Most scenic destination in Los Angeles

WITH its world-famous pier, pink and gold sunsets, palm-lined promenades, colorful beach hotels and yellow sand beach, it’s no surprise that a recent Expedia poll has named Santa Monica the most scenic destination in the Los Angeles area. The Expedia poll, which asked 1,000 readers for their top recommendations, also ranked Santa Monica as the eighth most scenic destination on the entire West Coast of the United States.

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Information at the touch of a virtual button

LOS ANGELES International Airport (LAX) is offering guests a fun and innovative way to stay informed with the launch of self-assistance kiosks in two of LAX’s terminals, Terminal 2 and the Tom Bradley International Terminal. The AskLAX kiosks provide a wealth of information at the touch of a virtual button across a 36-inch touch screen. 

This includes terminal maps, concession and retail information, emergency information, transportation options, and traffic conditions. Guests can even take email-able selfies. Additionally, guests can speak directly with a knowledgeable LAX GEM (Guest Experience Member) over video chat in real-time. 

The kiosks are another way LAX is providing information to travellers during the busy travel season, complementing our Guest Experience Members and Volunteer Information Professionals, who can be found throughout LAX’s nine terminals.

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Up in the air . . .

COMMENCING on November 2nd Singapore Airlines (SIA) will launch non-stop flights between Singapore and Los Angeles using the new Airbus A350-900ULR (ultra-long-range) aircraft. In addition, SIA will step up existing daily non-stop Singapore-San Francisco services to 10 times per week. Together with the earlier announced non-stop Singapore-New York services, SIA will link Singapore and the US with 27 weekly non-stop flights by the end of 2018.

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Only in LA . . .

THE Museum of Selfies (Glendale) – Open for a limited time in Los Angeles, The Museum of Selfies is an interactive museum that explores the history and cultural phenomenon of the selfie - an image of oneself taken by oneself - with historical roots dating back 40,000 years to the first depiction of human art. 

From cavemen drawings to a "Narcissist" installation to a vertigo-inducing rooftop selfie illusion, the museum touches on a variety of points in human history that examines the intention of the selfie and what it means to the artist and its viewers. The interactive exhibit will allow visitors to create art of their own through the lens of history, art, and immersive vignettes. 

The exhibition will be open for a limited run from April 1 – May 31, 2018. 

www.themuseumofselfies.com

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10th Anniversary of dineL.A.

THE milestone 10th anniversary of dineL.A. commemorates the city’s diverse and distinctive chefs and restaurants that have earned Los Angeles the title of “most exciting food city in America" - Discover Los Angeles announces the dates of Winter dineL.A. 2018, taking place January 12-26, 2018. 

The 15-day dining event kicks off a celebratory year commemorating the program’s landmark 10th anniversary, showcasing the diversity of culinary talent and dining excellence across Los Angeles, spanning the last decade.

Visitors and locals can enjoy specially-priced lunch and dinner menus at more than 300 dineL.A. restaurants. The value-driven lunch menus range from $15, $20, and $25, with dinner menus priced at $29, $39, and $49, and beginning at $95 for the Exclusive Series. 

Back by popular demand, the Exclusive Series presented by American Express offers diners a chance to enjoy some of L.A.’s most luxurious restaurants across the city, including Providence, Spago Beverly Hills, The Royce, BOA Steakhouse, and The Arthur J.

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Discover L.A. with the A.I. App

DISCOVER Los Angeles, the city’s official tourism marketing organization, in partnership with the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, released the Discover L.A. app earlier this year. A sleekly designed, pocket guide exclusively made for those looking to optimize their experience in the City of Angels. Packed with rich content and tailored for those looking to explore the best of #LosAngeles, the iOS app launch coincides with the start of the busy summer travel season and is available for free download at www.discoverlosangeles.com/app. An Android version is forthcoming.

Thematically synced to deliver personalized content based on weather, time and distance, the app culls suggestions from the city’s endless entertainment options—including world-class museums, diverse dining options, and captivating events.   Don Skeoch, chief marketing officer of Discover Los Angeles said, “The Discover L.A. app is the first-of-its kind to utilize proprietary A.I. built to enhance the Los Angeles experience. Through smart technology, the app literally knows to serve up soup and indoor dining suggestions on cool days; the closest beaches and ice cream on warm days.”

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The world's shortest railway reopens in Downtown L.A.

ANGELS Flight, the iconic Downtown L.A. railway has reopened to the public. The world-renowned, 116-year-old funicular takes passengers on a scenic ride between Hill and Olive Streets on Bunker Hill. It has undergone a full refurbishment following closure in 2013.  Originally opened in 1901, Angels Flight — the world’s shortest railway — has given more than 100 million rides along its hillside track. 

In addition to being an iconic tourist attraction, the funicular will serve as an important transit connection between the Pershing Square Metro station and the top of Bunker Hill — an area that includes Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Broad Contemporary Art Museum, MOCA, the Los Angeles Music Center, among other cultural institutions. As part of the agreement, Metro Tap Card holders will receive a 50% fare discount for the next three years.

