Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Battle of Puebla in which Mexican Gen. Ignacio Zaragoza led his outnumbered troops in defense of Puebla against the French on May 5, 1862. Zaragoza was born in 1829 just outside the Presidio La Bahia in Goliad (now part of Texas). The Presidio, or fort, displays a statue of Zaragoza, a Mexican national hero, who died of typhoid fever in 1862. Still operated by the Catholic Church, the Presidio hosts Mass every Sunday at the Our Lady of Loreto Chapel. (Cinco de Mayo is not Mexican Independence Day, which is September 16, 1810.)

Mexico tourism holds its own

Remember the Alamo (and more)!

Many people will mark the weekend holiday with a visit to the Misión San Antonio de Valero in San Antonio, now known as the Alamo, which the Spanish first constructed and Mexican and Texas troops later occupied. The March 6, 1836, battle between Mexican troops and Texas revolutionaries is known among descendants of the Republic of Texas as a great fight against impossible odds. The Mexican troops crushed the revolutionaries, but the Texans fought back victoriously later that year, and the Republic of Texas was born.

For a celebratory atmosphere, visit Market Square, where you can visit the shops of El Mercado to find pinatas, jewelry, clothing, leather and other goods similar to stores in Mexico. The square also hosts “Primer Sabados” or “First Saturdays” with food booths, art, music and children’s programs. A couple of local dining favorites are the chilaquiles breakfast taco on flour tortilla at Blanco Cafe downtown and Henry’s Puffy Tacos.

Eatocracy: All the fixings for a festive fiesta

San Diego: First Spanish settlement on West Coast

The birthplace of San Diego is preserved at Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, the site of the first Spanish settlement on the U.S. West Coast and San Diego’s first downtown. Mexico took over the downtown after the country won its independence from Spain in 1821. The six-block site contains preserved and restored adobe and wooden buildings, thriving restaurants and shops. Old Town will host Fiesta Cinco de Mayo on Friday through Sunday.

The Barrio Logan neighborhood initially welcomed people fleeing the Mexican Revolution in the early 20th century, and the area is now home to the local Mexican-American community, Mexican street art and modern art galleries. Some early evidence of the artistic scene can be found at Chicano Park beneath the San Diego-Coronado Bridge overpass.

The Centro Cultural de la Raza is in Balboa Park, where children can also enjoy the San Diego Zoo and the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center. The center is a cultural arts center dedicated to Mexican, Mexican American, indigenous and other Latino art and culture.

Pueblo, Colorado: Flowing out of Sangre de Cristo mountain range

Established by Colorado’s mix of early pioneers as Fort Pueblo, a smaller version of the current city of Pueblo was incorporated as part of the Colorado Territory in 1870. Colorado became a U.S. state in 1876. With the arrival of the railroad and an abundance of coal, Pueblo became a thriving steel town.

Each September, thousands of people come to Pueblo for the Chile & Frijoles Festival to celebrate the harvest of the town’s most important crops: the mirasol green chile and pinto beans. The festivities have included chili and salsa competitions, a jalapeno pepper eating contest, a 5K fun run, art exhibitions and live entertainment.

To learn more about the region’s history, check out the renovated El Pueblo History Museum in the Union Avenue Historic District. For arts and culture, look to the Sangre de Cristo Arts & Conference Center and the Buell Children’s Museum. And the annual Colorado State Fair hosts nearly two weeks of livestock shows, rodeos and music starting in late August.

Spanish land grants in Arizona

Established in 1752 as a Spanish presidio, the town of Tubac (now in Arizona) was once a stop on the road from Mexico to the Spanish settlements in California. Tubac Presidio State Historic Park preserves the site of the Presidio San Ignacio de Tubac, the oldest fort in what would become the state of Arizona. Now it’s an artist colony and home to many galleries. When you’re finished gallery hopping, head to Elvira’s restaurant, which was established in 1927 in Nogales, Mexico, and reopened in Tubac.

About 50 miles from Tubac, Rancho De La Osa was part of the original 3 million-acre land grant from Spain’s king to the Ortiz brothers of Mexico in 1812. The rancho fell within the boundaries of the United States after the 1854 signing of the Gadsden Purchase settling the U.S.-Mexican border. It now welcomes overnight guests, who can view a cannonball on display that Pancho Villa reportedly fired at the house during the Mexican Revolution. The nearby Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge is open 24 hours a day and welcomes horseback riding, hunting, bird watching and bird migration counts. (Look for the spring migration count on or around the second Saturday in May.)

