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UCF ONLINE TRAVEL RESOURCES TRAVEL: THE JOHNNY JET WAY If you haven't figured it out by now, travel is no longer for the rich like it used to be in the old days. Sometimes you can find deals where it's actually even cheaper than staying at home. Here are some tricks of the trade to help make your travel dreams a reality! CRUISE DEAL 18-day exotic sail on Norwegian Sun of the Americas: Santiago to Los Angeles Embarkation port: Santiago (Valparaiso) Ports of call: Santiago (Valparaiso); Coquimbo; Iquique; Arica; Lima (Callao); Trujillo (Salaverry); Puntarenas; Acapulco; Puerto Vallarta; Los Angeles 2009: Apr 12 Cruise fares from: Inside - $599 -- that's $30 a day and it includes all the food/drink (not alcohol)! JET BLUE TO COLOMBIA $49 JetBlue is currently offering a special $49 (a) one-way sale fare from Orlando to Bogota. Travel must be booked by Wednesday, February 18 at 11:59 p.m. MT. Regular one-way fares from Orlando to Colombia will start as low as $99 (a) each way. SOUTH AFRICA: 2 for 1 DEAL South Africa Airways If you don't like cruises and are traveling solo you can couch surf. COUCH SURFING CouchSurfing.com is a non-profit organization dedicated to a global community of over 900,000 members. The site was developed so that everyone can travel the world and partake in cultural exchanges for free, by providing access to couches across the globe that you can crash on. The one thing that troubles me about the site is the fact that it states: "We have 231 unique countries represented (including Antarctica)". Umm ... not so. The fact is, according the UN, there are only 193 countries in the world so some of their "destinations" must be insane in the membrane! All kidding aside, CouchSurfing.com users can pick and choose whom they want to host or meet. And they have a verification system implemented for safety. To host members, someone has to vouch for you and you can only be vouched for by someone who's already a CouchSurfing.com member. Essentially, it's a trust circle. WHEN TO TRAVEL? Obviously, the most expensive times are when everyone else is off, too. For example, Thanksgiving, Christmas, late June, July and August ... but there are ways around those peak times to save money too: The key is to be flexible with either your times, days, destinations or even airports. For example, instead of leaving the Wednesday before Thanksgiving leave either on Thanksgiving Day or a couple of days before. Don't return on the Sunday after. Either depart on the Saturday or Tuesday after. DAYS OF THE WEEK TO FLY Generally, the most expensive days to fly are Friday and Sunday. Schools traditionally schedule Spring break during a single week in March, making an eight-night Saturday to Sunday trip especially appealing. However, If you make that trip Saturday to Saturday or even better Tuesday to Wednesday, you can save some $$$. BUSINESS AND LEISURE HOTELS Another rule of thumb is when going to popular business cities, try and stay in business-oriented hotels over the weekend. They are usually looking for guests and offer great deals. The same goes for leisure-type hotels. You want to stay in these places during the week since they cater to a weekend crowd. TIME OF DAY Time of day that you travel can be important. The most expensive times are peak business travel hours (8-10am and 5-7pm). Cheaper seats tend to depart early in the morning (5-7am) or late in the evening (after 8pm). Also try mid-day (11am -- 4pm). ALTERNATE AIRPORTS Check alternate airports for cheaper fares. For example, rather than flying into Miami, fly into Fort Lauderdale. It's 25 miles away and usually much cheaper. I created a website called (AlternateAirports.com) that lists all the major U.S. airports with the surrounding airports (by actual driving miles) that might just save you a lot of money by flying into or out of. TRAVEL AGENTS As you are beginning to see, bargain hunting can be a time-consuming process but it can pay off big time! However, if you don't want to spend the time and don't care about money -- call a travel agent and pay their $25 - $40 fee. I check with mine every time I fly on a multi-leg international flight or go on a cruise. CALL A HUMAN*** In addition to calling a travel agent, I call airlines, hotels and car rental companies. Instead of dealing with all of their automated prompts log on to GetHuman.com. It lists which buttons to press so you don't have to waste time listening to annoying automation. There are over 500 categories, including credit cards, finance, government, hardware, insurance, Internet, mobile, pharmaceuticals, retail shipping, software, stores, and of course travel. TRAVEL INFORMATION A good start to get ideas and tips is to either log on to reputable travel websites or subscribe to travel magazines: Budget Travel ($12 a year) Conde Nast Traveler ($12) National Geographic Traveler ($10) Travel And Leisure ($20) READ SUNDAY NEWSPAPER TRAVEL SECTIONS USAToday.com/Travel Chicago Tribune L.A. Times Travel NY Times Travel Orlando Sentinel London Guardian (Saturday) SIGN UP FOR TRAVEL NEWSLETTERS AND BLOGS Johnny Jet's Travel News*** CrankyFlier.com Chris Elliott FrequentFlier.com Frommers.com Gadling.com PeterGreenberg.com SmarterTravel.com Travel Insider Terry Trippler Hobo Traveler FINDING AIR FARES AIRTRAN U AirTran has a program for college age travelers; anyone between the ages of 18 and 22 can fly standby for just $69* per segment. $99* for long-haul segments. You don't have to be a student. 