Travel Calendar

10:33 am February 22, 2012, by Lauren Davidson

It’s not good news for those of us planning a spring break or summer vacation: Gas prices could exceed $4.50 per gallon by the summer, according to a story by AJC reporter Katie Leslie.

There are also those who say gas prices will stay more moderate (read Wes Moss’ explanation of what’s causing the price fears), so who knows what the warmer months will bring?

Although I’m Bing Travel advocate, I’m always looking for new ways to save — whether gas prices increase or not. Here are a couple of new options to try when making vacation plans:

• One new flight tool claiming to find you the best rates on plane tickets is FlightFox, which has an international focus. Pay a $29 finder’s fee to human “hackers” who compete to find you the cheapest price according to your specifications. Not satisfied with the results? The site says the fee is 100 percent refundable if you’re not happy, and that users typically save hundreds per flight.
• Traveling within the states? Try taking Megabus. The express bus service charges based on when you book, so advance planners can snag rates as low as $1. The buses offer free wi-fi and at-seat plug ins. My friend tried Megabus and says the environment on the bus was more than comfortable and that he’ll take it again. Plus, you can’t beat a trip that costs you less than it would to drive yourself. A quick perusal of the site returned round-trips to Birmingham for $4 or to Orlando for $24 in March, but book even further out for better rates.

What are you doing to save money on travel this spring and summer?

More: How to plan a trip to Disney |  More tips on Disney tickets and hotels

– By Lauren Davidson, Atlanta Bargain Hunter

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Feb. 21, 2012

Live Results | Live Dive-by-Dive Scoring | Championships Central

Big Ten News Info Release | Big Ten History Record Book

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue men’s swimming and diving begins the championship portion of its season this week, returning to Iowa’s new pool for the Big Ten Conference Championships Wednesday through Saturday.

The seven-session meet begins with the 200 medley and 800 freestyle relays as well as an exhibition round of 3-meter synchronized diving Wednesday evening at 8 p.m. ET. Preliminary rounds are set for the afternoon sessions and begin at 1 p.m. ET. Big Ten champions and team points will be determined in the evening finals, which begin at 8 p.m. ET

The Big Ten Network will televise highlights of the meet Saturday, March 3 at 10 a.m. ET.

The University of Iowa is hosting the conference meet this season at the new Campus Recreation and Wellness Center. The facility opened in the summer of 2010 and also served as the host pool of the women’s Big Ten Championships last week. The same site has not hosted both Big Ten meets since 1987 and 1988 when they were held in Indianapolis. Additionally, the University of Iowa will be hosting the men’s Big Ten Championships for the first time since 1982.

The 17th-ranked Boilermakers got their first look at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center in November when they traveled to Iowa City for the first time since November 2007.

Along with 2004 and 2009 when the Boilermaker Aquatic Center served as the host site, the 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2006 were recent campaigns in which the Purdue men’s swimmers had the opportunity to compete in the host pool of the Big Ten Championships earlier in the same season.

The Boilermakers finished fourth at Big Tens in 2009 and 2010, matching the program’s best-ever showing. Purdue settled for fifth place last season in a meet that featured six nationally-ranked teams. Michigan is the defending champion, claiming its third title in the last four years. The Wolverines have won the team title a conference-high 35 times.

For much of the school year, Purdue has trained and prepared specifically for the championship segment of the season, highlighted by the Big Tens this week and the NCAA Championships (March 22-24). The Boilermakers’ top performers will look to improve their NCAA prospects this weekend and have specifically tapered their training in an effort to maximize season-best times and scores.

Performing well individually in morning preliminaries and as relay foursomes at night ultimately has the greatest impact on team success. Individuals score points by qualifying for the A and B finals in the evening sessions after posting top 16 times in the prelims.

Andrew Langenfeld, who won the 50 free in 2009, is Purdue’s most recent Big Ten champion in the swimming events. David Boudia won eight Big Ten diving titles while representing the Boilers on the boards from 2009-11.