Blumenthal was in London this week to launch British Airways’ new in-flight Olympic menu, which he has helped create alongside Michelin star chef Simon Hulstone.

The luxury fare — which includes dishes such as “Rillette of mackerel dressed on a pickled cucumber carpaccio with sour dough croutes” — will be served on all BA flights for the duration of this summer’s Olympic Games.

The collaboration marks the latest link-up between commercial aviation and celebrity chefs as airlines look to improve the reputation of in-flight dining.

“However hard airlines try, the reputation of food on board planes is not very high,” says Peter Jones, former chair of the International Travel Catering Association.

“Clearly, celebrity chefs are hugely successful and airlines are trying to overcome this stereotypical view of their food being unpalatable or stodgy,” adds Jones, who is now professor in hospitality management at the University of Surrey in the UK.

See also: Unsavory truths about airplane food

Other major flight operators such as American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Qantas, and United Airlines have also sought out prominent chefs in recent years as they attempt create a fine-dining experience in the sky.

Gordon Ramsay has previously advised Singapore Airlines on its premium in-flight menus, which include offerings such as a pan-seared salmon escalopes, and tender rib eye steaks in red wine sauce. And 26-star Michelin chef Joel Robuchon is the gastronomic brains behind Air France’s carte de jour for business-class passengers, with dishes that have included Basque shrimp and turmeric-scented pasta with lemongrass.

According to Jones, however, creating the perfect gourmet airline meal requires a scientific awareness of how the human body operates at high altitude, as well as a keen culinary knowledge.

“Eating on a plane is not the same as eating on the ground,” says Jones. “Humidity is very dry (and) there is very little water in the atmosphere, which affects our taste buds and sense of smell.”

Jones believes that by employing highly skilled chefs who understand this there is more chance of airlines getting their recipes right — not to mention the positive impact it can have on perceptions of their brand.

See also: ‘Safe-list’ flyers get security fast track

“Airlines select products to go on their planes that are consistent with their brand image and the celebrity chef is another factor that makes up a portfolio of an airline’s brands,” says Jones.

“Their primary function may be to create new and interesting in-flight cuisine but it also makes airlines seem contemporary and in tune with the demands of modern customers,” he adds.

The benefits brought by this brand synergy are also recognized by Marco ‘t Hart, founder and editor of the Netherlands based in-flight meal monitoring website airlinemeals.net.

“It contributes to the ‘we care for you’ and ‘we-offer-great-service’ feeling some airlines are trying to create,” says ‘t Hart.

He is quick to add, however, that the food created by big-name chefs is often exclusively reserved for business and first-class passengers.

“When flying economy, you’ll still be ‘stuck’ with the ‘chicken or pasta’ question — if you are lucky enough to get a meal,” says ‘t Hart, whose website has analyzed over 20,000 meals from various airlines around the world.

“On shorter flights the meals have been brought down to a snack, pizza roll or a simple sandwich. There are (also) the low cost carriers who offer buy-on-board meals,” he adds.

See also: Sign-up bonuses juice up dining miles cards

For those traveling first class, however, t’ Hart believes the quality of a meal designed by well-known chefs is a vast improvement on much of what has hitherto been available.

He cites his own experience flying with airBaltic business class — which has introduced the Slow-Food principles of Latvian chef Martins Ritins into airline food — as a specific example of the quality of airline dining experience that can be achieved.

Some airlines, including Turkish Airlines and Etihad, are going one step further and bringing chefs on board to cook and prepare meals whilst in flight, he adds.

But according to Jones it could be a while before any celebrity chefs are spotted cooking up a storm in the cramped quarters of an airplane galley.

“I genuinely don’t see that happening except as a publicity stunt,” he says.

He adds that the technology on a plane is limited and the safety considerations of cooking whilst in the air means that those charged with preparing food on board will be restricted in what they are able to create.

The car was not a natural fit for us. It was very low to the ground and had a mystifying set of buttons. This meant 20 minutes of painstaking trial and error as we grappled with how to work the roof, as if trying to break the Enigma code.

But as alien as the muscle car was, it was vital to this trip to California, which was essentially to reclaim lost youth in an early midlife crisis. My companion and I had lived in Los Angeles after leaving university and were curious to see how it had changed. We then planned to drive along the coast to San Francisco, taking in some of California’s wine-growing regions. This invited unkind comparisons to the movie “Sideways,” which sees aging college friends on a road trip drinking wine and navigating disaster.

L.A. has some features that can deter tourists: It lacks a natural focal point, is dominated by roadways and has an abundance of depressing motels and fast-food joints. It also has Venice, a pocket of urban bohemia that has acted as a cultural center for decades.