50 destinations are offered but it's not good for Cancun or San Juan. 1. Sign up for airline alerts. United.com, Delta.com, AmericanAirlines.com, jetBlue, Southwest.com, Spirit ... Here's a list of every airline's number and website: AirlineNumbers.com. Two sites that puts them all together are SmarterTravel.com, and even better is AirFareWatchDog.com***. This one is my favorites because they alert subscribers of unpublished deals. Here are some examples for Orlando. Another website that has secret deals is FlyerTalk.com but you have to act fast because sometimes there are mistakes and only last a few hours. TRAVELZOO TravelZoo features some amazing deals from more than 600 travel companies, which list their very best offers with them. The secret: jump on these deals the moment (every Wednesday around, 11AM EST) the email arrives in your inbox because the Top 20 list is sent to over 14 million subscribers. BOOKING AIR ONLINE When I book airline tickets I look everywhere because not one website out there has the cheapest deals. Two sites that help make being thorough less time consuming are: BookingBuddy.com This handy resource lists a variety of online travel agencies like Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz, ... which help users search for the best deals for air, hotel, and car rentals one supplier at a time -- without having to insert your travel dates, times and cities more than once. OneTime.com OneTime.com is similar to BookingBuddy.com but users can search all its sites at once. I prefer doing it this way because once I click "search", all the sites open up and I can go one by one down the list, looking for the best deal. Just be sure to have your pop-up blocker turned off. FareCast.com Tells you when you should buy or not, though it's not always that accurate. Yapta.com Tracks airfare prices and alerts consumers to price drops on specific flights. Best of all, the service continues to track prices even AFTER tickets have been purchased and alerts consumers when they're eligible for a travel voucher or cash rebate! Does the same for frequent flier miles. They monitor the number of miles required for award seats on specific routes. Airlines' policies for refund requests when consumers buy non-refundable tickets and the fares drop before departure. CHART OF AIRLINES THAT GIVE REFUNDS. BookingBuddy and OneTime also list Kayak.com/SideStep These two companies merged and they are basically the same thing: They do a nice job sifting through airfares by searching multiple resources. *Just remember: there is no travel website that has the lowest price -- that's why you need to search them all over and over again. What's cool about Kayak is it has a Buzz feature which allows you to look at other users' searches and see the best fares they've discovered. CHECK PARTNER SITES*** There can sometimes be a significant price difference by going to an airline partner site for the same flight. For example, I just priced out a flight from LAX to LHR on January 31. Continental charges $200 more than Virgin Atlantic but Virgin Atlantic is the one operating the Continental flight. MAKE A STOP Sometimes making a stop as opposed to flying nonstop can save you money so consider that option. BEST TIMES TO BOOK FLIGHTS According to Dawn Uram, a Regional Manager at Southwest Airlines, avoid booking flights during high traffic hours, including lunch breaks or immediately after leaving work (specifically 7-10pm). The busiest days on average are Mondays and Tuesdays, especially during lunch hour. Thus prices will be at a peak during these hours. The best days to book flights are Wednesdays or Thursdays very early or late at night. ROUND THE WORLD (RTW) TICKETS*** AirTreks.com specializes in providing customized, efficient and affordable air tickets for complex international trips. This is the site to go to for a trip around the world. BTW: Sometimes a round-the-world trip might be cheaper than a round-trip ticket to Asia. Check it out: price quotes are fast. TO EUROPE The cheapest airfares to Europe are usually found if you depart from a major city like Boston, Chicago, New York, Los Angles, Miami ... flying to London or Ireland is usually cheapest and then you can hop on a low fare carrier. A couple of years ago, I was flying to Sardinia. By flying first into London and purchasing a separate ticket on easyJet, I saved over $1,000! TIP: Make sure