Photo by hellolapomme

Blogger Chris Guillebeau recently wrote about his experience acquiring over 800,000 US Airways miles. This got me thinking about the risk element involved in much of air travel.

Most readers would view the risk of being stuck in a middle seat at the back of Economy Class on a longhaul flight as something to be avoided. Yet 90% of passengers simply don’t care or don’t know any better. They sit wherever the computer system assigns them.

It is almost a challenge for me to secure the best possible seat on the aircraft that I can. In recent memory I have never had a single occurrence of being stuck in a terrible seat though.

It would seem that with proper planning and a firm understanding of the rules, the risk we as frequent flyers face, really isn’t that great in terms of seating. Chris’ experience, risking several thousand dollars on the hope of US Airways honouring a highly exploitable promotion was a slightly different block of cheese.

I still take the view that with enough understanding, research and experience the risk is far more calculated that most people realise. To my knowledge, there has never been a major promotion that failed to honour the miles promised, despite blatant exploitation. That being said, there is bound to be a first case where a lot of people are left out of pocket.

In the mean time, the sheer value that travel hackers are obtaining by exploiting frequent flyer programs makes for some very good odds. I for one, will continue to take worthwhile risks in the name of acquiring vast amount of frequent flyer miles.

The much anticipated George Clooney movie “Up In The Air” has gone on general release in the USA. Clooney Plays the role of a jet setting business man who spends his life in airport lounges. The movie is a comedy and is sure to be a hit with the holiday crowd.

Box office figures are positive and reviews are favourable. The movie has yet to be released on this side of the world, so I can’t comment on it yet. Rest assured, as soon as I get a chance to see it, I will let you know if it is any good.

In the mean time, check out the Wall Street Journal’s selection of opinions.

Air Asia flights

Our essential guide to cheap Air Asia flights provides an in-depth look at the carrier. This guide covers some general information about the airline and the routes it flies to. It also looks at how to get the cheapest possible flights, including some tricks we learned to always find the best deal. Finally, we show an unbiased view of the service onboard Air Asia flights, including seat pitch and in flight service.

About Air Asia

Air Asia is actually a collection of different airlines: AirAsia Berhad (Malaysia), Thai AirAsia, Indonesia AirAsia and AirAsiaX (Long Haul). The airlines operate under the banner of Air Asia and the service and experience are almost identical, except on long haul flights under Air Asia X. The group have a number of hub airports across South East Asia, the main ones being – Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Singapore, Kota Kinabalu and Jakarta. Air Asia also operates an extensive number of flights from other airports such as Phuket, Penang and Bali.

This results in a larger number of point-to-point flights being available. Traditional airlines often require stopovers or transit through a hub airport, but Air Asia has an extremely large number of direct point-to-point flights. This can be very convenient for many people.

You can catch Air Asia flights from virtually any large city in South Easy Asia. It is worth noting that on routes with a lot of competition, prices are significantly lower. However, for convenience there are also direct routes from certain smaller cities or tourist destinations – Penang to Macau is a good example of such a route.

Air Asia X is the long haul arm of Air Asia. All Air Asia X flights can be booked through the regular website but there are some major in differences in onboard service which is covered towards the end of this guide. All flights to/from Australia, Abu Dhabi, Europe, Northern China and Taiwan are operated by Air Asia X. Importantly, Air Asia X is not always cheaper than their competitors on these routes. A good example is London – Kuala Lumpur, where Emirates and Ethiad regularly undercut the average Air Asia rates. This does mean a stopover in the Middle East however. Bear in mind that you will need to purchase some food on such long flights so factor in this when making budgeting decisions. More information on Air Asia X service is discussed later in this guide.

Cheap Air Asia Flight Secrets

AirAsia.com

The main place to make your booking is on the airline’s website. Note that you are charged in the currency where your flight departs so if you book 2x one-way tickets then will be charged in two separate currencies. Some credit cards have additional fees for bookings in a foreign currency. The website is pretty self explanatory, and functions just like any other airline website.

