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Thursday, December 31, 2009

Flight Connectivity Index as at 31 December 2009

Six months ago I published the first Flight Connectivity Index (FCI) - a measure of how well connected by air every country is to every other country. The FCI value is the number of other countries to which you can fly directly from a given country, based on published schedules of IATA airlines. Domestic flights do not count. To simplify the calculation, countries are defined as members of United Nations, as opposed to using one of the many other country lists available.

Reduced flight connectivity overall

This is the first update of the Flight Connectivity Index. The average FCI has decreased from 23.0 to 22.3. This is partly due to seasonal patterns, but also partly due to the global recession and a couple of airline failures.

The full index will be posted separately. Here are the countries with the highest and lowest FCI scores as at 31 December 2009, with the changes from 30 June 2009 in brackets.

Selected 31 December 2009 FCI results

There are 192 member countries of the United Nations, thus the maximum possible FCI is 191 (because domestic flights do not count). No country has direct flights to all other countries - the highest FCI score is 110 for Germany. Four countries have a zero flight connectivity index - these are the small countries of Andorra, Liechtenstein, Monaco and San Marino. The average across all countries is 22.3 (23.0 at 30 June 2009). The top 10 flight connectivity index values at 31 December 2009 are equal to or greater than 67 (68 at 30 June 2009), and the bottom 10 are equal to or less than 3. There are 58 countries with a FCI of 9 or less, 3 countries with a FCI of 100 or more (Germany, UK, France) and 17 countries with a FCI score of 50 or more. The countries with the highest and lowest FCI values are shown in the two tables below.

Flight Connectivity Index (FCI) - Top 10
as at 31 December 2009

RankFCICountry
1110 (+3)Germany
2107 (+3)UK
3105 (+1)France
484 (-2)USA
5=82 (-1)Italy
5=82 (+6)UAE
781 (+2)Netherlands
878 (-2)Turkey
9=67 (-1)Russia
9=67 (-1)Switzerland

Flight Connectivity Index (FCI) - Bottom 10


as at 31 December 2009

RankFCICountry
No flights
189=0Andorra
189=0Liechtenstein
189=0Monaco
189=0San Marino
Flights
185=1Kiribati
185=1Lesotho
185=1Swaziland
185=1Tuvalu
183=2Marshall Islands
183=2Nauru
178=3Belize
178=3 (-1)Comoros
176=3Micronesia
176=3North Korea
178=3 (-1)Palau
176=3Saint Kitts & Nevis
176=3Timor-Leste
170=4 (+1)Botswana

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Having a backup plan for flight misconnections

Many readers of this blog or my trip reports on Flyer Talk (eg this trip report) know I spend a fair bit of time preparing for the possibility of things going wrong with flights. Not matter how well prepared there is always a chance of the unexpected causing a flight misconnection or to miss a meeting - be it stormy weather, airline schedule changes, aircraft maintenance issues, new security rules, hold ups for VIPs to arrive or airshows to take place, and so on.

Today I have such a potential issue to deal with and am taking a few minutes out of my busy day to prepare myself as well as I can. When I booked this trip many months ago, a connection I have later today seemed more than reasonable with an acceptably low risk of misconnection. However, heightened security and immigration checks following the underpants bomber incident the other day means I now have a higher risk of not making the onward flight. It is not certain that I will misconnect, but the chance is higher than my threshold for comfort and worry-free travel.

So there are a few steps I'm taking now to mitigate the risks.

1) Consider if it really matters if I misconnect? If it isn't too important then I should stop worrying and do more fun &/or productive things instead.

Unfortunately for me, misconnecting here will cause significant inconvenience.

2) Try to check in for the onward flight. If already checked in this reduces the risk of misconnection in two ways. First, I save time from not needing to go to check in at the transfer airport (with a likely struggle to meet check in deadlines) and instead can go directly through security to the departure gate. Secondly, the airline operating the second flight is more likely to hold the flight a few minutes if necessary so I can board if I am already checked in than hold it for a longer time if I am not already checked in.

Unfortunately for me, I have not been successful in checking in for the onward flight.

3) See if other flight options are available.

Using availability tools (like seatcounter.com) I see there are several possible solutions if I misconnect. I could be rerouted and there are a couple of flights with spare seats operated by the same airline that still get me where I need to go in time for when I need to be there, and most crucially depart an hour later than the flight I'm booked on. Or, I could be moved to one of 2 other airlines that operate this particular route, both of which have later flights with spare seats. Both of these solutions depend on the goodwill of the airline which I'm booked on.

A misconnect would only occur for reasons outside my control (I haven't just arrived at the airport late due to sleeping in). I am travelling on an expensive ticket. I have high frequent flyer status with the alliance the airline is a member of. So, I think the odds are good that they would accommodate me on one of those options if needed.

4) Consider whether to be proactive or reactive. I have a choice to make - take the flight I am booked on and hope to make the onward connection, or change my flights to a less risky alternative? The change option requires either flexible tickets with the alternative being within the ticket fare rules, or acceptance by the airline that the risk of misconnection is high enough to warrant a proactive change.

In my case today, a misconnection is not sure enough for the airline to volunteer to make changes proactively. However, I do have flexible ticket and so could reroute (but not switch to the other airlines flying the same route as this is not within the fare rules and thus not allowed as a voluntary change). I've decided not to reroute voluntarily because it does not seem necessary in my circumstance - I'll either make the onward flight (most likely outcome in my view) or the airline will satisfactorily resolve a misconnection (quite likely in my view). Being stranded seems fairly unlikely, based on current information I have and I am lucky enough to be in a position to be relatively well informed of any late developments. (This isn't always the case. Many times I've been travelling a complicated itinerary when something has gone wrong and had to make decisions based on little information, and more importantly try to convince airlines to make changes on the fly at the same time.)

5) Keep an eye open for changes to the situation. There may be things between now and boarding of my next flight that changes the situation. For example if the flight is significantly delayed then the risk of misconnection becomes much greater and the airline may be willing to reroute or rebook of their accord. One way I can keep appraised is to check flightstats.com, as well as watching departure screens (if accessible) and news websites for any major change to security rules.

Seasons greetings

I haven't posted much in the last week or so due to a crazy travel schedule that has seen me spend more time in the air than on the ground.

While I'm waiting for my next flight supping sake in the airline lounge, I want to wish all readers the best for the holiday season and the year ahead.

There will be more posts shortly. Some based on my odd travel experiences of the past few weeks, some based on the unfolding travel security rules and processes, as well as the usual mix of travel news, issues, inspiration, information and advice.

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Travel security rules in flux

In the aftermath of the incident on the Amsterdam to Detroit flight, travel security rules are again in a state of flux. For now, changes appear to mainly affect flights to/from USA. However, additional security delays are affecting passengers on all flights at major international hubs.

Since the new rules are not yet finalised, airline websites have scanty or possibly out of date information. Some of the rules are only being advised once onboard. As a general rule, allow more time at airports for check in and for security and be prepared to deal with changes. For example those in the middle of a trip with 2 carry ons may find they can only take one bag onboard.

