The Unique Aspects of Sun Country Airlines

While all airlines have commonalities, Sun Country Airlines is definitely in a class all its own in many ways. This airline was created by those who suffered through the collapse of a major air carrier. The events that happened in September of 2001 appeared to be the final straw with Sun Country, and they had to stop flying a few months later. But that would not be the end of this company as they were brought back to life with the help of investors. However, once again, there were difficult times in the past several years, and as of December 2010 are in the early processes of bankruptcy reorganization. You will find the company look toward the future with confidence just as they did when they first opened their doors.

By the time the 90s happened, things were really happening for Sun Country. The airline had made all the right moves, and that was reflected in their annual income. Their number of employees was at an all time high and they were operating a record number of aircraft. Considering the huge pool of talent and experience, then it’s easy to see why they did so well. Sun Country was very busy with flying to European destinations in addition to chartered flights to points in the Middle Eastern areas. They were aggressively pursuing business, yet they did not forsake their passengers at the expense of high quality service.

Some good news for Sun Country is they were chosen in December 2010 to fly passengers from Lansing Michigan to Washington National in Washington DC. This move was based on a selection involving the US Dept of Transportation, USDOT. Since they are based in Minneapolis, that is where the flight will begin.

From Lansing, the flight will continue on to Washington National Airport. This is a very recent development and stops in Lansing MI have not yet begun. These will also be daily stops at Lansing which will be more business for the airline.

Sun Country Airlines offers many types of special programs, and one of them is called Sun Country Charters. They have been involved with chartering for a quarter of a century. They make their chartered flights available to groups and organizations regardless of their size.

They have won very many awards for their chartering service over the years. The type of people and businesses they have chartered over the years includes people from all walks of life. They truly are a well respected airline for many reasons.

The story of Sun Country Airlines is a lot like any story of the American dream of building something good. The roots of Sun Country came from former employees of Braniff Airlines. Sun Country Airlines really does read like a book because it has all the elements of a good book. You cannot dismiss the many awards and mentions they have received, both nationally and internationally. The fighting spirit of this airline will pull them through this latest round of difficulties.

Two months until Christmas. Just enough time to start planning your next holiday

And so here we are again.. The summer 2007 has been and gone, in some places more than others and the time has arrived once more to start planning for the next holiday period: Christmas!

Whether you intend to spend Christmas at home, hosting a party for family and friends or are planning to go away on some holiday destination, you have six weeks left to get organized! (At the time of writing)

Whatever destination you have in mind, be it a holiday at home or in a far away place, you’ll need to get a budget together. If you have not done this before, now is the time to check all your expenses from now to Christmas and see if you can eliminate some of them. You will be surprised at how wasteful we can all be when it comes to spending our money and since every little helps, any savings you make now may allow you to enjoy you next holiday in better fashion.

It might actually make a difference between HAVING to stay at home for the holidays or actually being able to afford going away! Just think of a vacation in a ski resort and Christmas in the snow or if the cold isn’t your friend, there are beaches out in the Caribbean islands where the water is as wonderful as the sky is blue an Christmas that way might have more an island accent which is oh so wonderful accompanied by cool glass of the local Rum!

Another way to enjoy a Christmas holiday is on a cruise. If you have never taken one before, now is the time! You will be amazed at the luxury and comfort of today’s modern cruise liners, these floating mega hotel which generate enough power to feed fulfill the needs of a small town! And just in case you are afraid of the sea, or think you might suffer from the occasional bout of sea sickness, don’t! My family took a cruise one year in the middle of hurricane season, down in the Gulf of Mexico and the ship stability was not affected.

There are dozens of intriguing and wonderful cruises out there for you to choose from. I have never been on an Alaskan cruise and am told that in terms of the breathtaking, this is one experience that cannot be easily matched. Just imagine a day in the middle of nowhere surrounded by ice, and swishing along on a snow mobile. Better yet, an Alaskan Dog Sled adventure where the only sounds are those of the Huskies!

