The Vault Penthouse Suite - Pattaya Thailand
The Vault
118/13 Moo 10, Pratamnak Road, Pattaya
Nongprue, Banglamung, Chonburi, 20150
The Vault Penthouse Suite - Pattaya Thailand
The Vault Penthouse Suite - Pattaya Thailand
http://www.thevaultpattaya.com
----
The road to retirement is littered with distractions. In the hurly-burly of life, so many things compete for your attention that you can lose sight of what really matters most.
That's where MONEY's checklist comes in. We've created to-do lists for each of the main stages of retirement planning. Think of them as basic reminders you can set aside and refer to on occasion -- say, every year or so -- to make sure you're on the right track.
It needn't be a complicated list. Says Charles Farrell, a financial adviser and author of Your Money Ratios: "Simpler is better. Focus on a few key goals and you won't miss the forest for the trees."
TO DO: Mid-30s to early 40s
Goal: Develop the habit of saving.
Savings: 1.5 times your annual salary by age 35.
7 secrets to a richer retirement
* Take full advantage of my 401(k) match. Your employer-sponsored retirement plan is the easiest way to put your savings on autopilot. And if you take full advantage of your company match, you could earn 50% to 100% on your money before taking on any market risk.
* Boost my 401(k) contribution. As your paycheck grows, your savings rate should too. Sign up for "auto escalation" to boost your contributions by a percentage point or so a year. If your 401(k) doesn't offer this feature, sock away half or more of each raise.
* Find other tax-advantaged ways to save. Already maxing out on your 401(k)? If you make less than $120,000 -- or $177,000 for married couples filing jointly -- check out a Roth IRA. Already hitting the $5,000 annual IRA limit? Move on to investment options such as index funds that don't expose you to stiff tax bills.
* Cover six months of expenses. Make sure you've got an emergency stash, so if you get laid off you won't be forced to dip into your 401(k) and IRAs. Put this money in a safe place like an FDIC-insured bank account or CD, or a high-quality money-market fund.
* Invest for growth. You may feel skittish about stocks, given the recent market turmoil. But with retirement still two to three decades away, your best shot at building an adequate portfolio is to put most of your retirement savings -- 80% or so in your thirties -- in stocks and ride out turbulence along the way.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Friday, June 4, 2010
Jobs
Entry-Level Jobs With Big Earning Potential
Here are eight of our top picks for those who are just starting out, and their median annual salaries, according to PayScale.com.
Environmental engineer
Have a bachelor's degree in engineering? You're in luck! According to the U.S. Department of Labor, environmental engineers make among the highest starting salaries of all college graduates. Entry-level positions in the field are similar to "an apprentice situation," says workplace expert Alexandra Levit, whose latest book is "New Job, New You: A Guide to Reinventing Yourself in a Bright New Career." "As you get more senior, you receive more independence to work on your own, eventually supervising your own staff."
Median annual salary: $68,628.
Network systems/data communications analyst
Not a computer science major? Not to worry. In information technology, getting field certification is often more valuable than a formal education, Levit says. Once you cultivate an area of expertise, such as network security or enterprise software, "You can very quickly become the go-to person in the organization and eventually the head of IT," she says. "And you can make a very, very good living."
Median annual salary: $61,949.
Marketing research analyst
From high-tech and biotech to retail and hospitality, consumer-driven industries rely on market data to make smart business decisions. If you have a business marketing or statistical background, you may be able to analyze data from the get-go in this field rather than starting as "a [low-paid] telemarketer," says Laurence Shatkin, author of more than 20 books for job hunters, including "200 Best Jobs for College Graduates," which he co-wrote with Michael Farr.
Median annual salary: $58,423.
Copywriter
Fancy yourself the next Don Draper or Peggy Olson from "Mad Men"? Why not try your hand at writing ad copy? "Here's something for the English major to be doing, now that journalism doesn't seem to be such a prospect," Shatkin says. Although you might start by contributing text to lower-profile agency projects, in time "you can be involved to the point where you're developing entire ad campaigns," Shatkin says.
Median annual salary: $53,288.
Sales associate
The beauty of sales is that you can enter the field even if you majored in art history, Shatkin says. "With a lot of products, you can learn what you need to know from a short training program," he explains. "And sometimes you'll work with a more experienced salesperson your first few days out." To boost your income, he says, you can transition into selling bigger-ticket items, or you can move into management.
