iPads are the way to travel now.No longer do you have to pull the device out of your bag as you go through security in the airport and for portable or short-term use you just can’t beat their convenience.Add all those reasons in with the fact that you can still get more apps from apple than any other provider and why wouldn’t you use one for travel?
Apple recently released a list of the top ten free iPad apps downloaded from the App Store.
Just because you spent serious cash on an iPad doesn't mean you need to spend even more to take advantage of various games and utilities for it.
Have a look and see if anything suits your needs.
1.Solitaire is the definitive one-player card game. Play it anywhere you go.
2.The Bible app is exactly what you'd expect it to be. Choose different translations, search words and phrases, or just read from it.
3.iBooks is Apple's exclusive online bookstore and eBook reader. Start reading differently.
4.Use Remote to control your iTunes library over wifi. Adjust volume and change songs effortlessly.
5.With Fandango, you can read reviews and buy movie tickets before you ever get to the theater. Stop waiting in line!
6.Yelp finds establishments near you and provides you with user reviews. Make an informed decision for your next impromptu dinner date.
7.Use Google Earth to help you arrive at your destination, or simply browse interesting satellite photos of the entire surface of the world.
8.Movies by Flixster sets you up with trailers, showtimes, and critic reviews of new movies. Know what you're getting yourself into the next time you head to the theater.
9.Search Google by voice, check your email, access your calendar, and more with the Google Mobile app from everyone's favorite search engine.
10. Pandora builds a radio station customized to your liking and streams it to you for free.
For our guests we offer wifi throughout our hotel so we find it ridiculous that in 2011 we still have to have to pay for wifi in public places.
And hotels are some of the worst culprits. The most expensive luxury hotels tend to be the ones more likely to charge for wifi while budget hotels give you free access.
We found a list from Wifi Free Spot that lists every major hotel or chain that offers free wifi. It's crowdsourced, so you can add to the list if you know a location that's missing.
Here are a few notable hotels where you can score a free connections. With some exceptions, they're nothing fancy, so free wifi could possibly be the only true perk:
While you’re enjoying our hotel, you may want to take a bath, but expect a call? Or want to read an e-book by the pool? Hate the very idea of getting your gadget wet? Don't want sand in it? No problem!
1Dig around in your kitchen for a zipper storage bag and keep this in your suitcase just in case. (For most cell phones, a sandwich sized bag works well.)
2Stick the device in the bag and seal it up. Make sure it's sealed completely.
3Fold the excess behind it.
4If it has a touch display, make sure there's some air in the bag to keep the plastic off the surface where you are not touching it. The touch display on most devices will work fine for single-finger taps and gestures.
5Enjoy your phone or reader or tablet device with no worry about it getting accidentally splashed or dipped.
When you're done, don't reuse the bag. The zippers aren't really made for repeated use, and some sliding switches (like the power switch on a kindle) will tend to abrade the bag where your finger operates them.
Protecting a Folding Phone or Device1
You say it folds? Not a problem! Devices like flip phones can simply be folded with the bag around it.
I try to stay on top of what is trending now in the world of Travel Apps since our guests are constantly looking for something that can make their travels easier.I found this from CNN and think it could help a lot of travelers get apps that can help or update an old or not very good app.
(CNN) -- There are seemingly millions of smartphone apps out there designed to make traveling easier, but not all of them are very good. Every company seems to think that it needs an app to be cool, but not every app is worth the effort.
Here are some of the apps that I find to be most helpful while on the road:
I'm one of those guys who always thinks that more information is better, and that's why I like FlightAware. You can see exactly where your flight (or any other flight) is at the moment. I've used the FlightAware website for years to see near real-time flight tracking, and now there's an app as well.
Were you told your airplane is coming from Wichita, but it's still not there and you should be boarding? Go to FlightAware to see where the airplane is right now. FlightAware is hardly the only one in this space. Other frequent fliers swear by FlightTrack Pro, for example.
When I was in Atlanta recently, my wife was looking for something before our next flight. Trying to find the right store in an airport the size of Hartsfield-Jackson is a mind-numbing experience. GateGuru, however, gives the rundown on which stores and restaurants are in each terminal and it pulls in reviews as well. If you're in an airport looking for a particular product or service, this will make your task much easier.
Have you ever been somewhere and realized you needed a room for the night? Maybe your flight was canceled or perhaps your meetings ran long. This company negotiates deals with hotels for last-minute rooms in many big cities. Within seconds, you can have the room reserved for a low rate.
