How to get to | Malta

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.

Malta

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Several airlines fly to Malta including:

• Star Alliance - Austrian, Lufthansa, SAS, Turkish
• Oneworld - British Airways, Finnair
• Sky Team - Alitalia
• Selected other - Air Malta, several European low cost airlines (some seasonally), Emirates (from Dubai via Larnaca)

TIP Many airlines have codeshares on Air Malta flights. These are generally not able to be used on around the world tickets or awards, and may affect earning of frequent flyer miles. Check the operating airline.

TIP Avoid the peak summer travel period when demand is high.

Travel planning fail

As I work slowly towards my goal of going everywhere, I've been reprioritising some of my travel to try to mitigate some of the high costs of getting to hard to reach places.

I came to realise earlier this year that I needed to be a bit more strategic in how I travel. Yes, I still react to sales, and I still do trips on whims (such as going half way around the world to have lunch with a friend).

For some destinations I wish to visit, the affordable options dry up fast and so I should book as far ahead as I can. Conversely for other destinations I can see that potential/probable future airline alliance partners fly there, and for those I should wait until I can use awards or alliance fare products to reduce my costs. For example, for certain hard to get to African countries I should wait until Ethopian joins an alliance, or until Emirates starts flying there. Similarly, there are some places Continental flies to & I am waiting until they switch from Sky Team to Star Alliance.

It is thus becoming more difficult to plan my travels (along with some other new constraints I have). The increased currency volatility many countries are experiencing isn't helping either.

A few weeks ago I'd worked out a rough travel plan for the first six months of next year (following my itchy feet post). I haven't even ticketed the core part of that plan and already I've spent quite a bit of time tearing those plans apart. My new plan is to have a couple of core trips a year covering at least a few hard to reach places each, and leave the rest of my travel open to take advantage of opportunities as they arise.

A significant part of my internal struggle is the desire to go and see lots of places is too strong. I'm like a child waiting for Christmas.

Frequent Flyer Friday #4

Celebrating Friday with a short interview with a frequent flyer.

Seth - Wandering Aramean

Seth is a self-described chaotic traveler. He has an active blog, the Wandering Aramean, covering travel thoughts, news, and his many & varied journeys.

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

What is your home airport?
Seth - I'm based out of New York, equidistant from all three airports, and I use all three regularly. That being said, I find myself at Newark slightly more frequently than the others based on the train access and an affinity for Continental.

What is the airline you usually fly?
Seth - Continental is my main airline, although I'll fly anyone if the deal is right. I also fly a lot on United, generally crediting miles to bmi Diamond Club.

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

Seth - In the next month I'll be flying lots thanks to the JetBlue All You Can Jet deal. I like to fly and I like being on planes. I'll do whatever it takes to further that pursuit - given the opportunity to fly, I'll take it.

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

Seth - Some trips aren't pure mileage runs but rather a short weekend vacation. 12-36 hours anywhere generally seems like a good idea.

Please describe how you travel in 4 words
Seth - observant, fast-paced, anywhere, anytime

I'm getting the picture you'll go anywhere for a day or two at the drop of a hat. Does your unusual travel pattern cause any problems for you with security, immigration or customs?
Seth - I've yet to experience a problem. I came close once in Luxembourg of all places where I took 5 minutes to convince them I really was only spending 16 hours there (see Luxembourg report). Other than that it has all been smooth - I've been lucky thus far (knock on wood).


You've bought a JetBlue All You Can Jet Pass for one month of travel. Why did you buy this?
Seth - Even though I have to work the entire month of the JetBlue deal, I know there are opportunities for me to fly, see more airports and some cities along the way. It won't be a "value" play for me because I could just as easily not flown those weekends.


[Editor - I have my doubts that you wouldn't have been flying anyway!]


Having access to so many flights was too hard to pass up. I aim to visit around 25 JetBlue destinations during the month, all without missing any time from work. I love to fly and this is a great opportunity to do it on the cheap, even if it does mean showing up at work directly after flying for roughly 60 hours straight.

We can follow Seth's All You Can Jet adventures on his blog.

Now for some advice from Seth.

What is inside your carry-on bag right now?
Seth - Passport, netbook, kindle, DSLR camera, eyeshades and a toothbrush. Everything else is optional, but the "go" bag is always ready.

Please give a tip on travel.
Seth - Your flights are going to be delayed or cancelled every now and then. Remember that it isn't happening because the airline is out to screw you, and that sometimes life doesn't run smoothly. Use the opportunities presented to see something new or otherwise derive value where you might initially want to freak out and scream.

A great example happened to my wife and I in Paris a few years ago. I misread the train timetable and we managed to find ourselves in a 3-hour gap between trains instead of a 30 minute gap. Initially I was frustrated but we regrouped and soon managed to find a beautiful cemetery right around the corner from the train station. We filled a very pleasant and peaceful hour or so there.

What is your preferred airline for regular travel?
Seth - I generally fly Continental. Based in New York City they offer a great number of non-stop flights - not worrying about misconnections is nice. I also enjoy their domestic product and they have good partners with plenty of redemption options (almost all internationally, half in premium cabins).


United is my second choice, generally on QUP fares for the purpose of collecting insane amounts of bmi miles.


[Editor - QUP is a cheap form of first class fare for USA domestic flights, and favoured by many people on Flyer Talk for their mileage earning potential at relatively low cost.]

What is your preferred airline for a special trip?
Seth - I don't really have one. I enjoyed Air France l'Espace Affaires (business class) on my last "special" trip but it wasn't that special. One of my goals is to fly more in proper first and business class. Sadly most US-based airlines are not in that class.


What is your preferred frequent flyer program?
Seth - bmi Diamond Club provides great value in a number of ways - premium cabin awards, cash+miles redemptions, one way awards and allowing stopovers on most routings. Combined with the high earning rates for paid first and business class, they are a great program.


Second choice for me is Continental OnePass. It certainly has limitations (notably lack of certificate-based upgrades for elites) but the program is very consistent and transparent. I like that a lot.


Please give a tip on frequent flyer programs.
Seth - Never underestimate the value that partners of the program may add. In some cases these are more valuable than the host airline. Learning the nuances of the programs to be able to leverage your points for maximum value is well worth the time invested.


Thanks Seth for sharing some great advice. I look forward to reading about your adventures flying JetBlue on the AICJ Wandering Aramean and in the media. 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.

How to get to | Svalbard

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.


Svalbard

Source: Jens Kube

Svalbard are a group of islands to the north of mainland Norway. Visitors to Svalbard arrive by cruise ship during summer (some Iceland to Greenland cruises also visit Svalbard) or by air at Longyearbyen. The only scheduled flights are on SAS from Oslo and Tromso, and Norwegian Air Shuttle from Oslo. There are also a limited number of charter flights from Russia.


TIP Fares are very high so including Longyearbyen on a Star Alliance around the world ticket or award is good value.

How to get to | Bahrain

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.

Bahrain

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Visitors to Bahrain arrive across the King Fahd causeway, or by air. Flight options include:

• Star Alliance - EgyptAir, Lufthansa, Turkish
• Oneworld - British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Royal Jordanian
• Sky Team - KLM
• Other Selected - Gulf Air, most Middle Eastern airlines, some Indian and north African airlines

TIP Several airlines operate fifth freedom flights between Bahrain and other Middle East hubs (notably excluding Saudi Arabian airports). These can be relatively inexpensive.

TIP If visiting somewhere else in Middle East and flying on Gulf Air it is usually worthwhile on paid tickets to make the other place the destination with a stopover in Bahrain. The cost is the same or very little extra compared with Bahrain as destination. The opposite applies if flying other gulf airlines (ie if flying Emirates Gulf make Dubai the stopover and Bahrain the destination).

TIP If including Bahrain in a Star Alliance or Sky Team around the world ticket (which have a mileage limit) take a surface sector from one of the other Middle East hubs to avoid the need for lengthy backtracking due to lack of Asian connection.

TIP On a One World explorer around the world ticket (which is not mileage-based) you can either connect with Cathay Pacific or back-track via London on British Airways or Amman on Royal Jordanian. Backtracking via Hong Kong is not allowed because Middle East is in IATA TC area 2 and Asia is IATA TC area 3.

7 Travel Traps for Multiple Airports in the Same City

Some cities have more than one airport. These can complicate travel with some big traps for the unwary.

Some examples of cities with more than one airport include:

• Chicago - Midway, O'Hare
• London - City, Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton, Stansted
• Melbourne (Australia) - Avalon, Tullamarine
• Moscow - Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo
• New York - JFK, La Guardia, Newark, White Plains
• Rio de Janiero - Galeão, Santos Dumont
• Seoul - Gimpo, Incheon
• Tokyo - Haneda, Narita

Trap 1 - Go to the Wrong Airport

The most basic mistake is to turn up, or arrange pickup, at the wrong airport. It is a very easy mistake to make, and a trap that millions of people fall into every year.

Avoid this trap by always double-checking you have the right airport. This is particularly important for low cost airlines, some of which have a habit of referring to airports by the name of the nearest major city which is not the same as the main airport of that city. For example Hahn being called Frankfurt - they are two different airports.

Trap 2 - Assume Airports are Close

If an airport is referred to as being at a particular city you may assume it is close to it. When multiple airports are referred to as being at a particular city it may seem likely they are fairly close to each other.

In some cities with multiple airports they are relatively close together - eg New York's JFK, La Guardia and Newark airports are not too far apart. However more commonly airports may be more outlying, and a long way from the city and from each other - eg Tokyo Haneda and Narita are on different sides of the city with Narita a long train or bus ride into central Tokyo.

Some low cost airlines have a habit of using secondary airports a long distance from the city they refer to. For example Hahn is 1 hour 45 minutes away by bus from Frankfurt city, and Avalon is about an hour by bus from Melbourne city.

Avoid this trap by checking airport websites for transfer information.

Trap 3 - Connections Across Separate Airports

Some itineraries may require a transfer between airports. For example Bridgetown (Barbados) to Lagos (Nigeria) via London has the first flight arriving at Gatwick and the second departing from Heathrow.

You need to allow plenty of time to change airports. Eg British Airways requires 3 hours minimum connection time (MCT) if flying on the same ticket with a London connection across multiple airports. Journey time between Tokyo Narita and Haneda is 2 or more hours.

Avoid this trap by carefully checking draft itinerary arrival and departure airports including for transits. In some cases there may be flight options that do not require a terminal transfer. If you have no choice to change airports consider an overnight stop or all day transit to allow more time, especially if flying on separate tickets.

Trap 4 - Penny Wise, Pound Foolish

In most cases you also need to pay to transfer between airports, and this cost could be eye-wateringly high if there are no buses or trains available - for example a cab between Narita and Haneda (2+ hour travel time) is around ¥19,000 (about US$200). A saving in air fare (penny wise) can easily be more than offset by transfer costs (pound foolish).

Avoid this trap by researching transfer costs. If bus or train transfers exist these are likely to be cheapest. Also check taxi fares in case your flight is late &/or arrives outside the operating hours of the other public transport.

Trap 5 - Involuntary Transfer Between Airports

If you are travelling to a city with multiple airports and have same day onward flights you might end up with an involuntary transfer between airports if airlines change their schedules. For example someone with a New York JFK to Dubrovnik booking on British Airways (via London Gatwick) now faces a transfer between London Heathrow and Gatwick with the cancellation of JFK to Gatwick flights.

In this situation the airline may be morally obliged to assist with transfer costs and rebooking if the connection becomes impossible. However, this doesn't always mean they are legally obliged to cover additional costs borne. I am not a lawyer, but my interpretation of EU 261/2004 (article 8 para 3) is that in the New York to Dubrovnik example above British Airways is required to pay for the cost of transfer between Heathrow and Gatwick, and potentially other costs also (eg if an overnight stay in London is now required due to the change). Travel insurance would normally cover some consequential costs (eg forced en route accommodation in countries where airlines do not have to cover those costs).

Avoid this trap by trying not to use airlines that operate from two airports in the same city if possible, and where practical routing via cities with only one major airport (eg through Frankfurt or Amsterdam instead of London or Paris).

Trap 6 - Assume Airline Partners Use the Same Airport

It is easy to assume that airline partners, especially ones in the same alliance, all use the same airport in a city with multiple airports in order to simplify connections. This is not always the case. For example in Washington, United mainly uses Dulles airport while US Airways mainly uses Reagan/National.

Avoid this trap by checking airport websites (airline websites can be misleading if they simply refer to city name). Some alliances are actively moving to reduce across city connections by co-locating, eg some Star Alliance airlines have switched from Sheremetyevo to Domodedovo.

Trap 7 - Definition of Same City Varies

Some air travel "rules" allow for special treatment in cities with multiple airports. For example:

• a fare may be common-rated (the same at both/all airports), or may not be
• a city code such as NYC for New York may be used in some circumstances to avoid a land segment between airports such as arriving at La Guardia and departing from JFK (invaluable for around the world tickets which normally include land or surface sectors in the maximum number allowed)
• checked baggage may be transferred for you between airports deemed to be co-terminals (that is in the same city), whereas otherwise you'd need to carry the bags across to the second airport yourself

Unfortunately, different definitions of what is the same city are used for different purposes. Sticking with New York as an example, for some purposes White Plains is included and for other purposes it is not.

Avoid this trap by asking your airline or travel agent about it how it works for your circumstances.

Summary

I've given seven traps for travel involving cities with multiple airports, and ways to deal with each of them. What problems have you experienced?

How to get to | Taiwan

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.

Taiwan

Source: Wikimedia Commons

The easiest way to visit Taiwan is by air. Airlines flying to Taiwan (mostly Taipei Taoyuan airport) include:

• Star Alliance - Air China, ANA, Asiana, , Singapore, Thai, United
• Oneworld - Cathay Pacific, Dragonair, Japan
• Sky Team - China Southern, Delta, KLM, Korean
• Other selected - China Airlines (not to be confused with Air China), EVA, some Asian low cost carriers

TIP Some flights to mainland China (and domestic Taiwanese flights) use Taipei Songshan airport instead.

TIP There are lots of airlines flying between Tokyo and Taipei, including some fifth freedom flights (airlines not based in Taiwan or Japan) such as Northwest and United.

TIP Longhaul fares to and from USA and Canada are relatively cheap compared with other Asian hubs, especially in business class.

TIP Since earlier this year airlines have been allowed to schedule direct flights between China and Taiwan. Prior to this the only flights were very limited numbers of charter flights restricted to certain dates and passengers. However, at time of writing only 40 flights per day are allowed and demand is much higher than this. Until the restrictions are completely removed fares remain high and many will need to travel via Hong Kong, Macau or other hubs.

My links have moved

I have moved the links from the sidebar to a new page. This means the sidebar is less cluttered, but more importantly gives me space to explain why the links are in the link list. I hope you'll find this useful.

Here is a link to the new link page (there is also a link from the side bar). Hopefully the extra click to reach it is offset by adding more value to the list.

I'll keep adding to the link list from time to time so please check back regularly.

A day in my crazy life

Lots of my friends and family think that what I do is a bit odd or even disturbing. While I understand it is not for everyone I love it. Here's a summary of what I got up to yesterday as an example of a typical day, so you can be the judge.

3:30am Alarm goes off. !@#$ I just got to bed a few hours ago. I resist the temptation to sleep a little longer and go into autopilot mode to get ready.

4:00am Having showered, dressed & packed I'm out the door. I figure I just have enough time to take the bus to airport instead of a cab, so walk to the bus stop a mile away, weaving past the flocks of drunk teens along the way

5:35am Arrive at airport, bolt for check-in, pick up 4 boarding passes. Quickly through immigration, security and into the lounge. Enough time to spare to check messages and do a quick spot of work.

5:50am Board at final call for my first flight of the day. I try to sleep but the ride is rather bumpy today so instead I read some papers and mentally prepare some responses. I enjoy a quick chat with a flight attendant I've previously flown with on many flights.

