My top posts for 2010 over at Boarding Area

Nearly a year ago I moved my blog from this site to Boarding Area, home to several blogs with a business and frequent flyer travel focus. I notice there are still many people reading this old site - please click here to the Boarding Area home of Musings of the Global Traveller.

The most popular posts of 2010, based on views, made in the other location are:

1. All A380 routes - all scheduled routes operated with A380 aircraft (all airlines) [continues to be updated]
2. Frequent flyer mileage expiry - mileage expiry policies for all major frequent flyer programs [continues to be updated]
3. Lifetime elite airline status - lifetime elite status qualification and benefits for all major frequent flyer programs [continues to be updated]
4. Super easy Star Alliance gold status with Aegean - by far the easiest way to top elite status with Star Alliance, and is still live
5. New Qantas first class (A380) - now 2 years old but still popular as it remains one of the better first class offerings in the air
6. A380 business class comparison Emirates, Qantas and Singapore - surprisingly more popular than my A380 first class suites comparison Emirates, Qantas and Singapore
7. HON Circle mileage run by private jet - a number of readers got this airline status (with extra special benefits) for low cost, and in great comfort
8. US tourist tax (ESTA fee) starts 8 September & already inflated
9. Frequent flyer questions on status - part of a series of posts answering questions from readers of Wendy Perrin's Perrin Post
10. bmi Diamond Club timeline for closure revealed by Lufthansa

Still here - you are missing out!

Attention

If you are still reading this site then you haven't yet switched to the new Musings of The Global Traveller site. Please check out the new look & more content.

If you received this post in your feed reader or email this means the switch to the feed for the new Boarding Area site of Musings of The Global Traveller has not worked automatically for you. We're sorry about that. Please switch to use the new feed http://feeds.feedburner.com/MusingsOfTheGlobalTraveller.


Here is a taste of what you have missed out on lately

Win a trip for 2 to Gold Coast Australia valued at over $10,000. Yeah I thought that might get your attention - the good news is this is still open, and you can enter 20 times, but only on the Boarding Area site (follow the link - do it now).

Several more posts in the How to get to series with more good advice on how to get anywhere as cheaply and affordably as possible.

Reports on flying in comfort in a private jet to get the very best frequent flyer elite status benefits around, as well as flying in rather less comfort on a low cost airline redeye flight.

News on major changes to Air New Zealand shorthaul product coming later this year.

A series of posts answering dozens of frequent flyer questions, offering lots of snippets of advice and information.

Information and traveler advice on upcoming strikes at British Airways (mid and late March) and Air France (late March).

Ways to get the coveted exit row seats on many airlines.

Changes to USA passenger rights which come into effect next month. They are quite different to EU passenger rights.

Why you should avoid New York JFK airport until July (at least).


There are lots more posts. You can read them all at Musings of The Global Traveller.

Please switch to the new site

Attention

If you are still reading this site then you haven't yet switched to the new Musings of The Global Traveller site. Please check out the new look & more content.

If you received this post in your feed reader or email this means the switch to the feed for the new Boarding Area site of Musings of The Global Traveller has not worked automatically for you. We're sorry about that. Please switch to use the new feed http://feeds.feedburner.com/MusingsOfTheGlobalTraveller.

So you don't miss any content, we'll repost at the old Musings of The Global Traveller site for a short period after the switch. Apologies for the inconvenience.


Here is what you have missed at this old site this week

How to get to Zimbabwe

I never thought I'd be defending Ryanair

Complimentary Hyatt Platinum status for 180 days

Qantas first class on less routes from 2011

Lufthansa not on strike 23-25 February

Air France flight cancellations (French air traffic control strike) 23-26 Feb

British Airways probable cabin crew strike

How to get to Netherlands

15 of 16 flights on ticket change within a week

Update on British Airways cabin crew action

Upgrades

Itchy feet

Alliance updates

US visa waiver fee (aka tourist tax) closer to reality

How to get to Dominican Republic

This week on Musings of The Global Traveller

Attention

If you are still reading this site then you haven't yet switched to the new Musings of The Global Traveller site. Please check out the new look & more content.

