Another hidden way to save on airfare: promo codes

by Alison Brick on

Oh, to be resourceful enough to know every promo code out there. Whenever I buy an airline ticket I’m already wondering whether I’ve gotten the best deal, which is questionable, considering the range of airfares available on a single flight.

But using promo codes in an online purchase seems to be the latest trend for cheap airfares over the past few months.

Great. Way to give me more of a complex.

Now AirFrance is jumping in, too–a first for them. They’ve just started discounting $75 off some US-Europe flights (Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Turkey). You just have to know to enter the promo code MARCH442 when you book on AirFrance.us. It’s valid for departures in March when you book by February 17.

Airfarewatchdog.com compared prices and found that AirFrance flights were the cheapest when this discount was applied, “especially on nonstop routes to Paris, but also to other destinations such as Prague and Zurich.”

Otherwise, the best way to find out whether an airline offers promo codes is by signing up for their e-newsletters or Googling “promotion code” with the specific airline name.

[Via Budget Travel]

Road test: Google public transit maps on the iPhone

by Grant Martin on

The most recent firmware upgrade to the iPhone brought significant improvement to the mapping functionality, specifically with the addition of Street View and Public Transportation overlays. You’ve probably already seen Street View while browsing through neighborhoods on your local Google Maps computer. Basically it shows you what any (urban) storefront looks like from the street and is a good cross reference for when you’re walking around on foot.

What about the Public Transportation tool? To find out, I decided to give the service a try while visiting San Francisco last weekend. Follow along for a quick road test.

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Google maps with the 3G iPhone in and of itself is an excellent tool if you’re on foot in any urban environment. Need to find out where you are? Turn on the GPS, find out what corners you’re on and figure out what direction you’re going in. Type in your target address, place a pin and walk towards the pin.
If you wanted to take public transportation? Before, you had to navigate to the local public transportation website (ie, open up a Safari window and visit mbta.info) browse around, find a schedule and download it. It’s possible, but cumbersome, and you have to find a quiet corner to mess with your phone where nobody will disturb you.

With Google’s new functionality, however, schedules and fares are integrated into the map. So when you select the “Public Transportation” option from the top of the map menu, it uses your location, finds a bus/subway/train stop near you, gives you directions to the stop then gives you the departure time, schedule and fares.

Let this soak in for a second. It tells you exactly where you are, where you need to be, how to get there on public transportation, how much it will cost and when you’ll arrive. That is nothing short of amazing.

In San Francisco last weekend, I found myself in Alamo Square a few minutes before I needed to meet a colleague. Punching in “3292 22nd St” into Google Maps, I pressed the Public Transportation button and received the following:

“Departs a 1/18/09 10:21 AM, Arrives at 1/18/09, 10:46 AM — $1.50”
“Walk to Fillmore St & Hayes St”

And so the journey began. Seven minutes later I was on the 22 heading south on Fillmore, and before I knew it I was standing at Boogaloos, right on time.

Now, mind you that this is in the most technologically advanced city in the country on a clear, traffic free day. The Public Transportation option doesn’t work in all cities (cough, New York) and under all conditions. But if San Francisco is the marker by which the travel world will soon change, then a revolution is soon at hand.

A way easier soap for traveling

by Annie Scott on

When I first saw the Anti-Bacterial Paper Soap (right) at Flight 001 in Brooklyn (58 Fifth Avenue, 718-789-1001), I thought it was gonna be a little slip of paper that somehow dissolved in my hand, like a cross between Purell and those paper mints people eat. I was wrong.

The paper soap does indeed require water. But I still like it. You take a slip of the paper between your hands, stick your hands in running water, and as you rub, it becomes soap-like and actually very pleasant smelling (the fragrance I have here is mint and eucalyptus) — and it’s just the right amount. It works better in warm water. ‘Cause, you know, science.