SkyScanner tool

SkyScanner is a flight comparison website which compares prices of many different airlines. One special feature is that it can seat for a specific route over a period of a whole month. If you want to travel from Kuala Lumpur – London in March, then simply enter this information in the simple booking screen and it searches the entire month. This way you can accurately see every Air Asia prices over the whole month. This is a great tip to find the cheaper flights. Beware that some airlines, most notably Tiger Airways, appear to be much cheaper on this website. However the prices quoted do not include tax. Air Asia prices do include tax.

Advance Booking

Advance booking is necessary to secure super low prices. If you book over 3 months in advance then flights are usually dirt cheap – the exception being Air Asia X flights to Europe / Australia. It is never worth holding off booking in case of a sale. To be honest, flights are so cheap if you book them in advance that is often best to book them even if your plans are unconfirmed. Prices can rise as much as ten times as you move closer to the departure date. If you do need to make a change to your flight, it is usually cheaper to simply purchase a new ticket rather than pay the change fees as well as the difference in price.

Sales

Air Asia sales are notoriously good value, but only for a select few. A recent sale offered many seats for free (just pay tax). It was easy to get these seats for less popular routes, but the more popular routes sold out of the small number of free seats really quickly. Over a three day period, Air Asia’s website became inundated with people looking for a good deal. It ground to a halt for most of the day. While on paper discount sales are great value, in practice it is less true. They often require you to book flights over 6 months in advance and there are only ever a few seats available for the very cheap advertised prices. Other seats are still cheap, but much more costly than the loss leading prices quoted in the various marketing material.

Sales are always advertised well in advance, usually on the Air Asia website itself. In future, a good trick to get through to the site when the sale starts is to use the mobile site: http://m.airasia.com – this section of the site usually works even when the main website does not. Some popup blockers cover up banner ads on the Air Asia site, so if you are looking for the next sale be sure to make sure that your browser is not hiding the advertisement from you.

Competition / Routings

Most traditional carriers have started to adapt and compete with Air Asia. Malaysian Airlines now offers similar prices on many domestic and short-haul flights. Many new budget airlines have sprung up in the region in recent years as well. The popular Singapore – Kuala Lumpur route is served by Tiger Airways, in addition to Air Asia, Malaysian Airlines and Singapore Airlines. This results in some exceptionally cheap fares on this route – often flights are free and you just pay the tax.

There are a large number of budget airlines in South East Asia now, so be sure to check on various sources to ensure Air Asia flights really are the cheapest. This is particularly noticeable on domestic flights in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia where a number of competing airlines operate.

There are also a few instances where two flights are significantly cheaper than one. There are multiple reasons for this, including competition and taxes. Take the example of Kuala Lumpur – Manila. When booking in advance, it is often cheaper to purchase a Kuala Lumpur – Kota Kinabalu flight then purchase a separate Kota Kinabalu – Manila flight.

If your flight is from Singapore, be aware that the Malaysian city of Johor Bharu lies on the border with Singapore. It may be significantly cheaper to cross the border by car/bus then take a flight out of Johor Bharu. This also means that you pay the much lower Malaysian departure tax rates.

Hidden Fees

Like many budget airlines, Air Asia does have some hidden fees. Their website proudly proclaims that they have “No Admin” fee and that the price you see includes tax and is the price you pay. This is not strictly true as in November 2009 they introduced what they called a credit/debit card “convenience fee” of 5MYR per passenger per on-way trip. For a family of 4 making a return journey, this fee would be 40MYR or around US$12. It is a blatant rip off charge, but there is little you can do about it unless you have a Malaysian bank account and can set up an online direct debit payment.

If you wish to bring carry on luggage, this costs extra too. It varies depending on which country you are originating from, but expect to pay around 10MYR for up to 15kg allowance. This fee dramatically rises by over 450% if you move up to 20kg so try to ensure each bag you carry has less than 15kg in it.

When you make a booking, after you enter your details, the website tries to add on additional travel insurance. Make sure you cancel this as it is very expensive and there are much cheaper annual options out there. One thing to note is that the “cancel” and “ok” buttons are often shifted around which can be confusing. Be sure to read the pop up boxes to ensure you really are cancelling the insurance.

In South East Asia, a number of airports have taxes or “departure fees” that are payable at the airport prior to departure. This is applicable to all airlines, but it is worth bearing in mind if you intend to travel to these places. Cambodia charges all passengers a fee of US$10. In Vietnam, most tax fees are now included in ticket prices. Check http://www.wikitravel.org for the latest information.

Some airports are a lot further out of town that you might expect. If you fly to Manila with Air Asia, you will actually find yourself in another city called Clarke which is about an hour drive away. Always check which airport you are arriving into before flying. Air Asia uses London Stanstead which is further out of town and in Brisbane, Gold Coast airport is used which is the secondary airport in the area. This seems to be a bigger problem for Air Asia X, where the route map advertises Hangzhou airport as being close to Shanghai. In actual fact this can take well over 2 hours on a fast train so be careful.

In Kuala Lumpur, Air Asia uses the Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) which uses the same runway as KLIA (the main airport). However, the terminal is on the other side of the runway and nobody has bothered to connect them. Different busses and transports options exist for each terminal so check before you travel to ensure you have the correct route planned. The opposite is true in places like Singapore where Air Asia uses the main terminal and not the budget terminal.

The experience

This section looks are the experience of an Air Asia flight and what it is really like. Note that Air Asia X has quite a few major differences and these are covered in the Air Asia X section at the end.

Check-In

You are allowed to check in online and print your own boarding pass. In reality this has little benefit unless you are travelling only with hand luggage. You still have to queue up and drop your bags off as normal. There is always a line but it does tend to move quickly. Seats are assigned “randomly” but at check in you can often ask for a specific kind of seat such as an aisle seat or a window seat if you prefer. Staff will always tell you that it is random assignments, but be persistent and they will always change your seat for you. All Air Asia check in staff can change seats easily.

I have often stated that I’d like an aisle seat because I am tall and the seats are small. A high proportion of the time, I have been given exit row seats when I’ve asked this. Usually, customers must pay extra for these seats with more room – on Air Asia flights they are called “hot seats”.

A good precaution to take is to make sure your mobile phone (cell phone/hand phone) number entered correctly when booking your flight. Air Asia are very good at sending you text messages to let you know about delays or cancellations. Beware that if you check the Air Asia website, often it will not have the updated time – the text messages are correct though.

Legroom

Most Air Asia flights are operated by Airbus A320 aircraft. There are also a number of Boeing 737 aircraft in the fleet at present. The Air Asia seat pitch for regular seats is 29 inches – which is standard for budget airlines but a few inches below regular carriers. This allows five extra rows of seats to be fitted in each plane, compared to regular carriers with a 31 inch seat pitch. The seats are generally quite comfortable as many of the aircraft are only a few years old.

I am 6 feet 4 inches tall and have no problem sitting comfortably in an Air Asia seat for a few hours. There is a noticeable difference in sitting in an extra legroom or exit row seat. For short flight I don’t find it worth the additional 25MYR fee, especially given how often I get to sit here for free anyway – by asking at check in.

Service

Air Asia is a budget airline and as such all additional services costs extra. Food and drink are available for purchase throughout the flight. The cabin crew make one round with the trolley, but will happily serve you again if you ask. Food is expensive for Asia, but cheap compared to European budget airlines. A regular can of Pepsi costs 5MYR and a meal costs 9MYR (7MYR for sandwich / panini). The food is not very good quality considering the cost. The satay offered on many flights departing Kuala Lumpur is very good, as it is from the same catering company Malaysian Airlines use (and serve it to their First/Business Class passengers). There is even a big discount for booking in advance online.

Officially, Air Asia flights have a no external food/drink policy on board. I’m not sure this is legally enforceable in some countries, but the crew do not seem to enforce this practice strictly. Many people bring on bottles of water and if you take small snacks such as sandwiches then it shouldn’t be a problem. I dare say that some cabin crew will be super strict about it, but the vast majority are ok – so use at least some discretion.

