Infrequent Flier

Image via Wikipedia

Packing Smart is one of the best things you can do, especially now that checking baggage costs money. But what to pack?

One of the things you should always keep in your bag is a first-aid kit, customized to your needs. Gadling.com provides a nice summary of the things you should have in your possession for emergencies. However, in consideration of travel restrictions, and realities, we’ve reduced their list to make our own. Also, bear in mind there are multiple versions of most of these products, both name brand and generic. It is up to you to choose which one you want.

Remember, for air travel any liquid or gel items are restricted to 3oz or less bottles. All bottles must fit together into a single quart-size zip-top bag.

1. Acetaminophen/Ibuprofen - Sold as Tylenol, Advil, etc - Pain and fever reduction/anti-inflammatory.
2. Antihistamine -For allergies.
3. Decongestant - For stuffed noses and helps with the “ear pop” from planes. Name brand: Sudafed.
4. Loperamide - Anti-diarheal. Name brand: Immodium.
5. Multi-Tool - Now, a standard multi-tool is forbidden on a plane, but tools such as screwdrivers, wrenches, and pliers less than seven inches in length are permitted. You sould be able to find a mini-screwdriver to put into your kit for emergencies.
6. Safety Pins - Fix for Clothing, Making a Sling. We couldn’t find anything that said you couldn’t bring these.
7. Sun Screen - Last thing you want is sunburn
8. Bandanna - Can Double as Sling, Dust Mask, etc.
9. Antiseptic Towelettes - Cleaning wounds, etc. Alcohol swabs will likely work as well.
10. Electrolyte packets - For replacing loss due vomiting or diarhea. These packets can be mixed with water as needed.
11. Tweezers - Removing ticks, thorns, cactuses, splinters, etc.
    
12. Blister Pads - Pads to protect against blisters on the feet.
13. Bandaids and/or Gauze Roll/Gauze Pads(Gauze requires some form of medical tape to secure to the wound) - Minor Cuts and Scrapes
14. Antibiotic Ointment - One brand name for this is Neosporin.
15. Portable Flashlight - Looking into mouths, dark rooms. They make these long-lasting little LED ones now.
16. Thermometer - They even make disposable ones now. We got some from Minimus.biz.
17. Gloves(Latex or Otherwise) - You never know what you’ll be touching…protect yourself. Some people may be allergic to latex. they do make alternatives.
18. Hand Sanitizer - Keep yourself Clean.
19. Tissues - Always a good thing to have.

We recommend Minimus.biz for our travel items. Free shipping on domestic orders over $20.They not only have pre-made kits, but you can assemble a kit of your own if you wish, customized to your needs.

Related articles by Zemanta

• When First Aid Kits Fail: The Basics Of First Aid In Emergencies
• Swiss Peace Knife, the Caring Sharing Pocket Multi-Tool [First Aid]
• What You Should know About Insect Bites
• Tune In Saturdays: First Aid Kit
• Medicine Cabinet Must-Haves

Share This

We were recently making plans to renew our passports, checking our log of useful tips and found this one posted in January on the Consumerist. There’s no reason to pay a store $8 for a couple of passport photos

…Not when there is epassportphoto.com ! At this site, you upload a photo, crop it according to your country’s standard guidelines, and save the resulting 4 x 6 image which consists of 6 2 x 2 shots(for USA passports) to print at home or through some online service.

If you don’t want to use them, just use a photo editing program to produce the same effect. For the US Guidelines on Producing High Quality Photos for Travel Documents, click here.

Either way, we can certainly do better quality photography than ost of the people at your local drugstore.

Share This

The people at Farecompare.com have a handy little chart to compare the fees levied by various U.S. airlines on their domestic flights. Using it, you can compare the extra cost of a reservation by phone, charges for first and second piece of luggage, seat selection fees, beverage, snack, meal charges, overweight bag charges, pet travel, unaccompanied minors, curbside checkin, and standard change fees. They update it fairly regularly.

