(1) Clearwater Beach

Clearwater Beach is an award-winning beach on the Gulf Coast of Florida with plenty of public beach space and many restaurants and clubs. There also numerous resorts and residences along Clearwater Beach. Such movies as the comedy “Summer Rental” where filmed at Clearwater Beach.

(2) Sponge Docks – Tarpon Springs

Want to visit Greece for the day? Head on over to Tarpon Springs, my home town, and visit the Sponge Docks to experience Greek culture and food at its best. Learn about the historic sponge diving industry…be sure to take home some fresh sponges!

(3) Fishing / Boating

There are all kinds of fishing and boating opportunities in Tampa Bay. You can go out on a deep sea fishing boat, hire a fishing captain to take you on a more private fishing tour, or even just rent some jet skis and have fun around the bay.

(4) Don Cesar Beach Resort and Spa

Dubbed as “Florida’s Pink Castle” the Don Cesar, built in 1928, is a famous historic resort at St. Pete Beach. You don’t have to cough up the high dollar hotel fee to visit, you can just go for the day and visit one of their great restaurants or just give yourself a tour around the main floor of this historic building. You just might run into someone famous.

(5) Busch Gardens / Adventure Island

No need to travel to Orlando to experience top-quality theme parks. Busch Gardens boats some of the best roller coasters in the country, as well as a zoo experience you will not forget. Adventure Island, the water park sister of Busch Gardens, is a great place to cool off.

(6) Ybor City / Columbia Restaurant

Want the full nightlife experience in a historic setting? Try Ybor City, great nightclubs and restaurants with a Mediterranean feel. Like cigars? Ybor City was home to some of the best cigar factories, and still has some great cigar stores. Visit the world famous Columbia Restaurant where you can eat some of the best Spanish food in America. Their Cuban bread is to die for!

(7) Professional Sporting Event

Tampa Bay is home to the one time Super Bowl Champions The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Stanley Cup Champions Tampa Lightning Hockey Team, and the Rays (formerly Devil Rays) Baseball team that made it to the play offs last year. Depending on the time of year, you can catch one of these excellent teams playing in one of our very comfortable and modern venues.

(8) Salvador Dali Museum

Visit The Dali Museum in St. Petersburg where you can see the famous works of Salvador Dali, a truly unique and interesting artist. His work can be incredibly mind-boggling.

(9) Downtown Dunedin

While you may feel like you are in Greece in Tarpon Springs, you will feel like you have been transported to Scotland when visiting famous downtown Dunedin. Home to great restaurants, breweries, and Scottish culture (don’t be surprised to hear bagpipes playing), you will surely enjoy your visit to this locally known landmark city.

(10) Fort De Soto Park

Located at southern tip of St. Petersburg, Fort De Soto Park is home to an award winning beach and historic Civil War landmarks. The historic relics you will find at Fort De Soto were used to defend Tampa Bay from the Union Forces. You can also enjoy some great fishing at Fort De Soto Park.

No matter what you decide to do, you will surely have a good time when visiting Tampa Bay. There is truly something for everybody!

**Fellow native @stephaniedobies contributed to this blog post.

This is not a new site or service, but rather one that I find highly under utilized. The amateur travelers are not the only ones that can benefit from SeatGuru, even frequent flyers like myself should utilize this site. I recently used SeatGuru when flying from Reno to Tampa on US Airways new Airbus 321. I was unfamiliar with this new model, and used SeatGuru to pick out the best exit row seat I have ever had. Most airlines will clearly show, on your itinerary, what kind of plane you are on (Boeing, Airbus, etc.), that plus the airline you are flying is all the information you will need to use SeatGuru.

Here’s to a good a seat, wheels up!

