Virgin America Tops Consumer Reports’ Airline’s Rating Survey // www.SteeleTravelBlog.com

Consumer Reports’ airlines ratings reported that Virgin America topped the list on consumer satisfaction scores, receiving some of the highest scores the publication has seen in years. The high scores were in all areas: check-in ease, cabin-crew service, cleanliness, seating comfort, baggage handling and in-flight entertainment.

Despite a $25 first and second checked bag charge, Virgin America was the only airline to snag a top score for baggage handling. Although the airline is still struggling financially, it consistently receives high consumer ratings. The survey is based on queries to 16,663 subscribers conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center and based on a combined mileage of up to 31,732 domestic flights.              
          
“While other airlines on the list like Southwest and JetBlue have done a very good job of satisfying fliers, Virgin America is a cut above in the eyes of our readers,” said Amanda Walker, Senior Editor, Consumer Reports.

Southwest Airlines and JetBlue Airways also got high scores, most likely due to the fact they’re the only carriers on the list that let fliers check one (JetBlue) or two (Southwest) bags for free. Both also got high ratings for check-in ease and cabin-crew service, but JetBlue scored higher for cabin cleanliness. Spirit Airlines got the lowest marks across the board, a poor showing the magazine suggests could be due to its wide array of fees. Readers also didn’t like the seating space—the tightest in the industry. The large carriers: Delta, US, American and United came in in places seven to ten, respectively, relatively low in a list of ten. The full report is online at ConsumerReports.org and in the July 2013 issue of Consumer Reports magazine.

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Turkish Airlines Begins E-Visa Program Simplifying Entry // www.SteeleTravelBlog.com

Turkish Airlines is making the Turkish Visa acquisition easier with its new e-Visa program. Officially launched in April, the new system allows foreign nationals to obtain Turkish visas online at www.evisa.gov.tr rather than at the Turkish consulates and embassies, or at the border gates upon arrival. To participate travelers need a passport that has been valid for at least six months, documentation of their flight reservation and a credit card (currently only Visa and MasterCard are accepted).

An electronic copy of one’s e-Visa will be available online as soon as the application is submitted and the credit card has been charged. A hard copy will also be mailed to the travelers directly, which they can print out and show to airport and customs officials upon their arrival in Turkey.

According to Turkish Airlines’ Chairman of the Board Hamdi Topçu, “This new initiative will not only make it easier for foreign nationals to apply for and obtain a Turkish visa, but is also expected to increase the number of visitors to Turkey, thus attracting additional tourism and foreign trade revenue.”

Travelers are required to carry their e-Visa with them at all times as it is an official endorsement from the Turkish government that the bearer is allowed to enter and be in the country. E-Visas can only be used for tourism or trade purposes. Those looking to travel to Turkey for work or study are still required to file an application through the country’s embassies or consulates.

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On the Go Travel: Ireland Oh, Danny Boy! // www.SteeleTravelBlog.com

Now, I’m not so crazy as to pass up that pot of gold, but being a fellow that can…“appreciate” another man, it’s safe to say that the leprechaun is in no way off the table.

For those fidgeting to get your freak on “over in the clover”, the end of the rainbow touches down for Dublin Pride this June 21-30 with the resounding theme of “Live, Love, and Be Proud!” As polls increasingly show Irish support for same-sex marriage — a recent referendum in April showed a whopping 79% in favor — the capital of the Irish Republic is set to celebrate Ireland’s rich gay culture like never before.

This is the city that gave us Oscar Wilde and Graham Norton, and the only place on the planet where a trance remix of Enya “works.” Or should even be attempted. The third most tourist-popular city in Europe after London and Paris, the capital of the Irish Republic divided neatly in half by the River Liffey, and both sides are spangled with gay spots (Dublin, like a lot of European cities, doesn’t have a gayborhood). And like true Irishmen, they are stately on the outside and total freakos once the shots are lined up on the inside. I am giving you fair warning, people.

Gay Pride is a week-long scrum of Gaelic gays, and it goes without say that all the gay clubs and bars, and maybe even a few straight ones, are all going to be putting out, but the best bet is actually the oldest bar in town. The George, to Ireland what the Stonewall is to the USA, takes the lead by introducing on Pride a whole new Friday Night party tradition, Glitterbomb. This is going to give The Dragon, a notorious two-level phallus-fest that gives “fire in the hole” an entirely new meaning, some stiff competition.

Hee-hee. “Stiff…”

And then there is parade itself, and never before will you see so many bare-chested redheads braving direct sunlight. Starting at the Gardens of Remembrance, the fun winds south, crossing the River Liffey, before ending at the Gay Village at Marrion Square Park. Stake your viewing spot early, Dublin’s Pride Parade is the second largest parade in the nation, outdone only by the St. Patrick’s Day parade (it’s tough to beat the man on his home turf, but give us some time). Party the daylight away in the Village before heading off to the clubs.

For more information, go to www.dublinpride.ie.  Steele Luxury Travel can help with discount airfare and great hotels with special perks and amenities to Dublin.  Contact 646-688-2274 or email info@steeletravel.com

Air France Launches Direct Minneapolis-St. Paul to Paris // www.SteeleTravelBlog.com

Air France will begin direct nonstop operating service, starting May 20, to Minneapolis-St. Paul from Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport. The new seasonal summer service will operate five times a week until June 16 and then daily from June 17 through Sept. 1. Air France and joint venture partner Delta are the only two carriers to provide direct service from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport to Europe - linking the Twin Cities not only to Paris but one stop away from more than 40 other European destinations.
For the first time,

The new service will operate with Airbus 340-300 aircraft, featuring 30 Business Class seats, 21 Premium Economy Class seats and 224 Economy Class seats to the Minneapolis-St. Paul market.

