The Online Airfare Maze Gets Tougher, But Not Impossible

Monday, January 31st, 2011

With online travel sites battling with some airlines, where does that leave travelers shopping for flights online? The simple answer is that they’re going to have to do more digging.

Aircraft at Newark Liberty International Airport. American and Delta have removed flight listings from a range of Web sites.

Airlines are pulling their fares from travel Web sites amid a standoff over the fees that carriers pay to list their flights.

American Airlines removed its flight listings from Orbitz.com last month, when the companies could not agree on a new contract, and Delta withdrew its fares from CheapoAir.com, OneTravel.com and Bookit.com. More recently, Expedia.com dropped American flight listings. Delta has also notified Airfare.com, CheapAir.com, Vegas.com, AirGorilla.com and Globester.com that it will no longer allow its fares to be included on their Web sites in the United States and Canada after Friday.

The moves represent a standoff over the fees that airlines must pay to list their flights with online travel agencies. And at least one major fare distributor, Sabre, which runs a computer system that allows travel agents to see flight and fare information, joined the fray on Wednesday, announcing that it would end its distribution deal with American in August — a month before the end of its contract — and, in the meantime, would make American fares harder to see in its displays.

But American and Delta are not the only airlines becoming more selective about where their fares appear online. JetBlue, Virgin America and Spirit have increasingly been offering special fare sales only through their own Web sites. And some low-cost carriers, including Southwest and Allegiant Air, have long refused to list fares at online agencies or fare aggregators like Kayak.com, requiring travelers to visit the airlines’ own Web sites to see their flights.

So what’s the best way to search for fares now? Currently, there is no one-stop shopping site that includes all fares, but it is possible to cover your bases using only a few sites.

Start with ITA Software, which provides the technological backbone for many air fare shopping sites. It offers an easy way to narrow down the cheapest days to fly by allowing anyone to scan an entire month’s worth of fares for the cheapest rate. Click on “search airfares now” in the middle of the home page, then enter your departure date and destination and select “see calendar of lowest fares” to see which travel days yield the lowest rates. Travelers can also narrow searches by the number of stops and length of trip. But to book the actual ticket, users must go to another site, like the airline’s.

Cover your bases by adding a so-called meta-search site like Kayak.com, Fly.com or Farecompare.com, which don’t sell plane tickets but search hundreds of travel sites at once. Doing this will give you an idea of the best rates available from various sites. Each meta-search site configures its technology and accesses fares slightly differently, which can affect results. The sites also tend to differentiate themselves through special partnerships. Kayak.com, for example, receives fares from ITA Software; Amadeus, a global distribution system; and some airlines directly, including American and Delta. FareCompare licenses air fare data from more than 500 airlines via the Airline Tariff Publishing Company, which consolidates and distributes airline fares worldwide.

Before you hit the buy button, check out Airfarewatchdog.com, a site with actual people who manually search for fares and will sometimes uncover cheaper fares than the other sites. It often captures sales from Allegiant and Southwest, as well as special, last-minute fares that airlines often save for their own Web sites, like “JetBlue Cheeps” which are put on sale on Tuesdays via Twitter and listed only at jetblue.com/cheeps.

For trips to Europe, consider Momondo.com, a Danish travel search site that scours the airlines’ own Web sites as well as online agencies that focus on low-cost regional carriers, like LyddAir. It also compares rates with more than 4,000 high-speed train routes across Europe — a valuable service, as trains are often more convenient in Europe than planes. One caveat: Because of the way Momondo pulls fares, it may show expired fares in its results.

To help evaluate prices, consider Bing.com, which offers a Price Predictor that uses algorithms to determine whether a fare is likely to rise or fall in the next seven days; this can help when trying to decide whether to buy now or wait for a better rate. Students can also consult STATravel.com or StudentUniverse.com, which offer special deals for anyone enrolled in college or graduate school.

And for those who care most about the quality of the flight experience, there are a couple of notable mentions. Rather than a long list of fares, Hipmunk.com sorts fares according to an “agony” index that factors in price, length of flight and number of connections. In a similar vein, InsideTrip.com, evaluates flights by 11 criteria, including legroom, aircraft age and on-time performance.

