Kids banned from First class travel and a lot of other destinations

The no-kids-allowed movement is spreading

by Piper Weiss, Shine Staff, on Tue Jul 26, 2011 1:52pm PDT


What's the matter with kids today and why doesn't anyone want them around? In June, Malaysia Airlines banned babies from many of their first class cabins, prompting other major airlines to consider similar policies.

Lately, complaints about screaming kids are being taken seriously, not only by airlines, but by hotels, movie theaters, restaurants, and even grocery stores.

Read more about restaurants around the country banning kids.

Earlier this month, McDain's, a Pittsburgh area restaurant that banned kids under 6 became a mascot for the no-kids-zone movement.

According to a Pittsburgh local news poll, more than half of area residents were in favor of the ban. And now big business is paying attention.

"Brat bans could well be the next frontier in destination and leisure-product marketing," writes Robert Klara in an article on the child-free trend in AdWeek.

Klara points to Leavethembehind.com, a travel website for kid-free vacations, with a massive list of yoga retreats, luxury resorts and bargain hotels around the world that ban children.

"Call me a grinch, a misanthrope, a DINK (dual-income-no-kids), or the anti-cute-police, but I hate (hate a thousand times over) ill-behaved children/infants/screaming banshees in upscale restaurants (ok, anywhere, really, but I don’t want any death threats)," writes Charlotte Savino on Travel and Leisure's blog. She lists a slew of a popular destination restaurants with kid-free areas and policies for travelers looking for quiet vacation dining.

Traveling is one thing, but what about in kids' own hometowns? Should kids been banned from local movie theaters, like they were at a recent adults-only Harry Potter screening? In Texas, one cinema chain has even flipped the model, banning kids under six altogether, except on specified "baby days".

Even running errands with toddlers may be changing. This summer Whole Foods stores in Missouri are offering child-free shopping hours (kids are allowed inside but childcare service is available for parents who want to shop kid-free.) Meanwhile in Florida, a controversy brews over whether kids can be banned from a condominium's outdoor area. That's right, some people don't even want kids outdoors.

When did kids become the equivalent of second-hand smoke? Blame a wave of childless adults with money to spare. "Empty nesters continue to wield a huge swath of discretionary spending dollars, and population dips in first-world countries mean more childless couples than ever," writes AdWeek's Klara.

Catering to the child-free community may be good for business but is it good for parents? It could help narrow choices and make kid-friendly environments even kid-friendlier. And let's be honest, babies won't miss flying first class. They won't even remember it. But their moms and dads will.

Most parents with young children have self-imposed limits on spending and leisure. This new movement imposes limits set by the public. And the public isn't as child-friendly as it used to be. As businesses respond to their new breed of 'first-class' clientele, are parents in danger of becoming second-class citizens?

What do you think?

Travel to India with Children Checklist

Travelling to India with Children can be an experience in itself.
We travel a lot and my wife and me had travelled with our children.

1. Indian roads can be quite an experience to a westerner. Drive with extra care.
2. Use only bottled water, which is bought from a good shop. Spurious is also being sold on the roadside. Good brands for water in bottles is Kinley, Aquafina, Bisleri. Others are not recommended. No need of water purifying tabs. No ice at all. If you are having anything cold anywhere, then ensure that there is no ice used in your drink.
4. Do not eat salad in any of the restaurants, its raw and washed in ordinary tap water, which is not at all safe for a westerner.
5. Carry 5 of re-hydration sachets, in case you have bad tummy. Which is very easy to have for a westerner.
6. Also, carry wonder pill called 'PudinHara', it works magic, in case of bad tummy or loosies. Its the best. I have tried it with my westerner friends and they love this wonder pill. carry your other medicines as well, you will not get your brands in India.
7. If you can carry a mosquito repellent then its really good. Otherwise, on your arrival you can buy Odomos mosquito repellent sold in India, best in India (I think).
8. Carry temple socks, you would not like to walk around bare footed on the sticky floors which have never been washed in some of the monuments.
9. Bring your own baby seat. No matter will say, if it is available in India, then someone should arrange in advance, I am sure you do not wish to invest your time in shop hunting for baby seats, these are NOT common in India. But its NOT mandatory in India. Its your own discretion.
10. Just do not eat 'chuttenies' (ask your husband about it, he will tell you) especially in southern India, raw salad; anything which is not cooked.
11. Do not dress up with short clothes, keep yourself decently covered. Now, its not that bad in India, earlier you just could not afford to wear any dress of the West. Now, one can see Indian girls wearing scanty clothes from the west.
12. Bring your own stuff like tampoons, sanitary napkins, baby diapers, etc.
13. No pre-cut fruit. Whatever you buy, wash it in running water very well and then give it a final wash with bottled water, otherwise, you are going to buy trouble very easily. Any water other than bottled one, is a big dangerous thing for western tummy.
14. Do not check your mail in cyber cafes (good ones may be used), avoid if possible, they can steal your passwords easily and then misuse it. Do not do any online transactions from cyber cafes.
15. carry brim hats. Wear cotton clothes of light colours. Carry plenty of sun lotion, which is of high power.
16. India has 220 volts of AC electricity. Carry chargers accordingly.
17. India has the cheapest cell phone network. Bring your own cell phone and you can buy a sim card in India, which is pre-paid card.
18. Carry hand sanitiser bottles (Purell etc.), give small ones to each child. Its a must.
19. You must bring a baby harness to carry your baby on your chest or back. It will make things very easy for you. Its worth bringing that and not baby seat.
20. Waist pouches to carry your passports and money. Pickpocketing is quite possible easily in India, while travelling or visiting monuments.
21. Easy shoes to walk around, while you are walking around on the floors of monuments.
22. carry a small umbrella for yourself, if you can not bear with the Sun, it will be quite harsh for a westerner.
23. Do not ever leave any valuables even in the best of the hotels, i.e. passport, credit cards, money, cameras, etc.