Median annual salary: $45,656.
Lobbyist
"There are all sorts of places where lobbyists exist: lobbying firms, public interest groups, trade organizations," Levit says. "You can start with an unpaid internship and move within a couple years to making six figures." To get your feet wet, Levit suggests volunteering for a political campaign or interning on Capitol Hill for a few months to see what causes interest you.
Median annual salary: $66,929.
Public relations assistant
"PR and digital marketing are hot hot hot," Levit says. "Everyone is switching their traditional marketing to online, and they can't fill positions fast enough." Expect to work your hide off at a PR agency, a field with a high burnout rate, Levit warns. On the plus side, she says, annual promotions are the norm, with the path from peon to supervisor fairly short.
Median annual salary: $42,810.
Financial analyst
Yes, the financial sector took a beating during the past year, but finance jobs are starting to bounce back, Shatkin says. So if you're looking to put that business, finance, or statistics education to use, consider analyzing financial data for a living. "Analysts contribute to the decisions that financial managers make," Shatkin explains. Specifically, financial analysts make investment recommendations to the banks, insurance companies, securities firms, and other businesses employing them. From this starting point, Shatkin says, the sky's the limit -- all the way up to company controller, CFO, or CEO.
Median annual salary: $60,952.
More @ http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/career-articles-entry_level_jobs_with_big_earning_potential-1087
Here are eight of our top picks for those who are just starting out, and their median annual salaries, according to PayScale.com.
Environmental engineer
Have a bachelor's degree in engineering? You're in luck! According to the U.S. Department of Labor, environmental engineers make among the highest starting salaries of all college graduates. Entry-level positions in the field are similar to "an apprentice situation," says workplace expert Alexandra Levit, whose latest book is "New Job, New You: A Guide to Reinventing Yourself in a Bright New Career." "As you get more senior, you receive more independence to work on your own, eventually supervising your own staff."
Median annual salary: $68,628.
Network systems/data communications analyst
Not a computer science major? Not to worry. In information technology, getting field certification is often more valuable than a formal education, Levit says. Once you cultivate an area of expertise, such as network security or enterprise software, "You can very quickly become the go-to person in the organization and eventually the head of IT," she says. "And you can make a very, very good living."
Median annual salary: $61,949.
Marketing research analyst
From high-tech and biotech to retail and hospitality, consumer-driven industries rely on market data to make smart business decisions. If you have a business marketing or statistical background, you may be able to analyze data from the get-go in this field rather than starting as "a [low-paid] telemarketer," says Laurence Shatkin, author of more than 20 books for job hunters, including "200 Best Jobs for College Graduates," which he co-wrote with Michael Farr.
Median annual salary: $58,423.
Copywriter
Fancy yourself the next Don Draper or Peggy Olson from "Mad Men"? Why not try your hand at writing ad copy? "Here's something for the English major to be doing, now that journalism doesn't seem to be such a prospect," Shatkin says. Although you might start by contributing text to lower-profile agency projects, in time "you can be involved to the point where you're developing entire ad campaigns," Shatkin says.
Median annual salary: $53,288.
Sales associate
The beauty of sales is that you can enter the field even if you majored in art history, Shatkin says. "With a lot of products, you can learn what you need to know from a short training program," he explains. "And sometimes you'll work with a more experienced salesperson your first few days out." To boost your income, he says, you can transition into selling bigger-ticket items, or you can move into management.
Median annual salary: $45,656.
Lobbyist
"There are all sorts of places where lobbyists exist: lobbying firms, public interest groups, trade organizations," Levit says. "You can start with an unpaid internship and move within a couple years to making six figures." To get your feet wet, Levit suggests volunteering for a political campaign or interning on Capitol Hill for a few months to see what causes interest you.
Median annual salary: $66,929.
Public relations assistant
"PR and digital marketing are hot hot hot," Levit says. "Everyone is switching their traditional marketing to online, and they can't fill positions fast enough." Expect to work your hide off at a PR agency, a field with a high burnout rate, Levit warns. On the plus side, she says, annual promotions are the norm, with the path from peon to supervisor fairly short.
Median annual salary: $42,810.