Developed in 1905 by tobacco millionaire Abbot Kinney, the area derives its name from the canals built to drain off the marshland. It was conceived as a family beach resort but fell into neglect. As real estate prices dropped, the area began to attract an eclectic mix of people. This instilled that bohemian DNA into Venice, which served as a rallying point for the Beat generation in the 1950s and remains an important artistic center.

10 top road trip apps

Much of Venice has hardly changed. The chaotic beachfront boardwalk is alive and well: Tattoo artists, head shops and fortune-tellers hawk their wares to a stream of human traffic, even in winter. We stayed in a free-wheeling art deco style hotel that looked like it had not changed in 40 years.

Elsewhere, there are signs of inevitable gentrification.

The memory of Venice’s developer is preserved in Abbot Kinney Boulevard, a mile-long artery and focal point for residents and local businesses. I walked down the palm-lined street every day when I lived in Venice and always enjoyed its offbeat charm.

It was a relief to see the hipsterish local coffee bar Abbot’s Habit was still dosing the population and exhibiting local art. But around it, stylish galleries, boutiques and swanky condos now give the road a feeling of imposing wealth, resembling New York’s Chelsea district — certainly the chic end of Boho-chic.

The neighborhood has become safer and cleaner, said Joshua Woollen, owner of Urbanic Paper Boutique. Gang-related activity has dropped, and “what you have now are some of the most influential, creative, progressive and cutting-edge people living within a couple mile radius in one small beach community,” Woollen said.

“When my wife and I first moved to Venice over 13 years ago, Abbot Kinney felt like a ghost town,” he said.

Perhaps the most dramatic change was seeing the property where I once lived in harder times. Once a teeming human zoo of chancers and borderline personalities, the three houses have been divided and sold. The rough neighborhood is now transformed into a quiet and sunny residential street. I would happily move back.

Feeling considerably older already, we began the “Sideways” leg of the journey.

Channeling the film, the car’s top was lowered and we took off along the ravishing Pacific Coast Highway. Hugging California’s coastline for 655 miles, the road offers the serenity and endless vastness of the Pacific Ocean as a backdrop. The terrain changes as you head north, taking in plains, craggy headlands and lush green hills that tumble down into the sea. All our heightened expectations were met and rewarded.

An hour after leaving Los Angeles, we reached Santa Barbara County. Long overshadowed by the Napa region farther north, Santa Barbara was put on the wine tourist’s map by the release of the Oscar-winning film in 2004. Its influence was immediate.

“Its timing created a tsunami of interest,” says Jim Fiolek of the Santa Barbara Vintners Association. “Recognition in not only Santa Barbara County, but wine in general, more specifically, Pinot Noir, which flourishes in Santa Barbara.”

With mountain ranges running horizontally across the county, Santa Barbara channels ocean air into its valleys and has a cool climate. This geographical oddity makes it a natural home for Pinot Noir grapes, which can ripen too early in warmer temperatures.

As one “Sideways” character explains in loving tones: “It’s not a survivor like Cabernet, which can just grow anywhere and uh, thrive even when it’s neglected. No, Pinot needs constant care and attention. You know? And in fact it can only grow in these really specific, little, tucked-away corners of the world.”

At first, the region struggled to cope with the surge in interest generated by the film: Tasting rooms were hastily built on vineyards, leading to a jump in sales. By 2008, wine makers were selling directly to customers some eight times as much as they were selling in 2000.

Santa Barbara is a natural target for a day trip from Los Angeles and has the inevitable “Sideways” tour guide for visitors, which generated geekish excitement. We took in a few gems: The Day’s Inn motel boasting a looming windmill and mock Tudor facade; Ostrich World, which gives you the bizarre opportunity of feeding hungry flocks; and a vineyard which features in one memorable scene.

I am far from an oracle on wine, but it’s not hard to enjoy the distinctly civilized process of tasting.

Visitors to Kalyra Winery gather at a bar featured in the movie and pay $10 to taste eight wines. They can be a mix of red and white and each measure gives the drinker several sips. At the vineyard, we sampled Grenache, Pinot and a blend of Shiraz, Merlot and Cab Franc.

Tastings are also an inducement to buy bottles, which start at around $15 and provide estates with their main source of profit.

Our final destination was on a grander scale altogether: the Napa and Sonoma valleys north of San Francisco. Here, you get the idea of a real industry geared around global exports as much as local sales.

