Though Airbnb began in 2008, it wasn’t until September 2023 when I stayed at an Airbnb. Most people know I am a fan of the four and five-star hotels – the comfort of staying where you just slip into a space fully designed to cater to your preferences when on the road. But a short-term stay at someone else’s home, condo, guest house or even guest room, that allows you to truly experience your stay like a local. Sometimes when on the road, I’ll drive past homes in cozy neighborhoods. I’ve often fantasized what it’s like to live there. I’ve also walked along the streets of cobblestone in old esta ..read more

Summer is a popular time to travel and people are always looking for direct international routes, whenever possible. Recognizing this, United Airlines announced it will add two new nonstop routes between the United States and Spain for the summer 2022: Palma de Mallorca, Spain: Starting June 2, 2022, travel from New York/Newark to Mallorca in a Boeing 767-300. United will offer flights three times a week. Tenerife, Spain: Starting June 9, 2022, travel from  New York/Newark in a Boeing 757-200. United will offer flights three times a week. Palma de Mallorca is capital of the is ..read more

Starting in the summer season 2020, Iberia will launch of a new route from Madrid to Washington, DC. — Iberia’s eighth U.S. destination. Iberia is scheduling non-stop flights up to five times per week between the U.S. capital and Spain’s capital. Flights will be operated by Iberia’s A330-300s which has a  capacity to carry up to 292 people, 29 in business class, 21 in premium economy and 242 in economy seats. The new route is intended to meet the demand for corporate and premium travel, and to promote closer cultural ties and tourism in both cities. In the summer season 2020, Iberia will offer ..read more

We all know Q&A: That moment at the end of a session where the audience gets a few minutes to ask a few questions. Frequently, the usual suspects will grab their chance (and the microphone) to make a statement, rather than ask a question. And then, the session is over… This still happens a lot in corporate meetings and association conferences, seminars, etc. Should we really call Q&A interaction? One participant asking a question to the speaker is the smallest form of interaction imaginable. It is only one person asking a question and one person answering that question. The ‘inter’ fro ..read more

The Chicago South Loop is one of the city’s most vibrant and thriving neighborhoods today. And if you enjoy walking, joining the Chicago South Loop Explorers — a new Meetup group we created — may be the right group for you. And it’s free. The South Loop is packed with unique things to do. I walk the South Loop all the time and felt it would be fun to invite others to join me. So, I created the group. The Chicago South Loop Explorers is meant for anyone who lives in the South Loop, those who want to get to know the South Loop better or are visitors to Chicago. The group has scheduled two kinds ..read more

On Friday — the day when Uber went public — I requested an Uber X to go 1.8 miles at 12:45 p.m. from my home in downtown Chicago. The cost was was known up front: $16.39. I was surprised by the price and assumed there was a justification for surge. After riding, it didn’t seem justified from my perspective. Road conditions were perfectly clear. Weather conditions were perfectly clear. The driver showed up in about five minutes (he was in the process of dropping off another rider about four blocks from me). The ride took about five minutes. And what should have cost about $8 ended up being more ..read more

With 1.6 million Americans visiting Barcelona in 2018, Barcelona is one of Spain’s most popular cities to visit. As a Chicagoan, it caught my attention when I heard that Norwegian Air announced a new direct flight this summer between Chicago and Barcelona (dates run between June and October). Norwegian Air will fly its Dreamliner aircraft — configured with 282 seats, including 35 premium economy seats — on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturday and Sunday. Norwegian Air Economy Plus. Courtesy image Norwegian Air is a low-cost long haul airline. So that means if you are flying economy, you have ..read more

The inaugural Asia Pacific MICE Awards Ceremony 2015 was held on the evening of 10th September at the MICE Asia Pacific Exhibition 2015. The awards were handed out to recognize achievements by those who have played a defining role in delivering exceptional quality, service, innovation, and more importantly, in driving the MICE industry forward. Day 1 of MICE Asia Pacific Exhibition 2015 ended spectacularly along with the awards ceremony. Looking forward ahead to the development of MICE, it is expected to flourish and continue blooming in MICE Asia Pacific Exhibition 2016 for the event profes ..read more