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5 Delta SkyMiles sweet spots

Here are a few  bright spots when it comes to redeeming your Delta SkyMiles (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The Delta SkyMiles program is known for being stingy, tricky to maximize and hard to understand since the airline doesn’t publish award charts and uses variable, revenue-based pricing. Nevertheless, the it does offer some solid redemption options—especially in domestic markets where it competes with Alaska Airlines. It also offers some nice bargains on intra-Latin-America and intra-Asia flights.

Here are five Delta SkyMiles redemption sweet spots to consider:

  1. Continental US to Alaska

SkyMiles can be a great deal on flights to Alaska depending on where you’re flying from. Standard pricing on flights from anywhere in the Continental US to anywhere in Alaska starts at 25,000 miles round trip. If you’re flying from a city where Delta competes with Alaska Airlines, it might be even less – flights from California to Alaska start at just 19,000 miles. If you’re starting from the Pacific Northwest, flights could be as little as 15,000 miles round trip. For comparison, American Airlines charges 30,000 miles round trip and United charges 35,000 miles round trip, even though both have significantly less service than Delta. Delta is a clear winner here.

Delta Connection flights up and down the west coast go for as little as 10,000 SkyMiles (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

  1. Short-haul Domestic Flights

Delta’s revenue-based award pricing algorithms offer some very compelling deals for economy flights within the US. There’s no transparency, but depending on the route, short-haul flights (for example, up and down the West Coast) can be available for as little as 10,000-15,000 miles round trip. Like flights to Alaska, you’re particularly likely to find great deals on routes where Delta competes with its rival Alaska Airlines.

  1. Intra-South America

Flights between countries in South America can be notoriously expensive, especially if you need a one way ticket – for example, Santiago, Chile to Buenos Aires, Argentina for a random weekday next August costs over $500 one way, and Santiago to Sao Paulo, Brazil costs over $700! Delta miles can offer a better solution than even booking a round trip ticket – their partners Aerolineas Argentinas and Gol Linhas Aereas tend to have excellent award availability, and a one-way flight is only 12,500 SkyMiles in economy (or 25,000 in business class) plus a nominal amount of taxes and fees (around $30 one-way for the cities mentioned).

Delta partner China Eastern offers some decent intra-Asia redemption options (Image: Airbus)

  1. Intra-Asia

Delta has a lot of partners in East Asia – China Airlines, China Eastern, China Southern, Garuda Indonesia, Korean Air, Vietnam Airlines, and Xiamen Air – and even operates a handful of its own flights between Tokyo and other major cities. This means that SkyMiles give you a lot of flexibility for flights within Asia, and some of the options available can actually be pretty solid. A one-way flight from Tokyo to Seoul only costs 7,500 SkyMiles in economy or 15,000 in business class, plus $26 in fees; longer trips like Tokyo to Bali will run you 22,500 in economy or 40,000 in business. These flights can be a great deal – especially if you’re able to snag a seat in business class on Garuda Indonesia.

  1. US to Europe

Between Delta, Air France, Alitalia, KLM, and Virgin Atlantic, SkyMiles give you a good number of options for getting across the pond. Delta flights start at 60,000 miles roundtrip in economy; Air France, KLM, and Virgin Atlantic flights start at 75,000 miles roundtrip. Comfort Plus adds another 20,000 miles if you want slightly more legroom (yes, please!), and business class goes for 140,000. While these prices are slightly higher than most of the competition, availability tends to be pretty good and it still makes for a great use of SkyMiles. If you book a one way flight, try to book US>Europe because one-ways originating in Europe have extra fees.

No matter where you decide to go, the sweetest spot with SkyMiles is having a low balance – Delta has a long history of raising prices with zero notice, so holding onto SkyMiles for a long time is almost guaranteed to make them lose value.

Where will your SkyMiles take you in 2018? Or…what was the best SkyMiles redemption to took recently? Please leave your comments below. 

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6 things frequent travelers must check by Dec 31

United B777 LAX

Here’s another list to tick so you don’t miss out on important benefits (Photo United B777 at LAX: Chris McGinnis)

With the end of the year rapidly approaching, here are some tips to help you feel like you’re going into the holiday season with your house in order.

1- Make sure you’ve used up all of your credit cards’ annual travel credits. Many premium travel cards, such as the Citi Prestige, American Express Platinum, and Chase Sapphire Reserve have annual travel credits that have to be used before the end of the year. Review your account history to make sure you’ve redeemed those credits – otherwise you’re leaving money on the table. Those travel credits help reduce the pain of those cards’ high annual fees. 

2 – Double check your elite status qualification for airline and hotel programs. Now’s a good time to review your elite qualifying trackers and make sure you’re where you expect to be – if you have a flight or hotel stay missing from your account history, file a missing credit request to make sure it gets resolved before the end of the year. And if you’re close to qualifying for the next tier with a program, it’s not too late to get in a quick mileage run or mattress run, or rack up some spend if you have a credit card that offers elite qualifying miles or dollars at certain spending thresholds.

Hotel Nikko San Francisco

Going home for the holidays? Get a room! You’ll earn points and your family will love you for it…even if they don’t say so (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

3 – Review credit card spend towards annual bonuses. Many credit cards offer special perks for large amounts of spend – for example, the American Airlines Aviator Red MasterCard from Barclaycard has a $100 voucher if you spend $30,000 in a calendar year. Also, the Ritz-Carlton Visa Infinite card from Chase offers Marriott Platinum status if you spend $75,000 during your “account anniversary year” which means the year beginning with your account open date through the anniversary of your account open date, and each 12 months after that. If you had large purchases on one or more cards this year, it’s worth checking to see if you’re close to a spending threshold where it might make sense to spend a bit more on that card before the end of the year.


4- Check your (and your family member’s) passport and Global Entry/TSA PreCheck expiration dates, especially if you have international travel planned soon. Many countries require that your passport have at least six months of validity beyond the dates of your trip. If you find that you or someone in your family has an expiring or expired passport, reach out to your nearest passport agency to see about getting it renewed – depending on your travel dates, next-day or even same-day service may be available for a fee. 

For Global Entry and TSA PreCheck, you can start the renewal process up to a year before your card expires, so now may be a good time to get an appointment on the calendar if you need an interview – some enrollment centers get booked up weeks or months in advance!
 (But remember, if you’ve been conditionally approved, you can take care of your interview when re-entering the country after your next overseas trip (Details here). 

Turkey

Carving out some time for Thanksgiving travel this year in 2018? Make those reservations soon (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

5 – Start planning 2018 holiday travel. Most airlines allow award bookings around 330 days in advance, so you’ll soon be able to make reservations for Thanksgiving 2018 travel, and you can already book for other major holidays and travel periods earlier in the year. If you know when you and/or your family will be free next year, planning ahead and getting some reservations confirmed can save you some serious miles or cash.– plus it will get you better seating choice and the flight times that you really want. 

6 – Watch for end-of-year sales and promotions. Many websites will offer special deals in the next few weeks, like 12 days of discounted gift cards with the Swych app, TopCashBack’s Xmas Treats giveaway, and the Starbucks for Life contest. Taking advantage of these promotions can be an easy way to rack up some extra miles or savings.

And remember this, too: Relax, be kind to people, and enjoy the company of family and friends. Whether you’re spending the holidays at home or on the other side of the world, take some time to enjoy the company of whomever you’re with and extend some grace and kindness to those around you. The holidays can be a stressful time of year for retail workers, airline and hotel employees, TSA screeners, infrequent travelers, and everyone else, so a smile and a bit of patience can go a long way.

Is there anything else you’re going to make sure to do before December 31 rolls around? Let us know in the comments.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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How to be a holiday travel pro

Washington Reagan National airport decked out for the holiday travel season (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Most air travelers sailed through the busy Thanksgiving week with few hiccups. Airlines reported their best Thanksgiving performance ever. That’s partly because travelers, airlines and airports have the holiday travel drill down pat these days.

But it’s mostly because the U.S. enjoyed fine weather on the weekends before and after the big feast.

Since Thanksgiving is primarily a driving holiday, with about 90 percent of all trips by car, the biggest bottlenecks were on the roads. But for the most part everyone made it across the state or across the country safe and sound.

Looking forward to the longer Christmas/New Years period, we can expect much of the same if the weather holds out. But watch out if there are winter storms on the horizon. It could get messy out there.

Why? Because with both Christmas and New Year’s Day falling on Mondays this year, the holiday season will be relatively compact, starting in earnest on Friday December 22 and ending on Wednesday, January 3.  

Some news and advice:

Best Western Vancouver

Look out over the sparkly city from the Best Western Plus Chateau Granville in Vancouver (Photo: Best Western)

Demand is up. Advance bookings for the holiday season (Nov 15-Jan 15) are up 4.8 percent compared to the same time last year at Best Western’s 2,000+ hotels in the U.S. The number of nights booked is up 11 percent, which means those who are traveling are planning to stay longer. Also, bookings at hotels along major highways in the U.S. are up 13.3 percent, which is indicative of the higher number of travelers on the road this year. In Canada, advance bookings are up 8.9 percent and the number of nights booked is up 18.3 percent. Lower airfares are helping push up demand for holiday trips, and major airline trade group Airlines for America says that the number of travelers hitting the skies during the 2017 Christmas/New Year’s period will be up 3.5 percent over last year.

Keep an eye on the weather. Now that travelers and airlines have the holiday travel drill down, only Mother Nature can stand in the way of a smooth season. Be sure to sign up for flight alerts from your airline, and double check with sites like FlightAware or FlightRadar24. On the day of your flight, check in with the FAA’s map of airport delays and remember that a delay in a stormy city could affect your flight even if it’s sunny and warm outside. Thankfully, airlines have become a lot better and more liberal with change fee waivers when bad weather beckons.

Gas Buddy Heat Map

Gasbuddy’s heat map for December shows highest gasoline prices out west, lowest in the southeast (Image: Gasbuddy)

Watch gasoline prices. This year’s hurricanes affected oil production and pushed up Thanksgiving gas prices to a three-year high of about $2.53 per gallon on average—that’s about 50 cents more than last year. All eyes are now on OPEC, which holds its annual meeting this month. Decisions made there will impact oil prices for the holidays and into the next year. As usual, if you are driving in the southeastern U.S. this year, you’ll enjoy the lowest gas prices—as low as 2.22 per gallon in Alabama. You’ll pay the most out west, with the average price per gallon well over $3 in California, according to GasBuddy.com.

Avoid traffic: During the busy holiday season, avoid surprise traffic jams by driving late at night or very early in the morning. Midday traffic in and around cities and malls, and on nearby freeways, can be stifling. Expect the unexpected when it comes to traffic on the weekend before Christmas, and again late on New Year’s Day. Use traffic apps like Waze to help steer around the worst of it.

This guy knows what he’s talking about! 😉 video here

Consider a hotel for the holidays. During the stressful holiday travel season, everyone needs his or her own space every now and then, right? Well, instead of risking a bad night’s sleep on a lumpy sofa bed or stuffy guest room, rent a nearby hotel room instead. Since business travelers stay home during the holidays, you’ll find deep discounts on hotels in downtown areas and near suburban office parks. Stay at a Best Western this winter, and you’ll get $10 off that already low rate—Here’s how.

Beware of airport traffic snarls: Many airports in the US are under various phases of construction, which means you should always allow a big cushion of time for getting stuck on airport roadways. Some of the busiest airports with construction on or near roads include New York La Guardia (where people reportedly got out of cars stuck in traffic and walked to terminals over Thanksgiving), Atlanta (curvaceous new canopies over drop-off areas coming soon), San Francisco (multi-billion dollar Terminal 1 construction) and Los Angeles LAX (always under construction).

Atlanta Airport Canopy

New roadside canopies taking shape at Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Pay a little, get a lot. This is the time of year when it’s a good idea to pay a little more to ensure a much better experience. For example, you might want to spring for premium economy for more space and early boarding. Consider waiting out a long delay at an airline lounge- many offer day passes for $50-$60. Take a car service to or from the airport instead of fighting traffic, parking in far away lots, or asking relatives to pick you up. Or, as mentioned above, get a great deal on a hotel for some peace of mind and personal space.

Book nonstop flights and know your rights. While you might save a few dollars by booking a one-stop flight instead of a nonstop, don’t forget that you are doubling your chances of encountering a delay or cancellation. Why risk ruining a holiday trip? Also, if your flight does get cancelled and the airline cannot find suitable alternatives, so you decide not to take the trip at all, the airline must offer you a cash refund. Ask for it!

Don’t discount the dead weeks. If you have the flexibility to travel during the slowest times of year, the so-called “dead weeks” of early December and early January, you can save 50-70 percent on airfare or hotels. Some ski resorts will discount lift tickets during dead weeks. It’s also a good idea to check out airline or hotel social media streams on sites like Twitter or Facebook to look for short-term, last-minute sales. And if you have a big pile of Best Western Rewards points stashed away, use them this winter when you can redeem just 10,000 points for a stay at some of the nicest Best Westerns in North America now through January 31. More details on how to do that here.

January is the cheapest month of the year in New York City (Image: Jim Glab)

Book business trips in January: Early January through early March is a great time to find excellent last-minute deals. Exceptions to this would be long weekends like Martin Luther King (Jan 13-15, 2018) and Valentines/Presidents Day (Feb 14-19, 2018). If you are between jobs, retired with no kids in school, and have the flexibility to travel during these weeks, you’ll see jaw dropping low prices. Hotel prices have become extremely expensive in big cities like New York and San Francisco this year, but you’ll find some good deals if you go during January. (See New York Hotel Week for some good ideas.) If you’ve been priced out of these cities, January would be a great time for cost-conscious business travelers to set up meetings with prospects and clients.

Prepare for a crazy busy spring break. Late March is usually the busiest time of year for collegiate spring break, and April is more popular with families traveling around Easter. But in 2018, Easter is early (April 1) so the last week in March will be crazy with both family and collegiate spring breakers hitting the roads and skies and bumping up airfares, hotels and rental car rates. It is probably a good time for business travelers to avoid trips if they can.

Where are YOU going for the holidays? Or will you sit the season out? Please leave your comments below. 

This post originally appeared on Best Western’s YouMustBeTrippin.com blog

Disclosure: Thank you for reading TravelSkills! This post is sponsored by Best Western. We will periodically send out messages like this one from commercial partners about topics relevant to frequent travel.  Our sponsors’ support, and yours, help us keep TravelSkills a free publication. 


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4 cheap-but-indispensable things to pack in your “go-bag”

Chris McGinnis, CNN, bag

A dry cleaner bag is the cheapest thing I pack in my go-bag! What else is in there? (Image: CNN)

As a travel writer and all around travel geek, it’s important for me to be able do drop everything, pack and take off on a trip across the country or around the world on a moment’s notice.

For that reason, I always have my bags partially packed and ready to go. With only a few last-minute additions, I can be out the door in about five minutes with enough stuff to keep me comfortable, connected and looking sharp for a few days or a whole week.

What do I keep in my go-bag? Let’s take a look:

First off, let’s talk about my bag (or bags). I typically travel with two, a briefcase, which serves as my office on the go, and my carry on spinner, which contains everything else.

luggage, bag, Briggs & Riley

My go-bag on the gorgeous wooden floors at Copenhagen airport (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Both my briefcase and roller bag come from Briggs & Riley. Over the years, I’ve found that this luggage brand makes a product that can stand up to the rigors of the road and comes at a decent price point (mine costs about $300). It’s not cheap, but I’ve found that you almost always “get what you pay for” when it comes to luggage. A broken bag can definitely slow down a fast-paced trip.

When I walk out the door, I stack my briefcase on top of my B&R Transcend Widebody carryon, and I’m off. Those four wheels make navigating the airport or the airplane aisle (turn it sideways!) a cinch. Perhaps the best thing about Briggs & Riley is its no-nonsense lifetime guarantee: If your bag breaks, they will repair it for free, no questions asked.

apple charger

A 12W charger is faster! So buy one for your Anytime bag! (Image: Apple)

Did you know that your iPad charger can charge your iPhone about two times faster than the one that comes with your phone? That’s because the iPad charger is 12W  vs the 5W charger that comes with your iPhone. (Details here.)

Since iPhone and iPad chargers are the one thing I most frequently leave behind, I have recently decided to keep one 12W charger in my bag for travel and another 12W charger at home. That way I’m never without a charge. And I don’t beat myself up in the car on the way to the airport when I forget it, and then have to borrow or spend a fortune on a new one at my destination. With two, I know I’ll always get a good charge!

So just buy an Apple 12W USB Power Adapter ($15) online now, pack it in your go-bag and leave your other one at home or in your office. (Another tip: Your phone charges even faster when you put it in Airplane Mode.)

The cheapest thing in my go-bag is one of those clear plastic covers you get from the dry cleaners (see photo at top). Since I’m a frequent business traveler, I need to arrive for meetings sans wrinkles. When I first started traveling for work, my boss taught me to “hang, wrap and roll.” This means leaving your pressed clothing on hangers, wrapping them in the dry cleaner bag, and then rolling them up to pack in your suitcase.

Somehow, the plastic wrap prevents clothing from bunching up, which is what causes wrinkles, so when you get to your destination, just pull them out, give ’em a shake, and voila! No wrinkles! The cleaner bag also serves as the perfect receptacle for dirty clothes or soiled shoes for the trip home. See this tip come to life in this CNN segment (fast forward to about :36 seconds).

A Bucky contoured eye mask is a key part of my go-bag (Image: Bucky)

Getting a good night’s sleep on the plane or at the hotel is essential to a successful trip. I’m a light sleeper and have tried nearly every potion, drug, contraption or device out there, and have come to rely to two primary items that ensure good rest: A Bucky or Dream Essentials eye mask and Mack’s silicone earplugs.

The cheap eye masks provided by most airlines are uncomfortable, don’t keep all the light out, and leave marks on my face and temples. So every year I invest in new Bucky Contoured Blockout Shades ($13 on Amazon), which block out all light, have thick adjustable bands that don’t leave marks, are contoured so they don’t smush your eyeballs, and offer big velvety cushioning that is soft and cozy on my face. Plus, they are washable. I also like this cushy contoured mask from Dream Essentials.

Mack's Ear Plugs

Mack’s moldable putty plugs cover the ear canal (Image: Mack’s)

Thankfully, a swimmer friend turned me on to Mack’s earplugs. They are designed to keep water out of swimmers’ ears, but they also do a masterful job of keeping out unwanted noise! Those cheap expandable foam plugs that you stick into your ear canal can hurt, plus they do a minimal job of keeping out the noise on a plane…or a snoring bed partner.

Macks Pillow Soft Silicone Earplugs are disks of moldable silicone that cover the opening to your ear canal– and they block out nearly all noise. Ever since I switched to Mack’s, I’ve never slept better on planes, hotels or in any noisy environment. And they are cheap- just $7 on Amazon. (Warning: You might sleep through an alarm clock with these on!)

And based on the current brouhaha surrounding which states have Real ID compliant licenses, and which don’t, I now simply store my passport in my go-bag.

What would you or do you keep in YOUR go-bag? Please leave your suggestions below. 


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Popular: Mexico City surprise + 747 love + Hawaii deal + Singapore suites + United app

Air France A380 Mexico City

Chris expected the worst when this behemoth pulled in next to his plane in Mexico City. Didn’t happen! (Photo: Chris McGinnis

TravelSkills’ 10 most popular posts over the last week (descending order):

1 Excellent, helpful reader comments. Gracias. Vamos! Trip Report: Mexico City, North America’s best-kept travel secret

2 Lots of nostalgia this week “Fond farewell to our 747”- a tearjerker video from United

3 Reader Report: Final 747 flight from London

4 Routes: United’s longest + Delta Comfort+ American to China + more

5 Fares now back up to around $400- -nice while it lasted! Sneak sale: Hawaii $325 roundtrip from 5 west coast cities

A lot of folks got a great deal to Hawaii this winter and they’ll likely be seeing this: Hilton Hawaiian Village (Chris McGinnis)

6 Swish suites! Singapore Airlines unveils an awesome A380 makeover (photos)

7 New MileagePlus award travel pricing starts today

8 United app gets an upgrade

9 Remember Upside Travel? They’ve found a big partner Trying out the new Wall Street Journal travel service

10 Some pretty pix! 10 most Instagrammable airports, airlines

A beautiful fall day for flying from Munich to Paris! #travel #germany #travelskills #lufthansatravels #airbus

A post shared by Chris McGinnis (@chrisjmcginnis) on

Easy! National Car Rental beefed up its popular “One Two Free” promotion with a Twitter sweepstakes- it offers a chance to earn bonus points toward a free rental day. All you have to do is tweet about how you plan to use the free rental day using the hashtag #OTFSweepstakes– five winners will be randomly selected to get 600 points– enough for a free day. Registration required. 

Links to stories from other sources that we thought you’d like to read:

Don’t miss! United’s new interactive website for the big 747 farewell

United’s interactive page for the big United 747 farewell this week (Image: United)

New Terminal 4 for Korean & Cathay at Singapore Changi

Cost to ride Uber/Lyft from Sea-Tac airport increases

Get ready: An army of Chinese millennials is going to change the face of travel

AirlineRatings.com names world’s top 10 carriers in various categories

Here’s how airlines decide who gets an upgrade

Oak Tree Inns’ 44 hotels will convert to various Wyndham brands

Ontario Airport TSA ads warn against traveling with pot after Jan. 1 legalization

Forbes lists the world’s 10 longest non-stop flights

Finnair will weigh passengers at Helsinki Airport

Best Western adds a new brand

New Air France app provides publications, videos, music

Innovative concept for new Virgin cruise ship venture: No kids allowed

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Trip Report: Mexico City, North America’s best-kept travel secret

Mexico City CDMX Paseo St Regis

Mexico City’s bustle is back along the Paseo de la Reforma and the St Regis Hotel (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Back in early September I took a quick trip to Mexico City and came away as impressed as I was when I visited five years ago to write this story for BBC. I know it may sound crazy coming from someone who has traveled to a LOT of cities, but Mexico City is one of my favorite places in the world. Seriously. Go there, or talk to someone who has recently visited and you’ll find out why.

I was all set to sit down and write this Trip Report when the earthquake struck Mexico City on September 19. According to my sources there, in the six weeks since the tragic 7.1 temblor, the city has quickly recovered and there is very little visible evidence of the disaster.

Officials report that nearly all the big 3- to 5-star hotels used by business travelers are open and unscathed by the quake. And demand for hotel rooms has been remarkably resilient. Mexico City hotelier Michael Chiche told me, “It’s fair to say that the city is back to business as usual.” He said that most of the severe damage was in residential areas, but that the central touristic areas, including popular Polanco where his Las Alcobas hotel is located, are fine. 

St Regis Mexico

The bustle is back at the slick St Regis Mexico City (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

As a matter of fact, hotel occupancy in the city dipped only 4.4% in the the third quarter of this year.  Mexico City Tourism authorities report that the hotel occupancy rate is running at 86.4 percent, which is actually higher than this time last year. A crowd of 300,000 turned out for the Day of the Dead parade last Saturday. And the city just hosted the huge Formula 1 Grand Prix, which drew close to a million spectators. The NFL’s Oakland Raiders and New England Patriots will play in Mexico City on November 19th. The airport has been open and operational since the day after the quake.

The big, bustling, diverse and fast-paced metropolis is moving on.

Here’s my story, advice and photos:

Chris McGinnis Contramar Mexico City

Our best Mexico City meal was lunch at the big, bright, noisy and delicious Contramar in the Condesa neighborhood (Photo: Barkley Dean)

In early September, I flew Alaska Airlines from San Francisco to Mexico City for Labor Day weekend. It had been about five years since my last visit, and once again, I came away impressed.

CDMX, as the city now refers to itself, has an incredibly diverse and sophisticated food scene. While there are few brand new hotels, the existing stock is impressive, continually updating and inexpensive— a quick scan of rates shows five-star hotels going for as little as $220 per night this fall and winter. It’s insanely busy and frenetic– since CDMX is the country’s capital city, financial center, technological & industrial heart, and its “Hollywood,” the city feels like a combination of New York, Washington and Los Angeles with a little chili pepper tossed in.

Ahi tuna tostada with dried onion, lemon mayo, sea salt and lime juice. OMG good at Contramar in Mexico City (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Paloma cocktail

In Mexico City, locals drink Palomas, rarely margaritas (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Getting around town is an inexpensive cinch now that Uber is there. And the downtown core is cleaner, and feels safer, than most U.S. cities I’ve visited recently. From the ride from airport to city, to my walks along the Paseo de la Reforma and the hip neighborhoods of Condesa, Roma, and Polanco, I saw almost no litter and few homeless, and I felt as safe or safer than walking around Union Square in San Francisco, Midtown Atlanta or Manhattan.  To me, Mexico City felt like Europe without the jet lag, high prices and tourist throngs.

Most of the business travel scene takes place on the western side of the central core, where the action is in and around Polanco and the broad, tree-filled, European-style Paseo de La Reforma and Chapultepec Park. Take a stroll through this clean, green well-tended park and you’ll find yourself catching your breath since Mexico City lies at 7,200 feet above sea level. If you have time, see Chapultepec Castle where Maximiliano lived (I regrettably missed this due to a late start).

Alaska Airlines Mexico

New nonstops between San Francisco and Mexico City on Alaska Airlines (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

AIR: Nonstop flights between the US and Mexico City are proliferating, which means more flight choices and lower fares. San Francisco is a perfect example of that. As of last summer, there are four airlines serving SFO-MEX nonstop: Aeromexico, Alaska Air, United and Volaris. (San Jose recently announced new nonstops, too. Seattle did, too.) As a result of all that competition, round trip fares between the two cities have dipped as low as $225 round trip this fall and winter-– which makes a trip to Mexico City even more of a bargain than it already was. Checking today, I found roundtrip fares on Volaris, a Mexican discounter, at $224; other carriers are in the $300 range. I flew Alaska Airlines over Labor Day weekend when fares were about $350 round trip. First class fares are a relative bargain, too, at about $600 round trip (for a four-hour flight). Arrival, customs and immigration in Mexico City were easy and uneventful. Even with an Air France A380 from Paris unloading at the same time, we only spent about 20 minutes in the immigration line (there are no fast track lanes).

Mexico City Uber

Uber is super cheap, super easy and super clean. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

GROUND: Uber is cheap, easy, safe and plentiful in Mexico City. We never waited more than three minutes for a car. While Mexico City’s cheap-but-efficient Metro trains now run to the airport, it would be a challenge to take a comfortable ride with baggage since the trains are so jam packed. For airport runs, I recommend a car or taxi– just be aware of roadway rush hours– 8-10 am, 6:30 – 8:30 pm. UberX costs only about $12 for the ride from the airport to the city center; Uber Black is about $30. (Uber’s new tipping function does not work in Mexico.) Lyft does not operate in Mexico City. Since Uber was so easy, I did not use taxis at all. Most of our center-city rides cost less than $5. But I spent most of my time on foot– my Fitbit recorded a whopping 20,000 steps per day for the three days I was there.

St Regis Mexico City Exterior

The St Regis Mexico City is part of a dramatic glass and steel residential tower on the Paseo de la Reforma (Chris McGinnis)

 

Las Alcoba Mexico City

Exquisite rooms with lots of local color and a fantastic location at Las Alcobas in Polanco (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

HOTELS: We stayed at the St Regis Mexico City on Paseo de la Reforma, where rates ran $290 per night. (Disclosure: I accepted a 50% off media rate.) The hotel is part of a gorgeous glass and steel residential tower with commanding views of the environs. Inside, it is swathed in rich marble and wood, spritzed with aromatherapy, decorated with fresh flowers and manned by a pleasant, professional staff. A brand new veranda overlooking a busy roundabout offers lots of fun, talented mixologists, and a see-and-be-scene among hotel guests and wealthy “Chilangos,” as Mexico City residents call themselves. Rates start at around $250 per night—quite a deal for a property that regularly vies for the top spot among luxury hotels with Las Alcobas, an SPG-affiliated 35-room, 5-star gem located in the posh Polanco district on Avenida Masaryk—“the Rodeo Drive” of Mexico City.

Note that since Mexico City is a huge business travel destination, upscale hotel rates are higher (sometimes much higher) on weekdays than on weekends.

Most American business travelers stay nearby among the four giant hotels on the edge of Polanco overlooking Chapultepec Park–there you’ll find the InterContinental, W, Hyatt and JW Marriott.  More adventurous travelers may choose to stay in the non-brand hotels in the hip neighborhoods of Roma or Condesa. (Regrettably, these older districts were saw more earthquake damage than newer areas like Polanco.) On one of my long walks, I ducked into the popular Condesa DF and the unusually beautiful El Parque Mexico (no in-room TV or A/C). Other popular smaller hotels: La Valise, Habita or the mod, colorful, mid-century modern El Camino Real Polanco.

Parque Mexico Hotel

The unusual Parque Mexico is sure cool to look at both inside and out but it gets trashed on TripAdvisor (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

WEATHER: The “wet” season in Mexico runs from May to September, with a little rain expected every day. The dry season runs November to May with the warmest months of the year being April and May. Overall, due to the high altitude, the climate is cooler than you might expect. Also, with all those clouds scrubbing the air during rainy season, air pollution is not that bad during wet months (and in general, the air is much better than it use to be). It’s worse during the colder, drier winter months when there’s an inversion in the valley where the city lies.

PHONE: My Verizon phone worked just fine– $5 per day for unlimited calls and data using Verizon TravelPass. Other major carriers offer similarly cheap and easy plans — just be sure to set them up before you depart the US. (See all options here)

Pujol Mexico City

Pujol is one of the most sought after reservations in Mexico City- just be prepared to pay up and eat weird. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

EATING AND DRINKING: Mexico City is one of the hottest foodie cities in the world now. The breadth and sophistication of the scene surprised me. The best meal I had in Mexico City was lunch at Contramar. Note: Lunch in Mexico starts late at 2 pm. When I arrived at 1 pm, the place was deserted. By the time I left Contramar at 3 pm it was packed. Reservations are required. At my table we enjoyed a whole grilled red snapper with green and red salsa, but the best thing I ate on the entire trip was the tuna tostada with dried onions, lemony mayonnaise and a slice of avocado (See photo up top). After lunch I followed the lead of locals asked for a carajillo—a shot of coffee with Licor 43 and cream. If you miss out on Contramar, try Entremar, its sister restaurant on Polanco.

Pujol

Tamarindo margarita with worm salt, a pickled carrot sprinkled with dried, crushed ants, and an ant larvae tarte on the menu at Pujol. Yes, I ate it all and liked it! (Photo: Chris McGinnis

We also dined at the Omikase bar at  the super hot and super expensive Pujol (see above).  We ducked into the very upscale and modern Biko (in Polanco) where the focus is on the food– the small bites are plated to perfection, and the visual show on the table is magnified due to the cool gray drab interior.

Biko Mexico City

Small bite with big flavors plated to perfection at Mexico City’s Biko restaurant (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

One of the most memorable meals was Sunday brunch on the big bright new veranda of the Restaurant Diana at the St Regis. The diverse spread is outstanding with multiple stations, lots of locals, big views off the new veranda and only about $45 per person without wine or champagne ($75 with). Dinner in the same space is an excellent choice for entertaining… a young talented chef turns out a diverse menu that blends local food and spices with European classics.

St Regis Mexico City brunch

Sunday Brunch at the St Regis Mexico City on a veranda overlooking the Paseo de la Reforma (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Something I learned from a bartender at the St Regis: Chilangos don’t drink margaritas— they are considered a beach drink. The most popular drink in town is the paloma, a combination of tequila and lime juice topped off with a grapefruit soda like Squirt or Fresca.

Check out my video of a Mexico City taco-making master as he shows off his talents.

A word about street food: Having had my bouts with Montezuma’s Revenge in previous trips to Mexico, I admit I was at first hesitant to try street food in Mexico City, but I ended up giving in with no ill effects. Best advice: Ask locals where THEY eat off the street and go there. Or look for long lines and lots of steam at the many taco stands. Ask around and you’ll find out where to go.

Mexico City Metro

Mexico City’s Metro system is clean and cheap–and very crowded at peak times with cars reserved for women and children. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

MONEY: Mexico City is always a nice bargain for Americans, and it’s recently become even more of one as the dollar has strengthened against the peso, reaching nearly 20 pesos per US dollar in recent weeks. Combine that with inexpensive 4-5 star hotels, reasonably priced dining and cheap airfare.

LAY OF THE LAND:  See a map of Mexico City here.

The city is laid out east-west along the Paseo de la Reforma as its spine. On the western edge of the city is the new Santa Fe enclave of office towers, luxury hotels and shopping malls. A lot of US companies have set up shop in Santa Fe. Its distance from the central city and traffic issues (it can take over a hour to get there by Uber in bad traffic) make it a nice upscale island, but does not feel much like Mexico.

Moving east, you’ll find the trendy Polanco district, “the Beverly Hills” of Mexico City. This is where the city’s corporate, governmental and diplomatic elite hang out and/or reside. It’s also where you’ll find the trendiest restaurants, late night bars, and exuberant youth. It’s also an excellent place for a stroll with several stops at the many outdoor cafes.

Roundabout Mexico

The European style Paseo de la Reforma is dotted with several elegant roundabouts (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Next up along “el Paseo” is Chapultepec Park and a series of European style roundabouts adorned with fountains and gleaming gold statues. It’s where you’ll find the newest, tallest skyscrapers and nicest hotels like the St. Regis, the Four Seasons and a new Ritz-Carlton coming in 2019. On the southern side of the Paseo are the hip neighborhoods of Roma and Condesa where you’ll find the best bars, outdoor cafes and younger, hipper set.

Bellas Artes Mexico

Looking out from the Sears department store veranda coffee shop at Mexico City’s gorgeous Centro de Bellas Artes (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Continue on to the east and you’ll find the Centro Historico—the old center of town. Here you’ll find the statues, cathedrals, plazas and monuments of a 500-year-old capital city. It’s definitely worth seeing, but there’s not a lot of business taking place there. If you have time, be sure to saunter into the Sears Department store across the street from the spectacular Bellas Artes, go up to the 8th floor for a cup of coffee and a view that will blow you away (See above). And about 20-30 minutes east of that is Benito Juarez International. And beyond that is the massive NEW Mexico City airport that has already broken ground. The first phase is expected to open around 2020.

There you have it! Four days well spent in what I think is the biggest sleeper destination in the western hemisphere. Among the other Americans I spoke with on this trip, there was a conspiratorial smile and wink that said something like, “Let everyone back home think this place is dangerous and squalid. It’s too bad that’s the perception, but we’ll keep coming back until the secret is out!”

Don’t miss plenty more excellent photos from this trip that I could not fit here. See my Google photo album: Mexico City Sept 2017

Have you been to Mexico City lately? Would you consider a trip there? Please leave your comments below. 

Disclosure: I covered all expenses for this trip except for a special 50% off media rate from the St Regis Mexico City. CDMX Travel paid for my airfare on Alaska Airlines.


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Hate crowds? Here’s when to avoid business trips

Business travel surges the week before Thanksgiving.  (Photo: Mineta San Jose Airport)

You’d think that as the Thanksgiving holidays approach, business travel would slow down. And during Thanksgiving week it does. But the week before Thanksgiving, you’ll see the year’s biggest crowds of business travelers, according to a new report.

Concur, a company that specializes in tracking business travelers’ expenses, did a day-by-day analysis of business travel volume over the course of a full year, and found that the Wednesday and Thursday of the week before Thanksgiving were the busiest days of the year for business travelers. (This year, that’s November 15 and 16.)

Of course, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after are some the busiest days overall, but most of that traffic is from leisure travelers.

But there’s significant surge among business travelers that week before: The company said the number of business travelers on the road during those days is 58 percent higher than on the average weekday. Also, the bulk of travelers during those two busiest days are infrequent business travelers, Concur said, who take only one to three business trips a year.

Weekly levels of business travel; the red line is average. (Image: Concur)

The level of business trips drops below average during Thanksgiving week and the following week, the study found, and the lowest volumes of the entire year came during the last two weeks of December and the first week of January. (The number of business trips during the week between Christmas and New Year’s was 86 percent below the average week.)

By contrast, the weeks with the highest above-average levels of business trips came from early September through early November. Looking at full months rather than weeks, July was the slowest month for company trips, while October and November were the busiest.

July is the slowest month. (Image: Concur)

And where are road warriors going during their busy season? During the busiest travel dates, Concur said, the busiest domestic air travel routes, in order, are Chicago-New York, New York-Los Angeles, Dallas-Chicago, New York-San Francisco and Boston-New York. The busiest international routes are New York-London, San Francisco-London, Toronto-New York, Toronto-Chicago and Boston-London.

Concur offers these additional tips for business travel:

  • The earlier in November you travel, the better. So start planning your pre-holiday travel now.
  • If meetings and clients allow, shift your travel days to Mondays, Tuesdays or Fridays.
  • Consider alternate local airports beyond the traditional major hubs.
  • Avoid costly last-minute fares by booking between eight to 14 days in advance. After that, prices tend to jump 44%.

Where will YOU be this Thanksgiving? Which days will you avoid? Please leave your comments below. 

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10 hottest neighborhoods in the U.S.