Financial analyst
Yes, the financial sector took a beating during the past year, but finance jobs are starting to bounce back, Shatkin says. So if you're looking to put that business, finance, or statistics education to use, consider analyzing financial data for a living. "Analysts contribute to the decisions that financial managers make," Shatkin explains. Specifically, financial analysts make investment recommendations to the banks, insurance companies, securities firms, and other businesses employing them. From this starting point, Shatkin says, the sky's the limit -- all the way up to company controller, CFO, or CEO.
Median annual salary: $60,952.
More @ http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/career-articles-entry_level_jobs_with_big_earning_potential-1087
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Tips for finding a cheap flight
Tips for finding a cheap flight
I personally like to go to Yahoo travel and input my destinations and dates, they usually come back with the lowest fares and airlines, then I go directly to that airline and its usually $50.00-$100.00 cheaper than the other travel site ( Expedia,Travelzoo, etc) below are some more tips.
Here are five tips on shopping for fares.
1. The sweet spot: Buy early in the week.
According to Rick Seaney of FareCompare.com, airlines are doing more short-lived sales, with three-day sales becoming the norm. These deals are typically put in the system on Monday nights, so you need to shop from Tuesday through Thursday to get the cheapest prices, he said.
2. Do the comparisons.
You'd love a weekend at the beach and decide you want to go to Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., on April 9 and return on April 11, in time for work the next day.
On Wednesday, AirTran Airways and Delta Air Lines were offering sale fares on their Web sites for as little as $44 one-way from Atlanta. But that low fare was good for only one destination — Charlotte, N.C., not exactly a tropical location.
Both airlines offered a $74 one-way sale fare to Ft. Lauderdale. But your weekend jaunt wouldn't qualify because Friday and Sunday travel is excluded for the best fares.
For the April 9-11 trip, AirTran was cheaper on Tuesday — $309 was its lowest price, while Delta's was $408.
So, travelers should read the fine print and be aware that terms and fares can change from one day to the next. Example: In Delta's sale, the lowest fare to select U.S. cities was $59 on Tuesday. It was lowered to $44 on Wednesday for the route to Charlotte to match AirTran. Also, the terms of Delta's sale as of Tuesday stated the fares were for travel starting April 12. That was moved up to April 6 on Wednesday for Florida travel, again matching AirTran.
And here's another reason to buy on Tuesdays. On Wednesday, the cheapest AirTran roundtrip ticket for the Ft. Lauderdale itinerary had spiked to $428. Delta's cheapest ticket on Wednesday was still $408. If you could wait a week, you could fly Delta for $209 roundtrip, if you bought the ticket Wednesday. But you wouldn't get brunch because you'd have to leave for home at 5:40 a.m. on Sunday, April 18, to get that rate. Had you bought that Delta ticket on Tuesday, it would have only cost $149.
3. Be mindful of your location.
Airlines may more frequently hawk fare sales from their hub cities. For instance, Chicago is a hub for United Airlines, while Miami is a hub for American Airlines. More flights into and out of those cities means more seats to fill. This can lead to more chances for discounts, depending on season and other factors.
Veteran Minneapolis travel industry expert Terry Trippler advises people in a non-hub city to be ready to buy just about anytime a sale is offered.
A good example: On Wednesday, Continental Airlines was offering fares as low as $218 roundtrip between Tampa, Fla., and Las Vegas. That was a good deal considering the distance, the popularity of travel to Vegas and the fact that neither city is a hub for Continental.
Those in hub cities can be more patient.
"If I were in a hub city I might wait awhile — especially a hub where a low-fare airline has a decent percentage of the business," Trippler said.
Atlanta is a good example. It is a hub for discount carrier AirTran. Baltimore, where both Southwest and AirTran have a significant presence, is another example.
4. Pay your fees up front.
Some of the good feeling generated from scoring a great deal can dissipate if you get hit with more than $50 in bag fees. So, pack light and use all that space in your carry-on bags.
When you do check bags, be aware that some airlines charge more if you pay the fee at the airport. You can pay up front on your airline's Web site and save some money.
US Airways, for instance, charges $23 to check your first bag online, but $25 at the airport. For a second checked bag, US Airways gets $32 online or $35 at the airport.
