Help Me Travel Cheap » Air Travel

First Time Flying? 17 Things You Must Know

Jeri — Wed, 26 May 2010 11:00:05 +0000

Attention first time fliers! I read this on one of my facebook friend’s statuses today: (Please excuse any incorrect grammar or lack of consideration in the post!)

“Note to people who dont fly much– when the plane shakes a little, do not put your head on your knees, grab my shoulder and start repeating oh my god, oh my god. Also, when the “thud” occurs during the planes descent, it is typically the landing gear and not a hole ripped into the bottom of our airplane… oh and the air thingy above my head is actually meant to be for me– not ANOTHER source of air for your big head”

Thank you, facebook “friend”, for some helpful (yet uncompassionate) advice. I hope I can be of a little more help to first time fliers.

I clearly remember the first time I flew on an airplane. I was 18 years old (yes, an adult!) the first time I flew. I think my children all have me beat, as each of them have flown before they were even 2 months old.

I was so excited, yet I didn’t have a clue what it would be like to actually fly. As a first time flier, I hadn’t been informed about a lot of things. I was taking a flight from Nebraska to Toronto, Ontario for a mission trip. Our coordinator prepared us for the mission trip, but neglected to teach a few of us first time flyers what it was like to fly. I remember being completely in awe when we flew through our first pillow of cumulous clouds. I never knew clouds looked like that! Amazing. Seeing everything from a bird’s eye view was incredible. I just couldn’t believe I was actually flying. I felt like a little child waking up to the wonder of it all on Christmas morning.

17 Things First Time Fliers Should Know

1. You must go to the check-in counter when you first arrive at the airport. Check in at the counter of your airline. I didn’t even know there were so many airline options! Then proceed to security, and finally to your gate. There are usually small restaurants on the way if you need a bite to eat. But I would eat before heading to the airport, as food will be more expensive there.

2. Keep your ID/passport/boarding passes handy when you arrive at the airport. You’ll need them frequently.

3. Your tray table is actually connected to someone’s seat. On my first flight, I remember getting so excited and leaning forward so I could see out the window. Little did I know, I kept bumping the passenger in front of me. Oops!

4. To open many lavatory doors, you must push on the middle of them. I remember feeling embarrassed when I couldn’t open the door. Lavatories are generally at the back of the plane. If the seatbelt light above your seat is on, you must remain seated, however. Be prepared for a HUGE gush when you flush. Those airplane toilets are LOUD and powerful.

5. You can request a blanket if you are cold. I didn’t realize that I’d freeze on the plane. Now I always carry a long sleeved shirt or jacket with me. You can adjust the flow of air above your head by turning the nozzle.

6. You must store your carryon luggage under the seat in front of you or in the overhead bin. Don’t try to keep your bag on your lap or by your feet. Flight attendants will ask you to move it.

7. If you get sick, there is a white bag located in the back of the seat in front of you. Unfortunately, I’ve had to use one before. And I’m sure glad I knew it was there!

8. There is a call button above your head to get help from the flight attendants. Use it sparingly.

9. You will be in close quarters. Try to keep your arms in your own space. It’s a little awkward sitting so close to a perfect stranger. If you have long legs, request an exit row or be ready to be scrunched up for the duration of the flight.

10. If you have children, you will likely get some disturbing looks. Usually when I walk on the plane with my little ones, I can tell everyone is thinking, ‘Please don’t let her sit by me…’ Then there’s the sigh and breath of relief as I pass on down the aisle.

11. Listen to the flight attendants. They are in charge.

12. If you are in an exit row, you must be willing and able to assist in case of an emergency. If you don’t want to sit there, politely ask to be moved.

13. Seats recline in most rows by pressing a button on your armrest. Be considerate of the passenger behind you.

14. Be friendly and considerate of others. Don’t be afraid to strike up a conversation with your rowmates – unless, of course, they look like they’re trying to snooze or are in the climax of their novel. Offer to help someone get settled in their seat by lifting their bag to the overhead bin. Be patient and helpful if you’re sitting by parents of young children.

15. You might have to pay for drinks or snacks. On many airlines, gone are the days of complimentary soft drinks and peanuts or pretzels.

16. You must sit in your assigned seat (as indicated on your boarding pass) unless you’re flying an airline like Southwest. If the flight seems empty after everyone has boarded, it is okay to find a seat in an open area.

17. There could be turbulence, but it’s usually mild. So, just sit back, enjoy the flight, and don’t forget to look at those clouds as you fly by.

First Time Flying? 17 Things You Must Know is a post from: Help Me Travel Cheap

Refund Airline Tickets | How Do You Get Your Money Back?