9:00am (-2 hour time change) For some reason one immigration line is empty when there are queues at all the other lines. Yes! Use my "trick" to bypass the long customs queues and thus I'm landside in 5 minutes. A short walk to domestic terminal (I'd chosen this routing today for the ease of transfers). There are 2 lines at security - one has 20 people in wheelchairs. Naturally I take the other line.

9:10am In the lounge. Catch up on some messages, do some blogging and some research while waiting for my friend to arrive.

10:50am Friend arrives. We have brunch in the lounge. I check the upcoming flights are on track (last week I'd been held up for 5 hours due to fog - such a delay today would be disastrous). When his flight departs I then talked with another friend on another continent before it was time for me too to leave.

12:40pm Second flight of the day. A relatively short flight so I grab some work out of my bag and set to it, snatching looks out the window from time to time. The sun is shining brightly onto late season snow on the top of the ranges. The valleys are mostly obscured by cloud.

2:30pm A short transit so I bolted for the lounge. Caught up on messages, chat with another person to resolve a couple of issues. Progress is good. The tiredness is creeping in so I'm relieved when boarding is called.

2:45pm Third flight of the day. No work this time as I just try to sleep. Keeping papers in my bag also means I can disembark quickly as I have a lot to do on the next transit. The power nap on this flight refreshes me but I know it is only temporary relief.

4:00pm We arrive early but then have to wait for the airbridge. I speed walk out and across to the international terminal. My mood is soured at immigration when the officer stamps a valuable blank page in my passport. I hate this with a vengeance, for my passport gets filled so fast that pages suitable for visas are like gold. Unlike USA I cannot add pages. Pass through security. On the walk to the lounge I remonstrate myself for letting it get to me. Tiredness is not an excuse for being grumpy.

4:10pm Another lounge (the fourth of the day). I do some research and blogging, and have a couple of drinks. It has been a highly productive day, but it isn't over yet.

5:00pm Just enough time for a quick shower and dinner. I like to take dinner in the lounge before evening / night flights. That way I can maximise sleep onboard. Tonight I feel this is essential, for I have another night of little sleep ahead of me.

5:20pm Board the fourth flight of the day, and the second international flight. A very light load with just 22 passengers. Service is great, especially with another friendly, familiar flight attendant.

I started watching a movie while having a nightcap or two but soon realised I was dozing so gave up and got a proper sleep. This was shortlived as the flight time was 30 minutes quicker than normal due to strong tailwinds.

11:00pm (+2 hour time change) We pull into the furthest gate from immigration. Do some shopping at duty free en route. Long queues at customs and x-ray, but no secondary for me this time.

midnight Reach landside and head for sleeper's corner. The crowd is less than normal tonight. Catch up on the thrilling end of the big game. Chat with a friend for a bit and plan out my next day.

1:30am Find a bench to lie on (you didn't think my day was going to be glamorous did you?) and grab a couple of hours of much needed sleep.

3:30am Awakened by travellers on the first flights in and out of the day. There is still some time before domestic terminal opens so I move somewhere with better light and get some work done while I wait.

5:00am Walk to domestic terminal. The brisk early morning air feels good. Another travel day begins.

This was a fairly average day. Some days are more hectic, and others more surreal (the times when I fly longhaul first or business class I can't help but feel I'm in a dream). I do appreciate I'm lucky to have this life and so take the crazy days together with the more sane ones.

How to get to | Norfolk Island

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.

Norfolk Island

Source: Steve Daggar

Flights to Norfolk Island are limited to Air New Zealand (from Auckland) and Norfolk Air (to several cities in eastern Australia).

TIP With a very small local population, flight loads are highly dependent on tourist numbers. Thus there are often schedule changes and Norfolk Air has started and cancelled several routes in recent years.

TIP Fares from Australia or New Zealand are low, except possibly during school holidays.

Use maths and pyschology to get a better airline seat - flying with 3 others

Since I travel a lot, I pay close attention to getting the best airline seat that I can. It can make a big difference in onboard comfort.

In part one I stated there are at least as many aisle seats as window seats, and gave some common seat preferences. In this post I introduce some basic maths and pyschology and explain how I select seats on every different seat layout.

First some assumptions.

1. This post covers seat selection for passengers who are flying with three other people, assuming you want to sit together. Hopefully there won't be too many arguments over who gets the middle seat! If flying alone or with 1 or 2 other people please read the previous posts.
2. I assume you'd like to sit together with your travelling companions.
3. I assume that you prefer to be seated either in a window or an aisle seat wherever possible.
4. I assume you like to have space. An empty seat beside you is great for inflight comfort, especially in economy class.
5. Everything being equal a window seat with less seats to climb over to get to the aisle is preferred over one with more seats to climb over, and the same applies for aisle seats (because this means less passengers climbing over you).

Take account of seating configuration

The configuration of seating in each aircraft can vary. Use the airline website, seatexpert or seatguru to find out the layout for your flight. On some routes there may be a choice of aircraft configurations on different flights. The layout number below represents the number of seats in each row with aisles represented by "-". Because the proportion of aisle, middle and window seats varies by configuration, and thus the number of good seats, I include the proportions of seats which are Aisle, Window, Middle (in that order). I use the terms centre or inner section to refer to seats in between the two aisles on widebody aircraft, and outer section for the seats between aisle and window.

Recommendations for 4 people flying together

1-0 or 0-1
100% Aisle, 100% Window, 0% Middle
Take seats 1 behind the other.

1-1
100% Aisle, 100% Window, 0% Middle
Look for 2 empty rows in succession.

2-0 or 2-0-0 or 0-2 or 0-0-2
50% Aisle, 50% Window, 0% Middle
Find two adjoining empty rows.

1-1-1
100% Aisle, 67% Window, 0% Middle
Find two rows in succession with empty centre seat and window seat (on the same side each row).

1-2 or 2-1
67% Aisle, 67% Window, 0% Middle
Find two rows in succession with empty block of 2 seats.

3-0-0 or 0-0-3
33% Aisle, 33% Window, 33% Middle
Find two empty rows in succession and take 2 seats in each row.

1-1-1-1
100% Aisle, 50% Window, 0% Middle
Any empty row.

1-2-1
100% Aisle, 50% Window, 0% Middle
Any empty row.

1-1-2 or 2-1-1
75% Aisle, 50% Window, 0% Middle
Any empty row.

2-2
50% Aisle, 50% Window, 0% Middle
Any empty row.

1-2-2 or 2-2-1
80% Aisle, 40% Window, 0% Middle
Take the 2 blocks of 2 seats in the same row.

2-1-2
60% Aisle, 40% Window, 0% Middle
Find two rows in succession where the 2 outer seats on the same side are empty.

2-3 or 3-2
40% Aisle, 40% Window, 20% Middle
Take an empty row and leave the window seat on the 3 side free.

2-2-2
67% Aisle, 33% Window, 0% Middle
Take any 2 adjacent blocks of 2 seats.

3-3
33% Aisle, 33% Window, 33% Middle
Find a row where just 1 window seat is taken (and all other seats are empty). Take the empty block of 3 seats plus the other aisle seat.

2-3-2
57% Aisle, 29% Window, 14% Middle
Any row with an empty centre section and outer section. Take the 2 centre section seats closest to the outer section being taken leaving the far aisle seat free.

2-2-3 or 3-2-2
57% Aisle, 29% Window, 14% Middle
Any row with an empty centre section and outer section.

2-4-2
50% Aisle, 25% Window, 25% Middle
Take a centre section seat.

3-2-3
50% Aisle, 25% Window, 25% Middle
Any row with an empty centre section and outer section. Leave the window seat free.

3-3-2 or 2-3-3
50% Aisle, 25% Window, 25% Middle
Any row with an empty centre section and outer section on the 2 side. Take the 2 centre section seats closest to the outer section being taken leaving the far aisle seat free.

2-5-2
44% Aisle, 22% Window, 33% Middle
Find a row with empty outer section and just 1 aisle seat taken in the centre section. Take the 2 outer section seats, the available centre aisle seat and adjacent middle seat leaving 1 middle seat free.

3-3-3
44% Aisle, 22% Window, 33% Middle
Find a row where just 1 window seat is taken in an outer block of 3 seats and the centre section is empty. Take the centre section plus the aisle seat leaving empty an outer middle seat.