There are some 400 wineries in the region, so the visitor can feel overwhelmed on first arrival. We opted to plan our itinerary on the discerning basis of which vineyards offered two-for-one tasting deals. Most tourists are not averse to sampling wine in the morning, and our first stop took us to Buena Vista, which claims to be the oldest winery in the region. Revealingly, it has been recently taken over by a French brand.

The scenery around the valleys is reliably lovely year-round. In fall, the countryside turns a languid golden color, with neatly ordered rows of vineyards set off by the surrounding hills. Driving slowly in the late autumn sun was almost a religious obligation, despite the ensuing tailbacks.

On my return flight, I resolved to plan a series of similar midlife crises for years to come.

Jeanie Daniels told CNN affiliate KTRK-TV in Houston that she was painting her nails in her seat on a recent Southwest Airlines flight from California to see her Houston-based boyfriend. When a flight attendant asked her to stop, she did. But she decided to finish the last two nails in the airplane bathroom. A confrontation when she came out prompted her to use some profane language with another flight attendant, which got her arrested when the plane landed in Houston.

There is no need for you to punish your fellow travelers with your bathing, food or beauty choices. Really.

A recent CNN commenter writes: “I am a flight attendant and in the past have had to tell a wife to stop trimming her husband’s toenails (yes, they were flying everywhere), tell mothers to please refrain from using the tray tables to change their babies, and look away in disgust as passengers used the cloth napkins in “first class” to blow their noses and then hand them back to me. The worst odors are either peeling a hardboiled egg or painting one’s nails.”

Please don’t stink

We understand that travelers can’t always control the occasional inadvertent burp or passing of gas. But we advise travelers with sensitivities to avoid any food that might cause you (and your fellow passengers) distress before a flight. And don’t disrobe a stink bomb in the cabin in the form of your smelly feet. “We had a flight with a guy who took his shoes off and honestly stunk up the whole cabin. We were literally gagging,” writes one flier scarred by a malodorous journey. Our message to the offender: Put your shoes back on.

Five things not to do on airplanes

There are some things you can control. Please shower, brush and floss your teeth before you fly. And don’t forget that all-important antiperspirant. If bad breath is a sign of halitosis, please see your doctor. Many travelers complain of being forced to sit next to someone who is clearly a stinker. Try to avoid being that person. (If in doubt, ask a trusted loved one to tell you the truth about your smells.)

A traveler’s plea: “Even if it’s an early morning flight, take a shower. The ‘French Bath’ doesn’t cut it and makes me sick.”

Please don’t eat stinky food

A hand-carried Durian fruit that was “unpeeled and overly ripe” was the stinkiest item one traveler reports smelling on a flight: “Remember, the smell is from the outer skin and not the inner fruity flesh/pulp.” Durian is known to be stinky. Do not bring stinky food on a flight — not fruit, not cheese, not your mama’s barbeque — even for your lunch. You are in tight quarters with your seatmates who will not appreciate the smell of your brie mixing with the smell of another flier’s tuna fish sandwich. (We get nauseous just thinking about it.) Instead pack a nice, healthy, boring salad with a nontoxic dressing on the side. Have an apple, some plain potato chips or a not freshly baked cookie.

The passenger isn’t always the offender. A traveler reports that he was on a flight where the airline handed out sandwiches that caused the stink. “When we leveled off and (were) told we could eat, everyone unsealed their sandwiches. The sandwich? Italian roast beef with Italian-type dressing. It stunk up the ENTIRE plane.”

Don’t change a diaper

So many travelers have reported seeing a mom change a baby’s diaper on a tray table that we now believe this is more than an airborne urban legend. If it is true, please stop. We know you desperate parents must be facing a poop-tastrophe to try such a thing. Instead, please travel with a large trash bag to contain your child up to his or her arms until you can safety move to the airline lavatory.

The cosmetic assault

Your perfume, perfumed soaps and other deliberately scented beauty products may be animal-cruelty free, but have they been tested on humans in tight quarters? Travelers, please save the perfume and other smelly beauty products for home base. These smells have no place on an airplane. You smell great just the way you are — if you are clean, we mean.

Otherwise it could cost you. Who wants to spend time in a Houston jail instead of in the arms of your beloved? A judge dismissed the abusive profane language charge after Daniels, the nail polish offender, spent more than 10 hours in jail.

When it’s the airline’s fault

The bathroom just stank. After numerous delays and a landing to refuel, the lavatory on a flight from Dallas-Fort Worth to Honolulu gave up, one traveler reports. It was so stinky that a flight attendant gave passengers coffee grounds to hold to their noses. At 30,000 feet, the only thing to do is wait it out and complain upon landing. Otherwise you might get into an altercation that could lead to your arrest. (Again, see nail polisher above).

