Fifty-seven years ago this week, we entered a new era in travel – the dawn of the jet age. Jaunted has the story of the introduction of Boeing’s debut of the precursor to the 707, a plane that changed the way we travel and made the world much smaller. Can you imagine life without the jet? Thanks, Boeing.
Of course, you have to maintain these planes – questions emerged about the integrity of an Air Alaska plane that had a note on the wing indicating that workers were aware of a problem, but had not fixed it. That caused a minor uproar, but Air Alaska says the repair had been made and the plane was perfectly safe.
Assuming all systems are go and thanks to the invention of the jet, you can visit – and eat – just about anywhere in the world. But there are literally hundreds of thousands of dining options as you make your way around the world. But Newsweek is trying to simplify things for you – they interviewed 53 of the world’s greatest chefs to get their opinions. The result is their list of the 101 best restaurants in the world. Is this list indisputable? Absolutely not. But it’s a good starting point.
As an added attraction, if you’re headed to Tokyo, Japan Restaurant Week starts next week. It’s your chance to dine in the Best Food City in the World (according to Michelin) at bargain prices.
Speaking of good deals, EL AL Airlines is debating whether to honor some super-cheap airfares it mistakenly sold. USA Today’s Ben Mutzabaugh reports that El Al sold 5,000 New York-to-Tel Aviv tickets at the wrong price – from $330 to $400, rather than the price they’re supposed to be – from $1000 to $1600. Mutzabaugh also has the story of another airline oops: low budget Vietnamese airline VietJetAir decided it would be a good idea to have an in-flight bikini dance show. Yes, they’ve been fined. The original designers of Boeing’s jet probably never saw this coming.
At CNNGO, Violet Kim reports that South Korea is becoming the plastic surgery center of the universe, and medical tourism to the country for cosmetic surgery is a booming industry.
And, lastly, there are indications from a couple of travel titans that things are sluggish – both Orbitz and Priceline.com reported weak earnings this week. They blame Europe’s fiscal troubles for a stagnant travel market.