If you received this post in your feed reader or email this means the switch to the feed for the new Boarding Area site of Musings of The Global Traveller has not worked automatically for you. We're sorry about that. Please switch to use the new feed http://feeds.feedburner.com/MusingsOfTheGlobalTraveller.

So you don't miss any content, we'll repost at the old Musings of The Global Traveller site for a short period after the switch. Apologies for the inconvenience.


Here is what you have missed at this old site this week

How to get to Tibet

Priority Club's hard IT lesson

Mileage earning & redemption for AA/BA US-UK flights gets closer

Welcome to the year of the tiger

Jetstar consumer guarantee is useless

How to get to British Indian Ocean Territory

First class lounge suites for ANA at Narita

Lufthansa pilot strike from Monday 22nd Feb

Why I need to book a hotel during 2 hour transit

BA wins cabin crew court case

Lufthansa strike 22-25 February update

It is time to switch

Attention

If you are still reading this site then you haven't yet switched to the new Musings of The Global Traveller site. Please check out the new look & more content.

If you received this post in your feed reader or email this means the switch to the feed for the new Boarding Area site of Musings of The Global Traveller has not worked automatically for you. We're sorry about that. Please switch to use the new feed http://feeds.feedburner.com/MusingsOfTheGlobalTraveller.

So you don't miss any content, we'll repost at the old Musings of The Global Traveller site for a short period after the switch. Apologies for the inconvenience.

Coming soon - a new home for Musings of The Global Traveller

As mentioned a few days ago, Musings of The Global Traveller will soon have a new home.

While there are still a few more toys to play with buttons to press to complete the move, with the considerable help of the fantastic team at Boarding Area, Musings of The Global Traveller is almost ready in the new home. Go on, take a look, I know you want to.

For readers who follow by reader or email subscription, I'll advise when the feeds have switched over. You won't miss any content during the move.

Links

I'm continually adding links to useful and interesting travel-related sites I come across.

Please check back at my links page from time to time (also accessible from the sidebar)

My links have moved

I have moved the links from the sidebar to a new page. This means the sidebar is less cluttered, but more importantly gives me space to explain why the links are in the link list. I hope you'll find this useful.

Here is a link to the new link page (there is also a link from the side bar). Hopefully the extra click to reach it is offset by adding more value to the list.

I'll keep adding to the link list from time to time so please check back regularly.

Tweet this

I added a tweet this button to my blog recently. I thought it would be a 2 minute job, but it ended up taking quite a bit longer. There are a number of different versions of code available for Blogger that each do slightly different things, and it took me a while to see which one I liked best.
Personally I prefer it to open a separate window rather than just replacing my blog in the active window, and if I already have Twitter open I do not want it to ask me again to log in.

I also looked for code that allows me to customise the default twitter message. I didn't find something quite as flexible as I'd like - the code I've gone with forces the bit.ly link at the start of the tweet. If anyone knows a work around or better code please let me know.

Hopefully, these features are what you like too. Please let me know if I've made the right or wrong choice.

For those who want to add the code to their own blog, see this Blogger Buster how to add "tweet this" post with the code and very clear instructions on how to do it. As suggested by M&M I added a space after "Tweet this!", and also amended the default tweet wording to include @globtrav so I can easily see who is tweeting my posts.

Imitation is flattery?

Whoever it is that is copying wholesale my humble blog to new sites each week please stop. This is the only true site (theglobaltravel.blogspot), the other copies are fake.

Twitter

You can now find out the latest news from me (and a sneak peek of some blog entries) on Twitter at globtrav.