to leave plenty of time between flights (preferably a day), because most low-fare carriers depart out of alternate airports. And don't forget to pack light. LOW-FARE CARRIERS*** A few options are: jetBlue, Southwest.com, RyanAir.com, easyJet.com and WhichBudget.com. You might assume that getting from Nice to Rome should be rather inexpensive since the two cities are only 286 miles away from each other. But surprisingly, flights can be pricey if you don't know where to look. When I first logged on to the big online travel web sites (Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz, Kayak, ... ), the only search results I got were for the major carriers like Alitalia and Air France. Can you believe that these turkeys were charging $729USD for a one-way ticket?! I then put in a return date that I had no intention of using (a week later) and the price dropped to $220USD. Not bad, but it still wasn't good enough. So I logged on to another web site (which you'll find on, yes ... JohnnyJet.com): WhichBudget.com. This site offers access to 117 low-fare airlines that serve 132 countries in one, easy-to-use place online. (See my video for step-by-step instructions as I demonstrate how to use the site on my TV travel segment on The Lab with Leo Laporte). As you can see, I was able to save BIG TIME when I found a one-way ticket on Blu-Express (a branch of Blue Panorama Airline) for €49 (about $67USD). Now that's what I'm talking about! EuropeByAir $99 ALL ASIA PASS If you're going to Asia, it's sometimes cheaper to buy a pass. Cathay Pacific offers an All Asia Pass where you can visit Hong Kong and two other cities (out of 17 like Bangkok or Bali) for just $1,499. Check out their brochure here. PACKAGE DEALS Buy package deals that combine airfare with a hotel stay or car rental. Go-Today.com is offering airfare to London plus six nights for $579, per person, double occupancy. OTHER PACKAGE DEAL WEBSITES AppleVacations.com FunJet.com Gate 1 Travel Go-Today.com PleasantHolidays.com STAtravel.com Virgin Vacations TRAVELOCITY PACKAGE DEALS Travelocity does a great job showing flexible dates and packaging deals. Sometimes it's even cheaper to buy a package deal that includes a hotel than just the airfare itself. If this happens to you, just discard the hotel or car rental voucher. TRAVEL SCAMS You won't find scams on the sites listed above and don't ever open up SPAM emails that have alluring travel subject lines. The rule of thumb is: "If the offer sounds to good to be true then it usually is!" One way to find out is check to see if the sender is a member of the BBB, ASTA -- their websites should have direct links to their profiles on each site. Click here for an example. PROTECT YOURSELF Always pay with a credit card so you are protected. The Fair Credit Billing Act provides an appeal mechanism for consumers who were charged for goods or services they never received. If you paid for a future cruise on a credit card and the cruise line then went bankrupt, you can file for a refund. There is one very big catch to this procedure: It is active for only 60 days after the charge was made. CHANGING MONEY Don't change money. Use ATMs and/or credit cards. They offer the best exchange rates. XE.com is a currency converter and will tell you how much U.S. dollars equals in local currency and vice versa. HOTEL DEALS*** At QuikBook.com you can book rooms today and pay the hotel directly when you check out. And if you need to change or cancel your reservations at these hotels you can do so without any penalty fees or charges. All are NYC hotels and all are under $129. CALL THE HOTELS DIRECTLY Then look at the individual hotel's site, call the hotel directly, ask for the front desk not reservations otherwise you will get rerouted to a call center, to people who have no pull. Tell them you have a Student ID, Entertainment Card***, AAA ... Sometimes I'll say I have an AARP card if I'm with my dad. ADDED VALUE In these economic times hotels are hurting so badly for customers, they are throwing in lots of added value: free breakfast, parking, even spa treatments. Many have buy X nights and get X for free deals. For example, I just received this Valentine's Day deal from California Tourism: A Lover's Retreat at Vintner's Inn from $47 per person per night Not that you guys are necessarily going to go out there but these are the kind of value added deals that weren't being offered six months ago. PRICELINE SECRETS*** BiddingForTravel.com (Orlando Deals) When I shop around for hotels/car rentals, I don't think there is any better place than Priceline, but keep in mind you can't cancel. Before I make a blind bid I log on to BiddingForTravel.com to see what other people's luck was with their bids. It shows how much people paid for which date and will give you a pretty good idea which hotel you will end up with. There's also BetterBidding.com, which is good for both Priceline and Hotwire.com. There is a secret way to bid on a