READERS' CHOICE: What Wildlife Experience Is Most Worth Traveling For?

Name: Budget Travel LLC
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By Budget Travel

October 3, 2012

We get to share our travel picks with you all year long. Now it’s your turn.

Over the next several weeks, we’ll be asking for a few of your favorite things, both large (airline, cruise port, national park) and small (which hotel has the best toiletries?). Then we’ll compile your suggestions and let you vote for your top pick in May. Come back often—we’ll be posting a new question almost every day.

Today’s question:

What wildlife experience is most worth traveling for? Everyone loves penguins and pandas, but since ogling them in captivity is a far cry from seeing them in a natural habitat, sometimes you have to venture off the beaten track. What's the best place to go for wildlife when zoos just won't cut it?

Previous questions:

Which airline is the most reliable?

What's your favorite travel–deals website?

What's the world's best party or festival?

What's your favorite tour company?

What's your favorite learning–based destination?

What's your favorite national park?

What place have you already visited—and are dying to return to?

What's your favorite island getaway?

What's your favorite up–and–coming foodie destination?

Which airline has the best in–flight entertainment system?

Which destination is the most romantic?

What's the best volunteer trip?

What's your favorite theme park?

What's your favorite secret beach?

What Is Your Favorite Under–The–Radar Girlfriend Getaway?

What's the most underrated American city for travelers?

What is your favorite ski area? Foreign or domestic.

What's the most useful free travel app?

Which is the most improved hotel chain?

What is your favorite cruise port?

Where can you find the friendliest locals?

Which hotel chain gives you the best value?

The most beautiful airport terminal(s).

What is the best airport to get stuck in?

What is your favorite cruise line?

Which airline has the nicest flight attendants? We know you have your favorite.

Which city has the most user–friendly public transportation system?

What is your favorite rental car company?

What is your favorite historical spot in America?

What's the top destination on your bucket list?

Which airport features the best food?

—Ryan Murphy

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Inspiration

Forget Basketball—Who Won the Battle of the Breakfasts?

The Kentucky Wildcats may have won the 2012 NCAA Championship, but who was the victor in the battle of the breakfasts? Every March there are countless brackets going around, but none was more delicious than BedandBreakfast.com's Breakfast Recipe Challenge. I helped determine the finalists (tough job, I know) and fans of cozy inns voted. The ultimate victor? Bittersweet chocolate waffles topped with mint buttercream and strawberry sauce from the Lyttleton Inn in Littleton, Massachusetts. The waffles narrowly bested the pumpkin pancakes with carmelized pecans served at the Gracehill Bed and Breakfast in Townsend, Tennessee, a carb-lovers' final two if there ever was one. The final four also included the relatively healthier-sounding blueberry granola breakfast bake from Lord Camden Inn in Camden, Maine, and the lobster frittata from the Mill House Inn in East Hampton, New York. See all 16 finalists here, as well as all the recipes if you want to recreate the battle in your kitchen. But it's probably easier to book a night at an inn and let the chefs cook for you. MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL 15 International Food Etiquette Rules That Might Surprise You America's Best Food Regions World's Best Street Food

READERS' CHOICE: Which Airline Is The Most Reliable?

We get to share our travel picks with you all year long. Now it’s your turn. Over the next several weeks, we’ll be asking for a few of your favorite things, both large (airline, cruise port, national park) and small (which hotel has the best toiletries?). Then we’ll compile your suggestions and let you vote for your top pick in May. Come back often—we’ll be posting a new question almost every day. Today’s question: Which airline is the most reliable? Traveling is uncertain enough without delays and technical malfunctions. Which airline does the best job keeping you on–time and informed? Previous questions: What's your favorite travel–deals website? What's the world's best party or festival? What's your favorite tour company? What's your favorite learning–based destination? What's your favorite national park? What place have you already visited—and are dying to return to? What's your favorite island getaway? What's your favorite up–and–coming foodie destination? Which airline has the best in–flight entertainment system? Which destination is the most romantic? What's the best volunteer trip? What's your favorite theme park? What's your favorite secret beach? What Is Your Favorite Under–The–Radar Girlfriend Getaway? What's the most underrated American city for travelers? What is your favorite ski area? Foreign or domestic. What's the most useful free travel app? Which is the most improved hotel chain? What is your favorite cruise port? Where can you find the friendliest locals? Which hotel chain gives you the best value? The most beautiful airport terminal(s). What is the best airport to get stuck in? What is your favorite cruise line? Which airline has the nicest flight attendants? We know you have your favorite. Which city has the most user–friendly public transportation system? What is your favorite rental car company? What is your favorite historical spot in America? What's the top destination on your bucket list? Which airport features the best food? —Ryan Murphy MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL 8 Cool New Tools for Finding the Perfect Hotel World's 16 Most Picturesque Villages Secrets to the 10 Most Popular Cruise Ports