Tags: airfare, Bookit.com, CheapoAir.com, Expedia.com, Fly.com, Kayak.com, OneTravel.com, online booking, Orbitz.com
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Brrr..Don’t let cold snap the bite out of your scenic winter photos

Tuesday, January 18th, 2011

-a guideline to taking pictures in an outdoor cold setting…compliments of Barry Asman: AJ’s resident paraprofessional photographer-at-large:

Whether you’re joining us on our Winter trip to Alaska or just taking pictures in your neighborhood this winter, cold weather photography can be some of the most exhilirating shots you ever take, but these shots present some challenges. These revolve mainly around the weather and climate we will be enjoying. What comes to mind initially is the temperature that we will be experiencing. Our winter temperatures will be COLD, sometimes well below ZERO! This extreme cold will produce some interesting camera problems. Preparing to take pictures in Alaska can be divided into two categories: 1) taking care of your camera and 2) taking care of yourself.

First, most important and most basic, is to take care of yourself. This means staying warm, especially keeping your hands warm. As you are anticipating, the key here are gloves. What we recommend is to bring a pair of regular warm gloves, and also a special pair of “fingerless” gloves so that you have the dexterity to operate a camera in the cold. There are several types of these “fingerless” gloves to use. Our best suggestion is to go to a sporting goods store (or on line) and head to the hunting section. Hunters use these gloves all the time. Here is an example of some gloves: http://www.rei.com/product/305045

Now, let’s talk photography! There are two issues that make photography in the cold interesting; power and water.

First there is the issue of power (batteries). The thing to remember is that in cold temperatures, battery power goes down quickly. There is an easy solution to this; carry extra batteries. If your camera uses regular batteries, just pop a couple of extra sets in your coat, close to your body (to keep them warm). When the set in your camera gets cold and stops working, just change them out for a “body warmed” set (the cold set will come alive when warmed up again.) If your camera takes only proprietary rechargeable batteries, go to the camera store (or order) a second battery. Keep one warm while you shoot with the other; then just swap them out. Easy enough!

Now, let’s talk about water…condensation. Here’s the problem… If you’ve been outside for a while in the cold air, then go inside the warm house; what’s the first thing that happens? Your glasses fog up. This occurs when your cold glasses hit the warm air. The same thing will happen to your camera. If you take your cold camera onto the warm hotel, the camera will instantly form condensation (water droplets) not only on the camera, but also inside the camera. Remember, water and electronics are not happy together, i.e. your camera’s guts will “fry”. Believe us, we’ve seen very expensive cameras with puddles of water sloshing around INSIDE the camera from condensation.

Preventing condensation on your camera is very important and not too difficult. Here’s the solution: While your camera is still Alaska cold, put it in a sealable plastic bag, and seal it tightly. Leave it in the sealed bag until, once back inside the hotel, the camera slowly warms back up to room temperature. Problem solved! (Going from warm to cold should not be a problem, only cold to warm.) You can actually throw a couple of those Silica Gel desiccant packs (the kind that comes with your new shoes to keep them dry) in your camera bag and the plastic bag for added protection. While some of the above advice may be overkill, its going to be cold and you can never be too prepared.

Some people have asked about bringing a tripod. Granted, to get good pictures of the Aurora Borealis you should use a tripod. But, that means you have to carry the tripod. If you want to get a good travel tripod, you can pick one up that folds small and weighs three pounds (and some may cost up to $600). The typical non-travel tripod from Best Buy weighs 5-7 pounds and is two feet long (folded)…trust me; you will NOT want to be carrying that thing around. Another option is to get a small, light flexible mount (http://joby.com/gorillapod) and hope there is something convenient to clamp it to. There are even Bean Bag camera mounts that are fairly light and easy to use; assuming there is some place to rest it. The decision is yours to make. Take a look at what is out there and go with it.

My final words of wisdom:

*Take plenty of Memory Cards

*Take plenty of Batteries and appropriately sized sealable baggies (see above)

*If you’re going to get a new camera for the trip, get it now and learn how to use it now (don’t wait to open the box on the plane on the way to Alaska!) Practice using your camera and all of its settings. Being familiar with your camera will pay off in improved pictures.