luxury hotel, which is to add a different location as well as the one you want. The secret is to make sure that location doesn't have any 4 or 5 star hotels to offer, that way you get a free bid! HOSTELS HiHostels.com Hostelling International is the brand name of more than 90 youth hostel associations in over 80 countries, operating 4,000+ hostels. Complimentary travel insurance, free currency exchange and supporting our mission, "To help all, especially the young, gain a greater understanding of the world and its people through hostelling" are among the many benefits offered to Hostelling International USA members. According to Hostelling International USA memberships costs: YOUTH FREE (for those under 18 years of age) ADULT $28.00 ANNUALLY (18-54 years of age) SENIOR $18.00 ANNUALLY (55+ years of age) LIFE $250 (one-time fee & open to all ages) RENT A HOUSE OR APARTMENT*** Why? This is usually cheaper (50% to 60% over hotels of comparable quality), you can pack more people in it, you live like a local, it's away from all the tourists and the high prices ... Vacation Rental by Owner Sublet.com Vacation Rentals ESLWorldwide Interhome At Home Abroad WOTIF I like to use WOTIF for Australia but they have deals around the world. They have a broad range of hotels, motels, apartments, resorts and bed & breakfasts to book last-minute accommodation or up to 28 days in advance. TRIP ADVISOR Before I book a specific hotel I like it to read other peoples reviews on it. Just keep in mind that TripAdvisor is not always that accurate as it could have PR people creating the reviews or disgruntled employees writing negative comments. TIP: Throw out the best and worst to determine a reasonable average. Related Sites: Johnny Jet: Hotel Reviews CAR RENTALS Who wants to deal with renting a car? Take public transportation! But if you are stubborn, the best car rental companies for students are Thrifty, Dollar and Alamo, though they vary by location. Typically, you will be expected to pay an additional cost at some companies for those under 25. This cost will be around $5- $27 dollars per day. Here's a quick look at some other details: 21 DAYS OR MORE IN EUROPE*** RenaultUSA.com Thrifty Only U.S. car rental company that rents cars to people under 21 (certain locations). Auto Europe -- depends on country but at some you can be 19 to rent. Enterprise Charges additional fee if you are between the ages of 21 and 24. Additional fee will vary depending on location, and range anywhere from $5-$25 per day. Can always rent at least economy and full size car, but may not be able to rent a van or SUV. Budget Must present a major credit card under your name. Pay $27 extra per day. Hertz Must have a driver's license and acceptable form of payment. Must be at least 21, and they will charge additional rate per day (specific amount could not be given). At Orlando International Airport location, the under 25 fee is $27 per day. Dollar Must be over 21. Additional charge depends on location and ranges from $14-$25 per day. Must present credit card and driver's license. CarRentalNumbers.com TRAIN TRAVEL Amtrak I took the train (Amtrak) up here from Delray Beach yesterday and it cost me just $32. For extra savings, get the Student Advantage Discount Card and you'll be eligible to receive a 15% discount on the lowest available adult rail fare on most Amtrak trains all year long. MEMBERSHIP COST: $20 a year or $50 for 4 years. TRAIN IN EUROPE I love taking the train in Europe since it's so efficient. RailEurope has a Eurostar Youth rate starting at $65 one-way London/Paris. Rail Europe also has a Going Going Gone Thalys Special which offers 50% off one-way regular fare tickets on most Thalys train routes. This high-speed train connects the European cities of Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Antwerp and Cologne. Tickets must be booked on RailEurope.com, by February 28, 2009 for travel through March 31, 2009. TIP: To save money, sleep on the night trains instead of paying for a hotel stay for the night. For example, take the Elipsos train from Paris to Barcelona and get dinner and breakfast on board. AIRPORT TO CITY CENTER VIA TRAIN I also take the train to get to/from airports and city centers. I took the Tri-Rail from Miami to Delray Beach the other day for $5; a taxi would have cost at least $120! When I land at JFK during peak rush times, I take the Air Train to the subway (or L.I. RR). To get to my apartment on the Upper East Side, it costs $7 total and takes an hour door to door. The secret is to pack light because you don't want to haul bags up and down stairs. OTHER FAVORITES: B.A.R.T. in San Francisco/Oakland, MARTA is Atlanta, L Train in Chicago. Always check to see if your destination (especially Europe) has a train from the airport to the city. Almost all the airports in Europe have them and I just took the train in Brussels for 2.85 euro ($4 USD). London: Tube or Heathrow Express. Oyster Card. Seat61.com For