These days I’m traveling, on average, about 2-3 times per month. Basically, I’m living out of a suitcase (I don’t even put it in the closet any longer between trips). A while back I shared some travel tips, but since then, I’ve learnt a great deal more that I thought I’d share with you.
BOOKING
Do you have a hierarchy of booking preferences? I do. When I didn’t travel quite as much, I would just look for the cheapest flight. Now that I travel frequently and I’ve been through various levels of hell with airlines, airports and booking services, I’ve created a hierarchy that allows me to book smarter. Even if you don’t travel frequently, you may find it advantageous.
My hierarchy looks like this:
1. A trusted airline/hotel/car rental/etc.
One that hasn’t tried to screw me or a friend in the past. Everyone makes mistakes. I get that. But how they handle themselves when they make those mistakes is what I consider the test. For instance: I have used a third party site in the past (it may have been priceline? I can’t recall) and when I went to check into a return flight, it was canceled and they hadn’t notified or rebooked us. So, I called them and they said, “Sorry, can’t help you.” I was furious. They couldn’t help? So, we called Air Canada directly, who not only rebooked us (for free), but paid for our hotel one more night, and gave us a refund of $300 on each ticket.
Factors include: service, flexibility, friendliness and good website UI. I love the airlines that will SMS me with delays (Southwest). I don’t mind paying for my own meals or movies. I like being able to upgrade myself to an exit row for an extra couple of dollars. That sort of thing.
Currently on my ‘fly’ list are: Southwest, Jet Blue, Virgin, Air New Zealand, Air Canada, Frontier, Alaska, and all of the european airlines. On my ‘no fly’ is: American, United, Delta, and US Airways (and pretty much every major US airline). See the awesome article in today’s New York Times that explains why service has gone so awry with these airlines. Basically, they don’t give a damn about us cattle class passengers…as most of their revenue comes from the business and first class passengers. My favorite part? An email from Spirit Air’s CEO to his staff:
“Please respond, Pasquale, but we owe him nothing as far as I’m concerned. Let him tell the world how bad we are. He’s never flown us before anyway and will be back when we save him a penny.”
2. For flight: fewer connections
I will also pay a premium to get fewer connections. Luggage gets lost too many times on connecting flights. I’ve had it lost too many times now and I get paranoid. Plus, I’ve also had extremely tight connections that were missed OR really long layovers that were time suckers.
3. The right time of day/night.
I don’t like getting up really early if I don’t have to. I also am okay with redeyes as long as I don’t have something early the next morning. So, I will often pay a higher price to get a better time of day.
4. Price
I’m not rich, so I still have to watch my wallet. I also travel alot, so budgeting is still an issue. I wish it wasn’t. I’d like to take this off of my list (wouldn’t everyone?)
Searching for Flights & Hotels
I relayed some trouble I had with Expedia.com a couple of weeks back. To be fair, this wasn’t the first time I’ve experienced difficulties with third-party booking sites. Out of the 6 times I have used one of these sites, 4 times I have had trouble. Once, my flight was cancelled and nobody informed me (I found out when I went to check in online). Twice, my hotel booking wasn’t found when I got to the hotel. And the other time, the car rental agency I THOUGHT I was booking through the site wasn’t the car rental agency the site booked me with (I wasn’t impressed as I didn’t particularly like the agency they booked me with). So, it isn’t only Expedia.
Sometimes the deals are better through the third party sites, but not always. In fact, in an extensive search (if I use Kayak.com and check off the boxes for the search to go to all of the sites), I quite often find that the hotels or airlines, themselves, offer the lowest price.
It’s also advisable to click through to the airline or hotel’s actual search results page because more than once, I’ve found even better deals (and options) right on their websites.
As well, because of my complicated tastes and frequent travel, a friend advised me that I get an assistant or a concierge service…it may actually save me money. I’m currently looking into this and will get back to you. As well, don’t forget that you can always use Couch Surfing if you are on a tight budget. We’ve used it successfully in the past.
POINTS
What is one to do when they aren’t particularly loyal to a single brand? Well, some point systems reign better than others. I heart Air Canada’s Aeroplan very much. You see, it doesn’t matter that I don’t fly them every single time, because I can use their points for other great stuff. I get Bloomingdale’s gift certificates from them all of the time. I have also found that points are awfully hard to cash in (maybe it is me?). It takes finding a flight on the exact right date for the exact right amount to actually use them.