1…2…3…EXCELLENT!

Happy Shooting!

Tags: camera, cold weather, condensation, gloves, photography, tripod, warm, Winter
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Ala Carte Pricing Coming to Cruises?

Friday, October 22nd, 2010

Over the past several years, cruise lines have been slowly adding in ala carte pricing for even the most basic items. First, the cruise lines added charges for sodas in the dining room, once considered to be part of the cruise’s “all-inclusive” pricing. Then they added upscale dining options at specialty restaurants with fees of $10 – $35. Next there were ice cream and coffee bars with more and better tasting choices, charges for freshly squeezed orange juice and fees for after hours room service deliveries. The all-inclusive pricing structure of a cruise are nearly gone. Don’t get me wrong, the value associated with cruise ship travel still gives you “the most bang for your buck” however, it is clearly not an “all-inclusive” price anymore.

Carnival Cruise Lines last week announced its most recent addition to the cost of a cruise. They are “testing” the concept charging an extra $18 for steak or lobster entrees in the regular dining rooms on three of its big cruise ships. Royal Caribbean began charging for upgraded steak selections in their main dining rooms several months ago. This is a trend that has begun and I suspect will be picked up by every major mass-market cruise line, as always happens when one segment of the industry finds a way to make additional income.

According to Ed Perkins in his article, “Ala Carte Pricing Coming to Cruises,” he says, For most of their modern existence, cruise lines have touted “inclusive” pricing as a major advantage over most vacation alternatives. With the exception of tipping—and usually alcoholic beverages—once you bought into the cruise, you really didn’t have to spend anything extra for the duration. Of course, you paid extra for port excursions and some specialty recreation activities, but those were strictly options. Meals, snacks, regular beverages, entertainment, and most onboard activities were “free” once you got onboard.

What’s changing? Basically, the way you buy cruises is changing. An executive at a travel company was recently quoted as saying that, with the giant online travel agencies, the travel industry has created a business model “specifically designed to bring our prices down” as much as possible. Those various agencies and their search engines permit instant price comparisons among essentially all the suppliers in any given marketplace. They don’t just facilitate, they emphasize searches for the “lowest” price or fare.

The big airlines recognized this new marketing reality a few years ago: That showing up as the “lowest” option in any search is a huge competitive advantage. In response, most have started to charge extra for many of the facilities and services that were once bundled into the fare, primarily so they could keep that base fare figure as low as possible. In fact, their behavior clearly shows that, absent diligent government oversight, they would engage in wholesale price-splitting: Carving out an arbitrary portion of the real fare, giving it a plausible label—think “fuel surcharge” here—and excluding it from the base fare display. This “lowest fare” focus is especially important with airlines, because you, the consumers, have shown that low fares easily trump any minor product differences.

My take is that the mass-market cruise lines are facing the same sort of problem. With the advent of modern megaships, product differentiation is decreasing. More and more, you will buy a cruise on the basis of an online search, for example, for the line and ship with the best price for a balcony cabin from South Florida to the Caribbean in March. Like the coach/economy airline seat, the mass-market cruise cabin will become a commodity.

Clearly, if I’m right, cruise lines will chip away at their total service packages by adding extra charges for food, beverages, and activities. How fast they will chip depends on market response. But the ability to come out “lowest” in any sort of price comparison is far too important for any mass-market line to ignore. If the only way to show lowest in a search is to charge extra for what used to be “free,” they’ll charge extra.

What are your thoughts on a la carte pricing coming to cruises? Will you continue to cruise? Do you still think it offers value for your vacation dollar above land-based vacations? Share your thoughts by adding a comment below.

Tags: Cruise, travel pricing
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What’s in your wallet??

Monday, September 20th, 2010

The state of credit card security is a continuing battle between card issuers and criminals who steal account numbers, with consumers caught in the fray. Whether travelers are more likely to become victims of credit card fraud is debatable, but we’re certainly more likely to get tripped up by efforts to combat fraud, especially overseas.

Here are some things to watch out for if you plan on paying with plastic, which isn’t quite as widely accepted as the ad campaigns for credit cards would have you believe.