5. Wait, but not too long.
You don't have to book months in advance to get the best deals. Many airlines are recycling similar sales over and over again as they seek to fill planes amid a turnaround in demand for air travel.
But, FareCompare's Seaney warns that procrastinators may not find the same deals they did just six months ago. That's because since the end of the third quarter of 2009 seats have become more scarce and prices more firm so airlines have no incentive to release cheap seats to those who procrastinate, Seaney said.
Also, book your ticket sooner for the busier summer season than you would if you plan to fly in the fall or winter.
While some airlines offer last-minute deals to certain points on certain days, in general for leisure travel it is a good idea to give yourself a cushion of at least a month from the time you buy your ticket to the time you plan to travel.
Note: Another good site I use for places like Vegas or Jamaica is Usair ways travel site(http://www.usairwaysvacations.com), I use that for Air and Hotel packages and they seem to be the cheapest from my past researches. For those thinking of NYC for the first time might want to check that out there package deals.
I personally like to go to Yahoo travel and input my destinations and dates, they usually come back with the lowest fares and airlines, then I go directly to that airline and its usually $50.00-$100.00 cheaper than the other travel site ( Expedia,Travelzoo, etc) below are some more tips.
Here are five tips on shopping for fares.
1. The sweet spot: Buy early in the week.
According to Rick Seaney of FareCompare.com, airlines are doing more short-lived sales, with three-day sales becoming the norm. These deals are typically put in the system on Monday nights, so you need to shop from Tuesday through Thursday to get the cheapest prices, he said.
2. Do the comparisons.
You'd love a weekend at the beach and decide you want to go to Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., on April 9 and return on April 11, in time for work the next day.
On Wednesday, AirTran Airways and Delta Air Lines were offering sale fares on their Web sites for as little as $44 one-way from Atlanta. But that low fare was good for only one destination — Charlotte, N.C., not exactly a tropical location.
Both airlines offered a $74 one-way sale fare to Ft. Lauderdale. But your weekend jaunt wouldn't qualify because Friday and Sunday travel is excluded for the best fares.
For the April 9-11 trip, AirTran was cheaper on Tuesday — $309 was its lowest price, while Delta's was $408.
So, travelers should read the fine print and be aware that terms and fares can change from one day to the next. Example: In Delta's sale, the lowest fare to select U.S. cities was $59 on Tuesday. It was lowered to $44 on Wednesday for the route to Charlotte to match AirTran. Also, the terms of Delta's sale as of Tuesday stated the fares were for travel starting April 12. That was moved up to April 6 on Wednesday for Florida travel, again matching AirTran.
And here's another reason to buy on Tuesdays. On Wednesday, the cheapest AirTran roundtrip ticket for the Ft. Lauderdale itinerary had spiked to $428. Delta's cheapest ticket on Wednesday was still $408. If you could wait a week, you could fly Delta for $209 roundtrip, if you bought the ticket Wednesday. But you wouldn't get brunch because you'd have to leave for home at 5:40 a.m. on Sunday, April 18, to get that rate. Had you bought that Delta ticket on Tuesday, it would have only cost $149.
3. Be mindful of your location.
Airlines may more frequently hawk fare sales from their hub cities. For instance, Chicago is a hub for United Airlines, while Miami is a hub for American Airlines. More flights into and out of those cities means more seats to fill. This can lead to more chances for discounts, depending on season and other factors.
Veteran Minneapolis travel industry expert Terry Trippler advises people in a non-hub city to be ready to buy just about anytime a sale is offered.
A good example: On Wednesday, Continental Airlines was offering fares as low as $218 roundtrip between Tampa, Fla., and Las Vegas. That was a good deal considering the distance, the popularity of travel to Vegas and the fact that neither city is a hub for Continental.
Those in hub cities can be more patient.
"If I were in a hub city I might wait awhile — especially a hub where a low-fare airline has a decent percentage of the business," Trippler said.
Atlanta is a good example. It is a hub for discount carrier AirTran. Baltimore, where both Southwest and AirTran have a significant presence, is another example.
4. Pay your fees up front.
Some of the good feeling generated from scoring a great deal can dissipate if you get hit with more than $50 in bag fees. So, pack light and use all that space in your carry-on bags.