This being said, I can see why having points is a good thing if you want to be upgraded to that coveted first class (where you will be treated like gold), loyalty to a single airline that will get you points is good. I just haven’t found an airline that goes to all of the places I need to go that I can stand for longer than one hellish flight to get to that point. It will take me a little longer, but I’m close to high status on Southwest, Virgin and Jet Blue. And I’ve told you what I do with the Aeroplan points (which I get more out of, imo, anyways…my favorite pair of designer jeans were purchased with 3 gift certificates at Bloomingdales…I would have never paid $200 for a pair of jeans. ;)).
ITINERARY MANAGEMENT & FINDING COOL STUFF LOCALLY
This is the most important section, methinks. For someone who travels as much as I do and on as many different airlines, etc., I need strong itinerary management. That is why I heart TripIt in a serious way. (I should also note that we’ve advised TripIt)
It allows me to email the itinerary items I get from each hotel, airline, booking site, etc. and it automagically fills it in for me in a nicely printable itinerary (although, the printed portion could use a little compacting). It also has an SMS interface, so if I want to save trees or lose my itinerary, I can just SMS it with something like “get flight today” and it will send me my details straight to my phone. They also have a cute little wallet card with these commands, so I don’t have to memorize anything. The only thing they need is the SMS the other way so I can send something like “save dinner at Chez Pierre tonight” or the like.
So, then now that I am no longer trying to check into the wrong airline, what helps me when I get there? Well, I also use another service I heart to pieces, Dopplr (I have lots of invites to both of these). Dopplr is unique and simple. It, basically, allows me to input where I’ll be and when and then comes back and tells me which of my friends (on Dopplr or Twitter) live there or will be traveling there at that time, too. This is an awesome accelerating serendipity tool. Nobody to have dinner with? Check Dopplr and drop someone (or a group) a line. I’ve had multiple spontaneous dinners this way. Wondering what is good to see? Eat? Do? Drop a note to a local on your list. Locals always know best.
Between the two of these services (which really should work together, btw), I have way better travel experiences these days. Other great sites: Yelp.com (mostly for US cities, but great restaurants found there) and Yahoo!Travel (for more remote vacation ideas and decent tips from other travelers).
PACKING & LUGGAGE
If you are going to travel a bunch, I would recommend investing in good luggage. I did tons of research on this and recently invested in luggage that I’m really happy with.
What to look for in luggage:
- Weight - this is very very very very very (did I say very?) important. Not because you will need to lug this beast around, but because in many countries internationally, there is a seriously low weight limit. Like 20 kgs. After that point, they charge mega $$ for overweight. When you buy inexpensive luggage, you are usually saving money because of the materials it is made with. It may be sturdy, but it weighs 10kg. That is half of the weight allowance and doesn’t give you any budge room for extra knick-knacks for the family. My 30″ suitcase is 4.8kg.
- Color - a funky color makes it much easier for you to find your luggage on the turnstile (the number of people with black suitcases, flipping over every single case that comes by and checking the tag is staggering at airports), but baggage handlers have no respect for a pretty baby blue case. In about 3 trips, your baby blue case will look like a smeary gray case. Darker colors work the best. I got mine in a medium blue and they stand out enough for me to spot it from far away, but are dark enough not to show wear after 10 flights with them.
- Wheels - Four wheels are funky and provide you with different ways to wheel your luggage, but on most of the four-wheel suitcases, these wheels are flimsier and stand out further (plus, they add weight). That being said, four wheels are good through transit turnstiles and other tight spaces.
- Features - I didn’t buy the suitcases with these because of their weight (Samsonite Black Label drooooool - but heavy!), but some suitcases come with amazing features like magazine pockets, toiletry kits, laundry bags, shoe bags and integrated suiter systems. These are super handy, but you can, of course, add your own. It is kind of nice when they match, though.
- Hardside or Softside? - this is kind of a preference, but softside will always ‘give’ more (stuff the heck out of them), while hardside stands up to the test of time (the right hardside that is) and looks better, longer. Both hardside and softside come with expandable zips, which are preferable.
