Category Archives: Lifestyle

Culture, Holidays, Lifestyle, Random, Travel

One Day in St. Andrews, Scotland

July 24, 2008 Genevive Bjorn

In addition to being the birthplace of golf and the sport’s equivalent of Mecca, St. Andrews, Scotland, is an entirely charming town that begs to be photographed.

My first stop was St. Andrews Links, where both the lawns of the Old and New courses pop in vibrant green against the wind-swept beach, called the West Sands.

A very short stroll from the Links, the beach was my next stop. The West Sands are familiar from the film “Chariots of Fire”. With summer twilight lasting for hours, this two-plus mile long beach captured my imagination.

Looking back toward town from the beach, the rows of charming Victorian, neo-gothic and Norman houses built of ancient stone beckon.

As I toured around the delightful neighborhoods in St. Andrews, I met a group of men wearing traditional kilts. They had just come from a Scottish country dancing festival and were heading to a nearby pub for a well-earned pint.

Holidays, Lifestyle, Random, Travel

How to Find the Best Seat on the Airplane

July 11, 2008 Genevive Bjorn 3 Comments

You’ve spent a wad of hard-earned cash on an airplane ticket. Now where to sit? Don’t leave it to the airline to decide because chances are you’ll end up in the middle of a row that doesn’t recline. There are several resources to to use that can help you land the best seat available.

There are two free web sites to visit for seat maps: seatguru.com and seatexpert.com. Seatguru’s graphical interface is slightly easier on the eyes, but both offer seat maps of individual aircrafts operated by most airlines. They show graphical layouts of the cabins and pros and cons for various seats on the plane as reported by passengers.

Tip #1: You’ll need to know which type of plane the airline will be using on your flight. You can generally find this information in your reservation.

To see seat maps on specific flights that show which seats are occupied or not, try expertflyer.com. This site is not free (they charge a $4.99/month subscription fee), but you can access the information the first time by using their 5-day free trial. Armed with one of the free seat maps, you can also call the airline directly.

Tip #2: Remember FEBO (Front Even Back Odd) — This is how several major carriers, including American Airlines, take meal orders in premium class based on flight number. For Even flight numbers, meal order is taken from the Front, and for Odd flight numbers, meal order is taken from the Back. Pick your seat accordingly if you want to ensure your meal choice.

Family, Lifestyle, News, Travel

Are You a Skilled Enough Traveler for TSA’s New Black Diamond Lanes?

June 25, 2008 Genevive Bjorn

Do you speed through security and feel frustrated when less savvy travelers slow down the line? Or do you take your time and need extra assistance from TSA? Either way, 21 cities in the US have adopted a pilot program to help people move through airport security more efficiently.

This new airport security program is called Black Diamond Self-Select Lanes. It’s a modeled after ski slopes, where the runs are labeled according to difficulty, and skiers decide which runs to take based on their ability. There are three lanes: expert, casual and families/special assistance.

The new program, which has increased throughput by 20-40%, is available in these cities: