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Airfare 101: The Best Time To Buy Airline Tickets

2011-08-19T09:24:00.000-07:00

England's Observer newspaper has reported findings of a study by 2 renowned economists- Makoto Watanabe and Marc Moller. They have actually developed a mathematical formulae to derive their findings as part of their research into airline pricing. Now the exciting part. According to their research, the optimum time to buy an airline ticket in advance is 8 weeks out. They have also discovered that prices rise in the afternoon which they believe is due to the airlines' assumption that business travellers buy at work in the morning. From my 25+ years of travel industry experience, I can also add that Tuesdays and Wednesdays are also the best days to both buy airfares and to travel at the best price. So, buy as soon as you can and buy on a Tuesday or Wednesday morning. Got it? Airfare 101.

Travel Bucket List: Dubai

2011-08-03T13:26:00.000-07:00

Dubai has it all. The World's tallest building; an indoor ski hill inside a mall and the Burj Al Arab Hotel- the world's only 7 star hotel. My wife and I stayed in a 2 bedroom suite- 3,600 sq. ft. and valued at $5,500 USD per night. The butler is included (to make drinks, draw a bath in your jacuzzi, press the elevator button, etc.) But breakfast is not- $200 USD for 2. Still, it is a hotel and trip to put on your "bucket list". After you have seen "new" Dubai, you need to get over to the Dubai Creek area and see "old" Dubai- simple local restaurants, markets, and the people. Definitely worth the trip and out of the ordinary.

Airline Fees- It's Your Choice!

2011-07-21T11:49:00.000-07:00

Airline fees have grown both in number and in dollar volume over the past number of years. They are literally worth millions, and in some cases, billions to major airlines. They can make an airline profitable or not. (A little known fact- Air Canada was the first major airline in North America to start charging fees back when they "unbundled" and reduced their number of fares to only 5 in the late 90's. Ironically there are once again many different fares and sources for airfares). The rationale for fees is simple-user pay and pay only for what you want. Airlines state that fares would be that much higher if they didn't charge fees. The airline fee list includes: check-in bags, extra bags, extra leg room, meals, pillows, frequent flier points, preferred check-in, airline lounges, advanced seat selection, change fees, travel assistance. Something might have been left off and the list is undoubtedly growing as I type! Anyway, fees are not going away and the time has come to move on. Get the services that you want and need to enhance your travel experience. Leave the others alone!

The Need for Business Class

2011-06-23T08:21:00.000-07:00

Economy class is cheaper than Business Class but at what cost to the employee? A new study presented at the Business Travel Market in London confirms that there is a negative impact on colleagues who travel on the cheap. Travel is a demanding sport particularly when you are travelling overseas. A long flight coupled with a significant time difference makes for a trying few days in a foreign land. Having your head hit the conference table because you are overly tired and jet lagged is not good! Business Class lets you relax, work, sleep properly and have a nice meal. A taxi is like business class compared to lugging bags through a subway/tube turnstile. I always use an extra hotel night the day before a meeting to get well rested and in sync with the local time and surroundings. A good hotel helps to make you feel comfortable (like the Flemings Mayfair London in this picture). A business trip is an investment in money, time and the traveler. Travelers need to feel good and at the top of their game for the investment to pay off and the trip to be successful!

Air Travel of the Future

2011-06-14T06:48:00.000-07:00

The see through and transparent plane- coming to a runway near you by 2050! If you have a fear of flying, you better get over it. See for yourself:

Holy Volcano- again!

2011-05-25T12:03:00.000-07:00

It seemed like April 2010 all over again when another Iceland Volcano blew its' top this past week. Panic set in for many travelling in Europe. Last year, airspace was shotdown for 5 days- this time it looked like deja vu all over again! During the past year, millions of displaced travelers spent fruitless hours on hold with airline call centers endeavouring to find their way back home. Millions of others, who had booked their reservations through travel agents, were rebooked in a timely manner. Travel agents, most of whom are paid nothing by the airlines for their efforts, worked around the clock to assist their customers. A form of travel insurance and a simple time saving relationship that pays off big time when the world seems like it is coming to an end!

The Most Common Travel Complaints

2011-05-04T07:22:00.000-07:00

Airlines top the list of complaint sources. Most travelers are frustrated by cancellations, changes, and flight delays and the lack of communication and advanced warning of same. Travelers are not happy with leg room and the size of seats in economy class. Travel suppliers in general, and airlines in particular, are great at adding extra or ancillary charges. Fees for bags, seat selection, food, drinks, credit card surcharges and more. Tour operators usually charge extra for single travelers. Many hotels charge for Internet access. What to do? Complain! Complain to the employee you are speaking; if possible complain to management on duty; and then send an e-mail or letter to corporate headquarters.

