Jim’s Travel Tips

I have been reading a lot about airline flight statistics. Numbers such as % cancelled, % on time, etc. Here is a web site that lets you do your own research. This web site provides all kinds of travel information in addition to statistics, such things as current airport delays. TIP: Go to www.flightstats.com  Every trip is, of course, unpredictable but if you are planning a tight connection it can be of some help to know if your flights are historically late or other particular info.

Many web sites exist for airline travel planning and booking. I ran across a site that gives good information on flights available from one city to another. This site has a couple of unique features. The line that you type the city name on helps locate the exact airport three letter code. It also lists the non-stop flights first. You also have the ability to exclude certain airlines from the search. It’s just one of many travel sites out there, but I find it to be unique enough to be worthy of sharing. TIP: Go to www.dohop.com

If you are thinking about eating at one of the many great restaurants on Walt Disney World property, dinner reservations are definitely a must. Character meals and some dinner shows are extremely popular. If you want to go out to dinner during your trip but aren’t sure where to go, make the call to the hotline. The guest services people on the dinner hotline are exceptionally helpful. They will help you choose a venue based on any criteria you want to give them; kids vs. no kids, theme, price range, food selection, etc… Just tell them the experience you want and they will try to make it happen. TIP: Make your reservations well in advance – even prior to your trip up to about six months. Call 1-407- WDW-DINE.

In addition to helpful travel tips, I am always looking for unique travel products that make travel more pleasurable or comfortable. Airport shops are always a good place to hunt for such items, though may not have the best price. The airline magazines are also a good source of practical travel products as well as an entertaining source of strange products you could never imagine buying. TIP: To shop easily online, go to www.travelproducts.com

Usually only costing 40 dollars, the Airtran business class upgrade at time of check-in is worth every penny. There are only two seating cabins with Airtran, business class and coach. When you are checking in, you have the option to pay 5 dollars more in order to choose your seat, or pay 15 for an exit row. I recommend skipping these options and going right to the business class upgrade. The business class customers enjoy the usual: free (unlimited) drinks, better snacks, bigger seats, and of course, you’ll be the first one off the plane!

(Thanks to our friend Dave for this great tip for small airline Airtran!)

Walt Disney World has a variety of hotels and resorts in many price ranges. There are several advantages to staying within the Disney reach. You can enjoy these additional “perks” by staying on property:

• The unlimited use of the Disney bus transportation system (get a map at your resort) - you park free at the resort. The daily parking fees at the park or at other hotels are getting a little pricey.

• If you have ever gone to the Magic Kingdom, part of the experience is the boat ride across the Seven Seas lagoon or taking the monorail from the parking lot to the entrance. This can take at least 20 or so minutes. You save this time by taking the WDW transportation system. The bus from your resort bypasses the lagoon and the monorail, and delivers you right next to the entrance. Also if you stay at some of the Magic Kingdom resorts around the lagoon you will have a direct boat to the Magic Kingdom entrance.

• Any gifts or souvenirs you buy can be delivered to your room for free.

• Staying on Disney property allows earlier entry into certain parks on certain days. Be sure to find this information out and then take advantage of it!

• Disney has had a promotional program where you get free bus transportation from the Orlando airport to your Disney Resort, if you want a “car free” vacation. (which, given the size and variety of Walt Disney World, it can certainly be done.)

• Disney has a group of resorts in the “budget” category – The All Star group. These are a wonderful group of hotel rooms, reasonably priced and full of Disney magic. Don’t let the category steer you away. They have good food courts and great pool areas.

Airlines usually have a flight status or flight tracker section on their websites. I recently came across some web sites that provide more information than the typical airline web site. TIP: Check out these sites for flight status information including maps showing the actual location of the aircraft. http://flightaware.com , http://www.flytecomm.com/cgi-bin/trackflight , http://www.flightview.com/