I admit it: I’m spoiled. Before October, I traveled to Manila twice and was upgraded to business class both ways each time. Trust me when I tell you that if you can get upgraded when you’re traveling trans-pacific, do it. But even though business class is the way to go, it’s definitely possible to have a perfectly fine trip in coach. Here are the tricks.
Comfortable clothes. It’s great to be comfortable during any travel, but it is critical during a super long flight in coach. Yoga pants, leggings, a loose dress, or heck, even pajamas would be totally appropriate. The last thing you want when you’re trying to sleep upright is zippers or buttons digging into your skin.
Eyemask. Even when the cabin lights are dim, there will be TVs, reading lights, or...
… not so fast!
Since 9/11, going through airport security lines has been a nightmare for many frequent travelers, especially during rush hour. I am sure many of you have also heard about the different scandals involving our TSA friends, such as a random searches of a 6 year old child and a 95 year old cancer patient.
A few days ago, the TSA announced the launch of a PreCheck program that will allow selected people to travel faster through airport the security lines.
For now, they are just testing the program, but if you want to be one of the people selected, here are the requirements:
You must be a US citizen and willing to share personal information with the TSA
You must be an American Airlines or Delta Airlines frequent...
As most of you know already, Continental Airlines and United Airlines are merging. As a OnePass member, your account will be automatically converted to a MileagePlus account. You don't need to do anything. You will keep your status and all your miles.
Because United and Continental used to be two separated companies and part of different alliances (remember Continental was part of SkyTeam until 2009), some of us (me included) are members of both United and Continental’s frequent flyer programs. If you have miles with both these programs, you have the option of combining your accounts in advance of the automated merger.
At the beginning of 2012, all the miles accumulated with both airlines will be combined into MileagePlus, and the OnePass program will no longer exist.
To...
While the old adage “you get what you pay for” often holds true when you travel, a savvy traveler knows that you can often get more than you pay for from hotels, airlines and rental car agencies. Their secret? Upgrades. You can book a seat in coach and get upgraded to business when you fly, get a boost from a compact car to a full size one when you drive, or get a view of the pool instead of the parking lot when you check into a hotel. While upgrades are not guaranteed, there are ways to improve your chances of getting a coveted seat, car or view at no additional charge. While the only way to guarantee you get the room, car or seat you want is to book it, getting an upgrade is relatively easy and free.
Airline Upgrades:
Apply for a frequent flyer program: If...
I've noticed that most personal credit cards offer far better travel benefits than corporate cards do. Unfortunately, most companies require their employees to adhere to corporate travel standards, including preferred airlines, hotels, and using a corporate charge card for expenses. However, you can use your personal card freebies to make business travel easier, and still comply with your company's corporate card and travel policy.
To illustrate, lets walk through the recent improvements (and one frustrating loss) from the American Express Platinum Card. Please note that cards/benefits vary by country (this article only applies to the US card).
At The Airport: Free Lounge Access and Skip the Line at Customs and Immigration
You now have two ways to get...
I am always searching for ways to make traveling safer, easier and more fun. Today, I will list 3 of my absolute favorite apps for your mobile phone (stay tuned for more as I am planning on writing more apps articles in the next few weeks!)
Help Call - 911 does not work in every country!
You read that correctly. If you dial 911 in France, nothing will happen! Help Call has the most important emergency numbers (Police, Fire Department, Ambulance and a Friend) in 126 different countries, and automatically pulls them up based on your location. No need to be paranoid, but better safe than sorry.
TripIt - Travel Organizer
This app helps you stay organized! I recommend this app to all my fellow business travelers (to the point that TripIt should start...
We wrote an article about Planely a couple of months ago. For those of you who are not yet familiar with Planely, this travel website lets you see if your friends or co-workers are at the same airport or flight as you. If you are flying to a conference or a group project, it's always nice to know in advance who you might bump into on your flight.
So, why another blog post for Planely? Well, if you don't know it yet, I am a big fan of Tripit and now you can integrate Planely's feature into Tripit. Basically once you link your two accounts (by going to your Profile page and click on the 'Integrate with Tripit' button), you can forget about Planely as long as you keep sending your flight confirmation emails to Tripit. Planely will just send you an email if anyone you...
Why do I love first class? Obviously, the bigger seats, the free drinks, and the food make for a nice flight. But what I really love in first is that I feel pampered. I like that someone is specifically assigned to make sure that I am comfortable and have what I need. Obviously, most of us can’t fly first on a regular basis so we depend on the occasional upgrade for the true experience. Luckily there are things you can do when you are in coach to mimic first class and give you a much more comfortable flight. As with many things, all it takes is a little preparation.
Sleep comfortably. If there is a chance you will be sleeping on this plane, it will help so much if you have the right equipment. A blanket is a necessity, and pillows don’t hurt either. One of my...
Ever fly out to a conference and wonder if anyone else you know is at the airport, or on the same flight?
Let’s face it, linking up with an old friend at the airport is much more fun than waiting alone for that delayed flight. Planely is a Copenhagen based website which received a great review in TechCrunch (for those of you who haven’t heard of it, TechCruch is a leading technology blog).
To be honest I've only signed up today using my Facebook account, so I haven't used the service yet. Provided many people start using this service, it sounds promising! Maybe I’ll see you on my next flight?
