Private jets are luxurious toys for the rich, the famous….and you?

Private jets are luxurious toys for the rich, the famous….and you?

Celebrities, business men and royalty gallivant around on the world on private jets, unblinking at the price tag of a few tens of millions of dollars to add a two-winged toy to their collection. And while for any of us who have flown cramped coach, dealt with delays, and lamented over lost luggage recently that price tag may seem worth it (if we had it), there are now new ways for the average above-average patron to fly on a private jet.

But first, let’s take a peek at some of the most luxurious private jets in the world – and their star-studded owners.

A jet worthy of a prince.

Saudi prince Alwaleed bin Talai has shown us that anything is possible in the private jet design world by taking a standard factory design plane, stripping out the interior and remodeling it for a mere $200 million. Not only does this now-$500 million Airbus A380 have stables for both horses and camels, but the Prince apparently cannot go anywhere without his beloved Rolls Royce which is tucked safely into a 2 car garage onboard. Along with a concert hall for entertaining 10 guests, marbled steam room, 5 master suites and 20 smaller private rooms cleverly worked into the design, upon walking around the plane you will also stumble across the prayer room that rotates to ensure it’s always facing Mecca.

Trump hates the movie selection on coach.

Clearly Donald Trump wasn’t a fan of flying coach, nor the movie selection on standard airlines. So The Donald had a Boeing 727-100 custom built, estimated to be worth a whopping $100 million. The presidential hopeful’s jet features a 52-inch flat screen TV where Trump and his guests can access over a thousand movies with just the touch of a button.

If one private jet is good, two must be better.

Russian president Vladimir Putin spent over $155 million recently not on just one luxury private jet but on two. These planes are collectively setting back Russian taxpayers over $165 million while his country remains on the brink of economic disaster, a serious point of contention – if anyone was bold up to scold the former KGP agent.

Travolta is so cool he owns a whole fleet!

When it comes to deciding what plane to take for a morning spin, John Travolta takes Putin’s two jets and raises him nine! Yes, the hip swinging ‘Grease’ star owns and pilots 11 jets, including a full-size Boeing 747. If this doesn’t make him cool enough, after launching the Spirit of Friendship tour to encourage people to travel after September 11, the high-flying Travolta was honored with the title ‘Ambassador-at-Large’ for Qantas Airlines.

Of course Oprah has a jet.

With her insanely busy talk show/media celebrity schedule, Oprah Winfrey is the last person you’ll find lowering herself to the pedestrian standards of first class air travel. So for her frequent globetrotting, Oprah splashed out on a Bombardier Global Express XRS, big enough for Winfrey to entertain up to 14 guests as her entourage takes off and lands with unfettered access to 500 private airports in the U.S. alone.

And while some celebrities enjoy the glitz and glam like P. Diddy and Mark Wahlberg, who touched down at McCarran International Airport’s private jet terminal in Las Vegas for the Mayweather vs Pacquiao Fight of The Century, some celebrities chose to follow the picture of frugality and fiscal responsibility, Justin Bieber.

Or, you can fly like “The Biebs.”

Yes, the Justin Bieber doesn’t own his own private jet, but that doesn’t stop him from posing inside a chartered G4 jet and posting the selfies on Instagram. Even though Bieber still paid a pretty penny to charter such a lavish jet, perhaps the kid has the right idea: charter a plane for one trip and be done with it – no additional fuel charges, landing fees, crew and maintenance costs to ever think about...

So can you book a private jet, too?

While booking a private jet for solo journeys still might be well out of reach of the typical middle class traveler, you don’t have to be a prince or Oprah to step foot on a private jet.

Of course you can book a private jet for one trip, which might cost you anywhere from $10,000 to $150,000 depending on your destination, though you may be surprised to learn that fuel is always the biggest expense, not the plane or the pilot’s services.

Fractional ownership is an increasingly popular way for business people and the rich (but not super-rich) to enjoy the private jet experience for special occasions or business clients without buying the whole plane. For a yearly fee that starts at a modest few thousand dollars, you can buy the use of the jet, crew, and pay off all the airport fees for a fixed amount of flying time (usually it starts penciling out if you’re going to fly more than 20 hours a year). Described as a timeshare for private jets, the popularity of the two biggest fractional ownership companies, FlexJet and NetJets, has increased after the financial crunch and Recession.

“Empty legs” is an aviation term for private jets that return to their home airports without passengers, essentially doubling costs without collecting a fee on the return leg. So several charter and private airlines, including Delta Private Jets, have introduced the option for elite and award-winning flyers to come along for the ride. The drawback? They usually only have 24-hours notice to fly, it still might cost a sizable $300-$800 (not too bad compared to coach), and it’s only available for the best airline patrons.