If you don't know a city well, the taxi scene can be confusing. Where is the best place to hail a cab? How much should you pay? Taxi Magic makes it a lot easier. If there's a participating cab company in your city, Taxi Magic will have a cab sent right to you.
You can pay directly through the app so you don't have to worry about whether credit is accepted or not. The app and booking services are free, and there's a $1.50 documentation fee for using a credit card through the app.
If there isn't a participating cab company in the area, Taxi Magic will give you phone numbers for local companies so you can call and arrange for a cab yourself.
If you've ever used TripIt online to manage your travel, you know it's a great tool for keeping all your travel plans in one place. Of course, there's also an app for that. See and manage all your travel plans in the TripIt app so you never lose your details. Beyond the basics of flights, hotels and cars, you can also put in things like appointments and meals.
Your airline app
This isn't one app; it's dependent upon which airline you fly. If you fly a different airline every time, then it's probably not worth downloading every single airline app. But if you're a loyalist, you should absolutely have it.
There are some excellent apps out there that allow you to check flight status, see the standby list, book flights and even check in. Apps will store a mobile boarding pass so you can just flash your phone to get on the airplane (not in all airports, but it's getting there). Some airlines have better apps than others. I've heard rave reviews about the new United Airlines app, but get the apps for the airlines you fly frequently.
It's ingrained in our consciousness almost as much as the A-B-Cs or our spelling reminder of "i before e...." And it's a regular event, though perhaps a bit less regular than the swallows coming back to Capistrano.
Yet in those four words is a whole collection of trivia, facts and common sense about Daylight Saving Time.
Beginning in 2007, Daylight Saving Time is extended one month and begins for most of the United States at:
2 a.m. on the Second Sunday in March
and lasts until
2 a.m. on the First Sunday of November.
The new start and stop dates were set in the Energy Policy Act of 2005.
Daylight Saving Time - for the U.S. and its territories - is NOT observed in Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and by most of Arizona (with the exception of the Navajo Indian Reservation in Arizona).
Daylight Saving Time Saves Energy
One of the biggest reasons we change our clocks to Daylight Saving Time (DST) is that it reportedly saves electricity. Newer studies, however, are challenging long-held reason.
In general, energy use and the demand for electricity for lighting our homes is directly connected to when we go to bed and when we get up. Bedtime for most of us is late evening through the year. When we go to bed, we turn off the lights and TV.
In the average home, 25 percent of all the electricity we use is for lighting and small appliances, such as TVs, VCRs and stereos. A good percentage of energy consumed by lighting and appliances occurs in the evening when families are home. By moving the clock ahead one hour, we can cut the amount of electricity we consume each day.
Daylight Saving Time "makes" the sun "set" one hour later and therefore reduces the period between sunset and bedtime by one hour. This means that less electricity would be used for lighting and appliances late in the day. We may use a bit more electricity in the morning because it is darker when we rise, but that is usually offset by the energy savings in the evening.
In the winter, the afternoon Daylight Saving Time advantage is offset by the morning's need for more lighting. In spring and fall, the advantage is less than one hour. So, Daylight Saving Time saves energy for lighting in all seasons of the year except for the four darkest months of the year (November, December, January and February) when the afternoon advantage is offset by the need for lighting because of late sunrise.
History of Daylight Saving Time
Daylight Saving Time is a change in the standard time of each time zone. Time zones were first used by the railroads in 1883 to standardize their schedules. According to the The Canadian Encyclopedia Plus by McClelland & Stewart Inc., Canada's "[Sir Sandford] Fleming also played a key role in the development of a worldwide system of keeping time. Trains had made obsolete the old system where major cities and regions set clocks according to local astronomical conditions. Fleming advocated the adoption of a standard or mean time and hourly variations from that according to established time zones. He was instrumental in convening an International Prime Meridian Conference in Washington in 1884 at which the system of international standard time -- still in use today -- was adopted.”
Daylight Saving Time has been around for most of this century and even earlier.
Benjamin Franklin, while a minister to France, first suggested the idea in an essay titled "An Economical Project for Diminishing the Cost of Light." The essay was first published in the Journal de Paris in April 1784. But it wasn't for more than a century later that an Englishman, William Willett, suggested it again in 1907.
In 1918, in order to conserve resources for the war effort, the U.S. Congress placed the country on Daylight Saving Time for the remainder of WW I. It was observed for seven months in 1918 and 1919. The law, however, proved so unpopular that it was later repealed.
When America went to war again, Congress reinstated Daylight Saving Time on February 9, 1942. Time in the U.S. was advanced one hour to save energy. It remained advanced one hour forward year-round until September 30, 1945.