PS - SeatGuru is also on Twitter @SeatGuru

Many airlines board coach from the rear of the aircraft, forward. This means that people who purchased the cheap seats (in theory) board first, while those who purchased an “economy plus” seat board last (since those seats are towards the front). This becomes a problem with overhead luggage space. We all know that many people will push to the maximum what they can bring on board to avoid luggage fees or having to wait for their luggage. What ends up happening (this almost did to me on JetBlue) is that when they board “economy plus” the majority of the overhead luggage space has been taken.

I think this is absurd, if you paid a premium to sit in “economy plus” then you should at least be guaranteed overhead luggage space as they do in First Class. This problem, absent of changing the boarding procedure, can be avoided by having the forward coach cabin bins closed until they start boarding “economy plus”. Otherwise you are allowing people who (in theory) paid less for a coach ticket cause those that paid more to have to check their luggage at the gate.

If you have never been in this situation, this may sound petty to you. But for those of us that travel a lot, this can become an issue. We all want to get what we have paid for! What do you think? Should airlines that charge a premium for “economy plus” allow regular coach passengers to hog the overhead bins? I think not! Leave a comment with your thoughts.

PS - ALWAYS consult Seat Guru before selecting your seat, if you are unfamiliar with the plane!

I came across this news story this morning and initially did not think anything of it, as I know that Southwest Airlines has one of the more aggressive “over–weight passenger” seating policies. However, after reading the entire article, I became quite disturbed by Southwest’s actions. Let me preface my thoughts by saying yes, I do think passengers that are proven to not fit in one seat should be forced to purchase an extra seat if they wish to fly. That was not the case with this gentleman.

This gentleman and his wife flew from Chicago to Vegas for a vacation. This gentleman, according to the news source, flew from Chicago to Vegas without incident. When making their return flight home, this gentleman was stopped in the gangway by a Southwest employee and asked if he could fit in the seat with the arms down. After replying yes – that he has never had a problem (i.e. his outbound flight) the Southwest employee told him “Well, you’re not flying today.” All this without even letting him prove that he could fit his person into one seat.

The gentleman was taken back to the gate, and according to the article, argued in an “elevated voice in a belligerent tone.” Several passengers reported they would not feel comfortable flying with this gentleman. He was thus refunded his ticket and denied boarding. He and his wife had to purchase last minute tickets on another airline, at a very high price, to fly home. Needless to say they are asking for compensation.

Southwest claims he was ultimately denied boarding because of his “tone,” but the facts speak for themselves when the employee initially told him “Well, you’re not flying today” with no proof to back up their accusation. I think this is completely ridiculous. The gentleman flew out to Vegas with no reported seating problems and he was not even allowed to demonstrate (to the employee that denied him boarding) that he could fit into one seat.

So are we now going to have an airline that randomly denies boarding to over-weight people, without even letting them prove they can fit in a seat? This gentleman and his wife should be compensated for their airfare home (funny how that other airline had no problem fitting him in a seat). What do you think? How would you feel if this happened to you, and you could not prove your “innocence?”

Below is my conversation with Southwest Airlines, on Twitter, about this situation. While I respect their open dialogue (try getting that from most airlines) I think they are dead wrong.

Airlines that are providing this service are Delta, AirTran, American, United, and Virgin America (Southwest is currently offering Wi-Fi on a few flights a day, using the Row44 service). US Airways and Air Canada are planning to adopt this technology very soon. You are not limited to using your laptop, but can also use a wireless enabled mobile device. Gogo In-flight Internet prices range from $5.95 to $12.95 depending upon your device and flight time. The speed is relatively fast, but most likely not as fast as your home cable Internet connection. However, I was able to have a clear video chat (via iChat) with my wife on her flight from Atlanta to Seattle.

I believe within two years the majority of domestic flights will offer in-flight Wi-Fi, spreading more rapidly than did in-flight live television. Gogo In-flight Internet is the industry leader for commercial airlines. Not only do they offer great in-flight Wi-Fi, but they are also active in social media. If you “tweet” from 35,000 feet, referencing Gogo, you are very likely to receive a thank you and a re-tweet. Make sure to follow them on Twitter to read tweets “from the sky”. When you book your next flight, check to see if they offer Wi-Fi!