Most of the points have been covered by other contributors. If you still have anything in your mind, do not hesitate to write to me directly I have no selfish motive in attending you here, its shear spirit of a traveller, as I travel a lot in India and I know what is needed in India. So, do write and I will give you all the update about travel in India.

REMEMBER: You are coming to see India in its pristine state. It is not what New York or London look like. Here there is not much discipline on Indian roads, there is plenty of smell, people are very warm,

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Travel to India: Try and be Green this Summer

Travel to India: Try and be Green this Summer

Try and be Green this Summer

What would be the best way to travel and be green?
With a great deal of momentum towards sustainable living and trying to save our planet a little bit of thinking towards greener travel would be to take the train.
With train travel, you get to spend time together rather than being on the road and stuck in traffic on busy holidays. Once you reach your destination, a lot of car rental companies have specials rentals for only $19/day. Most trains have special rates for seniors and children and they have special rates for adults. A travel agent can provide you further discount.

Some information about Amtrak

Amtrak has carried passengers on journeys across the length and breadth of the United States. People take our trains to visit family and friends, see America, experience the journey and come home again.

National Fact Sheet: FY 2010
The name "Amtrak" is the blending of the words "America" and "track." It is properly used in documents with only the first letter capitalized. The railroad is also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corporation.
Basic Amtrak Facts
During FY 2010 (Oct. 2009-Sept. 2010), Amtrak® welcomed aboard more than 28.7 million passengers, the largest annual total in Amtrak’s history. An average of more than 78,000 passengers rides more than 300 Amtrak trains per day.

Amtrak operates a nationwide rail network, serving more than 500 destinations in 46 states and three Canadian provinces on more than 21,200 miles of routes, with more than 20,000 employees. It is the nation’s only high speed intercity passenger rail provider, operating nearly 60% of its trains at top speeds in excess of 90 mph/145 kph.

In FY 2010, Amtrak earned approximately $2.51 billion in revenue and incurred approximately $3.74 billion in expense. No country in the world operates a passenger rail system without some form of public support for capital costs and/or operating expenses. In 2009, the most recent year for which data for other railroads is available, Amtrak’s farebox recovery (percentage of operating costs covered by revenues generated by passenger fares) was the highest reported for any U.S. passenger railroad.

In 2009, an average of more than 925,000 people every weekday depended on commuter rail services that used Amtrak-owned infrastructure, dispatching, shared operations, or rode commuter trains operated by Amtrak under contracts with local or regional agencies.

Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor (NEC) is the busiest railroad in North America, with more than 2,200 trains operating over some portion of the Washington-Boston

If included among U.S. airlines in 2008, Amtrak would rank 8th in the number of passengers served. On average, there are nearly twice as many passengers on an Amtrak train than there are on a domestic airline flight.

The Boston-New York-Washington portion of the Northeast Corridor carried 10,375,209 passengers in FY 2010 on Acela Express, Regional Service or other trains. Three other corridors had ridership that topped one million or more: Pacific Surfliner Service (San Diego-Los Angeles-San Luis Obispo, 2,613,604), Capitol Corridor Service (San Jose-Oakland-Sacramento-Auburn, 1,580,619) and the Keystone Corridor Service (Harrisburg-Philadelphia-New York City, 1,296,838).
•

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Top destination to travel to while visiting India

Top listed travel destination in India is Leh in Kashmir

So before you go booking your tickets for Venice or Ko Phi Phi Nom, check out this list of the top 25 travel destinations in India:

1. Leh, Jammu & Kashmir

This mountain town in Ladakh is quickly rising to the top of must-visit lists. Not surprising when you consider the sheer natural beauty of the place.
The towering Himalayas supply a dramatic backdrop and plenty of opportunity for adrenaline junkies to get their fix.
Rock climbing, white-water rafting and skiing are all on offer, and if you're looking for something a little tamer, short trekking jaunts can be arranged.
For a glimpse into the town's culture and rich history, visit the Shey Palace and the many Buddhist monasteries.

