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                Saturday April 20 2024

BREAKING AIRLINE TRAVEL NEWS!!!

Airline Captain Creates New Audio CD for Nervous Passengers. Author of the popular free online Fear of Flying Help Course has just released an audio narration that helps soothes fliers nerves. "I want all of my passengers to be well informed, happy, and relaxed. Listening to this during your next flight will be quite beneficial. Sit back in your seat, close your eyes, and I will talk you through your flight! Included in the 75 minute presentation are explainations of weather, turbulence, how the plane flies, the sounds and noises from a typical flight. Fear of Flying Audio Course

New Study Shows Priceline.com and Hotwire.com Have Major Drawbacks. A new study by Consumer WebWatch, a grant-funded project of Consumers Union, looks closely at Priceline.com and Hotwire.com, “blind” travel Web sites that promise great deals and big savings but keep you guessing until the last minute about which airline, hotel, or car-rental company you’ll use. The study’s conclusion: These bargains may not be worth the trade-offs. The WebWatch study involved 135 side-by-side comparisons with “open” sites such as Expedia, Orbitz, and Travelocity.

Frequent Flyers Say American Airlines Is Their Favorite. "Road Warriors" -- those people who log millions of air miles a year -- rank American Airlines as the best airline and the airline they prefer to fly, according to a new national poll from Decision Analyst, Inc.

Regional Jet Travel Frustrations. According to a recent article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the increasing role of the regional jet has created a backlash among some frequent fliers. They say the planes were a welcome upgrade from turboprops but are no substitute for full-size planes on long trips. "I feel for the guys who are 6-foot-5. Their knees are in their eyeballs," said one executive. He dislikes the limited carry-on space, low ceilings and what he feels is the sometimes-choppier ride of regional jets vs. midsize jets. He tries to avoid them as much as possible. A Denver retiree who travels widely fumes about the growing use of regional jets, especially for longer flights. "It's like getting into a submarine," he said. "There are no headsets, no in-flight entertainment of any sort. Tiny restrooms. The bar is limited because there's no galley space. Now they want people to sit in these things for three or four hours."

The major airlines feed their available seats and prices into four central reservation systems (Apollo, Sabre, WorldSpan and Galileo). Airlines then change their prices based on demand. If a certain flight is selling well, the price goes up. If the flight has few takers, the fare goes down. This results in fares changing frequently.

Airlines often change their fares based on competition. If one airline drops its rates on a certain route, chances are all airlines will drop their rates. It is essential to look around and comparison shop.

Before you plan your flight consider if you are flexible on your travel dates. Variables which may affect fares and discounts include the day you fly, baggage allowance, ability to change your reservation, connecting flight, etc.

Secrets for finding Cheap Flights and Discount Airline Ticket Prices Online:
     • Try different departure dates, times and nearby airports.
     • Try flying at the last minute on a weekend.
     • Check for package deals.
     • Choose a discount travel site which offers a wide variety of flight options (see Consumer Guide below).
     • Try buying at least 7 to 21 days in advance and stay over a Saturday night.
     • Mid-day (Mon. Tue. Wed.) flights may be cheaper.
     • Connecting flights may be less expensive than non-stops.
     • Round trips are often about the same as one-way fares. Use the same airline for both directions.

Airlines sell only a limited number of seats at the lowest fares, when those seats sell out, the price goes up. Normally, the best way to save money on travel is to book your trip far in advance, but the internet is full of bargains on last-minute travel. There are lots of last-minute discounts to be found because every day airline seats go unsold. The more time you spend researching, the lower the rate you'll get.

There are a number of travel sites (Expedia, Travelocity, Cheap Tickets, Priceline, Hotwire, SideStep, etc.) which compare rates of the major reservation systems. Travel agencies for decades have paid for services provided by computerized reservation systems. Sabre Holdings, the nation's largest such system, owns 96 percent of Travelocity. Orbitz is an alternative to Travelocity and Expedia, which receive compensation from airlines that are similar to commissions long imposed by brick-and-mortar travel agencies and Priceline tickets do not earn you frequent-flier miles. In fact, Orbitz's commission rates are half what regular travel agents pay.

Airline Travel Advice suggests the online discount travel site Orbitz. It is easy to navigate, supplies unbiased information, and provides a large selection of low fares on airline tickets. Their Flight Search Engine offers users an easy way to compare flights. On most airline-ticketing sites, users must scroll down to view available flight information. The Orbitz search results are shown in a grid at the top of the page where you can narrow your search by sorting flights by airline, price, or number of stops.

Why do we think Orbitz does the best job of finding the lowest fares? We recommend you use the tips above and compare travel sites, but Orbitz has invested in new technology computers able to do far bigger searches, using search software that that was independently developed (at MIT) and is designed to search all fare and schedule possibilities comprehensively and without bias, which will provide the most current information on seat availability. It is expected that more than 99% of the time that Orbitz comes up with a better fare, because it does a more comprehensive and unbiased search of all the fare and schedule possibilities that are available to all channels.