Yet in the years since leaving the isolated enclave of Manhattan, I’ve taken pleasure in expanding my horizon and checking off all-American rites of passage, most recently, the baseball spring training road trip.

By now, it’s a familiar tradition: as spring approaches, Major League Baseball teams head for camps in Florida and Arizona to work off the winter flab and get ready for the regular season. It’s become a big tourist draw, with 2012 game attendee numbers in Florida expected to surpass 1.5 million as the spring training season winds down this week. A new era of enhanced training facilities and stadiums have all the 21st-century bells and whistles, but in some respects, spring training is still a throwback to a more casual, pastoral brand of baseball.

My initiation was an abbreviated tour, three games in three stadiums, with a beach condo in Indian Shores as home base. I’m not a huge baseball fan, though I have found that appearing tolerant of sports generally makes you more likeable. But I consider myself a loyal girlfriend to a Braves fan who starts counting down on January 1 to the day pitchers and catchers report, who brought me to a Montgomery Biscuits game early in our relationship. Plus, we would be staying on the beach, so I welcomed the opportunity to familiarize myself with one of the nation’s most cherished pastimes.

Friends and colleagues had briefed me on themes to look out for, including the corporatization of spring training, “snowbirds” and interstate billboards warning against abortion on one side and promoting strip clubs on the other. I encountered nearly all of them, but what made the most profound impression was experiencing baseball stripped of its major corporate trappings: stadiums where puny chain-link fences separate fans from idols and beer is cheaper than in the majors (though it’ll still set you back at least $5); no Home Depot-sponsored tool races or incessantly loud Jumbotron ads.

It’s a magic formula that has drawn fans to Florida for decades, though people only really began coming in droves in the last two decades, said Nick Gandy with Florida Sports, a sports promotion and tourist development organization.

The advent of live remote broadcasts, which showed stadiums lined with palm trees and players with rolled-up shirtsleeves, started pulling in visitors from snow-covered states, he said. When players’ salaries began to rise in the 1980s, teams turned to spring training to expand the franchise, i.e., revenue. A similar pattern emerged in Arizona, home to the 15 teams of the Cactus League, the Western version of Florida’s Grapefruit League.

With 2011 game attendance surpassing 1.5 million visitors in 14 Florida stadiums, devotees worry that spring training’s popularity is diluting its homegrown appeal. A hotel room near a stadium for less than $100 was hard to come by, and had we waited until game day to buy tickets we would’ve been shut out of two of three games.

“That’s the biggest difference right there,” said Gandy. “Walking up and buying a ticket on game day (used to be) easy — lucky if you can do that anymore.”

The movement of teams from old stadiums into major complexes turned spring training into big business for the teams and the communities that host them, Gandy said, bringing in roughly $753 million a year in Florida.

“You have the Atlanta Braves in 1998 going from West Palm Beach to Disney World, of all places,” he said. “You know if Disney’s getting involved in it there’s some big business there.”

Big business indeed. “It’s so Disney,” one man lamented as we walked out of a Braves game at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports. Champion Stadium, preseason home of the Braves, is located behind Disney World’s arch, and many consider the team’s presence near the Magic Kingdom antithetical to the spirit of spring training. Ticketmaster runs some of the box offices flanking the ESPN Club House, where the selection of Braves gear pales in comparison to the array of apparel festooned with Disney characters.

Inside the flawless cream-colored stadium, “cast members” served food in baskets bearing Mickey ears and the tagline “where dreams come true.” Donald Duck escorted a local sports anchor onto the field to throw the first pitch. When the game gets boring, you can seek a reprieve in the PlayStation Pavilion, equipped with 17 PS3 consoles, at $5 for 30 minutes.

Near the field, however, the mood in the air was more akin to a county fair than a professional baseball game. In a section of designated lawn seating, clusters of families and friends stretched out on blankets and children ran amok among stumbling drunks while couples canoodled. Plus, I can vouch for the pulled pork sandwich.

It was heartwarming stuff, the “real America” that I’d grown up seeing on TV and in movies, a place where baseball is a microcosm of the community, the underdogs win and the guy gets the girl.

But, make no mistake, real America requires a car and a license, or a boyfriend with both. And patience, because traffic’s a bitch, especially in places like Clearwater, spring training home of the Philadelphia Phillies and the Clearwater Threshers (that’s a shark!) the rest of the year.