Be sure to take along a pen, or ask your seat neighbour to borrow one. If you need to fill out a landing card/immigration form, Air Asia do not provide free pens on their flights – of course you can buy one, or just wait till you land and fill out that card next to the immigration line.

Air Asia X

When flying long haul, things a little different. Large A330 and A340 aircraft are used. The Air Asia X seat pitch is 31 inches but seats are slightly narrower than on short haul flights. See my other article for a full guide to Air Asia X Seats. Another great thing about Air Asia X is the XL class, which is similar to Premium Economy on many airlines. Be sure to check out my guide to Air Asia X XL seats as well.

In flight entertainment is offered in the form of personal TVs with video on demand. On A340 aircraft, DVD players are available for rent. It is best to ask for one as soon as you board the plane (before takeoff) as these run out very quickly. Programming on the personal TVs is very good, with a wide range of new and classic movies, TV shows and kids programs available in many languages. This costs 30MYR per screen, though two people could potentially share one screen.

Air Asia X seem to love turning their Air Conditioning up really high and as such it gets very cold on their flights. The solution is to purchase a comfort kit, consisting of a blanket, an eye mask and a neck pillow. This only costs 25MYR for the whole kit which is very good value, but still an added cost which most other airlines provide for free.




Have your own view about Air Asia flights? Be sure to post a comment below and we will add any useful information to the guide.

Changi international airport in Singapore is often regarded as one of the best airports in the world. Located smack in the middle of the European – Australian flight path, Singapore makes a great stopover point and a great gateway to Asia. Compared to other major international airports, such as Los Angeles or London Heathrow, Changi international airport is a breeze to pass through and is the epitome of Asian ingenuity and efficiency. This guide shows you how to make the most of your time at the airport and enjoy many different activities, mostly without spending anything.

The airport has 3 terminals which long haul flights use and a 4th budget terminal for regional low cost carriers. Transit between the main three terminals is made easy by a system of automated monorail trains which speed between terminals every few minutes. Lots of moving walkways are present to speed up journey times even further. With the exception of the actual boarding gate, all areas of all three terminals can be accessed without clearing security or immigration. This means that transit passengers can explore the entire airport with ease and convenience.

There are many things to do at when you transit at Changi international airport. This article will cover 7 things to do while you wait for your flight.

The entire airport, and indeed the country, is covered by the free WIFI network Wireless@SG. Signing up is easy, just connect to the network, open your browser and click register. Note that you need to receive a text message with a confirmation code so please bear this in mind. This WIFI network extends through much of Singapore city so it is great to have an account should you visit Singapore in future. There are also a number of free WIFI networks belonging to various cafes, restaurants, bars and shops.

If you don’t have a laptop then there are literally hundreds of free PC terminals to use all over Changi international airport. Technically they have a 15 minute time limit but there are so many that there is never anyone waiting. All data is cleared at the end of each session automatically so there is no need to worry about having your details being used by the next user. Connection speeds are also very fast, and the PCs themselves are quick and virus free.

You could be excused for claiming that all airports look alike. Large monitors, long walkways and masses of concrete are pretty much the foundation of any airport. At Changi international airport, the designers decided to spread some greenery throughout the airport. There are several gardens in every terminal. These include butterfly parks, cactus gardens and even a fish pond. It is great to unwind here and get some fresh air after a long flight. Be warned though that smoking is allowed in some of the gardens so that air might not be quite as fresh as you imagined. These also provide great observations decks of the airports and the runway – great if you like taking photos.

Choose your weapon, Xbox or Playstation? The entertainment deck is a dedicated area in terminal 2 that has a whole host of entertainment options. The latest games are available for both Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 where you can play solo or challenge a friend. If you are in the mood to frag some other travellers, then head over to the LAN gaming room where you can play the latest PC games against other people in the room. There is also a selection of online games available.