3-4-3
40% Aisle, 20% Window, 40% Middle
Find an empty centre section.

Use maths and pyschology to get a better airline seat - flying with 2 others

Since I travel a lot, I pay close attention to getting the best airline seat that I can. It can make a big difference in onboard comfort.

In part one I stated there are at least as many aisle seats as window seats, and gave some common seat preferences. In this post I introduce some basic maths and pyschology and explain how I select seats on every different seat layout.

First some assumptions.

1. This post covers seat selection for passengers who are flying with two other people, assuming you want to sit together. Hopefully there won't be too many arguments over who gets the middle seat! If flying alone or with 1 other person please read the previous posts, and if flying with 3 or more others please read the next posts.
2. I assume you'd like to sit together with your travelling companions.
3. I assume that you prefer to be seated either in a window or an aisle seat wherever possible.
4. I assume you like to have space. An empty seat beside you is great for inflight comfort, especially in economy class.
5. Everything being equal a window seat with less seats to climb over to get to the aisle is preferred over one with more seats to climb over, and the same applies for aisle seats (because this means less passengers climbing over you).

Take account of seating configuration

The configuration of seating in each aircraft can vary. Use the airline website, seatexpert or seatguru to find out the layout for your flight. On some routes there may be a choice of aircraft configurations on different flights. The layout number below represents the number of seats in each row with aisles represented by "-". Because the proportion of aisle, middle and window seats varies by configuration, and thus the number of good seats, I include the proportions of seats which are Aisle, Window, Middle (in that order). I use the terms centre or inner section to refer to seats in between the two aisles on widebody aircraft, and outer section for the seats between aisle and window.

Recommendations for 3 people flying together

1-0 or 0-1
100% Aisle, 100% Window, 0% Middle
Take seats 1 behind the other.

1-1
100% Aisle, 100% Window, 0% Middle
Look for an empty row with a seat available in the row ahead or behind.

2-0 or 2-0-0 or 0-2 or 0-0-2
50% Aisle, 50% Window, 0% Middle
Find two adjoining empty rows.

1-1-1
100% Aisle, 67% Window, 0% Middle
Find an empty row.

1-2 or 2-1
67% Aisle, 67% Window, 0% Middle
Any empty row.

3-0-0 or 0-0-3
33% Aisle, 33% Window, 33% Middle
Any empty row.

1-1-1-1
100% Aisle, 50% Window, 0% Middle
Any empty row or row where only a window seat is taken.

1-2-1
100% Aisle, 50% Window, 0% Middle
Any empty row or row where only a window seat is taken.

1-1-2 or 2-1-1
75% Aisle, 50% Window, 0% Middle
Any empty row or row where only a window seat is taken.

2-2
50% Aisle, 50% Window, 0% Middle
Find an empty row and take a block of 2 seats plus the other aisle seat.

1-2-2 or 2-2-1
80% Aisle, 40% Window, 0% Middle
Take the 2 centre seats plus window seat on the 1 side.

2-1-2
60% Aisle, 40% Window, 0% Middle
Take the 2 outer seats plus centre seat.

2-3 or 3-2
40% Aisle, 40% Window, 20% Middle
Any empty block of 3 seats.

2-2-2
67% Aisle, 33% Window, 0% Middle
Take the 2 centre seats plus an aisle seat in a row & side where the adjoining window seat is free.
3-3
33% Aisle, 33% Window, 33% Middle
Find an empty block of 3 seats.

2-3-2
57% Aisle, 29% Window, 14% Middle
Any empty centre section.

2-2-3 or 3-2-2
57% Aisle, 29% Window, 14% Middle
Any empty block of 3 seats.

2-4-2
50% Aisle, 25% Window, 25% Middle
Take 2 outer section seats and adjacent aisle seat.

3-2-3
50% Aisle, 25% Window, 25% Middle
Any empty block of 3 seats.

3-3-2 or 2-3-3
50% Aisle, 25% Window, 25% Middle
Take the centre section.

2-5-2
44% Aisle, 22% Window, 33% Middle
Find a row in the centre section with available aisle and 2 adjacent middle seats. That way no strangers need climb over you. On lightly loaded flights a better option may be to take the 2 outer seats and adjacent centre aisle seat - if the middle seats are empty this not only gives more space but you have 2 aisle seats and a window seat instead of just one aisle seat.

3-3-3
44% Aisle, 22% Window, 33% Middle
Find an empty centre section.

3-4-3
40% Aisle, 20% Window, 40% Middle
Find an empty block of 3 seats.

Use maths and pyschology to get a better airline seat - flying as a couple

Since I travel a lot, I pay close attention to getting the best airline seat that I can. It can make a big difference in onboard comfort.

In part one I stated there are at least as many aisle seats as window seats, and gave some common seat preferences. In this post I introduce some basic maths and pyschology and explain how I select seats on every different seat layout.

First some assumptions.

1. This post covers seat selection for passengers who are flying with one other person, assuming you want to sit together. Hopefully there won't be too many arguments over who gets the middle seat! If flying alone please read the previous post, and if flying with 2 or more others please read the next posts.
2. I assume you'd like to sit together with your travelling companion.
3. I assume that you prefer to be seated either in a window or an aisle seat wherever possible.
4. I assume you like to have space. An empty seat beside you is great for inflight comfort, especially in economy class.
5. Everything being equal a window seat with less seats to climb over to get to the aisle is preferred over one with more seats to climb over, and the same applies for aisle seats (because this means less passengers climbing over you).

The general principles are finding blocks of seats that best allow you to sit together without a need to climb over anyone else, or have anyone else climb over you. On flights that aren't totally full getting a spare adjacent seat to have some more room is ideal, but not as simple to get as for people flying alone.

TIP People like to sit as far forward as possible, and normally choose left hand side of aircraft before right hand side. I've lost count of the number of flights I've been in where the forward rows in a cabin are jammed full while further back there are whole empty rows. So, everything else being equal pick seats in the middle or rear of the cabin (not recommended if you have a tight onward connection).

If selecting/reviewing seats close to departure I aim to have a few rows in front of me with empty seats so that if someone does want to sit as far forward as possible they won't take the empty seat adjacent to us. This trick works best if the load on the flight is between 50% & 90% (less than 50% and risk of aircraft change or flight cancellation, more than 90% and there aren't many empty seats).

Take account of seating configuration

The configuration of seating in each aircraft can vary. Use the airline website, seatexpert or seatguru to find out the layout for your flight. On some routes there may be a choice of aircraft configurations on different flights. The layout number below represents the number of seats in each row with aisles represented by "-". Because the proportion of aisle, middle and window seats varies by configuration, and thus the number of good seats, I include the proportions of seats which are Aisle, Window, Middle (in that order). I use the terms centre or inner section to refer to seats in between the two aisles on widebody aircraft, and outer section for the seats between aisle and window.

Recommendations for a couple

1-0 or 0-1
100% Aisle, 100% Window, 0% Middle
Take seats 1 behind the other.

1-1
100% Aisle, 100% Window, 0% Middle
Any empty row is good.

2-0 or 2-0-0 or 0-2 or 0-0-2
50% Aisle, 50% Window, 0% Middle
Any empty row is good.

1-1-1
100% Aisle, 67% Window, 0% Middle
Take window and centre section seat in the same row.

1-2 or 2-1
67% Aisle, 67% Window, 0% Middle
Any empty block of 2 seats.

3-0-0 or 0-0-3
33% Aisle, 33% Window, 33% Middle
Find an empty row. Take aisle and middle seat on business oriented flights or window and middle seat on leisure oriented flights to maximise the chances of the other seat remaining empty.

1-1-1-1
100% Aisle, 50% Window, 0% Middle
As this layout is normally only used for first or business class suites, the best two adjacent seats for a couple depends on the specific suite design. It may be the two centre seats, or a window and centre seat or even (in herringbone layout) seats 1 behind the other.

1-2-1
100% Aisle, 50% Window, 0% Middle
Take the 2 centre seats.

1-1-2 or 2-1-1
75% Aisle, 50% Window, 0% Middle
Any empty block of 2 seats.

2-2
50% Aisle, 50% Window, 0% Middle
Any empty block of 2 seats.