those who prefer to travel by train or ship, you must bookmark this website: Seat61.com. It was created by Mark Smith, an Englishman and career railway-man. He has worked for railways or train stations for most of his life and loves to travel by train and boat. He has ridden on trains and ships all over the world and now, he's created a site to help passengers do the same. His site provides info on travel within the UK and Ireland (including train times and fares) and shows how to travel from the UK to destinations all over Europe (including London to Cyprus). There's info on trains in Asia, Africa, America and Australasia. In case you're wondering, he came up with the site's name because he always traveled in Eurostar's first class. He would reserve seat 61 (in cars 7, 8, or 11) because this seat is one of a pair of individual seats with a table that actually lines up with the window. It's knowledge like this that helps him achieve his goal of ensuring that people can travel over land comfortably and affordably-- even to places where you might have thought that air was the only option. BUS Don't overlook buses either. Last summer I was trying to get from NYC to D.C. (it's also good for Boston too). A one-way plane ticket for the 225-mile trek was $320! A one-way Amtrak ticket, on the other hand, started at just $73. However, it turns out that taking the bus is definitely the way to go. Did you know there are about six different bus services traveling between the two cities? And the competition is so great that tickets are sometimes just $1! That's not a typo. I bought a ticket on Bolt Bus (it's operated by Greyhound and has six to 12 daily departures), for $10. The trip takes just over four hours and they offer free Wi-Fi. Incredible, I know. You can't even take a taxi for two miles for $10. CHICAGO has MegaBus CRUISE DEALS Key West & Cozumel: Try a four-day cruise, leaving Miami on March 9, starting at $299. Not only will you get the experience of Mexico, but constant entertainment on the Caribbean (via Carnival cruise lines). This offer is featured on STSTravel.com, under cruises. Cruise and Stay- $299 ($439 with tax) with land you a 7-day getaway with both a cruise, and a break in the Bahamas. Leave Fort Lauderdale March 7th via cruise. Sail to the Bahamas where you will spend four nights soaking up the sun and fun. Then sail back, arriving on March 14th. The price includes cruise, hotel, transfers, and nonstop parties. Found at STSTravel.com (Student Travel Services). BEFORE LEAVING TripIt.com This site helps travelers organize their plans. As we all know, there isn't just one website out there that offers the best deals all the time. That's why I created the Johnny Jet travel portal. When shopping around for the best price, most people end up booking flights, hotels, car rentals and various activities all on different websites. Printing all of those itineraries and confirmations is not only a waste of paper, but it gets confusing, too. This is where TripIt.com steps in. All you have to do is email your confirmations to plans@tripit.com; once they receive your bookings, they'll email you a link to view your full itinerary. It takes no time at all and it really works! I just did it and was pleasantly surprised; they threw in maps, weather forecasts and links to useful tips, including links to check-in online. Dopplr.com Have you ever discovered too late that a friend or classmate of yours was traveling to the same destination as you? Doesn't that suck when you realize afterwards that you were in the same place at the same time? Especially when you both swap tales of boring dinners alone at your respective hotel restaurants. Well, thanks to Dopplr.com's new online service for frequent travelers, those scenarios are out the door! Dopplr.com allows you to privately share your travel plans with a group of friends and classmates of your choosing. You'll then be notified when people you know will be in the same city as you. It also reminds you of people who live in the places you're planning to visit. So, what are you waiting for? Sign up now - it's free! a.placebetween.us You have to check out this cool new website that incorporates the genius of Google maps! Just like its name says, a.placebetween.us will find a place to meet right smack in the middle of any two given destinations. Users simply have to enter in their address or zip code followed by their friend's address, then choose where would you like to meet. It can be anywhere ... at a hotel, movie theatre, bowling alley ... you name it! I entered in the zip code of where I grew up in Connecticut (06854) followed by my current LA zip code. The halfway meeting point turned out to be in Fredonia, Kansas, just outside of Wichita. I'm not sure that I want to grab a coffee with my brother all the way out in Kansas, but now, at least I know what the halfway mark is. This cool online tool doesn't just work for US destinations - foreign countries