Ben Wachtel, Andrew Starr, Brian Kiel and the graduated Drew Wolfred teamed up to establish a new program record in the 800 free relay on the opening night of Big Tens last season. Kiel (100 and 200 back, 200 IM), Matt Friede (50 free) and Eduard Galdeano (200 fly) also set new Purdue freshman records.

Kiel qualified for the A final in the 200 back while Friede and Galdeano both finished as the runner up in the B finals of their events en route to setting the freshman benchmarks.

Purdue head coach Dan Ross leads the Boilers into the Big Ten Championships for the 27th time as the leader of the program. With Purdue head diving coach Adam Soldati currently in England serving as a staff assistant with USA Diving at the FINA World Cup, diving video specialist and Purdue diving alumnus Josh Karshen is mentoring the Boilers’ men’s and women’s divers this month.

As of the Jan. 25 CSCAA Top 25 coaches poll, five Big Ten Teams — No. 4 Michigan, No. 9 Ohio State, No. 11 Indiana, No. 16 Minnesota and No. 17 Purdue — were nationally ranked.

The Boilermakers competed against each of the other nine Big Ten schools that sponsor men’s swimming and diving at some point earlier this season. Purdue went head-to-head against Indiana, Michigan State and Northwestern in standard dual meets. The Boilermakers competed in triple duals against Iowa and Ohio State (Nov. 18 in Iowa City) and Minnesota and Wisconsin (Jan. 27-28 in the Twin Cities). Penn State was also in attendance at the Ohio State Invitational in December and selected members of Michigan’s team were in Dallas for the Classic @ SMU (Jan. 13-14). Illinois and Nebraska do not sponsor men’s swimming and diving.

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JENKINTOWN, Pa., Feb 22, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) –
Magnificent architecture, world-class cuisine, incredible shopping, and
fascinating culture define Dubai
and Bangkok.
Two destinations not typically paired together, Dubai and Bangkok are
the epicenter of modern luxury in Asia. Now, thanks to Friendly
Planet Travel, a leading tour operator that offers high-quality,
affordable vacation packages to exotic destinations worldwide, travelers
can experience the best of these two destinations on its 9-day Dazzling
Dubai and Bangkok tour for an ultralow price starting at $1,899.

“Dubai and Bangkok are two of the most popular destinations in all of
Asia,” says Peggy
Goldman, President of Friendly Planet Travel. “We are thrilled to be
one of the first tour operators to be offering this unique and
innovative combination of destinations at a price that simply cannot be
matched. Travelers looking to explore these destinations on their own
would pay at least $650 more per person. And that would be after
countless hours of searching the web trying to find deals and discounts.”

Dazzling Dubai and Bangkok includes round-trip airfare from LAX
(other gateways available for an additional cost) on Emirates,
one of the top-five airlines in the world; fuel surcharges; airline
taxes and fees; and all ground transportation and transfers. It also
includes deluxe hotel accommodations; a daily buffet breakfast; touring
programs, including entrance fees; professional, English-speaking tour
directors and local guides; and more. Friendly Planet’s 9-day Dazzling
Dubai and Bangkok tour is available for $1,899 on the departure
dates of May 17 and Sept. 20.

Travelers begin their dazzling trip to Dubai by checking into the
award-winning, centrally located deluxe hotel, the Hyatt
Regency. From there, travelers can explore the city’s picturesque Dubai
Creek, dividing the city into Deira
on the northern side and Burj
Dubai to the south. A stop in the Bastakiya
district to see the charming courtyard houses and narrow alleys,
followed by a stop at the Dubai
Museum, are all included in the tour of the city. Travelers also
have the chance to experience one of Dubai’s most reliable and
inexpensive forms of transportation, an Abra
water taxi. The remaining time spent in Dubai is at the leisure of
the traveler who can see all that Dubai has to offer, including the Burj
Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, and the Mall
of the Emirates, complete with indoor ski slopes, superior dining,
and more. Optional tours of Modern Dubai or a dinner cruise on a
traditional dhow
boat on the Dhow Creek, as well as an optional desert safari tour
are also available for those travelers looking for an adventure.