You didn’t know Brooklyn had hills? Check out Sunset Park. (Image: Barry Winiker/Getty)

If business keeps taking you back to the same cities, do you spend your free time there revisiting the same old haunts and/or hanging around your hotel? For a bit of urban adventure, why not check out a city’s up-and-coming hot neighborhoods that are loved by locals but still undiscovered by visitors?

Travel publisher Lonely Planet solicited input from its experts and local contributors on the subject, and it came up with a list of uber-cool neighborhoods for trend-seeking travelers. Even if you’re not a hipster, hopping an Uber to these off-the-beaten-path districts could at least make you sound kind of cool and in-the-know to your colleagues back home.

Here are its Top 10 picks, with comments from Lonely Planeteers:

Sunset Park, New York “The success of art and commerce behemoth Industry City has shone a light onto one of Brooklyn’s most exciting under-the-radar neighborhoods. Another favorite from Lonely Planet’s global neighborhood list, Sunset Park sits below Park Slope on the south and western borders of Green-Wood Cemetery, and hosts a heady mix of cultures and traditions…Set on one of the highest hills in Brooklyn, it offers spectacular views of lower Manhattan.” – Robert Balkovich

 Capitol Riverfront & Yards Park, Washington DC “One of DC’s most recent reincarnations, the former Navy Yard, a commercial wharf in the 19th Century, has been completely overhauled. Formerly one of the grittier parts of the US capital, the riverfront area began to change in 2008, when it became home to Nationals Park, DC’s major league baseball stadium. These days, there are more reasons to visit here than for sport alone; the entire waterfront precinct now features an attractive boardwalk, small riverside parks and a handful of top-notch eateries.” – Kate Armstrong

Denver’s RiNo is for foodies and arts aficionados. (Image: Gabriel Rovick/Lonely Planet)

River North (RiNo), Denver “Even as the Mile High City expands, RiNo still clings to its punk-rock roots. You’ll find it in the street murals that seem to pop up overnight, in the experimental galleries that play open house on Friday nights, and in the innovative food halls and rockabilly microbrews that play host to the city’s young, bold and tattooed. [RiNo] is playing center stage for the resurgent arts and cultural scenes that have transformed D-Town into the cultural dynamo of the American West.”  – Greg Benchwick

Point Loma, San Diego “Point Loma is the conservative neighbor of hippy Ocean Beach, with its sports fishing centers, yacht clubs, and naval base…[it’s] home to a mishmash of New England-style clapboard houses, tropical- themed hotels, and exquisite modern hilltop homes with panoramic views of the city and harbor below. It’s common to see members of the armed forces in uniform around the sleepy town, but foodies also gravitate to Point Loma for the outstanding seafood brought to shore daily by boats, and served in local restaurants.” – Jade Bremner

Pizza is a big draw in Seattle’s Frelard district. (Image: Geoffrey Smith)

Frelard, Seattle “A highlight from Lonely Planet’s global list, this new community has slowly taken shape in the space between two of Seattle’s most popular neighborhoods. First coined by Seattle restaurateur Ethan Stowell, owner of Frelard Pizza Company, the name Frelard reflects those of its neighbors: Fre(mont) and (Bal)lard…It’s the perfect place to refuel on a day spent exploring beyond Seattle’s main tourist sights.” – Valerie Stimac

Montavilla, Portland “On the far side of Mount Tabor Park in southeast Portland is the quietly cool Montavilla neighborhood…Its core is just a half-dozen blocks along Stark Street, lined with shops, restaurants and bars. The lynchpin of this stretch is the Academy Theater, a second-run cinema (built in 1948, restored and reopened in 2006) … Fifteen or so years ago, this neighborhood had a reputation for crime…Now there’s a busy Sunday farmers market, a handful of craft-cocktail and beer bars, cute little independent shops and a dive bar (Montavilla Station) known for its weekend blues jams.” – Becky Ohlsen

Austin’s South 1st Street is hipper than hip. (Image: Amy Balfour/lonely Planet)

South 1st Street, Austin “At first glance, South 1st Street looks like a ho-hum stretch of cottages, food trucks and weathered buildings. But don’t be fooled by the low-key façade … Chatty locals keep Bouldin Creek Café and the indie coffee shops buzzing while beloved Torchy’s Tacos serves “damn good tacos” from its very first location – a trailer – all day long… It’s an appealing mix of old and new – and a stark contrast to trendy South Congress Avenue one block east.” – Amy Balfour

Avondale, Chicago “Avondale offers no hotels or tourist sights. It’s mostly humble two-flat homes and the occasional smokestack or steeple popping up. But throughout this working-class beat on Chicago’s northwest side, groovy things are brewing…Get here soon though, because Avondale teeters on the edge. Hipster ‘hoods nibble at its borders, poised to spill over. And that may change its scruffy, artsy, lived-in magic.”  – Karla Zimmerman

 East Liberty & Lawrenceville, Pittsburgh “Pittsburgh won’t be the first American city to beep on your cool-o-meter, but its eastern neighborhoods might just be the sleeper hit your hipster sensibilities have been craving…the influx of moneyed millennials has willed a new food and beverage scene into existence, led by the Ace Hotel, which opened in a once-derelict YMCA in 2015 – all of which is making the Steel City’s reputation considerably less rusty.” – Brandon Presser

East Nashville, Nashville “Music City is known for its country crooners and the honky tonks on Lower Broadway, but just across the Cumberland River in East Nashville, residents march to the beat of a different drum…there are more tattoos, street murals and alternative music venues on this side of town…And if you came to Nashville for hot chicken, the East side has you covered as well, with Pepperfire, Bolton’s and the place that started it all, Prince’s.” – Evan Godt

What’s your favorite sleeper neighborhood that no one really knows about…but should? 

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7 ways to handle dastardly delays & cancellations

Screen Shot 2014-05-01 at 9.15.58 AM

Recently CNN invited me out to the airport to talk about how travelers can best deal with delays and cancellations- here’s the nut of my seven tips- watch the video [below] for the full story.

1) Book the first flight of the day. The first flight usually spent the night at the airport, and does not need to fly in from somewhere else. Early flights are usually cheaper and less crowded, too. Plus they are less likely to be hampered by afternoon thunderstorms.

2) Learn to live out of a carry on bag. I know this is easier said than done, but doing so can make or break a trip. TIP: Wear (and pack) all black! Thinking about shipping luggage ahead of time? Read this first! 

3) Be sure airline has your updated contact info. When was the last time you updated your personal profile info? How will the airline reach you?

(TravelSkills is on vacation, so please enjoy this  reprise of one of our most popular posts)

4) Be sure you have the latest version of the app of your airline downloaded to your phone. Also, use apps like Tripit, FlightStats, FlightAware, LoungeBuddy and HotelTonight if stranded. Note that most airlines no longer pay for hotel stays due to weather-related cancellations.

5) Buy day or one-time pass to an airline airport club. Best $50-$60 you can spend. However, ask to take a peek into the club before you fork over the fee- many times clubs are more crowded than terminals! Use the LoungeBuddy app to locate your options.

6) Don’t stand in line if your flight is canceled! Get online or on the phone instead.

7) Know when to ask for a FULL REFUND! Did you know that airlines must refund your money if they cancel your flight for any reason? This only applies to cancellations or extreme delays.

Please take a watch for my tips and advice! How do YOU handle (or avoid) delays? Please leave your comments below! 

–Chris McGinnis

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Popular: United 747 + Delta boarding + TSA screening + Bootleg booze + Cheaper fares

United-s 747s disappearing soon. Have you taken a final ride? (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

TravelSkills’ 10 most popular posts over the last week (descending order):

1 Act fast to fly on a domestic United 747 See below for a link to TV coverage of the flight

2 United messing with MileagePlus awards

3 Airport news: LAX, LaGuardia, JFK, Salt Lake, Boston +

4 TSA phases in tougher domestic screening procedures

5 TravelSkills: Staying safe while abroad [Infographic]

6 Routes: United, Norwegian, Thomas Cook, Alitalia, BA, Level, Air France, Scoot

cocktails

Bootleg booze is not just a problem in Mexico! 1/3 of world production could be illicit  (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

7 Tainted alcohol and travel: What you need to know

8 Cheaper one-way or roundtrip? The old rules are changing

9 Another airline plans $99 U.S.-Europe flights

10 NYC: 4 ways to snag cheap Broadway tickets

Lots of great comments on our story about Delta’s latest attempt to speed up boarding. Did you read it yet? 

Check out this ABC7 story on United’s Chicago-SFO 747 flight

Links to stories from other sources that we thought you’d like to read:

Judges order FAA to review airplane seat sizes – CNNMoney 

Lyft expects to start offering driverless rides by year’s end

Study of 100 U.S. cities rates San Francisco as the worst place to drive

NASA’s supersonic aircraft design could cut flight times in half

New study compares the cost of airport taxi rides worldwide

American updates its app with rebooking, other functions

Europe’s Ryanair might make a bid for Alitalia

New study details U.S. business travel spending

Chris spent the weekend tramping around the coastal hills south of San Francisco. What did you do? Follow Chris on Instagram! 

Cool new tunnel on pacific coast highway near #sanfrancisco #sf #california #pch #roadtrip #travel #engineering

A post shared by Chris McGinnis (@chrisjmcginnis) on

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Tainted alcohol and travel: What you need to know

Tainted alcohol is not just present in Mexico. It is a global problem- traveler beware (Image: Pixabay)

>In this post: Bootleg or tainted booze not confined to Mexico; tips for drinking abroad; State Dept warning

It’s the scary sort of travel story that sizzles in the summer heat. A young woman from Wisconsin passed out in a five-star hotel pool near Cancun, Mexico (and later, tragically, died) after having a few shots of allegedly tainted tequila. Her brother, who also had shots by the pool, lost consciousness but did not die.

Later, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel posted an investigative story about the incident. Soon after, other travelers who’d visited nearby resorts reported similar experiences of having a few drinks, passing out,  then waking up in their hotel rooms, or worse, in the hospital. They suspect, but cannot prove, that they were served tainted or drugged alcohol.  Iberostar, which runs the resorts where these incidents occurred, told the newspaper that it only purchases, “sealed bottles that satisfy all standards required by the designated regulatory authorities.” The issue remains unresolved.

Based on that brouhaha, the State Department chimed in this week with an update to its alerts and warnings page about travel to Mexico: “There have been allegations that consumption of tainted or substandard alcohol has resulted in illness or blacking out. If you choose to drink alcohol, it is important to do so in moderation and to stop and seek medical attention if you begin to feel ill.”

Mexican authorities have since said that the country will work on improving inspections and controls for tainted alcohol at big resorts.

cocktails

Drinking and traveling go together like gin and tonic- but don’t overdo it. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

While it’s tragic that travelers have been sickened or died at these resorts in Mexico, it’s important to know that tainted food or alcohol are global problems, and not just happening in Mexico. For example, in the Czech Republic 30 people died from drinking tainted vodka in 2012. The problem is so common in the UK that London’s Daily Mirror recently warned New Year’s partiers to be aware of drinks that “smell like nail varnish.” Bootleg booze can even turn up in duty free stores. I’m convinced I was once served tainted or drugged booze in Brazil and luckily had a travel companion along to get me back to our hotel to sleep it off.

And get this: The chief executive of Brown-Forman, one of the world’s largest distillers told the Financial Times, “A third of the world’s alcohol is estimated to come from what we call illicit production. It can be very dangerous to the point of being poisonous.”

Here’s a dose of my own advice that I’ll be following when I travel to Mexico City next month. You should consider it, too!

  • Travelers everywhere should always be alert to the possibility of being served tainted booze. Give your drinks the “sniff test.”
  • Don’t drink alone in unfamiliar surroundings
  • When traveling in another country, don’t overdo it and let your guard down. Avoid shots.
  • Stick to drinking from bottles or cans you can open yourself.
  • Be aware of your surroundings when drinking in public places.
  • At the first signs of nausea, dizziness or drowsiness, stop drinking and let someone know.
  • Don’t leave your food or drink unattended.
  • Have a good travel insurance policy in effect and its emergency number in your wallet.
  • Get out in the world, have fun and be safe this summer.

What do you think about the incident in Cancun? What precautions would you suggest to your fellow travelers? 

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NYC: 4 ways to snag cheap Broadway tickets

Times Square NYC

Looking for cheap Broadway seats in NYC? (Image: Pixabay)

Whether you are in New York City for a business trip or a long weekend, seeing a live performance on (or off) Broadway is always a highlight. But getting tickets to the shows you want to see requires a lot more time, effort and in many cases, money, than you may have available.

While you can always hand over show-ticket responsibility to your hotel concierge, you’ll pay top dollar (plus tip!) for that kind of service. But if you’d like to save a little money and do it yourself, here are four tips: 

1> Tourists and theater lovers seeking discounted tickets to see the best Broadway shows usually head to well-known TKTS booths located in Times Square, South Street Seaport or Brooklyn. For availability and tips for avoiding lines (but not for ticket sales), check out the TKTS website, or download its app first. TKTS offers heavily discounted tickets (up to 50% off) for same-day and next-day performances of some of the most popular shows, but waiting in line can take hours (especially during peak summer or winter season). Who has time for that?

2> Check out StubHub’s New York City Last Minute Service Center at 1412 Broadway & 39th St. There you will find computers that you can use to find ticket deals up to 20 minutes before curtain.  Ticket prices often drop last-minute so if you have the flexibility and are willing to take a chance, you could end up with really cheap tickets (or no tickets at all). There’s an even better chance of saving money if you’re willing to buy individual tickets. People usually want to sit with their group, but if you’re solo or willing to split up for the performance, it will pay off in savings. After you buy tickets on the computer, a StubHub employee will print them for you on the spot so you can rush off to the venue- most are nearby. (TripAdvisor forums show that some folks have even been able to score Hamilton tickets here.)

Hamilton The Musical is the hottest ticket in town in NYC. Seen it? (Image: Wikimedia Commons)

3> Use discount ticket sites that can help you get a bargain without leaving your hotel room. Sites or apps like Goldstar and TodayTix offer last-minute Broadway play and musical tickets up to 50% off. In addition to Broadway shows, these websites offer tickets to other performances in the city like opera and comedy shows.

4>Don’t forget that you can also drop by the theatre on the day of the show and ask about same-day rush tickets, which can go for as little as $25 each. Call the theatre to find out when its ticket window opens and get there early. This is a great idea for solo travelers since most of the really cheap seats are singles or in some cases, standing room only.  (This strategy has worked well for me on my frequent solo trips to London, too.)

UPDATE: A spokesperson for Vivid Seats reached out with this helpful advice:  I work for Vivid Seats, the largest independent online ticket marketplace with a similar size of StubHub. If you want to see an in-demand Broadway show, Vivid Seats is ideal – tickets don’t sell out and you can pick exactly where you want to sit. You don’t have to settle for a show just because tickets are available – we have tickets when you want them. We would be thrilled if you would link to us as an additional resource for Broadway tickets. If you should choose to, the most relevant page is here. https://www.vividseats.com/theatre/broadway/

Tell us about how you scored great seats to a Broadway play. What did you see? How much did you pay? How was the show? 

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TravelSkills: Staying safe while abroad [Infographic]

phone selfie

Relaxed, fun-loving selfie takers should remain wary of cell phone snatchers on summer trips (Photo: Whitey Blustein)

Travelers are popular targets for thieves because they carry large amounts of money and expensive electronics, and tend not to keep their guard up when relaxing or exploring a fun new place. They are more vulnerable in physical and social spaces that are not their own. And the probability of a visitor reporting a crime and sticking around to testify is very low.

Peak summer travel season is here. With low transoceanic airfares and a strong U.S. dollar, more Americans than ever have summer plans abroad. Does that include you? Or someone you love? Then it’s time to spend a few minutes to consider the new risks of international travel, and familiarize yourself with the customs, and potential dangers, of where you are going.

Don’t let these warnings scare you away from seeing the world… remember, you are likely as much at risk in your home town as you are in another country.

This morning Mike’s Gear Reviews sent us a helpful infographic that should help get you started in preparing for international trips. It’s packed full of helpful TravelSkills, such as:

>Check country specific information and alerts at the US State Department’s website for travelers travel.state.gov. I also like the reports from the CIA World Factbook, the U.K. Home Office Travel Abroad site (which also offers specific country advice) and Australian Foreign Affairs Office SmarterTraveller site.

>You might get harassed by locals in Middle Eastern countries if you are perceived as not being conservative and sensitive to Islamic culture.

>It’s not on Mike’s list, but never leave your mobile phone, tablet or laptop exposed on an outdoor cafe table in Europe. I’ve seen so many of them snatched, sometimes violently.

>In Central and South America criminals may use drugs to temporarily incapacitate victims, so don’t leave food or drink unattended.

Related: Finally! Cheaper, easier roaming options while abroad

>In Asia, you might be scammed into having tea with a “friendly” local, and then be left with an exorbitant tab. (I’ve heard of this one before… typically the friendly local says that he or she would like to practice English with you.)

>If confronted by criminals in Africa, always clearly display your hands and don’t make sudden moves that could be interpreted as resistance.

>Emergency phone numbers vary around the world. While we dial 911 in the U.S. and Canada, in Europe it’s 112, in Australia, 000. In Mexico, it’s 060. Know the number before you go!

What safety tips would you offer international travelers this summer? Please leave them in the comments.

Source: https://www.mikesgearreviews.com/safety-tips-traveling-infographic/

What safety tips would you offer international travelers this summer? Please leave them in the comments.


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Cheaper one-way or roundtrip? The old rules are changing

flight board

Should you buy a roundtrip ticket or two one-ways?. (Image: Chris McGinnis)

For a long time, it has been part of air travel orthodoxy that it’s always a lot less expensive to buy a roundtrip ticket to your destination than two one-way tickets. But times are changing.

A new study from the Airlines Reporting Corporation – which serves as a clearinghouse for all travel agency ticket sales – determined that old belief “is simply no longer true” in many cases.

This was no small-time analysis: ARC said it evaluated three years of data covering more than 350 million tickets.

It found that since 2014, the so-called “one-way fare premium” – i.e. the increased cost of buying two one-way tickets vs. one roundtrip on the same itinerary – has shrunk to nearly zero in almost one-third of the 200 busiest U.S. air travel markets, whereas in years past it would have cost as much as 50 percent more for two one-ways vs. a roundtrip.

The cost differential fell to near zero in scores of markets. (Image: ARC)

The one-way premium remains stubbornly in place in other markets. ARC said that was the case for selected markets including flights to and from San Francisco, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, and Washington Reagan National, among others. In those markets, “the one-way premium has been around $50 per direction and has remained largely unchanged over the study period,” ARC said.

But it dropped dramatically in other select markets, including flights to and from Newark, Dallas/Ft. Worth, LaGuardia, and Los Angeles, the study found. For some markets, like Denver and Boston, the one-way premium stayed in place for flights to or from some destinations but dropped off in others.

“The effect is based on market and not individual airports or airlines,” ARC noted.

One-way tickets are increasing their share of total sales. (Image: ARC)

As the cost differential withered away in many markets, ARC noted a corresponding shift in traveler purchasing practices: The percentage of one-way tickets sold jumped from 29 percent of all tickets in 2014 to 42 percent so far this year. But that increase was not equal among all market segments.

ARC said most of the increase in one-way ticket purchases came from leisure travelers and unmanaged business travelers (i.e., those who make their own purchase decisions without any company rules or guidelines). For “managed” business travelers, the shift to more one-way ticketing “has been almost non-existent,” ARC said.

But it also noted that the shift to a greater percentage of one-way ticket purchases held true no matter how far in advance the tickets were bought.

“While there are many reasons behind when and how travel is ticketed for corporate travelers, there may be situations where opportunities are missed for increased flexibility and even travel cost savings. By looking deeper into the options for one-way tickets cost savings and other benefits may be available to travelers,” ARC said.

The organization cautioned travelers that before they switch from roundtrip to one-way ticket purchases, they should consider how likely they are to require a change in their plans. “If the full itinerary is changed, the traveler may incur two change fees, and that may make roundtrip ticketing a better option in some cases,” ARC said. “However, ticketing an outbound non-refundable and a return refundable flight can in some cases only be done using the one-way ticket option because most restrictive fare rules are usually applied to an entire ticket when booked as a roundtrip.”

You can see the full report here.

Readers: Do you always check out both one-way and roundtrip pricing? Which do you usually buy? Do you have any tips or tricks to share on the issue?

oICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Newark Airport dodges transportation bullet

New Jersey Transit trains take passengers from Newark Airport to Penn Station in Manhattan (Chris McGinnis)

One New York City publication is calling it a “summer of Hell” for train commuters as emergency track repairs get underway this week at Penn Station in Manhattan, one of the nation’s busiest rail hubs.

The repair work started this week and is due to continue until September 1, causing some major schedule disruptions, cancellations and detours for rail travelers.

But how will this affect frequent fliers? The most frequent use of Penn Station by air travelers is to take trains to and from Newark Airport – and it looks like those individuals dodged a bullet.

The vast majority of the trains used by Newark Airport travelers to and from Penn Station in Manhattan (don’t get confused – the  trains also stop at Penn Station in Newark) are operated by New Jersey Transit. The trains don’t run to the airport itself, but to the Newark Airport Station, with transfers to the terminals via the AirTrain.

Train schedules for Newark Airport’s station should be unaffected. (Image: New Jersey Transit)

The Newark Airport Station is a stop on New Jersey Transit’s Northeast Corridor Line and North Jersey Coast Line. And the rail company said on its website that “all Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast Line trains to PSNY (Penn Station New York) will operate on regular weekday schedules with minor time changes.”

Amtrak reports that while a few northeast Corridor regional trains between Washington D.C.-New York and Philadelphia-New York will be canceled, there will be no changes to the schedules for its high-speed Acela trains in the Northeast Corridor – the trains most often used by business travelers.

Image: New Jersey Transit

Some travelers also use Long Island Rail Road commuter trains from Penn Station to travel to Jamaica Station in Queens for a transfer to the JFK Airport AirTrain, which takes travelers to the JFK terminals. There could be minor schedule changes for the LIRR, but there are so many trains running between Penn Station and Jamaica Station that any difference should be negligible.

The New York Times has published a handy guide with several links to help readers find their way around the transportation troubles resulting from the Penn Station repairs.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Planespotting: Boeing 767, 777 & Airbus A330 differences

Bladed tail. Three wheels. No winglets. Slanted cockpit windows. It’s a B777, right?  (Image: Wikimedia Commons)

Pilots, planespotters and aviation buffs can quickly recognize nearly every aircraft type from the ground or in the air.

But it’s not so easy for the rest of us. To help TravelSkills readers confidently recognize what they see overhead or out on the runway, we offer a series of posts dedicated to planespotting.

The Boeing 777, 767 and the Airbus A330, three of the most-used, two-engine widebody jets flying around out there look VERY similar to the untrained eye. But there are differences that help make them easy to distinguish.

First let’s look at the largest of the three, the Boeing 777. It’s most distinguishing feature is its size…it’s a big one— significantly larger than the 767 or A330. Its engines alone are enormous- some are as wide as the fuselage on a 737!

United B777-300ER

Huge engine. Slanted cockpit window. No winglet. It’s a Boeing 777!  (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Depending on configuration, the 777 carries around 375 passengers. Smaller 767s and A330s fall in the 250 passenger range.

But relative size is not always easy to determine when the plane is alone on a runway or in the air, so you must look for other features.

The distinguishing flat or bladed tail of the Boeing 777 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Another most distinguishing feature of a B777 is its flattened or bladed tail– which is quite different from the conical shapes found on the back end of a 767 or A330.

Airbus A330

Winglets? Yes. Square-bottomed cockpit window? Check! Conical tail. Yep! Two wheeled landing gear? Yes! That’s an Airbus A330 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Plus, B777s don’t have winglets, while all A330s and some 767s do.

You can also look at the outer edge of the cockpit windows. On Boeing jets, the windows have a sharp diagonal corner while Airbus windows are more square along the bottom edge.

Two wheels. Check! Conical tail. Check! Slanted cockpit window. Check! It’s a 767! (Photo: Boeing)

And finally, look at the wheels– each of the main landing gears on a big Boeing 777 have three sets of wheels, while A330’s and B767s only have two.

Boeing cockpit windows slant up at outer, lower edge (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Lower, outer edge of Airbus windows are square, not slanted up like Boeing windows. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

I must admit that spotting these three widebodies is tough…even for me, and even after writing this post.

Please share your planespotting tips or advice in the comments below! How do YOU tell the difference between a 777, 767 or A330? Please leave your tips or comments below. 

Here are our other popular planespotting posts!

Planespotting: MD-80/90 & Boeing 717

Planespotting: A320 family differences

Planespotting: Boeing 737 vs Airbus A320 differences

Planespotting: Boeing 757, 767

And don’t miss the TravelSkills Planespotting quiz— 10,000+ readers have taken it! Why not you?

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Add buffer days to avoid travel burnout

Using a buffer day I took a tour of the West Point campus after a business trip to NYC- this is the main dining hall where cadets wolf down meals in 15 minutes. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

If you travel a lot, you know that the quality and the quantity of your trips can make a big difference in whether you enjoy the experience or not.

And now a new survey of road warriors confirms that too much travel can actually lead to burnout — and a desire to spend less time on the road.

A recent survey explored what it calls “traveler friction,” defined simply as “the wear and tear caused by business travel.” Friction creates heat, and heat creates burnout: The survey found that 15 percent of the 757 business travelers it polled “are nearly burned out on travel.”

Most frequent travelers can handle one or two trips per month, but more than that, especially when trips consistently cut into weekends, and you too could face business travel burn out. And who wants that?

My solution: Just add on an extra day at the beginning and/or end of your business trips or vacations.

Since it’s summertime, we’ll tackle the vacation scenario first.

Puerto Rico

On the beach in Culebra, my favorite place in Puerto Rico (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Let’s say you are taking seven days off for vacation later this summer. Should you leave on day one and return on day seven? That’s a recipe for a stressful vacation. Instead, set up “buffer days” at the beginning and end of your trip.

With this plan, you’ll only spend five days away, but they will be five high-quality days. Spend the first day of your vacation time packing, completing errands and getting your head into vacation mode. Then depart on day two. Spend five glorious days in your destination, and return home on day six. Then spend day seven as a buffer day ramping back up for work, cleaning up your email box, getting your calendar in order, and of course, unpacking and doing laundry.

When you get back to work, you’ll definitely have a nice vacation glow inside and out.

The same thing goes for business trips. When your company or client is sending you across the country or around the world on their dime, arrive a day early or stay a day late and add a day of leisure to your business trip.

For example, last winter I had to fly to New York City for a two-day meeting. Instead of flying all the way back to California right after the meeting, I decided to add on a buffer day. I chose not to fly home tired and worn out on Friday night and instead spent an extra night (Tip: Hotels are much cheaper in New York on Fridays- check on apps like HotelTonight for last minute deals, or call the hotel directly and strike a deal).

The next morning I got up, strolled over to the National Car Rental location in Manhattan and picked up a car for the day. The car was nearly brand new, and the day was brisk and bright. I took off north along the Hudson River for the two-hour ride to West Point to visit my nephew, a cadet there. He took me on a tour of the gorgeous and historic campus (pictured above), we had a burrito outside the school gates, and I was back on the road headed to Newark Airport that afternoon for my flight back to San Francisco.

What a great experience! Plus I saved my company a bundle by flying home on Saturday instead of Friday.

The area in and around Denver’s historic Union Station is the locus for a redevelopment boom downtown (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

I was recently in Denver to report on new hotels there for BBC. When I was there, the city’s new rail link connecting downtown to the airport had not opened.

So I rented a car at Denver International, drove downtown and parked it while checking out the city’s latest and greatest hotels, restaurants and its newly refurbished Union Station. When my reporting was complete, I did not head home. Instead, I added on an extra day and used my rental car for a nostalgic trip up to Boulder, about 30 minutes north of the city, where I attended the University of Colorado back in the 1980s.

I had a ball cruising past my old haunts and taking a walk through the leafy campus on a fall day. I had a famous “Sinkburger” then drove back to the airport, dropped off the car and flew back to SFO with a big smile on my face.

Adding buffer days has become something of a habit for me– and I must admit it’s easier for me since I’m own my company and call the shots. No need to ask or permission from anyone. For example, I recently added on a day to a business trip to Atlanta to climb up nearby Stone Mountain—a huge slab of granite east of the city that nearly every plane landing at Hartsfield-Jackson International must circle around at least once (pictured above). Months before that, I jumped in a rental car in London, and made a fascinating and outdoorsy day trip out to Stonehenge.

What about you? How do you avoid traveler burnout? Have you made a habit of adding on buffer days to your vacations and business trips? Please leave your comments below. 

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Planespotting: MD-80/90 & Boeing 717

The good old DC9 was the model for a long line of modern jets (Photo: Aero Icarus / Flickr)

The good old DC9 spawned a long line of modern jets (Photo: Aero Icarus / Flickr)

Pilots, planespotters and aviation buffs can quickly recognize nearly every aircraft type from the ground or in the air.

But it’s not so easy for the rest of us. To help TravelSkills readers confidently recognize what they see overhead or out on the runway, we offer a series of posts dedicated to planespotting.

Today, let’s take a look at the Boeing 717, MD-80/90 series. All were based on the good old DC-9 (built between 1965 and 1982), which means they all look very similar to the untrained eye.

Delta retired its last DC-9 in January 2014.

Boeing 717 (Photo: Aero Icarus / Flickr)

A Norwegian Blue Boeing 717 with Star Alliance livery  (Photo: Aero Icarus / Flickr)

Hawaiian and Delta are the only two US airlines operating Boeing 717s (Prayitno / Flickr)

Hawaiian and Delta are the only two US airlines operating Boeing 717s (Prayitno / Flickr)

The most distinguishing feature of Boeing 717s, the smallest Boeing plane, is its T-shaped tail with engines at the back flanking either side of the tail.

717s are operated in the U.S. only by Hawaiian Airlines and Delta Air Lines. (AirTran’s 717s moved over to Delta at the end of 2014).

Inside the 717: Grab the bar instead of the seatback when maneuvering in or out of seats on Hawaiian Air’s B717s (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

A Swiss MD-83 (Aero Icarus / Flickr)

A Swiss MD-83 (Aero Icarus / Flickr)

The MD-80 family (mostly flown by Allegiant and Delta) and MD-90 planes (mostly flown by Delta which has 65 of them) have similar features like the T-shaped tail with smaller, thinner engines on either side, and a “pinched” tailcone. (See the “pointy” cone on the DC-9 at the top to compare.) No other commercial aircraft has a T-shaped tail, with the exception of regional jets. American Airlines retired most of its substantial MD-80 fleet in recent years.

Look for the unpainted outline near the top of the T on the 717

Look for the unpainted outline near the top of the T on the 717

The easiest way to tell the difference between at MD-80/90 and a Boeing 717? The 717 has an unpainted outline near the “stabilizer” at the top of the tail’s T shape. See it on the Hawaiian Airlines 717 to the right? It’s not there on the MD80/90 series. Also, check the engines. The 717 engines are fatter compared to most MD80/90 engines which are narrower and have more tapered ends. Also, the fuselage on the MD-80/90 series tends to be longer than the 717.

What’s best about flying on one of these planes? I’d have to say sitting in first class– with the engines so far away from the front, all you can hear is the wind whistling by your window and the ice cubes tinkling in your cocktail 🙂 At the back of the plane, it’s always a little roomier in the 2 side versus the 3 side (they are configured 2-3).

Please share your planespotting tips or advice in the comments below! How do YOU tell the difference between a 717 and MD-80 or 90? 

Here are our other popular planespotting posts!

Planespotting: A320 family differences

Planespotting: Boeing 737 vs Airbus A320 differences

Planespotting: Boeing 757, 767

And don’t miss the TravelSkills Planespotting quiz— 7,000+ readers have taken it! Why not you?

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Get ready: Busy summer ahead

Airport gate crowd

Will this be the busiest summer travel season…ever? Maybe (Photo: Chris McGinnis

For the past three years, we’ve seen one blockbuster summer after the other… with each season breaking records in terms of the number of travelers on the road and in the skies. It’s been crazy out there. But despite the heat and the crowds, we’ve all survived, had great vacations or business trips, and returned home safely.

This year, I predict we’ll see a similarly busy summer, but with some differences you should know about.

First, let’s take a look at demand, which remains healthy. How healthy? Well, according to Best Western Hotels & Resorts, advance bookings for peak summer season at its 2,000+ hotels in the U.S. are up 6.9 percent compared to this time last year.  Plus, travelers are staying longer— the number of room nights booked at Best Western’s U.S. hotels is up 9.9 percent. Advance bookings are even stronger in Canada– up 14.8 percent compared to last year, and room nights booked are up 20.5 percent.

Airlines in the U.S. will see a very busy season, too, with a record 234.1 million passengers expected in June, July and August, which is four percent more passengers than last summer according Airlines for America, the industry trade group. It also says that the nation’s airports will handle 100,000 more passengers per day than last summer. More competition and lower fuel costs are resulting in airfares that are flat to down slightly compared to last summer, which is attracting more flyers.

Consumers have spent $19 billion on airfare year-to-date, a 4.3% rise over the year-earlier period, according to the Airlines Reporting Corp.

Peak season hotel bookings in the U.S. are likely up due to a strong economy and increased interest in road trips after the string of airline customer service snafus exposed in social media this spring. In addition, low gasoline prices are making road trips an even more attractive option. A May 2017 Gasbuddy.com survey of 1,500 users found that 82 percent plan to take a road trip this year- that’s up 7 percent over last year. Gasbuddy points out that the normal springtime gasoline price increase was only 1.5 cents this year compared to the average spring season increase of 47 cents.

(Source: Gasbuddy.com)

With summer just around the corner, let’s take a look at the trends that will shape our travel experiences over the next four months.

First, expect a mass migration from the U.S. to Europe this summer. Transatlantic airfares have hit new lows due to increased competition from low fare carriers forcing established carriers to match the discounts. These days airlines can lower fares relatively painlessly because they are paying so little for jet fuel. In addition to airfares, the U.S. dollar is still very strong against European currencies, making summer trips across the pond even cheaper for Americans. The opposite is true in Europe, where a strong dollar is forcing Europeans to reconsider summer trips to the U.S. Lower demand from Europeans means lower airfares for Americans as airlines scramble to keep seats full.

Lower demand from Europeans should also help keep prices low in the U.S. cities and regions historically attractive to Europeans- think New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Miami and the desert Southwest.

TIPS:

Be Flexible: Did you know that most Friday and Saturdays in July and August now outrank Thanksgiving as the busiest air travel days of the year? With demand like that, you can always expect to pay top dollar during the peak season, which generally runs about June 20 through August 20. If you have the flexibility to book summer business or vacation trips in early June, or late August, you may still find a few “deals.”

Fly midweek: If possible, try to fly on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday to avoid those lengthy lines at airport security checkpoints. Bonus: Fares for midweek trips are usually slightly less than those on more popular weekends.

Last minute: Low demand for European flights (by Europeans) could mean that we’ll see even lower last minute fares on transatlantic routes later this summer. Monitor this by signing up for fare alerts on specific routes on sites like Google Flights or Kayak.

Don’t wait: For domestic trips, make reservations NOW if you have specific dates and destinations in mind. The most convenient flights, the hotel rooms with ocean views, or the right size rental car for your family will likely sell out soon. Get to the front of the line and reserve now to get what you want. Otherwise you could be stuck with inconveniently timed flights, wrong-sized rental cars, or hotel rooms with parking lot views.

Be a smart airfare shopper: Overall transatlantic fares are down about 15 percent compared to last summer according to the Airlines Reporting Corporation. When comparing transatlantic fares, be sure you compare apples to apples. While low fare carriers like Level, Norwegian or Wow may advertise remarkably low fares, be on the lookout for things that more established carriers might include such as:

-Cheap one-way fares for the trip over, but expensive one-way fares for the trip back

-Fees for checked, or in some cases, carry-on bags with charges may apply per leg, which means you’ll pay four fees for a round trip from say, San Francisco to Paris via Reykjavik on Wow Air.

-Advance seat selection, meals, drinks and even bottled water

Go. Get. Rewarded: In addition to spending time with friends, family or colleagues this summer, it’s always nice to earn something more. For example, you can go get rewarded at all Best Western branded hotels this summer, earning a $10 gift card for every night, with no limit on how many nights you stay. Registration is required at BestWestern.com/summer. Plus, Best Western Rewards members save 10 percent when booking direct on bestwestern.com.

Pay more, get more: If you are headed to work when everyone else is going on vacation, treat yourself to an upgrade this summer. You can avoid the flip-flop and beach ball crowd by paying a fee (around $50) for a one-time pass to an airport club, or slightly higher rate for a hotel on a quieter concierge floor. Also, airlines frequently discount first and business class seats during summer months, so they end up not much more expensive than inflated economy class tickets—so don’t forget to compare when searching fares. Most important during summer: Ask for a room that does not face the noisy pool area.

Timing: While transatlantic fares are dropping, domestic fares are inching up. Airlines usually offer some pretty good fares for travelers willing to travel early or late in the summer, but those sales did not materialize this spring. That’s a sign to me that domestic demand is high and airlines don’t feel like the need to discount to fill their seats.

Yosemite

A busy summer ahead, especially at National Parks like Yosemite (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

More cars: Higher fares will push many domestic travelers to the highways instead of the skyways this summer, with low gasoline prices luring them. That means more cars on key summertime routes in or near National Parks, beaches, recreation areas and major cities.