From 1945 to 1966, there was no U.S. law about Daylight Saving Time. So, states and localities were free to observe Daylight Saving Time or not. This, however, caused confusion -- especially for the broadcasting industry, and for trains and buses. Because of the different local customs and laws, radio and TV stations and the transportation companies had to publish new schedules every time a state or town began or ended Daylight Saving Time. By 1966, some 100 million Americans were observing Daylight Saving Time through their own local laws and customs. Congress decided to step in end the confusion and establish one pattern across the country. The Uniform Time Act of 1966 (15 U.S. Code Section 260a) created Daylight Saving Time to begin on the last Sunday of April and to end on the last Sunday of October. Any area that wanted to be exempt from Daylight Saving Time could do so by passing a local ordinance. We’ve Had DST in one form or another ever since.
If you’re like me you want to take in a couple of classic horror films around this time of year.I’ve compiled a list of some of my GO TO movies that never get old.Hope you like them.
The Shining, 1980
What's scarier than a haunted house? Try a haunted hotel. Stanley Kubrick's 1980 film centers on the young Torrance family — writer dad Jack (Jack Nicholson), homemaker mom Wendy (Shelley Duvall) and clairvoyant son Danny (Danny Lloyd) — who've taken on the task of caring for the remote Overlook Hotel in Colorado during the off-season. However, isolated in the snowed-in location, it isn't long before cabin fever and writer's block (not to mention the hotel's ghosts) begin to drive Jack murderously insane. Despite being markedly different from the Stephen King novel it was adapted from, The Shining is widely considered to be one of the scariest movies of all time, full of creepy twin girls, decaying corpse ladies, blood-spewing elevators and one hell of a hedge maze.
The Haunting, 1963
It's no surprise that a movie based on one of the best haunted house tales ever written (The Haunting of Hill House, by Shirley Jackson) would be this good. A scientist and two women with psychic gifts visit an evil-looking mansion named Hill House, a place where everything is just slightly wrong, where the angles at which walls meet are off by half a degree, so that doors are always closing on their own. The trio is accompanied by the skeptical young heir to Hill House. As directed by Robert Wise (who had a delightfully diverse career, helming movies from The Sound of Music and West Side Story to the first Star Trek film, as well as being the editor on Citizen Kane), The Haunting perfectly demonstrates the power of suggestion. We never see any ghosts. We hear them — banging, giggling, crying behind walls. We feel them. But they always remain just on the other side of the door. Which is where they are scariest. For the second after we first see the thing is the second at which the fear begins to fade.
Poltergeist, 1982
The brilliance of Poltergeist isn't in its special effects or its Steven Spielberg-branded movie magic. It's in the film's mundaneness. The Freeling family home is an ordinary house inside an ordinary suburban community. The characters aren't overly likable, special or interesting. The Freelings could be any typical American family. Therein lies the terror. While the film lends itself to some wonderfully quotable moments, it also brought the good old fashioned haunting into the modern suburban home. As the Freelings got sucked into closets and harassed by electronics, audience members began to glance suspiciously at their own TVs, and white noise began a reign of terror that reached its apex with 2002's The Ring.
The Lost Boys, 1987
"Sleep all day. Party all night. Never grow old. Never die. It's fun to be a vampire." That says it all! This one is just plain fun. The cast features Kiefer Sutherland as a punky teen vampire, Jason Patric as the newest reluctant convert, and the two Coreys (Haim and Feldman). Feldman plays one of two wacky brothers (Edgar and Allen) who insist the town is crawling with vampires. They made the phrase "vamp out" famous. Plus the Soundtrack was AWESOME!
The Evil Dead, 1981
Filmmaker Sam Raimi first hacked his way to notoriety with 1981's The Evil Dead. The film follows a band of students on a weekend getaway to a rickety Tennessee mountain cabin, where they plan for the typical sex and booze-type debauchery. Unfortunately for them, the gang encounters a group of demons and quickly realize these are no idle spooks. Even the forest greenery is under their control. (Is it possible for a tree to be misogynist? Watch and find out.) The gore fest, in which all the usual horror appliances get ample screen time (by film's end, the dagger, ax, chainsaw and shotgun get more than their share of screen time), was widely criticized as too gruesome by critics and theaters alike, which only seemed to hasten the audience's desire to watch the corn syrup flow.