We learned, for example, that the change fees on most domestic airlines average $100-150 So far, Delta is the last of the legacy carriers not charging for the first bag, although AirTran, Alaska, Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest, Virgin America and Sun Country also do not. This may be subject to change.

Share This

FreeMoneyFinance had some advice on saving money by avoiding baggage fees. As you might know, many of the major carriers have started charging fifteen dollars for the first checked piece. And since the contents of carry-on bags are regulated by the TSA, there are some things you simply cannot transport without it. Here is our version of their information.

• Carry-On Bags
  • Be Aware of Carry-On Limits - Now that the first checked-bag is a money-maker for them, the airlines will be sending out people to measure and weigh your carry-ons on a random if not individual basis. Either be within them, or be prepared to be separated from your carry-on and charged Fifteen Dollars for the privilege.
  • Board Early - The last people on the plane, as unfair as it is, often have their bags confiscated from them and checked. If it has any valuables in it, take them out. Even better, have a second bag with the valuable items in it you can remove if they try to take it away. And if they attempt to take your bag away with something valuable in it(for which they accept no liability), to paraphrase the late Charlton Heston, they will have to pry it from “Your cold dead hands.” Of course, please try to explain the issue with your valuables as politely as possible before you use phrases like that.
  • Embrace The Middle Seat - Now, they recommend this for its extra stowage space under the seat. But being a flesh sandwich may or may not negate the positive aspects of extra luggage room, especially if you are tall.
• Checked Bags
  • Check the Weight - Make sure you know the weight of your bag without anything in it. As airlines get more and more specific about their requirements, suitcases that weigh less will become more popular and cost effective. Get yourself an inexpensive luggage scale if you travel regularly, as it is hard to weigh things on your bathroom scale with any accuracy.
  • Note Exceptions - Frequent fliers with status in an airline’s program often get exemptions to certain fees, as do passengers travelling with necessary equipment, including children’s strollers and carseats and wheelchairs.
• Packing Tips
  • Be Realistic - If you are going for a weekend somewhere, you likely don’t need two gigantic suitcases to cover all possibilities of attire and need. Scale down.
  • Liquid Ban as a Blessing - The TSA liquid ban limits passengers to travel-sized toiletries in their carry-on. Embrace the travel-sized lifestyle. Check out “>Minimus.biz. They sell travel-sized everything. Where else can you buy one ketchup packet?
  • Laundry - If you are staying for a few extra days, consider a hotel with a laundry room. Many Residence Style hotels offer this. And if you bring your mini-detergent and mini-fabric softeners, or buy them locally, you can wash and dry your clothes and reuse them.
  • Space Bags - They make special travel space bags that remove the air from items so they take up less space in your carry-on. Which means you can carry more clothes.
  • As a long shot, try flying an airline that lets you check one bag if you can. At least factor it into your price calculations.

Share This

Thanksgiving is upon us. It is a time to eat turkey, watch football, and contemplate many profound truths about your travel experience. Planes will be crowded, lines will be long. With the help of some of our fellow bloggers, here are our tips on how to be prepared on the day of travel.