- Handle - we bought some luggage a while back with a funky ‘ball’ grip. Not a great idea. It was heavy and rubbed our palms painfully when lugging long distances. The ‘T’ handle is the best if you can find it, but the ‘U’ handle built in a really light (aluminum or titanium) is very comfortable as well.
If you want to find a really stylish suitcase, good brands to look at are: Mandarina Duck (the suitcases I bought), Samsonite Black Label, Rimowa (they have a way cool bendable rubber type hardside and a very durable aluminum) and Victorinox. Both Tumi and Heys are extremely heavy for some reason. Stylish but heavy.
I also love to shop at Flight 001 for amazing travel goodies, but it’s only in SF, LA, Chicago & NYC for the moment.
AIRPORT DISCREPANCIES
Here is where the gaps exist. Every new country I visit has new rules in their airports. Here are some rules I’ve learnt thusfar that are different:
LONDON - only one carry on. Not one carry on + personal item. One carry on. Period.
AUCKLAND - 20kg max for checked in luggage and 7kg max for carry on luggage. They will make you check (and pay for) anything over the 7kg.
AMSTERDAM - you go through the security at your gate. Very efficient, methinks.
MEXICO CITY - the immigration is a friggin’ nightmare here, so leave LOTS of time between flights if you have them. As well, if you are running out of time, don’t be afraid to go to the special delegates desk.
CHICAGO (O’Hare) - leave loads of time for connecting flights here as this is a HUGE airport and often flights are delayed because of winds.
CANADA (any city) - you go through US immigration BEFORE you leave from Canada, so be at the airport extra early for Canadian flights leaving to the US. I will talk a little more about VISAs in the next section.
There are tons more, and I will add yours if you leave them in the comments below. I would, personally, LOVE to see TripIt or some other travel service automagically give me the particularities of each airport I’m flying in and out of BEFORE I get there.
VISAS
This is my personal hell. I’m on a TN1 Visa - this is the NAFTA Visa that makes it simpler for certain workers from Canada, Mexico and the US to work in the respective countries. Only, it is easy in some ways and really frustrating in others.
There is a whole blog post on VISAs and the icky experience of being a non-US Citizen (hello? what happened to the American dream, dude?) at some point in the future, but for now, I will list the best airports to travel through for those of you with VISAs.
IN CANADA
Calgary - if you want to obtain a TN1 from a Canadian city, travel through Calgary. There isn’t as much of a demand (shorter lines) and they are super friendly. Try to avoid Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal at all costs. Unfortunately, I had an ‘incident’ at SFO this last trip in and they removed the piece of paper that proves my TN1 status and my next trip is through Montreal. I’m totally not looking forward to this.
IN THE USA
New York - the immigrations officials in NYC know their stuff. They are super well trained and understand the ins and outs of all of the VISAs. They put their top-notch officials in there. Now, SFO, where I come through too frequently is a mess. I never see the same people and I get a different story every time. It’s so bad, I’m having my lawyer put together a fact sheet for next time (I will post it here when it is complete). The TN1 has been around for 20+ years. Sigh. Oh…and I’ve heard LAX and Houston is pretty good as well.
+++++++++++
So, there you go. More travel tips to come most likely in the future, but that’s it for now…
10 Comments
Another trick: if your bag is constantly getting flagged by the xray folks and subsequently ripped apart just ask them what item concerned them.
I kept getting my laptop back pack pulled apart EVERY TIME I went through security. I finally just said “Look - this happens every time, can you tell me what’s getting flagged so I can fix it?”
Security guy was happy to tell me - Turns out it was my box of business cards. Apparently box of biz (roughly)= C4 plastic explosive on an Xray.
Since then I take the box out every time and I haven’t had an issue .
Regarding “An email from Spirit Air’s CEO to his staff” - I didn’t read the whole article, but there certainly is a class of customers who really will swap between providers to save a couple of dollars.
Sometimes it is smart not to be swayed by the demands of those people, and to look after the customers who aren’t picking purely on lowest price. I’m not saying that’s what happened in this case, but more broadly it seems like it could be true.
Excellent post that includes a lot of up-to-date, nitty-gritty details that you just can’t find in the average print travel guide.