During the peak of the peak season (June 20-August 20) road trippers should always make reservations for roadside hotels a day or two in advance if possible. Otherwise, you may end up finding a full house at the end of a long day and the possibility of having to drive later into the night than you want…or end up sleeping in your car!

Off the beaten path: If you are headed to Europe and don’t like crowds, try to stay away from Paris, London, Rome and Barcelona during the peak of the peak summer season. Consider countries such as Poland or Portugal instead, which you’ll find less crowded and less expensive.

This post originally appeared on Best Western’s YouMustBeTrippin.com blog

Disclosure: Thank you for reading TravelSkills! We will periodically send out messages like this one from commercial partners about topics relevant to frequent travel.  Our sponsors’ support, and yours, help us keep TravelSkills a free publication. 


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Planespotting: Airbus A320 family differences

Can you identify JetBlue’s newest Airbus? (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Pilots, planespotters and aviation buffs can quickly recognize nearly every aircraft type from the ground or in the air.

But it’s not so easy for the rest of us. To help TravelSkills readers confidently recognize what they see overhead or out on the runway, we offer a series of posts dedicated to planespotting. (See below for a list of our previous Planespotting posts)

The Airbus A320 family is near ubiquitous around the world, and increasingly so in the US. Airbus factories pump out a new A320 family aircraft every seven hours!

The largest of the pack, the A321, is rapidly replacing the aging Boeing 757 at many airlines. The A320 gives the workhorse Boeing 737 a run for its money. And the smaller A319 and A318s work for short haul markets, although British Airways operates a specially configured 32-seat, all business class A318 between London City Airport and New York-JFK once per day. (That’s down from twice daily)

How can you spot the differences among these planes? Well, first, you will want to know how to spot the difference between the A320 family and the similarly-sized Boeing 737, which we covered for you here: Planespotting: Airbus A320 vs Boeing 737 differences. (Hint: Look at the tail and cockpit windows.)

Once you’ve learned to distinguish the A320 family, you should then know how to spot the differences among the four models.

The easiest way to do that? Look at the doors.

A321: Four doors

The A321 is the largest member of the Airbus A320 family, and accommodates 185-220 passengers depending on configuration.

(This is a blast from the past- a previously popular post we want to share again. Enjoy!)

The Airbus A321 has four doors evenly spaced along the fuselage (Photo: Anna Zverena / Flickr)

The Airbus A321 has four doors evenly spaced along the fuselage (Photo: Anna Zverena / Flickr)

A320: Two over-wing emergency exits

The Airbus A320 is the mainstay of the family, and carries 150-180 passengers depending on configuration. Virgin America flies 53 Airbus A320s. United flies 97 A320s.

 

The Airbus A321 has two distinctive emergency exit doors over the wing (Photo: Lasta29 / Flickr)

The Airbus A320 has two distinctive emergency exit doors over the wing (Photo: Lasta29 / Flickr)

A319: One over-wing emergency exit

An exception to this one-door A319 is EasyJet, which had to retrofit its A319s with an extra emergency exit because it packs so many passengers on a plane.

 

The stubby Airbus A319 has only one emergency exit door over the wing (Photo: Andre Gembitzki / Flickr)

The Airbus A319 has only one emergency exit door over the wing (Photo: Andre Gembitzki / Flickr)

A318: short, stubby, super-cute- and one door

This little aircraft with only 100 seats is also known as the “baby bus” due to it’s size and cuteness factor.

 

(Photo: Bernal Saborio / Flickr)

The super stubby A318 has a single emergency exit, too. But it’s shorter than the A319 (Photo: Bernal Saborio / Flickr)

 

How do YOU tell the difference between the Airbus A320 family? Leave your comments below.

Here are our other popular planespotting posts!

Planespotting: Boeing 737 vs Airbus A320 differences

Planespotting: Boeing 757, 767

And don’t miss the TravelSkills Planespotting quiz— 7,000 readers have taken it! Why not you?

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

In the market for a new credit card? See our “Credit Card Deals” tab to shop around! It helps us help you.

Don’t miss out! Join the 185,000+ people who read TravelSkills every month! Sign up here for one email-per-day updates!

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Planespotting: Boeing 757, 767

A Delta 757-200 landing at Princess Juliana airport on St Maarten (Aero Icarus / Flickr)

A Delta 757-200 landing at Princess Juliana airport on St Maarten- note the beak & landing gear (Aero Icarus / Flickr)

Pilots, planespotters and aviation buffs can quickly recognize nearly every aircraft type from the ground or in the air.

But it’s not so easy for the rest of us. To help TravelSkills readers confidently recognize what they see overhead or out on the runway, we offer a series of posts dedicated to planespotting.

Nearly everyone has an opinion about the Boeing 757. Most economy class passengers loath the narrow body because of the tight 3×3 seating and length of the fuselage. (Have you ever had to squeeze into row 48? Ick.)

However, airlines love the 757 for its ability to haul large numbers of passengers (around 200) across long distances using as little fuel as possible. Some airlines even use 757s on transatlantic runs these days. First class passengers like the 757 because of the relative isolation and peace of the first class cabin, which is separated from economy by a galley or lavatory.

The 767 is more beloved because it is a wide body (two aisles) which gives it a much more open feel on the inside. Depending on version, it carries around 250 passengers. United flew the first 767 in 1982, and in 1985, it was the first two-engine aircraft allowed to fly transoceanic routes.

(This is a blast from the past- a previously popular post we want to share again. Enjoy!)

A Delta SkyTeam 767 taking off from SFO (Courtesy Robbie Plafker)

A Delta SkyTeam 767 landing at JFK-note the landing gear and chubbiness (Courtesy Robbie Plafker)

On the outside, the 757 and 767 look somewhat similar and can be easy to confuse, unless of course you see them side-by-side as you can here.

Why so easily confused? Well, both have two underwing engines and similar conical tail cones. Some airlines have installed tall winglets on both 757s and 767s, so that’s no longer a distinguishing feature.

As to the the differences, the narrow body 757 appears thinner  and longer than the wide body 767, which of course is fatter.

The 757 has a “dolphin” shaped nose (see the beak?) compared to the 767’s more conical nose.

See the dolphin shaped nose and the location of landing gear on this Thompson 757? (Photo: Andrew Thomas / Flickr)

See the dolphin shaped nose and the location of landing gear on this Thompson 757? (Photo: Andrew Thomas / Flickr)

Note the position of the front landing gear and conical shape of the nose on this 767? (Photo: Simon_Sees / Flickr)

Note the position of the front landing gear and conical shape of the nose on this 767? (Photo: Simon_Sees / Flickr)

The front landing gear on a 767 is far forward– almost underneath the cockpit, while on the 757 it is much further back– underneath the first passenger doorway. The 757 also has longer stork-like “legs” and appears to ride higher off the ground.

Boeing stopped making the 757 in 2005, but there are still 1,030 still in service. The aircraft most likely to replace the Boeing 757 seems to be the new Airbus A321. The Airbus equivalent of the Boeing 767 is the A330, plus there is Boeing’s own 787 Dreamliner.

Now that you’ve boned up on your Boeing 757 and 767- can you identify the plane below?

(Photo courtesy Robbie Plafker)

What is it? A Boeing 757 or 767? (Photo courtesy Robbie Plafker)

Have you been following our super popular series on planespotting? Check out our previous installments here:

Planespotting: Boeing 737 vs Airbus A320 differences

And don’t miss the TravelSkills Planespotting quiz— 7,000 readers have taken it! Why not you?

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Planespotting: Boeing 737 vs Airbus A320 differences

Can you tell the difference between the 737 and A320 in this shot? (Angelo DeSantis / Flickr)

Can you tell the difference between the A320 and the B737 in this shot? (Angelo DeSantis / Flickr)

Pilots, planespotters and aviation buffs can quickly recognize nearly every aircraft type from the ground or in the air.

But it’s not so easy for the rest of us. To help TravelSkills readers confidently recognize what they see overhead or out on the runway, we offer up a series of posts dedicated to one of our favorite pastimes-Planespotting!

Today let’s look at two ubiquitous planes – the Boeing 737 family and the Airbus A320 family. How can you tell them apart? 

The Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 are two of the most popular single-aisle planes flying. They are about the same size and look quite similar to the untrained eye.

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See the pointy nose on the Boeing 737? The dorsal-like fin leading up to the tail? (Photo: Colin Brown / Flickr)

 

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See the more bulbous nose on the Airbus? (Aero Icarus / Flickr)

The 737 is Boeing’s most widely produced aircraft and has nine variants flown by almost all major domestic airlines, especially Southwest, which operates only 737s and has 725 of ’em! Delta flies about 150.

The Airbus A320 (along with the similar A318, 319 and 321) is more popular overseas, but in the U.S., they comprise 100% of Virgin America’s fleet and much of JetBlue’s. American Airlines has the largest Airbus fleet in the world, including 384 in the A320 family. United has about 160. Delta has 141 A319s, A320s and A321s.

(This is a blast from the past- a previously popular post we want to share again. Enjoy!)

Screen Shot 2015-02-09 at 4.16.17 PM

Note the Airbus nose and windows (PurplePoulpe / Flickr)

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Note the pointy nose and angular window in the Boeing (PurplePoulpe / Flickr)

One of the easiest ways to tell the difference between a 737 and an A320 is by looking at the nose of the plane. Boeing jets tend to have pointy noses compared to Airbus noses which are more rounded and bulbous.

You can also look at the outer edge of the cockpit windows. On a 737 (and most Boeing jets), the windows have a sharp diagonal corner while the A320s windows are more square.

Also, look at the tail of both jets. The 737 has tail has small dorsal- like fin that extends at a slight angle from the top of the fuselage to the tail. That’s absent on the A320’s smaller tail. See it? (scroll up)

The A320 also has a larger, more distinctive tail cone than the 737.

When flying the 737 or A320, do you notice much difference? Do you have a preference? Please leave your comments below. 

And don’t miss the TravelSkills Planespotting quiz— 7,000 readers have taken it! Why not you?

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Finally: Easier, cheaper roaming options for U.S. travelers

phone selfie

Will your cell phone work in Cannes? How much will it cost to send a selfie? (Photo: Whitey Bluestein)

“What is the cheapest way to connect overseas?” a friend recently asked. “You’re in luck,” I told her, “International roaming just got much better for US mobile customers who travel.”

If you’re one of the 67 million Americans who travel globally, changes in international roaming plans mean you no longer need to “turn off data roaming” outside the U.S. and search for Wi-Fi hotspots. In 2013, T-Mobile disrupted the international roaming market with the launch of “unlimited international data and text services.” Since then, other U.S. mobile operators began offering improved, lower-cost international roaming plans, for the first time allowing full use of your smartphone outside the U.S. Global travelers who rely on mapping, social media, travel, booking, or ride sites don’t have to wait to get to their hotel wi-fi network to check email, upload pictures or plan the next leg of your trip.

This is a guest post by TravelSkills reader and telecom expert Whitey Bluestein

Americans are traveling more than ever. Last year, nearly 67 million traveled to international destinations, an overall increase of 8 percent over the previous year. While more than half traveled to Mexico or Canada, Europe was the most popular destination outside North America, with nearly 12 million Americans traveling “over the Pond.” Europe was followed by the Caribbean (6.6 million) and Asia (4.4 million), according to data from the National Travel and Tourism Office. For mobile operators, these travelers are typically high-value customers whom carriers don’t like to tell “don’t use your phone or a feature” when traveling, and don’t want to receive angry calls over roaming charge “bill shock.”

I put one of the plans to the test just last week, and for the first time ever, I used my smartphone in Europe, including my favorite apps, without fear of roaming charge shock. Google Maps, Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, Twitter, Email, TripAdvisor, Booking, Uber and OpenTable all worked great in Europe, wherever I was. It’s a great time to travel!

How do these international plans stack up? Here’s how each of the mobile operators describe their international roaming plans.

Verizon TravelPass

Verizon’s TravelPass allows use of your domestic talk, text and data allowances while traveling outside the U.S. for a flat daily rate. Instead of paying per minute, per message, or per MB, Verizon customers traveling to any of 100+ countries covered are charged a flat daily rate with TravelPass. For Mexico and Canada, the daily rate is $5/day, unless you have Verizon Plan Unlimited, which includes North America. In all other countries where TravelPass is available, the daily rate is $10. A “day” is 24-hours from when you arrive, turn your phone on, and use your phone; it then renews every 24 hours you use your phone. TravelPass is available on 4G LTE “World Devices” with GSM SIM, including smartphones, tablets, and mobile hotspots, among others. Note that 4G data speeds apply for the first 512 MB/day with reduced speeds thereafter, so make sure you do not have notifications or apps running in the background that consume data. (I exceeded this allowance on several days, and found that “reduced speed” was a crawl at best but more often, the spinning circle of death.)

You should enable International Services on your account, and there are other rules, so talk to a Verizon representative to make sure you’re on the right plan before you leave.

AT&T International Day Pass

With AT&T’s International Day Pass, subscribers can use their Mobile Share or AT&T Unlimited Plan for a flat daily fee while traveling in more than 100 countries covered. Instead of being charged per minute, message, or MB, subscribers pay a daily flat rate of $10/day per device for each 24-hour period. AT&T customers get unlimited talk within and between International Day Pass countries and back to the U.S., unlimited text, and use of the data plan that you use here in the U.S. Unlike other roaming plans, AT&T did not appear to have a daily limit on data, and subscribers get unlimited Wi-Fi access at participating hotspots in select countries via the AT&T Global Wi-Fi app. Although charges won’t be incurred until you use your phone abroad, you should add International Day Pass to each device prior to traveling abroad. Once you add International Day Pass, it remains active for future travel outside the US. Again, talk to your AT&T representative before you leave to make sure you’re on the right plan.

T-Mobile Simple Choice and T-Mobile ONE Unlimited 

T-Mobile offers unlimited data and texting in more than 140 “countries and destinations” at no extra charge for customers enrolled in Simple Choice or T-Mobile ONE unlimited plans. Note that unlike the AT&T and Verizon plans, international talk is extra, and this is not high-speed LTE but 128kbps, which is not recommended for streaming music or video. For higher data speeds, customers can add ONE Plus International for $25/month to get up to 256kbps speeds and other features. T-Mobile’s New Classic and Select Choice plans also provide unlimited text and data. There are no day passes or enrollment requirements, provided only that you are a T-Mobile subscriber on either Simple Choice or T-Mobile ONE. Unlike other plans, higher speed data is not necessarily included. “Free” roaming on T-Mo still has limitations. For example, you may need to add an On Demand Data Pass to get higher speed data, which has a daily rate like the other carriers’ plans. Voice calls are still rated and charged; only data and texts are free. Talk to a T-Mo representative to make sure you’re on the best plan available to meet your needs.

Sprint Global Roaming and High-Speed Data Roaming Pass

Sprint Global Roaming includes low-speed data and 20 cents/minute international calling, and is available at no extra cost if you have an LTE/GSM capable smartphone. If you want LTE data speeds, you will need a High-Speed Data Roaming Pass for single day and weeklong high-speed service, for $2/day or $10/week in Canada and Mexico, $10/day or $50/week in China, and $5/day or $25/week in Europe and “most other destinations.” Customers enroll by clicking a confirmation to the “Welcome SMS” travelers receive when they reach their destination outside the U.S. Sprint requires customers to remove all other international roaming add-ons (including Sprint Global Roaming), some of which may not be available when you return.

Venice

Venice (Photo: Whitey Bluestein)

How Do the Plans Compare?

AT&T International Day Pass has a slight edge because unlike Verizon, there is no “throttling” when data usage exceeds 512 MB/day, virtually all AT&T devices are compatible and global Wi-Fi access is available via the AT&T app. At a cost, AT&T, Verizon and Sprint offer higher data speeds than T-Mobile, which includes lower data speeds for free or very little by comparison. In fact, T-Mobile has the lowest cost data roaming and messaging costs if you don’t need fast data speeds. Sprint’s daily and weekly rates, especially for Europe, are lower than AT&T’s or Verizon’s daily rates, and like AT&T, don’t include daily usage restrictions. The U.S. market is highly competitive, and rates (and promotions) change frequently, so the best strategy is talk to your carrier representative before you embark.

Will my smartphone work where I’m traveling? Most recent smartphones are quad-band, which mean they should support the frequencies in most travel destinations. For Verizon and Sprint, it must be a world phone with LTE/GSM, available on most newer high-end smartphones. If you have a flip phone or older (3+ years old) smartphone, it might be time to upgrade before your trip. And don’t forget your charger and conversion plugs.

Make sure you’re on the right plan, and then don’t touch that Data Roaming switch. Enjoy your trip, your smartphone and your favorite apps!

NOTE: The above is based on plan descriptions on the carriers’ websites. It is difficult to make “apples to apples” comparisons of plans, which may include “promotions” that may not be available when you call. Talk to a carrier representative well before your trip to confirm that you are on the right plan, have a compatible device, and know what your data speeds, availability and costs will be.

Whitey Bluestein, a 35-year telecom veteran, is a strategic advisor and corporate development executive focused on connected cars/devices, M2M, mobile applications, payments, roaming and voice recognition. He is a CNBC mobile industry expert and 2013 Mobile Power Player.

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‘Big Data’ tips for saving on summer travel

Start booking soon for best prices on summer vacation travel. (Image: Jim Glab)

Tech giant Adobe has come out with its annual travel report, compiled by sifting through enormous amounts of data from travel booking sites and social media, and it has offered some tips for getting the best deals on summer vacation trips.

For example, Adobe says that travelers looking to save on air fares should book domestic flights 76 to 112 days in advance, and international flights at least 125 days out, “assuming potential flight changes are not an issue.” Also, booking Saturday flights can save an average of 11 percent, while trips scheduled for Mondays can cost 11 percent more.

The absolute busiest travel period this summer (just like every year) will be the four-day Fourth of July holiday, when U.S. consumers will spend $3.7 billion on travel, Adobe said. That’s followed by the Memorial Day weekend ($2.9 billion) and Labor Day weekend ($2.8 billion).

But interestingly, Adobe says that growth in summer travel is down compared to last year. The report says, “Overall spending on summer travel by US consumers will grow by +5.1% (66% lower than last year), totaling $98.02B. Slower growth is mainly coming from nearly flat air and hotel bookings, likely the results of significant price increases. Growth has slowed for airlines and hotels mainly due to nearly flat number of airline reservations and decreasing hotels, but is bolstered by an increase in prices.”

Domestic air travel costs are running 4.8 percent higher than last year. (Image: Jim Glab)

As of March 2017, year-over-year domestic air fare prices have increased by 4.8 percent. International costs have gone up 4.7 percent, Adobe said, with one big exception: Fares for travel from the U.S. to Europe dropped 6.2 percent.

Domestic hotel prices went up by 3.7 percent over the same 12-month period, the report notes, and it recommends booking rooms 33 days in advance for the best price. Because most hotels have lenient cancellation policies “consumers can book earlier, but cancel if a better deal is found at day 33,” Adobe said.

U.S. travelers making domestic trips should see less competition for flights and hotel rooms from foreign visitors, Adobe said, noting that the cost of a trip to the U.S. is about 10 percent higher than it was a year ago. That’s mainly due to a stronger dollar, although “confusion over (U.S. government) travel restrictions may also play a role,” an Adobe spokesperson said. In the first quarter of 2017, international flight bookings to the U.S. from abroad have fallen by 6 percent.

The eclectic Adobe report has some other interesting nuggets about travel trends – car rentals, for instance.  It said that online car rentals in the first quarter of this year were down 14 percent over the same period a year ago, and it points a finger at car-sharing apps. From March to December 2016, Adobe said, social media mentions of Uber increased by 6 million, and during the same period, online car rentals fell by 28 percent – a 2 percent drop in rentals for each 10 percent increase in Uber social mentions.

Here’s where people are going. (Chart: Adobe)

Adobe also tracks destination trends by home market. For San Franciscans, the top domestic destination is Las Vegas, followed by Los Angeles and New York; and for New Yorkers, the top three are Los Angeles, Atlanta and Chicago.

And wherever or whenever you go, don’t forget to post something about your trip on social media – because everyone else does. Adobe said that every month, there are 14 million mentions of travel on social media – 1.7 times more than mentions of Justin Bieber, Katy Perry and Taylor Swift combined.

Speaking of social media, check out Chris’s Instagram feed for some nice images of his spring break in Hawaii!

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Another violent onboard altercation caught on video

A heated moment from a scene captured by Surain Adyanthaya and posted to Facebook

“Maybe you’ll get videotaped too and it will be all over the news,” shouted an angry passenger at a flight attendant on a recent San Francisco-Dallas flight on American Airlines caught on video. Apparently a flight attendant violently grabbed a baby stroller from a mother, which set off this incident of tears, shouting and a near physical altercation.

According to a Facebook video posted by Surain Adyanthaya (see below), here’s what happened: OMG! AA Flight attendant violently took a stroller from a lady with her baby on my flight, hitting her and just missing the baby. Then he tried to fight a passenger who stood up for her. AA591 from SFO to DFW.

Dallas News station Q13FOX reports, “According to multiple witnesses, the woman, who is from Argentina and was flying internationally, brought her stroller on the plane. When the flight attendant attempted to remove the stroller from the plane, there was an altercation, which resulted in the stroller striking the woman and nearly hitting her child.”

After the widespread attention to last week’s United incident, prepare for newly empowered and enraged passengers to get feisty this summer as temperatures and tempers soar.

Here’s the full video from the American Airlines flight 591 incident on Friday night at SFO:

American Airlines responded quickly to the incident on Friday night, removing the flight attendant in question and posting the following statement on its website:

Statement from American Airlines

More details are emerging about the incident this morning and reported on the Q13Fox News site. 

You may be a veteran business traveler with millions of miles under your belt, but do you really know what your specific rights are if something goes wrong?

Following a tsunami of publicity about United Airlines dragging a passenger off a flight, the Transportation Department has put up a new web page that serves as a one-stop research center for air travelers’ rights.

Subjects covered on the new web resource include tarmac delays, flight delays/cancellations, reservations and ticketing issues, refunds, accessibility and discrimination, baggage issues, bumping and oversales, and passenger complaints. It also includes links to other consumer protection pages.

The updated DOT site goes into some detail about overbooking for example, it notes that airlines are required to conduct an auction to solicit volunteers who will surrender their seats. If there aren’t enough, “it is legal for airlines to involuntarily bump passengers,” DOT said. And “it is the airline’s responsibility to determine its own fair boarding priorities.”

When that happens, “an airline may deny you a seat on an aircraft based on criteria that it establishes, such as the passenger’s check-in time, the fare paid by the passenger, or the passenger’s frequent flyer status,” DOT said. “However, the criteria cannot subject a passenger to any unjust or unreasonable prejudice or disadvantage.  For example, an airline could not lawfully use a passenger’s race or ethnicity as a criterion.”

What do you think about these new incidents? Is this just a taste of what’s to come later this summer? Please leave your comments below. 

 

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The problem with low fare flying

Sorry, but we can’t get you there today. (Image: Jim Glab)

By phone: “Hello? Hello? Chris? Sorry for all the noise. I’m stuck at the airport. My morning flight to Mexico City on Volaris just canceled, and they can’t put me on another flight until 11 pm tonight. There’s an Aeromexico flight at noon, but it’s $1,100. What can I do? What are my rights? Everyone around here is so pissed off!”

By email: “Frontier just canceled my flight to Tampa four hours before I was supposed to take off. They’re telling me there is no way to get there today. Does anyone have insight here? I am so angry/sad/lost.”

My reply: “When a flight cancels, all the airline has to do is provide full refund or a seat on its next flight. There are flights on other airlines to Tampa, but they are not required to accommodate passengers on those. It’s kinda what you get when booking with ultra low cost carriers. What was your fare?” 

That’s typical of an increasing number of desperate inquiries I get from travelers marooned by canceled flights on low-fare carriers. (Low fare carriers in the US include Frontier, Allegiant and Spirit. Volaris is a low fare carrier in Mexico. European low fare carriers include Norwegian, WOW, Easyjet and Ryanair)

The sad news is that there’s very little you can do if you are stuck in an irregular operation like a long delay or cancellation (called IROPS travel industry parlance). In the case of flight cancellation, all any airline is contractually required to do is offer you a seat on their next available flight, or refund your money if you decide to cancel the trip altogether. It is not required to offer you a seat on another carrier.

The problem with most low fare carriers is that they usually only offer one or two flights per day on most routes. If your low-fare flight cancels, you might have to wait until the end of the day– or worse, the next day to be re-accommodated on that carrier. (And if you are traveling during peak season, you might have to wait a few days if flights are sold out.)

Rain

Flight delay and cancellation headaches exacerbated by poor weather & full flights (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

What’s important to reiterate is that the low-fare carrier is under no obligation to pay for your flight on another airline. Back in the day, airlines would frequently offer to put you on another carrier with which they had an “interline agreement.” but most airlines, especially low-fare airlines, have ditched those to save money. (Delta and American ditched their interline agreement in 2015, which exacerbated its operational meltdown last week.)

So, you end up “getting what you pay for” when you book a low-fare carrier with a thin schedule. A good rule of thumb when booking low-fare carriers is to check and see how many flights per day it offers, then determine your risks.

A good example of this is the market between Atlanta and San Francisco. Delta offers seven nonstop flights per day on the route– with the lowest fares usually in the $350 range. United offers two nonstops at about the same price. Frontier, which frequently offers fares as low a $200 round trip, only offers one.

This is one way major carriers with robust schedules have a leg up on the low-fare competition with their new “basic economy fares.” During IROPS, a major carrier can usually offer several nonstop or one-stop alternatives to get you to your final destination a few hours late instead of a day or two late. A low-fare carrier can’t. And you get stuck.

Has this happened to you? How did it work out? Have you flown a low-fare carrier? Please leave your comments below. 

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The sooner the better for summer travel planning

San Jose Airport SJC

With more nonstops to more places than ever, San Jose’s striking Terminal B is the first step to a great summer vacation! (Photo: SJC)

Several factors are coming together in 2017 to make this one of the busiest summers ever for vacation travel: tough fare competition among airlines, low fuel prices, and an improving economy. But don’t make the mistake of waiting too long before you firm up your plans.

Airlines are adding more flights and destinations from the Bay Area’s airports – especially Mineta San Jose International (now the nation’s fastest growing airport)– giving travelers a better selection of non-stop vacation possibilities. (Check its rapidly expanding destination roster here)

But increased demand means those flights will fill up fast, and so will the most desirable hotel rooms and rental cars. So as soon as you’ve settled on a destination and approximate dates (flexibility in your days of travel can work to your advantage), get on your mobile phone or laptop and start investigating options for all the elements of your trip. A delay in planning and booking could mean settling for a connection instead of a non-stop flight, a room facing the parking lot instead of the ocean, and a rental car that’s bigger or smaller than you really need.

Keep in mind, too, that prices for the various elements of your vacation are likely to increase the longer you wait. Airfares, hotel rates and rental car prices are not fixed; they change every day based on fluctuations in supply and demand. So as more air seats, rooms and cars are booked up for the summer, the cost of the remaining ones tends to go up.

Air China

Air China now offers nonstops to Shanghai from San Jose International (Photo: SJC)

The peak time for summer vacations is July through mid-August, so you might save some money and find greater availability if you schedule your trip before or after those times – before June 15, say, or after August 15.

Got a big international trip in mind? There are several new non-stop destinations from Mineta San Jose in 2017. Last year, British Airways started flights from SJC to London, Lufthansa began flying to Frankfurt, and Air China added non-stop service to Shanghai. If you want to head south of the border, look for new Aeromexico daily flights to Guadalajara beginning July 1- the city’s high altitude makes for a cool summer destination. To the north, Air Canada’s service from SJC to one of Canada’s hottest destinations – Vancouver – will be increased with a third daily roundtrip starting May 2.

Manhattan Bridge

United and Alaska Airlines  now offer nonstops between Silicon Valley and the Big Apple- check out Brooklyn while you are there!  (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Closer to home, there are lots of new options. If the Big Apple is on your wish list, both United and Alaska Airlines started daily flights to Newark in March. United also added daily SJC-Chicago O’Hare service. If southern California’s your preference, JetBlue recently started four flights a day from SJC to Long Beach, and Alaska last month introduced three flights a day to Burbank (both of them nice alternatives to overcrowded and under construction LAX).

Southwest will add San Jose-Reno to its network on June 4, with one daily roundtrip. And American Airlines will kick off seasonal daily flights from SJC to its Charlotte hub on May 5.

So get off the fence, check your calendar, and nail down your summer vacation plans before it’s too late.

Have you flown in or out of San Jose lately? Why or why not? Are you more likely to give SJC a try now that it’s added this slew of new flights? Please leave your comments below. 

This post is sponsored by Mineta San Jose International Airport  

San Jose Airport banner

Disclosure: Thank you for reading TravelSkills! We will periodically create posts or send out messages like this one from commercial partners about topics relevant to frequent travel.  Our sponsors’ support, and yours, help us keep TravelSkills a free publication. 


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Getting on earlier flight getting easier

Want an earlier flight? Southwest eased standby rules for preferred customers. (Image: Jim Glab)

Southwest Airlines A-List and A-List Preferred customers have a new benefit – they can now stand by for an earlier flight any time during the day they are ticketed to travel, with no fee involved.

The free standby perk existed on Southwest before, but it was limited to flights that departed two hours or less before the ticketed flight.

The standby privilege is not available for flights that depart later than your scheduled flight, and you must standby for a flight to the same destination that you booked. You can’t get on the standby list by phone or app – you have to request it in person at the airport.

(Image: Jim Glab)

(Of course, since Southwest has no change or cancellation fees, you could simply try to rebook your flight to an earlier one by phone or online – although it might cost you more if there’s a fare difference. Not so with a standby.)

Even if you’re not on Southwest, it might be possible to get on an earlier flight without paying a fee (around $75 for domestic flights), whether or not you’re an elite-level frequent flyer or a full-fare ticket holder. The key is to be able to show the gate agent that it is in the airline’s best interest to accommodate you on an earlier flight.

  • If you get to the airport in time to grab an earlier departure, check the arrival status of the inbound aircraft that will become the outbound flight you’ve booked. (Instead of looking at the airline’s arrivals board, use FlightAware’s mobile app for greater accuracy.) If it’s coming in late, it means your departure will likely be delayed – and you might miss a connection downline. That makes it in the airline’s interest to put you on an earlier departure, especially if your connecting flight is overbooked or the last one of the day.
  • If you’re flying out of a connecting hub and have a chance for an earlier departure than the one you’ve booked, ask the gate agent about the likelihood of “miss-connects” on that earlier flight. These are connecting passengers whose inbound flights are coming in late enough that they might miss the next segment (i.e., the one you want to get on). If the airline will accommodate your request, it will not only make you a happy passenger, but will also open up a seat on the later flight for someone who missed their connection.

The right approach to a gate agent could get you home earlier. (Image: Jim Glab)

  • Remember that your attitude in talking to the gate agent can make all the difference – and gate agents have all the power in these situations, especially when it comes to waiving fees. These employees are busy and frequently abused by irate travelers – so taking a high-handed approach won’t get you anywhere. Don’t be overbearing, but don’t be obsequious either. Just be pleasant and seem like you’re trying to be helpful rather than demanding or annoying.
  • If you have a good reason for wanting to get home earlier, it might be worth mentioning – especially if it involves your family. Would an earlier flight get you back in time to attend your kid’s Little League game or recital? Gate agents have families, too, and it could make them a little more sympathetic to your request.

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Reader Report: Shakedown in Mexico

(Photo: Willem van Bergen / Flickr)

Visitors getting pulled over by police in Mexico is regrettably all too common (Photo: Willem van Bergen / Flickr)

Peak spring break travel season (March-April) approaches. Due to recent currency fluctuations, Mexico is a very good deal for Americans. Many TravelSkills readers (or their family members) may be headed there on vacation, so we offer up this Reader Report as word of caution.

It’s important to note that the TravelSkills reader experiences in Mexico are not isolated– We’ve written about this before, and just last week another incident rolled into our email box:

A Cancun motorcycle cop shook me down for $100 US today. Was merging onto the highway on our way to the airport – at a speed safe to merge with ongoing traffic – and got pulled over. The cop said we could come to the police station and pay $2,500 Mexican pesos or pay him $100 US on the spot. We paid the $100, and he left us alone to make our flight.

Here’s a video of a visitor getting a shakedown:

Has it happened to you, too? Please leave your comments below…

Here’s the original story that we posted last year:

Twice in five days, the Cancun police stopped me and issued me tickets while I was driving a rental car in Mexico,

I want to provide a bit of travel history and driving context to this conversation.  This is my 22nd visit to Mexico since 1998, and the fourth time I have rented a car in this country in four years.  I have been to Cancun four times.  Outside of this week’s getting stopped, I haven’t had a speeding ticket in nine years.  And I have had no tickets or hassles driving in Mexico.

Until now.

My encounters with the Cancun police were notably similar, with small and interesting variations.   In both instances,  the police car pulled me over, the passenger patrolman approached the car, greeted me, shook my hand, took my license, and asked me out of the car–my passenger remained inside.  In both instances, the officer explained the infraction (more on these later), and told me that I could pick up my license at the police station in downtown Cancun the following day once I paid the fine of 2000 pesos (the second officer rounded up to 200 US$).

My first ticket was for going 78 kph in a 70 kph zone (akin to going 48 mph in a 43 mph zone, for the metrically afflicted).  My second was for going through a yellow light, which the patrol car happily facilitated, by driving at 30 kph in front of me, then turning so as to deposit me in the center of the now yellow intersection.   And yes, he was ready, with flashing lights once I made it through.

Rather miraculously,  the first encounter ended with the ticket-writing officer suddenly deciding to let me go–he handed me my license,  and waved me off.  Throughout the exchange,  I was polite, but insistent that I was driving the speed limit.

Photo: Christien Cordova / Flickr

Photo: Christien Cordova / Flickr

In the second case, the patrolman started bargaining with me from the start.  “The ticket is $200US if you pay it at the station tomorrow,  but if you pay it right now, it is only $100.”  I protested that I didn’t have $100, and perhaps a warning made more sense–he then offered $80.  Sensing that we were now bargaining as if negotiating over sunglass prices with a beach vendor, I offered $50, which he rejected–but I handed him 700 pesos (about $35) and he gave me back my license.

Needless to say, once we got back to our hotel, the car stayed garaged for the trip duration.   And the drive from hotel to airport was incredibly mindful of every speed limit,  traffic sign,  and red light.

Throughout all the troubles and travel advisories Mexico has experienced,  I have been an advocate for continued travel here.  Mexico provides color and texture and warmth–both temperature and service–with unrivaled value and noteworthy proximity to the US.  And Cancun–on paper, at least–is a perfect place to rent a car.   The roads are great,  signage clear,  and attractions numerous.  Moreover, renting a car is inexpensive by US standards.

Beaches near Cancun, Mexico (Photo: Maria Michelle / Pixabay)

Beaches near Cancun, Mexico (Photo: Maria Michelle / Pixabay)

But I cannot endorse this destination–Cancun–any longer after this experience; at the least, renting a car here is contraindicated.  While it is clear that citing law-abiding travelers is easier than stopping drug cartels, it is equally clear that Cancun turns a blind eye to the harassment of visitors in this fashion. 

Cancun’s tolerance of such corruption by its police certainly affected my perception of the place, and dampened any enthusiasm for returning that I might have otherwise had.  And next time I hear some Mexican tourism authority official pleading for individual or group business amidst the stigma of ongoing drug violence,  I will ponder this:  You can’t end your petty corruption let alone fight your crime problems.  Throw a tarp over your hotels in Cancun for all I care.

D.D., Denver, Colorado

We found some helpful advice about how to deal with demands for a mordida or bribe in Mexico and other Latin American countries here.

Mordida

Another site recommends having a copy of your drivers license available when driving in Mexico, and only providing the real thing at the police station.

Have you ever been asked for a bribe when driving in Mexico another country? Share your experience below.

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Cheaper new AT&T international plan mimics Verizon, T-Mobile

phone iphone map

Using phones in other countries getting cheaper, easier (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

It’s getting cheaper and cheaper to use our mobile phones in other countries. Today, AT&T said that starting Friday, its customers can opt for the AT&T International Day Pass.

Day Pass allows you to talk, text and access data all you want (within the bounds of your current plan) in more than 100 countries. You’ll pay a $10 flat fee per day instead of the previously confusing and onerous per minute, message or megabyte fees.

Here’s how AT&T describes Day Pass benefits:

  • Add to each device one time and it’s available whenever you travel within the 100+ countries until you remove the feature.
  • Use in our most popular destinations in Europe, Asia and the Caribbean – like the U.K., France, Italy, China, India, Jamaica and the Bahamas – as well as all of Central and South America.
  • Access your plan data and get unlimited calls within International Day Pass countries and back to the U.S., as well as unlimited texts to the world at no additional charge.
  • Simply add AT&T International Day Pass to your devices on myAT&T.

This comes on the heels of Verizon’s late 2015 introduction of the helpful, cheaper TravelPass plan.  And it all started with T-Mobile’s Simple Choice plan, offering free data and texting and 20-cent calls in 140+ countries.

Verizon

This is how Verizon lets me know that I’ll be charged again using TravelPass

Verizon:

Verizon TravelPass is priced at $2 a day per line in Mexico and Canada and $10 a day in 100+ other countries— the plan lets you “take your domestic talk, text and data allowances with you,” Verizon says. Once you sign up for TravelPass, the fee kicks in when you receive a call, connect to a data service, or send a text inside one of the countries where it works. Once that 24 hours is up, the daily fee won’t kick in again until you receive a call, connect to a data service, or send a text – at which point another TravelPass day will begin.

I’m a Verizon guy, and have been very pleased with TravelPass, which removes the uncertainty and fear of outrageous bills for using your phone in other countries.

To sign up go to MyVerizon.com and select “manage international services” or use the MyVerizon app on your phone to activate it before embarking on a trip. Once at your destination, you’ll receive a text message welcoming you to the country and reminding you of the service and the daily fee.

T-Mobile:

T-Mobile has the most economical plan for international travelers– unlimited calling, data and texting in the U.S., Mexico, & Canada is automatically included with its Simple Choice plans.

The Simple Choice Plan also offers unlimited data and texting in what it says are “95% of the places Americans travel most” That is currently 140+ countries and destinations. Details on using T-Mobile overseas.

Here’s a link to Sprint’s international roaming plan.

Which plan do you use for overseas calling? How do you save money on international call? VOIP? Something else? Please leave your comments and tips below. 

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5 ways to prepare for a trip to India

India Fatepur Sikri

My cousin who lived in Delhi said I’d like Fatehpur Sikri more than Taj Majal. She was right (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Business travelers are frequently called on assignment at the last minute, with no time to learn the basics about their destination, especially when they’re traveling to a new country.

That’s too bad, because a little preparation can help ease the way in a new place, impress colleagues and make the traveller a better guest.

For me, the anticipation and preparation prior to visiting a country for the first time —  getting to know more about the culture, cuisine, customs and language before taking off — can be one of the best parts of the trip.

A few years ago, I took off on my first business trip ever to India (Mumbai, Hyderabad, Delhi). With little time to prepare, I tapped in to my top five sources of country information to familiarize myself quickly. No matter where you are going, if you need to brush up quickly on a new destination, here are five places to start.

Rent films about the country
In the weeks prior to the trip, my Netflix queue was packed with Indian classics, documentaries and some Bollywood. Of course I had to watch Slumdog Millionaire again. The BBC’s Story of India documentary series hosted by Michael Wood refreshed my memory of historical figures such as Emperor Akbar and gods such as Shiva and Rama. Fellow travel writer Rudy Maxa’s Exotic India video taught me the custom of clasping hands together and saying “Namaste” when greeting someone. The classic Gandhi taught me that adding the suffix “–ji” to the end of a name shows respect, as in “Gandhiji”. The adventurous Mr and Mrs Iyer provided insight into the strained relations between Muslims and Hindus. From Earth I learned about the pain of India’s partition in 1947 that still hurts to this day. Dil Chahta Hai and Monsoon Wedding provided a glimpse of what it’s like to be young and upwardly mobile in modern, urban India. After watching the heart-wrenching Water, about a feisty, young widow trapped by the caste system, I would like to try a ladoo — a small round flour and bean paste ball cooked in butter and served at special occasions — that played a special part in the film.

India Hyderabad

Street scene in Hyderabad (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Read novels about life in the country you are going to visit
Between movies, I tore into the 1997 best-selling novel The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy. It’s an exotic and engrossing story told from the perspective of two twins growing up in southern India during the 1960s. The story is as big, diverse, detailed, dirty, juxtaposed and flavorful as I expected India to be. I never got around to checking out Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie and A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth– maybe before my next trip!

Dine in restaurants serving the cuisine of the country you’ll visit
I’ve always loved going out for Indian food, but I paid a lot more attention and asked for advice when I ducked into the Indian restaurants in my neighborhood. From a friendly server in San Francisco, I learned that curry powder does not necessarily come from a curry plant or curry seed. It is a blend of spices such as pepper, cumin, coriander ginger, cinnamon, turmeric and sometimes, but not always, curry leaves and it varies among restaurants, chefs and households. Similar to the way I grind coffee every morning — good Indian cooks grind up their curry powder or garam masala every day.

India garam masala

India’s rainbow of spices combine to make garam masala (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Check out travel websites and guidebooks
The first paragraph of the Lonely Planet online guide to India includes the words bamboozling, enigma, diversity and multidimensional, so was prepared to have all my senses assaulted when I stepped off the plane in Mumbai. In February, BBC Travel posted an excellent guide for first timers in India, providing this nugget of advice I’ve been considering adopting: “Many travelers go veggie while in India. It is not a bad idea. A dodgy bit of meat will do you a lot more harm than slightly undercooked vegetables.”

From online business travel guides I picked up that that many Indian women may prefer not to shake hands, and that I should refrain from using first names in business meetings. Small talk, including the weather, your family and cricket, are important when breaking the ice and developing new relationships. (Note to self: Brush up on cricket talk!)

Hyderabad

Elaborate greeting at the Taj Falaknuma Palace hotel in Hyderabad (Photo: Barkley Dean)

Inquire with friends and social media
Of course, I tapped the brains and experience of friends who have lived, worked or grew up in India — all of whom are very eager to offer advice, recommendations and recollections. An Indian friend in California told me that it would be impolite to ask locals if they are Hindu or Muslim. Fellow travel writers from India have told me it’s common (and not insulting) to refer to Mumbai as “Bombay”. My cousin who once lived in Delhi suggested a typical Mughlai meal at the famous Karim’s and a side trip to World Heritage site Fatehpur Sikri, an ancient fortified “ghost city” near the Taj Majal. Then there’s social media…. and I tapped into a virtual crowd for more tips and advice from readers.

Delhi

Delhi’s big bright international terminal (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Have you been to India? What advice would you have for a business traveler seeing Mumbai, Hyderabad or Delhi for the first time? How do you go about preparing for a trip to a new country for the first time? Please leave your comments below. 

–Chris  McGinnis

(A similar version of this post first appeared on BBC.com)

Check out my Faces of India video here:

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Is that paleo? Eat like a caveman on your next trip

Check out Chris's paleo breakfast this morning at the Brooks hotel in Dublin. Looking forward to St Patty's tomorrow! Stay tuned for a full report from Dublin (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

A very paleo breakfast at the Brooks Hotel in Dublin, Ireland (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

You may work religiously at home to follow a paleo or gluten-free diet, but once you head to the airport all bets can be off.

Around every corner—from the concourse to the airplane to the hotel to the business dinner—you’ll find temptations, conundrums and challenges. But holding fast to a special diet can be a rewarding accomplishment for a frequent traveler.

For those not familiar, the popular paleo (or caveman) diet limits foods to what our Paleolithic ancestors ate. Broadly speaking, this means a diet rich in protein and non-starchy vegetables and fruits, eschewing processed foods and those introduced as agriculture developed.

The paleo diet is, by definition, also gluten-free. A gluten-free diet eliminates foods that contain wheat, rye, and barley.

Nearly main course on a recent JetBlue Mint flight is paleo friendly (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Nearly every main course on a recent JetBlue Mint flight is paleo friendly (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Eating healthily when you travel can be hard under any circumstances. But for those with specific dietary guidelines, it is especially tricky.

Here are some success strategies for those eating paleo or gluten-free on the road:

1: Carry satisfying snacks – A little planning means you’ll always have something simple and delicious in your carry-on. I like to pack a few apples because they’re sturdy, but some like to throw in bananas because they’re self-packaged. Individual serving bags of nuts, cut vegetables, natural applesauce, nut butters, and jerky are also good to keep in your pantry—just throw them into your bag on the way out the door. Increasingly, you can find healthy snacks at airport shops, my favorite of late being the hard-boiled egg. And for a special treat, pick up or bring along a nut or protein bar that meets your dietary requirements.

Some of United's meals are gluten free and paleo (Image: United)

Some of United’s meals are gluten free and paleo- like this chicken salad served in economy (Image: United)

2: Pre-order a gluten-free meal or snack box for your flight – Pre-orders allow you to make sound decisions when you’re not tired or stressed. If you’re flying internationally or in business/first class domestically, many airlines now you allow you to pre-order your meal and usually there’s a gluten-free option. If you eat paleo, this is probably your best bet, too.

3: Take charge of the restaurant choice – When dining with others, offer to select the restaurant. The easiest choice: The classic steakhouse. Other good bets are sushi, American, and Mexican (think fajitas, not quesadillas). Italian, don’t take offense: We love you, but you’re a dangerous partner for either of these diets. Also, I always take a quick look at the menu online so there’s no stress at the table. Plus, planning ahead prevents bad choices.

4: Don’t hijack the joy of the meal – The purpose of most business dinners is to seal the relationship by sharing a meal. If your food limitations become the focus of conversation, it can be a distraction and downer for those you’re with. I’ve found it better to keep quiet about my dietary preferences. The one exception—and it’s a tricky one—is when you’ve been invited to someone’s home. In that case, I will send the host a friendly email mentioning my gluten intolerance. I’ve found it’s possible to navigate this without offending or causing inconvenience.

5: Beware, alcohol – Be extra careful with pre-dinner wine cocktails. Without the bread to soak up the alcohol, paleo dieters may unwittingly get loopy before the entrée arrives—not advisable at a business dinner. Keep in mind that a single margarita or pina colada packs about 700 calories.

The Protein Plate breakfast on Virgin America. Perfection on a plane! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Virgin America’s “kinda” paleo protein plate in first class includes fruits, veggies, egg, hummus, cheese. grapes and pita. Let’s hope Alaska Air keeps this great meal! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

6: Get the tools – Yes, there’s an app for that. If you eat gluten-free, check out iEatOut (iOS), which filters by food allergies like gluten, and DineGlutenFree (iOS and Android). Or simply search on Yelp, using the gluten-free category as a filter. A number of apps assist those eating paleo, including Healthy Out (iOS and Android), PaleoGoGo (iOS and Android), and YoDish (iOS).

7: Have confidence – Perhaps the most important strategy: Bring your commitment along when you walk out the door. Synching your lifestyle on the road with your lifestyle at home can be satisfying and energizing. And it’s doable!

What are your best tips for sticking with a paleo or gluten-free diet when you travel? Have you tried either diet? Share your tips and  comments below.

–-Nancy Branka

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Chris answers 6 holiday travel FAQs

Chris McGinnis CNN

TravelSkills editor Chris McGinnis doling out the travel tips at SFO for CNN (Image: CNN)

During the holidays, I’m frequently on TV and radio doling out travel advice as the holiday hordes anticipate their trips. Here are my answers to some of the most frequently asked questions:

Q: When’s the best time to buy airline tickets for Christmas? Due to high demand, there simply are not any real airfare “deals” on the peak days around Christmas and New Year’s this year. Travelers who want the most convenient flights on their preferred airlines should book as soon as possible to get seats on those flights – otherwise they will likely be stuck paying the same high price for less desirable flights that depart super early or late, they’ll have to sit in those dreaded middle seats, or make several stops en route to their destinations. Best way to monitor air fares: Google Flights

Q: Should I drive or fly this year? I always stick to the five hour rule: If you can drive to your destination in five hours or less, it’s likely smarter to hit the road instead of the skies during the holidays. This is especially true for families traveling together. If you haven’t done so yet, download the Waze app, a GPS-based mapping tool that uses information provided by other drivers to help you avoid traffic, road hazards – and speed traps! Find least expensive gasoline using GasBuddy. 

Q: What’s a good way to avoid holiday travel stress? Always try to book nonstop flights, because you double your chances of a delay or cancellation with a one-stop flight, even though you might save a few bucks. Another stress-busting move: Consider staying over in a hotel when visiting families during the holidays. Rates at mid-range hotels in or near airports or suburban office parks hit annual lows during holidays (due to the lack of business travelers), and facilities are usually new and nice. For example, the popular Best Western Plus Grosvenor hotel has rates as low as $80 per night over Christmas weekend- they are normally around $150. Having your own space at a hotel is a big relief for both the traveler and the host during the stressful holidays.

Christmas weekend rates at this Best Western Plus near SFO tumble to just $80 per night on Dec 23-25- rates are normally closer to $150 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Christmas weekend rates at this Best Western Plus near SFO tumble to just $80 per night on Dec 23-25- rates are normally closer to $150 (Photo: Best Western)

Q: Are there any alternatives or hidden secrets to getting good deals this year? If you have the flexibility to travel during the slowest times of year, the so-called “dead weeks” of early December and early January, you can save 50-70 percent on airfare or hotels. Some ski resorts will discount lift tickets during dead weeks. It’s also a good idea to check out airline or hotel social media streams on sites like Twitter or Facebook to look for short term, last minute sales. For example, JetBlue has an extraordinary “12 Days of Christmas” sale this month with some great bargains for those who are ready to drop everything and go. (Note: The JetBlue sale has been so popular that it’s frequently overloaded the site this week, so keep trying.)

Q: Is now a good time to redeem points or miles for trips? It’s nearly impossible to use airline frequent flyer awards during the blacked out, heavily restricted peak holiday season. On the other hand, demand for hotels declines during holidays, which means that it’s a lot easier to redeem those hard-earned loyalty points—or find good last minute deals. This is also a good time of year to consider using your credit card points to pay for pricey airfare and hotels. Why is now great time to consider a new credit card? See this. 

Q: What about airline baggage fees? If possible, avoid checking bags during the holidays; the risk of your bag getting lost and ruining your trip is just too high. Try to learn to live out of a carry-on. If you have too much for a carry on, ship your bags ahead of time, but do so at the “ground” rate at UPS, FedEx or the Postal Service. Shipping a 25 lb. bag via next-day or two-day express is just too expensive. How expensive? See this.

Chris’s holiday travel advice first appeared on Best Western’s YouMustBeTrippin.com blog

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How to handle flight delays & cancellations (Chris on CNN)

Screen Shot 2014-05-01 at 9.15.58 AM

 

Recently CNN invited me out to the airport to talk about how travelers can best deal with delays and cancellations- here’s the nut of my seven tips- watch the video [below] for the full story.

1) Book the first flight of the day. The first flight usually spent the night at the airport, and does not need to fly in from somewhere else. Early flights are usually cheaper and less crowded, too.

2) Learn to live out of a carry on bag. I know this is easier said than done, but doing so can make or break a trip. TIP: Wear (and pack) all black! Thinking about shipping luggage ahead of time? Read this first! 

3) Be sure airline has your updated contact info. When was the last time you updated your personal profile info? How will the airline reach you?

4) Be sure you have the latest version of the app of your airline downloaded to your phone. Also, use apps like Tripit, FlightStats, FlightAware, LoungeBuddy and HotelTonight if stranded. Note that most airlines no longer pay for hotel stays due to weather-related cancellations.

5) Buy day pass to airline airport club. Best $50-$60 you can spend. However, ask to take a peek into the club before you fork over the fee- many times clubs are more crowded than terminals! Use the LoungeBuddy app to locate your options.

6) Don’t stand in line if your flight is canceled! Get online or on the phone instead.

7) Know when to ask for a FULL REFUND! Did you know that airlines must refund your money if they cancel your flight for any reason? This only applies to cancellations or extreme delays.

Please take a watch for my tips and advice! How do YOU handle (or avoid) delays? Please leave your comments below! 

–Chris McGinnis

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5 ways to find cheaper flights

JetBlue and Delta are adding new flights out of Boston as JetBlue invades the Boston-Atlanta market. (Image: Jim Glab)

Finding the best airfare is easier with these five steps (Image: Jim Glab)

Are peak season airfares getting you down? Don’t fret! Here are my five secret steps for finding the best fare home for the holidays… or any time of year for that matter.

One bit of good news right now? Airfares are trending down due to lower fuel prices and overcapacity. These trends will be magnified over the next few weeks as we enter the slower “dead weeks” of early December and early January when  airlines roll out deals to help keep all those planes full.

The dead weeks are one of the best times of year for those with schedule flexibility to check around for last minute fare deals– or last minute “deals” on frequent flyer mile redemptions. Also, business travelers can take advantage of last minute deals to get some all-important face time with clients who might have been avoided due to expensive fares.

Keep an eye out for upcoming Black Friday or Cyber Monday sales for dead week deals. For example, Delta has just deeply discounted SkyMiles redemptions for a Black Friday sale.

Here are 5 steps to remember when fare shopping:

1) Determine the “going rate” for the trip on the dates that work best for you– and keep in mind that Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays are generally the cheapest days for flying. Shop for fares on your airline of choice and also on fare comparison or shopping such as Google Flight Search or ITA Matrix– these are considered the best search tools because they are not involved in manipulating results on behalf of advertisers. And don’t forget to check Southwest.com since Southwest fares don’t show up on most comparison sites.

2) Factor in fluctuations in demand for your target price. For example, you won’t find that $250 transcontinental round trip during Thanksgiving or Christmas week, but you might find it during the “dead weeks” of early December or January. (Again, you’ll see plenty of dead week deals included in upcoming Black Friday and Cyber Monday specials from travel suppliers.)

(Chris McGinnis)

Flights are cheaper during the cold and snowy “dead weeks” of early December and January (Chris McGinnis)

3) Set up fare alerts for price drops— fare shopping sites such as SkyScanner, AirFareWatchDog, Kayak or major online travel agencies will do this for you. Based on your research of the “going rate” set a fare level that feels comfortable for you (based on demand), and you’ll get an email if the fare drops below that. Don’t forget to include all the airports near your destination– some can be significantly cheaper than others.

4) Once you see a fare that fits into your budget and timeframe, BUY IT. Feel good knowing that you snagged a good seat on a convenient flight at a reasonable price. Don’t sweat it. By waiting, you’d likely not find the most convenient flight for you. Convenience is worth paying for.

5) Monitor for fare drops during the 24-hour grace period you have for canceling reservations without penalty. In the rare case that you find a lower fare within 24 hours, cancel your original reservation without penalty, rebook, and repeat. Consider using a site like Yapta.com that can help you get a refund if you overpaid for a ticket (minus the change fee, of course, so you would really have to overpay to take advantage of it.)

What’s your best tip or experience getting low fares? Leave it in the comments! 

–Chris McGinnis

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How holiday travel will be different this year

Listen to TravelSkills editor Chris McGinnis discuss the outlook for holiday travel on KCBS Radio.

Gas map

Gas prices in the US in November 2016 (Source: Gas Buddy)

The holiday travel season can be the best of times or the worst of time for frequent travelers. Best because it’s a time for us to kick back, relax and enjoy some time off work with our loved ones. Worst because of all the hassles and high prices involved in getting there.

A word of warning: Holiday travel could be crazier this year than in previous years. Why? High demand and the calendar. And weather is always the wild card (for example, there’s snow in Denver and 2.5-hour rain delays at SFO as we write this).

Demand is up

Advance bookings at Best Western’s 2,000+ hotels in the US from November 15-January 15 are up 6.1% compared to this time last year.sponsored-slider The number of nights booked is up 10.5%, which means those who are traveling are planning to stay longer. In Canada, advance bookings and the number of nights booked are both up 13%. AAA expects 48.7 million Americans will travel over Thanksgiving- that’s a million more travelers than last year, and the busiest Thanksgiving since the great recession of 2007. The trade group Airlines for America expects Thanksgiving air travel to be up 2.5% over last year, which means 55,000 more travelers on planes and atairports every day across the country.

Calendar is the problem

The outlook for Christmas is going to be dicey. That’s because we are faced with Christmas and New Year’s Day both falling on Sundays this year. This means that the holiday season will be more densely packed with travelers on or around both of those weekends. (When Christmas and New Year’s fall mid-week, the season is more spread out.)

Busiest days at Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving will be the pretty standard this year, with busiest days on the Wednesday before the feast and the Sunday and Monday after. But you should also be aware of big crowds and delays on the Friday and Saturday before Thanksgiving, too. That’s because more people are taking the whole week off. My advice: Make your trip short and sweet: Depart early Thanksgiving morning (the slowest day) and get home in time for the feast. Then fly or drive back on Friday or Saturday before the Sunday rush.

Craziest days at Christmas/New Year’s

For Christmas and New Year’s, expect the busiest days at airports and freeways to be the Thursday and Friday (Dec 22-23) before Christmas. Since New Year’s Day is on Sunday, you’ll see heavy traffic that afternoon as well as on the Monday and Tuesday after New Year’s (Jan 2-3).

Winter road

Most holiday travelers will see this instead of a view out a plane window! (Image: Pixabay)

Driving

While most major media focus on air travel during the holidays, the reality is that nearly 90% of holiday travel is by car. And since most of Best Western guests arrive by car that 6.1% increase in demand is a good indicator of how busy roads will be this year. In addition, record low gas prices and fear of airline hassles will be pushing a lot more Americans into their cars for holiday trips.

Fuel prices

One key reason for high demand for travel during in the months ahead is the declining price of gasoline. Currently, the average price per gallon nationally is about $2.15—down from a high of about $2.35 in June. Those driving in the Midwest will find the least expensive gas this year ($1.70/gal)- those driving in the West will pay the most (>$2.50/gal). Airlines are enjoying the dip in fuel prices, too, which means that holiday airfares, while always high, will not increase much this year compared to last year. Some fares might even decline slightly.

Europe

Would you consider spending the holidays in Europe? If you’ve been waiting around for a deal, this might be the year to go. Transatlantic airfares are at new lows due to increased competition and low fuel prices. Plus, major currencies have tumbled in relation to the dollar. As I write this, 1 euro is worth about US$1.07 and is approaching parity. The British pound is at about $1.24.

Holiday Travel Q&A

Chris doling out the tips on a "radio media tour"

Chris doling out the travel tips on a “radio media tour”

During the holidays, I’m frequently on TV and radio doling out travel advice. Here are my answers to some of the most frequently asked questions:

When’s the best time to buy airline tickets for Christmas? Due to high demand, there simply are not any real airfare “deals” on the peak days around Christmas and New Year’s this year. Travelers who want the most convenient flights on their preferred airlines should book as soon as possible to get seats on those flights – otherwise they will likely be stuck paying the same high price for less desirable flights that depart super early or late, they’ll have to sit in those dreaded middle seats, or make several stops en route to their destinations.

Should I drive or fly this year? I always stick to the five hour rule: If you can drive to your destination in five hours or less, it’s likely smarter to hit the road instead of the skies during the holidays. This is especially true for families traveling together. If you haven’t done so yet, download the Waze app, a GPS-based mapping tool that uses information provided by other drivers to help you avoid traffic, road hazards – and speed traps!

What’s a good way to avoid holiday travel stress? Always try to book nonstop flights, because you double your chances of a delay or cancellation with a one-stop flight, even though you might save a few bucks. Another stress-busting move: Consider staying over in a hotel when visiting families during the holidays. Rates at new hotels like a locally owned Best Western in or near suburban office parks hit annual lows during holidays (due to the lack of business travelers), and facilities are usually new and nice. Having your own space at a hotel is a big relief for both the traveler and the host during the stressful holidays.

Boeing's iconic 747 is gradually flying off into the sunset. (Image: Jim Glab)

Take a nonstop flight if you can! (Image: Jim Glab)

Are there any alternatives or hidden secrets to getting good deals this year? If you have the flexibility to travel during the slowest times of year, the so-called “dead weeks” of early December and early January, you can save 50-70 percent on airfare or hotels. Some ski resorts will discount lift tickets during dead weeks. It’s also a good idea to check out airline or hotel social media streams on sites like Twitter or Facebook to look for short term, last minute sales.

Is now a good time to redeem points or miles for trips? It’s nearly impossible to use airline frequent flyer awards during the blacked out, heavily restricted peak holiday season. On the other hand, demand for hotels declines during holidays, which means that it’s a lot easier to redeem those hard-earned loyalty points—or find good last minute deals.

What about airline baggage fees? If possible, avoid checking bags during the holidays; the risk of your bag getting lost and ruining your trip is just too high. Try to learn to live out of a carry-on. If you have too much for a carry on, ship your bags ahead of time, but do so at the “ground” rate at UPS, FedEx or the Postal Service. Shipping a 25 lb. bag via next-day or two-day express is just too expensive.

Listen to TravelSkills editor Chris McGinnis discuss the outlook for holiday travel on KCBS Radio.

 

This post is sponsored by Best Western and originally appeared on its YouMustBeTrippin.com blog

Best Western logo new

Disclosure: Thank you for reading TravelSkills! We will periodically send out messages like this one from commercial partners about topics relevant to frequent travel.  Our sponsors’ support, and yours, help us keep TravelSkills a free publication. 


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How I quit my job to become a travel writer and see the world

Chris McGinnis offers San Francisco tips on CNN (Image: CNN)

Chris McGinnis offers San Francisco tips on CNN (Image: CNN)

“You have the best job in the world! I want to quit my job, become a travel writer, and see the world like you have. How’d you get started?”

I get that question all the time. And the best way for me to answer it is to provide the introduction to a book I wrote way back in 1996 called The Unofficial Business Traveler’s Pocket Guide (McGraw-Hill).

The short answer to that question: I saw that business travelers needed better information and advice and formed a company (Travel Skills Group) to do that. Keep in mind that this was in the very early days of the internet when most travel information was just pamphlets posted online. While I started out offering corporate traveler training programs, I eventually parlayed that into a career in travel media.

So how’d I do it? Here’s the introduction in the front of my book from 1996. When reading this, it is interesting to note how many things have NOT changed in 20 years!…

While business travelers come from hundreds of different countries, speak many different languages, and work for thousands of different companies, we have a culture and lifestyle as unique as that of the traveling Gypsies.

Think about it. When we are on the road, we all pretty much read the same magazines and newspapers, wear the same clothes, and have the same problems balancing work life and family life. We eat the same food, stay at the same hotels, and endure the same long flights in cramped quarters. We even recognize each other in ways that outsiders are not able to see. And we also hoard and spend the same currency—the frequent flyer mile.

In 1984 I took my first business trip—an induction of sorts to this class of “commercial nomad.” I had just completed the Master’s program at the American Graduate School of International Management (“Thunderbird”) in Phoenix, Arizona. Sea-Land, the containerized shipping company, invited me to New York for a job interview.

I remember the “important” feeling I had when booking my airline ticket through their company travel agency. The agent reserved a room for me at the Holiday Inn “Jetport” at Newark airport. The company even thought enough of me to express mail the tickets to Arizona the following day. Wow! This was the big time! Bright-eyed and eager, I must have read over my itinerary, tickets and boarding passes at least a dozen times.

(Here are a few video highlights from my days as travel correspondent for CNN Headline News around 2001.)

When the big day arrived, I packed a suit in my hang up bag, the resume in my briefcase and headed off to the airport. This time I wasn’t going home for the holidays or off on spring break. This was a business trip! A bit apprehensive of this new role, I watched the briefcase and trench coat crowd for cues—look straight ahead, walk fast, keep a pen in your pocket, feign indifference, don’t check your bag, do some work on the plane, and generally, act serious.

I arrived at my hotel in Newark at dusk. In my room overlooking the runways, I watched planes take off into the sunset, ate a room service club sandwich, pondered life, and worried about my interview. Little did I know that this transcontinental trip and Holiday Inn stay would be much more meaningful to my true calling than the impending interview.

Not that I didn’t get the job with Sea-Land. I did, and it is with them that I took my first few steps as a business traveler. However, the real frequent traveling began when I accepted my second job as a trainer with a management consulting company. This job demanded travel every Sunday night through Friday night.

My second book published in 1996

My second book published in 1996

For the next three years, I lived on airplanes and at airports, stayed at hundred of hotels, drove thousands of miles in rental cars, made countless long-distance credit card calls, missed my family and friends, and got hooked on the then-nascent frequent traveler programs. I soon found that I was much more enamored of the travel industry than the consulting business. Naturally, I became my company’s resident travel guru.

This company had a reputation for inducting young Turks from business schools, chewing them up for a couple years and spitting them out. Exit interviews showed that most of those who quit left because of “the travel.” Having doled out mountains of advice to the semi-annual class of new recruits, or “green peas,” I suggested to management that part of out company’s training program be devoted to teaching the “art” of frequent travel—a “traveler training” program. Official response: lukewarm.

But I knew I had an idea that would work. Business travelers no longer flew from City A to City B, did their job, then flew home. With airline deregulation, the frequent traveler marketplace had exploded: everything became negotiable. Telephones and long distance calling were different, airline travel had become a maze of new fares, rules, restrictions, hubs and spokes. Hotels offered unheard of choices like concierge levels and video checkout, credit cards changed and car rental contracts became fine print gobbledygook.

To me, it was obvious. Business travelers everywhere needed help. For many companies and individuals, leaning how to travel on-the-job was the hard and expensive way. At just about that time, Marriott published the results of a survey that concluded although companies were spending almost $100 billion a year on travel and entertainment, only five percent of business travelers had ever received any formal training on how to make travel better. But almost all of them thought that training would definitely yield benefits.

Reading that survey in USA Today on a flight to Bozeman, Montana, pushed me over the edge. I would do it on my own. So I quit my job at the consulting company and launched Travel Skills Group in 1988. Since then we have kept travelers up-to-date and in-the-know through traveler training programs, newspaper and magazine columns and regular TV and radio segments. The first version of this book, “202 Tips Even the Best Business Travelers May Not Know,” published in 1994, has made it into the hands of over 35,000 people. And since that book came out, a lot has changed.

Hotel chains are updating rooms and adding business-traveler friendly amenities. Robust airlines are buying newer planes, installing bigger, more comfortable seats in business class, improving food, and experimenting with technologically advanced in-flight entertainment systems. Airport clubs are getting a makeover—they are now more like high-tech offices than the old, smoky-drinky lounges of yesterday. Rental cars are getting technological enhancements like Global Positioning Satellite systems. Even airport restaurants and stores are upgrading their offerings.

This book is an updated version of the last one, and compendium of much of what we have learned, taught and advised over the last ten years. In the coming pages, you will find a “one room schoolhouse approach,” meaning that the 259 tips that follow should apply to both novice and seasoned travelers….

[I’ve deleted the last few paragraphs]

My weekly column in the AJC ran from 1991-2000

My weekly column in the AJC ran from 1991-2000

What happened next back then is that after a year of trying, I finally convinced the Atlanta Journal-Constitution to let me write a business travel column that would appear in the business section of the paper… a novel approach in those days. That column elevated me into the big leagues of travel writers- and to stand out, I focused on an underserved niche: business travel.

Since I was in Atlanta, and so was CNN, I ended up as a contributor there. With those bona fides, I ended up working more as a travel writer and media personality than a corporate trainer. Since then, I’ve shared my travel advice with magazines, TV and radio stations and newspapers. I’ve consulted with big brands to help them better target their offerings to business travelers. And these days, I’ve come full circle, back to travel writing with my primary focus on the Travel Skills blog.

So there you have it! That’s how I quit my job, chose a niche and became a world traveler. How will you pull it off? 

–Chris McGinnis

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How to get on an earlier flight for free

The right approach to a gate agent could get you home earlier. (Image: Jim Glab)

The right approach to a gate agent could get you home earlier. (Image: Jim Glab)

Remember the good old days when you could get on an earlier flight than the one you booked just by walking up to the gate and asking? That was before airlines started slapping fees on that process, as they have with so many other things.

But it might still be possible to pull it off without paying a fee (around $75 for domestic flights), even if you’re not an elite-level frequent flyer or a full-fare ticket holder. The key is to be able to show the gate agent that it is in the airline’s best interest to accommodate you on an earlier flight.

  • If you get to the airport in time to grab an earlier departure, check the arrival status of the inbound aircraft that will become the outbound flight you’ve booked. (Instead of looking at the airline’s arrivals board, use FlightAware’s mobile app for greater accuracy.) If it’s coming in late, it means your departure will likely be delayed – and you might miss a connection downline. That makes it in the airline’s interest to put you on an earlier departure, especially if your connecting flight is overbooked or the last one of the day.
  • If you’re flying out of a connecting hub and have a chance for an earlier departure than the one you’ve booked, ask the gate agent about the likelihood of “miss-connects” on that earlier flight. These are connecting passengers whose inbound flights are coming in late enough that they might miss the next segment (i.e., the one you want to get on). If the airline will accommodate your request, it will not only make you a happy passenger, but will also open up a seat on the later flight for someone who missed their connection.
  • Remember that your attitude in talking to the gate agent can make all the difference – and gate agents have all the power in these situations, especially when it comes to waiving fees. These employees are busy and frequently abused by irate travelers – so taking a high-handed approach won’t get you anywhere. Don’t be overbearing, but don’t be obsequious either. Just be pleasant and seem like you’re trying to be helpful rather than demanding or annoying.
  • If you have a good reason for wanting to get home earlier, it might be worth mentioning – especially if it involves your family. Would an earlier flight get you back in time to attend your kid’s Little League game or recital? Gate agents have families, too, and it could make them a little more sympathetic to your request.

How do YOU avoid paying airline fees like this? Leave your tips below! 

A similar version of this post written by Bob Cowen appeared previously on TravelSkills.

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9 key phrases every traveler should know

Just attempting to speak French made my last trip to Paris a lot better (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Just attempting to speak French made my last trip to Paris a lot better (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

No matter where you travel in the world, simply attempting to speak the local language can go a long way — even if your pronunciation isn’t the best.

Many years ago I stayed at the very buttoned up, elegant Hotel de Crillon (currently closed and under renovation) in Paris. Though I was fearful of being a bumbling American tourist, irritating the tuxedoed staff with poorly accented attempts at speaking French, I made it a point to initiate every interaction with a few key phrases that I had memorized and practiced ahead of time. I now learn the same key phrases in the language of any country to which I’m traveling.

So, even though I knew the waiter at the hotel’s elegant restaurant spoke flawless English, I’d place my order in French: “Je voudrais un cafe au lait.” (I’d like coffee with milk.) To which he’d smile and reply in perfect English: “Would you prefer your milk cold, or steamed?”

When I jumped in a taxi for my meetings across town, the first thing I said to the driver was “Bonjour. Parlez- vous anglais?” The answer was frequently “non”, but making the effort helped break the ice.

My accent was probably awful, but as they say, it’s the thought that counts. The simple fact that I tried to speak French first seemed to endear me to the hotel staff and the many other Parisians with whom I interacted.

Below are the key words or phrases that I always try to learn in the local language before traveling (or you can carry a cheat sheet with you, like the one I used in Paris). Then, you can practice your accent with a native speaker (or with Google Translate).

• Hello — (Bonjour)
• Goodbye — (Au revoir)
• Thank you — (Merci)
• Please — (S’il vous plait)
• Sorry — (Desole)
• Yes, no, OK — (Oui, non, d’accord)
• I would like … — (Je voudrais …)
• Do you speak English? — (Parlez- vous anglais?)
• How much? — (Combien?)

Give it a try and you’ll see that a little language skill goes a long way toward mending international relations. Bonne chance!

A similar version of this post was written by TravelSkills editor Chris McGinnis and first appeared on BBC.com/travel.

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Deal shopping? Go where business travelers don’t

One of Marriott's newest, largest hotels is on sale today only! Marriott Marquis Washington DC

New Marriott Marquis in D.C. offers some great deals- but only when biz traveler are not there (Photo: Marriott)

Ready to take a few days off for a fall getaway? Now’s the time to go because travel prices are hitting annual lows. If  you are flexible about what day you leave, like big cities, would consider beach vacation and aren’t afraid of hurricanes, you can find a deal this season.

To find a great travel deal during peak business travel season this autumn, my advice would be to go where business travelers are not going.

Here are five places you are least likely to find business travelers and most likely to find low prices in coming months:

Weekends in major cities
Since autumn is peak season for meetings and conferences, hotels near large convention facilities tend to fill up (and raise rates) on weekdays. This means bargain hunters will most likely find good hotel rates on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at major city hotels. For example, I’m attending a Boarding Area conference over a November weekend in Washington, DC. The meeting is at the new Marriott Marquis adjacent to the district’s new convention center. I’m staying over a Friday and Saturday night and our group rate is just $139 per night. If I were to stay midweek, the rate would be around $450!

The view from the United Club at ATL (Chris McGinnis)

The view from the United Club at ATL last week (Chris McGinnis)

Midweek or Saturday flights
Business travelers are predictable — they like to fly to work on Sunday evening or Monday morning, and then fly home on Thursday or Friday. That means bargain hunters are likely to find the cheapest seats on days with lower demand: Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. They are also more likely to find cheap fares on midday or late night flights, which business travelers tend to avoid. Fares overall are trending down this year due to cheap fuel and low-cost competition. For example, I fly frequently between Atlanta and San Francisco, and have grown accustomed to paying $400-$500 roundtrip. But now that Frontier is in that nonstop market with $238 round trip fares, Delta and United have matched that occasionally, but generally keep their lowest fares at around $310 round trip- still a very good deal.

Mountains or beaches
With business travelers focused on work instead of vacation, demand in typical holiday destinations wanes during autumn, a period known in the travel industry as “shoulder season”. With a decrease in demand, rates tank, and suppliers are more likely to toss in extras (upgrades, welcome cocktails, breakfast) to stimulate business. Best of all, the weather is usually dry and sunny during autumn- it’s also very colorful! But beware: this is also the time of year many resorts perform scheduled maintenance, which can be noisy or disconcerting, so be sure to ask about this when making your booking. For the best deals during shoulder season or other periods of waning demand, check on opaque or last-minute booking sites such as Hotwire.com where suppliers go to dump excess inventory at low rates. Another good tactic for finding specials is to scour travel supplier Twitter or Facebook feeds.

Business class during late winter holidays
Transatlantic business class fares typically run in the $5,000 to $7,000 range during peak business travel season — far beyond what most bargain hunters are willing to pay. However, business travelers tend to stay close to home and hearth during U.S. Thanksgiving and the Christmas/New Year holiday period. When demand slides, airlines put those big seats at the front of the plane on sale. For example, Lufthansa frequently rolls out a business class sale on flights between the US and Europe in late November/early December– so keep your eyes peeled (as we will).  And it’s not just low fares- this is also a great time of year to look for last-minute frequent flyer mile discounts on business class seats. As the holidays draw nearer, I expect other airlines to offer similar business class deals like they did last year.

Cuba Santiago Fathom Adonia

Our Fathom ship Adonia entering the harbor at Santiago de Cuba (Photo: Fathom)

Cruises
Autumn is the very best time of year to find deals on cruises for two reasons. First, kids are back in school, which means less demand from the family travel segment. Second, fearful that bad weather might ruin their well laid plans, consumers tend to avoid booking cruises when big storms hit the headlines like Hurricane Matthew did in the US this month. As a result of the decline in demand, fares tumble to rock bottom in September, October and November. For example, Royal Caribbean is offering a four-night November cruise from Port Canaveral to the Bahamas in an ocean view cabin for just $176- that’s only $44 per night! With room and board included, that might be cheaper than living at home! Best of all, fears of hurricanes ruining cruises are mostly unfound since new ships are fast enough to steer clear of any danger and the worst that can happen is that your itinerary changes.

Don’t miss out on these popular TravelSkills posts:

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How to inspect your hotel room

Best Western Premier hotel Miami

A nice, new, clean and quiet room at the Best Western Premier hotel near Miami International Airport (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

On a recent overseas trip, in a fit of bleary-eyed jet-lag, I made the mistake of checking into a hotel without going through the standard list of questions I normally ask at the front desk to ensure I get a good room. (You can find that list here…it’s one of our most popular posts- ever!)

When I got to my assigned room, it was hot, smelled like disinfectant and had a view of a large exhaust fan. The air conditioning hummed and vibrated so loudly that I thought an A380 was landing on the roof. Despite wanting to just crawl into bed and crash after the 10-hour overnight flight (in premium economy), I returned to the front desk and told the clerk that the room was not acceptable. A few keystrokes and a smile later, she apologized, and handed me the key to another room in a recently renovated wing on the opposite end of the hotel.

What a change! The hallway to my room was bright and new. The bathroom was spotless, the room décor modern and clean, the air conditioner was already on, and I had a nice view of airport runways without a peep of airplane noise.

I learned then that it’s always a good idea to give your room a quick inspection as soon as you enter — to avoid having to ask for another room once you’ve unpacked and settled in.

It also reminded me of one of my frequent traveling parents’ maxims: Never take the first hotel room offered to you, especially if you plan to stay more than one night.

Aloha from Hawaii where we are burning off some SPG points at the St Regis Princeville on Kauai (Photo: Barkley Dean)

Stunning view from our room at the St Regis Princeville in Hawaii- but they don’t all look like this!  (Photo: Barkley Dean)

When I walk into a hotel room now, I always check the view, the air conditioning/heating and the bed. I pull back the bedspread to look for hair on the sheets or pillows (especially after some scary recent revelations), and I inspect around the mattress or box spring edges for any evidence of bedbugs (they look like flat appleseeds).

If I’m planning to work in the room, I’ll turn on my laptop and check the strength of the wi-fi signal before I unpack my bags.

I also check that there are disposable plastic cups for water because I’m never sure about the cleanliness of glasses.

I’m not the only one with a checklist. A good friend of mine who is also a hotel GM told me that as soon as she walks in a room, she flushes the toilet to make sure it is operational and checks grout lines in the tub and shower for a solid clean seal- a key indicator of the age and overall condition of the room.

Always check the space between the bedside table and bed for cleanliness (Photo: Chris McGinnis) Picturee- Hotel Nines in Portland, OR

Always check the space between the bedside table and bed for cleanliness (Photo: Chris McGinnis) Picturee- Hotel Nines in Portland, OR

She also said that she checks the the floor space between the nightstand and the bed, which indicates how thorough the room cleaning and inspection process has been. She also checks for air conditioning fan noise and looks out the window to see if there is anything that might disrupt sleep.

Which reminds me of another thing I frequently forget to ask when I make a reservation or check in: Does this room have a motion-sensitive thermostat that turns off in the middle of the night when I’m asleep? Is there a way to bypass that? I’ve read about several solutions to this on other blogs, but have so far been unable to bypass a hotel thermostat. Have you?

What are the first things you check when you walk into a hotel room? Please leave your comments below.

A similar version of this post was written by TravelSkills editor Chris McGinnis for BBC.com 

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What in the world does “business casual” really mean?

Some advice on braving the treacherous waters of "business casual" attire (Photo: Pixabay)

Some advice on braving the treacherous waters of “business casual” attire (Photo: Pixabay)

“Two of my least favorite words in the English language are ‘business casual’ as it means different things to different people,” says Joyce Newman, president of the Newman Group, which offers high-level speaker, media and image consulting to global executives. “The definition varies widely between cities, countries, cultures – even industries – and it’s a real dilemma for travelers because you never get a second chance to make a good first impression.”

First, business casual dress varies between men and women. While men are often safe wearing khakis and a button down shirt, the permutations for women are endless. “Business casual for women can best be categorized by what it’s not than by what it is. For example: no jeans, no shorts, no low necklines, no miniskirts, no stiletto heels,” says globetrotting Claudia Kozma-Kaplan, a TravelSkills reader who straddles the U.S. and Europe in her fashion industry marketing job.

In some regions, the term business casual simply does not translate. Frankfurt-based financial industry executive Johannes Jacobi tells us, “Most Germans feel more comfortable in the familiar suit and tie – invitations to business casual events in the US or elsewhere are usually met with angst and a lot of questions.”

Kurta

In India, both men and women where similar versions of the kurta (Photo: Pixabay)

Also, appropriate business casual attire in one country or region is not always acceptable elsewhere. An Indian executive might feel comfortable wearing a traditional kurta (a loose fitting shirt worn by men and women that extends to just above the knees; worn with pants) to an event in Hyderabad, but would probably feel awkward wearing one in New York. Similarly, a Puerto Rican executive who might wear a guayabera shirt to a business casual event in San Juan should probably leave it at home when traveling on business to London.

On the other hand, should a visitor wear a kurta or guayabera when visiting India or San Juan? Bermuda shorts in Bermuda? Maybe… or maybe not. According to Newman, calling ahead for advice is the best way to avoid the potential embarrassment of over- or under-dressing at an unfamiliar business casual function.

“Ask someone who has been to a similar event in that country before,” counsels Newman. “Use your travel agent, your friends or social media networks for advice about what to wear. Eventually, with ‘six degrees of separation’, you will find someone in-the-know.”

This cool seersucker shirt worked well for me as business casual when I was working in steamy Thailand (Chris McGinnis)

This cool seersucker shirt from Brooks Brothers worked well for me as business casual when I was at meetings in steamy Thailand (Chris McGinnis)

Beyond the safe global standard of jackets or blazers, khaki or gray slacks, and leather shoes, below is a primer to how business casual varies around the world.

Europe
Europeans use business casual as an opportunity to show off their character and fashion sense. “Europeans know how to express themselves and be comfortable at the same time, while most Americans tend to think it’s mostly about just being comfortable,” says Patrick T Cooper, a US-based fashion consultant. Cooper spoke with TravelSkills about an extended trip to London where he was impressed by men “in two-button, peaked lapel, ticket pocket, double-breasted blazers with British spread collar shirts (no tie) and light wool slacks — all tailored, of course, to fit perfectly.” He says that women may have a tougher time with the business casual look in Europe, and thus may want to stick to their regular business attire, even when attending business casual events. “There’s no real letting your hair down when it comes to business attire for women. For women who normally wear suits at work, I would take it down just one notch for business casual, to a tailored pants suit or a poplin top and a pencil skirt. And never any flashy or dangly jewelry,” he advises.

Australia
“Business casual is essentially the same for both men and women in Australia,” advises Sydney-based management consultant Peter Braithwaite. “If it’s an event, men should wear a collared shirt, pants and jacket, with leather shoes. You may find jeans, but that is pushing it a bit. For women, a skirt, dress or pants are okay. Heels aren’t necessary, but never sandals — for men or women.”

For travel blogger Natalie DiScala, business-casual tends to mean heavy on the ‘business’ and light on the ‘casual’. Of course, it all depends on where you’re going but she says she’d rather be overdressed than underdressed.

For travel blogger Natalie DiScala, business-casual tends to mean heavy on the ‘business’ and light on the ‘casual’. Of course, it all depends on where you’re going but she says she’d rather be overdressed than underdressed (Photo: Flytographer)

Caribbean
In Latin-influenced islands such as Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, local men frequently wear informal-looking guayaberas to business casual or formal events —even weddings. On the other hand, women tend to “dress up” in cities such as San Juan where “casual Fridays” usually mean high heels, flashy jewellery and bright colours. But proper attire could differ on the next island over. “When I first went to the Caribbean, I was expecting business casual to be the norm, but was surprised at how formally locals dressed in places like Trinidad, Barbados, Jamaica and Haiti due to the European influence on their cultures,” says international development consultant Linda Carlson.

India
“In India, business casual means jacket, trousers, collared shirt, no tie and oxford shoes for gentlemen. For ladies, it is jacket, trousers, inner t-shirt and low-heeled pumps,” recommends Ashrafi Matcheswala, who moved from India to the US where she is the general manager at the Taj Campton Place Hotel in San Francisco.

Carlson, who spent three years in India, adds, “The many Indians who have spent time working in technology jobs in California returned focusing on the more casual side of business casual, but they’ve ‘Indianized’ it by incorporating the local kurta into the look.”

The traditional "Japanese businessman" in a black suit is less prevalent. (Image: Pixabay)

The traditional “Japanese businessman” in a black suit is less prevalent. (Image: Pixabay)

Japan
“Japanese business attire has definitely become more casual over the last decade,” says Jun Mizutani, a marketing executive in the financial industry in Tokyo. However, casual varies slightly from industry to industry. For example, many executives have shed the traditional suit, or coat and tie during the summer, except for those in the financial or securities industries which remain mostly formal.

The Japanese government actually encourages office workers to shed their formal work clothing and adopt business casual outfits to endure the summer heat, which lead to a greater acceptance of casual styles at work or at off-site events. In the winter encourages office workers to consider adding more knits and layers as thermostats are turned down to use less heat for winter.

United States

This is my definition of business casual- while speaking to a group of financial execs in Silicon Valley last year. Coat: Orvis. Shirt: Charles Tyrwhitt, Pants: Hugo Boss (Photo: Kim Grimes)

This is my definition of business casual- while speaking to a group of financial execs in Silicon Valley last year. Coat: Orvis. Shirt: Charles Tyrwhitt, Pants: Hugo Boss (Photo: Kim Grimes)

The definition of business casual varies from coast to coast in the US, the country that likely coined the term. Along the more formal East Coast, business casual typically infers a “preppy” look: a dark blazer, jacket or sweater for men and women, a collared shirt (tie optional), a skirt (for women) or pressed slacks (no jeans) and leather shoes.

The look gets more casual the farther you travel west. For example, in Denver or Seattle, business casual takes on a more “outdoorsy” look and includes jeans, boots, vests and jackets that might look familiar on a hiking trail than in a business meeting. When you finally reach California, business casual can include just about anything, and varies a lot by industry. For example, a business casual event in the banking or finance industries would likely lean toward the more conservative East Coast version. But in high tech or entertainment, business casual could include jeans and a black t-shirt (think Steve Jobs) or even floral Hawaiian shirts. All the more reason to heed Newman’s advice to call ahead and determine precisely what you should pack before you leave home.

How you YOU define business casual? What’s your “go-to” business casual outfit? Ever been embarrassed in a business casual situation? Please leave your comments below. 

TravelSkills editor Chris McGinnis wrote this post which originally appeared on BBC.com

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Tips from a trip to Hawaii + more!

Kauai Chris

Ten days in Kauai did the trick! (Photo at Kilauea Lighthouse: Barkley Dean)

A full month away from the working world has done wonders for the body and soul, and now it’s time to catch up on all we’ve missed.

We’ll spend the next few days catching ourselves (and you!) up on the most important travel news from August. But first, I’ll offer pics and tips from an amazing, healthy, peaceful and gorgeous 10-day trip to Kauai, which I can firmly say is now my favorite island in Hawaii.

Stay tuned for few roundup posts before we jump back into the regular swing of things.

mai tai

A medicinal mai-tai on United’s Hawaii bound flights. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Biggest surprise: Who knew that United is now using one of its lie-flat BusinessFirst equipped p.s. 757s between San Francisco and Lihue? Not I. So when our upgrades came through, we were psyched to see we’d have a big roomy ride on the 5-hour flight down to the Tropic of Cancer. While the big seat was fantastic and the flight on-time, inflight service on United was underwhelming. Flight attendants clearly did not want to be there.

That’s too bad because a trip to Hawaii is so special to so many fliers, especially first-timers. An enthusiastic crew could really make a difference. But not in our case. Remember back in the day when some airlines offered orchid blossoms, POG, umbrellas and real juice in mai tais, and “halfway to Hawaii” games? Not on this glum flight. Above is a look at what you get when you ask for a mai tai on United these days. (Stark contrast to Hawaiian Airlines flight a couple years ago. Hello pineapple upside-down cake!)

Renting a house instead of staying in a hotel made a big difference (Photo: Barkley Dean)

Renting a house instead of staying in a hotel made a big difference (Photo: Barkley Dean)

Last time we went to Kauai, we unloaded a big pile of SPG points (30,000 per night) for a four-night stay at the St Regis Princeville. (Rates run about $500 per night.) While that stay was posh, it also felt kinda processed, which is antithetical to the laid-back, outdoorsy, hippie-ish vibe Kauai is known for. So when we decided to come back, we rented a house in Hanalei. Airbnb, VRBO and many other outfits rent houses all over the island (just ask Google).

Outdoor shower Kauai

Try to find a house with an outdoor shower! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

But the downside to many of the rental houses on Kauai’s rustic north side (including ours) is that they are not air-conditioned. That ended up being a problem on some of the stickiest nights of August (the hottest month of the year) but did not by any means ruin the trip. As a matter of fact, we are already talking about renting the same place next year. TIP: If renting a house, try to find one with an outdoor shower! Ours was outstanding, oversized and had hot and cold water (see above or see me in it here ? ).

Kauai

Beaches, mountains, rivers, waterfalls, canyons, jungles and deserts. Kauai has it all, including lot of local agriculture like these taro patches seen from one of many roadside overlooks (Photo: Barkley Dean)

A reader who followed our trip via Instagram asked if renting a car on Kauai is necessary. Unless you are planning to go to a hotel or resort and hole up by the pool, beach or golf course the whole time, you need a car to really see this gorgeous island. Just be prepared for traffic in Kapaa, Lihue and Poipu, the island’s larger towns, especially if you are there during peak summer, winter or spring break travel seasons. Rental rates are not rapacious (we paid National $420 all-in for a small SUV for 10 days), and gasoline prices are about on par with California. If you want to check out several of Kauai’s awesome beaches, a car is necessary as well. Our north shore favorites were Haena/Tunnels beach (great sand & snorkling underneath unusual green mountains) and Lumahai (unusual volcanic shelves and tide pools plus a beautiful hidden beach). Another awesome day trip that requires a car is Waimea Canyon on the west side of the island. It’s a full day trip, but soooo worth it. Stunning views of the many-hued “Grand Canyon of the Pacific.” Don’t miss it.

Sushi hanalei

Some of the world’s best, freshest sushi in Hanalei (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The food on Kauai is outstanding, mostly healthy and super fresh. Nearly every local has a favorite place to get sushi. When we got to Hanalei, locals told us to look behind the popular Hanalei Dolphin Restaurant for the tiny Dolphin Sushi & Fish Market take-out counter located on the parking lot out back. There was a line out the door, but we snagged some of the freshest, tastiest sushi rolls ever as well as a nice slab of local, flaky-white and delicious monchong which we grilled at our house.  The store also has amazing poke, chowder and the best tunafish sandwich I’ve ever had.

Breakfast Kauai

Breakfast on the Makana Terrace at the St Regis Princeville: great food and killer views (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

If you are headed to Hanalei, here’s some restaurant guidance. First, prepare for high prices. Restaurant food, especially in touristed areas, is very expensive. (However, we found food prices at grocery stores only slightly higher that in San Francisco.) Bar Acuda is probably the hottest table in Hanalei. We had an early dinner there and liked it, but it did not differ much from the California cuisine in contemporary surroundings that we enjoy in San Francisco. A dinner at Tahitu Nui, famous for the part it played in The Descendants movie, was just okay, but we liked the live ukelele music and its mai tais. We enjoyed a few good plate lunches (even for dinner) at the L&L Hawaiian Barbecue stand (starchy goodness with two scoops of rice, macaroni salad and your choice or meat or fish). Chicken in a Barrel (Hanalei & Kapaa) was surprisingly good, moist and smoky chicken and even better baby back ribs. One of our favorite discoveries was Sushi Girl on the road up to the Napali Coast– order your plate from a tiny window, then take it with you to the beach or picnic table.

Even though it’s pricey ($39 per person), we really enjoyed the breakfast buffet at the St Regis Princeville— for the broad range of food, fruit and juices, but even more for the outstanding water, mountain and surf view from the Makana Terrace— try it at least once if your budget allows.

Kauai sunset

Sunset from Black Pot Beach and the Hanalei Pier on Kauai’s north side (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Kauai is known for its outdoor adventures, and we took part in many– had to burn off all that good food, right? We took the relatively grueling, muddy 4-hour hike along the Napali Coast up to Hanakapi’ai Falls. The first half was pleasant, picturesque and easy, but the second half was a slow, wet slog up to the falls. But the payoff was worth it– a gorgeous, iconic 700-foot waterfall and cool pool for a dip. The kind of setting you see in post cards. We also enjoyed stand up paddle boarding on the Hanalei River (easy on the river, not so easy in the ocean), a unique tubing expedition through old irrigation canals and tunnels in the center of the island, snorkeling, swimming and beach walking. A boat trip along the Napali Coast included exciting incursions into its many caves and grottos. And of course, Mother Nature shows off with stunning sunsets each night– our favorite spot to watch was from the beach and pier (web cam) on west-facing Hanalei Bay (See above.)

That’s it for my summer vacation! How was yours?

Next up, we’ll plow through all the important news we’ve missed over the last month and present it here in a few round up posts. There’s been plenty of chatter about a new credit card with a whopping 100,000 point sign up bonus. We’ll take a look at that among other stories!

What did we miss while away? Please let us know in the comments. 

We’re glad to be back! Thanks for the many emails from readers concerned about our whereabouts…. it’s nice to be missed! 

–Chris McGinnis

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Huge travel website wants your flight reviews

Travelers can now post flight reviews on TripAdvisor. (Image: Jim Glab)

Travelers can now post flight reviews on TripAdvisor. (Image: Jim Glab)

One of the Internet’s most widely-used travel review sites is now allowing users to sound off about their airline flight experiences. It also developed a scoring system that can help travelers examine carrier amenities and services so they can make a better judgment before they book.

The site is TripAdvisor, which is widely consulted by travelers for a customer comments database that includes more than 350 million user reviews of 6.5 million hotels, restaurants and attractions worldwide. And now it is adding airline flights to the mix.

TripAdvisor first ventured into the airline space with amenities information, traveler photos and a flight search/price-scanning function. It has recently been collecting worldwide traveler reviews of airline flight experiences, and this week made that database available to all users.

A typical flight review from TripAdvisor's new database.

A typical flight review from TripAdvisor’s new database.

 “According to a recent TripAdvisor survey, 42 percent of U.S. travelers believe airlines are making it harder to find the total cost of a flight. The same survey found that 39 percent of consumers also believe airlines’ in-flight amenities information is not very accessible. “Airline reviews from the millions of flyers on TripAdvisor will better communicate the total value of a flight beyond the price,” the site said in announcing its airline reviews.

TripAdvisor has also come out with a beta version of a new feature called Flyscore, which provides a 1-to-10 rating for individual flights “based on the power of qualitative traveler reviews, the quality of the aircraft, in-flight amenities and the duration of the itinerary,” the company said. It also offers enhanced information about the availability of in-flight amenities like power ports and Wi-Fi.

Here’s a link to the new reviews, indexed alphabetically by airline.

Do you think TripAdvisor will be as successful with flight reviews as it is with hotels? Would a review affect the way you book your flights? Please leave your comments below. 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: How to get the BEST summer fare deals | One airline fee fading fast | Trip Report: Aer Lingus Economy Class | 5 top jobs for frequent travelers  | First class phase out coming soon

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Worst airports for customs/immigration lines

Customs lines are a lot longer at some airports than others, a study finds. (Image: Customs & Border Protection)

Customs lines are a lot longer at some airports than others, a study finds. (Image: Customs & Border Protection)

If you’re traveling abroad this summer, the time you’ll spend waiting in line to get through Customs & Border Protection (CBP) on your return could be torturous – or it could be pleasantly brief. It all depends on the airport you come back through.

And whether you belong to CBP’s Global Entry or not, of course.

A new study from MileCards.com warns that the longest CBP lines will be encountered during July and August, averaging 21 to 22 minutes. And the worst waiting times will be at California airports. The top 10 worst airports for CBP line times out of the 41 that have international arrivals facilities include five in the Golden State, the study found: Sacramento, Oakland, San Francisco, Fresno and Los Angeles.

Considering only the nation’s busiest airports, MileCards.com determined that the longest waiting times are at Miami, with an average of 27 minutes, but maximum line time that ranges up to 55 minutes. In second place was San Francisco International, with a 24-minute average and maximum line time of 48 minutes; New York JFK also posted average waits of 24 minutes.

customswait1

By contrast, the shortest lines among the busiest international airports were at Phoenix, averaging 10 minutes; close behind Phoenix were Charlotte, Washington Dulles and Atlanta, all with average waiting times of 12 minutes or less.

customswait2

MileCards.com noted that 13 of the busiest airports (including San Francisco and San Jose) now offer the free Mobile Passport Control app (www.MobilePassport.us) that can handle arrival formalities and gives users access to an expedited CBP lane as well as priority lanes for Customs declarations. Other advice from the company: Try to schedule a return flight that doesn’t arrive very early in the morning, as many flights from Asia and Latin America do. For returns from Europe, try to avoid mid-afternoon arrivals.

At San Francisco International, a spokesman confirmed to TravelSkills that the airport had the highest growth rate for international arrivals of any U.S. airport last year. He said that it is trying to reduce line times by installing more self-service Automated Passport Control kiosks (increasing their number last month from 40 to 64, with another 16 coming this fall), and that SFO is currently “pilot testing the first 24/7 Global Entry enrollment office in the U.S.,” as we reported a few weeks ago.

Global Entry

Plenty of kiosks, but few travelers at SFO’s Global Entry queue (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The study suggests that travelers coming back from Europe should arrive through Atlanta or Washington Dulles instead of JFK or Newark, while Asia travelers should look to a Seattle return instead of California airports.

It also suggests enrolling in CBP’s Global Entry trusted traveler program ($100 for five years) over the Mobile Passport Control app, especially for travelers with connections from their re-entry gateway. (Why? Because in addition to speeding members through the Customs checkpoint via self-service kiosks, Global Entry also provides TSA PreCheck privileges.) MileCards.com notes that several credit cards will reimburse holders for the cost of Global Entry membership.

MileCards.com this week also issued a comparison of the Mobile Passport Control app vs. the Global Entry program, with details about how and where they work, along with a list of credit cards that cover the cost of Global Entry.

Are customs and immigrations crowds affecting you? Please leave your comments and experiences below. 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: How to get the BEST summer fare deals | One airline fee fading fast | Trip Report: Aer Lingus Economy Class | 5 top jobs for frequent travelers  | First class phase out coming soon

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Say what? JetBlue matching Virgin America points balances

JetBlue's A320s (pictured) and some A321s will get new seating and tech improvements. (Image: JetBlue)

JetBlue wants you really badly and is making an offer that’s tough to refuse! (Image: JetBlue)

This new promo from JetBlue is more jolting than Brexit! If you have a big stash of Virgin America Elevate points, check this out:

Now, we’ve all heard about how airlines will match elite status in order to get flyers to switch allegiances. Well, this new promo from JetBlue goes WAY beyond that.

Today JetBlue announced that it will MATCH your Virgin Elevate balance– that’s right, they will GIVE you a wad JetBlue points if you’ll fly them just one time by August 31.

Even if you have as few as 500 mealy Virgin Elevate points, JetBlue will give you 5,000! Here’s the breakdown:

(Image: JetBlue)

(Image: JetBlue)

To get the points, here’s what you have to do:

Email a screenshot of your Virgin Elevate account dashboard (that shows your balance) to pointsmatch@jetblue.com by July 4. Screenshots must include first name, last name, and points balance. You must include your TrueBlue number in the email. Not a member of TrueBlue? Sign up here.

Once JetBlue has that, they say they’ll assess your balance and eligibility, and then email you to let you know if you’re officially registered for the promotion.

After that, you must book and fly ONE one roundtrip JetBlue flight by August 31. My advice if you live in California? Take a day trip between SFO and Las Vegas or Long Beach for as little as $93 round trip!

Fares checked on June 24 between SFO and Las Vegas

Fares checked on June 24 between SFO and Las Vegas

Once you do that, JetBlue will deposit the points in your True Blue Account.

Full details of the offer right here! This is a no brainer, folks! 

What do you think? Will you take advantage of this? Have you flown JetBlue before? Please leave your comments below. 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: How to get the BEST summer fare deals | One airline fee fading fast | Trip Report: Aer Lingus Economy Class | 5 top jobs for frequent travelers  | First class phase out coming soon

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6 highly annoying habits of infrequent fliers

United Economy

Even some very frequent travelers can be irritating during peak summer travel season (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Last week on an interminable six-hour flight from New York back to San Francisco, I sat next to a very irritating passenger. While it is usually IN-frequent fliers that get under my skin, this guy was a United Global Services member– a status he let me know about as soon as he sat down.

He’d missed his previous flight, and was forced to sit in a middle seat in Economy Plus on my flight. He immediately flapped his arms out to take full control of the armrests and wedged his knees into my knee space. Then he proceeded to harass flight attendants for the duration of the flight by (I kid you not) pushing the call button at least four times to lodge complaints, make demands or ask inane questions: Why is the in-seat power not working? Please reset it.  The seatback map is only in Spanish- can you tell me what time we are landing? I’m Global Services, and get a free meal, so don’t charge me. Another cup of water. Do you have any aspirin? It went on and on. And when we landed at SFO, he asked if I’d let him out first so he could exit before everyone else catch his connecting flight (even tho we’d landed ontime). Arrgh!

Over time, most frequent travelers adopt an unruffled, zen-like attitude when it comes to flying. But at times, especially during the peak summer travel season (which starts this week), infrequent flyers tend to exhibit certain behaviors that get under their skin.

Below are my top six irritants. What are yours?

Tap, tap, tap...hello? (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Tap, tap, tap…hello? (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

1) Seatback tappers- You know,  the ones who repeatedly tap-tap-tap on the seatback entertainment screen to play games, change channels or who knows what. Since they don’t fly much, they don’t realize how irritating it is for the person in front of them to feel that constant knock that hits square on the back of the head. As soon as you think they’ve quit, it starts over again. After about 15 minutes, I’ll turn around and give ’em an arched eyebrow… what about you?

My most famous foot photo ever (Chris McGinnis)

My most famous foot photo, ever (Chris McGinnis)

2) Feet people- These travelers must think their pink toes are cute, but their seat mates think they are pretty gross. Pack your flip flops in your carry on and wear shoes and socks on the plane, please. On long, overnight flights, it’s fine to remove shoes, but please put them back on when going to the lavatory (that’s not just water on the floor in there…). And when you get back to your seat, never, ever prop those puppies up on the wall, tray table, armrest or elsewhere. 

Knee room in economy on Cathay Pacific's B777-300ER (Chris McGinnis)

Not so fast with that recline, buster! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

3) Pushy recliners- These folks can do real damage to an open laptop, or knock a drink right out of your hand and into your lap. They apply full backward pressure on the seatback, and then POW! They discover that that funny little button is what makes the seat go back– and right into your personal space. I can’t say this with complete authority, but from what I observe, most frequent travelers no longer recline their seats unless they are on an overnight flight. Do you still recline?

4) Aisle hogs- During boarding, these are the folks who think they can yank their overstuffed wheelie-bag down the aisle, and act surprised when it doesn’t fit and they keep running into seats and knees. Pick the bag up already, and get down the aisle! There are 150 people behind you! And once you’ve stuffed that monster into the bin, don’t go back and block the aisle while you fetch your magazines or iPod. Sit down in your seat and get outta the way. You can go back to your bag after we take off. 

Here’s an good video that cleverly describes much of what I’m talking about– especially funny are parts about the various odors emitted by irritating passengers:

5) Boarding line breakers- These are the novices who act like they are deaf or don’t speak English, or can’t read when gate agents are boarding by zone, and wander into the zone 1 group when they are actually in zone 5. What are even more irritating are gate agents who don’t pay attention and let these slouches board anyway. Back off, Jack!

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6) Typhoid Marys- Most frequent travelers know that when they are in tiny tubes darting through the stratosphere, they should keep their germs to themselves. (See feet above.) Most infrequent travelers haven’t learned that yet, and sneeze or cough without covering. And by covering I mean sneezing or coughing into a sleeved elbow, handkerchief or Kleenex. NOT a bare hand, which just re-directs the spray sideways. These are the same folks who grab their bags in overhead bins by the wheels (which have rolled through all kinds of muck), and then touch seatbacks, tray tables, armrests, light switches or air vents. If you are seated by the window, these are also the hands passing drinks and food to you. Yuck! Bring on the Purell and the face masks!

Good idea: A new device that helps divide arm rest space

Okay, now that I’ve let off some steam, it’s time  for me to retreat back into my frequent traveler zen skin and to remember that now’s the time to offer tolerance (and maybe even help) to the infrequent flyers, especially during this peak travel season. All of us were novices at this game at one time…

But… what about you? What habits of infrequent flyers irritate you most? Please leave your comments below! 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: How to get the BEST summer fare deals | One airline fee fading fast | Trip Report: Aer Lingus Economy Class | 5 top jobs for frequent travelers  | First class phase out coming soon

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7 reasons to take the train instead of the plane

Travelers to France can hop a high-speed TGV train right at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. (Image: Rail Europe)

Travelers to France can hop a high-speed TGV train right at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. (Image: Rail Europe)

U.S. business travelers sometime develop the mindset that flying is the only way to go – probably because in the U.S., rail travel just isn’t very practical from a time standpoint except maybe in the Northeast Corridor. But if a trip to Europe is in your plans this summer, you might want to consider the advantages of a rail system that is not only much faster and more widespread than in the U.S., but can offer intermodal links with air travel as well.

So here are seven reasons why you might want to take trains to get around Europe.

1> They’re fast. If you think France’s TGV trains and the London-Paris Eurostar are the only high speed rail routes in Europe, you are way behind the times. Europeans have been developing high-speed routes all over the continent for the past few decades. Spain alone has four domestic high-speed rail networks, plus a fifth that links it to France. Depending on the route, high-speed trains in Europe travel 125 to 200 mph. Here’s a list of the major high-speed networks in Europe.

High-speed train travel times in Europe. (Image: Eurail)

Train travel times in Europe are getting shorter thanks to high-speed lines. (Image: Eurail)

2> They can even be faster than flying. While jets are still a lot faster than trains, and thus more time-efficient for longer trips, there are many city-pairs where it’s actually faster to take the train when you consider total travel time – i.e., getting to the airport early for heightened security checks; travel time to and from the airport instead of a city center train station, etc. GoEuro (www.goeuro.com), a search engine that compares air and rail travel times, put together a list of 10 key routes in Europe where travelers can save one to four hours if they go by rail instead of flying.

3> Intermodal connections can be very efficient. Some key gateway airports have built-in rail stations right next to or underneath the terminals where travelers can easily transition from air to train travel. At Frankfurt International Airport, for instance, travelers can connect to trains going all over Germany and beyond, including the nation’s high-speed ICE network. And French National Railroads has a TGV station at Charles de Gaulle Airport. Lufthansa and Air France even sell air and connecting rail trips combined in a single ticket – Lufthansa’s Rail&Fly program and Air France’s Air&Rail.

4> They’re comfortable. Seats are generally bigger than airline seats, with plenty of legroom – especially in first class. Many trains have bar/buffet cars; for first class travelers, meals and drinks are included in the ticket price, and may be served at your seat or in the bar/buffet car. Increasingly, European trains have on-board Wi-Fi. And you can sleep on some trains: For longer rail journeys, some routes operate overnight with trains that offer private sleeping cabins. Here’s a list of Europe’s night trains.

Spain's Renfe AVE high speed train preparing to depart Madrid Atocha (Chris McGinnis)

Spain’s Renfe AVE high speed train preparing to depart Madrid Atocha for 2.5 hour trip to Barcelona (Chris McGinnis)

5> They take you to the heart of town. Airport stations aside, European rail terminals are generally in the center of cities, so you can easily get to or from your hotel with a short cab ride. In fact, there are usually some hotels within walking distance.

6> Forget about delays. While a big storm can play havoc with airline schedules, trains keep operating through all kinds of weather. And they’re not subject to the kinds of air traffic control congestion that can disrupt on-time flight operations. In terms of operational efficiency, about the only thing that can (and sometimes does) disrupt train travel in Europe is a labor strike.

7> They can be quite scenic. You won’t see much of Europe from the air, but trains bring you up close to alpine vistas, dramatic forests, majestic rivers and other things to see through those big windows from the comfort of your seat. Here’s a list from Eurail of some of Europe’s most scenic train routes.

Here’s a list of the 10 most popular high-speed rail routes in Europe:

Source: Eurail

Source: Eurail

Readers: Have you traveled around Europe by train? How was your experience?

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: United’s newest, longest flight + Tipping Uber drivers + Qantas 747 Trip Report + Confusion over PreCheck policies + No-fee earlier flights

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TravelSkills on CNN with advice for summer trips

Chris McGinnis CNN

TravelSkills editor Chris McGinnis doling out the travel tips at SFO for CNN (Image: CNN)

If you who have been reading my books, columns and blogs for years,  you may already know that I worked with CNN on and off for about 10 years starting in 1995. Those were great (and grueling) years, and they came to an end when I moved to California in 2005. But every now and then, CNN sends its cameras west to capture even more of my travel advice.

For a recent segment, producers asked if I could come up with a handful of tips for the the millions of summer travelers expected to hit the skies this summer. So I dug deep into the TravelSkills blog and came up with these pearls (listed below). Watch the video to see how we turned these blog posts or subjects into international television segments!

1> Invest good luggage! Who wants to be stuck on a trip with a broken bag? Not me! For this segment, I relied on this popular TravelSkills post about my favorite small luggage shop in San Francisco. How to choose the best carry on bag 

2> Hang, wrap and roll to avoid wrinkles. I’ve been hanging my travel clothes on hangers, wrapping them in plastic dry cleaning bags and rolling them up to pack in my suitcase since a fellow traveler (my boss!) taught me this trick in 1987. If you don’t pack like this, you should! Works like a charm.

Chris McGinnis CNN

This is what happens when someone says “direct” when they mean nonstop! (Image: CNN)

3> Know the difference between a direct and a non stop flight! I’ve been ranting about this for years, but my rants don’t ever seem to do much good. So many experts and even airlines say “direct” when they mean nonstop and I feel like giving up the ghost. Nonetheless, here’s one of our most popular TravelSkills posts ever on the subject: Direct or nonstop flight? You tell me!

4&5> Sign up for TSA PreCheck and Global Entry! This is a business travel no brainer. We have written about both line busters too may times to include all links, but here’s the latest, most popular one: Is TSA PreCheck too expensive?

6> Don’t ask for a free upgrade! They don’t exist anymore. Instead, I suggest that travelers ask how much an upgrade might cost. In many cases, you might be surprised. Right?

7> Scan the contents of your wallet and your passport and email it to yourself before departing on a long trip! That way, it’s a lot easier to recover if they are lost or stolen.

Do these sound like good tips to you? Aside from telling them to sign up for the TravelSkills.com blog 🙂 … How would you advise a novice business traveler? Please leave your comments below!

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: United’s newest, longest flight + Tipping Uber drivers + Qantas 747 Trip Report + Confusion over PreCheck policies + No-fee earlier flights

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International roaming with AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile

phone iphone map

Using phones in other countries getting cheaper, easier (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Remember when turning on your mobile phone while roaming in another country felt like opening up your wallet on a windy day? Thankfully, that ripped off feeling is on the wane.

Recently AT&T announced that it will add free roaming in Canada and Mexico. This comes on the heels of Verizon’s recent introduction of the helpful, cheaper TravelPass plan.  And it all started with T-Mobile’s Simple Choice plan, offering free data and texting and 20-cent calls in 140+ countries.