News

Delta's 'Basic' New Fare: Cheaper Price, No Changes or Seat Assignments Allowed

Most airline tickets are nonrefundable. But would you buy an airline ticket knowing that you couldn't change the date or flight time, even with a fee? How about the idea of buying a ticket in which you couldn't get a seat assignment, even by paying extra? Delta has just introduced a new "Basic Economy" fare on certain routes, and the tradeoffs for slightly cheaper fares are just that: no changes allowed, and seats are only assigned randomly at check-in. In other words, whoever buys these tickets has the best likelihood of winding up in the dreaded middle seat. How much cheaper are the fares? Delta doesn't say explicitly. For a sample Detroit-Fort Lauderdale round trip in June, the "Basic Economy" ticket cost $229.60, compared to $248.60 for a standard Economy round trip in which seat assignments are guaranteed at the time of booking at no extra charge and changes are allowed for a fee of $150. All things considered, a traveler sure does seem to be giving up a lot, all to save a little money. In this case, a mere $19. The Detroit Free Press categorized "Basic Economy" in a less-than-flattering way as a "new fair scheme." In Delta's press release, by contrast, the airline described the new class of service as "ideal for travelers who seek the lowest fare option, do not intend to make changes and do not consider seat choice an important part of their travel experience." So far, Delta is only offering the new "Basic Economy" option on a few routes connecting Detroit to gateways in Florida (specifically, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Orlando, and Tampa). Airlines have been "unbundling" tickets for years now, and each new change brings with it less inclusions and more restrictions. What's somewhat curious is that Delta's new "Basic Economy" option seems like it would rule out the possibility of the airline collecting some other fees from travelers who fly in this class of service. Delta notes of Basic Economy: Advance seat assignments are not permitted. Seats will be assigned by Delta at the time of customer check-in, and once assigned, no changes will be allowed. This seems to indicate that Delta isn't selling seat assignments, as carriers such as Spirit Airlines do. Also, because a traveler cannot change a Basic Economy ticket, there is no possibility of travelers with these tickets getting a chance to pay $150 change fees. There is also no incentive whatsoever for travelers to give Delta a head's up if the case arises in which they can't make their flights. If Delta were alerted early enough about someone having to miss a flight, the airline could sell the seat in advance. Delta may get lucky and wind up filling such a seat on the day of travel on a standby basis, but there's no guarantee that'll happen. "Basic Economy" doesn't seem like a good deal for travelers, and it might not even be a good deal for Delta. Nonetheless, the airline announced that, "Basic Economy may be expanded to other markets in the future as determined by Delta." MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL: Tips on When to Book Summer Flights Amid Rising Fares READERS' CHOICE: The Best Airports to Get Stuck In How to Get a Free Upgrade

READERS' CHOICE: What's Your Favorite Travel–Deals Website?

We get to share our travel picks with you all year long. Now it’s your turn. Over the next several weeks, we’ll be asking for a few of your favorite things, both large (airline, cruise port, national park) and small (which hotel has the best toiletries?). Then we’ll compile your suggestions and let you vote for your top pick in May. Come back often—we’ll be posting a new question almost every day. Today’s question: What's your favorite travel–deals website? That weeklong, all-inclusive trip to Costa Rica you booked for a cool grand? We want to know where you found it. Previous questions: What's the world's best party or festival? What's your favorite tour company? What's your favorite learning–based destination? What's your favorite national park? What place have you already visited—and are dying to return to? What's your favorite island getaway? What's your favorite up–and–coming foodie destination? Which airline has the best in–flight entertainment system? Which destination is the most romantic? What's the best volunteer trip? What's your favorite theme park? What's your favorite secret beach? What Is Your Favorite Under–The–Radar Girlfriend Getaway? What's the most underrated American city for travelers? What is your favorite ski area? Foreign or domestic. What's the most useful free travel app? Which is the most improved hotel chain? What is your favorite cruise port? Where can you find the friendliest locals? Which hotel chain gives you the best value? The most beautiful airport terminal(s). What is the best airport to get stuck in? What is your favorite cruise line? Which airline has the nicest flight attendants? We know you have your favorite. Which city has the most user–friendly public transportation system? What is your favorite rental car company? What is your favorite historical spot in America? What's the top destination on your bucket list? Which airport features the best food? —Ryan Murphy MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL 8 Cool New Tools for Finding the Perfect Hotel World's 16 Most Picturesque Villages Secrets to the 10 Most Popular Cruise Ports

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