Do you need it if you’re going to a fancy hotel with tons of soap in the shape of like, seashells and stuff? No. But think about taking it with you to the amusement park or to the restaurant where you know they’ll be out of soap. Also, if you’re backpacking, staying in hostels, or going anywhere without the usual modern conveniences, packing these is a lot easier than dealing with a wet bar of soap. A lot.

$6.00 for 30 sheets. Not bad! Thanks to Quynhster, who helped me at Flight 001.

For more small paper toiletries (it’s a whole market, people), click here and read Scott’s reviews!

Help! I’ve been bumped!

by Scott Carmichael on

No, bumping is not the latest craze to hit European dance floors, it’s what airlines do when they have more passengers than seats.

Chances are that you’ve been waiting in the departure gate area and have heard the gate agents ask for volunteers for a later flight. Overbooking has become a very profitable thing for airlines, and they have developed pretty smart mathematical systems to determine which flights have the greatest chances of passengers not showing up. Of course, even the best system is wrong every now and then, and your 88 passenger plane may have 110 people waiting at the gate for a seat.

Smart people prepare for bumps, and make a decent buck by taking the generous voucher in exchange for a later arrival. I’ve played the bumping game several times, and once made over $700 in travel vouchers just by accepting a 4 hour delay in my trip home. Grant Martin wrote about the art of fishing for bumps last year, and it’s a great way to learn how to make some extra money off the airline.

Of course, not every “bump” is voluntarily, and especially during busy times of the year, the airline will have a hard time finding volunteers for their offer. In some cases, they’ll keep raising the offer in the hope that someone snags it, but in the worst case, they’ll start calling out names of passengers who will be denied boarding.
This involuntarily denied boarding or IDB is costly for the airline, but only if you know your rights. The compensation rules for IDB changed this year, and passengers now get a better deal than we originally did with the 30 year old rules these changes replaced.

If the airline denies you boarding, you are entitled to $400, but only if the delay gets you to the first stopover of your trip more than 4 hours past your original arrival time. There is of course some fine print; the $400 is the maximum amount, and the true compensation is 200% of your airfare, with a maximum of $400. The whole thing is quite complicated, but is all described by the Department of Transportation in this document (PDF file).

Some other compensation could come from additional vouchers for food and beverages at the airport, hotel accommodation (on overnight IDB’s) and even free domestic US round trip ticket vouchers. If the airline is really desperate, you could even consider asking for an upgrade on your replacement flight.

When you are offered a voucher, be sure to ask the gate agent about the rules attached to it – some vouchers have so many restrictions that you’ll only ever be able to redeem it on a Monday morning between 8 and 8:30 and only on odd numbered days when the temperature is above 85. A free round trip ticket voucher may sound nice, but if it is impossible to redeem, it’ll be a useless piece of paper,

Remember – the law is on your side when you are denied boarding (assuming you got to the airport on time) so make sure you demand what you are entitled to!

Keep busy with 44 travel ideas

by Tom Johansmeyer on

If the entire world is too much from which to choose, take a look at The 44 Places to Go in 2009 suggested by the New York Times. Some are obvious, such as Reykjavik, which was been on everyone’s mind 2008. Others are easy, including Washington D.C. Our nation’s capital has plenty of hotels (including the funky Hotel Helix, photo at right), great public transportation and access via two major airports. Of course, there are a few destinations that probably wouldn’t occur to you otherwise. Here are some highlights:

  1. Beirut, Lebanon: two hotels are expected to open this year (including a Four Seasons), and dining at Al-Ajami is top-notch
  2. Fjallnas, Sweden: this is home to a luxury resort up by the Arctic Circle; rates start at €325 a night, but deals are available
  3. Copenhagen, Denmark: the city’s architecture is headed into the 21st century, particularly with the new zoo and theater
  4. Kazakhstan: no, I’m not joking; the new opera house is not to be missed, and a ski resort is in the works

Need more choices? Not a problem! There are forty more here, and after that an entire world in which to poke around.