When you do check bags, be aware that some airlines charge more if you pay the fee at the airport. You can pay up front on your airline's Web site and save some money.
US Airways, for instance, charges $23 to check your first bag online, but $25 at the airport. For a second checked bag, US Airways gets $32 online or $35 at the airport.
5. Wait, but not too long.
You don't have to book months in advance to get the best deals. Many airlines are recycling similar sales over and over again as they seek to fill planes amid a turnaround in demand for air travel.
But, FareCompare's Seaney warns that procrastinators may not find the same deals they did just six months ago. That's because since the end of the third quarter of 2009 seats have become more scarce and prices more firm so airlines have no incentive to release cheap seats to those who procrastinate, Seaney said.
Also, book your ticket sooner for the busier summer season than you would if you plan to fly in the fall or winter.
While some airlines offer last-minute deals to certain points on certain days, in general for leisure travel it is a good idea to give yourself a cushion of at least a month from the time you buy your ticket to the time you plan to travel.
Note: Another good site I use for places like Vegas or Jamaica is Usair ways travel site(http://www.usairwaysvacations.com), I use that for Air and Hotel packages and they seem to be the cheapest from my past researches. For those thinking of NYC for the first time might want to check that out there package deals.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Things you can only buy at a Chinese Walmart
Things you can only buy at a Chinese Walmart
1. Crocodiles
2. Bulk Rice
3. Mixed Meat
4. Orange Juice And Cooking Oil
5. Turtles
6. ?????
7. Walmart Brand Spirits ($0.15)
8. Rib Cages
9. Assorted Dried Reptiles
10. Beautiful Boxes Of Liquor
11.hot and spicy Beef Granules
12. Pig Faces
1. Crocodiles
2. Bulk Rice
3. Mixed Meat
4. Orange Juice And Cooking Oil
5. Turtles
6. ?????
7. Walmart Brand Spirits ($0.15)
8. Rib Cages
9. Assorted Dried Reptiles
10. Beautiful Boxes Of Liquor
11.hot and spicy Beef Granules
12. Pig Faces
Monday, May 17, 2010
For the big $pender$ :)
Interesting read from CNN
(CNN) -- A whole industry caters to air travelers looking for the cheapest airfares, but that was the last thing Rob Cockerham wanted.
He was hunting for the most wallet-busting, credit-card maxing, extravagant plane tickets he could find.
Cockerham recently spent an evening calling a dozen airlines as part of his quest and found plenty of choices. How about $11,000 for a roundtrip flight in first-class from California to Johannesburg, South Africa?
Or almost $19,000 for a roundtrip journey from the West Coast to Sydney, Australia? And the ultimate budget buster: He was quoted more than $26,000 for a trip from California to London, England, and back.
"It was amazing. I kept thinking I could buy a car ... I could get a boat for that. I could take 40 trips for that amount of money," said Cockerham, who lives in Sacramento, California, and documented his findings in his blog, Cockeyed.com.
Sticker shock
Cockerham's quest was an experiment -- he had no intention of buying any of the tickets -- but it uncovered a fascinating world of extreme airfares that few people can imagine, let alone afford.
You can see some of them for yourself: Plug some international destinations into any airline website, choose refundable first class as your cabin of choice and let the fun begin.
Some recent examples of sky-high fares offered by U.S. commercial airlines included Miami, Florida, to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for $7,400; Chicago, Illinois, to Tokyo, Japan, for $17,400; and Los Angeles, California, to Sydney, Australia, for almost $25,000.
But does anyone ever actually book those fares?
"It is extremely rare, almost unheard of that anybody pays those true, full retail prices," said consumer adviser and HLN money expert Clark Howard.
"The funny thing about sitting in first class is that almost nobody sitting in first class actually paid real money for that seat. ... The overwhelming number of people are in some method or fashion upgrading from a lower price ticket in the next cabin down."
Even if passengers do pay to sit in the front of the plane, most don't purchase full fare first class -- the most expensive option because it's fully refundable and has absolutely no restrictions, said George Hobica, president of Airfarewatchdog.com.
The difference can be striking. Hobica found one flight from New York to London in business class for about $2,000, but when he chose a refundable fare for the same seat, the price jumped to $5,000.