The Others, 2001
Grace (Nicole Kidman) is alone with her kids. Stuck in a giant, fog-shrouded manor on the British isle of Jersey during World War II, Grace can't leave because her son and daughter suffer from extreme sensitivity to sunlight. She's isolated and anxious. But Grace and her kids are not alone, because there's something with them in the house. Kidman shines as a mother incapable of connecting to her kids, a mother who hides her fragility behind a stern countenance. The film begins with Kidman shrieking loudly and near the end, she breaks down in hysterics. The Others is as affecting as it is chilling.
Nosferatu the Vampire, 1922
Let's start at the beginning with F.W. Murnau's silent film featuring the creepiest looking vampire ever -- Max Schreck. Rumors at the time of the film circulated that the strange looking Schreck was indeed a real vampire. That became the inspiration for the film Shadow of the Vampire. But you can decide for yourself.
Arachnophobia, 1990
Spiders. John Goodman with a blowtorch. Who's scarier? I'm sure we could ask Roseanne, but that's the subject of a much more frightening movie. Anyway, as anyone who has ever squashed a spider can attest, things with eight legs are creepy. Gross. Big ones that fly through the air when provoked? Even worse.
Amityville Horror, 1978
A family moves into a perfectly nice house in Amityville, N.Y. Then things begin to happen: black goo comes out of the toilet, flies appear (does this have anything to do with the toilet?), a voice tells a priest to "get out," and something with glowing red eyes peers through the windows at night. Sure it was an "Exorcist" rip-off, but it was "based on a true story!" That's got to count for something.
The Exorcist, 1973
Spinning heads. Vile expletives. Buckets of vomit. Sound like your last blind date? It was worse for Ellen Burstyn and Max Von Sydow, who had to play opposite Linda Blair in "The Exorcist." When this puppy first hit the silver screen, people were running out of the theater in droves. Now we call those people sissies. But as approximately 6,453 previous "Scariest Movies of All Time" lists have noted, this movie is scary.
The autumn season is in our hearts, if not in a chill wind. Even though the leaves are not changing color, there are still plenty of activities for all ages to help bring fall to Miami. Whether you're looking for hayrides or Halloween frights, there's sure to be something here to interest you this time of year.
The Little Farm Pumpkin Patch, Oct 8 - 31 -- Enjoy picking pumpkins, pony rides and scarecrow-making at this farm in South Dade. You can bring your own scarecrow clothes to stuff, or you can purchase a scarecrow kit there. You can also walk through the farm animals and buy bales of hay- all you need for Halloween decorating all in one place! 22400 SW 134th Ave, Miami.
ZooBoo at Zoo Miami, Oct 29 and 30 -- Children 12 and under can enjoy costume contests and safe trick-or-treating in a wholesome environment at Zoo Miami. This event is free after paying standard zoo admission fees.
Halls of Terror Haunted House, Fridays and Saturdays, Sept 30 - Oct 31 -- The Super Wheels Skating Center at 12265 S.W. 112th Street transforms into a spooktacular haunted house. Admission is $13 for the haunted house and an additional $6 if you'd like to skate afterward. For details, call (305) 270-3986.
Monster Splash at Miami Seaquarium, Oct 28 - 31 -- Miami Seaquarium opens its doors for a special family-friendly Halloween event. It will feature animal shows, a haunted house and trick-or-treating for the kids. Admission is $35.95 for adults and $25.95 for children ages 3-12. For more information, call 305-361-5705.
Early Evening of Spooky Adventures, Oct 22 & 30 -- This family-friendly event at the Gold Coast Railroad Museum offers trick-or-treating in special sandbox, pumpkin decorating, story telling and, of course, a Halloween train ride! For more information, call the Gold Coast Railroad Museum at 305-253-0063.
Halloween on the Mile, Oct 30 -- Miracle Mile in Coral Gables features a family-friendly trick-or-treating event from 3PM-6PM. In addition to trick-or-treating, the event features kiddie and doggie costume contest, live performances, storytelling, and a Halloween photo booth.
At one time or another, we have all known at least one person who has hated his or her job. That person may have suffered silently or vented constantly, but at the end of the day there was no question this person was truly unhappy with where they spent at least 40 of his or her waking hours every week, for 51 weeks a year.
The reasons for job dissatisfaction vary. Low pay, irregular hours, and lack of a window seat are all assumed to be culprits, and to be sure they can all contribute to a bad attitude on the job. These are actually not the primary factors driving a worker to regard tomorrow morning at 9 o'clock sharp with dread and ill will, however, according to one resource.
CareerBliss is an online resource that bases job satisfaction on multiple factors, including workplace culture, coworkers, and the boss.
