Tagged With "Holidays"
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Re: Holiday Flying: How to Beat the Wrap
Just a note of caution, if, as PHeymont suggests, the airport mall tempts you to pick up holiday cheer and other liquids, don't forget connections and possible second trips through security. Just because you bought it at the airport doesn't mean they won't snag it if you have to leave airside to get to your connection. I can imagine very well supplied TSA holiday parties courtesy of some chagrined passengers.
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Re: Holiday Flying: How to Beat the Wrap
PM is right, and the caution applies especially to liquids. There are some exceptions for duty-free items sealed in special bags, but not always.
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Re: Holiday Flying: How to Beat the Wrap
Thanks for the good information. I would not have thought about the airport mall, Amazon Locker or the big box stores. Those are terrific ideas. I have given up on gift wrapping and just toss a few colorful gift bags and some tissue paper into my luggage. Later, I put the gifts in the bags for the big "reveal" for the recipient.
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Re: Cruising through the holidays
Looks beautiful, Marilyn. I think I may consider this option for next Christmas (or any time of the year for that matter!)
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Re: Holiday Inn Express to Offer Selfies on Pancakes
OMG. The end of the world must be very near.
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Re: Holiday Inn Express to Offer Selfies on Pancakes
PHeymont -- the end will definitely be near if that pancake is delivered at the end of a selfie-stick.
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Re: Holiday Inn Express to Offer Selfies on Pancakes
I'm not an ad executive, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express recently, so that qualifies me to tell them. This is a horrible campaign. Couldn't they of come up with a selfie free breakfast campaign instead?
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Re: Check Your Statement! A Big Hotel Credit Card Breach...
You would think the cost of all this fraud would be more than enough to validate new chip and PIN rollout in the USA. Can't quite understand why the US banks are so resistent to this PHeymont. Have you an understanding of what their reasons are?
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Re: Check Your Statement! A Big Hotel Credit Card Breach...
It's been a long path. For a long time, observers thought it was because they were committed to contactless (RFID) technology as the next step...but that hasn't advances as fast as some predicted, and it has big security issues, too. Now that MC and Visa have set down a "you must comply or you will be responsible for fraudulent charges" rule for next year, we're seeing motion. BUT...so far most issuers have been sticking to chip-and-signature, not and-PIN, which guts the whole process.
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Re: Check Your Statement! A Big Hotel Credit Card Breach...
I don't quite see why using a pin would prevent fraud of the type we're seeing on a large scale. Presumably, if the hackers continue to target terminals, the pin would be compromised too. Yes, we could change the pin but it would need to be done immediately, before the damage is done. What am I missing?
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Re: Check Your Statement! A Big Hotel Credit Card Breach...
As I see it, PM, mostly they are just stealing the data off the magnetic strip. Or the PIN in the card has data that can also be copied, but that's a little hard than just scamming the read off the strip. With a PIN, that data, validated by your unique PIN (which you pick) are encrypted and sent off to the bank for approval. Not just the strip data, but the two together are the key. I have a credit card with a Canadian bank (chip and pin) which I prefer to use over the swipe and sign USA...
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Re: Check Your Statement! A Big Hotel Credit Card Breach...
In the most secure system, the PIN is known to you, the user, but is not in your records at the issuer. That's why if you forget your PIN, a new one can be generated, but no one can send you your "lost" PIN the way that passwords can be. In the PIN system, the first communication takes place at the terminal. The terminal reads the PIN from the chip on your card, and asks you to enter it on the pad. If it matches, the terminal does NOT send the PIN to the clearing house or merchant...it only...
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Re: Check Your Statement! A Big Hotel Credit Card Breach...
So, if I understand it then, even if the hackers can read the entered pin keystrokes from the terminal keypad which we enter, it cannot be used without the card with the unique chip, which cannot be duplicated as a magnetic strip can be duplicated?
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Re: Check Your Statement! A Big Hotel Credit Card Breach...