AT&T:

Starting this Friday, all AT&T customers on Mobile Share Value 15GB and higher plans will have unlimited calling, texting and use of their plan data in Mexico.  (Customers currently on one of these plans just have to call, use the MyAT&T app, go online to www.att.com to enroll.

Also starting this Friday, new and existing customers with AT&T’s new Unlimited Plan will have unlimited talk, text and data in both Mexico and Canada. To add the AT&T Roam North America feature on your phone or tablet, just go to www.att.com.  (AT&T plan details here)

Business customers on a MSV 15GB or higher plan can get the new features as well. Business customers who activate on new Mobile Select plans priced $20 per month or higher will automatically receive Mexico roaming benefits.

Image: Verizon

Image: Verizon

Verizon:

If Verizon is your smartphone carrier and you travel the world a lot, you have a new option called TravelPass. Priced at $2 a day per line in Mexico and Canada and $10 a day in 65 other countries, the new plan lets you “take your domestic talk, text and data allowances with you,” Verizon says.

The $2 per day deal is excellent for quick trips to Mexico and Canada. But that $10 daily fee

Verizon

Using TravelPass in Australia was easy…and much cheaper than last time I was there! (Chris McGinnis)

elsewhere still seems pretty high, even though it’s at least better than Verizon’s pricey monthly plans. 

Once you sign up for TravelPass, the fee kicks in when you receive a call, connect to a data service, or send a text inside one of the 100+ countries where it works. Once that 24 hours is up, the daily fee won’t kick in again until you receive a call, connect to a data service, or send a text – at which point another TravelPass day will begin.

To sign up go to MyVerizon.com and select “manage international services” or use the MyVerizon app on your phone to activate it before embarking on a trip. Once at your destination, you’ll receive a text message welcoming you to the country and reminding you of the service and the daily fee.

T-Mobile:

T-Mobile has the most economical plan for international travelers– unlimited calling, data and texting in the U.S., Mexico, & Canada is automatically included with its Simple Choice plans.

The Simple Choice Plan also offers unlimited data and texting in what it says are “95% of the places Americans travel most” That is currently 140+ countries and destinations. Details on using T-Mobile overseas.

I just wish T-Mobile worked better inside my house and around SF!

Which carrier do you use when traveling overseas? Do you instead rely on wi-fi connected apps like Viber? Are you happy with your current plan? Please leave your comments and tips for other readers below.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: United’s newest, longest flight + Tipping Uber drivers + Qantas 747 Trip Report + Confusion over PreCheck policies + No-fee earlier flights

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Translation apps make big advances

Screen Shot 2016-05-17 at 12.25.18 PMRemember those old Star Trek (the original version) episodes when Captain Kirk and company would encounter an alien race that didn’t speak English (although most of them did)? They would pull out a handheld device they called the Universal Translator that provided instant understanding, whatever the language.

It’s just one more example of how technology has caught up with science fiction. In fact, technology is starting to pull ahead. We just read about a nifty new system called the Pilot earpiece from Waverly Labs that lets two people communicate just by speaking their separate languages. They both wear wireless earbuds linked to a smartphone app that does the translating, but the voice output goes to the earbuds, not the phone’s speaker. Here’s a video demonstration. (See below)

Waverly Labs will start an Indiegogo campaign this month to help fund development, and the product is expected to be on the market this fall at a cost of $250-$300.

The granddaddy of translation apps is Google Translate, used by hundreds of millions of people. That product just announced some upgrades, including a feature called Tap to Translate, initially on the Android version. Instead of having to copy and paste a web page or email in a foreign language, users can now just tap a button that automatically calls up the translation app to present the words in English (or any of the 103 languages that Google Translate can handle).

Google Translate can handle 103 languages. (Image: Google)

Google Translate can handle 103 languages. (Image: Google)

In addition, Google now offers the Offline Mode of Google Translate for iOS devices as well as Android phones, and has shrunk the size of the offline package to take up less space on the phone. The company also expanded its Word Lens feature – which uses the phone’s camera to read and translate signs or menus in a foreign language – to include Chinese.

Google Translate has been able to handle bilingual spoken conversations since last year, translating voices between two languages. Here’s a guide to how that works.

And of course there are other similar products in the market, like the well-regarded iTranslate.

Here are some translation apps available on Google Play for Android, and a list of some of the best translation apps for the iPhone.

Readers: Have you used a translation app during your travels? Which one? Did it work well or present problems?

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: United’s newest, longest flight + Tipping Uber drivers + Qantas 747 Trip Report + Confusion over PreCheck policies + No-fee earlier flights

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Curious about Cuba? Don’t miss this [PHOTOS]

Fathom Adonia Santiago

Many Americans will likely visit Cuba via cruise ship. This is Fathom’s 700-passenger Adonia entering the harbor at Santiago de Cuba for the first time (Photo: Fathom)

Last week I was lucky enough to be on the first cruise ship allowed to sail from the US to Cuba in more than 50 years. (see post) Wow! I’ve been on many fantastic trips during my career as a frequent traveler, but it’s rare to participate in something as historic, and truly emotional. (The only other trip that comes close is a ride on the Concorde in its final days.)

During my weeklong journey from Miami to Havana, then around the 750-mile-long island, calling on Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba, I learned a lot…and took hundreds of photos.

red dodge in cuba

It’s impossible not to gawk at these rare beauties — there are hundreds in Havana alone (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

If you ever get a chance to travel there, be sure to bring a good camera, extra batteries or portable chargers and fat memory cards because everything…and I mean everything makes a great photo. Seriously, every time I turned around I saw a great picture, whether it was a crumbling building, a beautiful face, unusual or exotic art, a sunset, cemetery or a tranquil courtyard. And then there are all the old cars– they draw your eyes like flowers draw bees and it’s impossible not to stare at them, and of course, snap photos.

Anyway… a few things before I launch into a captioned slide show…

Cost: Even though Cuba is a dirt poor country, it’s not cheap to travel there due to high demand, and as we all know, that demand is going to continue to surge as more Americans fulfill their urge to get there. The problem with all that demand, is that there is not nearly enough supply to handle it, which means prices are already soaring. For example, I was on the Fathom Adonia, which offers a 7-day cruise from Miami to Cuba for a minimum of $1,800 (for a windowless inside cabin). That’s a big price to pay considering most other decent Caribbean cruises run in the $100 per night range, so about $700 for a week. How does Fathom get away with charging that much? Demand! At an onboard news conference in the inaugural voyage, Fathom execs told TravelSkills that they are “charging what the market will bear.” Just this week Fathom expanded is Cuba cruise schedule through the end of 2017. The influx of Americans is driving up prices so much that it’s scaring away tourists from other countries. For example, Aerolineas Argentinas recently suspended its nonstops to Cuba due to lack of demand from Argentines who can no longer afford the island.

Commercial flights between the US and Cuba are expected to commence later this year, but as of now, no fare information is available. Currently, to fly to Cuba, you must book trips via travel agencies and be part of groups traveling there under special licenses.

The emotional highpoint of our trip? The warm Cuban welcome to Havana. We all felt like rock stars! Here’s a slideshow of what it was like. Look at those faces!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

People: Cubans are as curious about us as we are about them. Luckily, I speak Spanish, so it was easier for me to communicate on the island, but I was surprised by how many Cubans speak and understand English very well. While we enjoyed a big, fat emotional welcome at the port in Havana, I was surprised to find that elsewhere, many were not aware that a boatload of  Americans had just landed on the island. Cruise ships are not new to Cuba— it’s only those from American ports that are. So I found out that unless I told the folks I met that I was American, they did not know. And did not ask. Once I said that I was American, though, their eyes lit up, they shook my hand, smiled, patted me on the back or,  in many cases hugged me and said, “Welcome, we are so glad you are here.” Or “It’s been too long” and of course, “You are from America? I have a sister, cousin, brother, friend, etc in Miami!” Anyway, one lesson I learned during my trip is that Cubans are eager to chat and interact with Americans, but as a visitor, you have to initiate the conversation or interaction— once you do that, the results are fantastic and heart warming.

TIP: When you take a photo of a Cuban, show it to them and watch them light up! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

TIP: When you take a photo of a Cuban, show it to them and watch them light up! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Poverty: There’s no mistaking that Cuba is a poor country. We heard that the average Cuban brings home about US$28 per month. That means most have to get their basic necessities at “ration stores” throughout the country. While there are other types of stores selling flat screen TVs (about $300), air conditioners ($900) and other luxuries, few Cubans can afford them. From what I saw in the cities we visited, nearly all Cubans are poor, but they are not destitute like you see in other developing countries or neighboring Caribbean islands. I did not see any homeless people living in the streets like I see daily in San Francisco. No evidence of drug addiction. Most Cubans were well-groomed, well-fed and appeared to be in good health.

Begging: I was startled at the large number of people who were begging. Most were pregnant or nursing mothers who asked for money to feed their kids. Knowing that just one US dollar is a full day’s wage for most Cubans, I occasionally obliged, but the problem was that I frequently found myself without any small bills, and found it hard to find places willing to change my larger bills. In the end, I just resorted to using the US one dollar bills I had in my wallet, which were gladly accepted. I found that a more fulfilling way to distribute my American largesse was to tip the ubiquitous musicians, dancers and buskers on the streets, in restaurants and elsewhere– Cuba is overflowing with infectious and really good live music that’s impossible to miss. I noticed that there was a big camaraderie among the women on the ship and the women on the street when they handed out make up, soap, lotion, small toys and other sundries. Do you have a bag of lotions and potions from frequent hotel stays? An old unused cell phone? Bring it to Cuba! They really appreciate it.

Many Americans will likely see Cuba from cruise ships (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Many Americans will likely see Cuba from cruise ships (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Cruising. Even if you don’t like cruises, seeing Cuba via cruise ship is perfect for the first time visitor. The pros of the visiting via ship: a guaranteed clean, air conditioned space to sleep in with a good shower every night. Hotel guests in Cuba face a lot of uncertainties due to the country’s faltering infrastructure, so access to wifi, air conditioning, hot water, etc can be sketchy. Not so when you have a cruise ship to sleep on each night. The cons of a cruise ship are of course, less immersion in local culture, and less control of your itinerary. But until Cuba can build more hotels and improve the few that are already there, it’s increasingly likely that many Americans will visit by ship in coming years. Carnival Corporation’s Fathom line is the first to get permission to enter, but nearly every other cruise company has applied for access to this forbidden fruit of the Caribbean.

Don’t miss my first post from this trip: Cruising into Cuba- It’s complicated!

Shave in Cuba

Be sure to engage with locals! I agreed to a shave and made a new friend, Chicha, in Cienfuegos (Photo: Mia Taylor)

 

havana cuba pilot wave

Our first interaction with a real Cuban– when a pilot boat approached to guide our ship into Havana harbor (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Like flowers to bees, these colorful gems draw the eyes of visitors (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Like flowers to bees, these colorful gems draw the eyes of visitors (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Cuban Convertible Currency, or CUC is used by tourists. Locals use pesos (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Cuban Convertible Currency, or CUC is used by tourists. 10 CUCs are worth about US$10. Locals use less valuable pesos (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Music is everywhere you turn in Cuba. Great way to leave a tip! (Chris McGinnis)

Music is everywhere you turn in Cuba. Great way to leave a tip! (Chris McGinnis)

 

Amid the ruins of Havana, you'll find gems like this gorgeous, peaceful courtyard (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Amid the ruins of Havana, you’ll find gems like this peaceful courtyard (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Cubans do most of their shopping at government owned "ration stores" like this one. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Cubans do most of their shopping at government owned “ration stores” like this one. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Cuba Cienfuegos

It’s not all ruins. This picturesque guest house is in the small seaside town of Cienfuegos. Evidence of Cuba’s extravagant past (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Cuba

Gorgeous view from rooftop of Santiago’s Casa Grande hotel, where I plan to stay on my next trip! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Cuba Fruit

Plenty of fresh fruits and veggies for sale from street vendors (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Cuba music

Music and dancing are ubiquitous on this island of 11 million- be sure to join the fun! (Chris McGinnis)

Have you been to Cuba? Do you plan to go? Please leave your comments below! 

Don’t miss my first post from this trip: Cruising to Cuba- It’s complicated!

.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: United’s newest, longest flight + Tipping Uber drivers + Qantas 747 Trip Report + Confusion over PreCheck policies + No-fee earlier flights

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Denver International Airport rail line opens

Denver's airport train takes riders to the city's new transit center at Union Station downtown. (Image: Denver RTD)

Denver’s airport train takes riders to the city’s new transit center at Union Station downtown. (Image: Denver RTD)

Travelers to Denver International Airport finally have a new way to get downtown: The airport’s new rail link will officially open for business on Friday, April 22. Denver’s new transport option is one of the few (but growing) number of one-seat rides to the airport favored by frequent travelers.

The airport station is located underneath the new Westin Denver International Hotel just south of DIA’s Jeppesen Terminal. The 23-mile rail line – designated by Denver’s Regional Transportation District as the University of Colorado A Line – runs through suburban Aurora and the eastern part of Denver all the way to a recently renovated Union Station in the heart of downtown, just steps from the 16th Street Mall.

The 23-mile rail trip has six intermediate stops. (Image: Denver RTD)

The 23-mile rail trip has six intermediate stops- including one in the community built on the old Stapleton airport (Image: Denver RTD)

The Union Station terminus is the city’s new transportation hub, serving regional bus lines and Amtrak trains as well as the airport line. It’s also easy to get to major downtown hotels thanks to the free 16th Street Mall shuttle buses that stop close to Union Station.

The 37-minute airport-downtown trip costs $9; trains operate every 15 minutes and make six intermediate stops. Interestingly, one of the stops along the route to downtown is at Central Park, the center of Stapleton, a new live-work-play community built on the old Stapleton Airport grounds.

The airport rail station is under the new Westin Hotel at DEN. (Image: RTD)

The airport rail station is under the new Westin Hotel at DEN. (Image: RTD)

Denver is just the latest of several major U.S. airports to get new rail links. Within the past three years, San Francisco’s Bay Area Rapid Transit system extended its service to Oakland International Airport; Dallas’ DART system opened an Orange Line link to Terminal A at Dallas/Ft. Worth International; Utah’s TRAX extended a six-mile light rail line to Salt Lake City International; and Phoenix created a Sky Train connection from Sky Harbor International’s Terminal 4 to the Valley Metro Light Rail network. And Toronto’s one-seat ride from airport to downtown opened last year.

Denver officials see the new rail line as an essential factor in the economic development of the area around the airport. In addition to the new Westin Hotel that opened at DEN last fall, a spokeswoman said that a new Panasonic Enterprise Solutions technology center is being developed near the last rail stop before DEN, bringing more than 300 jobs with it. And the 1,500-room Gaylord Rockies Hotel is being built not far from the airport.

New signage at the airport directs travelers to the Transit Center. (Image: Jim Glab)

New signage at the airport directs travelers to the Transit Center. (Image: Jim Glab)

“In total, Denver is expecting nearly 40,000 new jobs through new and expanding businesses and $2.6 billion in economic impact over the next three decades along the (airport rail) corridor,” the spokeswoman said.

A 2013 study by the American Public Transportation Association and the U.S. Travel Association found that hotels in “rail cities”—i.e., those with direct rail links from the airport to downtown – achieve an 11 percent revenue premium over hotels in non-rail cities. And they tend to attract more meetings.

“Intermodal infrastructure that provides direct transit service from our nation’s airports to these convention cities not only makes rail cities more advantageous than non-rail cities, but also provides a competitive edge in winning global business meetings, conventions and events,” the report said.

Readers: What’s your favorite or most frequently used airport-to-city rail link? Please leave your comments below. 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: United’s newest, longest flight + Tipping Uber drivers + Qantas 747 Trip Report + Confusion over PreCheck policies + No-fee earlier flights

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Switch to spending-based programs is no big deal

Study finds most frequent flyer miles/points are not earned by flying. (Image: Jim Glab)

Study finds most frequent flyer miles/points are not earned by flying. (Image: Jim Glab)

Although the gradual transition from distance-based to spending-based frequent flyer programs at the big U.S. airlines has caused a lot of initial grumbling from some road warriors, a new survey finds that those changes don’t really bother most members – maybe because they get most of their miles from sources other than flights.

The 2016 MileCards.com Mile Satisfaction Survey – which last month polled more than 600 U.S. adults who are currently saving up miles/points for award travel – found that only 26 percent complain about miles getting harder to earn after the program changes.

A bigger worry – cited by 36 percent as their main concern – is that award trips are getting too expensive these days. (Example: This week, American AAdvantage is raising the award costs for many MileSAAver economy class tickets.) Another 20 percent said their main concern is not being able to find award travel availability at the times they want it.

ffgripes

If most frequent flyers won’t be earning as many miles/points from their flights from now on, maybe they aren’t too concerned because that’s not the primary way they build up credit in the programs. According to the survey, just under one-third (32 percent) of the respondents said they most of their miles from actually flying. But 46 percent said most of their miles came from spending on credit cards affiliated with the airline loyalty programs. Another 12 percent attributed most miles to using the airlines’ hotel and other partners, while 9 percent cited online shopping and one percent other sources.

Overall, 53 percent of the respondents said they are generally satisfied with their mileage programs, and 9 percent admitted they are “obsessed” with miles, while 28 percent are unhappy and 10 percent consider their miles to have no value.

ffearn

The poll determined that only about four in 10 mile-savers tried to book an award trip in the past year, a number held down by the fact that most program participants are not truly frequent flyers: About 46 percent said they had less than 20,000 miles in their accounts. But of those who did try to book an award trip, three out of four said they were successful.

In looking at airlines’ annual reports, MileCards.com concluded that the best odds of booking award travel are on Southwest; 12 percent of its 2015 revenue passenger miles were flown by award travelers. The proportion for other airlines was 7.5 percent at United, 7.2 percent at Delta, 6.5 percent at American and 4 percent at JetBlue.

MileCards.com offered some practical advice for travelers who want to maximize their airline loyalty program accounts and benefits.

1) Use credit cards or hotel programs that allow you to transfer points into more than one airline program, or that offer extra points for certain types of spending.

2) If you don’t have enough points for the roundtrip award flight you want, book a one-way flight with miles/points and pay for the return (“Unlike years ago, when one-way cash tickets cost as much or more than a round trip, many destinations now offer one-way cash tickets for half the price of a round trip,” the company said).

3) Contact the airline by phone if you can’t find the partner airline awards you want on the website.

Readers: Do you agree with these results? What’s your biggest gripe about frequent flyer programs these days? How do you earn most of your miles/points?

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about:  Should I tip my Uber driver? + Boeing 747 nearing its end? + Bargain hunters travel guide for 2016 + World’s best airline lounge? + Fares to Europe tumble 

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Waiting until the last-minute: smart strategy?

Eight days in advance can be the "sweet spot" for saving on business rips. (Image: Jim Glab)

Eight days in advance can be the “sweet spot” for saving on business trips. (Image: Jim Glab)

Do you believe in advance planning, or are you a seat-of-the-pants kind of business traveler who always waits until the last minute to book a trip? Or maybe you are the type of traveler who buys last-minute tickets because they are easier to upgrade from? (You know who you are!)

There are two problems with last-minute ticket buying: first, considering how full planes are these days, you might not be able to get on the flights you want; and second, you’re spending a lot of extra money.

A new study  by Concur, a leading provider of travel expense management services, finds that last-minute booking can boost your air travel costs by as much as 44 percent over advance planning.

Specifically, tickets bought in the last few days before departure typically cost 44 percent more than those booked at least 15 days in advance, the company found. If two weeks is too far in advance, try to buy your ticket at least eight days before departure and you can still save 18 percent vs. last-minute booking, Concur said. It estimated that travelers who book at least eight days out can save an average of $148 per ticket.

apex

If you have to travel at the last minute, you’ll pay the biggest premium for short-notice ticket buys during the months of January and August, Concur said; the smallest premiums for last-minute tickets are in June. The company based its findings on an analysis of 22 million domestic roundtrip bookings from 2011 through 2015.

apex2

The company’s other tips for saving on business travel include:

  • Compare fares to smaller and medium-sized airports in the region instead of just the major ones. “Be sure to take into account the location to determine if the airfare savings are greater than incremental spend on gas or car services,” Concur said.
  • If you’re not sure of your return travel date, go ahead and book a one-way ticket in advance for your departure date to lock in the savings, and book the return trip later.
  • Try to avoid trips during summer months, when fares are at their highest. Schedule meetings in months that are less busy.
  • Don’t forget to factor in ancillary fees that can drive up total travel costs.

The company observed that the average air fare paid in 2015 was actually $5 less than the figure for 2011. But airlines’ ancillary revenues soared 69 percent from 2011 to 2014.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about:  Should I tip my Uber driver? + Boeing 747 nearing its end? + Bargain hunters travel guide for 2016 + World’s best airline lounge? + Fares to Europe tumble 

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Think twice about trips in late March

What happens when too many flight depart simultaneously at CPH (Chris McGinnis)

Surprise airport crowds could be common this March (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Frequent travelers don’t like to be taken by surprise. So here’s a warning: If possible, avoid traveling during the last two weeks of March this year.

Why?

Late March is typically the busiest time of year for collegiate Spring break.

Early April, when Easter usually falls, is more popular with families.

But this year is atypical:  We have a very early Easter weekend (March 25-28) which means families AND college kids are going to be crowding airports, hotels and the beaches simultaneously.

Due to this concentration, travelers should be on alert for high prices and surprise crowds at airports, especially if you live in or near (or are traveling to or from) a big college town OR if you are headed to a warm weather destination like Florida, Mexico or the Caribbean. This is also the case for airport hubs with connections to warm weather destinations such as Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles or Phoenix.

Find out when the university nearest you has spring break and stay home that weekend! (Here’s a helpful guide to spring break dates around the country.)

If you must travel in late March, one way to avoid surprise airport crowds is to travel midweek, instead of on weekends when most spring breakers do.

There’s a silver lining to an early Easter, though, which is a much longer “shoulder season” when demand dips along with prices. Shoulder season this year will run almost 10 weeks from early April until mid-June when peak summer pricing and crowds kick in.

Are you signed up for the TravelSkills.com blog? Why not? Do it right now and don’t miss out. 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about:  Boeing 747 nearing its end? + “Targeted” for an upgrade? + 5 newest biz class hotels in New York + TSA PreCheck is exploding + Bargain hunters travel guide for 2016 

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8 mistakes to avoid in San Francisco

Now that's an unusual approach to SFO, right? (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Now that’s an unusual approach to SFO, right? (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

As the fall convention season opens, I thought now would be a good time for a reprise of one of our most popular posts about the mistakes many travelers make when visiting the Bay Area.

Nearly every frequent traveler visits San Francisco at least one time each year. And it’s most likely that visit will take place between September and December, the city’s peak convention season.

That’s especially true if you are in the tech or related fields. For example, San Francisco-based cloud computing giant Salesforce.com puts on its annual Dreamforce conference in the fall at the city’s sprawling Moscone Convention Center, attracting 60,000+ people. Oracle’s OpenWorld conference is usually just before or just after Dreamforce.

When a big “citywide” like that comes to town, nearly every hotel in the Bay Area is sold out, or its rates are hyper-inflated. During these peak weeks,  you’ll pay a minimum of about $500 for an decent room and feel lucky that you even found one. When citywides come into town, Airbnb hosts lick their chops and fluff their pillows. Restaurant reservations become scant. And Uber drivers kiss their families goodbye and work double shifts for several days in a row.

So now’s probably a great time to offer some advice to the arriving throngs—and this advice is good whether you are coming San Francisco next week or next year. (If you are in SF, please forward this to your future guests!)

1>Don’t schedule business meetings on Friday afternoons after 2 p.m. On Fridays, when New York closes for the weekend at 5 pm eastern, so does much of San Francisco (at 2 pm Pacific) especially when it’s warm and sunny outside. Cocktail and beer carts start making the rounds in offices at about 3 p.m. While there are exceptions to this rule, your Bay Area colleagues are likely to groan if you send out a calendar invite for a 4 p.m. meeting on Friday. Make it at 11 a.m. instead.

SF is hot these days- in more ways than one (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

You are most likely to find sunny weather in San Francisco in the spring and fall (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

2>Don’t be surprised about an early start. In a similar vein, know that the workday starts relatively early here, so an 8:30 a.m. meeting is not considered out of order. If that feels too early for you, just bring along some caffeine from Blue Bottle, Ritual or Philz and you’ll be fine. Lunch hour begins promptly at noon, but you find that locals may ask you to show up at 11:45 a.m. “to beat the crowds.” Expect the same early schedule for dinner meetings, which can and do start as early at 6 p.m. Most restaurants are empty by 9:30 on weekdays and by 10:30 p.m. on weekends.

3>Hailing cabs is so 1999. Use an app instead. This is the hometown of both Uber and Lyft, so download the apps and use them if you haven’t already done so. You can enjoy nearly all the different “flavors” of Uber available in the Bay Area, which include the standard town car UberBLACK, private car “citizen driver” UberX (cheaper than taxis), UberSUV, UberXL, and UberPOOL of LyftLine where you share a ride with someone else headed in the same direction. Cabs are fine when available, but the industry has been decimated by the likes of Uber and Lyft– for example, Yellow Cab Coop of San Francisco recently declared bankruptcy (but is still operating). One way to get around irritating “surge pricing” from car sharing companies is to use new taxi hailing apps such as Flywheel. Also, don’t rent a car at the airport unless it’s absolutely essential. SFO rental rates are notoriously high, the car rental center at is distant and unloved, and downtown hotel parking rates are in the $60 per night range.

Related: The “unofficial” airport of the big game giveaway

4>Don’t put off making dinner reservations. This town is HOT and wealthy right now, full of cool kids and visitors with sophisticated palates who love to dine out. If you are here to try the city’s best restaurants, make reservations at least two or three weeks in advance…or more for top spots like Boulevard, Frances, State Bird Provisions, Gary Danko, and others.  One common mistake among visitors is thinking that the city’s best Chinese food is in Chinatown. Not necessarily. Grab an Uber or jump on Muni and head out to the western neighborhoods like the Sunset or Inner Richmond which stake claim to the real thing.

San Franciscans use both Muni streetcars pictured here as well as BART (Photo: SFMTA)

5>Don’t confuse subways. You should know that San Francisco has TWO main subway systems—BART is the rapid rail regional system with several stations along Market Street connecting out to the suburbs and airport. MUNI is the slower central city subway & streetcar system used frequently (and frequently derided) by inner city residents. Of course, there are San Francisco’s fabled cable cars, but those are mostly a tourist attraction and rarely a primary means of transport for locals.

6>Don’t think BART to airport is going to save much time. BART is a great option for those who travel light, but you should know that it can take more than 30 minutes to get to the Embarcadero from SFO (for $8.65 each way). Plus, you’ll have to walk to your hotel from the nearest BART station (see below). If there’s no traffic, a taxi or Uber can get you between the airport and city in about 20 minutes. UberBLACK rates are around $68. UberX and Lyft can be about half that. And cabs run about $50 including tip.

7>Consider hills when walking. First timers with hotels on Nob Hill may look at a map and think, “Oh, I’ll just walk to my hotel from Market Street. It’s close.” Well, yes, it’s close as the bird flies, but try lugging your rollaboard up the side of the hill to the Ritz-Carlton, Fairmont, Scarlet Huntington or Mark Hopkins and you’ll learn quickly that this may not be the smartest option. Especially if you are wearing heels!

8>Don’t forget your layers. Winter is cool and wet, but never freezing. Spring and fall are typically the sunniest, driest months. Summer days can be gorgeous and bright, but the fog rolls in and cools everything off by about 4 pm on most days, so don’t venture out in evenings without a sweater.  (By the way, wear black here. It always works.)

Finally, never call San Francisco “Frisco” or “San Fran.” Laid back locals won’t say anything, but inside, you can bet they are groaning. To be safe, just call it “The City” or San Francisco.

Last year CNN dropped by for some advice about traveling to the Bay Area– see this video to find out what I had to say.

I’m sure our many Bay Area readers can add to this list, so please fire away in the comments section below and help your fellow frequent traveler headed west!

–Chris McGinnis

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5 most useless travel gadgets

Does anyone really need a neck pillow? (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Does anyone really need a neck pillow? (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Travel gadgets. Some are truly useful, but most of the time, many so-called “must have” items get lost at the bottom of my carry-on, left in a drawer, or just tossed out.

Here are a few of our favorite, eye-rolling additions to travel gadget mania that seems to grip travelers (and those who love them) at this time of year. Do you agree?

Neck pillows. The paper-thin, questionably clean white rectangles that airlines pass off as pillows are not the greatest. But those cushy, or inflatable neck pillows you see stuffed into (or tied onto ) carry-on bags serve little purpose other than to identify the user as a novice traveler. Are you a neck pillow fan? Tell us why in the comments!

Passport covers. Oh the vanity. Passport covers serve no real purpose. Does a passport really need that much protection? The covers only delay you when approaching the airline check-in counter or immigration desk (or kiosk) since they must be removed for scanning. Please save yourself (and everyone in line behind you) a few minutes and leave the useless sleeves at home.

Big bulky headphones & frequent travel aren't a good mix (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Big bulky headphones & frequent travel aren’t a good mix (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Bulky headphones. You won’t find too many truly frequent travelers toting, or worse, wearing, those oversized, bulky headphones that seem to be all the rage these days. Their biggest drawback is that they are so difficult to pack. And they get in the way and bang into things when wearing them in small enclosed spaces like airplane cabins. Noise canceling earbuds or slimline headphones are much better.

Seat back organizers. These carefully constructed organized pouches that strap to the seat in front of you are just plain annoying. Do you really need to bring that many gadgets, paperwork, and electronics to set up a full-on executive desk in an economy class seat? What happens when something mistakenly falls out when your seatmate escapes to the bathroom? Working on a plane is fine; setting up a C-level suite at 35,000 feet is not.

Camera. It used to be that a big bulky and expensive camera was a status symbol. Now it’s a relic. While it sounds surprising to even include this popular item in this list, most smartphones now provide excellent picture quality. So lugging along a separate camera is increasingly a waste of precious space. Sure, professional photographers can’t do without their full repertoire of equipment, but for the rest of us, why bulk up your bag?

This is by no means an exhaustive list… are their any gadgets you could live without? Or, what’s the most useful gadget in your bag? Please share them below! 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about:  Delta free upgrades disappearing + Shipping vs. checking a bag +_San Francisco’s new long-haul routes + Is Newark our worst airport? + Delta, United forge new international partnerships

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What’s smarter: Shipping or checking bags?

Screen Shot 2015-12-06 at 3.47.44 PM

Photo: Hernan Pinera / Flickr

About this time of year, frequent and infrequent travelers alike are faced with the hassle, uncertainty and expense of checking bags for trips home for the holidays.

Most frequent travelers reading this rarely check bags when on the road for business– and if they do, fees are likely waived due to elite status or credit card.

But for holiday trips home, bag contents frequently expand to include winter coats, formal wear, gifts and plenty of other extraneous items– especially if kids are involved.

Shipping bags via FEDEX or UPS sounds like a great idea until you look at rates. Shipping luggage is not cheap– or fast. To get rates that come close airline fees, you must ship via ground which can take three or five days to get across the country. And distance makes a big difference when it comes to rates. Plus there’s the time cost of schlepping bags to a FEDEX or UPS facility.

To test this, I checked with FEDEX to determine how much it would cost to ship a standard carry on-sized piece of luggage (10″x 14″x 22″) weighing 25 lbs. from a FEDEX store in Atlanta to New York City, Boulder, Colo. and San Francisco.

Then I compared it to airline baggage fees.

Regional- Atlanta to New York City:

$179 each way – Standard overnight delivery

$88 each way – Two-day delivery

$27 each way — end of second day home delivery

$25 airline checked bag fee

Long distance- Atlanta to Boulder, Colo.:

$188 each way – Standard overnight delivery

$132 each way – Two-day delivery

$32 each way – Three-day (ground) home delivery

$25 airline checked bag fee

Transcon- Atlanta to San Francisco:

$203 each way – Standard overnight delivery

$149 each way – Two-day delivery

$43 each way- End of fourth day (ground) delivery

$25 airline checked bag fee

Since airlines charge $25 for the first checked bag (except Southwest and JetBlue) and $35 for the second would you pay to ship your bag, or just check it with the airline and hope for the best?

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: World’s largest passenger plane + Get on earlier flight without paying fee + New overseas plan from Verizon + Avoid surge pricing

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Tracking the risks of overseas travel

Do you research the security and/or medical situation at your destination country? (Image: Jim Glab)

Do you research the security and/or medical situation at your destination country? (Image: Jim Glab)

A new survey finds that a majority of persons who travel abroad worry about possible health and security risks, but few take the time to actually research the situation at their destination country. Now two risk-management firms have come out with a new map that might help.

According to International SOS and Control Risks, two firms that specialize in health and safety issues for corporations and their business travelers, a new Ipsos Global Advisor survey of travelers found that fully 80 percent felt their safety or health could be endangered abroad, but fewer than half that number did any research to see what the specific risks might be, or how to mitigate them.

The study found that among “senior executive travelers,” some 71 percent have had some kind of medical problem while abroad, but only 15 percent looked into the health care options available at their destination country before departure.

The survey polled more than 10,700 international travelers, about a quarter of them senior executives.

International SOS and Control Risks said that according to their analysis, nearly one-third of all international business trips are to nations that have higher medical or security risks than the traveler’s home country.

So they put together a world map showing the overall risk levels of various nations — from both a security and a medical standpoint. You can click here to open up a large interactive version of the map that you can  zoom in on, and see all the country-specific ratings and explanations of terminology and risk factors.

Here's a basic version of the new risk map; click on the above link for a larger interactive version. (Image: International SOS/Control Risks)

Here’s a basic version of the new risk map; click on the above link for a larger interactive version. (Image: International SOS/Control Risks)

At the very least, you can prepare for your next international trip by checking the U.S. State Department’s list of travel alerts and warnings to see if anything of concern is going on at your destination.

Readers: What steps do you take before an international trip to assess risks and protect yourself? Post comments below.

 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about:  5 ways to save using Uber/Lyft  + New overseas plan from Verizon + Trans-Pac fare war?

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DOT to airlines: Pay up for damaged luggage

Don’t miss: Holiday biz class fare sale!

Don't let airlines get away with damaging your checked bag and not compensating you. (Image: Jim Glab)

Don’t let airlines get away with damaging your checked bag and not compensating you. (Image: Jim Glab)

With the year-end holiday period coming up fast, many business travelers will no doubt be making personal trips to see family and friends — and to accommodate winter clothes and presents, you might have to (horrors!) check a bag.

After your bag hits the carousel at your destination, be sure to check it for damage (just like you would check a rental car before driving off in it). If something’s amiss, be sure to file a claim with the airline. The U.S. Transportation Department says that some carriers have been trying to shirk their responsibility for such damage, and it has just put them on notice that it will be watching them.

DOT said recent airport inspections by its Enforcement Division found that “certain airlines routinely exclude liability for damage to specific parts of luggage,” and won’t even accept passenger claim reports. The inspections took place in September at 16 U.S. airports; both domestic and foreign airlines were included.

Related: How to choose the best carry-on bag 

The agency said it has put airlines on notice that they must revise their checked baggage policies to make sure they conform to federal regulations. Specifically, DOT said, airlines “are required to compensate passengers for damage to wheels, straps, zippers, handles and other protruding parts of checked baggage beyond normal wear and tear,” and they are required to accept reports of mishandled baggage from passengers even if the airlines believe they are not liable.

DOT said it will begin to take enforcement action starting  January 9, 2016 against airlines not in compliance.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: 5 ways to save using Uber/Lyft  + New overseas plan from Verizon + Trans-Pac fare war?

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Are you a holiday travel pro?

Heatmap shows states where gas is most (red) and least (green) expensive (Source: Gasbuddy)

Heatmap shows states where gas is most (red) and least (green) expensive (Source: Gasbuddy)

Now that your turkey coma has worn off, it’s time to gather ’round the fire (or the laptop) and start planning for the Christmas/New Year’s period, which you can bet is going to be one of the busiest in recent memory. How do we know this? Because the holiday travel season usually mimics the peak summer travel season, which this year was very busy (and very expensive), so travelers should expect the same for the upcoming holiday season.

So, with Thanksgiving travel plans already in motion, have you considered getting out and about for Christmas, Hanukkah or New Year’s yet?

Here’s some advice to help you navigate the roads and skies like a holiday travel pro:

When’s the best time to buy airline tickets for Christmas? Sorry, but due to high demand, there simply are not any real airfare “deals” on the peak days around Christmas and New Year’s this year. Travelers who want the most convenient flights on their preferred airlines should book as soon as possible to get seats on those flights – otherwise they will likely be stuck paying the same high price for what I call “dog flights” — those less desirable flights that depart super early or late Or they’ll have to sit in those dreaded middle seats, or make several stops en route to their destinations.