Taking fractional ownership and empty legs one step further, A 27-year-old entrepreneur, Sergey Petrossev, has just created an Uber-style app, funded by Jay-Z, which he claims will let anyone book a flight on a private jet with just one click. The app hasn’t really soared yet, but no one can accuse Jay-Z of not being a man of the people (although he and his wife, Beyoncé, do have their own private jet.)

80 Fun and crazy facts about Las Vegas, (part 2)

Las Vegas is one of the most dazzling cities in the world, a mecca of gambling and entertainment that attracts millions of tourists every year. In this blog, we'll continue our look at fun, crazy, and fascinating facts about Las Vegas. To read the first 35, click on part 1 of this blog. 

46. If one person wanted to stay one night in every hotel in Las Vegas it would take them 288 years.

47. A 2013 study revealed that 15% of people come to Las Vegas with intentions to gamble, but 71% actually gamble during their stay.

48. The Bellagio Hotel has more rooms (3,933) than residents in Bellagio, Italy, for which it’s named.

49. Most of the water features like fountains, waterfalls, and man-made lakes in Vegas use grey water, which is recycled from sinks, tubs, and showers.

50. Plenty of people try to cheat and rob the casinos in Las Vegas, but 34% of those incidents are perpetrated by staff and employees of those establishments, not outsiders.

51. Every day, more than 60,000 pounds of cocktail shrimp are consumed in Las Vegas, which is more than the rest of the U.S. combined.

52. The Stratosphere Hotel in Las Vegas stands 1,100 feet tall, the highest building west of the Mississippi and the 5^th highest in the U.S.

53. A marriage license costs only $60 in Nevada and there is no requirement for a blood test or any waiting period.

54. What happens in Clark County…? Few people realize that the legendary Vegas Strip actually mostly sits in neighboring Clark County, not within the Las Vegas city limits.

55. The Nevada Test Site lies about 65 miles north of Las Vegas, home to more than 100 above-ground nuclear tests our government performed between 1952-1962. 

56. The bomb blasts were made public and spawned Atomic Tourism, where people would watch the show from the rooftops, decorate their bars and restaurants with atomic themes, and dedicate parties to witnessing the atomic blasts.

57. During the era of the nuclear scare, a wealth businessman built a 16,500 square foot mansion underground beneath Las Vegas, with a swimming pool, putting green, and other luxury amenities, along with plenty of stored food and water to keep him alive for decades in case of a nuclear war.

58. The rise of modern-day Las Vegas from a dusty desert town in the 1940s is largely thanks to Mafia gangsters Meyer Lansky and Benjamin Hymen Siegelbaum, known as Bugsy Siegel, who brought together mob families, movie and music stars, and business people to get the Flamingo hotel and casino built.

59. Bugsy Siegel reportedly got inspiration for the name “Flamingo” from the long legs of his showgirl girlfriend.

60. The list of power players who held a tight grip on Vegas business and development reads like a list of kings in any monarchy. Steve Wynn started out as an apprecintice to the incumbant Frank Rosentha, but eventually “dethroned” him.

61. Wynn now serves as chairman of Mirage Resorts, and the MGM Grand, which is the most successful hotel in the world.

62. But not all Vegas legends were auspicious gambling tycoons, gangsters and wheelers and dealers.  A virtual unknown named E. Parry Thomas is given credit for helping Vegas develop into what it is today because he was the only banker in town at the time who would loan money to build casinos.

63. Almost everything is a gamble in Vegas but there’s one sure thing – that a whole lot of people will be hungover every morning. To help them recover, there’s actually a service that comes to their hotel and hooks up an IV with fluids and vitamins!

64. All the fun isn’t in the casinos and clubs in Las Vegas; a heavy equipment playground lets people drive around bulldozers and other heavy machinery just for kicks.

65. Legend has it that there’s an entire secret city buried under Las Vegas and guess what? The legend is true! Nearly 1,000 people inhabit a massive tunnel system that runs under the casinos, most of them living and sleeping under there full time, even with pets and whole families. The city knows about it, of course, and has outreach programs that try to bring them above ground and integrated into shelters or society.

66.Outside the Paris hotel in Vegas stands a monumental replica of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. It was originally slated to be a full size rendition, but because it was near an airport and might interfere with the flight path of planes, it was shrunk to a ½ size scale during construntion.

67.Pop icon Michael Jackson had plans to build a robot likeness in Las Vegas in 2007 as a tourist attraction. The robot was reportedly to be 50-feet high and able to moon walk through the desert.

68. In 2007, Michael Jackson had plans to build a 50-foot tall moon walking robot, a replica of himself to roam the desert sands of Las Vegas.