That's correct. It is, of course, not totally impossible to create a duplicate chip, but it takes major equipment, not $5 worth of RadioShack parts...and it would also require much more information than can be harvested easily. The relative security (and it is relative) has driven over 80% of the world's credit card fraud toward the U.S. as other areas become more difficult. And once everyone is on board, the Trojan Horse mag stripe can come off the card as well.
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Cruising through the holidays
Every year thousands of passengers find out warm tropical breezes and Christmas festivities mix well aboard a Princess Cruise Line ship. “We install more than 347 Christmas trees fleet wide. Each vessel has a showcase tree in...
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7 Tips for Surviving the Holidays with Family
Samantha shares these 7 tips to surviving the holidays with family. Hopefully they can help keep your family holiday adventure from turning into a holiday nightmare.
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Union Square Holiday Market - Annual New York Tradition
Samantha and her husband spent some time in New York City last Christmas. It was magical and they loved walking around the Union Square Holiday Market. It is a New York City tradition.
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December Lights in New York City
Jonathan L takes us on a walk through Manhattan to see some of the Holiday Lights
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Holiday Inn Express to Offer Selfies on Pancakes
This fall, selected Holiday Inn Express locations will launch the “Pancake Selfie Express.” It will give people the chance to snap a selfie and then have it laser-imprinted on a pancake. Read More:...
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"Black Saturday" to jam French roads
If you're planning to to leave tonight on a vacation road trip in France (don't you wish you were!), tonight and tomorrow may not be your best days, because they are the first day of the traditional French August vacation break. Traffic authorities...
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Rome's Spanish Steps closed for makeover
Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck meet on the Spanish Steps in Roman Holiday (1953) Rome has gotten more than its share of criticism in recent years for poorly-maintained monuments, but the pendulum may be swinging the other way. The iconic...
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Union Square Holiday Market - New York City
Jonathan L takes us shopping for holiday presents at the Union Square Market in New York.
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* Fireworks will Fill the Skies of Dubai *
Dubai says it has over 400,000 fireworks this New Years Eve.Read more about the increbible plans.This will be something to see. http://travel.france24.com/con...rs-eve-firework-show UPDATE: The show in Dubai is getting rave reviews:...
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Best free hotel breakfast? Survey says Embassy Suites
USA Today's testers liked the free breakfast best at three Hilton brands, but had good words for some of the others.
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May 18, 2019: Homes after Dark, Key West
DrFumblefinger enjoyed how beautifully lit many of the older homes in Key West were at night.
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Jan. 6, 2019: NYBG Holiday Train Show
The Holiday Train Show at the New York Botanical Gardens is a favorite destination of Jonathan L every December
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Holiday Flying: How to Beat the Wrap
Traveling for Christmas? With presents? You’ll want to read on for some good advice. A couple of weeks ago, TravelGumbo offered advice on “flying through the airport.” We weren’t referring to the old Hertz commercials with...
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Check Your Statement! A Big Hotel Credit Card Breach...
White Lodging, which operates hotels under a number of major brands including Westin, Marriott, Sheraton and Holiday Inn, has acknowledged a major theft of customer credit card information including names, numbers, security codes and more. The breach...
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Brits told: world situation will mean cheaper holidays
There's always someone to find a silver lining in dark clouds, and this time around it's the travel writers of the Telegraph (UK) who are telling Britons that holidays in Europe and Turkey will be bargains next year because of uncertain times. Nick Trend, in an article posted Nov. 26, points to two factors in particular: Americans made nervous by the Paris attacks and State Department travel warnings, and Russia's ban on "tourist relations" with Turkey. While the State Department...
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Holiday Train Show at the NY Botanical Gardens
Every year the NY Botanical Gardens turns the Haupt Conservatory into a model train holiday fantasy.
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Etihad offering free holiday to UK residents if it rains in Abu Dhabi
Etihad is launching a free vacation stay to Abu Dhabi if it rains more than 5mm during the travelers' stay.