1-2-2 or 2-2-1
80% Aisle, 40% Window, 0% Middle
Any empty block of 2 seats.

2-1-2
60% Aisle, 40% Window, 0% Middle
Any empty block of 2 seats.

2-3 or 3-2
40% Aisle, 40% Window, 20% Middle
Any empty block of 2 seats.

2-2-2
67% Aisle, 33% Window, 0% Middle
Any empty block of 2 seats - the centre section is best if you both like aisle seats.

3-3
33% Aisle, 33% Window, 33% Middle
Find an empty row. Take aisle and middle seat on business oriented flights or window and middle seat on leisure oriented flights to maximise the chances of the other seat remaining empty.

2-3-2
57% Aisle, 29% Window, 14% Middle
Any empty block of 2 seats.

2-2-3 or 3-2-2
57% Aisle, 29% Window, 14% Middle
Any empty block of 2 seats - the centre section is best if you both like aisle seats.

2-4-2
50% Aisle, 25% Window, 25% Middle
Any empty block of 2 seats.

3-2-3
50% Aisle, 25% Window, 25% Middle
Take the middle section.

3-3-2 or 2-3-3
50% Aisle, 25% Window, 25% Middle
Any empty block of 2 seats.

2-5-2
44% Aisle, 22% Window, 33% Middle
Any empty block of 2 seats.

3-3-3
44% Aisle, 22% Window, 33% Middle
Find an empty row in the centre section and take an aisle and middle seat. This guarantees you will have no one else climbing over you and if the other aisle seat remains empty you have some extra space.

3-4-3
40% Aisle, 20% Window, 40% Middle
Find an empty row in the centre section and take an aisle and adjacent middle seat. This guarantees you will have no one else climbing over you and if the other two seats remain empty you have some extra space.

Use maths and pyschology to get a better airline seat - flying alone

Since I travel a lot, I pay close attention to getting the best airline seat that I can. It can make a big difference in onboard comfort.

In part one I stated there are at least as many aisle seats as window seats, and gave some common seat preferences. In this post I introduce some basic maths and pyschology and explain how I select seats on every different seat layout.

First some assumptions.

1. I assume you are travelling alone. Travelling with someone else complicates seat selections. Please check the next posts if you are flying with 1 or more others.
2. I assume that you are not a wierdo who loves middles seats, and so you'd like to be seated either in a window or an aisle seat.
3. I assume you like to have space. An empty seat beside you is great for inflight comfort, especially in economy class.
4. Everything being equal a window seat with less seats to climb over to get to the aisle is preferred over one with more seats to climb over, and the same applies for aisle seats (because this means less passengers climbing over you).

If the flight is likely to not be too full then there are ways to maximise the chances of not only avoiding sitting in the middle seat but having the seat next to you empty.

TIP People like to sit as far forward as possible, and normally choose left hand side of aircraft before right hand side. I've lost count of the number of flights I've been in where the forward rows in a cabin are jammed full while further back there are whole empty rows. So, everything else being equal pick seats in the middle or rear of the cabin (not recommended if you have a tight onward connection).

If selecting/reviewing seats close to departure I aim to have a few rows in front of me with empty middle seats so that if someone does want to sit as far forward as possible they won't take the empty middle seat next to me. This trick works best if the load on the flight is between 50% & 90% (less than 50% and risk of aircraft change or flight cancellation, more than 90% and there aren't many empty seats).

Take account of seating configuration

The configuration of seating in each aircraft can vary. Use the airline website, seatexpert or seatguru to find out the layout for your flight. On some routes there may be a choice of aircraft configurations on different flights. The layout number below represents the number of seats in each row with aisles represented by "-". Because the proportion of aisle, middle and window seats varies by configuration, and thus the number of good seats, I include the proportions of seats which are Aisle, Window, Middle (in that order). I use the terms centre or inner section to refer to seats in between the two aisles on widebody aircraft, and outer section for the seats between aisle and window.

Recommendations for a single traveler

1-0 or 0-1
100% Aisle, 100% Window, 0% Middle
Any seat is good.

1-1
100% Aisle, 100% Window, 0% Middle
Any seat is good.

2-0 or 2-0-0 or 0-2 or 0-0-2
50% Aisle, 50% Window, 0% Middle
Avoid a row with someone else already sitting in it.

1-1-1
100% Aisle, 67% Window, 0% Middle
Any seat is good.

1-2 or 2-1
67% Aisle, 67% Window, 0% Middle
Pick a seat on the 1 side.

3-0-0 or 0-0-3
33% Aisle, 33% Window, 33% Middle
If your preference is aisle pick a row where only the window seat is taken or vice versa (a completely empty row has the risk of a couple selecting the other 2 seats).

1-1-1-1
100% Aisle, 50% Window, 0% Middle
Any seat is good.

1-2-1
100% Aisle, 50% Window, 0% Middle
Pick a window seat.

1-1-2 or 2-1-1
75% Aisle, 50% Window, 0% Middle
Pick a seat on the 1 side or in the centre section.

2-2
50% Aisle, 50% Window, 0% Middle
Avoid a row with someone else already sitting in it.

1-2-2 or 2-2-1
80% Aisle, 40% Window, 0% Middle
Pick a seat on the 1 side.

2-1-2
60% Aisle, 40% Window, 0% Middle
Pick the centre seat.

2-3 or 3-2
40% Aisle, 40% Window, 20% Middle
Take the 3 side and if your preference is aisle pick a row where only the window seat is taken or vice versa.

2-2-2
67% Aisle, 33% Window, 0% Middle
If you prefer an aisle seat take an inner section seat in a row where the other seat is not taken, otherwise if you prefer a window seat find a row where the adjacent aisle seat is not taken.

3-3
33% Aisle, 33% Window, 33% Middle
If your preference is aisle pick a row where only the window seat in your side is taken or vice versa.

2-3-2
57% Aisle, 29% Window, 14% Middle
If your preference is aisle pick a centre section row where only the other aisle seat is taken. If you prefer window seats then take a row where the aisle seat in your side is not taken.

2-2-3 or 3-2-2
57% Aisle, 29% Window, 14% Middle
If your preference is aisle pick an empty centre section row. If you prefer window seats then take a row on the 3 side where the aisle seat in your side is taken.

2-4-2
50% Aisle, 25% Window, 25% Middle
If you prefer an aisle seat pick a centre section row where a couple is seated on the other side with empty seat to your inner aisle seat. If your preference is window seat then take a row where the aisle seat in your side is not taken.

3-2-3
50% Aisle, 25% Window, 25% Middle
For aisle seat pick an outer section row where only the window seat is taken. For window seat pick a row where only the aisle seat is taken.

3-3-2 or 2-3-3
50% Aisle, 25% Window, 25% Middle
If you prefer an aisle seat select a centre section row where only the other aisle seat is taken. If your preference is window seat then take a row on the 3 side where only the aisle seat is taken.

2-5-2
44% Aisle, 22% Window, 33% Middle
For aisle seat pick an inner section row which has 3 seats taken and an empty middle seat adjacent to the aisle seat, or an outer aisle seat with empty window seat beside it. The inner aisle seat has up to 2 people climbing over you versus only one for the outer aisle seat. However the window seat is more likely to be taken than both adjacent middle seats. If load is low I'd pick inner aisle and on fuller flights I'd pick the outer aisle seat. For window seat select a row with empty aisle seat.

3-3-3
44% Aisle, 22% Window, 33% Middle
If your preference is aisle pick an inner section row where the only other seat taken is the other aisle seat. If you prefer window seat then pick a row where only the aisle seat is taken.

3-4-3
40% Aisle, 20% Window, 40% Middle
For aisle seat pick an inner section row where the other aisle seat plus the seat next to it are taken, with the middle seat adjacent to yours empty. If there are no such rows then pick an outer aisle seat in a row where only the window seat is taken. This is because otherwise you have left space for a group of 3 travelling together to have. For a window seat pick a row where only the aisle seat is taken.

TIP Other passengers selecting seats are most likely to be single travellers or flying in pairs. Try to select seats so that both can pick some good seats without nabbing the hoped for empty seat beside you. I do this by making the adjacent seat unattractive - hence the preference in seat blocks of 3 to find rows with someone already seated in it.

