As often as possible, I try to get a window seat when I’m traveling. Certainly anything beats the dreaded middle seat, and crawling over other people when you need to stretch your legs can be a pain, but that window seat has the best thing on board—a window. A recent article by Peter Ferry on World Hum, “Out the Airplane Window,” describes … Read more »

Traveling solo has its benefits. Want to change your itinerary? No problem. Want to stay out all night? Go ahead. Want to wander sans clothing through your hotel room? There’s nobody to object. You can do whatever you want within your own budget and not have to worry about convincing your companions to buy in.

But when planning air travel in developing countries, there can … Read more »

It’s not a likely scenario, but it is one that provides food for thought of our dependance on these hydrocarbon-burning aluminum tubes that we pack ourselves into like sardines to get from point A to point B as fast as possible, placing our faith in well-maintained aircraft, pilot training, physics, and luck.

The eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland a few weeks ago shut down many … Read more »

After two months of living in Asia, I’m finally starting to feel settled. My mind is no longer preoccupied with the endless details of moving to another country, and I can finally get down to business and start asking the important questions. Is there a doctor’s office close to where I live or work? What is the system … Read more »

Every once in a while, I’ll meet grizzled older travelers who talk about traveling in Southeast Asia before the advent of Air Asia. It was either spend ridiculous amounts on flying or spending 10+ hours on a rickety bus.

Budget airlines were once a secret of the locals and savvy backpackers. Now they’ve become much more accepted. This NY Times article promises to give them much wider exposure: … Read more »

Being April Fools Day, I feel compelled to share this article posted yesterday on Jaunted.com; The Top Ten Most Ridiculous Items Taken Away By The TSA.

As vagabonders traveling the world, packing for a trip is often an exercise in figuring out what does and doesn’t count as a potential terrorist item, and even then we can … Read more »

Two days ago, I spent all 14 hours of the New York – Delhi nonstop flight worrying that my seatmate was quietly infecting me with something nasty.

He stayed bundled in his ski parka and wool hat the enitre flight. He had a telltale IV drip bandage on the back of his hand, sat eyes closed with a grimace, and didn’t eat a bite (except for the occasional … Read more »

Quite a few vagabonders that I’ve talked to in the last couple of months are Asia-bound this year, so this promotion just announced by Cathay Pacific may offer some interesting travel options from the U.S.

The 2010 All Asia Pass, starting at $1599, not including $180 in taxes. This package includes round-trip air fare … Read more »

The biggest single expense for most trips abroad is generally the plane tickets. Whether you buy a round the world ticket or piece together a series of plane flights yourself, the tickets will likely be your biggest expense.

That’s why it makes sense to be come something of a discount airline guru. We’ve pointed out some helpful websites to save you money in the past, … Read more »

While most major airlines have tightened up the rules (and added new restrictions) surrounding frequently flyer miles, that doesn’t mean you can’t find some pretty good deals. And honestly, who wouldn’t like to fly for free?

If, like me, you’ve got quite a few frequent flyer miles and are trying to figure out the best way to … Read more »