Orbitz simply offers consumers the widest selection of low airfares, as well as deals on lodging, car rentals, cruises and vacation packages. Orbitz scans more than 455 airlines and offers the largest collection of discounted web-only airfares and low-priced hotel web rates.

If you don't mind last minute travel, traveling alone, and packing everything you need for your trip in your carry-on luggage, you might consider being a courier. A courier agrees to transport shipping documents and baggage for a courier company in exchange for a very discounted flight or sometimes even a free airline ticket. Most courier flights are to international business cites in Asia, Europe, and Latin America.

Some businesses use couriers to ship items when time is of the essence. By using a courier they can have their items clear customs faster than when shipped as freight. By law, a live person must accompany items sent as baggage. The courier companies use your checked baggage allowance for their items to be shiped.

Legitimate courier companies are subject to strict trade rules and regulations. Once you have booked a flight your airfare is non-refundable. You will be required to sign a contract and generally you'll need to arrive at the airport a couple of hours prior to your flight to receive instructions for what to do at your destination.

Packing

It is important that you don't pack items which may be considered weapons, explosives, incendiaries, or anything that is seemingly harmless but may be used as weapons. If you bring a prohibited item to the checkpoint, you may be in serious trouble. Here is a list of permitted & prohibited items.

There are preparations you can make before you arrive at the airport to help you move more quickly and efficiently through the security processes. Remove metal items at the security checkpoint and place them in the bins provided. The bins will be sent through the X-ray machine. You can save time, however, by not wearing metal items or by placing such items in your carry-on baggage before you get in line.

Tips for Passing Through the Security Checkpoint Hassle-Free:
     • Avoid wearing clothing & accessories containing metal (Jewelry, necklaces, bracelets, watches, etc.)
     • Avoid placing metal items in your pockets (Keys, loose change, lighters, cell phones, pagers, PDAs)
     • Avoid wearing shoes with steel tips, heels, shanks, buckles or nails.
     • Avoid wearing clothing with metal buttons, snaps, studs, or belt buckles.
     • Pack your outer coat or jacket in your baggage when possible.

You are allowed one carry-on in addition to one personal item such as a laptop computer, purse, small backpack, briefcase, or camera case. Checked Baggage is luggage you check in at the ticket counter or at curbside. It will not be accessible during your flight.

Tips for Packing Your Checked Baggage:
     • Don't put film in your checked baggage, as the screening equipment will damage it.
     • Pack shoes, boots, sneakers, and other footwear on top of other contents in your luggage.
     • Avoid over-packing your bag so that the screener will be able to easily reseal your bag if it is inspected.
     • Avoid packing food and drink items in checked baggage.
     • Don't stack piles of books or documents on top of each other; spread them out within your baggage.
     • Check airline's baggage policy, including # of pieces you can bring and size & weight limitations.
     • Place identification tags on all of your baggage, including your laptop computer.

What to Bring

Check with your airline to determine how early to arrive at the airport. Bring a boarding pass, ticket, or ticket confirmation, such as a printed itinerary, as well as a government-issued photo ID.

Before you leave for the airport you can check for airport delays and weather forecasts. There are many options for getting to the airport for your flight. You can impose on a friend or relative, take an airporter van, bus, or taxi, but the convenience of taking your own car on your own schedule is probably still your best bet.

Many airports are reducing the availability of their long term airport parking due to new security concerns. Often the airport shuttle buses run infrequently and are crowded. A good alternative is the often overlooked private off-site parking facility. Many private lots offer online discounts which can make them cheaper than airport parking.

Features a Good Off-Site Parking Garage May Offer:
     • Covered and protected parking.
     • Frequent shuttles.
     • Valet service.
     • Cheaper rates with on-line discounts.
     • Wash & wax services.
     • Oil changes.
     • Shorter lines to check-out.

SkyPark a great example of a well run and friendly off-site parking garage at San Francisco International Airport. They even have free morning newspapers and donuts. With the competition between privately run off-site parking facilities you can find cheaper rates and far superior service.

AirportParkingLots.com finds first-rate, privately owned airport parking facilities at the following airports and beyond.

Anchorage       Miami
Albany       Minneapolis
Albuquerque       Nashville
Atlanta       New Orleans
Baltimore       New York
Birmingham       New York
Boise       Newark
Boston       Norfolk
Burbank       Oakland
Charleston       Omaha
Chicago Midway       Ontario
Chicago O'Hare       Orlando
Cincinnati       Palm Beach
Cleveland       Philadelphia
Columbus       Phoenix
Dallas       Pittsburgh
Dayton       Portland
Denver       Providence
Detroit       Raleigh-Durham
El Paso       Richmond
Fort Lauderdale       Salt Lake City
Fort Myers       San Antonio
Hartford       San Diego
Houston (Bush)       San Francisco
Houston (Hobby)       San Jose
Indianapolis       Seattle
Jacksonville       Spokane
Las Vegas       St. Louis
Little Rock       Tampa
Los Angeles       Toronto
Manchester       Winnipeg