According to The New York Times travel section, Spring Break is not just for college students anymore. Student travel agencies, such as STA Travel, StudentUniverse and StudentCity, may not openly target older travelers, but they do not discriminate when it comes to age. This has been a long-kept secret for years, but now certain agencies, such as STA Travel, have started actively promoting their “flights for everyone” campaign, featuring round-trip flights from New York to Sydney for as low as $798. In addition to low airfare, some of the best deals can be found in the form of package or group tours.

This is something only the budget traveler should keep in mind, as booking a package trip might place you right in the heart of the college Spring Break action. For cheaper airfare, however, it might be worth checking out.

– Courtney Centeno, account executive

Today, during the first leg of my trip to Europe, I witnessed several instances of one of the things I love about travel. No, it wasn’t an amazing new vista or historical site (though I did have several gorgeous views of Cascade mountain peaks as I flew north from Medford, Ore., to Seattle). It wasn’t a charming street scene or a meeting of two diverse cultures (though I love those, too). Instead, I saw strangers with nothing more apparently in common than that both were travelers, sharing stories of their journeys and experiences with each other.

I was one of those individuals, in an exchange in the Portland International Airport between flights. I had just fielded a call from my sister Julie, and my side of the conversation included references to London and Venice. When the call ended, a pleasant young woman seated across from me asked if I was going to Venice. Her face lit up when I said I was, and she eagerly shared what a beautiful, strange, wonderful place it is. She told me of a lovely small church near Piazza San Marco where Vivaldi had worked and his music performed. She raved about the fantastic acoustics and the concert she had attended there. (A little research revealed the name of the church, Santa Maria della Visitazone, known generally as La Pieta.) We shared a few stories about London, and then went on our separate ways, wishing each other a good journey. It was just the sort of personal tidbit I’ve been keeping an ear out for since I knew this trip was in the works — another traveler’s enthusiastic recommendation based on a positive experience in a new place.

Later, at SeaTac Airport, I overheard a conversation between two women who began sharing their separate experiences in Australia. I saw how both became animated as they recalled highlights of obviously happy and exciting trips. Still later in the evening, as I sat at a restaurant, I observed two sets of diners at adjoining tables bridge the gap between them as they swapped stories of their just-completed Alaska cruises.

In all of these cases, I saw again how those who love to travel also love to share their experiences with others. Surely part of that willingness is a chance to relive these vibrant events, but I also sense a generosity and camaraderie. They are eager to offer helpful information and steer their fellow globe trotters towards the best the world has to offer. It reminds me how much is wonderful and good out there to be enjoyed and shared with others who love to see what’s just beyond the horizon.

 Happy travels!

–Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader 

It’s here. No warning, no heads up. The heat has arrived in New York City. It’s really remarkable — it’s as if everyone has forgotten that, just a few days ago, they were donning turtlenecks and winter coats. Now, it’s bikinis in Central Park and no signs of spring — just summer.

One reason I like living in the Northeast is the fact we have four solid seasons, and usually the transition into each season is often the most enjoyable part. However, this year spring has sprung right over us. Summer is not my favorite season in NYC, mostly due to the humidity, but I have to admit it is nice to see the sun and people enjoying the outdoors.

In my travels, I’ve seen many different types of climates. In Southeast Asia, for example, the climate ranges from hot to hotter. Even locals I know in Singapore and Malaysia claim to never get used to the heat. On the extreme opposite, friends in Stockholm always seem shocked when the first snowfall hits. In fact, one year when I was visiting, the subways had technical issues due to the cold during the first snow. It was as if it was the first time they’ve seen cold in the region. Maybe they forgot about their history of long winters!

Bottom line, of the four different seasons, I’ve learned I’m a winter girl through and through. I try to avoid the heat. However, I wouldn’t mind spending some time in the sun if, say, I was in the Maldives or perhaps Bali for a few days. Where would you enjoy finding time in the sun?

-Alex Young, vice president and associate publisher

It has been a whirlwind week as I came back from a trip to Europe and immediately turned around for a trip to Los Angeles - talk about burning the candle at both ends. The trip was a star-studded event as I was able to fly on Qantas Airways’ Airbus A380 (the largest passenger jet airliner in the world) and play a hole with Tiger Woods at Trump National in Los Angeles.

The A380 was impressive. I was part of a VIP flight from LAX to San Francisco which turned around after buzzing the Golden Gate Bridge at 8,000 feet. The entire flight lasted about two hours and offered the 150 invited guests a chance to tour all four classes of service - first, business, premium economy and economy. The plane is massive with its double decker design. First, business and premium economy are on the top floor with the bottom floor devoted to economy.

Pilot and actor John Travolta was on hand for the flight and the press conference, as was Olivia Newton John, who flew over on the A380’s maiden voyage from Melbourne to join the festivities. The flight offered a chance for close one-on-one time with both celebrities - nice chatting and how do you dos. They both seem to be warm and friendly people.

In case you did not know, Travolta is a real pilot trained by Qantas and ranked to fly the B747-400. He is training on the A380 as well and he was all decked out in his Qantas uniform. Olivia was in a flight attendant uniform. Travolta also owns a B707 in the Qantas colors. Qantas maintains the plane in exchange for appearances, flight training and such - it all seems like a mutually beneficial arrangement.

During the press conference, I asked the final question to John Travolta. “John, how does the A380 first class compare to the configuration of your own 707?” He replied, “That’s a personal question!” and the audience roared with laughter. Geoff Dixon, Qantas CEO, added, “I know that we do not have double beds.” More laughter!

It was a great event and a wonderful plane, one that runs so silently and lifts off without any effort at all. The plane is more economical and it has a quoted per-mile, per-passenger fuel consumption that shows the behemoth does not drink great quantities of fuel.

I’ll save Tiger Woods for next week!

-Fran Gallagher, publisher and CEO

I stumbled upon a list of “The Best Places You’ve Never Heard Of” on the travel section of MSNBC’s Web site and I thought I would share the list with you. Maybe you have heard of these places, maybe you have been to these places, maybe you need some suggestions for your next destination - whatever the case, I thought I would indulge you all with a list of hidden gems.

• Willunga, Australia - a great spot for red wines, the Willunga Farmers Market and Russell’s Pizza, this destination is an hour south of Adelaide
• Chapada Dos Veadeiros, Brazil - a 253-square-mile national park with large quartz reserves
• Graskop, South Africa - a small, artsy community about four hours from Johannesburg
• Weymouth, England - great for divers and sunseekers, a cobblestone street English town
• Purnululu National Park, Australia - also known as the “Bungle, Bungle”, great for hiking beautiful, eroded sandstone domes
• Bergerac, France - great wine, food and shopping
• Gaziantep, Turkey - applauded for its food, particularly its baklava
• Moravsky Krumlov, Czech Republic - local castle is great for sightseeing and the town has a classical, romantic feel
• Wilson, United States - located in Kansas, the state park is renowned for its biking
• Tanabe, Japan - forested, hot springs and great hiking

The article first appeared in “Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel Magazine“. Each location was selected by a world traveler and the destinations are unique and special to these people, which gives the piece an interesting perspective. The article, published in the Sept. 2008 issue, offers transportation and lodging tips as well. For more information on any of these locations, read the article here.

And, if you have been to any of the places listed above, let us know what you think about them! What destinations would you add to a list of “the best places you’ve never heard of”?

-Kimberly Krol, circulation and PR executive, eFlyer editor (GO PHILS!)