A day later I launched the iTunes App Store, checked out the Travel section, and found a free app from AAA called “Discounts” that will locate AAA discounts near your GPS location or another location of your choice. Savings located near my condo: 20% off all paint from Sherwin Williams, 10% off regular priced merchandise at Payless ShoeSource, 10% off of food at Queens Pizza. All these discounts were found using the AAA Discounts iPhone app.

This blog post is not to promote AAA membership, but rather to let you know that this card does not have to sit in your wallet waiting for an emergency, but can most likely get you discounts at places you frequent often. I can only imagine the money I could have saved over the years! The AAA Discounts iPhone app makes it simple & easy!

My YouTube videos of my cruise on the NCL Sky has thousands of views, much higher than most of my other videos. People want to see from a guest perspective what they can expect. In planning our cruise on the Carnival Triumph (sailing late August), I found a passenger who just sailed the exact same itinerary, and did several on-site thorough review videos on YouTube. They were great to watch, and we have been dialoging back and forth about the ship. I got information from her that I would never get from the Carnival website.

I encourage you to search YouTube before booking your next destination; you never know what you may find out! Post your own videos as well. I will be filming and “tweeting” from onboard the Carnival Triumph in August. By doing this you are not only participating in a community, but you will record some great memories. I still look back at mine and laugh!

JetBlue, Southwest, and Virgin Airlines seem to be doing the best job when comes to utilizing Twitter. It does not take long to find more stories about how airlines are resolving customer service issues via Twitter, in minutes, where before you were most likely stuck with a comment card at the end of your flight. My last blog post, regarding my experience on the discount airline Allegiant Air, was “RT” by Allegiant Air via their Twitter account:

See, it works! Have you gotten a customer service issue resolved by an Airline via Twitter? Let me know. Below are links to all of the major airlines that are using Twitter. What are you waiting for? Start following them and maybe you will find the deal you have been looking for, or perhaps you will get that middle seat issue resolved!

Southwest Airlines - Delta Airlines - Allegiant Air - JetBlue - United Airlines - Spirit Airlines - Virgin America - American Airlines.

]]> Twitter has given a human face to an industry that has sometimes become cold when it comes to customer service. I am speaking of the airline industry. Almost all the major airlines are using Twitter for advertising and customer service purposes. Of course, some are doing a much better job then others. Why should you follow these airlines on Twitter? I would first follow airlines that you fly often because they will announce deals via twitter (some deals only announced on Twitter), but also I would follow them in case of a customer service issue in which direct messaging is needed. Customer service is where Twitter has really benefited the airlines. An article, recently published in the New York Times, told about how via Twitter, JetBlue was able to recognize and resolve a family seating issue.

JetBlue, Southwest, and Virgin Airlines seem to be doing the best job when comes to utilizing Twitter. It does not take long to find more stories about how airlines are resolving customer service issues via Twitter, in minutes, where before you were most likely stuck with a comment card at the end of your flight. My last blog post, regarding my experience on the discount airline Allegiant Air, was “RT” by Allegiant Air via their Twitter account:

See, it works! Have you gotten a customer service issue resolved by an Airline via Twitter? Let me know. Below are links to all of the major airlines that are using Twitter. What are you waiting for? Start following them and maybe you will find the deal you have been looking for, or perhaps you will get that middle seat issue resolved!

Southwest Airlines - Delta Airlines - Allegiant Air - JetBlue - United Airlines - Spirit Airlines - Virgin America - American Airlines.