Avoiding a Freeze on Your Account – Be sure to call your credit card company before a trip to a foreign country, so your purchases in Bangkok or Barcelona don’t trigger a freeze on your account. Banks rely on antifraud software that monitors customers’ spending patterns, which means that any time you stray from your usual habits — like buying groceries in another state instead of at a store in your home ZIP code — your bank might become concerned. Overseas, it can be a hassle to unfreeze a card, especially if you don’t have a cellphone with international service.

Rejection of Cards Abroad – For globe-trotting travelers, another issue is that many countries in Europe, as well as Japan, Canada, Mexico and other nations, have adopted a type of credit card that has a chip and requires customers to enter a PIN instead of the ones with a magnetic stripe on the back that we still use in the United States. Merchants that accept Visa, MasterCard and American Express are supposed to let customers pay with either type of card, but employees at some retailers outside the United States don’t always know what to do with the magnetic version.

There are also automated kiosks that accept only the “chip and PIN” cards, particularly in European train stations, parking garages, gas stations and some tollbooths. In those cases, Americans with magnetic stripe cards usually have to wait in line to pay with cash or have a clerk swipe their cards. Travelers say those lines can be long, which is especially frustrating if you’re trying to catch a train. And at unattended tollbooths, you may get stuck if you don’t have coins you can pay with instead.

So how common is this problem? Research found that nearly half of American cardholders who have traveled abroad in the past few years have had some problem using a debit or credit card.

Chip Cards in the United States? The cost of issuing new cards is a hurdle, especially given the banking industry’s other financial challenges, so don’t expect to see a lot of movement before the end of 2011.”

There is one financial institution that is moving more quickly, however: the United Nations Federal Credit Union, which plans to offer its members credit cards with both a magnetic stripe and a chip beginning in October. With Canada and Mexico now embracing chip and PIN cards, along with Europe and many other parts of the world, it was time to make the switch. Another motivation is that the chip and PIN cards are more secure because there is a unique key encrypted in every card, whereas magnetic stripe cards are relatively easy to clone — that is, to steal the data and copy it onto another card.

The trend seems to be that more fraud is coming to the U.S. because we’re the one last holdout in magnetic stripe cards, however despite that concern, the major credit card companies do not have imminent plans to offer chip and PIN cards to their American customers, even though they provide them to cardholders abroad.

American Express said that while the company doesn’t plan to add the chip technology to cards issued in the United States customers should be able to use their magnetic stripe cards abroad, even if a clerk tells them they cannot. Your best advice here is that you should insist that they swipe the card.

Of course, communicating with store employees who may not speak English isn’t always easy, which is why carrying plenty of cash is a good backup, especially in rural areas and developing countries.

Tags: chip and PIN, credit card, freeze, traveling abroad
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Travel Scams to Avoid

Tuesday, September 14th, 2010

One of the unexpected spinoffs of Michael’s Jackson death was a whole new take on an age-old travel scam: selling counterfeit or nonexistent tickets to unsuspecting people traveling from out of town to attend an event. With 1.6 million people applying for 17,500 seats to a bona fide “once in a lifetime” experience there were bound to be scams, including scalpers hawking free memorial service tickets for thousands of dollars each on Craigslist and eBay-before the online sales sites cracked down on the blatant exploitation.

Entertainment and sports events are a natural attraction for scam artists. Anyone is potential victim, but out-of-towners are especially vulnerable. Each year comes fresh tales of people traveling thousands of miles to attend an event only to discover that their package tour didn’t include tickets or that the tickets they paid for by sending cash or money orders never really existed. Want to avoid becoming a travel scam victim on your next trip? Follow these tips:

Hotel Room ID Theft – Crafty crooks have learned that one of the easiest places to harvest data necessary to steal someone’s identity is a hotel room. Never leave anything lying around that may contain personal information. Just like any other valuable (passport, cash, jewelry, etc) lock those documents in the room safe or your luggage.

Unscrupulous Parking Valets– From pocketing small change to pilfering laptops and jewelry, parking valets at hotels, restaurants and other establishments can have very sticky fingers. They’ve also been known to park cars in red zones and other street areas subject to tickets or towing. Always stash your valuables in the trunk or take them with you. And if it’s not obvious your vehicle is headed straight into a garage, ask where it’s being parked before you hand over the keys.

