Mobissimo

Seems like a lot of service issues lately in the airline sector.  Forcing a person to sit in a toilet, not hanging up your phone when asked to, not allowing customers to fly because of inappropriate clothing.  Here's a story about one airline flight attendant who said, 'burn it all, burn it all' and tried to set fire to his airplane.  More here via Yahoo!

FARGO, N.D. - A flight attendant angry about his work route set a fire in an airplane bathroom, forcing an emergency landing, authorities said.

The Compass Airlines flight carrying 72 passengers and four crew members landed safely in Fargo on May 7 after smoke filled the back. No injuries were reported. The plane was flying from Minneapolis to Regina, Saskatchewan, authorities said.

Honestly don't know how this even happened.  One passenger, one seat has always been the 'law' as far as I could tell.  How this passenger was even allowed on the plane is a major, major violation of some FAA rule.  Expect more to be said about this and this guy get a huge settlement and JetBlue to face a huge penalty.  More here via the AP.

NEW YORK (AP) — A New York City man is suing JetBlue Airways Corp. for more than $2 million because he says a pilot made him give up his seat to a flight attendant and sit on the toilet for more than three hours on a flight from California.

Gokhan Mutlu, of Manhattan's Inwood section, says in court papers the pilot told him to "go 'hang out' in the bathroom" about 90 minutes into the San Diego to New York flight because the flight attendant complained that the "jump seat" she was assigned was uncomfortable, the lawsuit said.

Mutlu was traveling on a a "buddy pass," a standby travel voucher that JetBlue employees give to friends, from New York to San Diego on Feb. 16, and returned to New York on Feb. 23, the lawsuit said.

Sometimes things are very important and you can't be bothered by hanging up the phone just because a plane needs to take off.  The ubiquitous mobile phone is indeed a boon ... and a curse.  Here's more about one guy who didn't take no for an answer.

 An Austin businessman was charged with disorderly conduct after he allegedly refused to stop using his mobile phone on a flight Monday from Austin to Dallas Love Field.

Dallas police met the plane after the pilot radioed ahead to the Love Field tower. They cited Joe David Jones, 50, president of an Austin-based environmental start-up company called Skyonic Corp., with the Class C misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $500.

The earth is not getting any bigger and the places that are 'unexplored' are fewer and fewer.  Parts of the former Soviet Union are figuring out ways to make money and yes, they are reshaping themselves into tourist destinations.  Enter Kyrgyzstan, mountains, lakes, cheap.  Read more here via Travelbite.

Kyrgyzstan is the perfect off-the-beaten-track adventure holiday destination with stunning scenery and hospitable people. Here are the top five adventure activities recommended by travelbite.co.uk for a great holiday in Kyrgyzstan...

Virgin Airlines seems to like dwelling on the sexy theme.  From the youngish models in their ads, to the omnipresent 'fun and irreverent' attitude the airline wants to convey, Virgin espouses the swashbuckling persona of its leader Sir Richard Branson.  As part of its message to hook up and fly, Virgin is offering inflight texting capability.  More here via Budget Travel.

If its ad campaigns are any indication, Virgin America has big plans for its in-flight instant messaging service. The airline is apparently convinced that passengers will while away the hours gossiping, discussing breaking news, sharing musical recommendations—and, of course, finding true love only a few (previously inaccessible) aisles away.

Croatia has been a new destination for those seeking pristine beaches and good value.  So much of the Balkans is beautiful, but unfortunately inaccessible because of strife.  Bosnia-Herzegovina has experienced the growing pains of an emerging Balkan nation and is moving well into becoming a worthwhile travel destination.  Read more here via CNN.

 (Tribune Media Services) -- These days Croatia's Dalmatian Coast is inundated with tourists -- and understandably so. But after a visit to Dubrovnik, the "Pearl of the Adriatic," I'm in the mood for a good Balkan adventure and decide to drive directly inland ... to Bosnia-Herzegovina.

While most of Europe is doing away with border formalities, just the opposite seems to be the case in this part of Europe -- a new set of borders pop up each year. The border station between Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina feels like the bleak frontier post between two nations that less than two decades ago were at war. It also feels like the gateway to the perfect antidote to Dubrovnik's tourist crowds.

Flying first class is expensive, no doubt. I've flown Lufthansa and Thai and can attest to their special service. On a connection from Geneva to the states via Frankfurt, a Benz was waiting for me on the tarmac to take me to my LH flight back to the states in Frankfurt. Small touch, but so, as Ron Burgundy would say, 'classy.' Regardless of the service, airline food, at least to me remains horrible. It's not really cooked, it's just reheated, and those cookies you smell are just heated as well. I would rather see Inga back the in the galley making them from scratch, but whatever, I always bring my own food anyway. Food is also getting an upgrade as top flight chefs and sommeliers are making the airlines the new battle ground. More here via CNN.

(AP) -- First-class airline passengers can say goodbye to mystery meat.