69. A lot of people don’t know that the majority of casinos in Las Vegas will cash in chips from their competitors.

70. Las Vegas may be known for great eatieries and fine dining, but no one accused them of being health conscious. For instance, at the the Heart Attack Grill in that city, any patron weighing over 350 pounds eats for free and a popular item on the menu is called the “Quadruple Bypass Burger,” which is more than 8,000 calories!

71. Thanks to their close relationship from encouraging tourism, Las Vegas holds the unofficial designation of being Hawaii’s 9th island.

72. Vegas is so brightly lit at night that you can actually see the lights from outer space.

73. The Great Recession hit Las Vegas particularly hard, as most people opted to stay home and financially conservative as the economy faltered. But now, Las Vegas tourism is back and just as big as ever.

74. In fact, construction was under way on the Harmon Hotel, the largest private funded construction project in U.S. history. Once completed, it would have 400 hotel rooms, 207 condo suites, casinos, and a full shopping mall. But that will never happen because the project’s developers and contractors were accused of falsifying 62 reports and compromising the safety of the structure to pocket money. So the ill-fated hotel was demolished in 2012 before it ever opened its doors.

75. Casinos employ all sorts of subtle tactics to keep customers inside their establishments gambling away. In fact, the casinos in Vegas have no clocks, keeping people disconnected from reality so they’ll keep spending money instead of leaving.

76. There are also no windows in casinos so people can’t tell the passing of time by day or night.

77. Casinos design their interior floor plans like mazes so people can’t exit easily.

78. And the best tactic of all, casinos give free alcohol to patrons who are gambling, which encourages them to stay and “helps” them make bad decisions and fosters sloppy play. The House always wins!

79. They’ll bet on just about anything in Vegas, though sometimes it crosses the line. In 1980, a hospital there suspended workers who were betting on when patients would die. One nurse was even accused of killing patients to help win bets.

80. Other than casinos and nightlife on the Strip, the Hoover Dam is the largest tourist attraction in or around Las Vegas. The Dam was competed in 1935 after The Hoover Dam was completed in 1935 after 21,000 men worked on it for 5 years, and regulates water to make the region habitable.

25 Tips to save big money on your next vacation.

Everyone loves going on vacation, but with the average cost for a family around $4,580, it’s hard not to stress about the price tag. However, with some frugal planning there are ways to save hundreds, or even thousands of dollars on your next trip, leaving you relaxed enough to fully enjoy it.

Here are 25 tips that will help you save big money on your next vacation:

1. Many tours, museums, and even restaurants offer discounts for students, teachers, AAA, military, and AARP members, so bring your identification cards and always ask!

2. Stay at a hotel that offers free breakfast. Eating a good meal in the morning will get you ready for a day of sightseeing and save you money on one meal a day.  When you search for hotels on sites like Hotels.com, Booking.com, or Priceline.com, you’ll be able to see which establishments offer complimentary breakfast. However, sometimes they just roll out coffee and cereal and call it breakfast, so drop them an email to ask how elaborate the meal will be.

3. The majority of air travelers want to fly on a Friday or Sunday, so you’ll find the best deals for flights if you fly on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday. Flights at the crack of dawn, at dinnertime, or red-eye flights are cheapest. Airlines release their new weekly fares on Mondays, so on Tuesday by 3 pm competitors have released their deals, making it the ideal time to search for tickets online. Studies show that the cheapest time to book is 49 days before your departure, or 81 days ahead of time for international flights.

4. Before you book your airline tickets find out if they charge for checked bags. Some airlines allow the first bag for free, like Southwest, while others charge up to $75 or $100 for overweight or international baggage fees. Bring an empty carry-on that you can fill with souvenirs so you won’t get hit with an excess baggage fee on the way back.

5. If your vacation destination is within a few states, consider traveling by train. It’s a great way to see the country, less expensive than flying and Amtrak has modern, comfortable sleeper cars.

6. Searching on travel aggregate sites like Kayak.com, Hotwire.com, and Expedia.com are common place these days, but also utilize reverse searches. If you are flexible with which days you can travel, a lot of cheaper airfares may open up for you. There are several travel search engines that will allow you to search by destination without putting in a hard date.

Adioso.com

Flexible searches based on dates, locations, and connections. 

AirFareWatchDog.com

You can see the top 50 fares for different destinations.

Kayak.com/Explore

Search where you can go anywhere in the world based on a certain budget, continent, or even what activities once you get there.

Also remember that Southwest and Allegient airlines don’t show up on any Internet travel sites, so double check with them directly.

