Use AirNinja to search low-cost international carriers – Airplanes tip

by Gadling Staff on

Looking for a cheap flight in a far-away place? Most low-cost carriers (like Southwest in the US) don’t list or sell their fares through aggregator websites (like Expedia and Travelocity) — you need to book directly with the airline.

To find out what low-cost carriers fly between any two given cities, check out AirNinja. They let you enter in your starting airport (and a destination, if desired), and show what low-cost airlines have departures from that airport and where they go, complete with links out to the airline’s own site for booking. And it’s free!

Do something quirky and photograph the evidence – Souvenir tip

by Gadling Staff on

The word “souvenir” means “to remember” in French, so the best souvenirs are memories. But the best memories are quirky ones.

I once knew a man who had to pour champagne on the cruise ship captain’s head on every single cruise he went on. He did this at the kick-off party for every cruise, but also did it on the night when the crew built the champagne tower — just to see if he could get away with it. This led to some incriminating photos — and captains who smelled like bubbly!

Make a game of it – Souvenir tip

by Gadling Staff on

If you’re traveling with family or friends, create a shopping contest. For example —
* Who can find the weirdest souvenir today?
* Who can find the funniest post card?
* Who can spot the best souvenir under $10?

Making a game of it can add a tradition to your trips, and provide the potential for hilarious memories. Prizes could be picking the next restaurant — or everyone buying the winner a t-shirt from the location.

Pro (solo) tip: If you’re traveling alone, you can challenge yourself in each destination and see which place provided you with the strangest or most colorful souvenir.

Spend five minutes talking to your seatmate – Airplane tip

by Gadling Staff on

We’re accustomed to two extremes: the gregarious seatmate who talks through the whole flight, and the one who has his eyes closed from the start. Most of us prefer the latter, but we may be cheating ourselves out of a business contact or an interesting story.

In my opinion, here’s the best greeting to use to help find that middle ground:

Hi. Nice sitting with you. Would you mind giving me five minutes about you, then we can each read/work/listen to music/sleep, having had our lives enriched by knowing another interesting person.

You never know, you may wish you had a longer flight.

Sterilize baby bottles using the hotel room coffee machine – Hotel tip

by Gadling Staff on

Traveling with baby and need to sterilize bottles? Try this —

  1. Wash bottles, nipples and rings thoroughly using the hotel soap and hot running water.Rinse and set aside.
  2. Plug the bathroom sink. Place clean bottles, nipples and rings in sink.
  3. Fill the coffee machine with water and turn on (do not add coffee, tea or filter packets! Just water!).
  4. Let water heat up and fill the carafe.
  5. Pour hot water from the carafe over the bottles, nipples and rings.
  6. Repeat until the bottle items are completely submerged in hot water.
  7. Let sit for five or more minutes.
  8. Remove from water and use as needed.