Craig — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 09:00:00 +0000

In a few ways, traveling is like investing. You watch for the price trends, anticipate future prices, and then eventually you lock in your price by buying your tickets.

Well, not really. Most people just remember, hey I forgot to buy plane tickets, so they jump online and buy the tickets.

One of the worst feelings when you book travel is buying an airline ticket and then finding out that the price has dropped.

How Do You Get A Refund For Airline Tickets?

When purchasing plane tickets, you need to go ahead and add a value to your ticket purchase price depending on the refund policy of each individual airline.

In other words, some airlines are a better deal simply because they have a better cancellation policy.

For example, in the States, Southwest Airlines has one of the best airline policies. When you buy a ticket on Southwest, if they drop the price on that ticket you can simply cancel your first itinerary and repurchase it at the lower price. You will then end up with a travel voucher for the difference in price. That voucher can be applied to future air tickets.

Even if you decide not to take your trip and you cancel your flight, that money will be changed into a voucher that you can use for an upcoming flight.

When my wife and I have had unpredictable travel plans (i.e. flying only days after the birth of our son), we have purchased via Southwest because we could cancel if our plans did not work according to schedule.

Here’s a helpful list provided by Yapta for airlines with the best policies in terms of price drops:

Airlines that offer refunds for any price drop = Alaska Airlines and Jet Blue Airlines

Airlines that offer a compensation for a price drop of $75 or more = AirTran and Virgin America

Airlines that offer a money back for a price drop of $100 or more = Haawian Airlines and Midwest Airlines

Airlines that offer it for a price drop of $150 or more = American, Delta, Continental, US Airways, and United.

Here is a full list of airline rebooking fees for both domestic and international travel.

Of course, another way to get a refund for airline tickets is to purchase travel insurance or trip cancellation insurance.

While your travel insurance won’t cover changes in price, they will refund airline tickets if you are forced to cancel your trip for a qualifying reason.

Your ticket class impacts your ability to get a refund.

Typically, the cheaper your ticket, the less likely you are to get a refund. Most airlines do have a ticket class that is fully refundable. Just remember, you are going to pay 2-3 trips cost just to get the one ticket that is refundable.

Yapta.com Can Help You Get A Refund On Airline Tickets

Anytime you purchase a plane ticket, sign into your Yapta account and enter your flight information. Yapta will then monitor the pricing of that flight. If the fare drops, you will be contacted so that you can get your refund (if you purchase through an airline with a qualifying refund policy).

Even if you don’t get a refund, by entering your ticket information it can help you track trends for future travel. Over time, you will notice a pattern of when your destinations seem to go on sale.

Have you ever had to get a refund on airline tickets? What other refund airline tickets tips do you have?

Refund Airline Tickets | How Do You Get Your Money Back? is a post from: Help Me Travel Cheap

When is a Newborn Baby Old Enough to Fly?

Jeri — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 11:00:00 +0000

You may be asking, “When is my newborn baby old enough to fly?” - if you didn’t complete all your traveling while pregnant.

In my case, I delivered two of my babies on our furlough (break from the mission field). We were on a tight schedule since we only had a limited amount of time with both of our families and supporting churches while in North America. Since my second and third children were born in Canada (where Craig’s family is from), we planned to travel to the States to visit my family shortly afterward to spend some time there. We wanted to leave as soon as we could after the baby was born.

Special note: If you are traveling internationally, be sure to leave plenty of time to obtain any government approved paperwork in order to secure the travel documents you may need. This can be a headache, considering you don’t have a whole lot of time if you’re traveling within the first few weeks of your baby’s birth. Do the research before the baby is born so you can be prepared to get all the travel documentation organized on time for your trip.

While there are probably some who disagree, if your newborn is healthy, there is no reason why he or she can’t fly. I understand there are risks associated with being around lots of people and contracting the common cold or such, but flying does not have to be prohibited. I also understand that some people prefer not to take their newborn baby out in public for a few weeks. Obviously, this is a personal decision based on your preferences.

Flying With Newborn Babies

Most airlines allow babies who are at least two weeks old to fly. It is important to double check with your airline to confirm this before booking your flight.

I would recommend getting a doctor’s note to take with you in case you are questioned at the check-in counter. The doctor just needs to verify the baby’s age and give a clean bill of health. My pediatrician in Canada wrote a very brief (2-3 sentences) letter informing the airline that there were no health concerns and that it was fine for my newborn baby to fly. You may not even have to present the letter at check-in, but you’ll be glad you have it with all of your important travel documents just in case.