The journey continues to Bangkok,
where travelers check into the five-star, deluxe, centrally located Dusit
Thani. Travelers begin their tour of Bangkok center by seeing some
of the most interesting of Thai Temples, such as Wat
Trimitr, where travelers will view the 700-year-old Golden Buddha,
the “Marble Temple,” known as Wat
Benchamabophit, and more.

Optional excursions are available, which include tours of The
Grand Palace and the Temple
of the Emerald Buddha, an evening extravaganza at the Ratchada
Grand Theatre, a tour of the Thonburi Klongs (canals) and Wat
Arun, the Temple of Dawn along the Chao
Phraya River.

For travelers with more time who are looking to take advantage of the
included round-trip airfare, Friendly Planet Travel is offering an
optional extension to Phuket
Island, Thailand’s most popular resort, for just $599. Travelers
will stay at the Kamala
Beach resort, located on the unspoiled Kamala Bay, with beautiful,
sandy beaches and crystal clear water for swimming, snorkeling, and
scuba diving. And, it’s just a short tuk-tuk
ride to Patong
Beach, one of Phuket’s famous beaches.

For more information about Friendly Planet Travel’s Dazzling
Dubai and Bangkok tour, please visit the company’s website at
www.FriendlyPlanet.com ;
the blog at blog.FriendlyPlanet.com;
or contact Jackie Zima-Evans at 610-228-2138 (office), 215-534-2973
(mobile), or write to Jackie@GregoryFCA.com.

SOURCE: Friendly Planet Travel

        Press Contact:
        Gregory FCA
        Jackie Zima-Evans
        Associate Vice President
        610-228-2138
        Jackie@GregoryFCA.com
        or
        Company Contact:
        Friendly Planet Travel
        Peggy Goldman
        President
        215-572-9594 ext. 204
        PMGoldman@FriendlyPlanet.com

Copyright Business Wire 2012

Travel industry leaders will meet in Sacramento on Thursday to mark a milestone in travel spending in the state and preview plans to increase the numbers of international visitors to California.

Visit California’s annual Tourism Outlook Forum is 10:45 a.m. at Sacramento Convention Center, 1400 J St.

Travel spending in California reached $104.6 billion in 2011, the first time spending broke through the $100 billion level, according to Visit California, formerly the California Travel Tourism Commission.

The group will also announce that travel-related employment in the state was projected to reach 890,000 jobs – or more than 4 percent of California’s total employment.

Find information on the forum at http://industry.visitcalifornia.com/.

© Copyright The Sacramento Bee. All rights reserved.

Call The Bee’s Darrell Smith, (916) 321-1040.

• Read more articles by Darrell Smith

After having hosted a couple of travel ball tournaments last year, Dixie Inc. officials say they will offer more travel ball tournaments this season.

“We plan to host at least one travel ball tournament a month starting in March and continuing through November,” said Dixie Inc. President Chris Eutsler.

“Sometimes we will host two tournaments a month.”

Eutsler explained that hosting travel ball tournaments is one of the means that Dixie Inc. is using to raise money to support its South Boston-based Dixie Baseball and Cardinal Baseball programs.

“The cost of everything is going up,” pointed out Harold Carmichael, the Commissioner of the South Boston Dixie Youth Baseball program for youth ages 3-12.

“We’ve got to figure out ways to continue to raise revenue without having to raise registration fees for the players in our programs through the roof. We’ve got to find ways to offset expenses.”

Dixie Inc. has aligned itself with Top Gun Sports as a sanctioning body for its travel ball ventures.

“We were approached by AAU and Nations Baseball, but we felt Top Gun was the best organization to go with,” Eutsler pointed out.

The impact of travel ball tournaments will also be felt outside of what goes on at the Day Complex.