As the situation unfolds I can only hope that we now don't have a war on solids to match the war on liquids.

Thursday, December 24, 2009

US Passenger Bill of Rights

A christmas present for some, the US Department of Trade (DOT) has issued rules around maximum times passengers can be held onboard on the ground. I haven't had a chance to read the rules but earlier when I heard it was being considered I was sceptical that we'd end up with a practical scheme.

Cranky Flier seems to share my concerns and brings up a few practical issues with the DOT mandate.

Monday, December 21, 2009

Unusual travel week

The past week has had an odd mix of travel highs and lows for me.

  • An inaugural flight.
  • 3 strikes threatening my next trip.
  • Race to rearrange travel as a consequence.
  • Strike called off.
  • Got middle economy seat after last minute flight cancellation, my first middle seat in years (I usually go for an aisle seat in economy - yes I have been spoilt).
  • Fantastically scenic but odd flight (scheduled once per week) to complete (for now) my aim of flying every flight in Air NZ network.
  • Stay at a newly renovated hotel which has also just converted to a major chain.
  • Preparations for upcoming trip.
  • Reflection on the journeys I have taken this year.
  • Planning for some 2010 travel.

Friday, December 18, 2009

How to get to | France

This is part of a series of blog entries on how to get to countries and places. Here is a link to the index. I plan to eventually cover every country and some other places. If you have a request for a particular country or place please use the email me link at top right, or leave a comment.

France

This post is about how to get to France generally. There is also a post more specifically on how to get to Corsica, France.

Source: Wladyslaw Sojka

France is one of the easiest countries to visit. You can arrive by train from several countries (including United Kingdom via the Chunnel), ditto for bus, car, ferry (UK, Ireland, north Africa, Italy) and boat along the Rhine. Many airlines fly to France (mostly Paris), including:
  • Star Alliance - Adria, Air Canada, Air China, ANA, Asiana, Austrian, blue1, bmi, Brussels (joining *A soon), Continental, Croatia, EgyptAir, LOT, Lufthansa, SAS, Singapore, Swiss, TAP, Thai, Turkish, United, US Airways
  • Oneworld - American, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Malev, Royal Jordanian
  • Sky Team - Aeroflot, Aeromexico, Air Europa, Air France, Alitalia, China Southern, Czech, Delta, Kenya Airways, KLM, Korean
  • Other selected - most European (western, central and eastern) airlines including low cost airlines, most Middle Eastern and North African airlines

TIP If longhaul fares to Paris are high check fares for London, Amsterdam and Brussels. From all these cities there are high speed trains to Paris as well as several flight options.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

British Airways Christmas strike is off

To the great relief of a million travellers, a court ruling has cancelled the BA strike that was to be held by cabin crew between 22 December and 2 January. British Airways and the union have not resolved their differences, so a strike in 2010 is still possible but it cannot be held until after another vote. So BA flights are safe for at least the next month.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Strike season

Adding to the normal holiday season travel hassles are several strikes and an airline failure.

  1. British Airways cabin crew (Unite union) on strike from 22 December to 2 January.
  2. Some airport ground staff (coincidentally also Unite union) at Aberdeen and London Heathrow on strike 22-23 December, 26-27 December and 3-4 January. Affected airlines include Air France-KLM, Atlantic and Wideroe at Aberdeen and Emirates, Thai and Turkish at Heathrow.
  3. Some Qantas engineers on strike 17-21 December and again in January.
  4. Eurostar staff on strike 18-19 December and 26-27 December.
  5. UK budget airline flyglobespan has shut down.

Good luck to all those impacted. For some general advice, see my post on travel strikes from 2 years ago.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

British Airways strike (22 Dec to 2 Jan) update #1

There are a few options for affected customers (ie those booked to fly BA between 20 December and 4 January), although these will not necessarily solve all issues.

1) Right to cancel with cancellation penalties waived.

2) Right to change dates within 12 months with change fee waived.

3) If your ticket is a flexible fare (eg a Oneworld Explorer) you may be able to reroute, switch airlines or change dates in accordance with fare rules.

4) When flights are cancelled you can be rebooked on other airlines.

So far BA has not yet cancelled flights but instead has blocked every flight from being sold (to cap the number of people they need to deal with). People with affected flights who have the means (ie lots of $$) to book refundable tickets on other airlines are doing so because there may be no options available by the time BA gets around to cancelling their flight. On many routes which British Airways flies the flights operated by other airlines are now either sold out or have only very expensive fares available for purchase.

The situation is fluid and will change from day to day. So it is important to keep informed (refer to news and advice on BA.com and sites such as Flyer Talk) and also to be in close contact with your travel agent if your ticket was bought through one.

How to get to | Comoros

This is part of a series of blog entries on how to get to countries and places. Here is a link to the index. I plan to eventually cover every country and some other places. If you have a request for a particular country or place please use the email me link at top right, or leave a comment.

Comoros

Source: Sascha Grabow

Other than catching a ride on a supply ship from Madagascar (in itself difficult to travel around), the only way to visit Comoros is by air. A few airlines fly to the capital of Moroni, including:
  • Star Alliance - none
  • Oneworld - none
  • Sky Team - Kenya Airways
  • Other selected - Comores, African Express, Air Austral, Air Madagascar

TIP An award or around the world ticket on Sky Team (Kenya Airways) is a good option for travellers from central and northern Africa, Europe or beyond.

TIP Otherwise, if not starting from Kenya or Tanzania it is difficult and expensive to reach Comoros. Allow plenty of time for connections across separate tickets and infrequent flight schedules.

Monday, December 14, 2009

British Airways strike confirmed 22 Dec to 2 Jan

The results of the BA cabin crew ballot are in, and a British Airways strike for 12 days over Christmas has been announced. Sometime today BA will respond with an announcement on how it intends to deal with the strike and assist affected passengers.

The risk averse, particularly those flying BA on or before Christmas Day, should already have made or now be making alternative plans (eg see my previous post on the potential strike).

Passengers affected by the strike, some of whom do not have the option of buying an extra ticket on another airline, rerouting voluntarily or changing dates, are waiting to see what help BA will provide (as they must under EU reg 261/2004). BA should start contacting passengers flying on 22nd in the next couple of days and then continue with passengers flying on later dates.

In my case I have 3 BA flights in the strike period, none in the first couple of days of it. I am sitting tight for now - there is a chance the strike may be called off. If it is not then I have some unpalatable choices about contingencies to make later this week. I have already researched other airline options to my destinations, and backup accommodation if I get stuck en route. I won't be waiting too long to make any changes because the alternatives will quickly sell out now the strike has been confirmed.

Never a dull moment

My travel life is never dull.

The inaugural flight I referred to (Rotorua to Sydney in case you are wondering) not only was special for being an inaugural flight but had added unplanned drama.

1) Nearly missing the flight due to bad weather - I needed to fly to Rotorua but the airport was marginal for a few hours.
2) The flight nearly being called off due to the bad weather.
3) Police escorting passenger off the aircraft after we'd all boarded. This delayed the flight by nearly an hour. The last time I'd seen this was last year in Russia.
4) Almost missing my onward flight (65 minutes scheduled transit time most of which was lost due to the late arrival).