Located, ironically enough, on a former Home Depot site on U.S. 19, the Phillies’ Bright House Stadium represents the partnerships among local government and the franchises that have nurtured spring training. It seems to be a win-win for folks in Clearwater and tourists from up North, where the Gulf Coast is promoted year-round as a vacation destination, and not just for spring training, Gandy said.

The day we saw the Braves play the Phillies, I also learned that the beauty of preseason play is that it creates a home away from home for fans from afar. Concession stands offered Philly Cheese Steaks, knishes and P-shaped pretzels. At the bar, strangers swapped profanity-laced travel tips. In “tiki bar” outfield seating, fans sat on bar stools behind long tables, raising bottles of Coors Light in the direction of players passing by. Others of a more inebriated nature demanded that Antonio Bastardo sign a beer bucket or have his “ass kicked” and needled sports anchor Gregg Murphy with taunting, prolonged cries of “MURPH!” Fans rooted for the home team and made fun of the Braves.

In the grassy parking lot, a leathery old man hawked collectors’ cards a few feet from Girl Scouts selling cookies. A man and a child tossed a ball around while we naively sat in our car for an hour waiting to reach the interstate. We didn’t have that problem leaving Disney World.

Many teams enjoy longstanding relationships with host cities, including the Phillies, who’ve trained in Clearwater for more than 60 years, confirming their place within the community. But smaller host cities like Bradenton enjoy a special air of nostalgia, thanks to an old stadium recently renovated to retain a look reminiscent of scenes from “A League of their Own,” the only baseball movie I ever enjoyed.

McKechnie Field, preseason home of the Pittsburgh Pirates for more than 40 years, is in downtown Bradenton in between a smaller baseball diamond, a Domino’s Pizza and the Boys and Girls Club of Manatee, where parking is available for $7. That may seem like a lot, but to my boyfriend, who pays $10 to park at the IBEW lot near Turner Field and then walk another 10 minutes, it was money well spent, especially for a short walk.

Outside the stadium, fans tailgated on the lawn of the public works building and a Land O’ Lakes truck offered free grilled-cheese sandwiches. Inside the home of the Bradenton Marauders, vendors sold Iron City Beer next to county-fair-style stalls offering kettle corn, funnel cakes and turkey legs. In the stands before the game, sun-scorched retirees vacationing as ushers chastised fans for leaning over the dugout for autographs. But they didn’t actually stop them from tossing balls and baseball caps to Tampa Bay’s Sean Rodriguez, who patiently smiled and signed.

What our plastic stadium bench seats lacked in shade was made for up in proximity to the Pirates’ warmup area, separated from the fans by a low wall and a chain-link fence.

Fans of Tampa Bay filled the stands, their black shirts eclipsing the Pirates’ St. Paddy’s Day green. In front of us, a man complained to his neighbor of the difficulty of getting tickets for the Yankees at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.

“Those New Yorkers,” he muttered.

Meanwhile, his wife gave instructions to their granddaughters via cell phone on where to stand to get Sean Rodriguez’s autograph. I was reminded of something my boyfriend said the day before, as we walked along the beach and listed all the license plates we’d seen so far: New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Florida, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick (Indian Shores is near Dunedin, home of the Toronto Blue Jays since 1977):

“I like the idea that all these people are on vacation to see baseball,” he said.

Check that off the list!

I have a long, transcontinental flight coming up. I dread being cramped in a coach seat, but I can’t afford first class. What are my chances of getting bumped up for free?

They’re actually better now than ever. To cut costs, some U.S. airlines have been offering fewer flights in recent years, and coach can be overbooked. If a carrier bumps passengers, it’s frequently required to provide either a substitute flight or a refund or both, per government regulations. The airline may not want to bump people if first class seats are available.

So how do carriers select the lucky few who get ferried to first class? It’s all about the miles. Computers track frequent flier and program miles and upgrade passengers automatically, based on who has earned the most.

About 95% of those in first class on domestic flights last year were upgraded or used frequent flier miles (sometimes with an additional fee), according to Joel Widzer, author of “The Penny Pincher’s Passport to Luxury Travel”. But you need a lot of miles to qualify: Delta requires you to fly at least 25,000 a year to qualify for its Silver Medallion level.

On the other hand, you can sometimes find upgrade certificates for sale online, courtesy of frequent fliers who can’t use them before their expiration date. For instance, some United/Continental vouchers on eBay start with bids as low as $1.

But even if you don’t travel often, simply being a member of the airline’s frequent flier program helps your chances. It indicates some level of brand loyalty. Having an airline-sponsored credit card in your name helps, too, though those may come with hefty annual fees.