]]> http://www.lockergnome.com/davidbanther/2009/07/19/airlines-winning-and-keeping-customers-with-twitter/feed/ http://www.lockergnome.com/davidbanther/2009/07/06/allegiant-airlines-worth-the-discount/ http://www.lockergnome.com/davidbanther/2009/07/06/allegiant-airlines-worth-the-discount/#comments Tue, 07 Jul 2009 02:18:14 +0000 davidbanther http://www.lockergnome.com/davidbanther/?p=13 I am a frequent (domestic) flyer, and always enjoy flying an airline for the first time. There are few airlines I have not flown, mostly limited to newer discount airlines such as Allegiant Airlines. My wife and I got the opportunity to fly Allegiant Air from Clearwater / St. Petersburg International Airport to Tri-Cities Regional Airport in Tennessee this past holiday weekend to visit my parents at their Cabin in North Carolina. Prior to Allegiant Air offering this route, we were stuck flying US Airways into Charlotte NC and then having to drive 2 ½ hours north.

Allegiant Airlines is a discount airline that primarily serves vacation spots and smaller regional airports. Like most discount airlines, they only offer one class of service, have a limited flight schedule, and are free of most frills. They are big on fees, such as a fee for selecting your seat, priority boarding, checked luggage, and even charging for drinks on board ($2.00 for a Coke). However, their fares are usually very low, sometimes as low as $20.00 each way, and they service areas that some of the major airlines do not.

Their fleet consists of mostly MD-80s (2 -3 seat configuration). They have very nice leather seats, but they do have the typical cramped coach cabin (almost all airlines do now). Their seats do not recline, which I personally don’t mind (I find it rude to recline you seat in coach for short flights). Also, their seat backs have no seat back pockets, which bothered me because I enjoy putting commonly used things (phone, water bottle) in the seat back pocket during flight.

All this being said, would I recommend them? Yes! They offer ridiculously discounted fees; have friendly customer service & in-flight crew, offer direct flights where other carriers don’t, and they are even on Twitter! You can forego the conventional in-flight amenities for low fares and direct flights to more regional locations. Some advice – do fork over the seat fee in advance for peace of mind, and pack light with carry-on, I found their overhead bin space to be much smaller in comparison with other airlines.

PS - Not that I *endorse* using electronic devices below 10,000 feet, but I did film the take off and landing; see it on YouTube.

Likes:

1. The 3G S lives up to its hype about improved speed and performance; it is a huge jump in stability from the second-generation model. The phone operates with lightning speed and with little to no bugs.

2. Cut/Copy/Paste and a Landscape Keyboard are two needed and welcome editions to iPhone 3.0. I know some people say Apple was behind the ball in adding these features, but often when it does add new features, it does it right.

3. Video Recording on the iPhone 3G S is amazing. When it announced this feature, I was skeptical on what would be its performance. However, after two YouTube uploads, I am amazed at the quality, stability, and speed.

4. Voice Control is a welcome addition with the iPhone 3G S. This is something you could point to and say many other phones have long had this feature. However, as mentioned above, when Apple does add a feature, it does it right. This feature is more robust in comparison with similar voice control on other phones. We should have seen this feature coming when it introduced the new iPod Shuffle earlier this year.

Needed Improvements / Additions:

1. Maybe it’s just me, but I see no drastic improvement in battery life. I would say it is no worse than other smart phones, but I was hoping Apple would really raise the bar for this feature.

2. I think there needs to be better usage of the lock screen. I wish it could display calendar events and unread messages, not just pop-up alert boxes.  Seems to be a waste of empty space.

3. Maybe I am just missing this, and it’s there, but I would love a “mark all read” option in the email app, this is a feature I loved about BlackBerry.

4. Are you still not able to run apps in the background? I thought this was going to be made possible with 3.0. I would love for my XM Radio app to still be running when I am checking email or SMS, like the iPod feature does.

I will not even get started on, what I believe, is the epic fail of a wireless network – AT&T. No MMS or Tethering for the iPhone yet? Unacceptable.

Overall, the iPhone 3G S is a revolutionary device, and though it may not manage email like my BlackBerry did, the many other features it offers allows me to easily overlook that!

What are your likes / dislikes about the iPhone 3G S / iPhone 3.0?