Great Moments in Travel History – April 2022

by Jesse Sokolow

April, the fourth month of the year in the Gregorian calendar,is commonly associated with spring and rain, as in the saying, “April showers bring May flowers.” The month is also associated with two major religious holidays that result in one of the busiest travel seasons of the year, namely Passover and Easter, although either may occasionally show up in March.
April, or Aprilis in Latin, is the first month of the …

World’s Largest Association of Corporate Travel Managers to Members: Travel in Pajamas to Bring Work-at-Home Culture to Business Travel

by Paul Riegler

ASSHOLMEN, SWEDEN, April 1 — On the opening day of its annual meeting, the American Service Society of Corporate Ambulatory Managers, or ASSCAM, announced the findings of a research report that found that a blending of the work-at-home culture associated with the pandemic with pre-pandemic style travel could be achieved by having travelers wear their pajamas in airports, train stations, airplanes, and trains when going to and from business meetings …

As the Cost of Diesel Fuel Soars, The Cost of Goods and Services Will Follow

by Kurt Stolz

While gas prices in the United States and abroad have been setting new records, it is the price of diesel fuel that is rippling through the global supply chain.
The average cost of a gallon of diesel fuel is currently $5.19 in the United States, up almost 45% from 33.61 in January, according to U.S. government figures.    The current average price per gallon in New York State is $5.55 as of …

Summer Time for 2022 Begins Sunday in a European Union Grappling as New Omicron Variant Surges

by Kurt Stolz

It was just two years ago that Europe changed its clocks in the grip of a great unknown, a new coronavirus that was moving rapidly across the Continent. Today, Europe continues to struggle with the virus amidst yet another wave of infections and, in some countries, a return to pandemic restrictions.
This weekend, clocks in the European Union will change on Sunday at 1 a.m. GMT. At that time, which is 2 …

As Fuel Prices Rise, More Drivers Run on Empty… And Get Stranded

by Paul Riegler
As Fuel Prices Rise, More Drivers Run on Empty… And Get Stranded

Some drivers are letting their cars literally run on fumes amidst higher gas prices.
Gas prices have hit record highs in the United States in the past two weeks, but after sharply increasing they hit a peak on March 11 and have since begun to decline, albeit slightly, except for prices in California, where the price of regular gasoline hit over $6 per gallon in Los Angeles County.
The California Highway Patrol …

Review and Test Drive: 1997 Mercedes-Benz C280 Elegance

by Jonathan Spira

While it seems as if the Mercedes-Benz C-Klasse, or C-Class, has been around forever, it was only introduced in 1993 as a replacement for the so-called “Baby Benz, the 190 range, of which 1.9 million models were sold and which had become somewhat dated in size, styling, and performance
In addition, Daimler-Benz had been focused on refining its high-end models such as the S-Class and SL-Class.  The moniker of “Baby Benz” …

Say Goodbye to Winter: The Spring Equinox is Sunday

by Anna Breuer

Spring has been in the air off and on since early February in many parts of the world.  But the good news is that spring, the season of rebirth and rejuvenation, is finally at our doorstep.  Indeed, the first day of spring is Sunday, March 20 and the equinox occurs at 11:33 a.m. EDT.
While meteorological spring is already upon us, astronomical spring, based on the position of the Earth in …