Traveling in style
But there are some cases in which price doesn't matter. Major multinational corporations would pay extreme airfares if they had to, said Rick Seaney, the CEO of FareCompare.com. People could also be forced to pay exorbitant fares if they absolutely had to be on a particular flight and there were few seats left, he said.
In addition, a select few carriers in the world -- like Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways and Emirates -- have reputations so strong that they can actually quote a price in the tens of thousands of dollars for a ticket "with a straight face" and get people to pay it, Howard said.
They also offer luxury that most travelers could only dream of, like private suites, multicourse meals created by acclaimed chefs and complimentary chauffeur-driven cars to and from the airport.
That still wouldn't be worth it for Cockerham, 41, who got the idea for his extreme airfare experiment after one of his friends traveled to India for a work assignment and flew in business class -- a ticket that cost $6,000 from California.
"His girlfriend and I were talking and we were like wow, you can fly coach for $2,000 and business class is $6,000. So my God, a $4,000 difference for legroom," Cockerham said.
He was also amazed by the gulf between an airline's customers: For many, a $10 increase in a bag fee is cause enough for an uproar while a select group of others may readily plunk down $10,000 for a seat in first class.
The private option
But at those prices, wouldn't it make sense to rent a private jet?
It depends.
If a flight is less than 2,000 miles, the ultrawealthy will fly private, Howard said. Transoceanic travel, however, is so enormously expensive using this option -- as much as $200,000 -- that paying $25,000 for a ticket on an ultraluxurious airline makes more financial sense by comparison.
For some people, it may also be a chance to show off a bit while traveling in style.
"You have certain types of celebrities that are very private, and some like John Travolta, who flies his own plane. Then on the flip side, you have ones that wouldn't mind being seen," Seaney said.
Still, Cockerham couldn't imagine paying those kinds of prices, even if he were a millionaire.
"I think I would have to have some really bad experiences in coach first," he said.
More @ http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/05/17/extreme.airfares/index.html?hpt=C2
(CNN) -- A whole industry caters to air travelers looking for the cheapest airfares, but that was the last thing Rob Cockerham wanted.
He was hunting for the most wallet-busting, credit-card maxing, extravagant plane tickets he could find.
Cockerham recently spent an evening calling a dozen airlines as part of his quest and found plenty of choices. How about $11,000 for a roundtrip flight in first-class from California to Johannesburg, South Africa?
Or almost $19,000 for a roundtrip journey from the West Coast to Sydney, Australia? And the ultimate budget buster: He was quoted more than $26,000 for a trip from California to London, England, and back.
"It was amazing. I kept thinking I could buy a car ... I could get a boat for that. I could take 40 trips for that amount of money," said Cockerham, who lives in Sacramento, California, and documented his findings in his blog, Cockeyed.com.
Sticker shock
Cockerham's quest was an experiment -- he had no intention of buying any of the tickets -- but it uncovered a fascinating world of extreme airfares that few people can imagine, let alone afford.
You can see some of them for yourself: Plug some international destinations into any airline website, choose refundable first class as your cabin of choice and let the fun begin.
Some recent examples of sky-high fares offered by U.S. commercial airlines included Miami, Florida, to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for $7,400; Chicago, Illinois, to Tokyo, Japan, for $17,400; and Los Angeles, California, to Sydney, Australia, for almost $25,000.
But does anyone ever actually book those fares?
"It is extremely rare, almost unheard of that anybody pays those true, full retail prices," said consumer adviser and HLN money expert Clark Howard.
"The funny thing about sitting in first class is that almost nobody sitting in first class actually paid real money for that seat. ... The overwhelming number of people are in some method or fashion upgrading from a lower price ticket in the next cabin down."
Even if passengers do pay to sit in the front of the plane, most don't purchase full fare first class -- the most expensive option because it's fully refundable and has absolutely no restrictions, said George Hobica, president of Airfarewatchdog.com.
The difference can be striking. Hobica found one flight from New York to London in business class for about $2,000, but when he chose a refundable fare for the same seat, the price jumped to $5,000.
Traveling in style
But there are some cases in which price doesn't matter. Major multinational corporations would pay extreme airfares if they had to, said Rick Seaney, the CEO of FareCompare.com. People could also be forced to pay exorbitant fares if they absolutely had to be on a particular flight and there were few seats left, he said.