“Travel ball can have a positive impact on the community,” Eutsler noted.

“People will be coming in from out of town. They will be buying gas, stopping at restaurants to eat, and hopefully, will check out other things that our community has to offer like the races, movies, bowling and other activities.”

DENVER, Feb. 21, 2012 — /PRNewswire/ — Freedom Healthcare Staffing, a leading travel healthcare staffing agency based out of Denver, has been named a 2012 Top Ten Travel Nursing Company for superior customer service for the fourth year in a row by Highway Hypodermics.

“We are extremely grateful to have been recognized once again by the objective standards of Highway Hypodermics as a leading company in travel staffing,” said Eric Broder, President and CEO of Freedom Healthcare Staffing. “We pledge to continue to place our company values of respect and caring for travelers and clients at the forefront of all that we do.”

Created in 2004, the Top Ten Travel Nursing Companies Award recognizes those staffing agencies that best serve the travel nurse community. Freedom Healthcare Staffing was recognized out of hundreds in the nation.

The three major criteria of the Top Ten Travel Nursing Companies Award are the company’s benefits, Highway Hypodermic’s interview and evaluation of the company, and travel nurse evaluations of the company. The nurse evaluation scores are based on polling conducted by Highway Hypodermics about which benefits and services nurses desire from a company. “The nurses in our field voiced their confidence in our company,” explained Michelle Campbell, Vice President of Clinical Services of Freedom Healthcare Staffing. “We are successful because we always put our nurses first and respect them every step of the way by offering the best service and benefits.”

Highway Hypodermics is a leading travel nursing informational company. Epstein LaRue, a travel nursing advocate who publishes the website in addition to books and a magazine about travel nursing, has just released her latest book on travel nursing Highway Hypodermics: Travel Nursing 2012.

Freedom Healthcare Staffing is a comprehensive Joint Commission certified staffing agency. Since opening in 2005, Freedom has worked with thousands of travel and per diem RNs, CNAs, and Allied Providers and hundreds of hospitals and healthcare facilities in all 50 states. 

For more information, or to request an interview, please contact Elizabeth Broder at 866.463.0385 or elizabethb@freedomhcs.com 

http://freedomhcs.com

Contact:

Elizabeth Broder Tel. 866.463.0385Email: elizabethb@freedomhcs.com 

This press release was issued through eReleases(R).  For more information, visit eReleases Press Release Distribution at http://www.ereleases.com.

SOURCE Freedom Healthcare Staffing

LONDON, Feb. 22, 2012 — /PRNewswire/ – Travel documents are for terrorists just as important as weapons, according to the key finding from the 9/11 Commission Report. This is the reason border control systems based on biometric applications have become the solution of choice in identifying potential threats. There is also considerable emphasis on the identification of immigrants using e-Passports and e-Visas to channel biometric data to destination countries to reduce illegal immigration.

New analysis from Frost Sullivan (http://www.aerospace.frost.com), Global Border Control Market Assessment, estimates that the market will earn revenues of $8.74 billion by 2019, comparing to $1.97 billion in 2010. As the growing mobility of people necessitates the use of e-Passports, e-Visas, e-Gates and infrastructure to support the systems, the border control market is expected to earn a double digit CAGR of 17.6 per cent from 2011 to 2019.

The universal penetration of e-Passport, e-Visas and e-Gate systems is in response to the efforts of biometrics associations, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards, governments and border control application vendors to develop international standards for the adoption of biometric technologies.

“The mandatory implementation of e-Passports for ICAO member countries by 2015 and rising passenger throughput will trigger wider adoption of e-Gate systems,” says Frost Sullivan Industry Analyst Dominik Kimla. “The e-Gate system adoption will partially be an outcome of the successful implementation of e-Passports and e-Visas and it is vital for managing passenger flows more efficiently at border check points.”