According a survey of hundreds of thousands of employees conducted in 2011, CareerBliss determined the 10 most hated jobs, rated on a scale of 1 to 10. In almost all cases, respondents reported that the factors causing the most job dissatisfaction were not lousy pay or a desk near the bathroom. CareerBliss found that limited growth opportunities and lack of reward drove the misery index up more than anything else.
Read about the 10 jobs with the highest levels of employee unhappiness. The results may surprise you.
1. Director of Information Technology For all the press that teachers and nurses get for their long hours, low pay and thankless tasks, it may be surprising to see the most hated job was that of information technology director, according to CareerBliss. After all, the salary's pretty good and with information technology such a prevalent part of everyday business, an IT director can hold almost as much sway over the fate of some companies as a chief executive.
Still, IT directors reported the highest level of dissatisfaction with their jobs, far surpassing that of any waitress, janitor, or bellhop. Of those who responded to the survey, one simple, five-word response summed up the antipathy very well: "Nepotism, cronyism, disrespect for workers."
2. Director of Sales and Marketing A director of sales and marketing plans implements efforts to promote companies and generate business. Responsibilities often include budget management, public relations, and employee training.
Sales and marketing directors reported the second-highest level of job dissatisfaction of all survey respondents. The majority who responded negatively cited a lack of direction from upper management and an absence of room for growth as the main sources of their ire.
3. Product Manager "Product manager" is a wide-ranging job title that takes on many meanings, depending on the company and its sector. In some cases, the job requires simply evaluating what products are best suited to a company's business model, and in others marketing, resource management, and scheduling are involved.
The level of job dissatisfaction was very high for this position. One respondent complained that it restricted growth, saying that it was "very hard to grow up the ranks." Another was less polite and said "the work is boring and there's a lot of clerical work still at my level."
4. Senior Web Developer Senior web developers design, maintain, and develop applications for the Internet. With every business expected to have some kind of Internet presence these days, developers are found working in every type of company, in a full-time, part-time, or freelance capacity.
A senior developer is expected to be fluent in client-side and server-side contexts, and know his or her way around Python, Ruby, or whatever other arcane technology requires taming. Senior developers reported a high degree of unhappiness in their jobs, attributable to a perception their employers are unable to communicate coherently, and lack an understanding of the technology.
5. Technical Specialist A technical specialist "leads the analysis, definition, design, construction, testing, installation, and modification of medium to large infrastructures," according to CareerBliss. This means that if a company wants to design a project, the technical specialist evaluates it to see what's possible and what isn't.
The job is a lead position that requires intimate knowledge of engineering; familiarity with Linux helps, too. However, technical specialists reported that for all their expertise, they were treated with a palpable level of disrespect. They cited a "lack of communication from upper management" and felt their "input was not taken seriously."
6. Electronics Technician Electronics technicians maintain, troubleshoot and collect monthly measurement data for electronic systems. They work in every sector and can be employed with the phone company, a chain of fast-food restaurants, or the U.S. Navy. Whatever the case, technicians work on-site and off-site, have constant contact with clients, and must have an ability to quickly solve complex technical problems under intense pressure.
Employee dissatisfaction in this job is attributable to several factors. One respondent complained of having "too little control," while another had a litany of complaints: "Work schedule, lack of accomplishment, no real opportunity for growth, peers have no motivation to work hard, no say in how things are done, hostility from peers towards other employees."
7. Law Clerk Clerkships are among the most highly sought-after positions in the legal profession. A law clerk assists judges as they write opinions, and the ones who get the job are almost always near the top of their class at law school. Six justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, including Elena Kagan and current Chief Justice John Roberts, were all law clerks early in their careers.
The job clearly beefs up a resume. Yet law clerks still report high levels of dissatisfaction. The hours are long and grueling, and the clerk is subject to the whims of sometimes mercurial personalities. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also reported the job brings in a median salary of $39,780 a year—not exactly striking it rich—and those looking for advancement within the position simply will not find it.
8. Technical Support Analyst Technical support analysts help people with their computer issues. This typically amounts to calmly communicating technical advice to panicked individuals, often over the phone, and then going on site to find the client simply hadn't turned the printer on.
Technical support analysts often work in a variety of environments, and they may be required to travel at a moment's notice, sometimes on holidays or weekends. After all, there's no telling when a client's computer-whiz nephew might make a minor tweak to his machine, with disastrous results.
In the words of one of the respondents, "You can do better, really."