Links

Last updated 30 January 2010

Musings of the Global Traveller links

Contact information
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Selected key posts
How to get to Index
Flyer Tips (incl seating preferences)
Frequent Flyer Friday
Live flight data - may take a few seconds to load

Other
Blog review by Where I've Been


External links

Useful references
Flight info by flightstats - look up flight information for all airports, all airlines, all routes
Flyertalk - frequent flyer and frequent stayer community
Great circle mapper - look up distances between any airports & plot basic route maps (link to old version here)
Our airports - look up airports nearby any address, sorted by distance
Visa info by timatec - look up visa requirements for all nationalities, for all countries

Good blogs
Airline Route News - very useful updates of new and changed schedules & routes for all major airlines (international focus)
the Art of Non Conformity - Chris Guillebeau says what we're all dreaming and thinking, inspirational (he's also travelling everywhere & writes a bit about it)
Backpacking Chica - girl meets world
Camels and Chocolate - personal stuff by a travel addict & travel writer
the Cranky Flier - good insight into (mainly USA) airline news
Europe String - travels around Europe on a budget
Everything Everywhere - Gary Arndt wants to go everywhere and this is his site which records his travels in words and pictures
Family Travel Logue - great information and advice for travel with families
Flight Wisdom - news and views on flying
Gadling - group travel blog with some great bloggers
the Gate - blogs about some of the interesting discussion on Flyer Talk
Going Local Travel -
Grumpy Traveller - travel writer vents
How to Travel the World -
Indie Travel Podcast - great travel info and advice by travellers for travellers
J the Travel Authority - avid traveller
Jim's Travel Tips - sound advice for new travelers especially
Lee Abbamonte - wants to go to every TCC "country"
Malcontentist - wittily against stupidity everywhere
Nerds Eye View - great travel snark who takes fantastic pictures
Nomadic Matt -
Notes from the Road - awesome travelogue (great pictures, paintings & sketches)
One Mile at a Time - mileage running, USA airline news and frequent flyer advice
the Perrin Post - great travel consumer advice and deals from Wendy Perrin (& her team)
Roaming Tales - great travel writing and often thought provoking
Round the World and other travels - reports of trips by frequent flyer
Schneier on Security - Bruce Schneier's common sense security advice and news
Travel Answerman - aggregation of travel advice and info
A Travel Around the World - couple take a year out from work to travel around the world
Travel Rants - UK bias but tackles some good issues, not afraid to spark debate or controversy
Un Road Warrior - fairly new blog with advice for the frequent (or not so frequent) traveler
Upgrade : Travel Better - tips on travelling better, and more (mainly USA) airline news
View from the Wing - frequent flyer advice and promotions
the Wandering Aramean - avid flyer, with great advice and information
Wanderings. Andy E Williams - a writer who travels
Without Baggage -

Cool Travel Guide - personal travel blog of travel writer extraordinaire Lara Dunston
Frugal Travel Guy -
IAG blog - travel industry news (mostly about airlines)
John MacIlree's blog - great insight into international air travel treaties by one of the negotiators the Lost Girls - originally 3 women travelling around the world, now their travels continue & posts on others travels (how to plan a RTW trip post)
Mike's Flying - general aviation pilot (small a/c) flying around Australia
MRC Aviation - New Zealand aviation news
Musings of the Global Traveller - just checking if anyone reads this
Real Cheap Air Fares - alerts for the cheapest air fares from NZ
Travel Babel - an eclectic mix of travel related posts by a travel writer
Write to Travel - mostly on writing aspect of travel writing, but with plenty of links to interesting travel stuff too

New links

I've added some more links (at right) to sites I find interesting or regularly useful. Please check them out some time.

Welcome new readers

A warm welcome to new readers of Musings of the Global Traveller. This blog is now linked in to the Boarding Area website - home to many fine travel-related blogs.

While it may be holidays for many, I'll continue to make blog entries as and when I can. I've been busy travelling and have lots more ideas - watch this space.

I'm back

Apologies for the lack of recent blog entries. I've been busy travelling around the world (some 15 countries this time), and while I had the best of intentions to blog every few days I was too busy enjoying the trip to do so. Forgive me, but I prefer to be out doing stuff than wasting time sitting in an internet cafe. In some airports the internet speed was terribly slow - reminding me how much I take decent speed for granted.

I do, however, hope to make it up to you all - I now have some more ideas for blog entries.

Feeds

After extended slackness on my part I have gotten around to fixing the feeds for this blog. Hopefully they now work as intended. I have added links to the
Feedburner feeds on the sidebar.

The links are repeated below for convenience.

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