WEBSITE OF THE DAY: SignalMap.com

SignalMap.com

Ever check-in to a hotel only to find that your cell phone doesn’t have a signal? Don’t you hate that? Well, here’s a website that just might alert you to those weak signal locations. SignalMap is a user-generated website where visitors can log on and report cell phone signals. They have maps for all over the world and list every cell phone carrier for each country. I logged on to see how accurate it was for the area where I live and sure enough, there was a skull and bones (depicting no service) exactly where I don’t get a signal. However, there wasn’t a report for where my friend’s house is so I spent a quick 30 seconds red flagging the street for future visitors. Currently the website is in Beta-mode and that’s an understatement.

WEBSITE OF THE DAY: TurbulenceForecast.com

TurbulenceForecast.com This website is designed for pilots and offers hourly-updated maps and forecasts of air turbulence all over the world, with a focus on US-based flights. Some of the maps on TurbulenceForecast.com have numbers, which indicate the altitude that the advisory is for, while others show the degree of severity by using different color shades. The good news is that pilots have this information before they fly and they do everything they can to avoid it. They even get turbulence reports from the planes in front of them. When I was a kid, turbulence used to scare the heck out of me but I got over it when a pilot I was sitting next to calmed my nerves by saying, “Don’t worry. Just think of turbulence as a bumpy road and everything will be fine.” He reassured me that nothing would happen to the plane, that they’re built to withstand turbulence and that it’s really not a big deal. That’s why the flight attendants never look scared. He went on to say that the only time turbulence can be dangerous is when passengers don’t have their seatbelts fastened. That’s why travelers are always encouraged to wear their seatbelts when they’re seated because sometimes, pilots have no idea when they will hit severe turbulence. I know I always do. Happy travels!

WEBSITE OF THE DAY: CrankyFlier.com

CrankyFlier.com

I’m a huge fan of travel blogs and I recently subscribed to the CrankyFlier blog when I met the founder, Brett, at a media event at LAX. Brett describes himself as an airline dork and I appreciate an honest man. I’m one too and like Brett, I revel in going to LAX to see planes take off and land. Be sure to check out Brett’s website and newsletter for airline news and no, he doesn’t just post cranky stories. Besides, you’ve gotta love a guy who volunteers for Travelers Aid.

WEBSITE OF THE DAY: FrontDeskTip.com

FrontDeskTip.com
Savvy travelers know that the way to get upgraded to a better room, or possibly to a suite, is not to pay the hotel’s asking price but rather, to secretly slip the front desk clerk a sly $20. It especially works when you’re checking in late and only spending a night or two. Now, there’s a website where travelers can post stories about their successes and failures at Vegas hotels. After all, it’s Vega$, baby, and it’s worth the gamble!

WEBSITE OF THE DAY: MAXjet.com

Last Week, I had the privilege of taking MAXjet’s inaugural LAX to London Stansted (STN) flight. MAXjet is a low cost all business class airline. They operate four 767 aircrafts with just 102 seats (No getting stuck in the dreaded middle seat!). I will do a full review in a couple weeks but wanted to get this out to you ASAP because they are offering some very good introductory business class fares starting at $899 each way. They fly four times a week (Sunday, Monday, Thursday and Friday) between the two hopping cities.

More London Tube Strike Images

Here's one of the packed busses and this was taken at 10pm!

London Tube Strike Images

I knew something wasn’t right when I walked outside of Paddington Station only to be rudely greeted by one of the longest taxi lines ever. When I made my way to the Tube entrance I realized why. Union workers had just gone on Strike causing the Monday evening commute home a nightmare. My dad and I were going to take the bus but they were completely packed and we had luggage. Instead, we walked a few blocks from the crowd and hailed a taxi to our hotel. Above is the taxi line picture.