More uses of maths and pyschology to get a better airline seat

This post is already quite long, so I'll cover travelling with someone else in another post, and also some more ways to get a better airline seat.

How to get to | Falkland Islands

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.

Falkland Islands (aka Malvinas)

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Most visitors reach the Falkland Islands by cruise ship. Many (but not all) Antarctic cruises stop at Falkland Islands for a day or two. There are only 2 or 3 flights a week to the Falkland Islands:

• LAN (a Oneworld airline) flies a once a week milk run to Mount Pleasant (other stops between Santiago and Mt Pleasant vary from time to time but always include Punta Arenas).
• The Royal Air Force has a once or twice a week flight from Brize Norton in UK to Mount Pleasant with fuel stop on Ascension Island which accepts limited numbers of civilian passengers. This flight is currently operated by Flyglobespan.

TIP Both flights operate with only one class of travel - economy.

TIP Fares on both LAN and RAF are high. The only way to save money is to fly LAN and book a long way ahead, get a points award or include as part of an around the world fare/South America pass.

Use maths and pyschology to get a better airline seat - part one

Most people have a preference for either a window or an aisle seat. Very few people prefer the middle seats.

In general I don't mind window or aisle, although on longer flights I would rather be in an aisle seat and some short particularly scenic flights I like the window. I use maths to improve my changes of getting a better seat.

Ignoring the very small aircraft (like Beaver or Britten Norman Islander) which have bench seating, commercial aircraft have 1 or 2 aisles. Aircraft with one aisle are referred to as narrow-body aircraft, and those with 2 aisles as wide-body aircraft.

On narrow-body aircraft there are just as many window seats as aisle seats. On wide-body aircraft mathematically there must be more aisle seats than window seats. Thus a seat preference for aisle seat has a greater chance of being met (in general) than a preference for window seat, if travelling alone.

An exception to this generalisation is on business-oriented flights because forward aisle is the most commonly selected seat preference amongst the most frequent travellers (easier to make a fast getaway from these seats).

Many airline frequent flyer programs allow seat preferences to be registered, particularly for those with elite status. If flying alone the airline tries to fulfil the preferences when allocating seats, as much as possible. When flying with someone(s) else the allocation is trickier because there may be conflicting preferences and no one selects middle seat as their preference.

I generally have aisle or forward aisle preference saved. One exception is for Qantas - they allow separate preferences for domestic (in Australia) and international travel. For Qantas domestic I have forward window preference because on some flights a forward aisle preference can see you seated a long way back due to overwhelming numbers of elite passengers with that preference.

Singapore Airlines has an even friendlier policy for PPS - you can select seat preferences separately for each aircraft type and class of travel. This means I can take the seating configuration into account also. More on how to allow for the seating configuration to get a better seat in another post.

I'll cover the pyschology aspect as well in another post, but here is a sneak preview of a couple of points. By taking into account the likely seating preferences of others you can get a better seat for yourself. Some common seating preferences which I've observed over many flights are:

• window or aisle better than middle
• a forward seat is better than a rear seat
• a forward cabin is better than a rear cabin (when there is more than one cabin for the same class of travel)
• sitting beside someone else you are flying with rather than apart
• the left side (seats A, B, C, etc) tends to fill up faster than the right side
• the upper deck is preferred over lower deck (when there is a choice of both in the same class of travel)

What are your seating preferences?

How to get to | Eritrea

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.

Eritrea

Source: Wikimedia Commons

It is difficult to visit Eritrea with all 3 land borders subject to either permanent or temporary closures. Very few airlines fly to Asmara in Eritrea, and they include:

• Star Alliance - EgyptAir, Lufthansa
• Oneworld - none
• Sky Team - none
• Other selected - Saudi Arabian, Sudan, Yemenia

TIP Getting a visa for Eritrea takes time. I have had to reroute an itinerary (dropping Eritrea) when a visa failed to be issued in time, and Chris Guillebeau had the same experience several months later.

TIP With few travellers and scarce flights, fares are high. Book early if using frequent flyer miles or a discounted alliance product (Star Alliance Africa airpass or around the world).

TIP As with any destination with infrequent flights (only a few times a week from a handful of places), allow a few extra days in your trip for airline schedule changes.

Frequent Flyer Friday #3

Celebrating Friday with a short interview with a frequent flyer.


Megan


Megan chronicles her frequent travels through photos instead of words. She discovered the online frequent flyer community Flyertalk by clicking through a Smart Travel e-newsletter back in 2005 and her life hasn't been the same since.


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


What is your home airport?
Megan - Monterey is the most convenient but often too expensive. San Francisco has lots of flight options, lower fares and is a nice airport. Sometimes I use San Jose.


What is the airline you usually fly?
Megan - Now it is most often on United. Until 1 January 2009 I also flew frequently on Northwest, but I've stopped cold turkey flying on Sky Team. This was because the merger with Delta means the valuable WorldPerks frequent flyer program has been devalued.


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


Megan's full answer was "I sometimes live on planes, mileage running, in order to jetset for pleasure". I figure the bottom choice fits best. What do you think?


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


Please describe how you travel in 4 words
Megan - More passport pages, please


How original! What is the story behind that?
Megan - Last year I had pages added to my then 2.5 year old passport at the US embassy in Bratislava, Slovakia.


Good move - it is much quicker and simpler to add pages to a US passport at an embassy abroad than at home. Now for some advice from Megan.


What is inside your carry-on bag right now?
Megan - Since I am home for the next two weeks, my carry-on backpack is near-empty at the moment. It usually contains: a plastic baggie of toiletries; a book or two; an amenity kit filled with batteries, chargers & SD cards; and hopefully destination-appropriate clothing. (Every once in a while, I pack something silly like a cashmere sweater for New Orleans in July.)


I also need to add my basic handheld GPS into my travel essentials and start geocaching again.


Please give a tip on travel.
Megan - I would suggest people who always travel with companions try going solo every once in a while. Single travelers can experience things differently especially if open and receptive to their surroundings.


What is your preferred airline for regular travel?
Megan - Before this year it used to be Northwest. Service onboard and on the ground was top-notch. As a Platinum member, my domestic complimentary upgrade success rate was 90-something percent, and it was processed automatically, usually 5 days out. Connecting through Detroit was always a treat too - a big, beautiful glassy terminal with the red Northwest train, the fountain, the WorldClub lounge.

A few years ago, on a trip to Europe, my luggage went missing for 2 days. By the time it was located, I had shopped for essentials and was ready to board a ship for 3 weeks. Bag & I were reunited in Reykjavik, Iceland a week later. When I returned home, I submitted my receipts and was promptly reimbursed almost US$700. Hardly a question asked. No hassles. It was terrific. That trip was also especially memorable because of a friend I made on the transatlantic flight - the captain.

Since I no longer fly Northwest, my preferred airline is now United. As a California resident, it makes sense. I've really enjoyed having 1K elite status and twice this year flying their new Business Class lie-flat seats. My San Francisco to Sydney flight on the upper deck in May was by far the most comfortable & restful flight I've had so far.


What is your preferred airline for a special trip?
Megan - My special trips are almost always award itineraries. I have no favorites, but look forward to flying carriers I haven't traveled. I flew Sydney to Vancouver in Air Canada's Executive First this year with the herringbone configuration and blue lighting. The meals were okay but I found myself quickly bored with the inflight entertainment system. Not a comfortable trip. Maybe it was me or maybe my expectations were misplaced. No regrets though.


What is your preferred frequent flyer program?
Megan - It used to be Northwest WorldPerks. United Mileage Plus perks are good as well, but the inability to access & book partner awards through starnet filtering is unfortunate.


You've used a lot of great fare bargains. Can you please give a couple of examples and explain how you found them?
Megan - Yes, I have been fortunate in the travel bargains department. The key is being vigilant in monitoring fares & rates and having a circle of like-minded fellow travelers to alert me, by email or phone, to things I may have missed.