Although the e-Passport segment is likely to remain the largest in the total border control market, the e-Gate segment will be the fastest growing between 2011 and 2019. While the e-Gate segment’s total share is anticipated to increase from 14.2 per cent in 2010 to 37.7 per cent in 2019, e-Passport’s is expected to decrease from 69.2 per cent to 51.6 per cent during the same period.

With international arrivals expected to reach nearly 1.6 billion by 2020, end users are appreciative of the need for border control. However, the complexity and cost of border control systems implementation and privacy concerns could deter several users from deploying this solution.

The negative association of fingerprint identification with criminal investigations have slowed down the adoption of this form of identification. Further, they have indicated a reluctance to adopt the technology due to privacy and civil liberties concerns regarding data storage, the vulnerability of the data to theft and abuse and the implications of false positives and false negatives.

It is essential for the market participants to not only identify and assuage privacy concerns in the public and private sectors but they should also present attractive return on investment.

“Suppliers must demonstrate how their border control solution can reduce operator costs in the long term,” notes Kimla. “This is an important factor since in the current post downturn environment; operators are looking for ways to maintain a high standard of security at low costs.”

If you are interested in more information on this study, please send an e-mail with your contact details to Joanna Lewandowska, Corporate Communications, at joanna.lewandowska@frost.com.

Global Border Control Market Assessment is part of the Defence Growth Partnership Services program, which also includes research in the following markets: Brazil Civil Security Market Assessment, Spain Civil Security Revenue Opportunities Stakeholder Mapping and Italy Civil Security Revenue Opportunities Stakeholder Mapping. All research services included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends that have been evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants.

About Frost Sullivan

Frost Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, enables clients to accelerate growth and achieve best-in-class positions in growth, innovation and leadership. The company’s Growth Partnership Service provides the CEO and the CEO’s Growth Team with disciplined research and best-practice models to drive the generation, evaluation, and implementation of powerful growth strategies. Frost Sullivan leverages 50 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from more than 40 offices on six continents. To join our Growth Partnership, please visit http://www.frost.com.

Global Border Control Market AssessmentM763-16

Contact:Joanna LewandowskaCorporate Communications – EuropeP: +48 22 390 41 46E: joanna.lewandowska@frost.com 

http://www.frost.com

SOURCE Frost Sullivan

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Feb. 21, 2012 —

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Feb. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – Vayama.com, the online travel agency that specializes in international travel, announces today its list of unique off the beaten path countries for traveling with children internationally – including airlines and activities for each location that are ideal for families with children of all ages.  

“There is no doubt that traveling with children on international flights is a challenge, but that does not mean that it cannot be done,” said Thomas Kent, vice president of marketing at Vayama.com. “We have compiled a list for families so they can find the best destinations, airlines and activities worldwide to make their international travel experience with their children a stress free and memorable experience for the entire family.”

Hong Kong, China

Getting Around: When traveling to Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific or Asiana are great for children as they offer coloring books and individual video screens for entertainment. Upon arrival in Hong Kong, the terminal offers high tech video consoles for entertainment. From the Hong King airport, a direct ferry is available from the airport to Macao – the “Las Vegas of Hong Kong”. There is also a rail connection direct from the airport to Disneyland Hong Kong, allowing families to get to their destination without having to go all the way into Hong Kong Island first.

Family Fun Factor:  Macao and its Venetian hotel and casino provide entertainment for the entire family including real gondolas and canals in the lobby. Sitting on its own private island facing the South China Sea, Hong Kong Disneyland features a “Main Street, U.S.A.”, Fantasyland, Adventureland, Tomorrowland and Toy Story Land. Hong Kong Disneyland is designed to accommodate world travelers as all its cast members speak English, Cantonese and Mandarin and all the signage is in English, Chinese and Japanese. For a treasured family memory, take the trolley to the top of Victoria peak for the most spectacular views of the Hong Kong harbor and the lit skyscrapers at night.

Cape Town, South Africa

Getting Around: South African Airways offers video screens for each passenger that include video games and cartoons, and for the parents the airline also a complementary glass of South African wine. Once in Cape Town, a rental car is the ideal way to explore the South African coast.  

