Premium Aircraft Interiors Group's Freedom Economy Seat configuration offers more elbow, shoulder and legroom, the company says. Photo courtesy of USA Today.

There are a number of interesting travel news items floating around at the moment that are worth covering. This first one comes under the heading of “what took them so long.” I have always wondered who designed the seats in aircraft.  The seat back curves away below the headrest, just where my neck curves inward, leaving a large space at the exact point where I need support. There is rarely enough leg room and never enough room on the armrests, especially if I am in the center seat. However the days of uncomfortable airline seating may be numbered. Back in 2007, USA Today reported that Britain’s Premium Aircraft Interiors Group introduced the Freedom Economy Seat, a three-seat row that flips the middle one backward. Since then, the seats have begun appearing in the business class sections of selected carriers.

Gizmag.com recently reported on another new seat design that was unveiled this past September at the Create The Future Design Contest. The clever new design, which actually creates MORE seats on the Airbus A380, provides ALL passengers with more space than ever before and the ability to stretch out in an airline bed. This can help to alleviate pressure on the legs, a common area where blood clots can form within the deep veins.  All I can say is, it’s about time.

If you’ve finally made the decision to chuck it all and hit the road but you have limited resources to travel long term, this list of alternative accommodation options featured on Vagabondish.com will be of interest. The various programs offer Read the rest of this entry »

When I traveled around the world for six months last year, one of the issues I had to deal with was my mail. Fortunately, my roommate was an angel; she opened all my mail and emailed me about anything that had to be attended to while I was on the road. However, when I returned home I still had to wade through an overflowing laundry basket full of mail, most of which turned out to be junk: catalogs, credit card offers, direct mailed coupons from my auto dealership, etc., etc. I decided something had to be done about all this junk mail. Not only is it a nuisance and a time consumer, it also is a waste of natural resources; I wonder how many trees we kill each year for all this useless advertising. Basically, I decided that if it couldn’t be emailed, I didn’t want it.

Through my efforts I discovered the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), which is the official mail preference service for the catalog and direct marketing community n the United States. Not only does DMA’s mail preference service allow you to remove your name from the mailing lists of individual organizations, it also provides an option that lets you remove your name Read the rest of this entry »