Knockoffs that knock you off – Counterfeit Gucci bags or Michael Bolton CDs may not be harmful to your health (well, Bolton might be), but a growing number of counterfeit products could be. Among the cheap but dangerous fakes being offered gullible travelers are drugs laced with everything from motor oil to paint, electronics that can explode or catch fire, and phony luxury brand shampoo and perfumes full of bacteria. And that doesn’t even get into the whole topic of the fines that are now being levied on travelers for trying to sneak counterfeit items back into their home countries.

Crafty Money Changers – Money changing scams can range from minor annoyances like inflated airport commissions and lousy hotel rates to more serious troubles like receiving wads of banknotes that are no longer in circulation or money changers who literally take your money and run. The lines might be a little bit longer, but good old-fashioned banks often offer the best rates and the safest ambience….although one could argue that ATM fees and debit card currency exchange fees are yet another twist on this travel scam.

Tags: Identity Theft, Travel Scams
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Invasion of the Body Scanners – coming to an airport near you

Wednesday, August 25th, 2010

There has been growing opposition to full body scanners at airports including warnings from medical experts that the machines may be more dangerous to passengers’ health than initially thought. A scientist from the center for radiological research at New York’s Columbia University, has been quoted by a number of media outlets questioning whether the machines may pose a skin cancer risk, especially in children.

The European Commission issued a report in June saying scientific assessment of potential health risks is needed before the machines are deployed there, though individual countries are free to decide whether or not to use them. The report also said the machines “bring a serious risk of fragmenting fundamental rights of EU citizens.” In Dubai, security officials said the machines would not be used because of concerns about personal privacy and because health risks are unknown.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office has also raised questions about whether the machines can even detect explosives or other dangerous people might hide. At the same time the International Air Transport Association, which represents 250 airlines around the world including most major U.S. carriers, has questioned how body scanners fit into a comprehensive security plan. The machines are in place at 133 U.S. airports and TSA has plans to install more.

Below are answers to some questions with a TSA spokesperson:

Which airports have the full body scanners? There are 133 airports where millimeter wave machines have been deployed. Visit the TSA website to learn more.

Which airports are planning to get the devices? While the exact times and locations where the scanners will be received have not been disclosed at the current time, the U.S. government is working to equip airports around the country with the machines.

Will everybody be scanned, or only certain individuals? This screening option is completely voluntary to all passengers.

Can you decline a full body scan? Yes, for now, but you must submit to a full body pat-down.

Do they save the scanned images? There is no storage capability. No cameras, cellular telephones, or any device capable of capturing an image is permitted in the remotely-located resolution room. Use of such a device is a terminable offense.

Are they harmful for any individuals? Two types of scanners currently exist: the millimeter wave scanner and the backscatter scanner. “Millimeter wave technology” bounces harmless electromagnetic waves off the human body to create a black and white image. The energy emitted by millimeter wave technology is 10,000 times less than what is permitted for a cell phone. “Backscatter technology” projects an ionizing X-ray beam over the body surface at high speed. The reflection, or backscatter, of the beam is detected, digitized and displayed on a monitor. Each scan produces less than 10 microrem of emission, equivalent to the exposure each person receives in about two minutes on an airplane flight at altitude.

Who sees the images? Passenger privacy is ensured through the anonymity of the image. The transportation security officer attending the passenger cannot view the image, and the remotely-located officer who views the image cannot physically see the passenger. Images are not stored, transmitted or printed and are deleted immediately once viewed by the remotely-located officer.

Just how much is revealed in the full body scan? A privacy algorithm blurs facial features.

How long do the scans take? Screening takes approximately 15 seconds, while the scanning time is just a few seconds. The remotely located security officer who interprets the image takes approximately 12 seconds to do so. It takes a passenger with a joint replacement about 15 seconds to go through advanced imaging technology, versus a 2-4 minute pat down.

Will this solve the airport security problem? Advanced imaging technology safely screens passengers for metallic and nonmetallic threats including weapons, explosives and other objects concealed under layers of clothing without physical contact. Threats to aviation continue to evolve. The use of new and innovative technologies helps us stay ahead of those intent on harming our nation.

