We’re always looking to find you tools that make your travel life easier because let’s face it… flying isn’t what it used to be. The only thing left for airlines to charge travelers is for their weight and it doesn’t appear that’s far off.

I came across a service called SeatGuru while reading this article in the LA Times and felt it worthwhile to share.

SeatGuru by TripAdvisor is an online destination that compiles information such as airplane seating arrangements, in-flight amenities, and airline information layed out in a clean, albeit blasé, site. You’ll be able to instantly find out what the best seats are, if you’ll have a powerport for your laptop and other tidbits of information that make flying that much easier. It’s all arranged by airline in alphabetical order.

Best part is it’s completely free.

Cost: Free @ SeatGuru

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I’m from the South, not the Deep South, but the South… Ok, maybe just below the Mason Dixon line, but I lived there long enough to have an appreciation for good barbecue, sweet tea, and firearms. Fortunately for me, I can get barbecue and sweet tea in the area. But it’s harder to find a good place to target shoot. In NYC, you can’t just go to your friends’ back yard and shoot 22s at tin cans. Probably more so because it’s harder to find an actual back yard. This is where Manhattan Shooting Excursions can help. But before you call the FBI, and tell them a dark-skinned bearded man is talking about guns online, I have to say this is all legit. Really.

Manhattan Shooting Excursions organizes safe shooting events for corporations, clubs, and individuals in the New York City area. They focus on providing a safe and fun environment where you can learn the shooting sports. And no, they don’t do events in any of the five boroughs, but they do provide transportation to their ranges upstate, in New Jersey, and in Pennsylvania. Their credentials include:

• Licensed in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut
• Certified to instruct 11 shooting disciplines, 5 since 1986
• Instructor Training Certified since 2000
• NYS Armed Guard Certified
• NYS Hunter Training Instructor since 1993

They offer open excursions that teach various techniques and use a wide range of arms. They recently held an event where participants learned to shoot and reload from cover and on the move, using several 9MM carbines and 12 gauge shotguns. If that doesn’t suit you, they also offer events in handguns, trap and skeet, civil war arms, and cowboy action arms.

What this means to you: You can learn a fun new sport with out attracting the attention of the NYPD.

Cost: varies from $235 -$1000 @ Elite Shooters

Look around you. Where are you sitting? Are you behind a desk? Are the half toned walls of your office your scenery? The whirr of your computer and clacking of keys the soundtrack to your Friday afternoon?

That. Is. Miserable.

You’re looking at the Hotel Salto Chico nestled in the heart of Torres Del Paine National Park, a 598,000 acre heaven in Patagonia, Chile. I need not say much more than point you back at the image to your right to demonstrate to you what scenery you’ll find in Patagonia. Soundtrack? You can already hear water rushing over the cascades, wind flowing past the granite peaks and your muffled laughter as you realize you’re standing at 51º07’ south latitude and 73º10’ west longitude - quite possibly the most beautiful place on earth. Patagonia.

If you can’t find enough comfort in the nature around you then know that an indoor heated pool, sauna, open-air jacuzzis, luxurious suites, full bar service, Chilean wines and King crab are just a step away. Don’t waste your time with that though; explore Glacier de Grey by foot, take in Rio Serrano on horseback or boat to Laguna Azul. Hell, do all three, take pictures and make your friends utterly jealous.

Cost: $3060+ @ Explora (Single - 4 Nights)

We’ve got two free passes to The Johnson Club Room to giveaway to GP readers. Details on how to win them at the end of Marc’s review.

There are few places more enjoyable than a cigar lounge. The sweet aroma of tobacco, the soothing jazz carrying throughout, and your hand alternating between your cigar and scotch of choice (neat of course)… are bar none.

If you live in New York City or have visited any of NY’s many cigar lounges, you most likely envisioned all that the Johnson Club Room at Nat Sherman embodies. The Johnson Club Room is the quintessential New York cigar lounge and here’s why…

Read Marc’s full review and additional images after the jump.

Read the rest of this entry »

Take my advice: Lock your bags when you travel. My luggage has shown up before with things missing and honestly the battle to figure out how to recover those items has never been worth the effort. Not to mention, it’s just good practice.

Whether you’re a casual traveler, backpacker, or call Delta Terminal 5 your second home, security matters. At first glance you might not think much of the Victorinox Swiss Army Travel Sentry Cable Lock but it’s equipped with so much more. First, it uses a cable (not a latch) to secure your gear. The cable is much more versatile providing you some flexibility and never compromising on security.

What this means to you: No, you don’t need one on your briefcase or attache, but if you’ve got three pieces of luggage, what’s 50 bucks to ensure peace of mind.

Cost: $15 @ Amazon

If you jetset of your job requires a lot of travel then the oasis of an airport VIP lounge is a welcome sight. It’s a place for you to escape the chaos of cancellations and flight delays not to mention crying babies, morbidly obese flyers and obnoxious blackberry users who think everyone they talk to is hard of hearing.

There are a lot of VIP rooms based on airline, airport or location and the last thing you want to do with your busy schedule is manage which lounges you have access to. Enter the Priority Pass. It’s a membership that grants you access to 500 VIP lounges in more than 90 countries and 275 cities. It guarantees you access regardless of the class or airline you use. The world of complimentary refreshment, snacks, internet access, quiet phone space and leisure facilities is now yours - on the cheap.

What this means to you: I don’t fly first class, I think it’s a waste of money unless it’s on the company’s dime. That said, I’ve somewhat opined the use of lounges normally reserved for frequent flyers and first or business class passengers. Now, the perks of VIP lounges is mine and I didn’t pay a grand more for my connecting flight from Chicago to New York.

Standard Membership: $99 @ Priority Pass
Standard Plus Membership: $249 Priority Pass
Prestige Membership: $300 Priority Pass