For passengers without the energy for a fast paced action game, head over to the music area where comfortable seats with inbuilt speakers play relaxing and soothing music. You can choose which type of music you want to listen to then sit back and unwind till boarding time. The nearby MTV booth features 50” plasma TVs showing the latest MTV music videos and entertainment clips.

In terminal 1 there is a transit hotel that allows passengers to sleep for a few hour or overnight, all without having to clear immigration. The hotel has a nice swimming pool that anyone can use for a small charge. It costs S$14 for use of the facilities which includes the swimming pool, showers and even a hot tub. This is a great way to stay refreshed if you have just come off a long flight. Make sure to bring swimming attire, but towels will be provided. Most of the First and Business Class lounges have showers, but if you haven’t read our guide to free premium travel then you won’t have access to these. Fortunately, the Plaza Premium Lounge in terminal 2 has showers that anyone can pay for. There is also a fully function fitness gym here for the truly active among us. Members of certain credit cards and other programmes get access to this lounge but everyone else has to pay for it.

Terminals 2 and 3 both have movie theatres which show the latest blockbuster movies. They are in a dark room with proper cinema equipment and an amazing sound system. Best of all they have some very comfortable seats to relax on. Popcorn is also sold for the true movie theatre experience. The movie theatres at Changi International Airport are also open 24 hours a day and completely free! The only downside is that is easy to fall asleep here and potentially miss your flight so be sure to stay awake. If a full movie is not your thing head over to the Food Gallery in Terminal 1 where large screens show popular TV shows on the Star World and Star Movies channels.

If there is one thing you can’t miss at Changi International Airport it is the masses of shops. With over 300 shops the airport rivals many shopping malls. It has a diverse range of goods from cheap electronics to designer boutiques all at affordable duty free prices. Singapore airport offers much more than the usual array of airport shops and you will find many popular brand names have outlets here. There is an equally diverse range of eating establishments ranging from fast food to sports bars to fine dining. Also, as security checkpoints at each individual gate then you can get a proper knife for your steak. The sports bars are a good place to watch football, golf and many other major sporting event.

Want to add your own tip about Singapore Changi International Airport to this list? Post a comment below and the best ones will be added to this list.

Every so called “cheap hotel” offer I had ever seen is basically just a standard price comparison site with the same internet rates. I have seen far too many sites promise the same exclusive deals only to find that prices are pretty similar wherever you go. As someone who likes a really cheap deal, this article will show you how to find the cheapest hotel rooms in any city.

I was introduced to Priceline.com by a friend who had used it successfully to stay at a 5 star hotel in Manhattan for not much more than $100 per night – cheap hotel accommodation doesn’t have to mean poor quality. Priceline has a name your own price feature that lets you select a date, general location and star rating then bid for a hotel room. The catch is that you don’t know which hotel you will be staying in and if your bid is successful, your credit card gets charged automatically. But now there is a way to accurately predict which hotel you will be staying at and how much you really need to pay. You can do all this while still making genuine savings through the Priceline bidding system.

I will show you how to use Priceline’s name your own price feature to book super cheap hotel accomodation. I will then show you how to use another tool to accurately predict which hotel you will be staying in and how low you should really bid.

To use the Name Your Own Price feature, visit http://www.priceline.com/hotels/

1. Click on the bid now button



2. A new box will appear. Enter the name of the city you wish to stay in and the dates you require the hotel room. The Click the bid now button.



3. A new page will appear that allows you to select from a map, the area within a city where you would like to stay.



4. Next, select the minimum Star rating of the hotel you wish to stay in. 4 star and above hotels offer the most guarantee, in terms of what they offer. Some lower star hotels may be less than desirable to some travellers.



5. Once you have selected your star rating, a median retail price is displayed for the options selected. This figure is essentially the average price to book a hotel normally. By bidding instead, we can save considerable money compared to this. Enter your bid price (per room, per night) in the box provided. Currency is US Dollars.



6. Enter your name, as it appears on your credit card/ID in the field at the bottom and click next.



7. A new page will appear that confirms all the details you have entered. Be sure to check that the dates are correct. If tax is applicable, it will be shown here. Once you have checked everything is correct, enter your initials in the box and click the next button.