1. Check in Online and Print Your Boarding Passes(<if possible)
   • We know you’ll have to wait in a bag drop line if you have any luggage to check, but think of how much faster that line will be if no one also have to check in. As you might have noticed, a counter check-in takes longer than one on your desktop.
   • If you are at a hotel, see if they have facilities to let you print a boarding pass. Many hotels are setting up lobby computers or a miniature business center for this purpose, where you can quickly check in.
2. Plan for delays
   • Many airlines allow you to sign up for notification of flight status. If none of them suffice, there are always third party services such as Flightstats.
3. Have the airline’s phone number in your cell phone or on your person. In the event there is a problem, sometimes the call center can help you get ahead of things.
4. Pack snacks
   • Delays are a given now, and airport food is expensive. Remember, no liquids or gels, but any solid food is a good thing. We recommend granola bars. They last a long time in case you don’t need them on the trip, aren’t horribly unhealthy, and are small and filling. If you are factoring in a long-layover or perceive hunger, pack a sandwich. Also small and portable, but doesn’t keep as well.
5. Preparing for the security check
   • The TSA has a new education program for the holidays called Simplifly, complete with videos, diagrams and pictures. Check it out. We’ll have more on that later.
   • Wear layers…For those transitioning from one climate to another, ie the wintery Northeast to Florida, this is a given. But airline seats are crowded enough without extra clothing making you larger. Be prepared to shed a few layers to free up space.
   • Wear comfortable and easy to remove shoes…you have to remove them at security and then cram them into the area under the seat in front of you, a problem made worse if you try to stow a carry-on bag there or are tall.
   • Minimize the items in your pockets in advance…you know you’ll have to empty them. Unlike normal times, do not have loose change, papers, etc in there. The only items you need to carry are your ID and boarding pass. You likely have a long line. Use that time to temporarily relocate your items to your suitcase so the line will be sped up.
6. Making use of your wait time
   • Take advantage of free wi-fi…or if you have a lot of time or something important to do, paid wi-fi might be cost-effective.
   • Try to change your seat if you are unhappy with it. You can even try for that exit row, premium seat, or first-class upgrade. Never hurts to ask.
   • Before you board, don’t forget to use the restroom. Lines for airplane lavatories can be long and lavatories are small. If you don’t have an aisle, you have to disrupt the people around you to get there. There may also be turbulence. Do your business in style in the terminal to minimize need off the ground.
7. On the Plane
   • Take a nap. Honestly, what would you rather do? Stay up and remember that you are in a cramped seat(except for you lucky people in first class) on a likely delayed plane, or sleep your way to your destination? You can arrive refreshed and relaxed and ready to get on with your business or pleasure.
     • Slip off your shoes.
     • Bring your own pillow/blanket as on many airlines you aren’t getting one of theirs.
   • Entertain yourself.
     • Books and Newspapers
     • Gadgets - DVD Players, music players, laptops, etc. can help distract you and make the flight seem much shorter.
   • Dominate the armrest...Wired has this amusing diagram instruction on How to Capture the Armrest.

Share This

One of the hardest decisions is when to book your airline tickets. Someone we know is on the computer at 12:-01AM 11 months in advance, expecting to get the best deal.

Do you get the best deal then? Not likely, fares at the opening are usually midrange. The really good sale fares are held until much later. These lead-in fares are the ones you see in the advertisements.

If you are a smart consumer who reads the airline policies, you might be able to book and, if there is a lower fare, get the residual returned to you in the form of a voucher. Airlines may charge their change fees or an administrative fee for doing this though, and you don’t get your money back. But if you travel regularly it is an option. Check out the airline website for what they charge for fare downgrades.

So, when is the best time to buy? There are several best times. Research shows that most leisure travellers book airline tickets between 3-4 months and 3-4 weeks in advance. The habit of booking 3-4 weeks in advance is more recent, and partially a result of low-cost carriers and internet booking.

3-4 months, 5 at the outside, is because of airlines like Southwest and Jetblue, who unlike legacy carriers, book a much shorter advance period than legacy carriers. By not planning so far in advance, the airline can reduce inconveniences caused by fleet deployment and route planning decisions. Legacy carriers are more likely to implement sweeping schedule changes because of this.

There are services that will monitor prices on a route for you, and will be reviewed in a future post. But the best thing to do is to start looking at the interval mentioned, and check periodically. If it looks like a good price, you might want to hedge your bets and buy it. Better to pay a few dollars more than risk a sudden jump and pay a whole lot more.

Fares are subject to availability and rapid shift based on human variables. Humans have a million different reasons for booking when they do and to where. It is impossible to predict their purchasing habits with any degree of certainty. A sale will appear when the airline has a reason to give one. Either building traffic on a new route, an overall sale straddling several routes to boost numbers in a city, or a sale on a specific route or merely opening of more seats at a lower fare due to disappointing revenue thus far.

