We’ve all heard of horrible airline customer experiences- lost luggage, rude staff, outrageous ’security’ measures- but its not always easy being on the other side either.  Today the NYTimes, the WSJ, and others have been reporting about a flight attendant who reached his limit of obnoxious customer behavior:

Gawker summarizes the story of  how a Jet Blue flight attendant escaped a nightmare day of work on a blow up slide even while remembering to grab a couple of complimentary beers for the road.

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From Mashable:

“Thanks to a new app, Bing Maps now calculates the cab fare on a route between two points.

The Taxi Fare Calculator was developed by Ricky Brundritt as a submission to the King of Bing Maps competition.

The app is available at the Bing Maps website right now. Just pick a region (results are best within a major metropolitan area, such as New York or London) and type in two addresses. The app gives the shortest route and a fare estimate based on normal rates for cabs in the area. The pick-up charge, time charges and by-the-mile costs are all factored in where applicable….”

Read the rest of the article. Click.

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I am sure you have already heard by now that airlines are charging for checked bags as well as carry-ons. Some have even decided to only allow carry-on’s.  So, what are you going to do, you ask?  Well… save money by packing lighter, of course!

This reality isn’t so new to many backpackers who travel to third-world countries and rely on mobility. I, in fact, learned early on to roll, rather then fold, my clothes into tight balls in order to get them to fit into a small carry-on backpack. No way was I going to pay extra fees or be stuck with a huge suitcase trying to maneuver in and out of hostels in India alone.

The New York Times and a travel-savvy-flight-attendant provide us with a few tips on how to pack appropriately.

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One of our contributing writers, Bibi Jordan, was recently published in ZajiGirl travel blog. Her piece details the work of So Elsewhere’s Virgin Bloggers Bootcamp in the Virgin Islands, run by our consulting firm, So Elsewhere Consulting.

ZajiGirl, a hip travel and style e-zine, picked up one of my travel stories from flashnomad.com… what’s really fun is to see how they jazzed it with the help of their super flash designer. First, check out the story here in May and June posts. Then, visit ZajiGirl. Now, here’s where it helps to have a ‘traveler’s tip’ to navigate: click on the link for the full article, and then when you get to the home page if you want to skip the rather long intro, click on ’skip’ on the lower right, and then you’ll see where to click on the article. It’s really fun to see their cool layout. Thanks, ZajiGirl for Zaji’ing me up!

Bibi Jordan, Contributing Writer

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I stumbled upon this 2006 New York Times article entitled, “Affordable Europe: Geneva.”

With its reputation as a hive of private banking, the idea of finding a bargain in Geneva may induce peals of laughter. Yet if you know where to look and what to avoid, you can make your way without breaking your own personal bank.

“Mardi Gras? Carnival? Octoberfest? The Running of the Bulls? Been there. Done that. Everyone knows about these parties. They’re great. They’re famous. But most people go to them once and never come back. Let’s talk about parties where the same people return year after year…” Click Here For The Full Story

Finally a comprehensive list of fabulously daring and entertaining parties around the world. I have only ventured into the depths of Holi, and the fierceness of Mardi Gras and so (obviously) this article will provide much more (crucial) information then I could ever. Enjoy!

If you have a party story that you would like to share send us an email at soelsewhere@gmail.com.

Morgane Veronique Richardson, Writer/Editor

Delta, can you take a hint? A few weeks ago we wrote a story about the excruciating process of booking a flight with Delta Airlines.  We suggested that if you value your time it might be worth a little extra money to just book your flight with Jet Blue.

Turns out we’re not the only ones feeling frustrated.  NY Times reports that the travel industry is getting miserable ratings in customer service… with the exception of a few, including Jet Blue.

Click here for the full story.

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Here, Scott Martelle has done what most travel writers (i.e. the writers of So Elsewhere) would love to do: travel to exciting new places and indulge in delicious beer (not while driving of course!).

Sit back, grab a case of beer and enjoy reading Brew pubs along coastal California: a beer-drinking road trip.

Perhaps this will inspire a new way of traveling for you and your friends.

Morgane Veronique Richardson, Writer/Editor

I must be honest and tell you that I have mixed emotions about this article.

As an avid woman traveler with a SERIOUS case of wanderlust, I am happy to see that the Frugal Traveler  put forth an article encouraging women to get out there and travel the world solo.

On the other hand, some of the responses from the interviewee are biased and sexist.

Nonetheless, while I do not believe there is nothing to be afraid of when traveling alone, let alone as a woman, I do hope women continue to frugally see the world.

Just be smart and remain conscious of your destinations social norms.

Morgane Veronique Richardson, Writer/Editor

This map marks bars with free snacks and includes a brief description of the gratis menu.  The little martini glasses are spots verified by the NYTimes author and the yellow pushpins are reader suggestions.

Thank you Frugal Traveler!