Tags: Airline Travel, airport security, body scanners, privacy, safety
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How To Eat Healthy While You Travel

Wednesday, May 26th, 2010

Forget hassling with airport security lines or sitting in weekend traffic. The toughest part about traveling is eating healthy, especially given all of the diet landmines in airports, hotels and highway rest stops. As long as you are willing to do a little preparation and get creative, though, watching your waistline really shouldn’t be that hard.

Travel Trap: The airport

Why it’s a problem: The nerve-rattling process of getting to your gate can leave you feeling tired and stressed — a bad combination for your diet. “When your mood is low, you crave something that will make you feel better, and that’s usually high-calorie,high-fat foods,” Being surrounded by Burger Kings and Cinnabons make it even easier to cave to those cravings.

How to eat healthy: Avoid mega portions at airport restaurants. Water should be your drink of choice to keep calories down and stay hydrated. For snacks, head to a newsstand where you can buy almonds or peanuts (avoid sugar-coated versions) or dried fruit. At restaurants, sandwiches can be healthy-look for whole-grain bread, a high-protein filling, veggies and no added extras like sauces or mayo. Other healthy meals and snacks include one slice of veggie pizza with a side salad; a burrito with beans, brown rice and veggies; or a low-calorie smoothie made on the spot.

Travel Trap: The hotel breakfast buffet

How to eat healthy: From breads and bagels to pancakes and waffles, these buffets are loaded with calorie-laden, non-nutritious carbohydrates. That highly-refined carbo load can leave you feeling sluggish later on.

How to eat healthy: Skip the waffles and muffins (even if they are blueberry) and look for healthy carbohydrates like whole-wheat bread or bagels, or oatmeal. Then pair that with fresh fruit and a lean protein like peanut butter or a glass of milk. If possible, grab an orange or apple to snack on later.

Travel Trap: The highway rest stop

Why it’s a problem: Chalk it up to boredom. After you’ve been staring at an endless highway for hours, pulling into a rest stop and chewing away your monotony sounds like the best solution. Problem is, when you’re in this mood, you’re easily swayed by processed junk food.

How to eat healthy: Pack a cooler of nutritious foods so you’re not tempted by high-fat choices at rest stop restaurants. Easy-to-travel foods include peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cheese sticks, carrots, apples, dry cereal, nuts, and dried fruit. Avoid fried or sugary and carb-loaded menu items at fast food joints. Starbucks is everywhere on the road and a regular coffee (avoid the mocha frappa lappa ding dongs which are fattier than some fast food megaburgers) will not only help fill you up, but will aid in your alertness. I like to munch on something crunchy (Corn Nuts are my crunch of choice) as the vibration of munching & crunching also helps keep me alert…and at only a few grams of fat, its a fairly nutritious choice.

Whatever you choose and wherever you are traveling, the rules are basically the same as they are in your every day life. If you have basic knowledge or good habits on healthy eating, the rule of the road are obviously still the same. You just have to prepare a little bit more.

And awaaaaay we go….

Tags: Eat Healthy, Travel Tips
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Top 12 Complaints About Airline Travel

Monday, May 10th, 2010

We all have a plethora of things to complain about when it comes to airline travel. I have devoted a lot of time to this blog on that premise and I can’t seem to get away from it. After all, laws wouldn’t change if we didn’t exercise our G-d given rights of free speech, so why not use whatever avenue we can to get our point across.

What upsets you about airline travel? Feel free to vent here with some commentary.

In the meantime, do you ever wonder how your thoughts about airline travel compare with the mass public? Where does majority rule when it comes to customer complaints with the airlines? Well, according to a recent survey from Consumer Reports, fees and unhelpful staff are the two things that annoy air travelers the most. With participants rating the annoyances on a 1-to-10 scale (10 being the most annoying), feesactually took the top two spots among the air-travel gripes.

The next two gripes involved customer-service issues. The survey also returned an interesting result on delays. Respondents actually cited “poor communication about delays” as being more annoying than actual”flight delays.” The message to the airlines seems to be “tell us what’s going on. Don’t insult our intelligence and just treat us like a consumer. Like a person!”