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Picture Credit: By John Liu - Flickr: Angel's Flight, CC BY 2.0/commons.wikimedia.

Self-drive adventure in high demand

NORTH AMERICA is one of the most popular and in demand places in the world for a road trip. But with over 7.5 million KM* of road across the 2 countries – where do you even start? DriveAway recently quizzed over 4,500 Australian travellers on their individual travel preferences, to help recommend their ultimate North American road trip. Route 66 or LA to Vegas? Well the most popular ones might actually surprise you. 

DriveAway found that with along its impressive beaches, wineries and national parks in California, Los Angeles to San Francisco was the most popular drive across all traveller types. In particular it was most popular for those lone wolf travellers – great for some reflective soul searching along the stunning west coastline of the USA – with thirty-eight percent of lone wolf travellers landing on this drive.

The road trip most suited to families travelling was Miami to Orlando. With all the theme parks like Universal and Disney, it’s easy to see why this drive was so popular for families, with thirty-two percent of family travellers being recommended this road trip. On the other end of the scale we also had families who were most suited to driving a Canadian road trip – a much more relaxed and scenic type of holiday – differing from driving to the major city locations.

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LA milestones

LOS ANGELES Tourism & Convention Board (L.A. Tourism) has announced that Los Angeles County’s record-setting 47.3 million visitors injected an all-time high USD$21.9 billion into the local economy in 2016.  

#LosAngeles welcomed a record 47.3 million visitors in 2016 with 40.3 million domestic visitors and 7 million international visitors.

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Sky high savings on Christmas day

HOLIDAYMAKERS who are prepared to forgo the traditional Christmas Day celebrations at home and enjoy their turkey dinner mid-air, can land sky-high savings according to leading global flight search and travel deals website, Cheapflights.co.uk.

Savings of up to 23 per cent can be made on out-bound #flights to the most popular Christmas holiday hotspots if travellers are happy to fly on #ChristmasDay. 

The top 10 searched-for Christmas destinations are all long-haul with Bangkok in pole position and New York, Dubai, Sydney, Los Angeles, Goa and Cape Town also riding high.

Andrew Shelton, Managing Director of Cheapflights, said: “If you have always wanted to visit Australia, South Africa, Asia or the USA but have been put off by the prices, travelling on 25 December could be the way to get you there. “Our advice is to plan ahead and book early to make the most of the Christmas Day savings but for holidaymakers hankering for a Christmas getaway this year, there are still bargains to be snapped up.

For more tips on travelling on Christmas Day, go to www.cheapflights.co.uk/news/things-anyone-travelled-christmas-day-knows-true

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Picture Credit: David441491 flickr.com/photos/97578613@N08/23589725299 Strongsville Christmas Lights 12-24-2015 - 12 via photopin

Up in the air . . .

LOT Polish Airlines will launch its new nonstop service from Los Angeles to Warsaw in April 2017. The Polish flag carrier will operate its flights with state-of-the-art Boeing 787 Dreamliners four times a week. 

This is the very first direct connection from the West Coast to Poland. Because of its advanced European network, LOT Polish Airlines bring the most comfortable and convenient alternative for travel to dozens of destinations, especially in Central and Eastern Europe.

LOT’s Dreamliners will fly from Los Angeles on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. These flight to Warsaw will take less than 12 hours. They enable LOT to ensure the shortest trip from the West Coast of the US to many destinations in Poland and other countries in the Eastern and Central Europe. 

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Picture Credit: LOT Polish Airlines

SIA Expands US Operations

SINGAPORE AIRLINES (SIA) launches non-stop flights between #Singapore and #San Francisco and will add a second daily service to #LosAngeles in an expansion of its US operations.

Announced in June the non-stop Singapore-San Francisco flights will be operated on a daily basis with effect from 23 October 2016 using Airbus A350-900 aircraft.

SIA currently serves San Francisco twice-daily, with one flight operating via Hong Kong and the other via Seoul Incheon. With the launch of non-stop Singapore-San Francisco services, the Singapore-Seoul-San Francisco flight will be re-routed to operate as a Singapore-Seoul-Los Angeles service, also from 23 October 2016.

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Up in the air . . . US bound

AIRBERLIN is to launch #UnitedStates west coast flights – to Los Angeles and San Francisco – next spring. Berlin’s largest airline will also be increasing the frequency of its services to New York, Chicago, and Miami.

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New record for LA tourism

#LOSANGELES welcomed a record 45.5 million tourists in 2015, an increase of 2.8% on the 2014 total. New tourism records were set for both domestic and international visitors.

‘Los Angeles is a place where the world comes together for cultural experiences and celebrated attractions that cannot be found anywhere else,’ says Mayor Eric Garcetti. ‘Our city keeps setting records in the tourism sector because we are investing billions at our airport, in mass transit, and other assets that are making LA more exciting and accessible than ever. The sky's the limit.’

Tourism supports more than 464,000 jobs in LA.

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Virgin America boosts Hawaii schedule

VIRGIN AMERICA has expanded its #Hawaii service with the launch of daily non-stop flights from Los Angeles to Honolulu. In June, the airline's Hawaii schedule will grow again with daily non-stop flights from LA to Maui.