Sunday, December 13, 2009

How to get to | Sri Lanka

This is part of a series of blog entries on how to get to countries and places. Here is a link to the index. I plan to eventually cover every country and some other places. If you have a request for a particular country or place please use the email me link at top right, or leave a comment.

Sri Lanka

Source: Bernard Gagnon

The main way to reach Sri Lanka is by air. Airlines flying to Colombo include:
  • Star Alliance - Singapore, Thai
  • Oneworld - Cathay Pacific (from Hong Kong, Bangkok and Singapore), Royal Jordanian
  • Sky Team - none
  • Other selected - most Indian airlines, many Persian-Gulf and Malaysian airlines

TIP There is plenty of competition from Chennai, Bangkok and Singapore. If you cannot get a reasonable fare to Colombo from elsewhere in Asia or further afield check the option of separate tickets via one of these 3 places. Don't forget to allow plenty of time to connect (eg a day).

TIP There are not many low cost airlines flying to Colombo. Air Asia from Kuala Lumpur, a couple of European airlines during northern winter season and several Indian airlines.

TIP Around the world or longhaul award tickets to Colombo on Star Alliance or Oneworld are fairly easily obtained via Bangkok or Singapore, as long as the booking is made early enough. This may change as Sri Lanka returns to being a popular tourist destination now the Tamil-related violence is gone.

TIP Several airlines operate a triangle flight with short hop between Male and Colombo in either or both directions connecting to a longhaul destination in Europe, Middle East or Asia. If fares to/from Colombo are high check them to/from Male instead with a separate ticket for the extra flight.

TIP In the past Colombo has had very low longhaul premium (ie first and business class) fares (to North America, Europe or around the world). So low that many people travelled to Sri Lanka to get these cheap tickets. The best bargains are long gone due to fare increases and currency movements, however from time to time there are some cheap longhaul fares that are worthwhile as long as you can get to Sri Lanka cheaply or easily.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Inaugural flight fun

I'm looking forward to my 13th inaugural flight soon. They are usually a lot of fun. I wonder what surprises the airline has in store for us?

Due to aircraft scheduling this one is a bit odd in that the first flight on the international route is headed to the home country not from it as is normally the case. I hope that doesn't curtail pre-departure festivities.

Wednesday, December 09, 2009

Quick Questions

I get a stream of travel questions in my email, which I'm happy to help answer. Sometimes I get questions posted as comments on unrelated posts. Those are generally more difficult to deal with, in that replying as a comment is off topic for the post and if I don't have an email address I can respond privately.

Email is my preferred medium for dealing with travel questions, but copying the idea from One Mile at a Time, I'm also happy for questions to be asked as comments in this post.

Tuesday, December 08, 2009

Sheraton photo sharing site

Sheraton has launched a new site called Sheraton Shared Moments, Shared Moments or Sheraton Moments (all 3 names are used in confusing branding). The site doesn't (yet) do much. You can upload pictures with a brief comment.

If you want to be enticed to share your pics, they have a competition to win one of 5 week-long stays at a selected Sheraton (Diana Majestic in Milan, Lisboa Hotel & Spa in Lisbon, Stockholm in Stockholm, La Caleta Resort and Spa in Tenerife and Miramar Resort El Gouna Red Sea in Hurghada). The competition is only open to residents of UK, UAE, Belgium, Denmark, Norway & Sweden.

Monday, December 07, 2009

Sale fatigue or playing the odds of a better sale?

I think I've been spoilt this year. There have been too many airfare and accommodation sales.

Today I went to book a great sale air fare only to back at at the final purchase to confirm stage because my inner voice asked if this was really the best rate I could get for that particular trip.

I also went to book several nights of accommodation for a few upcoming trips in an Intercontinental "72 hour" sale (sneak link here for early bookings in the really 96 hour sale period). These 72 hour sales have been recurring throughout the year. Once again I found myself backing out of booking at the final step figuring I may be able to do better booking later and there is no urgency to book these nights.

Hopefully it doesn't come back to bite me later with higher rates.

Sunday, December 06, 2009

Reflections & lending a hand up

The end of the year and start of a new one is a time for reflection for many, including me.

I have a lot to be thankful for, and so one of the ways I give back to those less fortunate is through Kiva. For other travellers (or anyone) who wishes to give someone poor an opportunity and a hand up I urge you to consider a Kiva loan too. This isn't charity per se, but is a helping hand to those who can use it. You pick who receives your loan, which can be as little as US$25, from the many people and groups vetted by microfinance organisations around the world. There are also Kiva gift certificates if you are stuck for a holiday present idea.

If you are on Flyer Talk, you can join the FT Kiva team (see the Kiva thread for more info).

Friday, December 04, 2009

Iraq and airport security

Over on the A Wing and a Prayer blog, Gray has finally posted the long-awaited report on his flight to Erbil (or Arbil) in Iraq. I'd flown this route about 18 months ago and blogged about the unusual descent to land in Iraq and a couple of other aspects of the flight, and so I was interested in his take on it as well as whether there have been significant changes.

However, one comment Gray makes in the post has gotten my attention. He prefers security checks to be at the gate (as they are in Vienna and Berlin for example) rather than centralised (in most USA airport terminals).

Some of the airports I fly through regularly (eg Singapore and Wellington) also have security checks at the gate. I'm no fan of them.

1) If there is a last minute gate switch you often need to go through security again.

2) In most airports there are limited facilities beyond gate security checkpoints. Fine if you can always time it just right for boarding a flight. Not so good if boarding is delayed or if you are directed to go to the gate earlier than necessary by an announcement over the PA or on the departure monitors. I'd much rather spend extra time in the lounge, or shops, and head to the gate at the last minute.

3) When there is a tight connection a security check at the gate may be the difference between making the onward flight and misconnecting. Centralised security generally means no security for transits, at least for domestic travel (plus within the Schengen zone in Europe) within the same airport terminal.

I've flown enough to appreciate that centralised security can also have downsides. Notably when you are stuck in an enormous queue and running late for your flight. If you were in a queue at gate security instead you might get picked out of the line so you can make the flight or be sharing a queue with other passengers on the same flight (thus it may be held for you). However, this ignores the queues for security checkpoints at the gate can also be long and be shared amongst multiple flights.

It also ignores that centralised security by definition makes full use of all the security officers, whereas security at the gate may have some gates manned with no queues while other gates have lengthy queues.

In summary, centralised security should be more efficient than security at the gate - less screening of transitting passengers and more consistent usage of available security officers and equipment. Which type do you prefer?

Thursday, December 03, 2009

Countdown to World Cup 2010 draw

With the World Cup draw a day away there are many people waiting to book flights within South Africa once they know where their teams are playing.

It is shaping up as a logistical nightmare. The venues are far enough apart that for most fans who wish to follow a team and see more than one game there is no choice but to fly. The domestic airlines simply do not have enough aircraft to take all the fans who wish to move from one venue to another, and so it is likely there will be a significant number of charter flights operating. To date there has been no details of the charter flights.