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Austria's Easter: 50 million eggs, lots of visitors
Austria's Easter season includes 50 million eggs, many visitors and a lot more. Click to read more, and also news about Easter in Spain and Denmark.
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Dec. 20, 2015: Winter at the Greenmarket
It's clearly winter now at Brooklyn's Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket, with only a few days left until Christmas, and only the hardiest of crops remaining—but those include lovely piles of scallions with their roots showing, and plenty of turnips, beets and carrots. Not to mention lots of apples of many varieties (no, those aren't tomatoes in the boxes) as well as meats, baked goods and specialty foods. And, of course, it's the season for some non-edibles as well, in the form of holiday...
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Where they're going: NY, Paris top Airbnb New Year list
The recent terror attacks in Paris apparently haven't put off its lure for visitors; Airbnb reports it's the top New Year holiday booking in Europe, and second only to New York world-wide. The vacation rental company says it has 45,000 people booked in Paris for the holiday, and 47,000 in New York. The rest of the top 5 are London with 35,000, Sydney with 25,000 and Barcelona with 24,000. The figures indicate a quick and solid comeback for Paris's tourism industry; immediately after the...
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Jan. 9, 2019: Free Hugs in New York, NY
Samantha shares a New York minute, and her free hug, during her visit to NY last month.
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A Florida Christmas
DrFumblefinger enjoys some of the Holiday sights he encountered during a recent trip to Florida.
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New York Botanical Gardens Holiday Train Show
Jonathan L takes us to this year's Holiday Train Show at the NY Botanical Gardens
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Re: Season's Greetings from your friends at TravelGumbo!
Some really fun and inspirational photo's DrF. May I wish you and all the TravelGumbo contributors and readers a peaceful and happy New Year. And to all the Gumbo's behind the scenes who put so much effort into keeping us all amused and educated during the year. Greetings from Liverpool, England. - Garry
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Re: Holiday Train Show at the NY Botanical Gardens
I've been there in the past...it's great, but large-gauge models have never been my thing. But now that I know the display is built from garden scrap, I may have to take another look!
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Re: Holiday Train Show at the NY Botanical Gardens
The trains are fun, but the buildings are really the show.
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Re: Dec. 20, 2015: Winter at the Greenmarket
I love open air markets. As we get closer to Christmas and everyone we meet is on their best behaviour. Polite and full of good cheer ! With temperatures here in the UK floating between 50 and 63f we all give thanks to the jet stream. And it looks like this will be the first year I've picked Tomato's from the greenhouse on Christmas day.
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Re: Best free hotel breakfast? Survey says Embassy Suites
Hawthorn Suites on Westwood Blvd. Orlando do a great breakfast ! Pity they don't do WiFi too.
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Re: Best free hotel breakfast? Survey says Embassy Suites
Breakfasts have improved at American hotels, but are nowhere near the quality of what most European hotels have to offer. There it's worth looking at tripadvisor reviews to see who comments on the quality of breakfast.
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Re: Best free hotel breakfast? Survey says Embassy Suites
There are a few breakfast items that most Europeans aren't keen on. Waffles - Muffins - Cinnamon Bread - Maple Syrup - Grape Jelly - Margarine - Turkey Bacon - Pretzels - Granola and Tea made with water that's not at the boil. Stuff we don't buy at home. Stuff we don't see in the food stores.
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Re: New York Botanical Gardens Holiday Train Show
Love small railroad layouts. My dad and all the relatives in Pittsburgh use to put up a train platform under their Christmas trees every year with miniature houses, people and vehicles. Seems no one does that tradition anymore.
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Re: 7 Tips for Surviving the Holidays with Family
All great advice! I hope you have a wonderful time with your family! Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas!
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Re: Union Square Holiday Market - Annual New York Tradition
Thanks Samantha - I enjoyed my time visiting this Blog. I love Markets.
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Christmas at the Davenport Hotel, Spokane
DrFumblefinger shares photos of the Holiday displays seen at Spokane's Historic Davenport Hotel.