So, don’t sweat the small stuff. Relax and don’t obsess…and if you need some advice, email flier@infrequentflier.com

Share This

This weekend is Labor Day Weekend, and everyone is giving out their sound advice for holiday travel. This Labor Day is is predicted that 15.7 million people will fly between today and next Wednesday. “It’s fair to say people should brace themselves and bring a good book,” said Marion Blakey, FAA administrator.

It is nice to know that the head of the FAA is so lacking in optimism about the state of our commercial aviation system. Blakey will be braving the airport herself this weekend…and she claims she always flies economy class.

With a summer filled with record cancellations and delays, here are our tips for a safe and happy holiday air experience.

1. Arrive early. Normally, recommendations are 1.5-2 hours for domestic flights, 2-3 hours for international. Add an extra 30 minutes to an hour to when you’d normally go to the airport. Don’t get there earlier than two hours before departure. Better to wait around than miss your flight.
2. Check the estimated wait time at your departing airport. The TSA has a site for Security Checkpoint Wait Times and add some time to that.
3. Be familiar with security restrictions for carry-on luggage. Remember, these are the rules of the TSA, not of your airline. Our summary of the 3-3-3 rules can be found here. To summarize in a sentence: 3oz or less of liquids or gels, collectively assembled into one quart-sized zip-top bag per passenger. The TSA is more concerned about that than anything else. Aside from the obvious sharp objects, most other items are permitted in your carry-on. Here is the prohibited items list. Check it over…
4. Check for flight departure delays, either through the website or the telephone information line for the airline.
5. Be smart…be prepared…be patient. There WILL be delays. Be prepared for them. That means leave extra time, have a backup plan if necessary, and bring something to keep yourself busy.

Travel safely.

Share This

The U.S. Tour Operators Association(USTOA) issued a press release advising vacationers to know airline baggage and security regulations before they travel.

They remind us of a few useful facts that we’ve compiled into our baggage section.

• Most checked luggage is allowed a maximum linear dimension(length + width + height) of 62 inches.
• The average luggage allotment for most carriers in the United States is two bags, 50lbs each.
• Carry-on allowances are usually 45 linear inches, not to exceed 40-50lbs.
• The US and many other parts of the world allow a personal item to be carried in addition to the carry-on bag, flights departing the UK do not.

As for security rules, here is our summary of carry-on security restrictions…

Share This

Continuing our series…our letter writing continued…

Receiving The Ticket

It used to be that you’d buy your ticket and a couple of days later, an envelope would arrive in your mailbox. Inside would be a booklet of thin cardboard with a green and white hatched pattern, which was your ticket.The reverse side had some harsh language about the airline’s limited liability. Nowadays the paper ticket as about as readily available as asbestos, and the look you’ll get if you ask for one is a mixture of intense confusion and pity.

So Eticket it would have to be. I filled in my credit card and other information on the airline website, and then, total confusion. I was given a confirmation page which I could print out, emailed an itinerary, and was absolutely clueless as to what to bring to the airport. It was an uncomfortable feeling. I had just spent hundreds of dollars, and I had received nothing tangible back. Visions of showing up at the airport and being turned away danced through my head. I quickly printed multiple copies of everything I could think of.

Our contributor speaks of the old style tickets, of which there are two types. The hard card stock ticket that he describes, and the flimsy ticket with red carbon paper. Most airlines, if you have a choice, will charge for the service of issuing a paper ticket. Paper tickets are most often issued by travel agents.

It is true, like paper money, which is a paper document that has value, backed by the Federal Reserve(in the US, at least), a paper ticket has value, backed by the airline and thus only as valuable as they make it. While it too has a monetary value, set in actual currency, it entitles you to a trip between Point A and Point B(And C, D, E, depending on your ticket).

Since airlines reserve the right, paper or electronic, to change flight times, points of connection, etc, at any time…your document is only as good as the airline that chooses to honor it, and thus unless you are concerned about them, an E-ticket is perfectly fine. You are asked to print a copy of the confirmation details and have it on you.