Some people will take no chances, so I expect the websites and phone lines of the main South African airlines will be clogged tomorrow. The airlines include:

  • South African Airlines
  • Comair (British Airways subsidiary)
  • Kulula
  • 1time

Tuesday, December 01, 2009

How to get to | Index

I have started a series of blog entries on how to get to various countries and places. To help make it easier to find a specific entry, this post will serve as an index and will be kept up-to-date with links to all the other posts.

Currently 98 countries and 23 places have been posted. Ultimately I plan to cover every country and some interesting places. If any reader wishes me to blog soon on a particular country or place please use the contact me link or leave a comment.

Countries & Places

North America, Central America & Caribbean
Barbados
Belize
Costa Rica
Cuba
El Salvador
Grenada
Guatemala
Haiti
Mexico
Panama
St Vincent and the Grenadines
Trinidad and Tobago
United Kingdom
- place Cayman Islands
USA
- country USA
- place Alaska
- place Hawaii
- place Puerto Rico

South America
Argentina
Bolivia
Chile
- country Chile
- place Easter Island (aka Rapa Nui or Isla de Pascua)
Colombia
Ecuador
- country Ecuador
- place Galapagos Islands
Paraguay
Peru
Uruguay
Venezuela

Atlantic Ocean
Denmark
- place Greenland
Iceland
UK
- place Falkland Islands (aka Malvinas)

Africa
Algeria
Angola
Djibouti
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Lesotho
Libya
Morocco
Mozambique
Namibia
Somalia
South Africa
Sudan
Swaziland
Tunisia
Western Sahara

Europe
Albania
Andorra
Austria
Belgium
Croatia
Cyprus
Finland
France
- place Corsica
Greece
Ireland
Kosovo
Liechtenstein
Malta
Monaco
Montenegro
Norway
- country Norway
- place Svalbard
Poland
Portugal
Slovakia
Sweden
Ukraine
United Kingdom
- place Scotland

Middle East & Caucasus
Azerbaijan
Bahrain
Iraq
Israel
Kuwait
Oman
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Turkey
United Arab Emirates
- place Abu Dhabi
- place Dubai
Yemen

Indian Ocean
Madagascar
Maldives
Mauritius

Asia
Afghanistan
Bangladesh
Bhutan
Brunei
Burma (aka Myanmar)
Cambodia
China
- place Hong Kong
Indonesia
- country Indonesia
- place Bali
Laos
Malaysia
- country Malaysia
- place Sabah
Mongolia
Nepal
North Korea
Pakistan
Philippines
Singapore
South Korea
Taiwan
Timor Leste (aka East Timor)
Turkmenistan
Vietnam

Australia & nearby
Australia
- country Australia
- place Lord Howe Island
- place Norfolk Island
Papua New Guinea
Timor Leste (aka East Timor)

Pacific Ocean
Chile
- place Easter Island (aka Rapa Nui or Isla de Pascua)
Cook Islands
Fiji
France
- place Noumea (New Caledonia)
- place Tahiti (French Polynesia)
Nauru
New Zealand
- country New Zealand
- place Tokelau
Niue
Palau
Samoa (Western Samoa)
Tonga
USA
- place American Samoa
- place Guam
- place Hawaii

Antarctica
- place Antarctica


Create your own visited map of The World

Monday, November 30, 2009

How to get to | Samoa

This is part of a series of blog entries on how to get to countries and places. Here is a link to the index. I plan to eventually cover every country and some other places. If you have a request for a particular country or place please use the email me link at top right, or leave a comment.

Samoa
Source: Robyn Gallagher

Some cruise ships and freighters visit Samoa from other South Pacific islands and also Australia and New Zealand. However, most visitors to Samoa arrive by air at Apia. Airline options are limited to regional carriers.
  • Star Alliance - Air New Zealand from Auckland, Tonga and Los Angeles)
  • Oneworld - none
  • Sky Team - none
  • Other selected - local airlines to Pago Pago (American Samoa), Air Pacific from Fiji, Virgin Blue subsidiaries from Sydney Brisbane and Auckland
TIP Fares from Auckland, Fiji and Australia are relatively cheap, except in school holidays or if there is a major event on in Samoa.

TIP Air New Zealand has through-fares from UK and USA to New Zealand and Australia that allow an en-route stopover at Cook Islands, Samoa or Tonga for little or no extra $.
TIP Awards in business class between USA and New Zealand are easier to get via the islands than on non-stop flights.
TIP On a Star Alliance round the world fare, which is distance based, it is much more efficient to fly Auckland to Apia to Los Angeles or vice versa than doubling back via Auckland (Los Angeles to Auckland to Apia to Auckland).

Thursday, November 26, 2009

How to get to | Paraguay

This is part of a series of blog entries on how to get to countries and places. Here is a link to the index. I plan to eventually cover every country and some other places. If you have a request for a particular country or place please use the email me link at top right, or leave a comment.

Paraguay
Source: Wikimedia Commons

Visitors to Paraguay arrive by bus from all neighbouring countries (except Bolivia), by cargo boat from Brazil, or by air at Asuncion. Airlines flying to Paraguay include:
  • Star Alliance - none
  • Oneworld - none
  • Sky Team - none
  • Other selected - TAM and other South American airlines

TIP Paraguay cannot be included on the standard alliance around the world fares, and no major airlines fly to Asuncion. However, TAM is a partner of some frequent flyer programs and thus awards are possible.

TIP From outside South America, first fly to Buenos Aires (see the how to get to Argentina post for some tips) and then get a separate ticket to Asuncion by bus or air.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

New route, new hotel

I've mentioned before that one of my travel goals is to fly all the routes of an airline (over 100 routes). Naturally this is a shifting target as new routes get added from time to time, and old routes removed. I've achieved this goal twice, temporarily, and will do so again shortly.

Air New Zealand has a new route which I'll be flying. There is also one current route I have not yet flown, although I'm undecided on whether it counts or not toward my goal. The reason - it is a special flight which combines two destinations from one origin, and thus flies between two small regional airports which normally would not have flights between them. The flight is once per week, and doesn't operate all the time. Is it a regularly scheduled service if flights are this infrequent and sporadic?

Recently I decided that I would, after all, fly this route. The thing that helped me decide was the schedule requires an overnight stop at a nice regional place, and a hotel has been newly rebranded to a major chain. This the first international chain hotel at this tourist spot, only the second hotel of this chain in the country, and supposedly one of only a handful of 5 star hotels in the country. So I'll get a nice weekend stay in a very pretty and interesting place, fly another odd route, and try out a newly refurbished and supposedly very nice hotel. I'm sold.

Oh yeah, I also get some hotel points which will prevent my modest balance in that program from expiring, so the "value" of the stay is really in excess of the points I'll earn there.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Emirates Skywards major devaluation

About 6 weeks ago I posted the news that Emirates Skywards will have a major overhaul effective 1 January 2010.