work as well. SEAT ASSIGNMENT Having a good seat can make or break your trip! I'm an exit row aisle guy but I always consult SeatGuru.com or SeatExpert.com for the best choices. FREQUENT FLIER MILES Sign up to an airline's frequent flier program. Even if you only fly with them once, you can still get free magazine subscriptions with your miles. They cost as little as 400 miles and American Airlines offers more than 25 titles. If you live in California, five return trips a year will earn you elite status on an airline. Check out some information about the AA Challenge. PACK LIGHT You get much more flexibility, you can take public transportation, don't have to wait in long lines checking in or wait for your bag to come out (if it even does) at baggage claim. GUIDE BOOKS You can log on to many websites and print the guides from your computer but it's usually easier and handier to just buy a guide book. Frommers Let's Go Lonely Planet Rick Steves FLIGHT PAGING Sign up for flight paging alerts! PassportSupport.com*** This website brings up an excellent point. For years travel experts (including me) have been urging travelers to photocopy all important documents, such as credit cards (front and back), driver's license, travelers checks and passports, and to keep one copy separate from the originals and another with a loved one or friend back home. That way, in case of loss or theft they can quickly access phone numbers to cancel or get duplicates. I still do that but since the invention of scanners and web-based email I have scanned all of my important documents, and kept them on a web- based email account I rarely use (these accounts are free). That way I have another option. If you don't feel that a web-based email account is safe, you can now store up to 20 MB (plenty of space) for $15 AUD ($13.50 USD) per year on this Australian site which was developed specifically to store digital photos of your passport, visas, airline tickets, driver's license, travelers checks and other travel documents. Babelfish.Altavista.com This website should be bookmarked on every traveler's computer. Users can translate passages of text or entire web pages in eleven languages (Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish) or quickly translate a page into their language of choice. The best part is that it's free and easy. WhatPlug.info This is a helpful website for international travelers. When you first log on it will identify what country you're from (if you log on from home). The next page lists every country by region (Europe, Americas, Africa, Asia, Oceania). Click your destination country, and learn the type of plug, socket, voltage and hertz that's used there. Not only can you see what type of adapter to bring, but you'll know if it's okay to plug equipment into the wall without a transformer (if the voltage is different, you can't). Weather.com I always check the 10-day weather forecast before leaving -- you need to know what to pack, right? PRINT BOARDING PASS Print your boarding pass 24 hours in advance. FOR FUN VIATOR Viator.com has a comprehensive list of more than 5,500 destination activities for travelers, so that when you arrive wherever it is that you're going, you'll know what kinds of things you can do there. It's not just limited to U.S. travel either. In fact, their service targets more than 75 countries and over 450 cities around the world! They really are the traveler's one-stop-shop for researching, planning and booking destination activities. What I like most is that they provide access to reputable local operators, hand-selected by their in-house travel experts who routinely review and validate the activities. But the best thing Viator.com can do for you is save you some serious time by helping you to avoid waiting in long lines at popular attractions. For example, forget waiting two hours in the hot sun to see the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican Museum. For $38.90, which is twice the regular entrance fee, (but even if it was triple the regular admission, it'd be worth it) visitors don't have to wait in the long line and get exclusive access before the general public does. Same goes for the Front of Line Pass at Universal Studios Hollywood, The Academia Gallery in Florence, Guinness Storehouse in Dublin, British Airways' London Eye, Madame Tussauds, The Louvre in Paris and an exclusive Alcatraz/San Francisco city tour. Heck, they can even get you into the hottest Las Vegas nightclubs with no cover charge and no wait in line! Now that's what I'm talking about! Log on to their website to see how they can simplify your travels. SKYPE I don't think I need to tell you about Skype but just in case: Skype is the leader is VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). Skype has changed the world -- especially for travelers. I know I hardly use my cell phone when I travel overseas, because Skype's rates can't be beat. In addition, Skype is very easy to use. To