Social Media Recap-News, Contests, Promos, Trends and More

Social media is increasingly becoming the method airlines, hotels, credit cards and consumers get in touch with one another about the latest news, deals and promotions. Here’s a look at the latest interesting trending topics and more on social media from the week.

I’ll be combing through Facebook posts, Tweets, Instagram pics and more to find the most interesting things going on during any given week, but if I miss something you’d like to discuss feel free to:

-Post on my Facebook wall

-Tweet me @thepointsguy

-Instagram me @thepointsguy

Here are some of the biggest news stories and promotions that everyone has been tweeting about this week.

Twitter-active Tourism Boards: 11 tourism boards are among the best at responding to tweets regarding tourism in their region within a couple hours, tweets @Skift. It's a good way to find out with a relatively quick response time what there is to do in a city/state you are planning to visit. Some of the boards with the quick response time are in Seattle, Melbourne, and Florida.

12 Biggest Travel Pet Peeves: @HuffPostTravel tweets about things that annoy frequent travelers. Some of the items that made the list are repetitive airport announcements about not leaving your baggage unattended, ATM transaction fees in foreign countries, and people stampeding off the plane in a rush.

San Francisco Bay Bridge Recycled As An Airbnb Property: The 76-year-old bridge will soon be demolished as a new suspension bridge is being built to run alongside it, tweets @GuardianTravel. The old bridge will be scrapped and the metal recycled to create a house/community space including an Airbnb apartment for visitors.

Eight Countries That Are Difficult To Enter: Some countries just don't roll out the welcome mat for US travelers, tweets @BudgetTravel. Many times visas can take a long time to process (like my India visa last year!), so check out this list for tips and tricks to make getting to these countries a bit simpler. Some of the countries on the list include China, India, Russia and Brazil.

Amtrak Awards Free Travel For: Amtrak has decided to give some free tickets to writers who want to create while riding on Amtrak, tweets @Frommers. There's no way yet to fill out an application form, so far. Instead, writers are tweeting @Amtrak with the hashtag #AmtrakResidency if interested, and Amtrak's social media team then selects artists and schedules free tickets for them.

Cruise Passengers Sue Carnival For Emotional Trauma: Some Carnival cruise passengers are suing for emotional damages after their boat was stranded in the Gulf Of Mexico last year with no electricity, overflowing toilets and limited food and water. Many are seeking damages ranging from $30,000 to $1 million, saying they still suffer today, tweets @NBCNewsTravel.

Best Travel Tech Gadgets for 2014: Lots of cool technology is now available to help make your travel easier and more fun, tweets @TravlandLeisure. Gadgets such as new, tiny camcorders, the Mophie Space Pack (which doubles the battery life AND the data storage of an iPhone), noise canceling headphones and some cool new cameras are just some of the many new electronics that can enhance your travel experience.

Ways To Save Money While Traveling: @LATimesTravel tweets about saving money during your vacations. Knowing about tipping customs (e.g. in China, tipping is an insult!), making sure to get VAT refunds, and being aware of ATM fees abroad, among others, are all ways to nickel and dime during your trips.

FAA Attempts To Decrease Pilot Errors: The Federal Aviation Administration wants to ensure pilots have safeguards in place in case airspeed falls too low, especially during landing approaches in Boeing 737 planes. These cockpit automation fixes will be there in case pilots make errors, tweets @Skift.

CNN's Top Picks For Best Airlines For Business Class: CNN compiles a list of their top 10 choices for best airlines for business class. Some of the their picks include Singapore Airlines, as they have the world's widest seat, Oman for amazing service, and Qatar, as they have some of the top wine selections.

Win A European Adventure Vacation From Skype: Win a 2-week trip to Europe for two, including stops in Athens, Barcelona, Istanbul, Milan and Montpellier, plus a Surface Pro 2 and Nokia Lumia 1020. Simply fill out this online form and then login to your Skype account. Enter by March 23rd, 2014.

Win A Weekend For Two In France: You could win a trip for two to France to visit Champagne, courtesy of Moët & Chandon to celebrate their 2014 Rosé Impérial Collection. To win the contest, you must create your own individual take on the famous Moët & Chandon label black tie by taking a picture of a black tie, posting your photos on the Facebook site, and asking your friends to vote for your photo. All entries must be received by 10 am Paris Time on March 7, 2014.

Win A Trip To Europe: Expedia is sponsoring a contest where you can win a prize trip to Europe. The grand prize includes a vacation for 2 people to the winner's choice of France, Greece, or Italy with roundtrip airfare and hotel for 5 nights and a $500 cash card for winner to use. Following this a first prize winner will win an opportunity to see a special film screening of Mr. Peabody & Sherman in the winner's city of residence with up to 100 friends and family. You have until 12:00 am EST on April 9, 2014 to apply.
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