In short the frequent flyer program will be more closely aligned to revenue than it currently is. Earning rates depend on fare basis and the class of service factors for business and first class are higher.

Since the announcement, Emirates has drip-fed more detailed information including the new geographic zones (from 2010 both earning and redemption is zone-based), and new earning & depemption charts. After crunching the numbers on hundreds of routes, the conclusion is unmistakeable - this is a significant devaluation.

Geographic zones

The current program has 13 geographic zones for awards. From 1 January 2010 there will be 18 zones for both earning and redemption. Mostly these are unchanged from the existing zones, except:

  • America split into 3 zones - North America west (which includes Houston), North America east and South America
  • Australia/NZ split into 3 zones - Australia west (ie Perth), Australia east and New Zealand
  • Cyprus switches from Near East to Europe South
  • Cities near to Dubai (ie Bahrain, Doha and Muscat) switch from the Home zone to Middle East

The consequences of the America & Australasia zone splits are to make some awards cheaper for cities closest to Dubai, and some awards more expensive for cities further from Dubai.

Cyprus awards are more expensive.

Cities near to Dubai now have a small extra award mileage cost relative to the equivalent award to/from Dubai.

The new charts have a disclaimer that the figures are based on the most direct route between zones. Since Emirates has lots of tag flights (ie flights between cities other than Dubai), it is unclear how to interpret the new earning & redemption rates on some routes. For example between Asian Sub-continent south and Far East there are some direct flights (Male to Jakarta for instance) but between most city pairs travel would need to be via Dubai (eg Colombo to Seoul). How are the rates determined in those cases?

As the Emirates route map changes frequently, Skywards members will need to pay attention to changes in the zone earning rates. This could be a positive or a negative depending on changes to the routes and how quickly Skywards reacts. It certainly is a nuisance and is a drawback of using geographic zones so heavily in a frequent flyer program (incidentally Air NZ Airpoints also uses zones, but the issue is less relevant for them due to their much more limited route network and less active changes in that network).

Awards relatively unchanged

The good news is that on the whole award costs are the same in the new chart as the existing one. There are some increases (mostly associated with the zone changes) and some decreases.

This is particularly reassuring to those who have a sizeable stash of miles, given the short notice to cash them in on the old award charts if the rates had increased significantly.

The new ability to redeem one-way awards is a genuine improvement.

Upgrades costly

The new upgrade costs are much higher than the old costs. Upgrades from flexible fares are generally slightly higher than the old upgrade cost (with some slightly cheaper and some much higher), and upgrades from saver fares are generally 30-40+% higher than the old upgrade cost.

In most cases the new mileage cost to upgrade from economy saver to business is almost as high as the cost of a business award.

Earning rates slashed

The most significant change is to the earning rates. Emirates spun the changes as being an enhancement to the class of service bonus. While it is true the mileage earned for first class relative to economy class (flexible fares) is higher from 1 January 2010, this has been achieved by reducing almost all the earning rates as outlined below.

The 2009 earning rates are 100% mileage in economy, 150% in business and 200% in first.

The 2010 earning multiples are 50% for economy saver, 100% for economy flexible fares, 125% for business saver, 175% for business flexible fares, 200% for first saver and 250% for first flexible. However the base mileage earning between the zones is roughly 80-90% of the typical distance flown.

The result is marginally higher earning on flexible first and business fares, a 15% drop in earning on saver first fares, a 30% drop in earning on saver business fares and a whopping 55% drop in earning on saver economy fares. Some routes have smaller or bigger changes in earning than these generalisations. Most people fly on saver fares because the definition includes all fares not fully refundable, fares which are available for a limited period or are non-published, and all fares which include other airlines.

Status more difficult to achieve

In more PR spin, Emirates trumpeted that the elite status requirements were unchanged. Of course now we see the detail of the earning rates it is immediately obvious that from next year it will be harder to earn Silver or Gold status.

Summary

The changes remove most of the anomalies in the existing program, and at the same time represent a significant devaluation.

With both earning and redemption being fixed amounts based on zone and fare, the earn to burn ratios are relatively constant. The earn to burn ratios on Skywards from 1 January 2010 are generally in the 8-10% range, with some as poor as 5% and some as good as 15%. This represents much worse value than most US-based frequent flyer programs, for example.

These changes are big enough for me to rethink my plans for some premium longhaul trips on Emirates for 2010.

Monday, November 23, 2009

E-tickets are more convenient, yeah right

Ticketing 'bot fails

I have finally received the last ticket bought in the Oneworld 10th anniversary sale, which ended 3rd November. The quick and supposedly automated online booking process got stuck and required some chasing up to get human intervention to push the ticketing through. I knew I needed to do this because I did not receive an email e-ticket (although did get the quick booking confirmation) and verified using the various online tools such as checkmytrip that the ticket had not been issued (as opposed to a glitch with the email). When the booking is ticketed these online tools should show a ticket number.

In this case the ticket would have been issued quicker as a manual paper one.

Passing the buck

There are reports on Flyer Talk of people needing changes mid-itinerary (eg during irregular operations) being forced to wait for the original ticketing airline to deal with it. Not so convenient when you are halfway around the world and the ticket desks of the ticketing airline are all closed because it is night time/weekend/public holiday for them.

With a paper ticket you can easily get changes from any airline on the ticket (subject to the rules of the fare of course). This also is possible with e-tickets, but only amongst airlines whose computer systems properly talk to each other. Other combinations (eg between American and Cathay Pacific) are "impossible" to change, or may be changed by one airline only to not stick. This is a worse issue because the first sign of problem may be later in the trip when the second airline tells you your ticket was cancelled (I've had this happen and it is not pleasant).

The passenger should not be required to have extensive knowledge of the workings of airline systems. I don't think it is too much to ask that processes for dealing with tickets involving multiple airlines should work seamlessly.

Still need paper

With few exceptions (eg in markets where mobile boarding passes are allowed), an e-ticket still requires the passenger to have a printout of the ticket information and itinerary. This is to show immigration/security if needed (they do not have access to airline reservation or ticketing systems), and also as backup when computer systems fail.

Earlier this year I encountered an airline's total computer failure while flying. As I didn't have a printout with me, ultimately they had to accept my word that I was booked on the flight (with a check that the passenger numbers tallied their register). Fortunately for me, I have status with that airline and they were happy to accept my word, so I wasn't stranded. Not everyone would be so lucky.

More restrictions

It seems like yesterday that around the world tickets could have 24 or 28 or more flights in the itinerary. With paper tickets there is no limit on the number of flights - you just add more coupons. E-tickets, however, have a strict 16 sector limit. So around the world fare rules were changed to reflect this. There was no reduction in fare to compensate for this devaluation.

The issue, however, is more than the loss of value. The limit creates difficulties if a 16 sector itinerary requires additional flights, for example when an airline ceases to operate a route. If a reroute with additional flights is required, better hope it is late in the itinerary when the airline can just delete the older (already flown) sectors to keep within the 16 sector limit. If it is early in the itinerary, or before the start, then a mess is created. It hasn't happened to me yet, but with several complicated 16 sector itineraries ticketed for travel next year it probably is a matter of time until I have to deal with this issue.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

How to get to | Haiti

This is part of a series of blog entries on how to get to countries and places. Here is a link to the index. I plan to eventually cover every country and some other places. If you have a request for a particular country or place please use the email me link at top right, or leave a comment.