get started you need a computer with high-speed internet. You also need a headset, which you can buy at any electronics store. Just tell the clerk you want to Skype, and he'll show you several options. I advise a small headset, so it won't take up too much room in your suitcase (and it shouldn't cost more than $15). Then log on to Skype.com, download the free software, create a Skype name and password, and follow instructions. You should add $10 (the minimum) to your Skype Credit, so you can start dialing friends. Calls to another Skype user are free, but you can call any number in the world -- including cell phones -- at ridiculously cheap rates. It's usually about 2 cents a minute to call anywhere in the world -- and free for domestic calls. At those rates, there's no excuse not to stay connected to friends, business associates, or anyone you meet on the road. GOTVOICE Thanks to GotVoice you can now have voicemails from either your home or cell phone sent to your email in a .wav file. That means you can listen to all your messages without calling your phone! Just log on to GotVoice.com, put in your kind of phone (cell or landline); your service provider; your phone number, pin, and which email to send the voicemails to. You can set it up to check your voicemail daily, on weekends, or just once. What I love (besides the fact that it's free, and that I don't have to waste time or money calling my voicemail while overseas) is the simple fact that if someone leaves me a special message I want to keep forever, I can easily download it to my computer. SLINGMEDIA How would you like to watch and control your own television while you're traveling? Well, that's exactly what I do when I'm on the road. And if you forget to record a show on your DVR, don't worry! Just do what I did a couple months ago when I was in Hawaii and I forgot to record my wife's favorite show. I fired up my Slingbox on my laptop and within a few minutes, I had saved myself a lot of grief! You'll never be bored again when you have a long layover at the airport. Just log onto the web and fire up your own TV and away you go! The Slingbox allows you to watch and control your favorite TV source from anywhere in the world on your laptop or cell phone. Simply hook the Slingbox up to your DVR, digital cable, satellite receiver or DVD player, then hook it up to your at-home Internet, download the software and you can watch your home television wherever, whenever. Set-up is easy but even easier if you log on to SlingMedia.com for the simple (and funny!) instructions. With the Slingbox you'll never have to be separated from your favorite TV shows and sporting events again. The audio and visual quality is awesome and you can watch your home television anywhere in the world as long as you have an Internet connection. There are three versions of the Slingbox that range from $129 to $229 and yes, if you have HD, the Slingbox has an HD version! -- Kevin O'Connor TURBULENCE FORECAST TurbulenceForecast.com 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 the rough stuff. I know I always do. Happy travels! HOPSTOP Here's a handy tool for any traveler headed to one of Hop Stop's five featured cities (Boston, Chicago, New York, San Francisco and Washington D.C.). Visitors who are looking for directions via bus, subway or on foot simply have to enter their starting and ending destinations. Then, select mode of transport, departure time, and language; there are 10 different languages to choose from including English, Chinese, French, German, Greek and Russian. I tried it out for a route that I always take from JFK to the Upper East Side and it gave me accurate directions, the distance I would travel and the amount of time it would take. Even better, I could print them out! The only thing lacking was that it didn't tell me how much it would cost. WAIT TIMES TSA provides security checkpoint wait time information to assist travelers in planning for their next flight. The wait times are historical so please note actual wait time may vary depending on factors including weather delays which result in increased passenger levels. TRACK FLIGHTS AT MCO FlightAware.com FLIGHT STATS At FlightStats.com, you can look up flights between almost every city. Track a flight, see their performance summaries, and even set up mobile and e-mail alerts. See live flight delay information from the FAA's Air Traffic Control System Command Center. AVOIDDELAYS.COM AvoidDelays.com allows travelers to arm themselves with historical data from the past year of airline delays. Therefore, airplane passengers can get a good idea of which flights, airports and times to avoid. (Air traffic activity follows cyclical patterns, so comparisons with the same month last year are often better predictors of performance than using last month's data). Click on their map to see a live radar of planes currently over the U.S. -- it's mind boggling how many there actually are. A Johnny Jet Tip: The best way to avoid delays is to take the first flight of the day. AvoidDelays.com proves that. It also shows visitors which flights are the most delayed, and gives real-time information on delays. TIPS FOR MCO FROM AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS 1. Avoid the infamous Florida afternoon thunderstorms. Summertime in Florida means afternoon thunderstorms. Try to avoid flying into or out of Orlando during the afternoon in the summer months. 