Family Fun Factor: Boulder Beach is one of the most spectacular scenic drives and offers the opportunity to swim with the penguins. This coastal route contains many beach towns known for surfing and kayaking. Addo Elephant Park is world famous for its herds of African Elephants, zebras, warthogs and lions. Addo’s picnic area features a Jurassic Park style electrified fence to keep the humans separated from its pride of lions. The beauty of the South African national park system is that tourists can drive their own cars for a DIY safari or pick a local guide at the park’s gate that will point out the local mega fauna.

Auckland, New Zealand

Getting Around:  Air New Zealand offers personal video screens for each passenger with a variety of video games available for children as well as adults.

Family Fun Factor: The New Zealand locals, Kiwis, are known for their adventure sports from bungee jumping right off Auckland’s tallest tower or walking on a skywalk atop Auckland’s Sky Tower.  Kiwis are also great sailors and Auckland is known as the “city of sails”. Visitors have their choice of sailing day trips from America’s Cup super sailboats, where passengers help the crew pull the sails up, to more relaxed traditional boats. For visitors that are fans of Lord of the Rings, visit the set and see Gandalf’s house in Hobbiton, which is located on a real sheep farm and offers sheep shearing demonstration along with the opportunity to bottle feed baby lambs. During the southern winter you can also go snowboarding on Mount Ruapehu.  

Paris, France

Getting Around:  Paris is home to Disneyland Europe and direct trains are available to Eurodisney from Charles de Gaule airport.

Family Factor:  Take a trip to the Paris catacombs and the famous Paris sewer tour of Les Miserables fame. The whole family is sure to enjoy a tour of Paris’ world famous museums, such as the Louvre and the Pompidou center, which is sure to bring more learning opportunities in one visit to Paris than months in the classroom.

London, England

Getting Around:  Fly to London on Virgin Atlantic as they offer personal video screens, crayons and coloring books.

Family Fun: The British Museum is a perfect place for the entire family with its Egyptian Mummies and ancient artifacts from all over the world, including the Rosseta Stone. Madame Tussauds and the shops and restaurants around Piccadilly Circus and Leister Square are great for entertainment. Take a ferry up the Thames River, under London Bridge and Tower Bridge to the Greenwich observatory where a green laser cuts the night sky to mark the 0 parallel.

Cancun, Mexico

Getting Around: The Mayan Riviera is ideal for families as it has a number of all-inclusive hotels that offer food, drink, kids activities, beaches and more without ever having to leave the hotel. Most of the resorts will offer a direct pick up from the airport and some, such as Xcaret, provide buses for low cost transportation to surrounding archaeological eco-parks and the strip in Cancun.

Family Fun: The Mayan Riviera provides a paradise for children with its powdery beaches and the excitement of swimming with dolphins, petting turtles and tropical parrots. Resorts offer theme park style fun for the whole family with an underground river rides, dolphin swims, tropical jungle trails, marine turtles and much more.

About VayamaVayama is an online travel agency uniquely focused on international travel. The company offers travelers a vast selection of flights through its online booking engine that taps into inventory not available on other online travel websites. Launched in 2007, Vayama has continued to expand its online international travel services to include features such as 24/7 customer service, premium economy airfare, hotels, activities and car rentals.

For regular Vayama updates, follow us at www.twitter.com/Vayama become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/VayamaTravel or visit www.Vayama.com.

About Travix International B.V.Vayama is part of Travix International B.V., a global travel company that manages an extensive portfolio of international travel websites operating under the brands: Vayama (USA), CheapTickets (Europe Asia), Vliegwinkel.nl (Netherlands), BudgetAir (The Netherlands, United Kingdom, UK, USA, Canada France), Flugladen (Germany) and EasyToBook.com (Worldwide).

Travix operates in 16 countries, employs 430 staff and has combined sales in excess of USD $1.1Billion.

SOURCE Vayama.com