9. CNC Machinist CNC machinists operate computer numerical control machines. For the uninitiated, this is a machine that operates a lathe or a mill. On the upside, it renders obsolete processes that used to be performed by hand, at a slow pace and with high risk to the operator's life and limb.
Now that the CNC operator has had most of the physical hazards of manufacturing replaced by a machine, there's not a lot to do but push buttons and perform equipment inspections to make sure the coolant is at a safe level. Since it's a specialized skill, the job offers no room for advancement, which caused respondents to report a high degree of dissatisfaction.
10. Marketing Manager A marketing manager is responsible for overseeing advertising and promotion. This involves developing strategies to meet sales objectives, based on the study of such factors as customer surveys and market behavior.
According to CareerBliss, respondents in this position most often cited a lack of direction as the primary reason for job dissatisfaction. The most optimistic respondent described it as "tolerable," and gave it the faintest praise possible by saying, "It's a job." (In this labor market, that's not such a bad thing.)
When it comes to air travel, it seems to me that there are a few things that could stand improvement. Okay, probably more than a few things, but I’m only going to tackle five of them here.
1. Security: I took a flight less than two weeks after the 9/11 attacks, and it doesn’t seem to me that the experience for the passenger is significantly different now–ten years later–than it was then. The rules for how we’re screened and what we can bring into the gate area have changed, mind you, but the experience of getting in line, crowding up to the x-ray scanner for our stuff and the metal detectors (or x-ray scanners) for our bodies is no less chaotic or frustrating. Shouldn’t this have gotten easier somehow? Don’t get me wrong: it’s not a terrible experience, but it’s pretty… inelegant. Maybe it’s just me, but the worst part is the process of taking off our shoes, putting all our stuff on the conveyor belt, walking through whatever device we’ve been asked to walk through, picking up our stuff on the other side, and putting our shoes back on. It always feels to me like there should be more physical space for us to do this or that there should be plenty of seating that we could use when we’re putting our shoes back on. As things stand now at most airports, things still feel very ad hoc to me.
2. Self serve kiosks: Dear airlines, it’s great that many of you have provided these for passengers to use when checking in. They’re easy to use, and they can really speed the process. However, it would be nice if some of you spaced these out a little more: too often, a couple or a family will all cluster around a kiosk, blocking access to the unused kiosk right next to them. We’d all be on our way much faster if there was more room. Also, make up your mind as to whether you want us to use a kiosk to check ourselves in or whether you’re going to provide a staff member to do it for us. If I’ve started the process on the kiosk, for example, I’d prefer not to be interrupted by someone asking me if I need any help. I appreciate the sentiment, but all that happens as a result is that it takes longer for me to be finished. If I need help, I’ll ask. Thanks.
3. Boarding passes: Why are they shaped and sized the way they are? They don’t fit easily in a pocket or a wallet. They don’t feel “natural” in the palm of your hand. The perforated line is too easy to break, separating the two pieces that need to stay together until you board the plane. Why not make them the size of a business card or a 3″ by 5″ card? Why do they need to be split into two pieces at all? Better yet, would it be possible for all airlines–not just some of them–to give us the option of receiving a digital boarding pass on our smartphone or other mobile device? These are great, and they’re just as easily scanned electronically as a paper version. I’m not sure how compatible they are with the security procedures used by the TSA, however.
4. Power sources: Most of us are traveling with devices that need to be charged at some point in our travels, and some airports (like GSP or SJC) do a great job of providing places for us to get our electricity fix. In other airports–I’m looking at you, IAH–passengers squat awkwardly to access power outlets next to trash cans or just sit on the floor in the hallways, which can make getting from one gate to another a little more difficult than it needs to be for the rest of us. Providing easily accessed, well-designed charging stations (and plenty of them!) would be a significant improvement for many airports.
5. Reading materials: Outside of a library, an airport or airplane is where you’re likely to see the highest concentration of people reading, whether they’re using a print or electronic interface. How about a movement to put libraries into airports? Check out a book in Atlanta, return it in Seattle (or when you return to Atlanta). Or maybe someone could create a business that rents Kindles or other ebook devices in much the same way that airport vendors rent out DVD players and DVDs? What if the screen embedded in the airplane seat in front of you gave you the option of reading the digital edition of a newspaper or magazine in addition to the choices of tv shows, movies, and video games? As screen technologies continue to improve, we get closer to this being a viable option.
Air travel is, or course, an amazing facet of modern life, and I hope I don’t give the impression of being a crank about these things. Also, I’m aware that this is probably a fairly idiosyncratic list. How about you? Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the experience of air travel? If so, please share them in the comments!