2. Avoid the weekend crowds. Orlando is a destination airport. If possible, try to schedule your flights for midweek to avoid the weekend crowds. 3. Tips for flying to Northeast destinations. When traveling to the Northeast, try to depart early, preferably prior to 11:00 a.m., to avoid afternoon delays. JOHNNY JET'S TOP 12 TIPS FOR SURVIVING A LONG FLIGHT In no particular order, mind you ... 1. Use sleeping pills. Consult your doctor but Ambien seems to be the drug of choice. 2. Bring a blanket and pillow. Many airlines have cut back which means you might not even get one and if you do, it probably won't be very comfortable or clean (unless you are in business or first class). Many companies sell travel pillows/blankets from DreamSack (you can buy it here) to Satori. 3. Wear comfortable clothing. Smart travelers look sharp when boarding and deplaning but in between, they change out of their restrictive clothing and into pajamas, sweat pants and/or cozy socks. 4. Bring your iPod, Bose noise-canceling headset and earplugs. Need I say more? 5. Travel armed with magazines, newspapers and books. Everyone needs something good to read to pass the time. 6. Bring an eye mask. I don't like the cheap scratchy ones that the airlines pass out -- instead, spend $9 and buy a fluffy one that will make you look silly but feel fresh. I have one from Lewis & Clarke. 7. Use the First Class Sleeper (buy it here) or the Travel Rest Pillow. Click here for more gadgets. 8. Filter your air. I haven't used this yet but I like the concept of filtering the re-circulating air (PlaneCleanAir.com). 9. Bring snacks. 10. Get your game on. If you are traveling with someone, bring a deck of cards or games. My favorite is Travel Scrabble. 11. Reserve a good seat! Consult SeatGuru.com or SeatExpert.com for the choice ones. 12. Put on a smile and bring a box of chocolates. Be nice to the gate agents and flight attendants. They can make or break your flight. RANDOM HOTEL TIPS The moment I walk into a hotel room, I drop my bags and pull out a disinfectant wipe. I'm not as neurotic as Howard Hughes but spending 30 seconds wiping down whatever I plan on touching goes a long way towards putting my mind at ease and getting rid of nasty germs. I wipe down the door handles, phones, in-room safe, A/C controller ... Did you know that the TV remote control is the dirtiest thing in the hotel room? Just use your imagination and you can figure out what I'm talking about. I mean, I don't want to have to go into details about the sick, sneezy salesman sitting in his underwear, picking who knows what as he flips through the Pay Per View channels. Drinking glasses are a close second and if you watch this video I'm sure you won't ever use them again either. It's common sense to stay away from the overpriced mini-bar, so stock up on drinks and bottled water from the local grocery store. I place my valuables (passport, laptop, camera, money) in the safe and whenever I leave my hotel room, I hang the Do Not Disturb sign on the door. When I want the room cleaned, I call down and ask for the room to be serviced. Leaving the Make Up Room sign on the door lets everyone know you aren't around. Leaving a simple Thank You note and $2 tip each day for the maid ensures the best service and reduces the chances of them lifting stuff from your bag. I also try and use just one towel and the same sheets for my stay, to do my part for the environment. It's also a good idea to always carry earplugs and an eye mask not only for the airplane but in case you have noisy neighbors and/or curtains that don't block out all the light in the room. When I need to set an alarm, I don't just rely on the hotel's wake up call service. I also set my cell phone alarm and for those times when I absolutely, positively need to get up early, I also order room service in advance (even just coffee) as a third safety measure. Finally, if you check bags, don't forget to bring home the unopened mini toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, body lotion) from the hotel. You can either drop them off for the poor or hand deliver them to a senior citizen's home. Find out who could use some company the most (many of these people have no one) and share stories and pictures from your trip. You will make everyone's day ... including mine. How to get bumped Where Does the Dollar Do Best? Frommer's Global Price Index for January 2009 Click Here for some UCF Spring Break Options
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