Gas prices have plummeted this year (Source: Gasbuddy.com)

Gas prices have plummeted over the last 18 months (Source: Gasbuddy.com)

Should I drive or fly this year? I always stick to the five hour rule: If you can drive to your destination in five hours or less, it’s likely smarter to hit the road instead of the skies during the holidays. This is especially true for families traveling together. Good news this year is that gasoline prices are at their lowest in many years—about $2 per gallon on average in the U.S. this week, down almost a dollar from this time last year. One of the best new smartphone apps for driving trips is Waze, a GPS-based mapping tool that uses information provided by other drivers to help you avoid traffic, road hazards – and speed traps!

Don’t miss: Big Airfare Sale- Europe, Asia, India, Africa

What are the best days for traveling this year? Both Christmas and New Year’s fall on Fridays this year, which means the peak holiday season is going to be nice and spread out. It will start on Friday, December 18 and run through Sunday January 3. A long holiday season means more wiggle room for travelers (compared to a season when Christmas and New Year’s both fall on say, Sunday, which makes for a much more compact, crowded and expensive season). Smart travelers will depart on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day and return on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day to avoid the biggest crowds and snag the lowest fares. Beware of the biggest holiday crowds at airports on the weekend before Christmas (Dec 18, 19, 20) and after New Year’s (Jan 1, 2, 3).

Is now a good time to redeem points or miles for trips? It’s nearly impossible to use airline frequent flyer awards during the blacked out, heavily restricted peak holiday season. On the other hand, demand for hotels declines during holidays, which means that it’s a lot easier to find low rates or to redeem those hard-earned loyalty points. The holidays are an excellent time to redeem points earned with credit card programs like Chase Ultimate Rewards or Amex Membership Rewards! That’s because they don’t impose blackout dates– if there’s a seat available on a flight, you get it.

Are there any alternatives or hidden secrets to getting good deals this year? If you have the flexibility to travel during the slowest times of year, the so called “dead weeks” of early December and early January, you can save 50-70 percent on airfare or hotels. For example, airfares to Europe can be remarkably inexpensive during winter months- and could be even lower this year as demand for European travel declines due to the terror attacks in Paris. It’s also a good idea to check out airline or hotel social media streams on sites like Twitter or Facebook to look for short term, last minute sales– and of course keep an eye on TravelSkills for deals like we posted yesterday.

Related: Paying more pays off during holiday peak

What about airline baggage fees? If possible, avoid checking bags during the holidays; the risk of your bag getting lost and ruining your trip is just too high. Try to learn to live out of a carry-on. If you have too much for a carry on, ship your bags ahead of time, but do so at the “ground” rate at UPS, FedEx or the Postal Service. Shipping a 25 lb. bag via next-day or two-day express is just too expensive– and significantly more than the airline fee for checking it.

What’s a good way to avoid holiday travel stress? Always try to book nonstop flights, because you double your chances of a delay or cancellation with a one-stop flight, even though you might save a few bucks. Another stress-busting move: Consider staying over in a hotel when visiting families during the holidays. Rates at new hotels in or near suburban office parks hit annual lows during holidays (due to the lack of business travelers), and facilities are usually new and nice. Plus, there are plenty of good promotions at this time of year, such as Best Western’s 10% off + 500 points deal for stays through Feb 7. Having your own space at a hotel is a big relief for both the traveler and the host during the stressful holidays.

–Chris McGinnis

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about:  5 ways to save using Uber/Lyft  + New overseas plan from Verizon + Trans-Pac fare war?

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5 ways to avoid surge pricing from Uber & Lyft

Researchers suggest ways to avoid Uber's surge pricing. (Image: Uber app)

Researchers suggest ways to avoid Uber’s surge pricing. (Image: Uber app)

As a business person you believe in the laws of supply and demand, right? But you might find them a little hard to swallow when they work against you — like when you hail an Uber ride from a location with high demand and limited drivers available. Because that’s when Uber’s irritating surge pricing kicks in.

Now a new study from Northeastern University suggests that savvy customers might be able to outsmart surge pricing and save themselves quite a bit on the fare.

Uber says surge pricing is determined by a proprietary algorithm that the company created; the theory is that jacking up the price in a designated area will attract more drivers there to fill the higher-than-usual demand.

But the study by researchers at Northeastern’s College of Computer and Information Science suggests that there a couple of easy ways to avoid surge pricing.

One is to wait five minutes or so; another is to walk a few blocks in an effort to put yourself into a different Uber “surge area.”

These conclusions are based on research for locations in Manhattan and San Francisco. “For example, 20 percent of the time in Times Square, customers can save 50 percent or more by being in an adjacent surge area,” they wrote. They also found that Uber’s surge pricing algorithm re-evaluates fares every five minutes, so a surge surcharge could quickly disappear.

Downloaded the Lyft app yet? Here’s how to get $20 off your first Lyft ride! 

One difficulty: Uber doesn’t publicly divulge the boundaries of its surge areas, so a customer trying to outflank surge pricing can’t be sure how far or in which direction to walk in order to get into an adjacent area. The researchers noted that Manhattan has 16 surge areas and Boston has nine; they said they are working on a project to define where the surge areas are, and they plan to put that online.

Top tips for avoiding the surge?

1- Wait if you can. That’s because surges can be short-lived.

2- Move. Try moving your location pin around to see if you can find a nearby area outside the surge zone. Or walk across the street or to the next block.

3- Try SurgeProtector, a free app, helps find locations near you with lower or no surge pricing.

4- Share. You can also consider using UberPOOL or Lyft Line that offer flat rates, but you might have to share the seat with another rider.

5- Grab a cab. Or use a taxi app like FlyWheel for a taxicab.

How do YOU get around surge pricing? Please leave your tips below. 

Take the TravelSkills Reader Survey, please!

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Global Entry gets more global + New York’s lowest ranked hotels +Best/worst hotel programs for awards + More flat seats

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Global Entry gets more global

Global Entry Kiosks

Use your US Global Entry cred to avoid immigration backups in other countries (Photo: CBP)

Are you a member of U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Global Entry program who enjoys the opportunity to breeze through Customs and Immigration formalities when you re-enter the country?? If so, you might want to take advantage of expedited entry to certain other nations, if you tend to travel to them frequently. The latest to offer this for U.S. citizens is the United Kingdom.

Customs and Border Protection has started to notify Global Entry members that the U.K. has a new expedited entry program called Registered Traveller, which provides “faster and more convenient entry to the U.K. for nationals from the United States.” With Registered Traveller membership — which costs 70 pounds (about $107) — you can use ePassport gates and U.K./European Union lines at U.K. airports as well as a dedicated lane at London Gatwick; and you won’t need to fill out a landing card upon arrival or undergo a credibility interview with Border Force officers.

Eligibility and other information can be found at www.gov.uk/registered-traveller.

Related: How to avoid customs & immigration lines if you don’t have Global Entry

According to the Customs and Border Protection website, other nations also offer expedited entry procedures for American travelers. Most require fees and registration or other restrictions, but worth a look:

Image: US CBP

US Customs has several arrangements with other countries (Image: US CBP)

“U.S. Citizens enrolled in Global Entry may use the Smartgate system when entering Australia without registration. [Visa still required.] U.S. Citizens may apply for the Dutch FLUX program, the Korean SES program, Panama’s Global Pass or the Mexican Viajero Confiable program for expedited entry into those countries. Additional fees and enrollment interviews will apply.”

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Uber gaining on taxis + Spectacular Hong Kong hotels + World’s longest flight + On-time stats useless? + #1 Dreamliner hub in US

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Joining TSA PreCheck gets easier

It's getting easier to join TSA's PreCheck program. (Image: TSA)

It’s getting easier to join TSA’s PreCheck program. (Image: TSA)

You still haven’t signed up with the Transportation Security Administration’s PreCheck program because you just haven’t had the time to go through the processing, or because you can’t find a convenient enrollment center?  That should no longer be an excuse as new  partnerships are creating more places to sign up and longer hours when you can do so.

Enrolling in PreCheck and getting a Known Traveler Number is increasingly important if you want to be chosen for the fast lane at airport security. That’s because the TSA is now limiting the number of travelers it allows through who are not full fledged and vetted members.

Important note: These new  signup locations are for PreCheck only– you cannot apply for the more robust Global Entry (which includes PreCheck) at these new locations.

MorphoTrust USA, which provides enrollment services for TSA, is offering Saturday hours at 13 locations around the country, including major airports like San Francisco, Los Angeles (Terminal 1), Dallas/Ft. Worth and others. The San Francisco airport location is also starting expanded weekday hours, along with eight other locations.

Don’t miss: Sneak peek- Cathay Pacific’s newly expanded lounge

You can search for sign-up centers and their hours here. Once you have located a center you want to use, you can pre-enroll online.

MorphoTrust is also teaming up with H&R Block to make its IdentoGO PreCheck sign-up services available at a greater number of locations around the country. The partnership will add several dozen more enrollment locations to the existing 330.

Persons who join  must undergo a personal interview and pay an $85 fee (good for five years); in return, they can use TSA’s expedited PreCheck security screening lanes at airports. (Members of Customs and Border Protection’s trusted traveler programs like Global Entry ($100/5 years) also have access to PreCheck lanes)

TSA said the number of registered members recently passed the 1.5 million mark.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: SFO could get world’s longest flight + PreCheck: Fewer free rides + Plight of the tall traveler + Photos: New United first class seat + 6 secrets for snagging low fares

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TSA PreCheck: Fewer free rides

TSA's PreCheck enrollment center at Washington Dulles Airport. (Image: TSA)

TSA’s PreCheck enrollment center at Washington Dulles Airport. (Image: TSA)

For the past few years, paid-up members of the Transportation Security Administration’s PreCheck program of expedited screenings have been grumbling about the agency’s practice of funneling some non-members into the fast lanes — making those lanes not so fast after all.

PLEASE SEE OUR UPDATE TO THIS POST!

Well, you can stop grumbling. A few months ago, TSA started scaling back on the number of regular passengers allowed into the PreCheck lanes, and now it has reportedly ended the practice altogether.

Now the only persons allowed into PreCheck are those who have paid the $85 fee and gone through a personal interview, as well as  members of Customs and Border Protection’s Global Entry ($100) and other trusted traveler programs — in other words, anyone who has been assigned a Known Traveler Number by the government.

Related: Fewer amateurs in PreCheck lines

It’s a good thing, too, because TSA said recently that the number of PreCheck members has passed the 1.5 million mark. PreCheck lanes are now available at more than 150 U.S. airports, allowing members to pass through the screening process without removing their shoes or belts, or to remove laptops from their carry-on bags.

TSA currently offers 330 PreCheck enrollment centers around the country, at airports and elsewhere, and it plans to expand that number to more than 400 as a result of a new partnership with MorphoTrust USA and H&R Block.

PLEASE SEE OUR UPDATE TO THIS POST!

Have you noticed a difference? Are the lines moving faster with fewer amateurs? Please leave your comments below. 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Surviving San Francisco + Photos: New United first class seat + Save money on calls from other countries + 6 secrets for snagging low fares

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SF gone wild + Do not disturb + Pope + Airport knives + Best runway views

SF is hot these days- in more ways than one (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

SF is hot these days- in more ways than one (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

TravelSkills’ 10 most popular posts over the last week (descending order):

1 City tips: How to survive insane San Francisco this fall

2 From a hotel manager: What “Do Not Disturb” really means at hotels

3 Quid pro quo: What was in it for Smisek and United?

4 Check his schedule: Pope’s visit could be hell for travelers in NYC, DC, Philly

5 Shop smart: 6 secrets for snagging low airfaresWeekend Edition

6  Top 20 most livable cities: Good places to travel?

7 Change places: United switches up schedules

8 Will you join them? Getting easier to fly private (ish)

9 Chris back on CNN: Don’t make these mistakes in San Francisco (VIDEO)

10 Show off: My airport’s busier than yours

It’s BAAAACK! British Airways’ 100,000 Avios offer- a sweet deal for big spenders! 

Runway views amidst mountains at Vancouver Airport (Image: Fairmont)

Runway views amidst mountains at Vancouver Airport (Image: Fairmont)

Best TravelSkills comment this week: “The simple way I think of the Do Not Disturb sign: It’s  a preference or a guide. It is not a command.” see post

A few newsy nuggets from other sources that we missed on TravelSkills this week:

Did you know: Kitchen knives used at airport restaurants must be tied down? 

UberX, Lyft & Sidecar at LAX? Whenever!

12 Telltale Signs of a Great Restaurant 

T-Mobile expands free roaming even more  (too bad it does not work in my house!)

15 airport hotels that give guests runway views 

Delta gives a big pay boost to flight attendants, other workers.

Warning: Travel apps might not be secure from hackers.

Taxi-hailing app expands from New York to Philadelphia.

American Airlines reaffirms commitment to Charlotte hub.

Luggage manufacturer unveils Bluetooth GPS portable bag locating device.

Passengers on American can now keep track of their checked bags.

Trend we like: Rent your hotel room for 24 hours

86-room hotel in Palo Alto sells for a whopping $1 million per room

What arrived at #SFO today from Panama? @CopaAirlines Bienvenidos! pic.twitter.com/hXdwZ3DpB4

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Surviving San Francisco + Photos: New United first class seat + Save money on calls from other countries + 6 secrets for snagging low fares

bonusBEST for Big Sign-up Bonus. British Airways Visa Signature® Card 0ffers a nice 50,000 Avios sign up bonus after you spend $2,000 in the first three months. But get this: You’ll earn an additional 25,000 bonus Avios when you spend $10,000 on purchases for a total of 75,000 bonus Avios. Even better: You earn another 25,000 bonus Avios when you spend a total of $20,000 on purchases within your first year for a total of 100,000 bonus Avios. In addition to the sign up bonus, you earn three Avios for every dollar spent on BA, and a free companion ticket (any class) when you spend at least $30,000 in a year. Plus there are no foreign transaction fees, and the card has a chip making it easier to use in Europe and beyond. Annual fee is $95.  More.

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Pope’s visit could be hell for travelers in NYC, DC, Philly

The visit of Pope Francis is expected to disrupt travel to the northeast next week. (Image: Catholic Church of England and Wales/Flickr)

The visit of Pope Francis is expected to disrupt travel to the northeast next week. (Image: Catholic Church of England and Wales/Flickr)

If your travel schedule will take you to the northeast next week — specifically to New York, Philadelphia and/or Washington D.C. — you might want to reschedule. If you can’t, you should study the itinerary for Pope Francis’ official visit to the U.S. and try to work your schedule around his.

Why? Because millions of the faithful are going to be thronging those three cities to get a glimpse of His Holiness, and massive security precautions will be in place — and the result will be overcrowded public transportation, massive street closures, monumental traffic backups and general chaos and disruption for visitors who need to get to a meeting.

Pope Francis (Photo courtesy Bill Wilson Photos)

Pope Francis (Photo courtesy Bill Wilson Photos)

The specifics: Pope Francis is due to arrive in the U.S. Tuesday afternoon at Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington. He’ll be in the nation’s capital on Wednesday and Thursday, September 23 and 24; on Thursday afternoon he flies into New York JFK, and he’ll remain in the city through Friday, September 25; he’ll fly out of JFK to Philadelphia Saturday morning, and he’ll be in Philadelphia Saturday and Sunday, September 26 and 27.

For starters, check out the official schedule for the Pope’s visit to see exactly where he will be in each city at which hours of the day.

Although Washington D.C. is no stranger to welcoming foreign dignitaries, the schedule of street closings and parking restrictions in the heart of the city is quite exhaustive for the papal visit. You can find all the details, hour by hour, at this website. In many cases, the closings will start hours before the Pope actually gets into the area.

In New York City on September 24 and 25, the traffic disruptions in midtown Manhattan will be truly epic, especially for the crosstown traffic that is usually backed up under normal circumstances. Again, the closures will begin well before the Pope arrives at specific locations. Read the details of all the street closures here.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is warning travelers to New York City to use mass transit during the papal visit. The agency is planning to lay on extra trains and buses into the city to handle the crowds, and it cautions that all the street closings “may result in traffic congestion and pedestrian diversions in various parts of the city.”

Amtrak is advising travelers that if they plan on traveling by rail to Philadelphia on September 26 or 27, they will need a reservation for all trains, noting that the Pope is expected to attract more than a million people to the City of Brotherly Love. The rail service will also be scheduling a number of extra trains to handle the crowds.

Even if you hope to do nothing more than drive through Philadelphia on a major interstate highway that weekend, you could be forced to reroute yourself. Major highway closings will include I-76, I-676 and US Route 1. Philadelphia has designated certain “traffic boxes” in Center City starting Friday evening. What does a traffic box mean? It means cars will be allowed to leave the area but not to enter it, and there will be no bus or trolley service within it. You can see all the Philadelphia details here.  The city’s SEPTA regional rail and transit system will continue to operate that weekend, but trains will skip lots of stations when the Pope is in town.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Surviving San Francisco + Photos: New United first class seat + Save money on calls from other countries + 6 secrets for snagging low fares

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How to survive a trip to San Francisco

San Francisco's newest hotel, Dreamboat, docked on the Embarcadero (Image: Vimeo / Nic Bucci)

San Francisco’s newest hotel, Dreamboat, docked on the Embarcadero (Image: Vimeo / Nic Bucci)

Nearly every frequent traveler visits San Francisco at least one time each year. And it’s most likely that visit will take place between September and December, the city’s peak convention season. With San Francisco at the epicenter of a global boom, techies from around the world are flooding into town this fall.

For example, San Francisco-based cloud computing giant Salesforce.com puts on its annual Dreamforce conference this week at the city’s sprawling Moscone Convention Center, attracting 60,000+ people (who spent more than $225 million during the 2014 event). The event has grown so huge that Salesforce is housing more than 1,000 attendees on a big Celebrity Cruise ship called “Dreamboat” docked this week on the Embarcadero at Pier 27. (See photo above)

This year, Oracle’s OpenWorld conference runs October 25-29 and attracts a similarly-super-sized crowd– Elton John is taking to the stage to entertain the throngs.

When a big “citywide” like that comes to town, nearly every hotel in the Bay Area is sold out, or its rates are hyper-inflated. During these peak weeks,  you’ll pay a minimum of about $500 for an decent room and feel lucky that you even found one. When citywides come into town, Airbnb hosts lick their chops and fluff their pillows. Restaurant reservations become scant. And Uber drivers kiss their families goodbye and work double shifts for several days in a row. And locals grumble when downtown streets are closed for the duration leading to traffic headaches.

Oh, and don’t forget about the Super Bowl (February 7), which is expected to draw about 70,000 overnight visitors to the Bay Area during the week before and after the big game.

Video: Don’t make these 8 mistakes in San Francisco! 

So now’s probably a great time to offer some advice to the arriving throngs—and this advice is good whether you are coming San Francisco next week or next year. (If you are in SF, please forward this to your future guests!)

1>Don’t schedule business meetings on Friday afternoons after 2 p.m. On Fridays, when New York closes for the weekend at 5 pm eastern, so does much of San Francisco (at 2 pm Pacific) especially when it’s warm and sunny outside. Cocktail and beer carts start making the rounds in offices at about 3 p.m. While there are exceptions to this rule, your Bay Area colleagues are likely to groan if you send out a calendar invite for a 4 p.m. meeting on Friday. Make it at 11 a.m. instead.

San Francisco's a town that gets started early...even when it's foggy out (Photo: Frank Schulenburg / Flickr)

San Francisco’s a town that gets started early…even when it’s foggy out (Photo: Frank Schulenburg / Flickr)

2>Don’t be surprised about an early start. In a similar vein, know that the workday starts relatively early here, so an 8:30 a.m. meeting is not considered out of order. If that feels too early for you, just bring along some caffeine from Blue Bottle, Ritual or Philz and you’ll be fine. Lunch hour begins promptly at noon, but you find that locals may ask you to show up at 11:45 a.m. “to beat the crowds.” Expect the same early schedule for dinner meetings, which can and do start as early at 6 p.m. Most restaurants are empty by 9:30 on weekdays and by 10:30 p.m. on weekends.

3>Try ridesharing. This is the hometown of ridesharing giants Uber, Sidecar and Lyft, so download their apps and use them if you haven’t already done so– just be aware of “surge pricing” when conventions are in town. Here you can sample all the different “flavors” of Uber, which include the standard town car UberBLACK, private car “citizen driver” UberX (cheaper than taxis), UberSUV, UberXL, and the new UberPOOL where you share a ride with someone else headed in the same direction. Don’t rent a car at the airport unless it’s absolutely essential. SFO rental rates are notoriously high, the car rental center at is distant and unloved, and downtown hotel parking rates are in the $60 per night range. If you’ve not signed up for Uber yet, do so here and get $20 off your first ride.  In addition to your discount, TravelSkills gets a $20 Uber discount when you sign up, so help us out 🙂 

4>Don’t put off making dinner reservations. This town is HOT and wealthy right now, full of cool kids and visitors with sophisticated palates who love to dine out. If you are here to try the city’s best restaurants, make reservations at least two or three weeks in advance…or more for top spots like Boulevard, Frances, State Bird Provisions, Gary Danko, and others.  One common mistake among visitors is thinking that the city’s best Chinese food is in Chinatown. Not necessarily. Grab an Uber or jump on Muni and head out to the western neighborhoods like the Sunset or Inner Richmond which stake claim to the real thing.

MUNI, pictured here, and BART are not the same thing. (Photo Torbakhopper / Flickr)

MUNI, pictured here, and BART are not the same thing. (Photo Torbakhopper / Flickr)

5>Don’t confuse subways. You should know that San Francisco has TWO main subway systems—BART is the rapid rail regional system with several stations along Market Street connecting out to the suburbs and airport. MUNI is the slower central city subway & streetcar system used frequently (and frequently derided) by inner city residents. Of course, there are San Francisco’s fabled cable cars, but those are mostly a tourist attraction and rarely a primary means of transport for locals.

6>Don’t think BART to airport is going to save much time. BART is a great option for those who travel light, but you should know that takes 30-40 minutes to get to the Embarcadero from SFO (for $8.65 each way). Plus, you’ll have to walk to your hotel from the nearest BART station (see below). If there’s no traffic, a taxi or Uber can get you to or from the airport in about 20 minutes. UberBLACK flat rates are $68. UberX can be about half that. And cabs run about $50 including tip.

7>Consider hills when walking. First timers with hotels on Nob Hill may look at a map and think, “Oh, I’ll just walk to my hotel from Market Street. It’s close.” Well, yes, it’s close as the bird flies, but try lugging your rollaboard up the side of the hill to the Ritz-Carlton, Fairmont, Scarlet Huntington or Mark Hopkins and you’ll learn quickly that this may not be the smartest option. Especially if you are wearing heels!

8>Don’t forget your layers. While the rest of the country is experiencing an autumnal cool-off right now, SF is experiencing its typical October heat wave, so that new black sweater or suit won’t work when it’s 85 in the city during the day. But of course, it could be perfect in a matter of hours when the fog, a storm or cold front blow in off the Pacific. (By the way, wear black here. It always works.)

Finally, never call San Francisco “Frisco” or “San Fran.” Laid back locals won’t say anything, but inside, you can bet they are groaning. To be safe, just call it “The City” or San Francisco.

I’m sure our many Bay Area readers can add to this list, so please fire away in the comments section below and help your fellow frequent traveler headed west!

–Chris McGinnis

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Airport updates in LAX, DFW + Photos: New United first class seat + Save money on calls from other countries + 6 secrets for snagging low fares

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Don’t get this wrong when visiting the UK

Afternoon tea at the Palm Court in London's elegant Langham Hotel is a sight to behold! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Afternoon tea at the Palm Court in London’s elegant Langham Hotel is a sight to behold! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Next time you are traveling in the UK or elsewhere in the current or former British Empire and a friend or colleague invites you “to tea” will you know what he or she means?

Even ABC News got this one wrong recently in a segment about quarterback Andrew Luck learning British manners.

“Tea” can refer to any of several different meals or mealtimes, depending on a country’s customs and its history of drinking tea.

“Afternoon tea” is likely the meal most Americans think of when they hear the term. It’s not high tea! Afternoon tea is taken between 4 and 6pm and involves tea, scones, clotted cream, finger sandwiches, stacked plates, sweets (see photo) and good manners. It’s the type of tea you’ve likely seen in grand London hotels like the Langham or The Ritz. It’s also what you get on an afternoon flight back from the UK on British Airways.

Important: Afternoon tea is NOT high tea. High tea, or just “tea” is the typical hot, heavier evening meal served between 6-8 pm. (What most Americans think of as dinner or supper.) Americans tend to think of high tea as the fancy one…but it is not.

Of course, usage varies by class and location, so if confused by an invitation “to tea,” just be sure to clarify.

Here’s some more info on afternoon tea etiquette from The Langham Hotel’s Palm Court.

Still not convinced? This Google search should help you out. 

What else do Americans get wrong about the UK? Please leave your comments below. 

—Chris McGinnis

This post is a “blast from the past”– a previously popular post on TravelSkills. Take a look at the original post here as well as the reader comments!

 

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Easiest ways to save on calls from other countries

My mom & dad during their recent trip to San Francisco (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Me and my parents on their recent jaunt to San Francisco (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

At the tender young age of 84, my dad is still going strong, frequently hitting the skies to burn off the Delta SkyMiles he’s earned over a lifetime of frequent travel.
This week he and my mom are off to Canada, and they turned to me with a question I get on a regular basis from readers who don’t want to get “ripped off” by phone companies overcharging for voice and data when overseas. Those overcharges are painful anywhere, but especially irritating when traveling in Canada– and less than 100 miles from the U.S. border.

Dad has an iPhone 5 and uses AT&T as his provider. He’ll use the phone to stay in touch with his family in the U.S. and to make or receive occasional voice calls for his consulting work.

 

Since this is a quick five-day trip, I know my dad would not want to go to the trouble of swapping out a SIM card for his iPhone. Or switching to T-Mobile which recently made calling from Canada and Mexico a lot cheaper. He also won’t use the phone enough to opt for one of AT&T’s international calling packages (starting at $30).

So here’s the advice I gave him.

When you get to Canada, turn off your data roaming (settings>cellular>roaming>turn off data roaming) and leave voice roaming on. Be sure that all the apps running in the background on your phone are turned off (remember how I showed you to do that? Double click the round button and swipe away all programs to turn them off). That way you can make and receive calls and texts but you won’t overpay for data, which is where AT&T will get you.

Cellular voice calls on your iPhone will likely cost about $1 per minute (rip off) so try and restrict your calls to times that you have an internet connection. Use your iphone Facetime app to make video or audio calls– since those are FREE, which I know you like 🙂

Related: 3 ways to make low- or no-cost calls abroad

However, remember that those Facetime calls are limited to only your contacts who use iPhones or iPads– and when you have access to wi-fi. (All your kids have iPhones)

Text costs can vary from 50 cents to $1.50 each… AT&T charges vary. (Be careful about sending texts including large photos!)

If you want to make regular calls to non-iPhone users, (for example, work related stuff) you should download at app called Viber. (Go to the app store on your phone and search for Viber.) You sign up and provide your credit card, but calls are only a few cents a minute (vs the $1 or so you’ll pay AT&T), so prepay $10 which should provide you with plenty of prepaid minutes.

Viber's easy to use dialer looks & works like cell phone (Image: Viber)

Viber’s easy to use dialer looks & works like cell phone (Image: Viber)

With Viber, you make calls just like you would from your phone (an easy to understand app) but remember that it ONLY works when you are connected to Wi-fi. Luckily, finding free, fast wi-fi is increasingly easy in Canada.

So, to sum it up: turn off data roaming, use your phone for cellular calls and texts only in urgent situations, and try to use Facetime and/or Viber when you are in a wi-fi hotspot.

I sent that advice off to Dad, who is also an avid fan of Uber and Lyft, which he plans to use to get around Montreal and Ottawa with my mom. He asked, “What about using Uber… do I need data for that?”

My answer: Yes, you will need to use data for Uber when you are not in a wi-fi hot spot, but it won’t break the bank. So, when summoning Uber from a restaurant,  be sure that all other apps are off, then turn on data roaming and launch Uber, request your pick up, and leave it on until your car arrives, then turn data roaming off. NOTE: Be SURE to turn data roaming off when you are finished!

How do you save money on calls in other countries? Provide your tips or advice and I’ll be sure my dad sees them! 

 

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New York City’s unusual new subway line

The entrance to Manhattan's new 34th Street-Hudson Yards subway station. (Image: Metropolitan Transportation Authority)

The entrance to Manhattan’s new 34th Street-Hudson Yards subway station. (Image: Metropolitan Transportation Authority)

It’s almost two years behind schedule, but New York City is about to cut the ribbon on a subway project that should prove to be a major benefit for business travelers attending conventions in the Big Apple– or visitors headed to the city’s burgeoning Far West Side including the High Line and Hudson Yards development.

It’s a mile-long extension of the Number 7 subway line that will allow conventioneers to zip underground to Manhattan’s huge Javits Center, sparing them an aggravating taxi (or Uber) ride in the city’s notorious crosstown traffic.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has set a September 13 start of service on the extension. The new 7 line runs east to west across midtown Manhattan along 42nd Street, with stops at Grand Central Station, Fifth Avenue and Times Square. The new extension will continue west from Times Square to 11th Avenue, then turn south to 34th Street and the Javits Center, where a new station — 80 feet underground — has been built.

Related: Rail link and hotel at Denver International Airport

The new station is called 34th Street-Hudson Yards. Besides the convention center, it will also serve the eventual residents of the huge Hudson Yards residential project that is going up nearby. The Number 7 extension is the first new subway line to open in New York since 1989.

So what’s so unusual about this new line? If you’ve ever sweltered in a New York underground subway station during the odiferous dog days of summer, here’s a real bonus: The new 34th Street–Hudson Yards station is the first one in the entire system to be climate-controlled. Ahhhh.

Image: Metropolitan Transportation Authority

.. Image: Metropolitan Transportation Authority

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Delta’s new Sky Club at San Francisco International + LAX will allow Uber, Lyft pick-ups + British Airways coming to San Jose + Airbnb draws corporate customers 

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6 secrets for snagging low airfares

Chris McGinnis

Want to make Chris’s eyes roll? Then ask him: “what’s the best day to buy airline tickets?” 🙂

My eyes roll and I sigh every time I see a study or opinion about “the best day” to shop for low airfares. It’s all a bunch of malarkey! 

And it’s even more bogus during fall months when travelers start thinking about booking trips home for the holidays— a time when all “rules” get thrown out the window.

For many years, Tuesday was supposedly the “best day” for airfare shopping. A recent study shows that weekends, especially Sundays can be even better. I’ve heard some people advise staying up until 1 a.m. on Wednesdays. According to some experts, you should buy your ticket 42 days ahead of time. Oh, wait, the latest study says 57 days.

That might all be “generally” true but the fact is that there is no “best day” for buying airlines tickets because each traveler and trip is different. The same holds true for credit cards… there’s no single card that’s perfect for frequent travelers— just one that’s best for you. For both, there are just too many variables.

One bit of good news right now? Airfares are trending downward due to lower fuel prices and overcapacity. These trends will be magnified over the next few weeks as we enter the slower fall “shoulder” season and airlines roll out deals to help keep all those seats full. Fall is one of the best times of year  for those with schedule flexibility to troll for last minute fare deals– or last minute “deals” on frequent flyer mile redemptions.

Here are 6 steps to remember when fare shopping: 

1) Determine the “going rate” for the trip on the dates that work best for you– and keep in mind that Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays are generally the cheapest days for flying. Shop for fares on your airline of choice and also on fare comparison or shopping sites (my favorite is the ITA Matrix, but it’s kinda geeky). Google’s Flight Search tool is great for a cursory glance. I also like Flyr, which uses science to determine the best time to pounce on an airfare. And don’t forget to check Southwest.com since Southwest fares don’t show up on most comparison sites.

twitter-floowmeDo you follow us on Twitter? It’s a great way to keep up with the latest news!

2) Factor in fluctuations in demand for your target price. For example, you won’t find that $250 transcontinental round trip around Christmas or in July or August…but you might find it during the dead weeks of early January. You’ll likely find a decent summer fare to Europe in June… but feggedaboutit in July or August. Subscribe to blogs like TravelSkills or follow our Facebook & Twitter feeds to stay on top of periodic fare sales.

3) Set up fare alerts for price drops– fare shopping sites such as AirFareWatchDog,  Kayak, Hipmunk, FareCompare or major online travel agencies will do this for you. Based on your research of the “going rate” set a fare level that feels comfortable for you (based on demand), and you’ll get an email if the fare drops below that. Don’t forget to include all the airports near your destination– some can be significantly cheaper than others.

POPULAR this month: How often do planes get washed? Surprising answer

4) Once you see a fare that fits into your budget and timeframe, BUY IT. Feel good knowing that you snagged a good seat on a convenient flight at a reasonable price. Don’t sweat it. By waiting, you’d likely not find the most convenient flight for you. Convenience is worth paying for.

5) Monitor for fare drops during the 24-hour grace period you have for canceling reservations without penalty. In the rare case that you find a lower fare within 24 hours, cancel your original reservation without penalty, rebook, and repeat.

6) If you are still worried that you might have paid too much, Yapta.com will monitor your fare and help you get a refund if you discover you overpaid. (But Yapta can’t get you out of paying cancellation or change penalties.)

What are your best tips for snagging the lowest fares? What’s the best deal you’ve obtained this year? Please leave your comments below. 

(This is a Blast from the Past post — a perennially popular subject– making a reappearance on TravelSkills. Enjoy! Here’s the original post and excellent comments)

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When does your passport expire?

Satte Department: Don't wait too long to renew your expiring passport. (Image: U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services)

State Department: Don’t wait too long to renew your expiring passport. (Image: U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services)

Do you know when your U.S. passport expires? If you’ve had it for a long time, you better check: The State Department is warning that it faces a big increase in passport renewals in the months ahead, so processing your request could take a lot longer than normal.

The department has declared September to be Passport Awareness Month in order to get people thinking about sending in renewal applications well ahead of their next planned international travel dates. State noted that processing usually goes through more quickly during the fourth quarter of the year than at other times.

What’s the problem? An unusually large number of expiring passports that were issued almost a decade ago, and will soon require renewals. “In 2007, the Department experienced an unprecedented surge in passport applications, issuing over 18 million passports as a result of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI),” State said. “Nearly ten years later, those passports are beginning to expire, and the Department has been experiencing increased demand for passport renewals.  The Department issued 14 million passports in 2014 and the increased demand is expected to continue through 2018.”

The State Department said it is keeping its U.S. passport agency offices open on “select Saturdays” in September and October to encourage people to renew early. Passports can also be renewed by mail.

The normal processing time has been four to six weeks, State said, although an expedited service that takes about three weeks is available for an extra $60 above the usual passport renewal fee of $110. The agency also noted that many nations require your passport to have at least six months of validity remaining before they allow you to enter. The department has a web page with details and tips to help citizens plan ahead for renewing their passport.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Delta’s new Sky Club at San Francisco International + LAX will allow Uber, Lyft pick-ups + British Airways coming to San Jose + Airbnb draws corporate customers 


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How to avoid worn out hotel rooms

Last time I arrived at the Marriott Anaheim, the lobby looked like this (Chris McGinnis)

Last time I arrived at the Marriott Anaheim, the lobby looked like this (Chris McGinnis)

Dear Chris:

Is it just me or are Marriotts getting really old and worn out?  I’ve stayed in three in the last five weeks and they were very dated and worn out.  Carpet threadbare…tiny bathrooms.   Old furniture.  Musty smelling.

Marriott used to be a good mid range value but frankly they are reminding me of old Holiday Inns.

Do other people feel this way?   Is Marriott planning on any refreshment of these old places?

B.N. 
Tampa, FL

Hey B.N…. It’s not just you! And not just Marriott.

When we are at the top of an economic cycle as we are now, hotels are full and owners are not willing to close rooms for refurbishment if they can get top dollar by renting them.

When the cycle declines you’ll see hotels start to spend on upgrades.

Along the same lines, I bet we’ll see airlines add back some of the bennies recently stripped away from frequent flyer programs when the economy cycles down again, as it always does…

One way to avoid the thread bare rooms is to remember that hotels typically remodel floor by floor, so always remember to ask for a recently refurbished or new room when you check in.

Here are 6 more smart questions to ask at hotel check in. And here’s an archive of new hotels we’ve covered lately on TravelSkills!

 


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Illegal to wear headsets when driving?

Earphones Lifehacker

If you rent cars in other states or countries frequently or plan a big summer road trip, bone up on laws regarding the use of headphones or earbuds while driving– or you could be hit with a big fine.

Just last week France banned the the use of headsets while driving.

And did you know that drivers are forbidden from wearing headphones in Colorado, Maryland, Louisiana and Rhode Island?

But it’s more complicated in other states. In California, Florida or New York, you can only wear headphones or ear buds in one ear, not both. In Illinois, only Bluetooth headseats are allowed. Fines for breaking these laws can range from $150 to $250.

Since rules seem to be all over the map, here’s an infographic from LifeHacker that spells it out:

infograpgic_final_2

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Trip Report: SWISS Roche Coach + San Francisco mistakes + Planespotting 101: Airbus + Cool gasoline price heat map + More!


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Don’t make these mistakes in San Francisco (VIDEO)

Chris McGinnis offers San Francisco tips on CNN (Image: CNN)

Chris McGinnis offers San Francisco tips on CNN (Image: CNN)

Last year during the peak of the convention season in San Francisco, we wrote up Don’t make these 8 mistakes in San Francisco to help visitors avoid looking foolish when arriving in the City by the Bay.

