RSSFeb|28|2010
Aviation Safety and the Power Distance Index (PDI)
Posted by Noemi as Air Travel, Tips, Transport, Trivia
People often choose airlines based on ticket prices, service, perks and safety. When it comes to the first three factors people often base their decisions on research and actual experience. You can after all easily compare fares just by surfing online or asking your travel agency for quotations. Service and perks are also really easy to judge once you’ve flown in different airlines. What is harder to research though is safety records. Sure airlines have safety records that can be accessed publicly. Those with good safety records even advertise their record to encourage passengers to choose their airlines. However, what people don’t usually consider when choosing a flight is a factor called Power Distance Index (PDI).
Power Distance Index and its effect on aviation safety was discussed by Malcolm Gladwell in his book “Outliers“. There he explained why a plane manned by a …
Feb|23|2010
2009: Second Safest Travel Year
Posted by Noemi as Air Travel, News, Trends
I guess that’s just a bit of information that is not really of much to use the average traveler today. Yeah, last year could very well be one of the safest years of traveling – we’re very much alive despite going on several trips last year, right?
Now, enough sarcasm. The data may seem trivial to me (and maybe some of you) but I am sure someone will make good use of it. According to the International Air Transport Association, or IATA, in the year 2009, there was only 1 accident for every 1.4 million flights. That’s an impressive figure, isn’t it? However, the numbers only take into account Western-built jets. Then again, I don’t think I’ve ever flown in a non-Western jet. Have you?
Here are more details from Reuters:
IATA said the 2009 …
Jan|10|2010
Make Airport Security Checks Less Painful
Posted by Noemi as Air Travel, Tips, Transport
Flying is not always everyone’s number one choice when it comes to traveling. We have to admit, though, that in many cases, it is the most efficient way of traveling – that is, if you don’t get high blood pressure during the security check. In order to avoid this headache, prepare yourself (in all aspects!) before you fly.
Prepare yourself mentally. Tight security means longer waits. It also means you having to put up with pat downs, open bags, taking your shoes off, and more. Even before you leave for the airport, get yourself mentally ready for this. Your attitude will make a whole lot of difference!
Prepare your bags in such a way that you’ll find it easy to open and close them. As much as possible, bring one bag. If you …
Nov|20|2009
Last Minute Thanksgiving Travel MUSTS
Posted by Noemi as Air Travel, Tips, Transport, United States
One more week and the turkey holiday will be here. I know that many of you have already made plans, and some may already have had a head start. If you belong to the other group – those who are more “flexible” and who like winging it – try taking a look at these MUSTS. They might just help you have a more pleasant Thanksgiving travel experience.
Lots of luggage? Why not use a courier service? Not many people go this route when traveling, but if you think about how much the airlines charge for baggage these days, it might be cheaper to just send your bags to your destination ahead of time. This is even more appropriate for big families who have LOTS of things to lug along. Send your bags three days ahead …
Nov|13|2009
Holiday Travel Tips That You CANNOT Do Without
Posted by Noemi as Air Travel, Tips
Holidays and travel go together – at least for most people. Time is flying by so fast, and before we know it, we’ll be hitting the roads to do our own things during the holidays. Here are some travel tips that you can check out – you will be happy that you did, trust me!
Look for refunds.
If you’re flying Southwest, there is good news for you. If you’ve already bought your tickets and then later on you find lower priced fare, you can ask for a refund! Also check out JetBlue and Priceline, as they have similar offers.
KNOW the rules for baggage.
You can get hit HARD by the fees for excess baggage, and with the trend today, you just never know what “excess” means. If I were you, I would make sure – absolutely …
Nov|12|2009
Free Wi-Fi At Airports Courtesy Of Google
Posted by Noemi as Air Travel, Trends, United States
You might have heard of it already – Google is offering a holiday treat to the countless people who will be traveling over the holidays. The news is that the company will be providing FREE Wi-Fi at 47 airports throughout the United States during the holidays. Naturally, those who like being connected wherever they may be are happy about the news.
The free Wi-Fi stunt is already in place – it started on Tuesday – and will be in effect until the 15th of January 2010. How is Google going to accomplish this? The answer lies within the partnerships that the company has established. Together with the airports and companies like Time Warner and Advanced Wireless Group, Google aims to provide relief and convenience to the millions of people who will be flying in the next couple …
Oct|18|2009
How To Get Holiday Travel Deals
Posted by Noemi as Air Travel, Tips, Transport, Trends
I was watching the news earlier and they had this travel editor from Virtual Tourist as the guest. His predictions about holiday travel were not good – he said that it is unlikely that airfares would go down for Christmas, so it is a good idea to book now. That got me thinking about looking for more holiday travel tips. After all, everyone could use some savings these days. Here are some of the best tips I found.
I’ll be home for Thanksgiving…
…rather than Christmas, that is. The travel editor seems to be right. If you look at various web sites, you’ll find that the ticket prices for Christmas travel are considerably higher than the prices for Thanksgiving travel. If I were you, I’d consider going home for the turkey holiday.
Be flexible!
If you have already …
Sep|26|2009
Airlines To Add Surcharge During Peak Season
Posted by Noemi as Air Travel, Trends, United States
I think it’s a load of c**p, but is there anything that we can do? From what I have been reading, it seems that airlines are going to be adding a fee to ticket prices for flights on the busiest days of the year. This means that those who are planning on going on a trip at Christmas and similar holidays will have to cough up more money.
Travelers looking to fly on the busiest days of the year will see new sky-high prices on airfare, after multiple airlines decided to add a new $10 surcharge for popular travel dates this winter.
American Airlines first created the surcharge for domestic flights for the Sunday following Thanksgiving and the weekend of Jan. 2-3-, the dates during which many Americans will be returning home from Christmas and New …
Sep|06|2009
Sideways Seating For Short Flights?
Posted by Noemi as Air Travel, Backpacking & Budget, News
With operating costs going nowhere but up, airlines are continually on the look out for ways to save them on money. One of those things is to pack more passengers in each airplane. Of course, you can only put so many seats in a given space. To solve this problem, a British design company has come up with a new design for airplane seating. Take a look at this.
So how about sitting sideways? I honestly think it looks cheap and scary. It looks something like a bus – not that buses are always scary, but to actually fly tens of thousands of feet up in the air on those flimsy looking seats is something else.
I saw this photo over at Flight Global, which reports:
Design Q’s preliminary image, revealed to the world for the first time …
Aug|01|2009
No Danger From Blood Clots During Long Air Travel
Posted by Noemi as Air Travel, Health, Health & Wellness
I remember all the hullaballoo about deep vein thrombosis, blood clots forming in your legs when you sit still for very long periods of time. Sitting behind a desk every day, sitting at home, etc – all these are “activities” that may leave you prone to blood clots. Air travel, in particular, is one of the main sources of concern. Short flights, of course, do not pose much of a threat, but extended flights just might.
Or at least that’s what we thought. New developments tell us otherwise, though. According to a report published by Reuters, researchers have not found any concrete link between immobility in long flights and the formation of blood clots:
They report in the Annals of Emergency Medicine that 545 patients were diagnosed with venous blood clots within 45 days, and 1394 had at …