At some point in our lives, last minute travel is often a reality. A family or friend's health emergency, a death or an unforeseen business-related event are just a few of the reasons we might find ourselves in the air at the last minute. Most of the time, booking an airline ticket at the last minute is an expensive endeavor, but in a world where airlines can't afford to have empty seats, finding a last minute travel deal is sometimes possible. (For more money saving tips for your vacation, check out 10 Tips For A Cheaper, Better Vacation.)
How "Last" is Last Minute?
If today's events have caused you to make travel arrangements for today, you will probably be at the mercy of the airlines. If you're even a little flexible with your travel plans, you may be able to find a deal that doesn't break the bank.
Twitter
You can never plan for an emergency, but if you are in a career where last minute travel happens often, a little bit of preparedness is well advised. One place to start is your Twitter feed. Accounts like @Airfarewatchdogs and @farecomparedeals are just two of the many that should be in one of your feeds if you're watching for last-minute deals. In addition, popular travel sites and even some airlines have e-mail lists that send daily, weekly or monthly specials.
The Obvious May Pay Off
Search the last minute travel sites. Lastminutetravel.com as well as Expedia, Orbit and Travelzoo are places to check. As the sites have become larger some are no longer the goldmine of travel deals that they used to be, but even if they aren't the cheapest, you can get an idea of what would be a normal price so you have a basis of comparison.
The one less obvious place to look are travel sites that cater to local areas. For example, Airtech.com offers last minute deals to Europe and Hawaii. Sites like this may be harder to find, but the best way to find these sites is sometimes through local connections.
Flexibility
According to the Washington Post, the cheapest travel day is Wednesday. Your best bet is to avoid weekend travel. Try to leave on a weekday and return on a weekday if possible. Also be flexible with your airport choice. For some travelers, there are multiple airports within a few hours from home. If you can travel to a larger airport where discount carriers have service, you may be able to save a substantial amount of money. Finally, leave late at night or early in the morning. Those less desirable travel times have more flexibility in their pricing. (For more saving ideas, read 6 Tips For Saving Money At The Airport.)
Travel Alone
If you have to travel as a group or family, you are at the mercy of the airlines. Because airlines have reduced their total number of flights in order to keep all planes full, finding a good price for a group is difficult. Flying alone allows you to take advantage of a single last-minute seat that may have come available due to a cancellation or an unsold ticket.
Forget Courier Travel
Want to fly to Europe for $100? How about Mexico for free? In the past you could do this by becoming a courier. A courier used their cargo allowance to ship important documents or small parcel to a certain destination on a commercial airline. The courier was often hired on a temporary basis and once they delivered the items, they were free to explore the destination. It was perfectly legal and a great way to go on a short-term, last-minute adventure for very little or no money out of pocket.
Those days are over. Enhanced security regulations as well as new airline regulations no longer make this a good value for courier companies. In addition, although some airlines still advertise courier rates, they are no longer the deals they once were. In fact, courier rates are often the same or even slightly higher than normal airfare.
Don't Forget Travel Agents
It's true that travel agents will charge a premium to book your travel for you, but they often have access to discount travel deals that aren't published online. This doesn't just include airline tickets; hotels and rental cars are worth discussing with an agent.
Hotels and Cars
Sites where you can name a price you're willing to pay for a hotel, airline ticket or rental car sometimes net consumers fantastic rates at the last minute. Make sure you shop around before bidding so you don't end up bidding higher than another site's regular price.
The Bottom Line
It won't work every time - sometimes you have to take a financial hit. Depending on your reason for traveling at the last minute, price may be secondary to getting to your destination quickly. If you can travel in coach at all hours of the morning with multiple stops, on a weekend with only a carry-on and probably no pretzels or peanuts, great deals are out there for you. (For more on vacation destination, check out 4 Summer Vacation Ideas On A Shoestring Budget.)
When people think about travel points, the first programs that come to mind are usually airline mile accounts. However, the number, variety and value of great hotel points programs have grown exponentially over the past few years, and consumers are starting to take notice. Thanks to their versatility, flexibility and elite perks, hotel points are some of the hottest commodities in travel points. The bottom line is: Hotel points matter--even if it's free airline tickets you're after. Here are a few of the reasons why, and what you should be thinking about as you get started with them.