The most bang-for-buck airfare I've used was a business class fare to Larnaca, Cyprus flying Alitalia for US$180. I did two roundtrips in two weeks on an airline I wouldn't normally fly and to a destination I surely wouldn't have chosen. It was great.


My favorite hotel deal has to be the Conrad Bangkok Deluxe Executive 1 Bedroom Suite for THB635 (US$18) per night. It was my first trip to Thailand and I did it in style! Never have I had a hotel room with six interior doors.


Thank you for sharing, Megan. You sure have a varied and interesting travel tale to tell (and show - see her pics from all over the world).


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.

Heathrow East is now Heathrow Too Late

Heathrow East - the new terminal being built to replace terminals 1 & 2 at London Heathrow has been delayed (source BAA). This terminal will eventually have all Star Alliance flights, plus a handful of other airlines.

The original plan, back in 2005 & 2006 was to have the great LHR terminal shuffle completed this year, with most of Star Alliance housed in the existing terminal 1 building until Heathrow East opens. Heathrow East was due to open in time for the London Olympics in 2012. Some Star Alliance airlines, like Singapore, are not moving to terminal 1 were to go directly to Heathrow East when it opened.

This week the airport operator BAA admitted the first phase is not due to be completed until 2013 (on current plans). They've gone silent on when exactly the remaining Star Alliance airlines will move to the new terminal, raising suspicions it may not be until the second phase which is due 2019 (again, on current plans).

BAA have also renamed the project Heathrow Two, perhaps to dissociate with earlier expectations?

There is at least one positive with this announcement. I had feared an opening immediately before the Olympics would cause chaos (remember the opening of T5 at Heathrow a year ago?) at a time of record passenger numbers. That is now not going to happen.

The real bad news is the alliances will still not be housed in the same terminals for at least a decade, and the vastly different terminal experiences at London Heathrow will continue for longer. At least the skanky terminal 2 (old version) is gone already.

Sale inertia & screwy pricing

On some routes I fly regularly there have been so many sales this year that I no longer pounce on fares which just a year ago I'd consider a fantastic bargain. I'm sure I'm not alone and that can't be good for the airlines involved.

Meanwhile on other routes with little or no competition I've noticed some sneaky tricks. The base fares have been going up about 20% a year and even with low loads this year have still been climbing quickly. Every now and then there is a sale to promote a big discount. The sale fare is similar or higher than the base fare before the hikes. The airlines involved are taking advantage of monopoly or duopoly positions whilst appearing to offer the same level of discounting on all routes.

As a consequence there are some wierd pricing anomalies that are exacerbated during the many sales. At the start of the year I expected to be taking advantage, but so far I haven't (too much).

How to get to | Turkmenistan

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.


Turkmenistan

Source: Jozef Lang

Visitors to Turkmenistan arrive by taxi from all neighbouring countries (change taxi at/near the border) or fly. There is no land transport across the border. A few airlines fly to Ashgabat the capital of Turkmenistan, including:

• Star Alliance - Lufthansa, Turkish
• Oneworld - none
• Sky Team - China Southern
• Other selected - S7

TIP Turkmenistan is currently impossible to visit on a Star Alliance around the world ticket due to back-tracking rules because Turkmenistan is in Asia and the only flights are from Europe. A surface segment between Ashgabat and somewhere else in Asia is required. Turkmenistan is also virtually impossible to visit on a Sky Team around the world due to the enormous distance to double back to an Asian hub.

TIP On some Star Alliance frequent flyer programs longhaul awards to Turkmenistan are a bargain (the ones which ignore the transit through Europe) and on others very expensive (the ones which take the routing into account).

TIP Some longhaul fares to Europe include Ashgabat for a relatively small surcharge.

How to get to | Guam

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.

Guam

Source: Hajime Nakano

Other than a long sail in a yacht, the only way to reach Guam is by air. Airlines flying to Guam include:

• Star Alliance - Continental (from Hawaii, Japan, Micronesia and Cairns Australia)
• Oneworld - Japan Airlines
• Sky Team - Delta (from Tokyo), Korean
• Other selected - Philippine Airlines

TIP It is impossible to use awards to Guam on some frequent flyer programs due to zoning (sometimes in Oceania zone and others in Asia zone) and back-tracking rules.

TIP On some Star Alliance frequent flyer programs, awards to Guam are a bargain due to zoning. Take advantage of these anomalies quickly before the zones get updated.

TIP On Oneworld around the world fares Guam is part of Asia and thus cannot be visited if starting in Japan (since cannot return to country of origin until the end of the ticket).

TIP Fares to Guam from anywhere other than Japan are expensive, and similarly fares from Guam are expensive except to Japan.

UPDATED November 2009 - Continental switch from Sky Team to Star Alliance.

Tax refund for flights from the Netherlands

The Netherlands removed their air passenger tax on 1 July 2009. If you bought a ticket before 1 July with contains a flight from the Netherlands for travel on or after 1 July, then you may be eligible for a refund. Note there was no tax charged for transits under 24 hours at Amsterdam.

The tax was €45 for longhaul and €11.25 for shorthaul.

If you paid the tax then you're entitled to claim a full refund from your airline or travel agent. Airlines should not be deducting a service fee to process the refund.

If you have a breakdown of taxes paid (eg on paper tickets these appear in a few lines near the bottom) look for the tax code KV.

Continental - 2 day hiatus between alliances

As an update to the earlier post on airlines changing alliances, Continental has now confirmed 27 October 2009 is the date they will join Star Alliance.

It is not yet clear what frequent flyer benefits, mileage earning and redemption will be possible on 25 or 26 October 2009.

If flying Continental on those 2 dates, I'd expect:

• Status benefits to apply for elite members of Continental OnePass
• Star Alliance elite benefits might apply, or might not
• No club access for Sky Team elite members
• Earning and redemptions through OnePass program
• No earning and redemptions through Sky Team frequent flyer programs, or those of any other partners which Continental drops on 24 October (eg Alaska)
• Probably no earning and redemptions through Star Alliance frequent flyer programs

For OnePass members flying Star Alliance airlines on those two dates:

• Elite benefits and lounge access are intended to apply but are at the discretion of the airline you are flying
• Continental has promised mileage will be earned but may require a manual process to credit

It is good we now have a date for Continental joining Star Alliance, and the transition period is relatively short. It is also good they are trying to apply Star Alliance benefits straight away even before the official join date.

In search of real cheap air fares

It is no secret that I spend a lot of time trying to keep informed of air fares, particularly on routes of most interest to me. The last few weeks I've been working on a little project to share only the very best air fares in selected markets as they come on sale.

Don't worry I'm not selling anything and not being paid to promote air fare sales. Nor am I attempting to recreate farecompare. It'll make more sense when you take a look.

The new site is not quite ready to launch yet, but you can take a sneak peek.

I'll continue blogging at Musings of the Global Traveller and don't expect anything to change here. Real cheap air fares is just a small way I can give more value without compromising here.

Garuda to resume flights to Europe

I'm a little late with the news that the European Union has lifted it's ban on some Indonesian airlines flying to Europe. Initially the ban has been lifted for 4 Indonesian airlines and others remain banned. The Jakarta Post reports that Garuda will be flying to Amsterdam, Frankfurt and London within the next 12 months.

Hopefully this will see fares to Indonesia drop a little. Longhaul fares from Indonesia are already low and probably won't change much.

How to get to | Trinidad and Tobago

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.

Trinidad and Tobago

Source: Wikimedia Commons

There is a ferry across the strait from Venezuela, and many cruise ships stop over at Port of Spain. Airlines flying to Trinidad and Tobago include (all to Port of Spain on Trinidad unless otherwise specified):

• Star Alliance - Continental
• Oneworld - American, British Airways (Port of Spain and Tobago)
• Sky Team - Delta (Port of Spain and Tobago)
• Other selected - several Caribbean based airlines, Virgin Atlantic (Tobago only)

TIP On the Caribbean airlines the cheapest fares tend to be only available booking directly (on website if airline has one).

TIP Port of Spain is a useful stop on a Oneworld RTW or award ticket. The prohibition on mileage earning and redemption for American AAdvantage on British Airways trans-Atlantic flights and BA Executive Club on American trans-Atlantic flights does not apply for flights via the Caribbean.