Haiti

Source: Wikimedia Commons


Entry to Haiti is by air or by bus from Dominican Republic (Santo Domingo to Port Au Prince is the easiest option). Airlines flying to Haiti (Port Au Prince) include:
  • Star Alliance - Air Canada
  • Oneworld - American
  • Sky Team - Air France (but not from Paris - see below), Delta
  • Other selected - some Caribbean airlines, some North American low cost airlines

TIP Air France flies to Haiti on a milk run between Miami and French Guyana.

TIP The routes with reasonable competition on them are Montreal, Miami/Fort Lauderdale and to a lesser extent New York JFK. Paris Orly also has some low cost airlines flying to & from Haiti.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Get expert tailored frequent flyer advice + tickets to "Up in the Air"

Wendy Perrin of Conde Naste Traveler has teamed up with frequent flyer guru Randy Petersen in a great giveaway. For the winners, not only will their frequent flyer questions be answered by experts but they also get tickets to the New York preview of the FF movie of the year "Up in the Air" starring George Clooney. There are 10 pairs of movie tickets, and at time of writing less than 40 entries, so the odds are great.

To enter post your FF problem or question over at The Perrin Post (you may want to subscribe to get Wendy's great travel advice and news while you are there).

Friday, November 20, 2009

Links

I'm continually adding links to useful and interesting travel-related sites I come across.

Please check back at my links page from time to time (also accessible from the sidebar)

Thursday, November 19, 2009

United eggs on extreme mileage runners, again

No I'm not referring to double or triple EQM (elite qualifying miles) promotions. Last year United Mileage Plus had an Elite Choice Team competition, where the winning 50 teams (of 4 people) earned 1 million redeemable miles (all these to be shared between each team) plus some other lesser prizes.

The 2010 individual Elite Choices are not as lucrative but once again appeal to competitive insane Flyer Talkers. Top billing is for the first 50 people to reach 250,000 EQM or 250 EQS (elite qualifying segments) - they get 50,000 redeemable miles (on top of the pile of miles earned) and also get 1K status (with all the attendant Star Alliance gold benefits) to gift to a nominated person.

Another great, but hard to get, prize is for the person who in a calendar month earns the most EQM from United flights - 2 SWUs (systemwide upgrades good for any one-way trip between stopovers) and also Premier Executive status (also Star Alliance gold) to gift to a nominated person.

To show how lucrative this could be for someone flying an insane amount, take the following hypothetical.

Suppose you win both of the prizes mentioned above (most United flying in a calendar month and also in the first 50 to reach 250,000 EQMs in 2010). Suppose also you currently do not have any United status. While reaching 250k EQMs you would earn at a minimum (ignoring everything other than the Elite Choices promo):

  • up to 250,000 redeemable miles from flying depending on fare class and airline
  • potentially a significant amount of redeemable miles from credit card spend
  • 25,000 redeemable miles or gift of Premier status at 125k EQMs
  • 25,000 redeemable miles or gift of Premier Exec status at 175k EQMs
  • 50,000 redeemable miles from 250k EQMs prize
  • gift of 1K status from 250k EQMs prize
  • 2 SWUs from most United flying in a month prize
  • gift of Premier Exec status from most United flying in a month prize
  • up to 6,250 redeemable miles from the Premier 25% bonus miles on United flights (between 25k and 50k EQMs)
  • up to 200,000 redeemable miles from the Premier Executive and 1K 100% bonus miles on United & Continental flights (after 50k EQMs)
  • up to 88 of 500-mile region 1 upgrades from the 4 500 mile region 1 upgrades per 10k EQMs on United after 25k EQMs
  • up to 2 confirmed region 1 upgrades (CR1s) from flying 10k miles on United in a quarter
  • 6 SWUs on qualifying for 1K (credited at end of 2010)
  • 6 SWUs from 2 SWUs per 50k EQMs starting at 150k EQMs in a calendar year
  • up to 25% of the way to Million Mile status (if all EQMs are from United flights)

I've assumed all this flying happens in the first quarter & so have ignored the new unlimited United domestic upgrades system.

If all the flying is on United, and assuming take the bonus miles option this comes to a total of:

  • up to 556,250 redeemable miles (before any other promotions, minimum mileage, credit card earn, etc)
  • 14 SWUs (8 of 2010 vintage and 6 of 2011 vintage)
  • 88 500-mile upgrades
  • 2 CR1s
  • 1 gift Premier Exec status
  • 1 gift 1K status
  • 1 sore butt

I'm not an expert on United Mileage Plus, so hopefully my maths is right. Please correct me if not.

That is a lot of bennie for some crazy enough to do a lot of flying on United (or slightly less benefits if flying other Star Alliance airlines). How much flying? Well 250k EQMs in a premium cabin is at least 167k flown miles, or roughly 7.5 times around the world. I have flown that distance in under 2 months, although admittedly not on United.

Monday, November 16, 2009

How to get to - updates for Continental & Mexicana

Since there have been a few key changes in the major alliances, the how to get to series of posts is currently being reviewed, and updated where necessary to keep the information useful.

The changes are:

  • Continental and Copa have left Sky Team
  • Continental has joined Star Alliance
  • Mexicana has joined Oneworld

The following "how to get to" posts have been amended (* denotes significant change to advice):

Saturday, November 14, 2009

A380 first class suites comparison - Emirates, Qantas and Singapore

This year I've been fortunate enough to fly in first class on A380 on all the airlines which operate it (excluding Air France which has just taken delivery of their first A380). I think it may be useful having a comparison between the three products.
In each case, the A380 first class is the best first class offering of the relevant airline. Singapore Airlines even has restricted bookings in this class to special paid fares and no awards (Qantas also had special paid fares for A380 first class initially but soon dropped this approach).
Emirates - Sydney to Auckland (picture from Emirates)

Qantas - Sydney to Singapore (picture from Creative Commons)
Singapore - Singapore to Melbourne (picture from Singapore Airlines)

Pre-departure

All 3 airlines treat A380 suites the same as any other first class on the airline - ie pretty well. This means a dedicated first class check in lane (Qantas in Sydney & Melbourne, and Singapore in Singapore also have a special curbside first class check in lobby), priority immigration queue, access to a nice first class lounge (or combined business & first class lounge in the case of Emirates), as well as priority boarding together with business class and frequent flyer elite passengers. Emirates also has airport limo transfers at both ends for first and business class passengers on most routes (including trans-Tasman).

Qantas in Sydney and Melbourne, and Emirates in Sydney, also have a priority security queue for first class, business class and frequent flyer elite passengers. At Singapore security is processed at the gate, and the gates used by A380 do not have a priority lane.