In addition, a select few carriers in the world -- like Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways and Emirates -- have reputations so strong that they can actually quote a price in the tens of thousands of dollars for a ticket "with a straight face" and get people to pay it, Howard said.
They also offer luxury that most travelers could only dream of, like private suites, multicourse meals created by acclaimed chefs and complimentary chauffeur-driven cars to and from the airport.
That still wouldn't be worth it for Cockerham, 41, who got the idea for his extreme airfare experiment after one of his friends traveled to India for a work assignment and flew in business class -- a ticket that cost $6,000 from California.
"His girlfriend and I were talking and we were like wow, you can fly coach for $2,000 and business class is $6,000. So my God, a $4,000 difference for legroom," Cockerham said.
He was also amazed by the gulf between an airline's customers: For many, a $10 increase in a bag fee is cause enough for an uproar while a select group of others may readily plunk down $10,000 for a seat in first class.
The private option
But at those prices, wouldn't it make sense to rent a private jet?
It depends.
If a flight is less than 2,000 miles, the ultrawealthy will fly private, Howard said. Transoceanic travel, however, is so enormously expensive using this option -- as much as $200,000 -- that paying $25,000 for a ticket on an ultraluxurious airline makes more financial sense by comparison.
For some people, it may also be a chance to show off a bit while traveling in style.
"You have certain types of celebrities that are very private, and some like John Travolta, who flies his own plane. Then on the flip side, you have ones that wouldn't mind being seen," Seaney said.
Still, Cockerham couldn't imagine paying those kinds of prices, even if he were a millionaire.
"I think I would have to have some really bad experiences in coach first," he said.
More @ http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/05/17/extreme.airfares/index.html?hpt=C2
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Traveling across Europe
Traveling across Europe
For those thinking about a tour of Europe the best way to do that is by train.
Here’s a list of train operators so you can check prices, do not get train prices from Rail Europe as this is an agency that charges substantial fees in addition to the ticket prices.,
Paris-London-Brussels: www.eurostar.com . Tickets go on sale 120 days before travel.
France: www.tgv-europe.com/en but say you are from Great Britain. If you say you are from North America, you may get transferred to RailEurope with its higher prices. Tickets go on sale 90 days before travel.
Italy: www.trenitalia.it/homepage_en.html but it is highly unlikely you will be able to book through this site, as it hardly ever accepts cards issued outside Europe. If you have problems, just buy the train tickets in Italy.
You will not get "screwed over" if you buy your tickets in Europe: the tickets will be at the published prices. However, many of the operators offer substantial discounts for advanced purchases over the net. The cheap tickets can sell out quickly, so get in early if you can.
I also recommend checking out the website of Rick Steves, www.ricksteves.com, and his travel books.
For those thinking about a tour of Europe the best way to do that is by train.
Here’s a list of train operators so you can check prices, do not get train prices from Rail Europe as this is an agency that charges substantial fees in addition to the ticket prices.,
Paris-London-Brussels: www.eurostar.com . Tickets go on sale 120 days before travel.
France: www.tgv-europe.com/en but say you are from Great Britain. If you say you are from North America, you may get transferred to RailEurope with its higher prices. Tickets go on sale 90 days before travel.
Italy: www.trenitalia.it/homepage_en.html but it is highly unlikely you will be able to book through this site, as it hardly ever accepts cards issued outside Europe. If you have problems, just buy the train tickets in Italy.
You will not get "screwed over" if you buy your tickets in Europe: the tickets will be at the published prices. However, many of the operators offer substantial discounts for advanced purchases over the net. The cheap tickets can sell out quickly, so get in early if you can.
I also recommend checking out the website of Rick Steves, www.ricksteves.com, and his travel books.
Friday, May 7, 2010
How to Clear Your Cache
When you roam the Internet, accessing Web pages, files, images and other downloaded content, your Web browser caches, or stores, all that on your computer. That way, those files -- which are called temporary Internet files -- don't have to be retrieved again each time you click the back or forward buttons.
Why should you clear your cache? There are two reasons:
• Free up space on your computer
After a while, the cache fills up and needs to be cleared -- at least once a quarter -- so your Web browser will function most efficiently.
• Protect your privacy
At work, you may not want others to see where you have browsed, while at home, several people may use the same computer. If you have privacy concerns, you'll want to regularly clear your cache.
