Travel Tonic

Bringing you what’s new in travel for April 7th 2011 through April 11th 2011:

• Should D.C.’s museums start charging fees? – Sean O'Neill recently posted this on This Just In… Newsweek's Travel Blog:

  One federal budget proposal is to end free admission to the Smithsonian museums. If this happened, museums in Washington, D.C., such as the National Air and Space Museum and the National Museum of Natural History, might charge $7.50 an adult.

• Exclusive Frommers.com Deal to Las Vegas, from $287 for Three Nights With Air – posted this over on Frommer's : Save about $125 with this affordable Las Vegas package, which Delta Vacations created especially for Frommers.com readers.
  
  
  
  
  
• Revealed: America’s most expensive airports – Sean O'Neill recently posted this on This Just In… Newsweek's Travel Blog:

  Houston is the most expensive large airport to fly out of nationwide. Bush Intercontinental's fares were recently marked up about $85 above a "fair" price, says a survey published by The New York Times.

• Airbus watching A380 schedule closely after quake –
  flightglobal.com
  Airbus is confident it will meet its delivery forecast of some 25 A380s this year despite the Japanese earthquake which has further complicated the juggling…
• When is the best time to tweet? | Christopher S. Penn’s Awaken Your Superhero –
  christopherspenn.com - Christopher S Penn
  

  When is the best time to tweet?
  … is the wrong question. At least as it’s currently being asked in social media, it’s not only the wrong question, it’s an overly simplified question that provides an answer that’s not likely to help you meet your goals. It’s a question that is presented to people who are looking for a too-simple, easy-money, push-button answer to their ailing and failing social media efforts. Luckily, I happen to know that you, as a reader of..  show all text
• Watch Out for the Incredible Shrinking VAT Refund – Smarter Travel has posted some info about currency conversion rates: Handling fees, currency conversion rates, and paperwork make getting your money back a hassle.

  Head over to www.smartertravel.com to read the whole article.

• Top 10 Best Offbeat Things to Do & See in London | VisitBritain Super Blog –
  visitbritainsuperblog.com - Laura Porter
  

  London is a bigger city than you first think so it’s easy to get off the beaten track, leave the crowds, and find somewhere your friends have never been. I’ll never dismiss seeing Buckingham Palace or the Houses of Parliament as they are so very ‘London’ but these places will give you a new view of the city. 1. Dennis Severs’ House Just by Spitalfields Market is a wonderfully atmospheric London street with the bizarre but fascinating Dennis Severs’ House. Am..  show all text
• Rendezvous with White Knight and Spaceship 2: Virgin Galactic and Virgin America –
  youtube.com
• Passport Day canceled, embassies abroad stay open – Budget Travel recently posted this on This Just In… Newsweek's Travel Blog:

  You may have to wait a few more days to get your passport. Tomorrow, April 9th, was slated to be Passport Day, an annual event when US passport agencies process passport and visa applications without requiring an appointment. A notice from the US State Department, however, confirms that the event has been canceled due to the federal budget crisis, stating:

• Panasonic launches new eX3 in-flight entertainment system –
  youtube.com
• A320 prototype prepares for one last big test – Airline Business –
  flightglobal.com
  Airbus's venerable A320 development hack is being prepared for one of its last major test programmes before retirement – the Sharklet trials. A320
• Why is Leahy so keen for Boeing’s "me-too" neo? – Airline Business –
  flightglobal.com
• Foreign Carriers Japan Operation Changes Apr/May 2011: Update 5 | AIRLINE ROUTE –
  airlineroute.net - jimyvr
  As of 08APR11, Foreign carrier’s operation changes to Tokyo and some cities in Japan, from 08APR11 as follows. Most of the operation changes are on temporary basis till the end of April 2011, while some extends towards the end of June 2011. Note the following are the carriers that has published the changes in the GDS. Carriers not mentioned are currently operating normally.
  Majority of the airlines listed below has seen latest changes over the weekend.
  Please contact the airline for lates..  show all text
• The Travel Industry Moves to Pre-empt Customer Complaints – posted this over on Frommer's : Some airlines and cruise lines are proactively offering compensation for delayed trips, forcing travelers to quickly decide what to accept or reject. Keep these tips in mind the next time a travel company tries to pacify you with an offer.