Where digital meets travel + lifestyle … A collection of can’t-miss news from this week. Sign up to get the TURNER Weekly Download in your inbox every Friday.
Air travel – it’s the worst, right? But according to CN Traveler, there are new planes coming off the assembly line that might change the way you travel. The Airbus A220 is going to make coach a lot comfier during domestic flights, with larger seat size and a 2x3 seating layout. Additionally, the Airbus A350-1000 will make the 19-hour Newark-Singapore flight into a (relative) pleasure. It has the lowest twin-engine noise level of any aircraft, full LED mood lighting and cabin air temperature controls. Finally, the Boom Supersonic will fly at just over twice the speed of sound, getting you where you’re going faster than ever.
But maybe no fancy plane can convince you to get back in the air. According to Digital Trends, Volvo has a possible solution. They're envisioning “a future where motorists travel in private, business-class-like pods instead of flying.” The company has been testing out an innovative concept car called 360c that shows how autonomous driving technology could replace many domestic short-haul flights. However, this sort of tech is not right around the corner. “We do not know what the future of autonomous drive will hold, but it will have a profound impact on how people travel, how we design our cities and how we use infrastructure,” said Mårten Levenstam, Volvo’s senior vice president of corporate strategy. “We regard the 360c as a conversation starter, with more ideas and answers to come as we learn more.”
Whether you’re traveling by a supersonic jet or a self-driving travel pod, you want to be comfortable. That means you have to find the perfect travel neck pillow. Fortunately, Travel + Leisure has done the leg (neck?) work for you. The mag has reviewed 17 of the travel pillow options out there with a rigorous methodology (including “Public Shame Potential”). Only one was deemed absolutely perfect: the inflatable AirComfy Ease Travel Pillow, which has the added bonus of only costing $13 on Amazon. Sold!
Beat the crowds – travel during off season. The NY Daily News is heavily in favor. “While there are many obvious benefits to visiting a destination during its peak travel season, and even quite a few perks of visiting during shoulder season, there’s a pretty good argument to be made for only traveling somewhere when tourism is at its lowest point.” Just a few of the advantages include less crowded photos (good for Instagram likes!), more chill airport security and cheaper attractions.
Never mind the red carpet. Check out the best celebrity airport style from this summer.