Onboard all three airlines you are escorted to your seat, offered a pre-departure drink (juice, water and champagne are offered but in practice you can request other drinks as long as they don't take too long to prepare). On Singapore Airlines the champagne is a choice of Krug or Dom (2000 vintage currently), on Emirates it is Dom and on Qantas it varies. Emirates also offers a date and shot of Arabic coffee before departure.

Menus are handed out before departure. Other amenities (pajamas, slippers, toiletry kit) may be handed out before or after departure. Note due to the short flight duration, my Emirates flight did not offer pajamas or the normal amenity kit, but did include slippers and a small collection of creams.

On all three airlines noise cancelling headphones are used. Qantas has the headphones ready in a cubby hole but doesn't switch on the IFE (except for the tail camera) until well after take-off, Emirates hands out the headphones before departure so you can start watching movies straight away, whilst Singapore Airlines doesn't hand out headphones until after departure.

The hard product

All three airlines have a suite for first class - ie at least partially private with lie flat bed and ability for couples to dine together. Emirates and Singapore Airlines have a relatively similar set-up - in contrast Qantas is quite different.

On Qantas and Singapore Airlines, first class suites are on the lower deck, but on Emirates they are on the upper deck. Qantas has 1-1-1 layout across the cabin with seats angled to the direction of travel, Singapore Airlines and Emirates are 1-2-1 layout with seats facing forward. This means Qantas is not so good for couples travelling together, Singapore Airlines has the widest suite, whilst Emirates makes use of the space beside the grand main stairs to provide 2 showers in well appointed shower rooms (limit to 15 minutes use per flight, with timeslot bookable). Emirates and Singapore Airlines A380 suites have doors, and Qantas does not, but due to the angled seat direction Qantas suites are almost as private as if they had a door.

All of these suites have plenty of legroom in bed or reclined mode, however Qantas has an odd arrangement whereby seats face forward for take-off and landing and this has minimal legroom. The Qantas (and I think Emirates too) seat can convert to a bed with you sitting in it, whereas with Singapore Airlines you need to get out for a minute while cabin crew converts it for you.

The tables are good in all three - large so that a couple can eat together, and somewhat adjustable, although Singapore Airlines table has less flexibility than the others.

Of the little touches, I like the double blind system used by Qantas - lower one set to cut out glare while keeping the suite light and lower the second set to darken, I like the several air nozzles in the Emirates suites but the mini bar is a bit gimmicky for my taste.

All three suites have large screens to watch the in flight entertainment. The selection is the widest of the various offerings by each airline - Qantas has a special system not available on their other aircraft, and both Emirates and Singapore Airlines have their renowned comprehensive entertainment options. I've flown Qantas A380 twice and both times the IFE crashed in my seat (and other seats). 2 flights is a small sample so I could have been unlucky there.

Qantas and Emirates have a special touch screen controller to adjust the various suite functions (seat/bed positions, lights, etc) and double up as IFE controller. Singapore Airlines has the more traditional handset plus buttons in the suite wall.

Soft product

On all three airlines, A380 first class has much the same soft product as other first class, and it is pretty good.

Singapore Airlines has a special menu for suite class (ie A380 first class) but really it is no different to first class menu for the same or equivalent route. All three airlines have great food and drink options, and the option to dine at your leisure (ie you pick the time to eat). One of my great pleasures of flying longhaul premium travel is the ability to take my time savouring a great wine and food menu. I think it is a mark of great crew to identify the pacing a passenger wishes to take and making sure they don't feel rushed or slowed down (in case of trying to get to sleep afterwards) unduly. I enjoyed a long slow meal with Singapore Airlines, for Emirates the flight is too short for maximum effect but there was some tailoring in the speed for each passenger, but with Qantas there was less flexibility offered in this regard - I felt rushed.

On the Sydney to Singapore flight Qantas has the degustation menu, which is a great way to sample many different foods with accompanying wine selections. Emirates had the least interesting food options, but for a 140 minute flight it was still very impressive (and far better than any on offer by any of the other 7 airlines flying the Tasman). Their longhaul menu was better still.

Cabin crew can make a world of difference to how a flight is enjoyed. Emirates and Singapore Airlines had great attentive staff who seemed to read minds when you wanted something. Qantas on the other hand continues to have a problem with consistent quality of cabin crew, and this was made worse with A380 by their decision to use staff on a newer contracting arrangement for this aircraft. Qantas appears to have accepted the negative feedback and since my flight has included other more experience crew in addition and is taking steps to improve quality all round.

How can you experience A380 suites for low cost?

Emirates flies A380 between Auckland and Sydney, and first class fares are relatively low (a little over US$1000 return). For longhaul look for fares from certain cheap originating Asian countries to Toronto. Otherwise, Skywards miles are easily able to be used on A380 first redemptions.

Qantas first class fares are never cheap. Look for British Airways premium sales to Australia - often these include first class (as return or one-way in business and one-way in first), and thanks to the joint services agreement on the kangaroo route these are bookable on the BA codeshare on the Qantas A380 flight as well. Otherwise, mileage redemptions are possible although hard to get unless using Qantas Frequent Flyer points (since QFF redemptions are opened at roughly 355 days before departure often prime awards are sold out by the time AAdvantage redemptions open at 330 days before departure).

Singapore Airlines blocks awards on A380 suites. You can get lucky, as I did, by booking an award on a flight operated by 747 before it is switched to A380. However, the easiest and surest way (for now) is to book first class between Singapore and Hong Kong and pick the A380 flight. Eventually Singapore Airlines must open up A380 suites to awards, but it has been over 2 years already with this policy.

Summary

I enjoyed the first class A380 suites experience on all three airlines. I certainly want to try Emirates on a longer flight. Qantas was the most different and also the most disappointing. I hope my experiences were an aberration as they have the potential for a very good service. Singapore Airlines offered all that I imagined, and lived up to their high reputation and my expectations from many prior flights on other aircraft.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask by comment and I'll try to answer.

Congratulations you've been upgraded, no just kidding

A marketing fail by Virgin Blue in my email.

First I got an email congratulating me for being upgraded to gold status despite being slightly short of the requirement.

Then later another email from Velocity Rewards (the frequent flyer program of Virgin Blue) saying, oops you weren't meant to get that email.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Frequent Flyer Friday #9

Celebrating Friday with a short interview with a frequent flyer.

Steven Frischling
Steven is globe hopping photographer who has branched out into travel and airline consultancy. He has an active blog, Flying with Fish, runs a small business, The Travel Strategist, and is a Director of Emerging Media [ed - ie he is on twitter a lot] for Innovation Analysis Group. When not travelling the world earning a stiff back and numb butt, Steven spends time with his family, watches the Boston Red Sox and shoots photos.


First, some questions to see what kind of frequent flyer Steven is.

What is your home airport?
Steven - New Haven-Tweed. This is a lovely little airport which currently has five flights a day all Dash-8 turboprops to Philadelphia. However, New York JFK always feels like home to me, having grown up right at the end of runway 4R/22L.