Well, CNN producers liked that post so much that they sent out a crew from Atlanta to tape TravelSkills editor Chris McGinnis offering up his best tips and advice for visitors on TV.

Check out the two-minute video here:

See the video for Chris’s advice on finding the best coffee in town, when to schedule lunch, why not much work gets done on Fridays, how to try ride sharing, and perhaps most importantly, dispelling the myth about what Mark Twain said about summer weather in San Francisco.

Take a look at the video and offer up YOUR best advice for first time visitors to Frisco San Francisco! What did we leave out?

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Free airport parking? + Fastest airlines  + CLEAR goes cardless + Cool gasoline price heat map + More!

Do you need travel insurance? Probably! Start your search for the right plan at InsureMyTrip.com!

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Beijing tries to clear the air

New Beijing regulations ban smoking in restaurants and other public places. (Image: Rona Chang/Flickr)

New Beijing regulations ban smoking in restaurants and other public places. (Image: Rona Chang/Flickr)

If you travel to China on business, you know that breathing fresh air can be a problem — not only due to the sun-blocking pollution in major cities, but also to residents’ devotion to smoking cigarettes in public.

But now, according to the BBC,  the city of Beijing is taking tough steps to control that habit.  Effective this month, the city’s new rules will impose fines to eliminate cigarette smoking in restaurants, in offices, and on public transportation, putting “thousands of inspectors” in the field as enforcers.

An individual who breaks the rules could be fined $32, and businesses that permit smoking could have to pay up to 50 times that amount.

Related: Extinguish airport smoking for good? 

Still, the habit is deeply ingrained in Chinese society so it will be a challenge for Beijing’s new squad of no-smoking enforcers to root it out.

Does the prevalence of public smoking in other countries surprise or bother you when overseas? Leave your comments below.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Nationwide, 3 day fare sale! + A lie-flat seat to avoid! + 10 more airports get immigration pre-clearance + Hotel chains’ Wi-Fi service ranked 


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Beware: Technology takes a toll on car renters

Human toll takers have disappeared from the Golden Gate Bridge -- but the tolls haven't. (Image: Jim Glab)

Human toll takers have disappeared from the Golden Gate Bridge — but the tolls haven’t. (Image: Jim Glab)

The proliferation of electronic and photo toll collections on the nation’s roadways often poses a dilemma for rental car travelers, and San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge is a perfect example, because it is such an iconic drive for visitors to the Bay Area.

The easiest way to deal with the problem is simply to pay the rental company for a preinstalled transponder like FasTrak or EZPass and settle up later, but it’s not always the cheapest.  Typically rental firms will charge you a daily rate for having the device in your vehicle, whether you use it on toll roads or not. And besides the daily fee, you’ll also have to pay the tolls, of course.

Or you can drive without a transponder and let the toll system’s cameras snap a picture of your rental car’s license plate. The toll system will bill the rental firm, and the firm will bill you for the tolls — plus a hefty administrative fee for their troubles. It’s easy for them — they have your credit card information.

But San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge District has made other options available for travelers, according to a report by the local website SFGate.com. Persons who drive across the bridge without a transponder can pay the $7 toll online, over the phone, or at any of 130 Bay Area cash payment kiosks.

It’s a great solution for renters, because they can avoid car rental companies’ often burdensome fees and not have to decide in advance whether or not to take a transponder-equipped car. (Payment options here)

If only it were that simple on all the other toll roads around major cities.

Readers: How do you cope with local toll road collection systems when you rent a car? Post comments.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Nationwide, 3 day fare sale EXTENDED! + A lie-flat seat to avoid! + 10 more airports get immigration pre-clearance + Hotel chains’ Wi-Fi service ranked +  Toronto Airport’s new rail link


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More frustration with frequent flyer miles

 

Booking the perfect award flight isn't so simple for frequent flyers these days. (Image: Jim Glab)

Booking the perfect award flight isn’t so simple for frequent flyers these days. (Image: Jim Glab)

Is the traditional airline loyalty reward chart — showing fixed mileage costs for various award trips — becoming a thing of the past? Industry observers are predicting that other airlines are likely to follow the lead of Southwest and Delta in changing over to “dynamic pricing” for award trips — i.e., varying the miles or points required based on supply and demand, just as they do with air fares.

It’s just one more blow to the traditional structure of airline mileage programs that the hapless traveler will have to adjust to, as burgeoning load factors give airlines increasing confidence to do pretty much whatever they want with program rules. It’s also helped along by the fact that reward travel requests have been increasing in recent years as capacity remains tight.

The trend to dynamic pricing for award seats is perhaps a natural outgrowth of frequent flyer programs’ ongoing shift from distance-based to spending-based earning models, now in place at Southwest, Delta and United, and perhaps coming to American as well.

Bloomberg News, in an analysis of the trend, predicts that United will begin dynamic pricing for MileagePlus award travel in the second quarter of this year, although the airline wouldn’t confirm it.

Bloomberg also noted that Southwest Airlines, which sets a fixed exchange rate between Rapid Rewards points per dollar of air fare (which is set dynamically and thus varies by award flight) last month boosted that rate from 70 to 80 points per dollar.

The quandary for passengers was perhaps best symbolized by Delta’s decision last year to remove its award chart from the SkyMiles website, so the cost of a reward trip was completely unknown until the traveler researched travel dates and routes.

Given that uncertainty, it’s all the more reason to keep your reward travel plans flexible in the future. And to keep burning your miles as fast as you earn them, since they continually lose value over time.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Star Wars invade DEN +  Secret stash of hidden hotel deals + Big new carrier for ATL + Roomier widebodies on domestic flights! ost about the card here.


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6 tricky tipping dilemmas that trip up travelers

Ti tip, or not to tip. That's the question for a lot of frequent travelers (Dave Dugdale / Flickr)

Ti tip, or not to tip. That’s the question for a lot of frequent travelers (Dave Dugdale / Flickr)

If only tipping were simple. You already know the etiquette for the common travel situations: restaurant servers, taxis, housekeeping. But sometimes it’s not so straightforward.

Here are six scenarios that can trip me up when I’m traveling:

1. I have no small bills. Sadly, I find myself in this situation more often than I’d like to admit, particularly with the valet or bellman. Recently I stashed a wad of singles and fives in a deep corner of my bag for just such emergencies.

2. I have no local currency. Often I don’t head to the ATM until getting settled into my hotel, which means I occasionally encounter an uncomfortable tipping moment in the meantime. Only recently did I learn that in many–if not most—countries, tipping in U.S. dollars is welcome and occasionally preferred.

3. The service has been paid for by someone else, and it’s unclear whether the gratuity has been covered. I encountered this not long ago when a black car from the hotel to the airport had been paid by a third party. The discomfort was compounded by the afore-mentioned problem of having no local currency. Even if I had learned the gratuity was not covered, I couldn’t offer a credit card to charge the tip when I wasn’t even sure how much it cost. Awkward.

4. Traveling internationally, I am unsure of local custom. I wish I could say I’ve always done my tipping research before arriving in a country. Asian countries tend to have a no-tipping culture. Europeans tend to tip less than Americans. It’s complicated! Here’s a comprehensive international tipping guide I’ve found helpful. Also, treat Las Vegas as a foreign country when it comes too tipping—a land where all sorts of free goodies are bestowed, but where tips should not be withheld. Read up on how to handle everything from casino culture to pool cabanas.

5. At a buffet or high-end cafeteria, the server has a limited role. Does the 15-20% still apply? Emily Post says 10% is appropriate, but I waiver between thinking this is too much and thinking it’s too little. And there’s a big difference between a luxe brunch buffet and a place just slightly nicer than Chipotle.

Related: Tipping is not a city in China

6. I received services from someone who could be considered a peer. On a recent trip to Hong Kong, I was provided a media guide. By the end of the day, he felt more like a colleague and friend than guide. Would a tip would be demeaning? I ended up thanking him with a letter of commendation to his client instead, but I wondered if I’d done the right thing.

Tipping in Vegas? YES. And generously. Pictured: The new High Roller ferris wheel. (Image: Chris McGinnis)

Tipping in Vegas? YES. And generously. Pictured: The new High Roller ferris wheel. (Image: Chris McGinnis)

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Have you checked out Personal Capital yet? A powerful new tool from the former CEO of PayPay and Intuit (Quicken) to help busy people manage finances– some say it’s a better tool for wealth management than Mint.com. If you, like many business travelers, have a tough time keeping up with your investments, you should check it out today and help support TravelSkills!

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I have found a few ways to tip with more confidence:

When in doubt, err on the generous side. Many workers depend on tips to make a living wage. According to PayScale.com, 25% of food servers’ income generally comes from tips. And there’s something to be said for karma. If you worry that you may be over-tipping because all you have is that big bill, hand it over anyway—make the guy’s day, and it will come back to you some day, somehow.

Do the research. Before a trip, check that you have small bills and do research about local customs when necessary. It just takes a few minutes and prevents hours of guilt and confusion.

Keep a tipping app on your phone or tablet. In your favorite app store you’ll find myriad options. Some are international guides that also provide advice (like GlobeTipping on iOS and Global Tipping Guide Pro on Android). Others are U.S.-focused and will calculate the tip and even split the bill. A few of these will calculate in local currency outside the U.S. (like Tip Calculator Pro+ on Android).

A tip says, “Thanks for making my trip better than it would otherwise have been.” Sure, situations will always arise when you’re unsure about protocol. But with the right tools and preparation, you’ll almost always be able to offer that appreciation befittingly.

What tricky tipping situations have you encountered, and how did you address them?

–Nancy Branka

<<<>>>

Did you miss our TravelSkills Weekend Edition? Not a problem! Here are the links:

Suspicious behaviors + 2 lounges at SEA-TAC + 80K HHonors points + CLEAR expands + New Wyndham program + Pricey room service

Delta Aeromexico + Delta dogs + United beer + 787s delayed + Japan Airlines + Remnants of SkyMall

In Case You Missed It…

  •  How to avoid fees when you want an earlier flight.

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FAA: Keep out of the seat back pocket

Keep your stuff out of that nasty seatback pocket (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Keep your stuff out of that nasty seatback pocket (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

How do you use your seat back pocket? We received an interesting observation and query from TravelSkills reader J.U. this week that led to a discovery.

I love reading your daily column, and learn a lot. This is the first time I’ve had  a question I thought you could check out. Yesterday I flew on Southwest, and was startled by an announcement at the beginning of the flight, saying that we were not to put any personal items in the seat back pockets! The flight attendant actually said, “The seat backs are for our magazine and safety information. You are not to put any personal items in them – no water bottles, no books, no computers, …” I noticed that the seat back pockets have in fact gotten very tight, with hardly any room for anything other than the magazine. (I had in fact put my water bottle in there, and it barely fit.) This seems very strange to me – what next!? Maybe we will have to pay for a seat back pocket with a  little more room? Have you heard anything about this? The person sitting next to me was also a frequent traveler, and neither of us had heard of this before. I would love to know if you have any information on it.

I could not think of a time when I’d heard an announcement like this, so I grabbed a Southwest spokesperson who told TravelSkills that this wasn’t new and in fact an FAA regulation designed to prevent encroachment into space needed in case of the need for a quick exit.

Now’s the time to book summer flights to Europe

The verbiage from the DOT rule about seatback stowage.

The verbiage from the DOT rule about seatback stowage.

I also kinda cringe when I think about seatbacks and avoid them like the plague (pun intended). Did you know that seatbacks are the dirtiest part of the plane and the place were nasty germs like MRSA live the longest? So I’d refrain from putting any personal items in there on account of that! Maybe the FAA rule is there to protect us from germs, too.

–Chris McGinnis

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Now’s the time to book summer flights to Europe

Freshly posted fares to France (Image: Air France)

These freshly posted roundtrip mid-summer fares to France won’t last long (Image: Air France)

In four months, we’ll be in the midst of peak season for travel between the US and Europe. And that means now is the time to start looking and booking those fares.

Remember our post last month “Predicting Spring-Summer Airfares” in which the fare brains at the new FLYR fare prediction site explained that 120 days out is prime time for US-Europe flight bargains?

From what I’m seeing, it looks like that’s correct…  This week European carriers are starting to trot out some “flash sale” type deals for mid-summer travel.

What’s likely of most concern to European carriers this year is that the strong dollar is going to keep Europeans on the continent this summer, so that’s why I think airlines like Air France, Aer Lingus and others are the first out of the gate with discounts aimed at driving up demand from this side of the pond.

So what kind of mid-summer travel deals are we seeing today from Air France? Here’s what we saw:

Air France

Here’s some explanations around the fine print from Air France’s deal, released today:

  • Must buy tickets between today and March 24, 2015 (Most sale fares will be “flash” sales like this with small booking windows so you must act fast)
  • Travel dates vary but generally between May 16 and September 9, 2015. It’s unusual to see sale fares beyond about June 15 so this represents a very good deal if you can get it.
  • Minimum / Maximum stay: 10 days (weeds out business travelers who likely will not stay that long)
  • Refunds: tickets are non-refundable (as always with low fares)
  • Change fees: $300 plus fare difference- which could be substantial the closer we get to summer. (Hint: Don’t book this if there’s any possibility of change.)

When are the cheapest times to fly to Europe this summer? According to this PriceFinder chart from British Airways, which looks at flights between San Francisco and London, you are most likely to get deals in June and August– not July. Also, as you can tell from the chart, BA has not matched the Air France deal… yet. But the charts are still helpful.

British Airways

Let’s take a look at fares from the East Coast, too. Here’s JFK-London Heathrow:

BA

 

With all the noise Ireland’s Ryanair is making regarding ultra low-fare flights between the US and Europe, Aer Lingus has become very aggressive with pricing and has bargains similar to Air France’s on sale right now.

What’s interesting here is to see the difference in fares if you fly BEFORE or AFTER the peak season vs. when it’s fully underway (July 1 -Aug 22). Here’s what Aer Lingus has on offer this week.

Aer Lingus

And peak summer season sale fares available right now (they will not last!)

Air Lingus

Another smart idea for snagging bargains across the pond this summer is to considering your first stop in Scandinavia– ultra low fare carrier Norwegian Air will continue to disrupt transatlantic fares this summer and force established carriers to discount. But beware– we’ve heard that you definitely “get what you pay for” when flying Norwegian.

Advice: A busy summer in Europe means that sale fares like these are going to come and go very quickly. Keep on eye on blogs like TravelSkills and sign up for fare alerts to find them.

Good luck– and remember, if you see a fare that feels right, BOOK IT because it will not be there if you wait. 

-Chris McGinnis

 

Did you miss this our recent Weekend Editions? No probs! Here they are for ya:

Better Virgin seats for Delta elites + AA US program merger + Fastest airlines + Delta shrinks at CVG + Lufthansa A380s

United schedule changes + Easy 1,000 HHonors points + Virgin 2-4-1 + New United gates + Lyft beats Uber

In Case You Missed It…

  • Here’s what you should know about Spring Break and its travel impact.

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How to travel like a caveman

Photo: Mike Licht / Flickr

Image: Mike Licht / Flickr

You may work religiously at home to follow a paleo or gluten-free diet, but once you head to the airport all bets can be off.

Around every corner—from the concourse to the airplane to the hotel to the business dinner—you’ll find temptations, conundrums and challenges. But holding fast to a special diet can be a rewarding accomplishment for a frequent traveler.

For those not familiar, the increasingly popular paleo (or caveman) diet limits foods to what our Paleolithic ancestors ate. Broadly speaking, this means a diet rich in protein and non-starchy vegetables and fruits, eschewing processed foods and those introduced as agriculture developed.

The paleo diet is, by definition, also gluten-free. A gluten-free diet eliminates foods that contain wheat, rye, and barley.

Nearly main course on a recent JetBlue Mint flight is paleo friendly (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Nearly every main course on a recent JetBlue Mint flight is paleo friendly (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Eating healthily when you travel can be hard under any circumstances. But for those with specific dietary guidelines, it is especially tricky.

Here are some success strategies for those eating paleo or gluten-free on the road:

1: Carry satisfying snacks – A little planning means you’ll always have something simple and delicious in your carry-on. I like to pack a few apples because they’re sturdy, but some like to throw in bananas because they’re self-packaged. Individual serving bags of nuts, cut vegetables, natural applesauce, nut butters, and jerky are also good to keep in your pantry—just throw them into your bag on the way out the door. Increasingly, you can find healthy snacks at airport shops, my favorite of late being the hard-boiled egg. And for a special treat, pick up or bring along a nut or protein bar that meets your dietary requirements.

United's gluten free tomato basil soup and prawn salad (Photo: United)

United’s gluten free tomato basil soup and prawn salad (Photo: United)

2: Pre-order a gluten-free meal or snack box for your flight – Pre-orders allow you to make sound decisions when you’re not tired or stressed. If you’re flying internationally or in business/first class domestically, many airlines now you allow you to pre-order your meal and usually there’s a gluten-free option. If you eat paleo, this is probably your best bet, too. For snacks, some airlines (like United) are offering gluten-free boxes, and some airlines (like US Airways) offer pre-order of main cabin meals and snack boxes.

3: Take charge of the restaurant choice – When dining with others, offer to select the restaurant. The easiest choice: The classic steakhouse. Other good bets are sushi, American, and Mexican. Italian, don’t take offense: We love you, but you’re a dangerous partner for either of these diets. Also, I always take a quick look at the menu online so there’s no stress at the table. Plus, planning ahead prevents bad choices.

4: Don’t hijack the joy of the meal – The purpose of most business dinners is to seal the relationship by sharing a meal. If your food limitations become the focus of conversation, it can be a distraction and downer for those you’re with. I’ve found it better to keep quiet about my dietary preferences. The one exception—and it’s a tricky one—is when you’ve been invited to someone’s home. In that case, I will send the host a friendly email mentioning my gluten intolerance. I’ve found it’s possible to navigate this without offending or causing inconvenience.

5: Beware, alcohol – Be extra careful with pre-dinner cocktails. Without the bread to soak up the alcohol, you may unwittingly get loopy before the entrée arrives—not advisable at a business dinner.

Why you should change the credit cards you carry

Virgin America's "kinda" paleo protein plate for sale in economy includes turkey, veggies, egg, hummus, cheese. grapes and pita (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Virgin America’s “kinda” paleo protein plate for sale in economy includes turkey, veggies, egg, hummus, cheese. grapes and pita (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

6: Get the tools – Yes, there’s an app for that. If you eat gluten-free, check out iEatOut (iOS), which filters by food allergies like gluten, and DineGlutenFree (iOS and Android). Or simply search on Yelp, using the gluten-free category as a filter. A number of apps assist those eating paleo, including Healthy Out (iOS and Android), PaleoGoGo (iOS and Android), and YoDish (iOS).

7: Have confidence – Perhaps the most important strategy: Bring your commitment along when you walk out the door. Synching your lifestyle on the road with your lifestyle at home can be satisfying and energizing. And it’s doable!

What are your best tips for sticking with a paleo or gluten-free diet when you travel? Have you tried either diet? Share your tips and  comments below.

–-Nancy Branka

Check out Chris's paleo breakfast this morning at the Brooks hotel in Dublin. Looking forward to St Patty's tomorrow! Stay tuned for a full report from Dublin (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Check out Chris’s paleo breakfast this morning at the Brooks hotel in Dublin. Looking forward to St Patty’s tomorrow! Stay tuned for a full report from Dublin (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Did you miss this our recent Weekend Editions? No probs! Here they are for ya:

Better Virgin seats for Delta elites + AA US program merger + Fastest airlines + Delta shrinks at CVG + Lufthansa A380s

United schedule changes + Easy 1,000 HHonors points + Virgin 2-4-1 + New United gates + Lyft beats Uber

In Case You Missed It…

  • Here’s what you should know about Spring Break and its travel impact.

Why you should change the credit cards you carry

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Know your rights when stopped by police

What happens if you get pulled over? (Photo: Cliff / Flickr)

What happens if you get pulled over? (Photo: Cliff / Flickr)

Most business travel (and spring break travel) is by car rather than by plane. And even if the trip is by plane, there’s likely a automobile trip at one or both ends of the flight.

If you’ve ever wondered how to behave if or when pulled over by the police, here’s a good primer on what to do, and what your rights are.

Know Your Rights
Source: Online-Paralegal-Programs.com

Have you ever been pulled over by the police while on a business trip? Share your stories below.

–Chris McGinnis

In Case You Missed it…

>Which cities worldwide have the best (and worst) quality of life?

>United renovates airport clubs, boosts food quality.

>Virgin Atlantic will boost San Francisco schedule with a 787.

>Hilton finally jumps on the free Wi-Fi

 

Did you miss TravelSkills Weekend editions? No probs! Here they are:

Don’t buy Gogo onboard + Virgin to Hawaii? + Clever Delta ad + LaGuardia slots

$64,000 roundtrip + Bevy of new flights + Southwest bag fee + Lufthansa update + Kimpton nightcap

 


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How to enjoy dining alone

Dining alone does not have to be a painful experience (Photo: Jim Pennucci / Flickr)

Dining alone does not have to be a painful experience (Photo: Jim Pennucci / Flickr)

It’s 7 p.m. and you just plopped down on the bed in your hotel room after a long day of meetings.

You’re starving, but now you have a decision to make. You can order room service. You can fish that crushed protein bar out of your carry-on and go mostly hungry. Or…. You can go downstairs to the hotel white-tablecloth restaurant and have a lovely meal alone. Cue horror music.

I’m over-dramatizing, but many business travelers wish they felt more comfortable about eating by themselves in restaurants. You want to escape from the boredom of your hotel room, enjoy better food than room service and maybe even strike up a conversation with another road warrior. But it’s awkward. (My theory: This is a hold-over from social dynamics in the high school cafeteria.)

Eating alone is something I’ve only recently gotten more relaxed about, but I now that I’ve had a taste, I want more. So I looked into some tips and tactics.

How Uber/SPG picked me up

Perhaps the most important advice is to consider location, location, location. Choose your restaurant carefully, and then choose your table carefully. The discomfort in dining solo comes primarily from not knowing where to rest your eyes when there’s no one across the table from you. (That is, if you make the conscious decision not to spend the evening with your head in your smartphone or tablet.)

The hands-down easiest solution is to eat at a counter or bar, where you face no one. Most hotel bars serve food, and many restaurants have counter seating, often looking into an open kitchen. Or if you like sushi, you can hang out comfortably at the counter and—if you want—converse a little as the chef slices fish.

(Photo: Guian Bolisey / Flickr)

(Photo: Guian Bolisey / Flickr)

For communal tables, proceed with caution. On one hand, parties of one can easily slip in. On the other hand, you’re likely to be seated with small groups who may be engrossed in their own conversations. If you enter a restaurant with a communal table, scope it out first, before telling the host whether you’d like to be seated there.

Lingering is for couples, not singles. No matter how relaxed you get with dining alone, a prolonged meal will be painful. I’ve found it helps to order quickly and to be judicious in your choices: The 30-minute risotto is a great choice on a date, but not when you’re alone. Or go for a surgical strike: If you’re eating in your hotel restaurant, call down to pre-order your meal and it’ll be ready when you sit down.

West Coast – New York LaGuardia flights on horizon?

Check that you’re sending the right signals. Do you want to chat it up or be left alone? If you are open to engaging, have some questions at the ready for the server or bartender. No need to be scintillating. Something simple like, “Is it always this crowded?” will get things rolling. Conversely, if you want some time to yourself, don’t make eye contact and answer any parlays by being to-the-point (but polite).

The decision to bring reading material when dining alone is a personal one, and a case could be made for either way. Personally, I like the challenge of dining naked. (Well, you know what I mean—without hiding behind a book or device–which can almost feel like you’re naked.) It gives me the chance to really focus on the food and the restaurant, and to perhaps have an interesting conversation. But the case can also be made for the luxury of a quiet evening, engrossed in a book or surfing the web.

Perhaps the safest option, is to have something along to read as a Plan B if you become uncomfortable. Reading material can come in handy, too, as a polite retreat from an unwanted conversation. “Excuse me, I have some reading I need to finish up this evening,” will douse cold water on any unwelcome new friend.

How do you feel about dining alone? Please share any tips in the comments.

–Nancy Branka

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5 ways to do good on your next trip

Make someone happy on your next biz trip...and it may come back to you (Photo Lisa Parker / Flickr)

Make someone happy on your next biz trip…and it may come back to you (Photo Lisa Parker / Flickr)

Let’s face it, business travel can suck the soul right out of you.

There are myriad ways, however, to put that “good” right back into your trip, small things that don’t take a lot of effort but that leave the road better than when you found it.

Here are five great ways to give back when traveling:

At your hotel, see that bathroom amenities are put to good use when you leave. Clean the World, one of my favorite travel nonprofits, collects and recycles soap and shampoo from hotels to distribute to at-risk populations and prevent hygiene-related illnesses and death. If your hotel doesn’t participate in Clean the World (check for signage or consult the website), leave a brief note at the front desk for the general manager to suggest they join. Amenity Aid is a similar program, but you need to mail the products to its Rhode Island facility (or drop-off locations in RI).

(Photo: Rachel Titiriga / Flickr)

(Photo: Rachel Titiriga / Flickr)

Donate spare change to a good cause. Since 1994, UNICEF and American Airlines have partnered in the Change for Good program. The “hat” is passed on board participating AA international flights, and donation boxes are located in some Admirals Clubs and Flagship Lounges, too. MeaningfulChange coin collection boxes are situated at TSA security checkpoints across the U.S., and the money is donated to partner nonprofits. Similar but airport-initiated collections at Denver DIA and Vancouver YVR support local charities. Don’t see a place to donate as you scramble to head for home on an international flight? Go old-school and just give your remaining coins and bills to a child—guaranteed to make that kid’s day!

West Coast – New York LaGuardia flights on horizon?

Did you think your crazy-busy travel schedule means you can’t mentor a young person? Not so. You could be mentoring, even as you wait at the gate for your next flight. Digital mentorship is a growing trend, often doesn’t require a long-term commitment, and is as easy as an email exchange. I’ve mentored through studentmentor.org, but there are plenty more organizations out there, including icouldbe.org, which focuses on helping at-risk middle and high school students stay in school and achieve.

Similarly, it’s easy to “micro-volunteer” when you’re hanging out in your hotel room. At skillsforchange.com, fill out a brief profile and they’ll periodically email you with nonprofit challenges that fit your skill-base. I’ve had challenges as simple as “Help us come up with a catchy name for our spring fundraiser.” Or at helpfromhome.org you’ll find a smorgasbord of opportunities from citizen science projects to letter writing. As their website says, “You can dip in and dip out with absolutely no commitment.”

Bloodbath for airlines a boon for travelers

Finally, traveling offers endless opportunities to just reach out to others who are stressed. When Mother Teresa was asked how people can best make a difference, her answer was simple: Smile. “We shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do,” she said. While you’re at it, why not take it a step further: Voice the compliments that cross your mind. Think the mother entertaining her busy toddler is doing a great job? Say so. Admire the skills of the Excel power-user in the seat next to you? Say so. Really enjoyed your meal at a restaurant? Walk back in the kitchen and tell the chef. Impressed that the pilots pulled off a smooth-as-ice landing in the crosswind? Say so.

Travel would be so much more enjoyable if we all were a bit kinder to each other.

Do you have any travel practices that make the world a little better? Please share in the comments.

–Nancy Branka

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Eeeuw! Watch flu particles disperse on plane

Sneeze alarm. With the flu spiking this month (putting frequent travelers on the defensive) you might get a little paranoid when a fellow passenger on your flight sneezes.

Did you ever wonder just how far that sneeze can travel? Check out the above video — if you dare.

Researchers at the FAA Center of Excellence at Purdue University, created this simulation of a sneezing passenger to study the mechanics of pathogen travel in airplane cabins.

As you can see in this video, it is the ventilated air that spreads the germs around the cabin. So even if the passengers immediately next to you aren’t sick, you can still pick up a bug.

So,  go to Walgreens and buy a face mask— it could come in handy if you get sick on a trip and don’t want to spread your germs… or if you want to protect yourself from a wheezy seatmate.

Google’s flu trends page shows where you are most likely to encounter the flu virus right now… the darker orange shows where flu cases are currently spiking.

Google's Flu Trends map for Feb 8

Google’s Flu Trends map for Feb 8

Did you get a flu shot this year? Did you know that it’s likely not effective against the current strain of the flu making rounds right now?

Be careful out there! Wash up frequently.

–Chris McGinnis 

Have you been following our super popular Planespotting 101 series? Check out our first two installments here: 

Planespotting 101: Boeing 737 vs Airbus A320

Planespotting 101: MD-80/90 & Boeing 717

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Planespotting 101: Boeing 737 vs Airbus A320

Can you tell the difference between the 737 and A320 in this shot? (Angelo DeSantis / Flickr)

Can you tell the difference between the A320 and the B737 in this shot? (Angelo DeSantis / Flickr)

Pilots, planespotters and aviation buffs can quickly recognize nearly every aircraft type from the ground or in the air.

But it’s not so easy for the rest of us.

To help TravelSkills readers confidently recognize what they see overhead or out on the runway, we are going to offer up a series of posts dedicated to Planespotting 101. (Here’s last week’s post about the Boeing 717 and MD80/90 series)

Today let’s look at two ubiquitous planes – the Boeing 737 family and the Airbus A320 family. 

Screen Shot 2015-02-09 at 3.58.40 PM

See the pointy nose on the Boeing 737? The dorsal-like fin leading up to the tail? (Photo: Colin Brown / Flickr)

Screen Shot 2015-02-09 at 4.00.53 PM

See the more bulbous nose on the Airbus? (Aero Icarus / Flickr)

The Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 are two of the most popular single-aisle planes flying. They are about the same size and look quite similar to the untrained eye.

The 737 is Boeing’s most widely produced aircraft and has nine variants flown by almost all major domestic airlines, especially Southwest, which operates only 737s and has 665 of ’em! Delta flies about 100.

The Airbus A320 (along with the similar A318, 319 and 321) is more popular overseas, but in the US, they comprise 100% of Virgin America’s fleet and much of JetBlue’s. US Airways has the largest Airbus fleet in the world, including nearly 270 in the A320 family. United has about 160. Delta has 105 A319s and A320s.

8 things every frequent flyer wants

Screen Shot 2015-02-09 at 4.16.17 PM

Note the Airbus nose and windows (PurplePoulpe / Flickr)

Screen Shot 2015-02-09 at 4.15.47 PM

Note the pointy nose and angular window in the Boeing (PurplePoulpe / Flickr)

The easiest way to tell the difference between a 737 and an A320 is by looking at the nose of the plane. Boeing jets tend to have pointy noses compared to Airbus noses which are more rounded and bulbous.

You can also look at the outer edge of the cockpit windows. On a 737, the windows have a sharp diagonal corner while the A320s windows are more square.

Also, look at the tail of both jets. The 737 has tail has small dorsal- like fin that extends at a slight angle from the top of the fuselage to the tail. That’s absent on the A320’s smaller tail. See it? The A320 also has a larger, more distinctive tail cone than the 737.

When flying the 737 or A320, do you notice much difference? Do you have a preference? Please leave your comments below. 

(Here’s last week’s planespotting post about the Boeing 717 and MD80/90 series)

–Chris McGinnis

In Case You Missed It…

Did you miss Saturday’s or Sundays issues of our weekend edition? Here ya go: 

United discounts awards + Delta eliminates chart + More Starbucks + United packs 777s + Southwest challenges Delta

KAL’s new biz class + Cheap biz class to London + Airline scents + Busiest airport? + Spate of new hotels

 

New breed of hotel discount sites

End of the hotel room phone?

5 key questions to ask at hotel check-in

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8 things every frequent flyer wants

How about a little peace of mind for your Valentine this year? (Photo: Clear)

How about a little peace of mind for your Valentine this year? (Photo: Clear)

Even busy travelers love to know that when they’re out of sight, they are not out of mind (or heart!). Say “you’re special” to the frequent flyer in your life with one of these gifts for Valentine’s Day.

CLEAR membership

Nothing is more frustrating than bumping into an unexpected delay at airport security. Or worrying about it. Giving a CLEAR gift card means your beloved can skip the worry, and skip the lines for six months. CLEAR lines are now open at 10 airports with two more quickly on the way: San Francisco-SFO, San Jose-SJC, Las Vegas-LAS, Denver-DEN, Dallas-Ft Worth -DFW, Houston-IAH & HOU, San Antonio-SAT, White Plains-HPN, Orlando-MCO and soon in Miami-MIA and one other that will soon be announced. CLEAR’s six-month gift card is specially priced this week only (thru Feb 14) at just $49– that’s nearly half off the standard price of $90. Plus, giving CLEAR means more time to phone you from the gate, right?

Smartphone battery backup

Screen Shot 2015-02-05 at 7.08.03 PM

Power management is the new time management, and carrying spare juice for a smartphone is an insurance plan of the highest value for biz travelers. These battery backups come in all shapes in sizes, and most will charge a smartphone and tablet simultaneously. Only you know what works best for your bae: a stylish statement, like the colorful Kate Spade charger ($80), a case that boosts charge like the Mophie (from $100), or a simple stick charger like the PowerStick (from $40). (Okay, I know you are wondering…here’s how you define “bae” 😉 )

Lounge access

Business travelers know an airport club room is an indispensable oasis. Learn where your lover’s lounge gaps are and then fill them. Many airlines offer gifting of lounge passes, like American (one day, $50; one month, $99) and United (one year, $500 or 60,000 miles). Or if you’re on a super-tight budget, just sneak into his or her phone and install the LoungeBuddy app to put club room info at his or her fingertips. It’s the thought that counts.

Airport massage

Did you know that foot massage is the most requested service at airport XpresSpas?

Did you know that foot massage is the most requested service at airport XpresSpas?

Even the strongest bodies sag under the stress of travel. A gift card for an airport massage (like at XpresSpa, from $25) may be just the push your favorite flyer needs to take a pampering break—to stow that laptop back in the carry-on and relax into a massage during a flight delay. Before buying that card, check out this listing to learn which massage shops are at the airports frequented most often.

Inflight entertainment

Say it with a movie. Gift Casablanca or Top Gun ($15 each), and you send an instant “you’re my hero” message—plus provide a couple of hours of entertainment for a long flight or a night alone in the hotel room. In the iTunes store, you can shop for an item and then gift it with just a few clicks. Specify the day you’d like it sent, and type in a message. Be Mine.

Travel blanket/eye mask

Screen Shot 2015-02-05 at 7.25.05 PM

No more snuggling into questionable blankets on long flights: Your partner will appreciate a highly packable bit of luxury, a cashmere travel set that includes a blanket, pillow and eye shades ($395). Priceless. If you’ve just started dating and this is too much of a commitment, even a fleece travel blanket ($12.95) will be appreciated.

Carry-on organizer

Screen Shot 2015-02-05 at 7.17.58 PM

A carry-on quickly becomes a creepy nest of snaky black cables, and digging through it inflight can require contortions. The GridIt organizer keeps everything where it should be, while providing lots of flexibility ($49.94). Suddenly, a place for everything and everything in its place. There’s even one that doubles as a MacBook carrying case (pictured).

Packing cube

Even the savviest traveler can take packing to the next level. Packing cubes, like these from Tumi ($45), make prepping for a trip a pleasure—and unpacking even better. Good for the morale in lots of colors and practical, too.

I know I’d love to receive any of these gifts, but I hear it’s better to give than receive. And for last-minute shoppers like me, a special tip: Gift cards, like those from CLEAR, are delivered instantly and your loved one will think you’ve been planning for weeks!

What’s the best travel gift you’ve ever received? Best you’ve ever given?

Disclosure: Thank you for reading TravelSkills! We will periodically send out messages like this one from commercial partners about topics relevant to frequent travel.  Our sponsors’ support, and yours, help us keep TravelSkills a free publication. 

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What are the two best all-around credit cards? Both currently offer 40,000 mile sign up bonuses!

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Planespotting 101: MD-80/90 & Boeing 717

The good old DC9 was the model for a long line of modern jets (Photo: Aero Icarus / Flickr)

The good old DC9 spawned a long line of modern jets (Photo: Aero Icarus / Flickr)

Pilots, planespotters and aviation buffs can quickly recognize nearly every aircraft type from the ground or in the air.

But it’s not so easy for the rest of us.

To help TravelSkills readers confidently recognize what they see overhead or out on the runway, we are going to offer up a series of posts dedicated to Planespotting 101.

Today, let’s start small and take a look at the Boeing 717, MD-80/90 series. All were based on the good old DC-9 (built between 1965 and 1982), which means they all look very similar to the untrained eye.

Here’s a look at the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737

Delta retired its last DC-9 in January 2014.

Boeing 717 (Photo: Aero Icarus / Flickr)

Boeing 717 (Photo: Aero Icarus / Flickr)

Hawaiian and Delta are the only two US airlines operating Boeing 717s (Prayitno / Flickr)

Hawaiian and Delta are the only two US airlines operating Boeing 717s (Prayitno / Flickr)

The most distinguishing feature of Boeing 717s, the smallest Boeing plane, is its T-shaped tail with engines at the back flanking either side of the tail.

717s are operated in the U.S. only by Hawaiian Airlines and Delta Air Lines. (AirTran’s 717s were retired at the end of 2014).