TIP A few European low cost airlines fly to Tobago.

UPDATED November 2009 - Continental switch from Sky Team to Star Alliance. No change to advice.

How to get to | Ecuador

This post is how to get to the country of Ecuador. There is also a separate post on how to get to the Galapagos Islands.

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.

Ecuador

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Although there are buses from Colombia and Peru, most visitors to Ecuador arrive by air. There are some airlines flying to Ecuador, including:

• Star Alliance - Continental
• Oneworld - American, Iberia, LAN
• Sky Team - Delta, KLM
• Selected other - Avianca, Copa, LACSA, TACA

TIP With relatively high fares, Ecuador is a good option for including on a Oneworld award, round the world ticket or South America pass.

TIP Check connections via Central America and Colombia for cheaper fares.

UPDATED November 2009 - Continental switch from Sky Team to Star Alliance. No change to advice.

Revenue Based Frequent Flyer Programs

Most frequent flyer programs (FFPs) are based on the traditional mileage concept. Each of the 3 main aspects (earning, status and redemption) are based on mileage flown.

United Mileage Plus is an example of a traditional mileage-based FFP.

• Earn a multiple of distance flown, with minimum mileage, status bonus and class of service bonus.
• Status is achieved by passing elite qualifying mileage thresholds.
• Redeem awards at fixed mileage amounts based on the zones flown (loosely proportional to distance).

There are some frequent flyer programs that have switched to a revenue based system. There are also some mileage-revenue hybrid systems in use. So far there isn't a standard way these work as each FFP has taken a slightly different approach. I'll explain more below.

The least different to the traditional programs are what I call enhanced mileage based FFPs, such as bmi Diamond Club. These work just like traditional programs except the earn and burn rates are much higher in premium cabins (eg 300% mileage in first vs 150% in the traditional FFPs), and sometimes also in certain high demand/high fare zones. The earning rates are also be very low or zero on cheap economy booking classes, and sometimes also for cheap business and first class booking classes. Thus there is a greater spread of earning rates and award costs.

Analysis: With the altered earning and redemption scales, the value equation is altered. Those who buy cheap/economy fares and wish to redeem in premium cabins are usually worse off. Elite status can be much easier or much harder to achieve depending on what kind of paid fares you use.

Inherent problem with a revenue basis

While a revenue-based frequent flyer program may appear attractive to beancounters at the airlines (by rewarding proportional to the "worth" of a customer), there is a fundamental inherent problem. FFPs work as a loyalty device in large part because they give rise to an appearance of getting something for nothing. The program rules are deliberately set to muddy the value equation for consumers - ie allow FFPs to appear to give more value than they cost the airlines, overall. A true revenue-based FFP with earning, status and redemption as functions of revenue makes the value equation transparent. This is not good for airlines.

Each FFP that has moved to a revenue or hybrid basis has tackled this problem in slightly different ways.

Revenue with fixed earning & variable award cost

The one I'm most familiar with is Air New Zealand Airpoints. They reversed the way traditional programs work by making earning fixed amounts (based on zones and class of travel) and redemption variable amounts based directly on fares. Both earning and redemption have a greater spread than the traditional FFPs - for example the amount earned in first class is typically is 4 times (or more) the amount in full (ie expensive) economy class. Awards on Air New Zealand cost the same as the fare, and on partner airlines a high fixed amount. The fixed amounts for earning and partner redemptions are loosely based on typical fares. Status is loosely revenue based in line with earning.

Analysis: Spending for awards on their own flights is simple & requires no chart. In common with all revenue based FFPs, you don't know how much you need until you look. The partner awards is complicated and very expensive. Hopefully in time this can be simplified.

Revenue with variable earning and fixed award costs

Virgin Blue started Velocity Rewards after Air New Zealand converted Airpoints from a mileage basis to a revenue one. With Velocity Rewards you earn a multiple of the fare and the award cost is a fixed amount based loosely on the fares available at the time you wish to redeem. Here earning is extremely simple but the cost to redeem is unknown as is just how much your points are worth (compared with Airpoints where you know your balance is good for a fare of the same value). Status is directly related to how much you spend.

Analysis: This program manages to be both transparent (in earning) and non-transparent (in redemption) at the same time. It would be more reassuring, and thus more attractive, if there was a commitment from Velocity Rewards as to the minimum worth of points (ie it will never cost you more than x points per $ fare).

Mileage-based but with additional revenue-based awards

While traditional mileage-based FFPs have long had additional awards available at double the mileage cost, some programs have gone a step further. These hybrids have added variable cost awards to their traditional fixed cost awards. In general the variable cost awards are more expensive (sometimes by a large multiple), but not always.

For example Qantas Frequent Flyer has Classic awards (mileage based) and also Any Seat awards. Any Seat award cost is function of available fares, but they are not restricted to high fares, and so if a sale is on the award cost can be less than for a Classic award. The rate is set so that on non-sale cheap fares the Any Seat award will generally cost a little bit more than a Classic award.

Analysis: The rate for variable cost awards is such that generally poor value. When the mileage cost is relatively low the fares are super low. Good only for those who can accumulate vast sums of miles (eg through business credit card spend).

Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines are difficult to categorise because they have the PPS status recognition for business and first class passengers, and also have a traditional mileage based FFP in Kris Flyer. The PPS status has been purely revenue based for a couple of years. Arguably it is even more extreme than any of the other programs because only spend in premium cabins are counted, and then only on Singapore Airlines flights. Kris Flyer looks a little like an enhanced mileage based program in that there are 3 levels of fixed awards depending on availability of certain booking classes. However, earning rates are not similarly "enhanced" with the exception of 300% earning in A380 and 77W Suites (first class).

Round-up of revenue based frequent flyer programs

There are also other FFPs which are revenue based. I've categorized some below:

• enhanced mileage based - Air France/KLM Flying Blue, bmi Diamond Club, British Airways Executive Club, Lufthansa Miles & More
• Singapore Airlines - see above
• fixed earning & variable award - Air New Zealand Airpoints
• variable earning & fixed award - JetBlue trueBlue (new version), Virgin America eleVAte, Virgin Blue Velocity Rewards
• mileage based with additional variable awards - Qantas Frequent Flyer

I may have missed other revenue based programs. Please let us know in the comments.

Updated 14 October 2009.

Emirates has announced Skywards will move to a revenue basis from 1 January 2010. For more information check out my post discussing the Skywards changes. The revised program can be categorized as fixed earning and fixed award.

How to get to | Ireland

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.

Ireland

Source: Danny Burke

There are several ways to visit Republic or Ireland - by ferry from UK (or France), by bus or car from Northern Ireland, or by air. Many airlines fly to Dublin airport including:

• Star Alliance - Adria (seasonal), Air Canada (seasonal), Austrian, bmi, Continental, Lufthansa, SAS, Swiss, Turkish, US Airways
• Oneworld - American, Iberia, Malev
• Sky Team - Air France, Delta
• Other Selected - Aer Lingus, Ryanair

TIP Trans-atlantic fares to Ireland tend to be as low or lower than London and elsewhere in western Europe. Ireland also makes a good staging point for the rest of Europe due to the competition low cost carriers Ryan Air and Aer Lingus pose to other airlines.

TIP There are many flights between Dublin and London, but oddly none on British Airways (it codeshares on Aer Lingus instead).

UPDATED November 2009 - Continental switch from Sky Team to Star Alliance. No change to advice.

How to get to | Somalia

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.



Somalia

Source: Wikimedia Commons

This post on Somalia has been requested. Somalia is difficult and dangerous to visit. Please get up to date advice on the security situation for the areas you wish to travel to.

Overland travel to Somalia is dangerous, sea travel has the problem of pirates and few airlines fly to Somalia. Unless you are working for United Nations or a member of international forces (eg anti-piracy) it is difficult and expensive to visit.

At the time of writing there are 3 regional airlines which fly between Mogadishu, Hargeisa or Berbera and Djibouti, Addis Ababa, Jeddah, Aden, Dubai, Sharjah and Nairobi.

TIP - Flight schedules may change at short notice due to unrest. Be flexible in your travel plans and allow plenty of time for contingencies.