What is the airline you usually fly?
Steven - US Airlines, since it is the only airline to fly to New Haven so nearly all my trips include at least 2 flights on them. Prior to 2006 I mainly flew Delta but then they stopped flying to New Haven.

Which of the following best describes your flying pattern?
- infrequent (eg annual) leisure trip
- jetsetting for pleasure
- frequent (eg monthly) business travel
× road warrior
- mileage runner
× I live on planes
Steven - until last year when an unexpected health issue decreased my flying significantly I lived on planes. My travel will soon be picking up again but I plan to adjust my lifestyle to road warrior.

I hope you have a full recovery soon.

How do you mostly earn your frequent flyer miles?
- promos
- credit card spend
× business and leisure travel
- taking extra flights on trips I need to take
- mileage running
Steven - business travel, butt in seat (BIS) miles.

Please describe how you travel in 4 words.
Steven - Fast and light (OK, that is 3 words, sorry).

Now for some travel advice from Steven.

Flying with photography gear has its own challenges. What are the most common issues and how do you overcome them?
Steven - The most common issues most photographers face, both professional and hobbyist, is the desire to pack everything they own. This ads unneeded weight and decreases valuable space. Since checking camera gear can be risky, the biggest challenge is hauling everything you need on your back on the plane as carry-on. To avoid weight restrictions on certain European and Asian airlines I pack everything into a photo vest. I have managed to fly with a photo vest stuffed with 2 full-size pro bodies 8 lenses, a flash, a 12” Apple PowerBook and batteries. This is possible because a vest is clothing and is not weighed or counted as a carry-on bag.

Nice one. I can think of some non-photographer chronic overpackers who could benefit from that trick.

What is inside your carry-on bag right now?
Steven - Right now my Mountainsmith Endevour briefcase is loaded with a Sony PSP (Darth Vader limited edition!); eight UMD movie disks for the Sony PSP; my technology-run pack (CF card reader, USB cord, charger for laptop, iPhone, Blackberry, noise canceling headsets, 4 AAA batteries, international power outlet adapter, etc etc); Canon battery charger; Canon 20D; Canon 28-70f2.8; National Geographic Magazine; 2oz bottle of Purell; pack of disposable wipes; Kit Kat bar and a Moleskine notebook.

What is your preferred airline for regular travel, and why?
Steven - US Airways could be my preferred airline because it gets me home to kids. On the other hand I used to fly Delta on most of my domestic and international flights, which I always enjoyed. My preference for Delta dates back to when I was a kid watching their L-1011s fly over my house all day long.

What is your preferred airline for a special trip, and why?
Steven - I am not sure I have an answer to this question. If the Concorde were still flying I’d say British Airways or Air France just to get a shot on the Concorde, but now the airlines, even the great ones, are all pretty much the same. If I wanted a great layover experience I might say Virgin Atlantic for their arrivals lounge at London Heathrow; Korean Air for their lounge at Seoul Incheon or possibly KLM for the pure enjoyment of Amsterdam. If I was able to swing a first-class seat I might add Lufthansa to the list due to their First Class Terminal at Frankfurt, which I have been spoiled to use in the past.

Please give one of your great tips on travel.
Steven - When transiting through airport security enter the line completely prepared. Make sure your mobile phone, keys, wallet, pens, etc are off your body and secured. Place them in your bag or a zipped jacket pocket so they are out of sight and reach of airport thieves. Be as prepared as possible for the airport security process and never take your eyes off your items. The most common place to get targeted by an airport thief is in the security line.


Sound advice. It is much more difficult for the whole carry on bag to be taken than slipping, say, a wallet out of a tray.

What is your preferred frequent flyer program, and why?
Steven - Of all the programs I have used, I prefer British Midland/BMI’s Diamond Club. The program has a relatively low threshold, is low maintenance and offer fantastic value for mileage redemption.

Please give a tip on frequent flyer programs.
Steven - When choosing a frequent flyer program keep in mind the best program for you might not be that of the airline you fly most frequently. I fly US Airways most commonly and for the past few years I have chosen to place all my miles with BMI.

Thanks Steven Frischling for sharing some great travel advice and all the best for your evolving career. Have a great weekend.

For other frequent flyer friday posts please check out the index. If you have any questions you'd like answered, or wish to nominate someone for an interview, please drop me a line using the please use the contact me link. For all sorts of reasons I can't make any guarantees, but if you're interested chances are others are too and so we'll get some good interviews.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Learn the basics of frequent flyer programs

Fellow nomad Chris Guillebeau has launched a guide how to use frequent flyer miles and has requested for a quick review*. I like what he does so I'm happy to oblige.

I like the guide. It covers the basics well, and includes practical, real, examples. This will save someone unfamiliar with frequent flyer programs from making simple, common, mistakes. It will also save a lot of time on researching how to get the best value out of them. All the information in the guide is available on Flyer Talk and elsewhere, but it is hard to find because you have to know what to look for and the right questions to ask - tricky.

As with real life mileage earning opportunities, the guide does have a US bias. Most of the promotions referenced are current US-based ones (although some are also available to global residents). There simply are more ways to earn much more frequent flyer miles through non-flying activity if you live in USA and/or have USA-issued credit cards than if you live in Asia-Pacific for example. Chris acknowledges this towards the bottom of his sales pitch.

If you don't know the ins and outs of frequent flyer programs, or how to earn significant sums from non-flying activities, the $49 fee can easily be recouped in time & money saved, and not only covers the guide but additional resources such as updates on significant promotions for the next 6 months.

Chris offers a guarantee so you can try it out and be refunded if it doesn't work for you.

Since the guide is targeted for non (or newly) frequent flyers there is no discussion of elite status benefits. I don't think that is a problem, but it would be nice to point out that those flying more than 1 intercontinental trip or half a dozen transcontinental trips in a year have additional factors to consider.

There is also little mention of mileage upgrades, although I understand this will be coming in an update.



* as with all my reviews I receive no reward for making the review, and also do not accept any restrictions on what I can or can't say. I simply tell it how I see it.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Mega party - mega fun

Last week I was at Flyer Talk's star mega do - 7 Partners, 6 Airports, 5 Flights, 4 Days, 3 Aircraft, 2 Continents and 1 Alliance. It was a lot of fun (even though I only made it to half the event I'm still recovering).

Rather than ramble on here about what over 200 flying enthusiasts did for several days, I'll link to various sites with reports on the happenings.

Star Mega Do Flyer Talk thread (warning very long).

Trip reports
My trip report on Flyer Talk (includes travel to and from the party).

Colpuck's trip report.
LN-MOW's trip report.
SkiAdcock's trip report.
Violist's trip report.

Live blogging by Randy Petersen (The frequent flyer guru).
Live blogging by sbm12 (official Do blogger).

Pictures and video
Video of aborted landing at Toulouse.
Picture from outside of final approach at Toulouse.
Pictures from
LarryU
LH738
newbierunner
s2000hku
scott6067
SkiAdcock

Other
seatmap for ORD-EWR
seatmap for JFK-FRA
seatmap for FRA-OSL-TLS-FRA


Please let me know if you have other links for the party, and I'll add them.