For those of you who like to the security of terra ferma under you, but wishing to away from home, one of the things you will be looking to save money on is the accommodation. Rather than booking yourself and your family into a hotel, you might want to consider renting a holiday apartment. This type of holiday rental will usually give you more space, more privacy and more comfort whilst costing much less then conventional hotel rooms.

There are holiday apartments for rental everywhere and you are likely to be spoiled for choice when it comes to selecting the best for you and your family. Talk to an agent or go online to check for yourself. I have always preferred to convenience of dealing with landlords directly and this is precisely what you can do by visiting holiday apartments rentals.

As a side note to owners out there, if you have a property that you want to rent you might want to consider advertising in holiday-apartments-rentals.com, a website that specialized in finding customers for landlords everywhere and put them in touch with one another. As an owner you will be charged a minimal monthly fee which you can easily recoup when you think of the commission you would have to pay a holiday rental agency.

If you intend to stay at home and have your friend and family over, don’t leave the organization for last. Share recipes, gift ideas and Christmas decoration and plan ahead. Putting a Christmas tree is a wonderful opportunity to get the family excited and together. Offer to host the parties at home and have each family bring a special meal along.

Whatever you choose, we, at holiday rental center wish you the very best..

The thing about American Vacations

I was sitting thinking the other day that soon, I would have to start making plans for my next vacation. Funny how the mind works though: as soon as the thought of my future holiday destination entered into my mind, I was transported forward into the future, and with images stored in some hidden recesses of my brain, this time in my future started to shape and form, a reality solid enough that for a moment, nothing else mattered. It felt like I was there, several months forward, enjoying a well earned vacation!

Talk about time travel and the power of suggestion and it is not unreasonable to expect that sometime in the future, a device somewhere will enable us to travel to far away destinations and take holidays of a lifetime, without ever actually moving. Still, this is not a rant about travel through time and space. I will leave this thought to Hiro Nakamura, the expert in this time and space thingy and accept that we, humans have a perfect alternative to science fiction with the substantive difference that this alternative actually exists: imagination.

So there I was looking through my world atlas for a destination of my dreams flipping through the pages when I came across a map of North America and there it hit me.  At a rate of one State a year, it would take 50 years to explore the US, 50 American Vacations that would not even scratch the surface of this great big land of ours. Indeed I remember visiting the Grand Canyon with my wife last year when we thought that one week of exploration through this incredibly beautiful land had only enabled us to see but a mere fraction and we had promised each other to return another year. I remember thinking back then that this magnificent Grand Canyon National Park had been carved by the Colorado River, a body of water moving down from a great distance and it probably took it millions of years to achieve its goal, some 6 million years ago. A piece of art, millions of years in the making but the greatest architect of all, nature, to bring us this ultimate American Vacation dream.

Now I fully appreciate the elegance of European Vacations and the appeal of historical cities such as London, Paris, Madrid, Rome etc, forged by the will of men and women throughout a thousand years or more, but put into perspective, and all things considered, nothing really prepares the American or any other Tourist for the breathtaking beauty that nature has taken millions of years to construct. Chances are that sometime in the future, today’s cities will be rendered back to nature, submerged as they will be by a forthcoming ice age, and yet, the Grand Canyon will most likely still be there, practically untouched.

American Vacations are available in a multitude of packages and possibilities.  Where you decide to go will depend on your area of interest and your lifestyle. If you are sporty kind, American National Parks are truly amongst the best in the world. Maintained to retain their original wild beauty they offer amenities and services to meet the needs of most tourists. Bring waking boots with you as there are as more trails then you would care to count, ranking from beginner to advanced depending on how fit you are. When taking a walking holiday, remember to follow all the safety recommendations that available at the Parks themselves or online. Too many people have been the unfortunate victims of their own ignorance when it comes to precautions, and you will want to be careful. Most national parks offer lodging of some sort, and for the more adventurous amongst you, camping might just be the thing for you!.

If you are more of sedentary type of traveler, Las Vegas vacations for example might be a destination that will appeal to you even though it might not with your bank manager’s seal of approval.