My two youngest fliers had to have a doctor’s note because they were not yet even two weeks old on their first flight. (They first flew on Southwest Airlines.) My son flew at just 13 days old, and my youngest daughter was only 12 days old. The good news?? They did just fine. They arrived at our destination without any sickness. In fact, they probably didn’t even know they had been thousands of miles in the air. They slept better than anyone on the flight! Come to think of it, I slept too. When they weren’t sleeping, I was able to breastfeed on the plane, and they were perfectly content.

FYI: Newborns are much easier to travel with than a crawling 10 month old or a busy two year old. But, don’t worry. There are ways to keep even the busiest of children entertained on the plane.

Would you ever fly with a baby as young as two weeks old?

When is a Newborn Baby Old Enough to Fly? is a post from: Help Me Travel Cheap

Breastfeeding on a Plane

Jeri — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:00:00 +0000

Breastfeeding on a plane is one of the best ways to soothe your baby . There have been so many times when I’ve been flying and been incredibly thankful that God gave me this natural gift!

I know that breastfeeding is not accepted in public by some people in various parts of the world. However, I have never had any problems with breastfeeding on an plane.

Maybe it’s partly because you can do it so inconspicuously. And other passengers, even if they realize what’s going on, wouldn’t have the guts to be bothered – especially if it’s keeping your little one quiet.

Tips for Breastfeeding on a Plane

1. Request a window seat or ask to switch with someone after you board. Having a window seat affords you a little extra privacy, and you don’t have to worry about your infant being bumped on the head when someone walks down the aisle.

2. If you’re sitting beside a stranger and you need to breastfeed, use the breast you are most comfortable with and the one that will bother the other passenger least. Sometimes when I’m getting my baby all set, I have accidentally elbowed the passenger beside me. (They just don’t give us much space to do this on the plane!). Other times, I have had a baby who likes to kick while they breastfeed. This can be a little disturbing to your next-door passenger, too. Just be sure you are aware of the other person’s space.

3.Wear appropriate nursing attire. When I fly with a nursing baby, I always wear a nursing tank (as opposed to a nursing bra) under my shirt. Nursing tanks offer much more cover-up. I like that my stomach doesn’t have to be shown every time I go to breastfeed my baby on the plane. A nursing tank is also best when you’re in the airport and can’t find a private place to breastfeed.

4. Carry an extra receiving blanket with you on board. This can be used for covering up a baby on a chilly plane and for being more discreet with breastfeeding. Personally, I don’t cover my baby’s head when breastfeeding – even in public. I wouldn’t want to eat with a blanket covering my head! (That’s why I wear a nursing tank, and I pull my outer shirt down just to my baby’s nose. There’s nothing inappropriate showing that way.) Most of the time, I don’t think people even realize I’m feeding my baby. It just looks like she’s sleeping.

5. Breastfeed your baby as often as you need to. Don’t be afraid to change your feeding schedule or break your ‘rules’. Traveling with children on a plane provides all kinds of challenges. Do what is best in this particular circumstance, and forget some of your rules – for now. When you’re on the plane, do what is best for your baby and the other passengers. If you can’t soothe your baby any other way – (even if you just fed her 3 times!) – try breastfeeding again. It usually helps calm your baby and keeps the other passengers calm, too! If you’re lucky, your baby will fall asleep.

6. Try breastfeeding on a plane during take off and landing. My children often have problems with their ears (especially on the descent). Older children can be given gum or lollipops or taught to pop their ears. But breastfeeding is the perfect sucking solution for an infant’s ear problems on the plane.

7. Listen to the advice of the crew members. When I’ve had a fussy baby, I’ve even had flight attendants suggest that I breastfeed my baby. They’ve seen it done many times, and it often works!

Any other tips for breastfeeding on an plane?

Breastfeeding on a Plane is a post from: Help Me Travel Cheap

Hotwire and Priceline: How to Guarantee the Lowest Price

Craig — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 09:00:00 +0000

Hotwire.com and Priceline are consistently the cheapest travel options. Hotwire

It is important to remember that both of these sites are opaque travel sites (you do not know some exact details when you book) so you must have some flexibility. If you are unfamiliar with the opaque travel websites you should read an introduction to opaque travel websites.