Hawaii remains the 'most wanted' #destination by members of Virgin America's Elevate loyalty program and continues to be the number one tourism destination from the West Coast, with more than 3.5 million visitors in 2015. 

‘Congratulations to Virgin America for making Hawaii easily accessible to its customers in Southern California and expanding its network for connections to major markets nationwide,’ said George Szigeti, president and CEO of the Hawaii Tourism Authority.

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Norwegian plans low cost Paris-US flights

NORWEGIAN will begin its first operations from Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle airport in July, with low-cost flights to Los Angeles, New York JFK, and Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The airline will offer more than 212,000 long-haul seats in its first full year of operations at Charles-de-Gaulle.

Introductory fares for these routes will be low. Those flying at off-peak times can get tickets for as little as $175 one-way, including taxes. During times of high demand, fares could rise to $350 on-way.

Bjorn Kjos, Norwegian’s founder and CEO said: ‘The choice of Paris as our fifth European long-haul capital clearly underlines our commitment to France. Paris is one of Europe’s main gateways, and we see great potential to expand at Charles-de-Gaulle airport in the future, adding more long-haul routes as well as more frequencies.’

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California here we come … for £139!

ICELANDIC airline WOW Air has confirmed it will begin flying to Los Angeles and San Francisco in June with both routes available to book now from £139 one-way from London Gatwick and Bristol. 

The flights, via Reykjavik, will operate four times a week to LA, with five weekly flights to San Francisco, year round.

Skúli Mogensen, founder and CEO of WOW air, said: ‘The addition of Los Angeles and San Francisco to our rapidly expanding network is a game-changer for WOW Air as we cement ourselves as the industry leader in the ultra-low-cost long haul category. We always aim to be the cheapest flight provider on the routes we fly to, and with the £139 fare between the UK and California we have accomplished this.

WOW air’s expansion to California follows the launch of its transatlantic services from the UK to Boston and Washington DC in 2015 and the announcement that the airline would begin flying to Montreal and Toronto in May 2016 – all via Iceland and with fares from £99.

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Top cities for shopping

EXPEDIA has compiled a list of the world’s top 25 travel destinations for shopping.

Based on data that includes blogger recommendations, visitor numbers, value for money, and friendliness.

The top four in the list are New York, Berlin, Los Angeles, and London, while Edinburgh comes in No.20

The complete list is:

1. New York 
2. Berlin
3. Los Angeles 
4. London 
5. Kuala Lumpur 
6. Tokyo
7. Singapore 
8. Istanbul 
9. Paris 
10. Madrid 
11. Sao Paulo 
12. Bangkok 
13. San Francisco
14. Dubai 
15. Milan 
16. Rome 
17. Hong Kong 
18. Seoul 
19. Marrakech 
20. Edinburgh 
21. Melbourne 
22. Vienna 
23. Cape Town 
24. Amsterdam
25. Bucharest 

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Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/48411817@N04/11327286036">2013 Holiday Train - Midway Station</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">(license)

I’m a celeb, get me in there!

LOS ANGELES International Airport is to have a terminal exclusively for the use of celebrities and the world’s wealthiest travellers. The airport’s commissioners have approved plans to redevelop a cargo hanger into a suite for wealthy and famous travellers, the Guardian reports. 

The service – which will enable guests to be dropped off behind closed doors, to avoid press photographers – will cost from $1,500. Passengers will have access to exclusive lounges, restaurants, and separate security checks. When it’s time to board, they will be driven directly to their plane.

According to reports, the plan for the suite promises that guests will have to walk no more than about 60 steps.

Airport managers say they believe the terminal would bring in revenues of $3.7 million in the first year and $34 million over the first 10 years.

Security firm Gavin de Becker & Associates plan to roll out the service to New York (JFK), San Francisco, Miami, Chicago, and Dallas, if the LA venture is successful.

Go Holiday editor David Kernek comments: On paper, this looks like a viable plan, but … for most of the people who pass as celebs these days, getting pictures of them passing through airports and shopping in London, LA, and New York is vital to their continued celebrity.

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A taste of luxury in Cuba

VICTOR – a global on-demand #privatejet charter service recently launched in the US – has started direct flights to #Cuba from major U.S. cities, plus curated itineraries giving access to the luxuries of the formerly forbidden island.

Guests will get experiences such as cigar and rum tastings, a private cocktail reception, concerts with entertainers such as the Buena Vista Social Club, dinners with prominent cultural figures, historians, and other specialists.

Itineraries include accommodation in hotels or up-scale rented homes, and travel in classic American autos.

Victor members in the US can book direct flights to Havana from 19 major US cities, including Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, Dallas, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Los Angeles, Key West, Miami, New York City, Minneapolis, New Orleans, and Orlando.

Victor, in partnership with Cuba Educational Travel, are able to customize programmes for single travellers, families, or larger groups

Prices for a group of eight travellers flying direct to Havana for a four-night programme begin at $40,000.

www.flyvictor.com

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