But of course, talking about every possibility offered by an American vacation would take thousands of pages which would be obsolete the moment such a book was written.

So: chose a state of interest, determine the areas you want to visit, the type of vacation you enjoy and start planning. You can get there by car, train, plane, boat and once there you can either camp, stay in a hotel, a cabin or a vacation home. It doesn’t really matter how you do it, the simple fact is that this American Land of ours is truly a gift of nature and you will likely make this next vacation of yours a holiday of a life time.

Use your second home as a holiday apartment rental money maker

This is already a popular idea throughout the world and in Great Britain for example, there are hundreds of cottages privately owned as a second or even third home available for rent on the holiday market. A whole industry has been built up around English Country Cottages with literally thousands of properties available each year.

After all, what better way for a tourist to enjoy a piece of the famous British country side than to rent a country cottage for short breaks or longer holidays? Available throughout the years these cottages are the ideal alternative to any other mainstream accommodation.

As a tourist, a holiday apartment or country cottage offers a unique adventure which combines freedom, with comfort. Freedom to do as you please, explore the areas and sites you are interested in, and come home after a long day of fun.

Your apartment or cottage is carefully inspected and maintained by regional managers and offer the best quality available. This is concept that is not new and over time, problems which might have arisen due to the novelty of the idea have been resolved. In London, these apartments are even fully serviced with daily cleaning and regular change of linen and towels.

And it is not just in Britain that holiday apartments and country cottages are so popular. Across the pond in France, thousands of Gites (cottages or farmhouses) are also available and are similarly managed and maintained than in Britain. Just picture yourself exploring the glorious “Chateaux de la Loire” during the day and then head back to a charming, 500 year old restored property on the banks of the River Authion. And just case you have a taste of a visit to Paris, just hop on one of the many bullet trains available in France and travel to Paris in comfort and at great speed.

In fact, you may not even want to restrict yourself to a self catering vacation home in France. Europe is crisscrossed with an extensive railway network, some of it bullet trains and you can expand your travel to any European country.

So if you are planning a short break, or a longer holiday, you can look forward to a unique experience and take your family on a trip of a life time where you will be able to live like the locals and get to know them even better.

And of course, renting a holiday home is cheaper than a conventional hotel whilst affording the luxury of much more space. A vacation home is truly unique in the enchantments and possibilities it offers.

As an owner of a property that is not producing sufficient income, you might want to look into this avenue yourself. We all want a return on our investment and the property market has traditionally shown to be an excellent investment method. If you own a property that no one lives in, your investment if not returning anything and as such it would be a good idea to explore ways of monetizing such investment.

The self catering and vacation home market is such that no contract is usually required and so you would be able to dispose of your property without any problem in the event that you chose to sell if for example. In the meantime, your property will enable you to receive rental income which is of course preferable to receiving no income at all.

If you choose to become a landlord, you will also be able to avail yourself of some handsome tax perks. Rental income is taxed on ordinary income, but thanks to numerous deductions on expenses and depreciation, it is quite possible to reduce drastically the amount of your tax bill. Talk to your accountant about this, but you can deduct pretty much any out of pocket expenses related to owning and managing the property.

Make an appointment with a local rental agent who will inspect your home and make the necessary recommendations. You can discuss the level of income anticipated and then take an informed decision.

If you make a decision to rent your home, you will want to advertise your vacation property in order to bring in customers. An ideal place to this is http://www.holiday-apartments-rentals.com which is a high targeted traffic site bringing in thousands of customers looking for a holiday apartment to rent.

At the end of the day, the risks in renting your property are low and as mentioned before, you will not be tied down by a restrictive agreement which would prohibit you from taking your vacation home of the holiday market.

Holiday Apartments: the ideal travel accommodation for families

With the summer 2007 now firmly behind us, the time is near when vacationers throughout the world will start to look forward to their next vacation. For the lucky ones, Christmas will be an opportunity to travel to holiday destination and whilst hotels may usually be the first option in people’s mind when thinking about a place to live when traveling, wise travelers have known about holiday apartments for a while now. This is particularly true if you are vacationing with your family and looking to get the best holiday deals.