Clearing your cache takes just a few minutes. You can do it yourself by following the steps below, or there is software such as System Mechanic that can clear your cache automatically.
How to clear the cache in Internet Explorer 8
1. Open Internet Explorer. Click the Tools menu on the top left of the IE toolbar.
2. Click on "Delete Browsing History."
3. Select "Temporary Internet Files."
4. Click the Delete button at the bottom of the window and your temporary files will be deleted instantly.
To set Internet Explorer 8 so it automatically clears the cache:
1. Open Internet Explorer. Click the Tools menu on the top left of the IE toolbar.
1. Click on Internet Options.
2. Click the Advanced tab.
3. Scroll down to the Security section.
4. Click to check the box next to the option labeled "Empty Temporary Internet Files folder when browser is closed."
5. Click OK. This will delete everything except cookies.
How to clear the cache in Firefox 3.5 or 3.6
1. Open Firefox. Click Tools on the top left of the Firefox tool bar. Select Options.
2. Select the Advanced panel.
3. Click on the Network tab.
4. In the Offline Storage section, click Clear Now.
5. Click OK to close the Options window
To set Firefox 3.5 or 3.6 so it automatically clears the cache:
1. Click Tools on the top left of the Firefox tool bar. Select Options.
2. Select the Privacy panel.
3. In the History section, click on the "Firefox will:" drop-down box and choose "Use custom settings for history."
4. Check the box for "Clear history when Firefox closes."
5. Click on the Settings button.
6. In the Settings for Clearing History window, click the checkmark box next to Cache.
7. Click OK to close the Settings for Clearing History window.
9. Click OK to close the Options window.
If you need additional help or your Web browser is not listed here, search your browser's Help menu for "clear cache."
More @ http://daol.aol.com/articles/how-to-clear-your-cache/?icid=main|htmlws-main-n|dl5|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fdaol.aol.com%2Farticles%2Fhow-to-clear-your-cache%2F
Why should you clear your cache? There are two reasons:
• Free up space on your computer
After a while, the cache fills up and needs to be cleared -- at least once a quarter -- so your Web browser will function most efficiently.
• Protect your privacy
At work, you may not want others to see where you have browsed, while at home, several people may use the same computer. If you have privacy concerns, you'll want to regularly clear your cache.
Clearing your cache takes just a few minutes. You can do it yourself by following the steps below, or there is software such as System Mechanic that can clear your cache automatically.
How to clear the cache in Internet Explorer 8
1. Open Internet Explorer. Click the Tools menu on the top left of the IE toolbar.
2. Click on "Delete Browsing History."
3. Select "Temporary Internet Files."
4. Click the Delete button at the bottom of the window and your temporary files will be deleted instantly.
To set Internet Explorer 8 so it automatically clears the cache:
1. Open Internet Explorer. Click the Tools menu on the top left of the IE toolbar.
1. Click on Internet Options.
2. Click the Advanced tab.
3. Scroll down to the Security section.
4. Click to check the box next to the option labeled "Empty Temporary Internet Files folder when browser is closed."
5. Click OK. This will delete everything except cookies.
How to clear the cache in Firefox 3.5 or 3.6
1. Open Firefox. Click Tools on the top left of the Firefox tool bar. Select Options.
2. Select the Advanced panel.
3. Click on the Network tab.
4. In the Offline Storage section, click Clear Now.
5. Click OK to close the Options window
To set Firefox 3.5 or 3.6 so it automatically clears the cache:
1. Click Tools on the top left of the Firefox tool bar. Select Options.
2. Select the Privacy panel.
3. In the History section, click on the "Firefox will:" drop-down box and choose "Use custom settings for history."
4. Check the box for "Clear history when Firefox closes."
5. Click on the Settings button.
6. In the Settings for Clearing History window, click the checkmark box next to Cache.
7. Click OK to close the Settings for Clearing History window.
9. Click OK to close the Options window.
If you need additional help or your Web browser is not listed here, search your browser's Help menu for "clear cache."
More @ http://daol.aol.com/articles/how-to-clear-your-cache/?icid=main|htmlws-main-n|dl5|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fdaol.aol.com%2Farticles%2Fhow-to-clear-your-cache%2F
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