How To Get the Best Price Between Hotwire and Priceline

Step One: Go to Hotwire.com

Step Two: Once you have your Hotwire price standard, go to Priceline and be sure to click on the “name your price” tab. At this point you decide what price you want to suggest, but just make sure the price and fees come to less than $79.50. You might just knock off $10, or you could do more if you wish. You will have opportunities to change details and revise your offer if you want. If you can get the hotel for cheaper with Priceline, great! You have officially found the lowest price. If, on the other hand, Priceline cannot get you anything for your Hotwire price, just go back to Hotwire and make the booking there. Enjoy the trip. It will be easy because you will have a cheap, but very nice hotel.

Before You Decide Between Priceline and Hotwire

Even though I am specifically speaking about Hotwire and Priceline, don’t forget to check Sidestep and Expedia to see if you can grab a great deal with a hotel’s posted price. Nine out of ten times you will be better off with either Priceline or Hotwire, but just in case this is the one time – check.

4 Extra Suggestions on How to Reduce Your Air Travel Fares

Start planning early – the more time you have, the more likely you are to find a great deal. This is especially true during busy holiday seasons. If you plan your trip at the last minute you will pay dearly. My advice is to book your tickets as soon as possible.
Be flexible – often the more options you have (i.e. I can leave on a Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, or I can leave in the morning) the more likely you are to find a great deal.
Commit some time – the emphasis is on “some”. You do not need to get to every site, but check out three or four key sites (www.sidestep.com, www.expedia.com, Hotwire.com and www.priceline.com).
Be smarter than the computer (check prices between each major hub) – computers are amazing in that they can find endless scenarios for booking your tickets. But the truth is that they can only do what you tell them. Remember with airline tickets 1+1 does not = 2. When booking tickets if you have a stop somewhere you can sometimes save if you book one set of tickets to the first city and another set to the other city. Sometimes buying two tickets is actually cheaper than one.

Which site usually gives you the best price – Priceline or Hotwire?

Hotwire and Priceline: How to Guarantee the Lowest Price is a post from: Help Me Travel Cheap

Poor Customer Service

Craig — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 20:59:17 +0000

Photo by cliff1066

When traveling you want to be treated like you are important to the company. Unfortunately, that is not always the case!

I have blogged about some of my poor travel experiences:

Here is a problem I recently had with Hilton Hotels Price Guarantee Program.
I wrote about a bad Southwest experience with their changes to young family pre-boarding.

One of the biggest frustrations is that often your voice is lost in these large organizations. That is why I have taken some of my complaints to a blogging platform.

The following is a video about a guy who decided he would write a song about a poor experience on United. The song is fun to listen to. I hope United gets as much bad press as possible because any time an airline plays around with a customer they should have to pay!

Anyone else have a bad travel experience?

Poor Customer Service is a post from: Help Me Travel Cheap

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Southwest Airlines: Please Bring Back Young Family Pre-boarding

Craig — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 15:29:00 +0000

Most industries are investing a lot of resources into making their product more family friendly. They know parents will avoid their establishments if the layout is does not appeal to families. Because the family market is so large organizations willingly adjust their business models to continue to appeal to consumers with families.

Ironically, it seems as though the exact opposite is true in the airline industry. Many airlines are becoming less family friendly I wanted to specifically highlight some negative changes made at Southwest. Be advised that these changes are not new (been around for a year or so), but they are changes that make travel more difficult for families.

Here was my experience:

The day before our flight on Southwest flight 334 from Buffalo, New York to Denver, Colorado I considered getting online to check in for our flight. I decided against checking in because (1) we thought we might have some difficulty getting across the US border (was driving in from Canada). (2) I expected that young families would be able to pre-board for the flight.

On the day of the flight our family (myself, wife, on child just under four years old, another child just under two years old, and two week old baby) arrived in lots of time and were assigned a “B” boarding card. Not to worry, I thought, Southwest will let us board early.

Now here is what happened with the boarding. Understandably, those needing special assistance were boarded first. Understandably, those who were Business Select passengers border. However, young families were forced to wait until all the A passengers boarded boarded.

Depending on the size of your family and the age of your children it probably wouldn’t be hard to argue the young families need as much extra time and assistance as some of those who were permitted to board first. This certainly was true in our case with three kids three and under.

So what is the big deal about waiting a little later to board the plane?

First, if you have to ask this question you probably don’t have young kids. As we walked down the aisle to get to some open seats where our family could sit together, we continued to get nasty looks form passengers who were either annoyed by the fact that we were bumping them as we went by or by other other passengers who were not happy about walking so slowly to the middle of the plane. I know my backpack hit several people, but it is kind of hard to avoid when you are bending down and holding the hand of your child and trying to navigate yourself down a thin aisle.

Southwest, please bring back young family pre-boarding.

Young family pre-boarding benefits other passengers as happier not being bothered by kids as they board. They will also be less aggravated waiting on the snail like procession.