Survey results of Top 12 air-travel gripes (on a 1-to-10 scale)

1. Luggage charges (8.4)
2. Added fees (8.1)
3. Rude or unhelpful staff (7.7)
4. Can’t reach a live service rep (7.6)
5. Poor communication about delays (7.1)
6. Seatmates who hog your space (7.0)
7. Flight delays (6.8)
8. People who hog carry-on space (6.7)
9. Long waits at baggage claim (5.9)
10. Long lines for security or check-in (5.2)
11. Puny/no snacks (5.1)
12. Crying babies, unruly kids (4.9)

Feel free to post your thoughts here. Do you have other complaints? What do you like about traveling? Which of the above do you agree/disagree with?

My favorite part about flying: that moment when the cabin doors are closed and you realize that the seat next to you is unoccupied. Stretch time!

For more information on other experiences you can be a part of on an Amazing Journey, visit https://amazingjourneys.net/

Tags: Airline Travel, Travel Complaints
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‘Twas the flight before Christmas….

Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009

It’s a busy travel season at the airports and you are soon to become one of the statistical “holiday travelers” about to embark on a journey along with tens of thousands of others. Coupled with some weather issues that are having residual effects across the country, you’re stressed about getting to where you want to be in a timely fashion. And…that’s certainly not how you want to define your much needed vacation. What can you do to improve your chances of getting where you want to be while minimizing the plethora of interruptions that are ever present?

The answer is; a lot!

Just follow a few simple rules and you increase your chance of jetsetting without too much a-do.

1. You should plan on longer lines than normal at check-in and security, and you should anticipate the real possibility of delays. By erring on the side of caution and getting to the airport early, you minimize your chances of a long line causing you to miss your flight (many airports no longer allowing a skipping of the line even if your flight is schedule to depart in just a few minutes) and you increase your chances of securing your seat on the flight (if the flight is “oversold”, the first people to get bumped are the travelers who check in last).

2. Travel insurance is relatively small expense to protect the valuable asset of your vacation, and it’s a wise choice on so many fronts. In addition to protecting the value of your personal belongings and your own well-being on the trip, insurance will provide you with travel assistance and reimbursement of additional expenses you might incur due to delay, cancellation or even losing of luggage. Airlines are not required to compensate travelers if delays occur due to weather, so without a travel insurance plan you would be on your own should you need to overnight somewhere, or if you missed the ship.

3. Map out a Plan B. Figure out your next best flight options in case your plane is delayed or canceled. A simple online search at sites like kayak.com will give you a quick snapshot of available flights. That way you can suggest alternatives that you prefer rather than end up at the mercy of a frazzled booking agent.

4. Load up your cellphone with some new phone numbers. In addition to the airline reservation line, include the number of your frequent flyer program if you’re a member. These agents tend to have more experience in looking for creative itineraries at the last minute and may be more helpful than that hard-to-understand agent from the Phillipines. If you booked through a third-party travel site like Orbitz or Expedia, their customer service department may be able to advocate on your behalf.

5. Pack smart. Those with carry-ons are more likely to booked on alternate flights since there’s no need for the airlines to worry about transferring checked luggage. If you do check luggage and a change to your flight occurs, your chance of having the luggage show up with you is significantly decreased. Not to mention…most airlines are charging up to $35 for a bag to check. Save a few bucks and a lot of headaches and carry on if at all possible. Do you really need that specialty shower gel or three sets of heels for a weekend at Grandma’s?

6. Know your rights. Travelers can receive up to $400 if they are involuntarily (or voluntarily) bumped and rebooked on another flight within 2 hours of a domestic and 4 hours of an international flight. They are elibible for up to $800 if they are not re-routed by then.

7. Be polite. Coutesy definitely gets more results than pushiness. Agents are people too and although they may sometimes appear to be ominpotent, stand-off-ish or regimented, they have feelings just like you. You can draw more bees to honey….

Applicable all the time, but especially during the busy holiday travel season, our best advice is summed up as: a little bit of advanced preparation may mean some down time at an airport, but an ON time arrival and the vacation you have been waiting for.

Happy trails (and holidays) to you…..

Posted in Blog, Travel Tips | Comments Off on ‘Twas the flight before Christmas….

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