Prepared airplane meals are on display at the Delta Air Lines Gate Gourmet facility in Erlanger, Kentucky.

While complimentary meals have all but disappeared for most coach flights, there's a whole new culinary landscape for first class. In the latest effort to lure customers and create buzz, airlines are serving up gourmet menus cooked up by celebrity chefs.

Travelers flying to South America or Japan on United Airlines can feast on award-winning chef Charlie Trotter's appetizer of sauteed prawns and crispy short rib wontons with organic Thai barbecue sauce and chilled sweet-and-sour cucumber relish. Going to Europe on American Airlines? Try the rosemary-scented shrimp drizzled with garlic sauce and served with lemon rice and artichokes.

I like this idea, good thing actually.  Wikis are getting much press for their ability to offer 'unbiased' information about a subject because of the moderation.  Travel wikis can be a huge asset, travelers can chime in on what they like and don't like.  While on paper this sounds great, let's wait a bit, one person's Shangri-La could be another's Detroit.  Read more here via a travel wiki Travellerspoint.

We first discussed the idea for Travellerspoint in a MSN Messenger session in the middle of 2002, while Samuel was living in the Netherlands and Peter was living in Australia. What started as a mere discussion turned into serious planning: just three months later we launched Travellerspoint. Amazed, we found our humble little website turning into a rapidly growing travel community, getting great reviews and attracting thousands of new members.

Don't know if it is really possible.  After all, sitting in a metal tube at 35k feet and eating food that's been cooked 2 weeks ago is not natural.  Sitting in a chair, any chair for over 2 hours is not natural either.  But alas, designers are looking out for your lumbar, more here via Wired.

Some refer to it as economy class syndrome. To others it's know as a coach class clot. But whatever you call it, sitting squeezed into an airplane seat until you develop deep vein thrombosis is no way to die. And that's why this strange new seat is worth checking out.

The Cozy Suite (sort of a cheesy name, we know) is a staggered seat configuration designed to give passengers a better shot at getting some shut-eye during their flight. Delta just put in a big order for the seats, and surprisingly, plans to install them in the often overlooked coach class cabin.

Oceanfront hotels are a dime a dozen, from that modified shack I stayed in Sihanoukville in Cambodia to my villa in Cap D'Ail on the Cote d'Azur, they can be anything and everything.  Here's a great list of 20 top hotels that may pique your interest, more here via the Guardian UK.

Villa Val Des Roses, Cap D'antibes, France

You could drive here, park the car and not touch it until you leave: a sandy beach with a view to old Antibes is a minute away, the old town and market 10 minutes. Brothers Frederik and Filip are Flemish, in their twenties and found the Val des Roses after searching for the 'perfect place'. They put on an excellent breakfast, which you can have in your room, on the terrace or by the pool. The gracious white house is enclosed in its garden by high walls in a quiet little road. Fabrics and walls are mostly white, cool and tranquil.

This is a tough one, first MaxJet, now EOS.  The remaining business class only airlines out there have a chance, but it looks grim.  With the economic turn, fuel prices at an all-time high, and severe inherent competition from the majors, the business class only model really can only be sustained in a bull market.  More here Reuters.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Eos Airlines, which offers business class flights between New York and London, said it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, becoming the latest carrier to fail in the face of record fuel prices and a softening economy.

Eos said it would stop operations entirely on April 27, cutting most of its work force.

Eos joins a number of other carriers to shut down in recent weeks, including Aloha Airlines, Champion Air, ATA Airlines, Skybus Airlines.

So, New York is full of really, really good looking people.  Fashion capital of the world?  Well, dunno if I'd go that far, but the banners around town seem to be trying to push this.  But then again, that would mean - from the banners - that New York is the finance capital, the culture capital, the culinary capital ...  Here's something via NY Magazine about a certain marketing campaign aimed squarely at vanity.

Have you met 9-a yet? Tousle-haired, drives a black BMW, does Vinyasa on the roof every morning? Never got his name—Stefan, maybe? Works in hedge funds. He has this killer apartment in District, that new building on Ann Street. Thursdays, he has his buddies over for single malts in the billiards room. Shops at Prada, spends Saturdays gallery-hopping in Chelsea. Dinners at the Spotted Pig, nightcaps at the Bowery Hotel. He’d be a catch if he were ready to settle down.

Well, travel can be time consuming and often you can spend a good afternoon researching fares.  Mobissimo helps you cut through this, but we don't mind you spending time on the site, in fact, we encourage it.  Travel sites are now being blocked by employers because they do take up time and decrease productivity.  I mean, you should be focusing on growing your business, doing some competitor research, and figuring out your own market instead of planning your vacation travel, true?  More here via VNUnet.com.

Companies that limit employee use of the internet are more likely to block travel and social networking sites than porn sites, according to a report released today at Infosec Europe 2008.

A survey of 300 UK companies found that travel and social networking topped the league of blocked sites, with personal webmail not far behind.