Holiday apartments rentals provides the ideal alternative to hotels for vacationers interested in saving money as well as seeking more comfortable and spacious accommodation finding a home. The advantages are numerous be it size, price and other considerations. And whilst hotels usually boast room and other personalized services to their customers, vacation suites and apartments are now competing with that as well making renting an apartment for your next vacation a very competitive proposition indeed.

There are traditionally three different types of holiday properties available for rental:

  1. Private owners often use the holiday rental market to monetize a second or third home, and have traditionally used the services of a letting agency to find customers, take payment and sometimes even take over full management of the said properties.
  2. In the past 15 years, large houses in European cities such London have been converted into apartments (flats) for the purpose of being rented to tourists and travelers on short term basis. These types of properties directly compete with hotels in that they provide a reception for check-ins and check-outs and varying degrees of concierge services.
  3. Hotels, having realized the potential loss of revenue generated by the rental of holiday apartments have now begun to offer furnished hotel suites, which combine the amenities of a home with the services of a hotel. This option is perhaps the most costly of all three types of vacation apartment’s rentals but if you cannot live without room service, then this one is for you.

Business travelers have often opted for hotels, but even this industry is gradually showing interest in short term serviced apartments. Renting a one bedroom holiday apartments for one week for example is cheaper than a hotel room, and it has the advantage of providing a full lounge/dining room in which to hold meetings with customers or work colleague.

Families though have traditionally been the ones to take advantages of this vacation rental opportunity. In addition to the extra room, the holiday rentals offer substantial savings over hotel, not just on the cost of the actual rent, but also on savings achieved by taking some of your meals at home rather than in restaurants.

If you are looking for more space in which to stretch your tired legs after a day’s walking through the streets of London or other cities throughout the world, apartments are an ideal alternative to hotels. In addition to space, though, the savings are what make holiday apartments so worthy of your consideration for your next travel or vacation trip.

Eiffel Tower

Behold the Majesty of the Eiffel Tower.

The Eiffel Tower – symbol of Paris and France attracts millions of visitor each. Over one thousand feet in the air, the Eiffel Tower overlooks Paris, and is the fifth tallest structure in France. A monument to the innovation of French architects throughout the history of the world, the tower is comparable only to our own Washington Monument in size, grace, and beauty.

The History

The Eiffel tower was created by Gustave Eiffel in 1887 as the entrance to the Exposition Universelle. This was a World Fair held in honor of the centennial anniversary of the French revolution. The tower stands almost 1070 feet in height, and its stricture is made entirely of several thousand tons of iron. Scheduled to be destroyed in 1909, the Tower was instead recognized for its symbolic presence and now stands as a monument to the victory in the First Battle of the Marne.

Today, our cities abound with structures that are both high and impressive. This feast of construction made possible today with the advent of technology really stands out when you consider that the Eiffel Tower was built more than a century ago. The attention to detail was meticulous and to build what was then the tallest building in the world, the slightest miscalculation in wind force and other such factors would have made this endeavor impossible. The corners of the tower were built with curved pieces of iron so as to resist to wind movement. This has made it almost as aerodynamic as the most advance airplane!

The Eiffel tower attracts millions of tourists a year and is one of the top tourist destinations in the world. It also servers as a tower for radio communication (after all, why waste all of that iron!), and houses two separate restaurants – the Altitude 95, which resides on the first floor; and the Jules Verne, a posh eatery on the second.

The Eiffel Tower was the tallest structure in the world for 43 years when the Chrysler Building in New York overtook it in terms of height. Though it may no longer be the tallest building in the world, the Eiffel Tower remains one of the most visited buildings throughout the world. Said to be the most romantic place for marriage proposals, each spring the tower is besieged by young couples with hopeful dreams.

So it doesn’t matter if you’re young and in love, or looking for a little bit of history, the fact remains that the Eiffel Tower is one of the most amazing sights that anyone can see in their lifetime. If you haven’t already, you should plan a trip to visit this marvelous monument. The Eiffel Tower is not something anyone should miss!