February Cover Battle It was a battle until the last minute in February as we selected between our Shanghai and Casablanca cover options. Shanghai and its bright red and gold colors, perfectly timed to the Chinese New Year, won us over. What did you think? I loved your February cover selection. It was refreshing to see a cover boasting reds and yellows, as so often classic destination shots do not lend themselves to those bold colors. Plus, it coincided well with the celebratory nature of your anniversary issue. Lana Dickinson, Dallas, Texas Saved by the Union Very belatedly, I am writing to acknowledge the great “Saved by the Union” article in the November 2015 edition of Global Traveler, written by publisher and CEO Francis X. Gallagher. As a life member of The Union League of Philadelphia, I am sure the League appreciated seeing the photos and article about the improvements completed to the golf course and clubhouse facilities at The Union League Club at Torresdale, as well as knowing your magazine hosted its annual Advisory Board meeting there earlier last fall. I always appreciate reading Global Traveler magazine, and I am glad we have a mutual connection as members of The Union League of Philadelphia. Charles Kurz II, Bryn Mawr, Pa. Triple Delight The article entitled “Triple Delight” by Victoria Abbot Riccardi in the February 2016 issue indicates Turkey is the only country in the world to span two continents. Several years ago, my wife and I rode on the Siberian Express from Moscow to Vladivostok. Among the various stops, one was made at the European-Asian demarcation line where we disembarked and indulged in the pastime of placing one foot in Europe and the other in Asia. Consequently, I include Russia as another country that spans two continents. Keith Glickenhaus, via email Hi Keith, Thanks for sharing that story; sounds like a great memory! We’ll be sure to remember the anecdote in the future. Our apologies for the error. — Editor GT Tested As a frequent reader of travel magazines, I find many interesting articles deal with personal experiences, so I enjoy the GT Tested reviews. Has GT ever considered reviewing wedding venues and/or popular honeymoon spots? I know the experience is personal to the couple, but I think it could be interesting to see what a true travel expert thinks of the experiences offered to newlyweds or even couples celebrating milestone anniversaries. Angela Stanford, via email Hi Angela, Glad to hear you enjoy the GT Tested section; while weddings and honeymoons aren’t covered in Global Traveler, we do have a dedicated section on weddings — covering venues, destinations, honeymoons, how-tos and bachelor/bachelorette parties — on our sister publication, trazeetravel.com. If this topic is of interest to you, I recommended visiting the website. — Editor Report Reveals Extensive Dangers of Wildlife Tourism In the Feb. 16 issue of eFlyer USA, we reported on World Animal Protection and the University of Oxford’s Wildlife Conservation Research Unit’s report exploring global wildlife tourism and its effects. The data estimates about 10 percent of all touristic travel partakes in some sort of wildlife tourist attraction annually. We asked: How do you view wildlife tourism? Sadly, I, in years past, participated in wildlife tourism, unaware of the harm it causes not only the individual animals but also a destination’s ecosystem as a whole. Now I steer as clear as possible from these kinds of attractions, though my travel companions don’t always follow my lead. It’s horrible to see how many travelers, particularly tourists who may not travel that often or be as well-informed as Global Traveler’s readers, still enjoy what is essentially a form of torture and abuse. Martin Shields, Chicago, Ill. I have been to several wildlife attractions on my travels, some of which were humane and others which were not so much, when I look back on it. I used to think elephant rides and snake charmers in Asia were harmless, but the truth is simple attractions like those can have a harmful effect on the animals’ welfare. Many of the larger wildlife attractions around the world are even more disturbing, so now when I’m planning a vacation I try to look for organizations committed to animal rights and conservation. There are lots of sanctuaries and zoos around the world that do more than just feed and clean their animals; you just need to do a little research. Susan Bositono, Miami, Fla. In-Flight WiFi Changes on the Horizon In the March 1 issue of eFlyer USA, we reported on a short legal scuffle between American Airlines and in-flight WiFi provider Gogo which led to new changes for passengers fed up with slow, sometimes inoperable, connectivity during flights. We asked: Are you generally pleased or disappointed with your in-flight connectivity? I travel frequently for business, and reliable in-flight WiFi is important to me. There is nothing more frustrating than encountering spotty service while trying to work on board. Reading the eFlyer USA article about American Airlines’ short legal battle with Gogo, I was pleased to hear Gogo is taking steps to improve WiFi across its fleet. I look forward to hearing more about the provider’s overall connectivity improvements. Martha Kelley, Los Angeles, Calif. Just flew on American Airlines, and the Gogo inflight wireless connectivity would not work with my Amazon Kindle Fire HDX tablet. I was also really annoyed business-class passengers were expected to pay $6 to see a movie through Gogo, which should have been included for free. Barry Yoss, M.D., via email