Another point to consider for those who must check luggage is the variance in cut-off times…the time prior to your flight that you must check your bag in order for it to make it onto your flight. The US domestic standard is 30 minutes, but some airlines make exceptions in some airports, and those exceptions can be surprising and unpleasant. A helpful chart can be found here: http://crankyflier.com/2007/10/03/the-insane-world-of-baggage-check-in-times/
Thanks for the TripIt tip, too — I will definitely give it a whirl.
I only recently discovered Mandarina Duck handbags (at the Pangborn Design shop in Detroit’s A Terminal - excellent shop that tempts me with its Tokidoki bags every time I fly through) but I had no idea the line included luggage! Pricey, but after years of buying cheap luggage, I have come to understand that luggage is in the “buy the absolute best you can afford” column, so I will file that away until I need to add to my collection (or replace a bag).
Another travel tip - get a box of quart-sized, resealable plastic bags and tuck a few in a pocket of every suitcase, travel bag, computer bag or handbag you own. That way you will never be at the mercy of TSA should you forget your ziploc or have one break mid-trip.
And I would LOVE a Dopplr invite if you wouldn’t mind.
I used to put big geometric shapes on my bag with bright duct tape (sticks to anything). Makes the bag more likely to stay put. Especially with things like ski gear, as there is even less variety with board bags.
There definitely is a difference between long haul flights from American and Non American airlines. Short haul it’s a different bag. You can add RyanAir to your list. Avoid at all costs. It’s the worst of the worst.
The real problem I find is I don’t have a lot of choice. If I am flying from point A to point B, it’s unusual to find 3 or 4 airlines with the same flight at the same times that give me a reasonably similar price point. When I have a choice I fly with Airlines I prefer to, but quite often it’s double the price one week and half the price the next.
Half the problem is the airline ticketing system. It virtually ensures that no two passengers in the air play anything similar to the same price. prices go up one day, and down the next. Unless you really know the industry (and seriously we all have other jobs these days than working out airline prices) you never really know what to do. So “real” competition I don’t think exists. It’s very rare that I have two flights for £200 each at the same time and I can pick my preferred airline.
Another thing I would add to your list is lounges. These vary in policy, facilities (American charges for WiFi… What the?) and what you need to do to get in / take a guest in. If you’re flying a lot I think these can make a world of difference. Get to the airport early, stress free and relax in the lounge and do some work. Not sure how this is reflected state side, but it’s generally pretty good at major airports here. Especially Virgin.
Last point on bags is, I find the airline regular destroys my bag. After working out the hundreds of pounds I spend on flights to be on a seat I can’t fold my laptop open it’s so cramped, I now always complain. When the handle breaks, when the foot comes loose, when there a big dent the side of my head in the bag. Complain. As you get off the plane go to the luggage area for the airline near the belts and show them. Normally they say they’ll need to fix it, and then 3 days later a new a bag arrives. Normally of samsonite quality.
I haven’t bought a new bag in 5 years. I figure when the airlines stop kicking my bags, I’ll stop complaining.
Oh also, London’s dropping the one bag rule. Or should be.
The trick to get by the one rule is, take a plastic bag with you. For security put on the extra jumper, put whatever you can shove in your jacket pockets in them especially the heavier small stuff. When through customs take out the plastic bag and dump all your rubbish into it. This works well for all the chargers, and extra batteries and stuff. Then you have two bags (albeit one not so classy) but easier to carry around.
And mostly they will let a women take a handbag and a laptop bag. Mostly.
A great post - I must keep a link to this for future reference.
I’m also fascinated by aspects of your language in this post. You use heart as a verb a number of times, which is something I haven’t seen much of before, yet it seems to work without jarring like so many other new coinings. Also the adverb automagically is so expressive.
Thanks, Tara! You have a lot of the same tips I’d have… and I keep promising people I’ll write one so this means I probably don’t have to, I’ll just send them to you instead
I’ll also add… I have an Eddie Bauer Brookline carry-on rolly suitcase and a bigger one, too. They are awesome and the smaller one was only $99. They have the right amount of pockets, including a big solid plastic one for shampoo etc., flat outer ones just right for books (which can safely be smushed), great handles (top, side, and bottom for carrying), solid rubber wheels and MAN are they STURDY.