Getting there: Travelling to Leh can be quite an effort. There are flights out of Delhi, Jammu, Srinagar and Chandigarh. So if you are coming in from any other part of the country or abroad, you will need to land at one of these to travel on.
The other route is by road along the Manali-Leh highway or the Srinagar-Leh road. Both are closed off from November to May due to harsh winter conditions. Buses and taxis ply these route and should be easy enough to book.
Image: Leh, Ladakh

News that I read today

New DOT rule tackles fees, bumping, flight delays

By DAVID KOENIG, AP Airlines Writer – Wed Apr 20, 9:26 am ET
DALLAS – Airlines will soon be required to refund bag fees if they lose luggage, and they'll pay travelers more for bumping them from a flight.
The federal government planned to announce new passenger protections Wednesday that also expand a tarmac-delay rule to prevent passengers from being stranded on international flights for longer than four hours.
The airlines will also have to include fees and taxes in advertised prices.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said the new regulations, which take effect in late August, were designed to make sure airlines treat travelers fairly.
"It's just common sense that if an airline loses your bag or you get bumped from a flight because it was oversold, you should be reimbursed," he said.
The new provision on tarmac delays expands upon last year's 3-hour limit for flights within the U.S. Regulators were persuaded to apply a 4-hour limit to international flights after a late-December debacle in which several planes loaded with international travelers were stuck, some for more than 10 hours, on snowy runways at New York's JFK Airport.
Airline trade groups have warned that airlines will cancel more international flights to avoid the fine of up to $27,500 per passenger that comes with breaking the rule. The fine could total more than $10 million for a fully loaded superjumbo jet like an Airbus A380 — although the government has never imposed anything close to the maximum.
The groups note that with some international flights operating only once every few days, passengers could be stranded far longer under the new rule.
On refunding bag fees for lost luggage, the Transportation Department decided not to require refunds for bags delivered late. Airlines are already required to compensate passengers for the value of lost bags, regardless of whether a fee was paid to check them. Last year, airlines mishandled 2 million bags, although that includes damaged and delayed ones.
Wednesday's rule confirms another change that the regulators proposed last year — more compensation for passengers bumped off oversold flights. Currently, it's up to $400 or $800 depending on how long a passenger is delayed before catching a makeup flight. Those limits will be raised to $650 and $1,330.
Last year, airlines bumped 65,000 passengers and another 681,000 took voluntary offers to give up their seats. Still, that's a tiny fraction of 1 percent of all travelers. The higher limits could give savvy travelers leverage to cut a better deal for their seats after gate agents ask for volunteers.
The new rule also requires airlines to prominently disclose all potential fees — for checking bags, changing reservations, upgrading seats, and so on __ on their websites. Airlines will also have to include taxes and government-imposed fees in the fares that they advertise. Airlines had argued that car dealers and other businesses don't have to do that.
But in a setback for travel agents, the government declined at least temporarily to force airlines to clearly disclose all fees in their electronic connections with agents.
Regulators also dropped a proposal to require that airlines include their customer-service promises in their legal contracts with passengers. While it sounds bureaucratic, consumer groups see it as an important step in forcing airlines to live up to their promises.
Consumer advocates didn't get everything they wanted but were pleased overall.
"There's going to be a lot of good stuff, a lot of little things that will make people feel better about traveling," said passenger-rights advocate Kate Hanni.

Travel to India: How to get the cheapest fare on a particular airline to travel to India

Travel to India: How to get the cheapest fare on a particular airline to travel to India

Travel to Australia and Bora Bora to see the heart shaped natural formations

There are few natural heart shaped formations in the world.
Some of the ones are lisited below and they are a must-see.

These spectacular aerial pictures show how giant hearts can be seen in the unlikeliest of places.

If you fly over Australia's Great Barrier Reef, for instance, you might spot a very romantic coral formation. Coral formations are living formations. One of the reasons to visit Australia

Tupai is a low-lying atoll in Society Islands, French Polynesia. It lies 19 km to the north of Bora Bora and belongs to the Leeward Islands (Iles sous le Vent). This small atoll is only 11 km² in area. Its broad coral reef encloses a shallow sandy lagoon. There are almost continuous long wooded motus on Tupai's reef. Tupai has no permanent residents apart from some workers in the coconut plantations. There is a private airfield on Tupai. It was inaugurated in 2001 and its use is restricted.

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Historical Cheap airfares to India

Looking for cheap tickets to India?
do you know when to purchase the ticket?
do you know what dates will give you the best fares?

