1
LYIN’ AROUND EUROPE
Note: Waywinds will be off next week due to giving thanks for so many things. And eating. A lot. Happy Thanksgiving yall!
Here’s a bit of travel news: passengers from outside the EU will face lie detector tests while traveling in Europe. From the European Commission: “The IBORDERCTRL system has been set up so that travelers will use an online application to upload pictures of their passport, visa and proof of funds, then use a webcam to answer questions from a computer-animated border guard, personalized to the traveler’s gender, ethnicity and language.” One thing I get anxious about more than border guards are robo-border guards – I keep thinking the bad Terminator from Terminator.
2
NETFLIX, SEX, AND TRAVEL
Truly, I wanted this title to be the main subject title, but I wasn’t sure what all your spam filters were like. So, here it is in second place, but, an important second place, especially for those of you trying to appreciate the millennial mindset: Contiki ran a survey across millennials (ages 18-35) and here are the results: “The study, which surveyed 1,500 people, reported that 80 percent of millennials say they would give up Netflix, 73 percent say they would give up alcohol, and 57 percent say they would even give up sex for travel.”
3
MEGA-INDEX
For those of you who have been religiously reading my newsletters, you’ll know I love my country/city/place indices. Here’s one for you: megacities (10+ million residents). Currently there are 33 of them – can you guess how many there will be by 2030? Find out how many more, according to the World Economic Forum. Here’s one I won’t make you dig for: the biggest megacity in 2030 is expected to be Jakarta, Indonesia with 35.6M people!
What the heck…here is another: the world’s most touristy city is…Cancún. This is measured by the World Travel and Tourism Council as the city with the highest reliance on tourism by GDP. Congrats! Though, seriously, have them call my people to help think about how to diversify the economy.
And, agreed. You may think all these indices mean nothing and every index has a different result. Most indices are controversial because they are influential, however, from the Economist, the point is that they are directional to help its subjects become more competitive.
4
FLY GUY
As many of you will be traveling for the upcoming holidays, here’s some potentially timely advice on picking a flight path through some of the best (US) airports, ranked by percent of flights that leave on time, percent of canceled flights, and probably most importantly, shopping outlets (my trick is to pretend I forgot to pack a credit card). From Lifehacker, here are the top 5:
1. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
2. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
3. McCarran International Airport, Las Vegas
4. O’Hare International Airport, Chicago
5. San Francisco International Airport
And if this ranking doesn’t jive with your plans, here is another one from the Wall Street Journal this time, with yet another set of airports worth flying through. Perhaps this list works better for you? The Best of the Biggest (US) Airports.
For more unsolicited advice: actually, it’s not really advice, just follow these rules whenever you are traveling to reduce your risk of catching some strange illness. My personal favorite is to turn the fan above your seat on maximum and have it blow in your general direction – my theory is that any bugs flying your way will be fanned away – voilà!
“But if there’s one thing you can control mid-air, it’s not looking like a total bag of shit. Among us blokes, looking good for air travel doesn’t seem to matter anymore. But it does, gents: well-dressed equals flight perks, and you owe it to your peers and the staff to avoid looking like it’s the first Sunday after Falls.” And, for the love of the travel spirits, do not, I repeat do not wear sandals with socks. D’Marge on how to dress for flights.
I left this for last because well, it’s ridiculous and hilarious at the same time: if you’re going to sneak into a higher class of travel, be smart about it. Cabin crew reveal methods passengers use to sneak into business: “He had a blanket over his head – it’s not an invisibility cloak!”
5
PRESENTS NOT PRESENCE
I’ve been traveling solo since I could crawl (literally). So, I have my go-to things, but, I must admit this list actually brought to my attention some travel items I didn’t realize I needed, like the Trtl Neck Pillow? It’s already in my Amazon cart.
If you’re like me always wondering what the life of an explorer could have been like, this nifty book gives you a little peak into it: “Explorers’ Sketchbooks: The Art of Discovery & Adventure”.
And, as you start to look for that perfect gift for a dude who loves to travel, here are a few more ideas to consider, from The Manual.
Thanks,
Joe Naaman
Managing Editor, Waywinds
Keep Exploring!