This is done for several reasons. Yes, it is very easy to doctor up an email confirmation…or even a boarding pass. They contain no security measures to prevent it, nor could they easily, as they are designed to be printed from one’s home printer.  First, the document contains all of the legal information once printed on the back of tickets. It contains basic baggage and rule information…although the design of these documents vary. All confirmations contain your itinerary, your airline record locater, and your ticket numbers. This is all the information an airline needs to pull up your reservation. It also allows immigration officials and airport personnel without access to reservations systems to be aware of where you are going and act accordingly.

You should carry copies of any confirmation document with you. It is not necessary to carry all of it, unless you require the extra information. You should at minimum have the part of it that is specific to you. This goes for not only flight confirmations, but car rental, hotel reservations, etc.

Finally, there is the issue of having nothing tangible…you have a tangible document showing they issued you a confirmation….and a tangible debit to your account. We recommend you purchase tickets using credit cards. It means you can dispute charges for failure to provide service.

More to come…

Share This

We started this site based on the idea that things frequent travelers take for granted are still met with surprise by those who fly less often. Then…we received a letter:

There was a time in my life when I flew relatively often. I was experienced with quick and perfunctory security checkpoints. I knew to look for my paper ticket in the mail and be sure to bring it with me. Restrictions in carry-on? Well, no guns or bombs, but liquids, lighters, pocket knives- those were different times.

Recently, I had the occasion to fly for the first time in several years, and I found the experience rather different.

We know things are different now. Now, passengers are told to show up anywhere from 1.5 to 3.5 hours from time of departure. Not the same as this snip from a 1950s Mohawk Airlines Timetable(Click to Enlarge) where you had to check in 10 minutes before departure in the good old days before hijackings, bombs, etc. Or even the same as ten years ago, when it was 1 hour for domestic, 2 hours for international.

Blast from the past, aside…there was more…

Booking My Ticket

I was used to booking my ticket by calling each of the major airlines in sequence and wrangling different flights with each. “What if I come back Tuesday?”, “What if I fly out of Islip?” I’d then hold each ticket for 24 hours which gave me time to call additional airlines and try my hand with other agents at the same airline. A time consuming process, though at that time it was possible to get to a person. Of course, I looked down on other less savvy travelers who used travel agents to buy their tickets. Back then airlines paid generous commissions and travel agents would actually sell you just a ticket, not a vacation package or an experience. Still, if you wanted the best price, do-it-yourself was the way to go.

Nowadays, calling the airlines will get you an endless set of automated menus. There may be a person hidden in there somewhere, but your prize for finding him(and you deserve a prize) is a surcharge for booking on the phone. That is if you can understand his accent and his lack of knowledge of American geography doesn’t land you a flight from New York to Boston with a stop in St. Louis.

Faced with this, I went to the internet to book my ticket. But where to start? I could go to the individual airline websites, but that was as much work as calling them all. So perhaps a consolidator, like Travelocity, Orbitz or Expedia? But they don’t include all of the discount airlines, and I’m not into paying more than I have to. I finally discovered kayak.com, a meta-search engine which searches all of the above, and returned the results in a snazzy interface which allowed me to alter my query much more easily than the others.

Once I found my ticket, I clicked off to the airline website to book it. I could have bought it through Orbitz, but Kayak showed that it was several dollars more, and I couldn’t think of what value they might add. Buying the ticket was straightforward enough, but the next step confused me all over again.

Paper tickets are on the way out. This year, IATA announced they would cease printing paper ticket stock for airlines. This means that the issuing of paper tickets will now become a much more costly matter. Electronic ticketing has advantages….you can’t lose an electronic ticket. If you lose a paper ticket, you are in trouble as they have a monetary value. The only thing you can’t do with an electronic ticket is walk over to another airline and ask them to take it at face value when your carrier cannot transport you. But how likely are they to take it nowadays anyway?

Our author used Kayak…which is a metasearch engine. It searches travel sites and makes commissions by purchases made through the sites they refer to. We endorse Kayak, and keep its search box on our page, because Kayak by itself does not actually sell tickets. It is one of several sites of this nature, and the subject of a future post.

Next time…Part II…Receiving the Ticket.

Share This