An unclean hotel room is unacceptable. An in-flight smelly toilet is not good enough. The list goes on but too many paying customers just put up with it. Don't. Ask for a different hotel room. Tell the airline counter agent that the airline needs more food choice on board. It really doesn't take many voices and negative opinions to get things fixed and changed (especially in the sensitive travel business).

Mexico- Still a Great Vacation Spot!

2011-03-19T08:48:00.000-07:00

Mexico is a country known for its history, beauty, beaches, food and hospitality. Unfortunately, it’s also known for hurricanes and lately violence. The negative press related to violence has affected tourism- not to a huge degree but definitely to a noticeable one. The facts are true- there is violence related to drugs and drug cartels. But the drug cartel problems are mostly near the U.S. and Mexican border. Sometimes a tourist gets caught in the action but it’s almost always gang against gang or against the government trying to stop the violence. The popular resort towns are as safe as ever!
Here are my general tips for travel to Mexico:
-Don’t go to Acapulco, Tijuana or some of the other northern cities and towns due to internal violence (I wouldn’t go there anyway). I would go to Cancun, Los Cabos, Ixtapa, Cozumel and Manzanillo in a heartbeat.
-Investigate upgrade availability at your resort before you book. For a few hundred dollars more, you get a suite with ocean view, private dining lounge access, in-room dinner for 2, VIP boat cruise and more at the Great Parnassus in Cancun.
-The Government of Mexico says you can only use Mexican Pesos. Not true. The American Dollar is still king and accepted readily along with Pesos (Note- if you pay in USD, your change may be in Pesos). If you take public transit in Cancun, you can pay $1 USD or 10 pesos.
-Find a travel agent who knows Mexico. Based on your budget and needs, you’ll stay at the resort that is right for you and you will have a great Mexican vacation!

Travel Reviews- Fact or Fiction?

2011-02-17T14:15:00.000-08:00

There are a whole raft of travel review sites out there. The most well known is undoubtedly Trip Advisor. And a whole lot of people use them to form opinions. Big mistake. In an unscientific survey, here's the breakout for every 5 reviews. 2 out of 5 reviews are actually written by hotel/resort staff (I'm not kidding). "It was the best resort ever/it was the most amazing vacation I've ever had/everything was perfect". Another 2 of 5 reviews are written by people who would never be happy under any circumstance (and/or by competing hotels/resorts- again, I'm not kidding). "It was the resort ever/it was the worst vacation ever/everything was horrible". 1 of 5 reviews is maybe worth looking at. Here's a better way to get a review that is a real review: talk to someone you know who has actually been there. Better still, talk to a travel agent who has had several people go where you are thinking or can make a strong recommendation based on your needs. Tell them what you are looking for and put them to the test! And, when you get to the hotel/resort and something is wrong, deal with it (don't put up with it if it bothers you). When I first go to my room, I quickly figure out whether or not it is what it is suppose to be. If I don't like the room, I turn right around and go back to the front desk and tell them to change it. If there is something worse still, I talk to the manager. The point- don't overthink your holiday or trip before you leave based on reviews. Especially reviews that are fiction! If you think that your trip is going to be lousy, it probably will be!

Internet on the Road

2011-01-19T08:33:00.000-08:00

On a recent trip to London, I was staying at my favourite little hotel- The Flemings Mayfair. A great rate thanks to Uniglobe- $165 pounds including breakfast and VAT. Only problem- like so many hotels- is the internet charge. 22 pounds per day. I opted to grab a coffee at the nearby Starbuck's on 2 afternoons and get free internet with my 2 pound coffee. Internet is the still the common and chargeable item with most better hotels. Odd because the Hampton Inns of the world have free Internet (and often half the room rate of the better hotels). With all the portable devices that we all have, isn't it about time that all hotels provide it as part of their offering?

Online Travel- Update

2011-01-04T06:40:00.000-08:00

So now to update the post below and to really emphasize the point that online retailers display what they want and choose to display, here's the next part of the story. Expedia has announced that they have dropped American Airline's fare altogether (and from Hotwire and TripAdvisor as they own those as well). Orbitz has removed AA fares as of December 21st. The story is not over and will probably increase in magnitude. Let the buyer beware when dealing online! The key point for you, the consumer, is- are you seeing the full choice of travel options?

Another Secret of the Travel Industry- Online Travel

2010-12-28T06:34:00.000-08:00

The next best kept secret of the travel industry is- online travel retailers display what they want to display. Here's a great example. A recent search on a major online retailer showed a very low fare from Toronto to Los Angeles. 2 catches- Northwest and through Detroit. Nobody from Toronto would take Northwest to Los Angeles through Detroit. Worse still, if you decided you would take this flight (because of the price), and clicked through to purchase it, it was not available. Secret #2- most online retailers do an inventory refresh every 4-6 hours. (The low fare was available to a few but maybe not available for several hours).
Back to the first point- the select inventory and display. American Airlines is attepting to launch a new direct connect booking system (like a private booking site). Orbitz is no longer displaying American because of a dispute related to this program. Now Expedia is joining the fray. Expedia has stopped listing American fares in its initial fare search results (i.e. your first search results). You have to make an extra click and search for American fares.
So, a couple of bits of advice- buy what you want to buy (NW stopping in Detroit for 4 hours on the way to L.A.?) and realize you may not be getting the full picture.

