Jim’s Travel Tips

Traveling over seas and want a site that specializes in International flight planning? I found as much as a $2000 saving on a Business Class ticket to Rome. They also have a 3D seating chart. TIP: go to www.vayama.com

Here is an airline booking site that finds you the best flights and tracks the price and notifies you when the price drops. They claim you can get refunds if the fare drops even after you buy the ticket. I haven’t tried it so if someone out there can post a comment we would appreciate it. TIP: Try www.yapta.com

FYI – MAX JET and EOS, two discount business class airlines are now defunct. I had discussed this in a previous post. Other airlines have also ceased operations in this era of high fuel costs (ATA, Alhoa, etc). The lesson here is, don’t let too many miles build up or you may not be able to cash them in.

I just recently provided a web site that gives information on free wi-fi access. The site provided here gives you an airport listing that not only includes free access but what services are available and fees. It also has an added bonus of clicking on the far right to see what hotels are near the airport. TIP: go to
http://www.travelpost.com/airport-wireless-internet.aspx

Changing your flights to an earlier flight is something frequent fliers do with some regularity. This should be done with care and with all the information possible. Case in point: On a recent trip I arrived at the airport purposely early due to poor weather conditions in the area. I was delighted to see an earlier flight was delayed but still leaving an hour before my original flight. I had the front desk change my reservation – in my elation I didn’t ask any questions. I arrived in the gate area only to hear an announcement that the flight I was now booked on was leaving later due to equipment problems, not weather. Bad move on my part (I was joined by others who fell into this same trap). Fortunately, I got back on my original flight (standby) and actually got my original seat back. TIP: Always ask questions about delays, don’t assume anything.

Previously I have provided some web sites for obtaining detailed flight status. I have discovered a quick and easy way to get to current flight status information. TIP: Go to your favorite search engine and just type the two letter airline code and the flight number. The search results will give a link to the current flight status. If you pick Google you will see the information right in the top search result without needing to click any further.

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

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!)