INTERNATIONAL AIR TRAVEL | Ay Chihuahua! Virgin America serves up a Spicy Fare Sale across its Route Network and Spreads its Wing with New International Non Stop Service to Los Cabos and more!

Virgin America today announces it will serve San Jose del Cabo International Airport (SJD) and Cancun International Airport (CUN) with nonstop flights from California starting this winter. Nonstop flights launch from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to SJD as of December 16, 2010, from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to CUN as of January 19, 2011, and from SFO-CUN as of January 20, 2011. To celebrate the new routes, the airline today launches a spicy three-day fare sale – with fares from $109** coast-to-coast and $129**to Mexico. On top of these hot fares, tech-forward flyers in need of a Mexican getaway can score a two-for-one ticket offer*** by checking in on Loopt Star, the location-based social mapping network, at SFO, LAX or select taco trucks in San Francisco and Los Angeles from 11:00am-3:00pm PT today. Proceeds from every taco purchased will benefit the City of San Francisco’s Animal Care and Control Chihuahua rescue efforts. … Continue Reading

JWA | John Wayne Airport TRAVEL TIPS for the Labor Day Holiday Weekend by Jenny Wedge for OCAir.com

John Wayne Airport (JWA) anticipates a busier-than-normal travel period from Thursday, September 2 through Tuesday, September 7 during the Labor Day holiday weekend. More than 144,000 passengers traveled through JWA during the same time period in 2009 with the busiest travel days being the Friday before and Monday of Labor Day.

PLAN AHEAD

Passengers and visitors are encouraged to plan ahead and give themselves 90 minutes to two hours to find parking, check their luggage and go through the security checkpoint to ensure they are at their gate in time for their flight. … Continue Reading

BOHEMIAN LIFE | Nomadic Traveler in French Polynesia the ‘Day in the Life’ of Eric Schnitzler on filming some of the World’s Best in the Surfing Industry

HAUTEOC: In our travels, we meet some great friends a long the way, here we connected with International Freelance Videographer, Eric Schnitzler, who films everything from Weddings to Sports and we learned about his day in the life of the Nomadic Traveler in French Polynesia. His work most notably recognized in the professional surfing industry.

ERIC: My name is Eric Schnitzler, I’m from Big Island, Hawaii but currently reside in Tahiti, French Polynesia.  I’m an international freelance videographer for surfing, bodyboarding and other sports, and also weddings on the occasion.  I enjoy filming because of the memories that come with it and also the opportunities that it gives me to travel.  I’d like to consider myself a Nomadic traveler.  In fact my friends and I used to have a little crew called the ” Knowmads” about 10 years back.  Straight out of high school, I went  to college and got into a career that kept me indoors all day. … Continue Reading

EXQUISITE COLLECTION | Falaknuma Palace, the ‘Heavenly Abode’ of Hyderabad, India Opens November 2010

Coming this Fall November 2010, Taj Hotels will open the doors to a magical new experience. The Falaknuma Palace, one of the most remarkable sights of Hyderabad, will be re-opened as a luxury palace hotel. Built in 1884 and situated on a hillock, Falaknuma Palace, meaning the heavenly abode, is a rare blend of Italian and Tudor architecture.

This magnificent palace is being converted into a 60-room hotel in the first phase of restoration and refurbishment, which will no doubt preserve its inherent history. For example, the original suite of the Nizam, the 101 Dining Room and the original Mughal, Rajasthani and Japanese gardens created by the Nizam would be retained.

The grandeur of the Falaknuma Palace is best described in its detailing. The Palace has priceless collections of Osler chandeliers that are of Belgian make, paintings, statues, English furniture, stained glass windows, leather upholstered rosewood chairs, gold and crystal tables, ivory figurines and an Italian white marble fountain at the entrance.

The library has a walnut carved roof, which is a replica of that in Windsor Castle and houses one of the finest collections of the holy Quran in India. … Continue Reading

AIR TRAVEL | EMIRATES to Launch Second Daily Flights to Houston and L.A. in Major Boost to U.S. Services

Emirates has underlined its commitment to the United States by announcing the launch of second daily flights to Los Angeles and Houston. The award-winning airline, which recorded a significant increase in revenue for the Americas in 2009-10, will soon offer over 15,000 seats on 98 return flights per week to the United States.

Starting October 31st for Los Angeles and November 1st for Houston, Emirates will fly non-stop to both cities twice a day on Boeing 777 aircraft. The services will provide the highest standards of passenger comfort, with luxurious private suites in First Class, lie-flat beds in Business Class and generously-sized Economy Class seats.

Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline said: “Emirates has experienced very strong demand across all of its U.S. gateways this year, including very healthy premium and business traffic. We are delighted to meet this increased demand … Continue Reading

DISCOVER THE WORLD YOU’VE BEEN MISSING | Aboard The VIRGIN GALACTIC for UCI MIND

Think you’ve been all over the planet? What’s next? Well…. Space, of course! Virgin Galactic has appointed Virtuoso, the premier network of professional travel agents, as their Exclusive Retail Travel Group in North America. Virtuoso travel advisors are the first in the world endorsed to reserve seats on Virgin Galactic spaceflights, due to launch in 2010. Together with Virgin Galactic, Virtuoso’s member consultants will help make the dream of going into space a reality. Virgin Galactic is the world’s first ever venture into space tourism, giving you the groundbreaking opportunity to be one of the first ever space tourists, your Virtuoso travel advisor will help you book space flights. … Continue Reading

EMERALD CITY | PORTRAIT OF A GREEN MILE – Aron Lorincz’s “Theoretical Block” in Budapest by Kathy Marino

As a child, I must’ve watched the movie Wizard of Oz millions of times, and quite honestly, I still get that same feeling of euphoria as Dorothy’s wanderlust leads us into her subconscious dreamland escape from a black and white world of odds and ends, into a rich adventure in all that is beautiful; a land of colorful poppies, a glistening city of endless yellow-gold-paved roads and clear-blue skies.

Its any wonder we still get that same euphoric feeling and excitement  when we travel as we step into another country and experience the portrait of a grand new world – after a seemingly long-anticipated arrival we take a breath-taking visit to, what I’d like to refer as “Emerald City,”  an obtainable but far away place, a green city-scape we’ve seen in the pages of a magazine turned reality. Designer Architect, Filmmaker Artist Aron Lorincz created a depiction of this world featured here in a compelling short film titled “Theoretical Block”  - I saw his work as a visionary portal into one of the greenest cities in Europe, a symbolically powerful film shot in Budapest, what I’d like to refer to it as one of the Emerald Cities, a leading environmentally green city travel destination.

HAUTEOC: What an incredible film you’ve put together Aron,  cinematically shot, its compelling … Continue Reading