The “carry-on” one I have has been through hell: 25 or so week-long trips to NYC (rolled thru rain, snow, dirt, slush, dragged up curbs, plunked up and down stairs, beaten around on the subway, Amtrak trains), 15 domestic flights and over 6 weeks in Europe (that’s Heathrow, Frankfurt and Vienna airports - for a total of 12 checked-baggage incidents, heh—plus more running thru snow and, of course, the Underground). Not to mention I do horrible things like roll it with the rolling handle extended and another bag attached to the poles, and pick it up with that handle too, and rolling it up and down stairs when I hurt my shoulder because I couldn’t pick it up.
It still looks almost new until you inspect it and see that the fabric’s been run a bit on the bottom (NYC curbs) and tiny little bits of rubber are peeling off the handle (not a big deal)!
Needless to say, I recommend it. (FWIW, it can fit in carry-on compartments if you don’t pack it full. If you do, check it. But I prefer to check it rather than lift it anyway.)
My other tips:
Traveling for a couple weeks? Take a small suitcase like my Brookline and a sturdy duffle bag (don’t know the brand for mine or I’d share!). Throw a few extra clothes in the duffle bag, sling it on top of your suitcase, and off you go. When you pack to go home, it’ll be way easier to just throw dirty clothes in the duffle and be on your way… and that makes room for purchases/gifts in the suitcase, too.
Get a smaller bag and put it inside your laptop bag or other main carry-on. That way you can have a book, tissues, headphones, iPod, etc., ready to pull out immediately from your main bag as soon as you get to your seat, and then stow your main bag the entire trip. The small bag won’t eat up your leg room and it’ll mean you don’t have to annoy your neighbors every time you want something from the bigger bag.
Don’t wear jewelry or belts when you fly. Have a handy pocket on your main carry-on where you can quickly stow your wallet, cell phone, ipod, etc., well before you get to the x-ray machine. Wear slip-on shoes if you can. Everybody will love you for it, including you.
Keep a single sheet of paper in your wallet with your flight, train, hotel, etc., information all compiled on it. Keep another copy in your suitcase.
Take your shoes off when flying for more than an hour or so. It really helps.
Use those luggage carts. Put everything on them… take off your shoulder/backpack and coat. Save your back.
Making all your luggage carry-on seems like a good idea, but I’ve found thru trial and error that the annoyance of lugging it (heh) around, and trying to cram it into the carry-on area, and all the related friction add up to more suffering than simply waiting for your bag to show up. Unless you’re at Washington Dulles, of course, where you’ll age 10 years before you see your things again…
And, finally: I sprained my shoulder just from lugging a too-heavy backpack and suitcase too cavalierly… and I’m a strong, hearty girl. It was so not worth it. Be careful.
Forgot:
Wear a light shirt and bring a hoodie or something comfy and warm. You never know if you’ll be too hot or cold.
Get noise-canceling headphones (not earbuds). Don’t get the kind that go in your ears—they hurt after a while, and play funny tricks with the pressurization. I took the hit and bought the Bose QuietComfort 3’s (the smaller ones) and they are worth every penny. I’m way less tired after a 3-hour train ride or 7-hour flight because they seriously reduce noise fatigue. And when my pair kinda-maybe started to malfunction, the local store replaced it immediately, no questions.
Tara, the “finding cool local stuff” needs some serious thinking. You’ll have to agree that even with TripIt’s attempt to give you an “organic” city guide, there is a lot of space for improvement in this area.
If you are serious about influencing this particular segment of the travel vertical I have the right project going on. I would only be so lucky to have you brainstorming in this area.
Dude, if you travel as much as you do, you really need to stick to one airline. Once you get lower rung status, things are actually a-OK on, for example, American: I’ve always been able to get an exit row seat if not upgraded.
I realize it feels icky playing the game, but once you get over the initial “nobody” hump (the people that Spirit ass is talking about), it’s worth it. Also, as with American, there are business tie-ins where you can get even more miles (for more flights and upgrades) and all sorts of ways to suck in the benefits.
US-domestically, I’d pick American just cause that’s what I fly, but I hear United is OK once you get status and Continental looks OK from the outside. Most major American airlines are in airline alliances that let you book and benefit on “partner” airlines in places they don’t fly.
Anyhow, I have something of an obsession with the frequent flyer program: check out my infrequently updated blog on the topic for more
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