Higher Value: Unlike airline miles, which usually amount to a value of about 1-2 cents each, hotel loyalty points' value can be worth much, much more. The combination of rising airfares, reduced flight capacities and scarcer award seat availability can make finding ideal award tickets challenging. On the other hand, although hotel rates have also risen dramatically over the past decade, capacity keeps on growing as well (or at least remains fixed since you can't switch buildings if you don't sell out your hotel, whereas you can switch out aircraft) as hotel chains expand and keep on adding brands. That means that more rooms--and more expensive rooms--are up for grabs to loyalty point program members. Enough stays at an Embassy Suites can translate to overnights at a Waldorf Astoria. The 20,000 Starwood points you earn staying at a Sheraton can get you a night at the St. Regis Rome. Exchange Rates: Airfares were high this summer thanks to a number of factors including the skyrocketing cost of gas, but Americans have been feeling even more of a pinch thanks to the weak US dollar. That holds true for hotel rates as well, especially in Europe, where the Euro is pummeling the greenback. A hotel room that would cost $200 in Los Angeles could go for the equivalent of $600 in Paris. That makes using your hotel points wisely more important than ever. Plus, the Starwood Preferred Guest program has a "Cash & Points" option that gets you hotel rooms for both fewer points and less money than using one method of payment or the other. For example, a Category 4 (out of 7) Starwood property like the Westin Grand Berlin, would cost you 4,000 Starpoints and $60 USD using the "Cash & Points" option versus paying over 250 euros (around $360 at the moment).
More Options: Though hotel points are generally only redeemable within a single hotel group (like Marriott or Hilton), most of these chains have created, incorporated or bought other brands to put under their umbrella and usually you can both earn points on stays at any of the brands within the chain, as well as using points earned at any of the brands within the chain for stays at any of the other brands. Just to give you a quick rundown of some of the biggest: -IHG Priority Club: This is the biggest group, with over 4,000 properties worldwide, and brands like InterContinental, Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn. -Hilton HHonors: Another huge hotel group of over 3,600 hotels worldwide with familiar names like Hilton, Waldorf Astoria, DoubleTree, Embassy Suites and Hilton Garden Inn. -Marriott Rewards: The next largest chain, with over 3,400 properties in the Marriott, JW Marriott, Ritz-Carlton, Renaissance, Edition and Residence Inn brands. -Starwood Preferred Guest: This group has over 1,000 properties across several great brands including Westin, St. Regis, W Hotels, Sheraton, Element and Aloft. -Hyatt Gold Passport: One of the best hotel programs out there (which I'll talk about in a future post) even though they only have just over 400 properties across brands like Hyatt, Park Hyatt, Andaz and Hyatt Place.
Airline Transfers: Just because you pick a hotel loyalty program and start accruing points in it doesn't mean you can't still use them for airfare. In fact, most hotel programs allow you to transfer points to several different airline mileage accounts. For instance, right now, Starwood Preferred Guest members can transfer their points to 31 different mileage programs including those of American Airlines, British Airways, Delta, Air France, United, US Airways and Virgin Atlantic (see the list here), and SPG will give you a bonus of 5,000 points for every 20,000 that you transfer. (What does that tell you about the value of hotel points versus airline miles?). Hilton HHonors members can already transfer points to 40 airline partners (see the list here). In general, however, hotel points are more valuable when used on hotel stays rather than on flights. Constant Promotions: Whereas airlines are much more targeted and seemingly random with promotions, hotels are known for offering constant promotions and deals to earn and use points, so staying on top of the news can be extremely beneficial. Right now, for example, Hyatt just announced a promotion where Gold Passport members earn 5,000 bonus points for every three nights they stay in a Hyatt property, up to a limit of 30,000 points. While this is a lower bonus level than some of Hyatt's previous promotions, it's still a good deal. Starwood has also recently announced that Starwood Preferred Guest members will earn triple points on every stay between September 6-December 18, 2011, on stays that include either a Thursday or a Sunday night. This is clearly aimed at non-business travelers, but could still be quite lucrative for members with flexible schedules, and SPG members will at least earn double points on all other stays for the same period. You just need to register here.
Elite Status: Like airlines, many hotel brands offer their most loyal customers elite status upon completion of a certain number of stays or amount of money earned within a set time period (usually a calendar year). Once earned, elite status confers upon members a host of great value-added perks like early check-in, late check-out, room upgrades which can be worth hundreds of dollars, and more. For example, higher-level Starwood elites get free internet access that routinely saves me somewhere around $15 a day when I stay in one of their properties, while one of my favorite perks as an InterContinental Priority Club Royal Ambassador lets me take anything I want from my minibar for free. M&M's anyone?
