Thursday, August 9, 2012

CNNGo.com

CNNGo.com

American Airlines offers baggage home-delivery service

Posted: 08 Aug 2012 10:49 PM PDT

by Hiufu Wong

Landing often gives the illusion that your flight is finally over ... until you remember the long wait at baggage claim.

Now American Airlines is out to sweeten the bitter end of many trips.

This week, the U.S. carrier introduced a new baggage delivery service in conjunction with U.S.-based VIP Luggage Delivery.

Passengers' luggage can be sent directly to a requested address upon arrival.

Bags are delivered within four hours of a flight's actual arrival or scheduled arrival time, whichever is later.

read more

Welcome to the plastic surgery capital of the world

Posted: 08 Aug 2012 06:34 PM PDT

by Violet Kim

When I enter JK Plastic Surgery Clinic in Seoul's "beauty belt," the strip of plastic surgery clinics in the Gangnam district, a pretty receptionist greets me.

I can't help but look at her doll-like features and wonder if she, too, has gone under the knife.

Statistically, it's not out of the question.

According to a report from The Economist Online, a 2009 Trend Monitor survey says that one in five Korean women have had plastic surgery.

In a luxuriously decorated room at the clinic, I speak to "Lucy," a 27-year-old graduate student of education from Beijing. We talk through an in-hospital translator.

Lucy has come to get her face done, but she isn't quite sure what yet.

read more

Never off the grid: Smartphone rental for tourists in Hong Kong

Posted: 08 Aug 2012 03:10 PM PDT

by Zoe Li, Hong Kong Editor

There's no way to get away anymore -- travelers to Hong Kong can now rent smartphones at the airport arrivals hall for HK$88 (about US$11.3) a day with unlimited 3G Internet access.

The fee also includes unlimited local and overseas call time to 17 countries.

The 3G service covers Macau as well, although you can't make free international calls from there.

Dubbed "Handy," the rental service that launched last week is an alternative option to paying data roaming fees to your home service provider. 

"From now on, prepaid SIM cards, paper maps, coupons, frenzied searches for Wi-Fi hot spots and physical guidebooks should be things of the past for tourists," said Terence Kwok, founder of Tink Labs, the company offering Handy.

read more

Cool and cultured: 5 arty Tokyo chill-outs

Posted: 08 Aug 2012 03:00 PM PDT

by Andrew Pothecary

We've said it before -- there's no escaping the fact that a Tokyo summer can be HOT.

Weeks of 35 C and above, saturation humidity and slump-under-the-energy-hungry air-con hot.

Generally, uncool.

But we can't sit by the cooler all summer, especially if there isn't the juice to go round. Power outages are a real concern again in this second post-Fukushima summer.

With that in mind, we heartily recommend boosting your culture quotient while chilling out at these galleries, museums and art exhibits, all guaranteed to frame summer in an entirely more-favorable -- and more comfortable -- light.

read more

London's gold medal calorific meals

Posted: 08 Aug 2012 11:10 AM PDT

by Joe Minihane

Healthy athletic types are inescapable in London right now.

Fresh-faced folks in gaudy official tracksuits swanning around Olympic venues, each with the kind of glow only conferred on those who spend their days working out and eating meals designed by sports nutritionists.

But you've come to London to watch the games, not take part in them.

So you can chow down on whatever you fancy.

Fortunately, London is full of places to grab delicious, unhealthy treats.

read more
at 9:50 AM