Young family pre-boarding benefits young families as they will greatly appreciate the extra time, relaxed boarding atmosphere, and the opportunity to find seats closer to the front of the plane.

Southwest Airlines: Please Bring Back Young Family Pre-boarding is a post from: Help Me Travel Cheap

Man’s Best Friend – The Sky is the Limit

Craig — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:00:00 +0000

Airlines are realizing that they cannot miss out on a single opportunity to attract a paid customer. There are some travelers out there (I am certainly not one) who will not go anywhere unless their dog, cat, or pet gorilla can accompany them. The result is that airlines who do not accept animals loose out on that market. It must be a large enough market as Southwest and Air Canada have both recently changed their flight policies to allow pets to travel along.

Photo by Global Jet.

Starting July 1st, 2009, Air Canada will allow pets to travel for $100 for a domestic return flight and $200 for an international return flight. You can get more details directly from Air Canada’s website.

Back on June 17th, 2009 Southwest also made a decision to allow pets on board. On Southwest you can expect to shell out $75 each way to bring the puppy along.

Personally my pets are still going to stay at home. But, if you typically travel with your adorable pets then add Air Canada and Southwest onto your list of available options.

Man’s Best Friend – The Sky is the Limit is a post from: Help Me Travel Cheap

Suggested Site to Assist with Priceline & Hotwire Booking

Craig — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:00:00 +0000

If you are not familiar with Priceline or Hotwire I suggest you read this article.

When it comes to hotels it is very difficult to get a better price than using one of these two websites. You can read how to get the cheapest price between Priceline and Hotwire to be sure which site will offer you the best price.

The obvious trade off when you book on these site is that you do not know exactly hotel where you will stay. Hence the term opaque website.

Photo by will_hybrid

It is possible for people who are familiar with the area and the star rating system to accurately predict what hotel they will be awarded. This is especially true of Hotwire. Now there is a tool that makes this booking process even easier – www.betterbidding.com. In addition to some great introductory material they also have a Hotel’s Winning bids page. Here you can select the state of your desired travel and people report what they paid, how many stars the hotel was, and the actual hotel location. So how does this help you?

Lets assume you are planning a trip to Denver Colorado. On the section under Colorado you can click on the Hotwire winning bid section. You will know that someone bought a 3* in the Denver Tech Center and the stay was at the Hyatt Palace South Park. Thus, if you were heading to that area you would be fairly certain that you would be awarded the same if you purchased a 3* in the same area. This of course, does not guarantee your hotel location, but the more information you have the more likely you are to know your exact location.

Before you next Priceline or Hotwire purchase be sure to check out www.betterbidding.com.

Happy Bidding!

Australia and Papua New Guinea Travel Options Improving

Craig — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 10:00:00 +0000

I represent a small percentage of the population who has even heard of Papua New Guinea (PNG). I represent an even smaller percentage of expatriates who live in PNG. Over the last several years tourism has been increasing to my region – Milne Bay. In this post I wanted to offers some updates on positive changes in the travel industry for passengers traveling from North America to either Australia or Papua New Guinea.

V Australia and Virgin America Sign Interline Agreement

V Australia started flying between Los Angeles and Australia in 2008. Their presence has been great for the consumer as prices have dropped in response to the increased competition. Now, things are even better as you can now check bags on your Virgin America flight and everything will be transfered directly to Australia. While most customers have grown accustomed to this service it is good to know that these two organization have joint the club. If I were planning a trip to Australia I would be sure to include a search directly with V Australia.

Virgin Blue flying to Papua New Guinea

This news is now several months old, but anyone planning a trip to PNG should know that Virgin Blue now flies between Brisbane and Port Moresby. Our family enjoyed this service back in April. The customer service was great. The only negative was paying for drinks and snacks. If traveling to PNG be sure to check out Virgin Blue. Contact Virgin directly to find out about the operating relationship between Virgin Blue and V Australia.

Airlines PNG Now offering domestic booking online.

Travel to and within Papua New Guinea has become more and more competitive with the presence of Airlines PNG. Airlines PNG now offers another benefit (especially for those overseas) in that you can book tickets online via their website. I’m not sure if the prices are ongoing but you can currently fly between POM and Lae for K153 each way and Alotau K179 each way (Wild Fare pricing).

For those of you planning an upcoming trip to Australia or PNG if you need any further advice or information please feel free to contact me helpmetravelcheap [at] gmail [dot] com.

Australia and Papua New Guinea Travel Options Improving is a post from: Help Me Travel Cheap