Dubai’s Fabulously Luxurious Burj Al Arab is the World’s Fourth Largest Hotel
Photo Credit: Axilera
Contents
Travel App Usage Ranking • MetaDeals • Touring the US • Baggage Information Transparency • Unlimited Vacation Perks • Silicon Valley Frequent Traveler Secrets • Living and Working in Heathrow • Great Landmarks Hotels • The Burj Al Arab
Top Travel App Usage Ranking
Tnooz has an interesting infographic ranking the usage of top travel apps. Kayak is the runaway leader, having been used on 3.26% of the iPhones in the sample. It is followed by Hotel Tonight (0.72%), Hotels.com (0.69%), Priceline (0.60%), Orbitz (0.50%), Airbnb (0.42%), Hipmunk (0.31%), Expedia (0.30%), Travelocity (0.24%), CheapOair (0.14%), Booking.com (0.13%), OnTheFly (0.11%) and HomeAway (0.07%). The data were drawn from devices with a free Onavo Extend data compression app installed. Onavo claims to have drawn a representative sample, but it was not reported if they have validated the representativeness of the sample group’s behavior by comparing it to a random sample drawn from all iPhone users. There’s no reason to think that people who install the Onavo app behave differently from the general population of iPhone users, but there’s no guarantee that they don’t either.
MetaSearch, meet MetaDeals
Kayak started aggregating travel search results into a single metasearch site in 2004. Applying the same business model to the proliferating number of travel daily deals sites, Travel Onion aggregates deals from 120 sites on its site.
Touring the US
Good in-depth article in Travel Weekly on inbound and domestic US tourism. It includes lots of facts and figures and a couple of informative charts. The first chart on tourism expenditures by source market shows an incredible uptick from China over the past decade. China will clearly surpass leaders Germany and the US very soon. (Be sure to click on the charts for larger views.)
DOT: No More Delay on Baggage Information Transparency
Despite airlines’ protests, the US Department of Transportation is requiring airlines to begin disclosing itinerary-specific baggage allowance and fee information starting July 24th. The disclosures must be made in online receipts and on e-ticket confirmations.
Unlimited Vacations, as Long as You Get Your Work Done
A handful of companies, mostly in the tech industry, have decided to offer unlimited vacations as a work perk. Employees have to meet their work responsibilities, arrange coverage during their absences and get their manager’s permission. Companies with unlimited vacation time include Coupa, TheLadders, and Netflix.
Secrets of Silicon Valley’s Frequent Travelers
New York Times travel writer Stephanie Rosenbloom thought she knew a thing or two about efficient traveling. Then she interviewed frequent-flying Silicon Valley types and found them to be on a whole other level. The article has lots of good tips we mere mortals can leverage to make our own travel more efficient, including plenty of recommendations for services, apps, luggage, gadgets and clothing. Rosenbloom also collected style and makeup tips for female business travelers who want to limit their luggage to a carryon bag.
Living and Working in Heathrow
Best Selling Author Tony Parsons spent a week living in Heathrow airport as “writer-in-residence” and had some unique experiences. He accompanied an animal control employee to retrieve loose rattlesnakes on a plane. A woman arrived on an overseas flight in a wedding gown because she wanted to marry Prince Harry (a not uncommon occurrence). And he found to his surprise that the air traffic controllers were all “youngsters in their cargo pants.”
Great Landmarks and the Hotels to see them from
HotelChatter tells us which hotel rooms you can look out to see the Eiffel tower, Times Square, the Shanghai Oriental Pearl Tower, San Francisco skyline and the Sydney Opera House.
Travel Aspirations: The Burj Al Arab, The World’s only “Seven Star” Hotel
Crack aviation blogger David Parker Brown tours the outlandishly luxurious Burj Al Arab, the world’s fourth largest hotel. Lots of colorful photos.
TravelTekker 
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