Suffer through coach with dignity

by Tom Johansmeyer on

In three hours, I’ll be boarding a plane for an eight-hour flight – assuming we don’t get held up on the runway. So, when I saw “How to make the most of flying coach” on MSNBC.com, I hoped for some great advice. It would have been timely … if it was provided at all. Instead, Travel + Leisure’s Reid Bramblett only explained how much it sucks to pay for a non-alcoholic beverage and watch a shitty movie while wedged between two long-lost friends who have never met before.

“These days, it’s not easy being comfortable – and happy – in coach,” he says. Really? Since Bramblett was little help, let me give you a few tips you can use.

First, put your carry-on in the overhead bin, even though you’re encouraged to put it under the seat in front of you. Though it inconveniences the airline, you’ve now recaptured a bit of space for your feet. You may not be able to stretch your legs fully, but you won’t be as cramped. Be sure to take your book, magazine, bottle of water and iPod out of your bag first. There’s no need to disturb the lucky guy who got the aisle seat.

Bring enough to keep yourself distracted … but not too much. There’s nothing worse than running out of reading material when you’re on a long flight, but over-packing can be a burden as well. Do you really need all seven magazines? Even if you don’t read them, you’ll have to carry them.

Eat before you fly. It’s no secret that airline food blows, and it’s easier to say “no” on a full stomach. Bring a few snacks along (again, don’t go overboard) in case you need a quick fix. This should help you avoid unidentifiable airline grub.

Liquor gets mixed reviews. I know some people who love to have a few drinks to take the edge off (and maybe help them sleep). I tend not to imbibe when I fly. It dries me out and makes me a little lightheaded, worsening an already wearying the experience.

Finally, the best thing you can do is leave any expectations you have at the ticket counter. You’ll only be disappointed anyway. Instead, walk into the airport knowing that you only have to complete the experience; you don’t have to enjoy it. The destination is your reward for perseverance.

[Via MSNBC]

Flight tracking for your iPhone or iPod Touch

by Brenda Yun on

If you’re a frequent flier and an iPhone or iPod Touch user, then you’re in luck. The latest version of Appropos Mobile‘s FlightTrack application will likely save you a lot of time and spare you of some travel woes and headaches.

For just a few bucks, you can get up-to-the-minute flight arrival and departure information through the easy to use FlightTrack application. No longer will you have to check the internet or call the airline to make sure a flight is delayed or cancelled. The user-friendly application will give you the most accurate information for you, the busy traveler. You can even check your own flight status and altitude in the air!

As an added bonus, FlightTrack Pro teamed up with TripIt, the online trip planner, to serve as your very own personal assistant. Once you plug in your travel details, the application will automatically keep up with and inform you of your latest and upcoming whereabouts.

The FlightTrack application has consistently ranked among Apple’s top travel applications, so there’s something to be said about user satisfaction. To find out more about FlightTrack or to download the application, visit this site.

A low-cost call: $100 round-trip fares for first 20 callers next week

by Alison Brick on

Get that dialing finger ready. STA Travel is following up on last month’s Fastest Finger First promotion with a Travel Bailout. Starting next week, they’ll be selling flights to five major US cities for $100 round-trip–but only to the first 20 callers each day.

That’s cheap, no matter where you’re flying from in the US. But even better, the price already includes all those extras (taxes, fees, fuel surcharges).

Each day from February 9-13 at noon (CST), 20 round-trip tickets will be available to a specific destination city from any departure city in the U.S. To be one of the lucky 20, you’ll want to speed-dial 800-360-9273.

Miami is the destination of choice for Monday, but you’ll have to check STATravel.com at 10 a.m. (CST) on each of the following days of the week to see what destinations will be featured. We’ve been told that New York City, Chicago, Denver, and LA will be the others, but we don’t know the day for each city.

To be eligible, you must be either a full-time student, teacher, or under 26 years-old; and own or purchase a $22 International Student Identity Card (ISIC), International Youth Travel Card (IYTC), or International Teacher Identity Card (ITIC). The tickets are valid for travel through March 31, 2009.

For those interested in the featured destination cities but didn’t make the cut, you can buy cheaper tickets on the same date. Fares will be as low as $25 one-way and $50 round-trip.

Tune in for the V Australia 777 Launch

by Grant Martin on

The world’s newest Transpacific carrier takes delivery of their first Boeing 777 aircraft this week, as executives from V Australia and Virgin converge in Los Angeles for the ceremony. Tomorrow afternoon, Richard Branson and top brass will pick up the aircraft in Washington and shuttle it down to LAX, where a fanfare of media pawns, cocktails and schmoozing will welcome the group.

On arrival, we’re welcome to browse through the aircraft, drinking in the succulent Business Class seats, crawling through the lavs and measuring seat heights, widths and pitches. Yours truly and the Cranky Flier will be there, and unless the latter gets us kicked out of another Virgin event we should be tweeting through the evening (EST) and sending updates.

What do we expect to see? Well, a few pictures of economy and economy plus have already been leaked to the internets, but what we’re really looking for is leg room, video screens (the service is purported to use the same RED system that Virgin America uses,) business class amenities and general ambiance of the aircraft.

Anything else you want to see? Shoot us a comment or a tweet and we’ll try to collect some good content.

FAA releases US Airways flight 1549 ATC transcripts

by Scott Carmichael on

Sorry if our constant coverage of the US Air flight 1549 crash is beginning to bore you – but it isn’t often that a plane ditches in a river, and everyone is able to walk away.

The news today comes courtesy of the FAA, who just released the air traffic control transcripts of the actual event.

The audio is pretty boring, so I cut out the most interesting part where the controller is told by the pilot that he’s going to ditch in the Hudson river (as you can see in the image above).

If you really want to hear the conversation, you’ll find the MP3 file here, or a written transcript here.