Whenever we are looking for tickets to India, we always want to get the best deal
We also want to know which would be the best airline to travel on with family
We also want to know which was the popular airline and what is the trend these dates.

MercuryTrip will let you glance at a slice of their data collected over the years.
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Historical fares information

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Cheap tickets to India, Cheap travel to Hyderabad

Looking for cheap tickets to Hyderabad India. We can help.
We specialize in tickets on Air India, Lufthansa, Singapore airlines, British airways from USA to India.
Visiting Hyderabad, there are a lot of places to visit.
Click here for more information
Charminar. 9AM-5PM Mo-Sa. Closed on Fridays between 1-2PM for prayers.
Mecca Masjid
Chowmahalla Palace 10AM-5PM Sa-Th. Closed on National Holidays
Falaknuma Palace
Golconda Fort. 7AM-8PM
Qutb Shahi Tombs
Qutub Shahi Tombs Site Museum 9AM-4.30PM Sa-Th
H.E.H The Nizam's Museum Purani Haveli
Hussain Shah Wali Dargah.
Osmania Arts College.
Paigah Tombs, Santoshnagar (Pisal Banda)
Purani Haveli, Dewandevdi (Southeast of Afzalganj bridge). 10:30am-5pm Sa-Th.
Raymond Tomb, Dilsukh Nagar, Asmaan Gadh.
Salar Jung Museum, Naya Pul, Afzalgunj 10:00 AM - 5 PM Sa-Th. (Ticketing closes at 4:15 PM).
Toli Masjid, Karwan. 300 years old.
Archival Museum
The Birla Mandir. 10am-12 noon, 2pm-8pm.
B.M. Birla Planetarium and Science & Technological Museum
The High Court of Andhra Pradesh
Kala Bhavan, Ravindra Bharathi complex, Saifabad, Lakdikapul.
The Kothi Residency (Womens College, Kothi).
The Natural History Museum, Nehru Zoological park.

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Travel to India - Buying Souvenirs

Visiting India for the first time?
Do not know what to buy as souvenirs?
All those beaded slippers, saris, bangles, pashminas, murtis, inscense, spices, cosmetics, leather bags, T-shirts with Devanagri scripts... You get the picture.
Some one sees it on you - the immediate question is - Been to India?

Here are some suggestions-

1. If you are traveling to Delhi / Agra , the best things to get would be a Marble Taj Mahal. You should buy it from the government approved stores.
2. If you are traveling to Jaipur , the best thing to get would be hand woven/ woolen carpets. These carpets/rugs are exported at very expensive rates abroad. Once you buy them, they are usually bulky; you have the option of getting them shipped.
3. Traveling to Bombay - there are many things to choose from but Bombay/Mumbai is know for its clothes. So try and get some trendy clothes. You will find a wide selection of leather purses and bags. Mumbai has one of the biggest leather export houses
4. Traveling to Chennai - best would be decorative wooden statues of gods.

For younger children, the bet would be T-shirts, swords, kurtas/kurtis - make sure you buy good quality items because if they are cheap they will not last!

We understand your India travel Needs. Please visit us at MercuryTrip today!

Cheap tickets on Air India to travel to India

About Air India

Air India Fares and routes from USA:
Air India has 3 major hubs on the east coast i.e JFK,EWR.ORD . They fly daily to India through Frankfurt, Germany . If you are planning a stop in Europe and want the best fares, then Air India is the airline of choice. They have fares starting as low as $320 for a round trip ticket to India.

Air India on the west coast code shares with Singapore airlines and Malayasian airlines from SFO and LAX. They have discounted add on flights from other internal cities. These fares are so low compared to their code share partners that most folks prefer to buy an Air India ticket and fly on Singapore airlines and hence get the best of both worlds. The fares for may start as low as $400 + tax for a round trip ticket.

We being consolidators for Air India, can get you seats confirmed on any flight. If you have parents travelling on this airline from india, we can confirm the wheelchair and seat numbers in advance. Best of all, in case there are any issues that you have during or before the journey, we are here to support you 24X7. Our teams in USA and India have extensive experience in International ticketing and hence will make your travel plans as smooth as possible.

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Ayuerveda medical Tourism to India

Ayurveda is the oldest surviving complete medical system in the world. It is a comprehensive medical treatment that looks at individual cases and has treatment specifically designed for you. In this world of taking pills to cure any disease, we are unaware about the other chemical reaction the medicine might be causing to us.
Ayurveda is practiced in India and there are ashrams that offer ayurvedic treatment for just you. We as a travel agent can arrange the complete plan for you.

With our offices in India we are able to get you the best rates for cheap tickets to India and also great deals on Ayurveda spas in and around India.

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Cheap Tickets to india

Visit India in Time for the ICC world Cup Finals
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