Budget Travel: World’s 16 most picturesque villages

Does dressing up so that you look like you’d belong in first class improve your chances of getting upgraded?

Looking polished helps, but not as much as it once did. There’s one outfit that seems to work better than even the finest couture: a military uniform. In the past few years, it’s not unusual to see a first class passenger give up his or her seat for military personnel.

Any other tips for flights?

Remember that gate agents deal with a lot of demanding, obnoxious passengers, and offering a few kind words and a smile goes a long way.

John E. DiScala, founder of travel advice site johnnyjet.com, reveals that chocolate helps him get upgraded — or at least moved to a better coach seat — about half the time. DiScala says he brings one-pound chocolate bars for the gate agents and flight crew, who have discretion on seating after the cabin door closes.

Some people swear by the sob- or celebration-story strategy. Personally, I wouldn’t go this route unless you really are a newlywed, on your way to a funeral, etc. Karma, you know.

Showing up late might work, but it’s risky. A man sitting next to me once in business class on Air New Zealand was huffing and puffing — he confessed to being intentionally late for every international flight, because then they rush you on the plane and into any available seat. Of course, the downside is you’ll be turned away if the flight is already full.

One big upgrade advantage is flying solo. Airlines try to put families together, and they may need your coach seat to do that. Chances are there’s only one empty seat in first or business class.

Finally, before you book the flight, you may want to consider trading in your frequent flier miles for an upgrade, though the numbers may be steep: On Delta, it takes 10,000 miles for an upgrade on domestic round-trip tickets and 30,000 miles for flights from the U.S. to Europe — but that’s not applicable on certain discount fares.

That said, there are more opportunities now than ever to earn frequent flier miles, not only by traveling but also through credit cards, hotel stays, car rentals and online shopping sites. “When you consider that one can earn three points per $1 spent on a credit card, 10,000 miles seems less daunting,” Widzer points out.

A friend of mine ended up getting upgraded to a suite at a hotel in Vegas. She’s not a high roller, so how did she land that freebie?

Just as with airlines, brand loyalty really helps. If you’re visiting a chain hotel, sign up for its frequent traveler program.

Also, according to Widzer, you’re more likely to get upgraded if you book directly with the property, on the hotel’s website or by phone, rather than with a third party, such as hotels.com. “Booking direct is by far the biggest thing you can do to get an upgrade,” Widzer advises. If you see a lower price online, call the hotel and ask them to match it.

Unlike with the airlines, however, you are most likely to get a hotel upgrade if you travel during a low-occupancy time, such as weekends at business-oriented hotels. When vacant suites are available, the hotel may bump you up, hoping to impress you and gain future business. You also may have better luck at a new property that’s angling to create good word of mouth.

The time of day matters, too. It helps to check in later, once the hotel has a better handle on its occupancy for the night. If you arrive at 8 p.m. and their suites still aren’t full, they may upgrade you for free or for very little, since few new guests are likely to come and pay for them.

Another strategy DiScala says has worked for him: Befriend the bellman. “I visited Vegas at a not-busy time once and tipped the bellman well,” he says, “so he gave me a free upgrade.” The same tactic may work with the concierge.

Budget Travel: Secrets to the 10 most popular cruise ports

What about rental cars? Is it true you’re most likely to get upgraded if you book the cheapest car at first?

Yes, and here’s why: The cheapest rental cars tend to sell out first, leaving the company no choice but to upgrade you. That said, the check-in clerk may try to sell you an upgrade for a discounted fee. Say no.

If they don’t have the car you reserved, they usually give you a better model at no extra charge. Arrive early in the day, before most people return their cars, for the best shot.

Loyalty also counts. Join a car rental company’s membership program, and you may get special offers for upgrades. You should also search online for coupons. The site carrentalupgrade.com is worth bookmarking, in particular.

Some car rental firms also run their own promotions for upgrades through organizations such as AARP and AAA. And always remember to ask; politely requesting an upgrade is often the best, easiest bet.

Budget Travel readers’ best upgrade strategies

Volunteer to get bumped: My flight from JFK to Amsterdam was overbooked and someone was in my seat. He was adamant: He wouldn’t move. I was so embarrassed by his behavior that I told the flight attendant if I could catch my plane from Amsterdam to Glasgow, I’d be OK getting bumped.

After 15 minutes she said “follow me” and turned up a flight of stairs. I had never even seen first class before! – Cyndi Armstrong, South St. Paul, Minnesota

Speak in romance language: My hubby and I got upgraded to business class to Ireland for our honeymoon. We just mentioned the purpose of the trip during check-in and the flight attendant did it — no questions asked.