Airline Lounges

2010-11-18T12:54:00.000-08:00

If you travel for business, it's nice to be able to relax in an airline lounge. The best in the world is in Dubai- the Emirates Lounge in their new terminal for Business Class only. Several chefs prepare hot and cold foods and it is 5 star. They even have a Spa! The London Lounge in Heathrow Terminal 3 is pretty good and is for Star Alliance travellers. Comfortable with some quality food and drink. Porter Airlines at Toronto Island is great for a small airline. WiFi, espresso, and Walker's cookies. Among the worst is Air Canada Terminal 1 in Toronto. Comfortable but...WiFi is spotty as it is provided by the airport. The food is cafeteria quality. Warmed over pasta, iceberg lettuce, olives. Their saving grace is the liquor- Guiness on tap and some decent wine. Lounge access is not what it's cracked up to be!

Disney World or Bust!

2010-11-02T13:45:00.000-07:00

If you are a parent of a small child, you know that you must go to Disney! It is a parental obligation. Having been 3 times, I can say that it is a lot of fun for big kids too. But it is a minefield- there are so many choices and variables. Parks, passes, hotels, best airfare, dining plans, dining reservations with characters, best time to go, etc. Do yourself a favour and use a travel agent who specializes in Disney-www.chipandco.com/2010/11/disney-world-quick-tips-should-you-use-a-travel-agent/. A Disney vacation is an investment- and will cost you more than you think! Get expert advice from someone who knows better and has planned Disney trips. You'll be as happy as your kids when you set foot in the "magic kingdom"!

Vacation Memories

2010-10-04T06:22:00.000-07:00

A research company called the YPartnership has recently presented evidence that there is a strong connection between vacations and the creation of memories that stay with us our entire lives. Pretty amazing and incredibly powerful! And the research also shows that when we plan vacations for our families, we are conscious that we are creating memories for them. So, while everyone can and do create their memories, why would you want to remember that cheap trip to Cuba (or Domincan, etc.)? After all, it's no bargain if you hate the trip! And who wants to remember that.

The Best Kept Secret In The Travel Industry

2010-09-09T13:32:00.000-07:00

The secret is- those who book directly with the supplier are paying for something they are not getting- the services of a professional travel consultant. You are going to pay an agent fee or commission when you book directly because it is always built into the price of any brochure program. Tour operators, cruise lines and top hotels in particular, love when you book direct because a large portion of that agent commission simply goes directly into their pocket! A good agent has your best interests at heart (they want a repeat customer); they will look out for further discounts for you; and will be there for you in an emergency (think volcano in Iceland). A good agent will compare various travel companies; will advise on the best product to meet your needs; point out advantages and disadvantages of your options; analyze your travel insurance needs, and provide personal service. On the price side, you will never receive better pricing on any online site. A connected agent will have as good or better pricing than you will see on any direct booking site. So, get unbiased travel advice and expertise from a good agent- you're paying for it!

Ottawa

2010-08-10T09:37:00.000-07:00

Ottawa is not exactly exotic but has a nice feel to it. A blend of Toronto and Montreal- most speak French (in addition to English of course) and it is clean like Toronto. The outdoor cafes, the Byward Market, a selection of museums, the canal, etc. A very nice long weekend, especially in summer. Le Moulin de Provence (in the Byward Market) is the bakery where Barrack Obama stopped for cookies when he was in town. Their baked goods are worth the trip to Ottawa alone!

Virgin America

2010-06-30T15:42:00.001-07:00

I was invited to the Virgin America launch party at the brand new Thompson Hotel in downtown Toronto. And had the good fortune to meet Sir Richard Branson there. Virgin (and Sir Richard) always do things with a flair. Virgin America gets rave reviews from everyone- and when the price is the same (or less), why not give them a try? And the Thompson Hotel in Toronto (at 550 Wellington St. West) is something else. The launch party (and these photos) were on the rooftop lounge (complete with small pool). Great location, great ambience and great last minute rates. And the small Thompson chain is big with the rich and famous. Great service and value on both fronts. As Sir Richards so often says "brilliant".

Offline Is the New Online

2010-06-04T08:33:00.000-07:00

The Travel Agent is alive and well. And saving travellers time, money, hassle, etc. I couldn't have said it better than Michael Valkevich at Fast Company: http://www.fastcompany.com/1653587/worklife-offline-is-the-new-online