “Balance Needed.” Most places in the world, I’d expect the story that followed to be about deficit spending—but here in Barbados, the lead story was about striking the right balance between condo-style visitor accommodations and traditional hotels. Almost every morning, in fact, the latest pronouncements from the minister of tourism—whether on the growth of condo-style tourist digs or the need to seize a share of the “health and wellness” tourism market—take top billing.
‘Peter Fonda is an Upgrade Junkie’
by Jim Benning | 04.21.08 | 11:20 AM ET
Can you believe it? Shocking! Sunday’s Los Angeles Times published a run-of-the-mill overview of various issues surrounding frequent-flier miles—yes, some airlines make using miles a major pain. But at the end of the piece, a consultant offered inside info on the frequent-flier-redeeming habits of the stars. Hey, inquiring minds gotta know. Quincy Jones apparently applies his miles toward tickets for friends. Meanwhile, the consultant says, “Peter Fonda is an upgrade junkie. He uses all his miles for upgrades because he never wants to fly coach.” Yes, a true Easy Flier.
Pakistan’s New Multiplex: ‘A Slice of America with Bollywood Flavoring’
by Michael Yessis | 04.21.08 | 10:23 AM ET
Great piece in the Washington Post about a new multiplex theater opening in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. The country lifted a longtime ban on screening Indian movies in February, and now the country is poised for a movie—and cross-cultural—boom.
World Hum’s Most Read: April 12-18
by World Hum | 04.18.08 | 4:47 PM ET
Our five most popular features and blog posts this week:
1) Thomas Kohnstamm’s Lonely Planet: The Firestorm Around ‘Do Travel Writers Go to Hell?’
2) A Clash of Civilizations Over Disney’s ‘It’s a Small World’
3) How to: Wear a Sari in India
4) Why the World is Avoiding America (pictured)
5) How to: Use a Squat Toilet