Another time, we got upgraded to a suite at a Crowne Plaza because we mentioned we were there for Valentine’s Day. It was a nice surprise, since we’d scored the hotel on Priceline for a song. – Caroline Dover Wilson, Greer, South Carolina

Rent cars at the end of the week: Most compact and midsize cars are rented out early in the week to business travelers, so if you try to rent closer to the weekend, you have a good chance of getting upgraded because they are out of “business” cars by then. – Megan Cushman Dezendegui, Miami

What are your best strategies for scoring upgrades? Share them in the comments section below.

Budget Travel: 15 international food etiquette rules that might surprise you

Get the best travel deals and tips emailed to you FREE – CLICK HERE!

Copyright © 2011 Newsweek Budget Travel, Inc., all rights reserved.

Get the best travel deals and tips emailed to you FREE – CLICK HERE!

Copyright © 2011 Newsweek Budget Travel, Inc., all rights reserved.

#1 — Anheuser Busch Brewery Tour, Saint Louis, Mo.: In addition to offering free tours that take in the legendary Budweiser Clydesdale Stable, Beechwood Lager Cellars and historic Brew House, true hop-enthusiasts can also opt for the more exclusive “Beermaster Tour.”

Editor’s note: Brett Snyder writes a weekly CNN.com travel column. Snyder is the founder of air travel assistance site Cranky Concierge, and he writes the consumer air travel blog The Cranky Flier.

(CNN) — You might have heard something about the Transportation Security Administration’s new known (or trusted) traveler program that will begin testing in October. For now, this will impact a very small number of travelers, but it has the potential to mean big changes in the security process in the long run.

When it comes to airport security today, everyone is treated as a potential threat when walking through the checkpoint. That’s why you still have to take your shoes off and pull your laptop out among other things. If they find something, then you might be subject to further screening.

Many have spent years arguing that the TSA is unnecessarily wasting resources and inconveniencing passengers by not also having a level of lesser screening for those who are deemed to be less of a threat. The TSA has only recently adopted this idea of risk-based security screening, and that’s why this particular program is heading into testing.

The idea is that if the TSA can gather enough information about someone to show that he is a reduced risk to security, then they can have a reduced level of physical security at the checkpoint itself. So, if you as a traveler want to give a lot of personal information, there is now hope that you can leave your shoes on and keep your laptop in your bag.

Airport screening: The ‘P word’ and other possibilities

If this idea sounds vaguely familiar, it’s because it’s been discussed for years and has been almost put into practice. If you’ve heard of Clear, this was the original idea for that program. Each traveler was supposed to provide background info along with biometrics to be whisked through security with ease.

It didn’t quite work out that way. In the end, the TSA wasn’t ready to consider a trusted traveler program, and Clear just became a "front of the line" pass, just like those for first class and elite frequent fliers. They all led you to the front of the line but the security screening was the same once you got there.

But the TSA has shifted its stance under current leadership and is now willing to admit that there might be a place for a program like this. Initially, the test will be limited to a few groups. Members of frequent flier programs for a couple of airlines in their hubs will be in the first group. Those who use Customs and Border Patrol programs for expedited entry into the U.S. (Global Entry, SENTRI, and NEXUS) will also take part. Everyone has to be a U.S. citizen to be considered.

The chosen few will be able to avoid some of the screening hassles that we’ve all had to put up with for years now, and that’s music to the ears of most frequent fliers. For the less frequent flier, it won’t be an option to start, but even if it becomes one, it might not make sense.

Initially, there shouldn’t be a cost to this, but it wouldn’t surprise me to see a charge if this becomes a permanent program. The above-mentioned Global Entry program might provide some guidance — there’s a $100 application fee for that program. But this is putting the cart before the horse.

Once the first test is completed, we should know more about whether this is a viable program in the eyes of the TSA. If it is, then it could provide some relief for those frequent fliers who are tired of day-in day-out hassles.

Originally Published On: www.cnn.com – Original Article Here

(CNN) — A plane bound from Las Vegas to Los Angeles returned to McCarron International Airport on Saturday after a report of suspicious activity by a passenger, a Transportation and Security Administration official said.

Ann Davis, a TSA spokeswoman, would not detail the nature of the alleged suspicious activity, but said the passengers were deplaned and rescreened.

The passenger in question was being interviewed by law enforcement Saturday night, Davis said. After the plane was swept, the other passengers were cleared to fly to Los Angeles.

Originally Published On: www.cnn.com – Original Article Here