7. Souvenirs, nick nacks, and t-shirts are all wildly overpriced in touristy areas, so take a quick photo of what you like and buy it later via the Internet.

8. Rethink the rental car. A lot of tourists have the attitude where they love renting a car and navigating the city or country they’re in. I’m not one of those – I prefer to sit back and let someone else deal with traffic while I observe, take photos, and watch, but it’s up to you. But people frequently rent a car and then hardly use it.  Walk, utilize your free hotel shuttle, or take public transportation to save money

9. If you do get a rental car, don’t double up on insurance. Rental agencies love selling you additional insurance, but it’s usually unnecessary. Check your homeowners and auto policy ahead of time to see if they cover rental cars. Some credit cards even offer automatic insurance if you pay with their card.

10. Whenever you show up at the airport, hotel, or rental car agency, ask for a free or low cost upgrade. The worst they can say is “no,” but you might be surprised what they can offer!

11. Book a hotel room with a small refrigerator and stockpile water, fruit, and snacks. This will help you to save on impulse purchases at tourist sites, restaurants, or from the expensive minibar.

Speaking of the minibar, if you do eat a $10 candy bar or drink a $14 beer in a moment of weakness, hit the local general store and buy the same items and replace them before you’re charged.

12. When vacationing outside of the U.S., always negotiate prices when buying something on the street or in a shop. Often times you can end up at 60% the first quoted price, but we often forget negotiating is an accepted and encouraged part of many cultures. Just don’t be rude about it and remember that most people abroad make a very humble living.

13. Everything is more expensive by the beach, so remember that the exact same quality meal or hotel can usually be found for 30-50% less a few blocks inland.

14. Exchanging money at the bank will get you the most accurate exchange rate and fewer fees than at your hotel. Never exchange money on the street!

15. If you aren’t going to spend a lot of time in your hotel room, booking a 2 or 3-star hotel will save you a lot of money. Hotels.com makes it easy to see pictures and read reviews so you can get a clean, comfortable room for less than 5-star prices!

16. If you’re bringing the kids on vacation, consider getting a suite, bigger room with two double beds, or have the hotel bring up a foldout cot so everyone can stay together. The savings will be worth it!

17. When traveling abroad, remember to turn off the cell network on your smart phone, where international roaming charges can add up alarmingly fast. Instead, take advantage of free Wi-Fi offered at hotels, restaurants, and tourist sites, using apps like WhatsApp, Viber, and GoogleVoice to make calls, text, and browse the web.

18. Before you book airfare, hotels, theme park tickets, or even restaurant meals, check the companies’ Twitter and Facebook pages because they often post otherwise-unlisted discounts on their social media pages. Also check on their website, which lists unadvertised specials and deals. You can even call their reservations phone number and speak to an agent about getting the best deal available, but then go and book it online to avoid the $25 -$40 booking fee.

19. If you have young children bring your own stroller to amusement parks, where it could cost $15 a day to rent one.

20. Only drink water at restaurants, where a few sodas or iced teas can add $10 or more to each meal.

21. Spend one day away from the expensive attractions. You’re paying for that hotel swimming pool… use it! Spend the day at the beach, zoo, or a nearby museum.

22. Book a hotel that offers free airport pickup and drop off.

Getting to and from the airport can add up in a big way, so check to see if your hotel offers free shuttle service when you book it. But be careful – some hotels list that they have airport shuttles under the ‘amenities’ section or description, but then later try to charge you for it. You can clarify by sending an email to the hotel (along with other questions.)

23. Frequent flyer miles and points:

Always register to earn frequent flyer miles and keep track. Confirm with the booking agent and at the check-in counter to make sure they credited you your miles, and once you get home check to make sure they were registered.

Use a credit card that offers award points of frequent flyer miles. Some of them are great but only give you miles on one airline. I have a Visa Blue Sapphire card that allows me to accumulate points for all flights, hotels, rental cars, or even restaurant meals. I run all of my bills through it but pay it off every month, and the result is that I get at least two free flights every year.

24. Expand your vacation – for the same price!

Most people don’t realize that you can book multi city flights with long layovers – even up to a week. So if you flight goes New York to London to Madrid, you can ask the airline to schedule the “layover” for London for 4 days. That gives you a built in extra vacation destination for the same cost! I’ve found you probably want to call the airline to reserve this kind of flight, as it’s hard or impossible to book online.

25. After you book your flight, call back the next day, within 24 hours, to check if the fare went lower. Most airlines have a policy where you can get a refund or credit if the price goes lower within that timeframe. Also, thanks to the new Department of Transportation rules for airfare bookings, consumers can put fares on hold for up to 24 hours, cancelling or changing the ticket with no penalty.