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On the Go Travel: Minnesota I HAVE PRIDE // www.SteeleTravelBlog.com

Is it me, or does Michelle Bachman have the “I just messed in my pants” look permanently splattered across her face? I may just be seeing things, but the right-wing wing-nut certainly got it in the teeth when the state she represents, Minnesota, became — resoundingly, I might add — the 12th state in the Union to legalize gay marriage.

So without further ado, I am turning my eyes to the “Land of 10,000 Lakes” and my calendar to June 29-30th, when Minneapolis-St. Paul throw the Twin Cities PRIDE. With the theme “I HAVE PRIDE,” newly-legal LGTQs are set to make this year’s blow-out more poignant than most. I can’t wait to see if Bachman can actually manage to peel her eyes even wider.

Most Miamians know Minnesota as the home state of dippy Golden Girl Rose Nylund, the setting for Little House on the Prairie, and the crucible of an accent so homespun that makes a Kentukian sound downright upper-crusty. It’s also the home state of porn star Jeremy Walker…and if he is typical of what is waiting at that parade, I am soooooo making a bee-line north.

First, some official talking points: Think of St. Paul as the office (it’s the state capital) and Minneapolis as the place to kick back. Thinking along these lines, it’s not shocker that most of the Pride events happen in Minneapolis, including the parade. Snaking down Hennepin Ave. to Loring Park, the Ashley Rukes GLBT Pride Parade is named after the transperson who served as Pride Parade director from 1991 until 1999 and turned a tiny event that began in 1972 into one of the biggest Prides in the Midwest, and the biggest annual parade in Minneapolis. And while the Twin Cities does not have a “official” gay sector of town, downtown clubs and bars like The Saloon, Gay 90s, Camp Bar, JetSet, and the Minneapolis Eagle, among others, are sure to make up for particular lack.

Oh, and I hope you like blonds. See, Minneapolis-St. Paul, and the entire state, has some of the highest populations in the States that emigrated from Scandinavia. For those of you with a Viking fetish, and for whom Sweden is just a little too far away, Minnesota offers a closer alternative.

For more information, go to tcpride.org.  Steele Luxury Travel is here for all of your summer pride Travel Experiences: www.steeletravel.com

Fredrik Eklund: Delta Air Lines Starts Service to Stockholm! // www.SteeleTravelBlog.com

On June 2, Delta Air Lines will resume its peak season nonstop service between Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport and New York’s John F. Kennedy. We are thrilled for Fredrik as the flight will operate up to six times weekly during summer using a Boeing 757-200 aircraft with 170 seats, in conjunction with Delta’s joint venture partner Air France KLM.

“The return of our summer seasonal flight between Stockholm and New York provides our customers with nonstop convenience as well as the opportunity to connect to over 60 U.S. destinations such as Los Angeles, San Francisco and Orlando from New York, JFK,” said Perry Cantarutti, Delta’s senior vice president of Europe, Middle East and Africa.

In 2012, Delta carried nearly 35,000 passengers between Sweden and the U.S. on its summer service, with an average load factor of 92 percent on the route. Delta’s flight from Arlanda Airport features 15 seats in BusinessElite. The aircraft is also equipped with Economy Comfort, Delta’s premium economy cabin product. Customers flying in Economy Comfort benefit receive up to four additional inches of legroom and 50 percent more recline than Delta’s standard Economy class seat, as well as priority boarding.

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On the Go Travel: Peru The Enchanted Village // www.SteeleTravelBlog.com

If it looks like a village, then it “worked.” The full name of Peru’s latest fab resort-spa is “Pueblito Encantado de Colca” — the Enchanted Village of Colca.

Only the Himalayas outdo the Andes in terms of height, but in terms of diversity, the Andes are hard to beat: you can go from a subpolar desert at the top of one peak to a tropical rainforest in the valley below. It was in this wild geography that the Inca, Moche, and Tiwanaku Empires thrived, and where their spirit lives on to this day.

“Colca” refers to the majestic Colca Canyon, and you “Jeopardy” buffs will know that this cleft in the Earth is widely regarded as the deepest on the planet. About an hour by air from modern Peruvian capital of Lima and 30 minutes from the ancient one at Cusco, it was this awesome setting that Aranwa, one of South America’s go-to guys for luxury, built the Pueblito Encantado. The property is designed to complement the natural beauty of its surroundings, and is the very image of an Andean village (if Andean villages held a max of 41 guests), but with a few oh-so modern twists, like the solar-powered heat and hot water. Being “eco” was a founding idea: in addition to verdant greenery and hummingbirds buzzing the air, there is a small organic farm that provides the kitchen with fresh quinoa, beans, corn and several other Peruvian delicacies. In a nod to a colonial plantation past, the water-powered grain mill that greets guests at the resort’s entrance is used to grind grain and make flour for the kitchen.

“Rustic” is the rule, but that’s doesn’t mean “roughing it” is. While it would be serious stretch to say the Colca Vallye is party-central, it is very much a prime destination to discover that there is more to life than a party. In addition to the fully stocked spa, the world-famous La Calera geothermal spring is a stone’s throw away. In other words, this is a chance to see how the Peruvians kick back and take in the scenery. The views are spectacular, the food top notch, and the friendliness comes at you by the truckload.

Also nearby is Peru’s second city of Arequipa, located three hours away at an altitude of 7,661 feet (be prepared for some breathless moments as your body adjusts to the altitude). Arequipa is referred to as the “White City,” as it is almost completely built of white volcanic stone.

Keep in mind the Pueblito Encantado de Colca is not a gay destination per se, just a really, really good one. For more information, go to www.aranwahotels.com/colca.php.  Steele Luxury Travel has fantastic airfare deals to Peru.  E-mail info@steeletravel.com or call 646-688-2274 fir the best pricing!