8. The next page prompts you to enter your details, including credit card number. Once you enter this information and click Buy My Hotel Room Now, your credit card gets charged. Only then do you find out which hotel you have been offered. If no hotels are available at your bid level, you will not be charged.

Using Priceline’s “name your own price” system, it is easy to book very cheap hotel accommodation in most cities. They work out much cheaper than even the cheapest price comparison website. The major downside is that, although you know the area which the hotel will be in, you don’t know specifically which hotel you will be staying in. Fortunately, there is a solution to this problem.

http://biddingfortravel.yuku.com

A Bidding For Travel forum has been created where thousands of people who use Priceline.com share their results and experiences. This means that you can see which hotel you are likely to be staying in based on your bid. Furthermore, people post bids they have recently been successful with for dates in the future. Therefore, you can match the bid and have a very high chance of staying the same hotel. By doing so, you can predict where you will be staying.

Priceline.com also tends to use only certain hotels. In each sub-section of the Bidding For Travel forum there is a post at the top listing the hotels Priceline uses in that area. Usually there are only a few hotels for each star category. This allows you to have a very good idea of which hotel you will be staying in. You can get a good feel for which hotels commonly appear for which bids in a specific city through this forum. It also has a search feature so you can search for a specific hotel you want to stay at and see how much other people have paid through their bids for this hotel.

This is an excellent resource that when used in combination with Priceline.com provides a serious option for cheap hotel accommodation. Many large cities are notoriously expensive and this technique offer travellers a genuinely cheaper alternative to going through dozens of “cheap hotel” sites. The Bidding For Travel forum adds a large amount of predictability to the process, though does not guarantee it. It would be worthwhile to research the city you are staying in on this forum before bidding. If you take a look at some of the posts, you can see that some people have paid almost twice the rate other have for the same hotel. The bottom line, as always, is that the more research you do in advance, the more likely you are to find a great deal on truly cheap hotel accommodation.

Photo by Stig Nygaard

Airport Transportation

Travelling to and from an airport can be a journey in itself, often taking longer than the actual flight did. Taxis are typically the most expensive option, in any country, and airports provide great monopolies for taxi companies. There are always cheap ways to travel to/from airports but these are often deliberately not advertised as airports want to make more money from unaware tourists. Fortunately, there are some great resources out there which this article will explore. We will also look at some universal tricks so save time and money on airport transport.

Airport taxis are universally expensive. From cheap countries like Vietnam and China to expensive countries such as UK and Japan, airport taxis are notoriously overpriced. The fact the airports are usually situations some distance out of the city means that distances and metered fares are expensive. Many countries also have special “airport rates” which may or me not be fixed, but are always overpriced.

There are many great alternatives to taking a taxi. Most airports have bus services that are a fraction of the cost of a taxi. However, these services can be difficult to work out for a newly arrived traveller. Bus timetables change frequently and the airport website may not have up to date information.

Wikitravel.org is a free information sharing website, similar to Wikipedia, where travellers are continually updating travel information. This is usually the best place to find out transport options to/from any airport. Visit www.Wikitravel.org and search for the city you are travelling to.

At the top of every page there will be a contents box. Click on the “Get in” link and read the information about the airport you are travelling to. This will inevitably have very detailed information about taxi, bus and train routes, if applicable, into the city. Often there will be estimates for taxi costs so you at least know what to expect. The site also gives an idea of expected tipping practices so you know exactly what to expect in each country. I would suggest that anyone flying to a new airport for the first time should read the Wikitravel entry for that city.

When you arrive at an airport, there is usually an organised taxi counter where you can wait in line to take a taxi to your final destination.  There are two issues with these.

Firstly, there is often a long line and the last thing you want to do after a long flight is to be waiting in line after a long haul flight. Secondly, there is usually an additional “airport charge” which gets added to the Taxi meter. Sometimes it is a flat fare which works out a lot more expensive then the meter fare.

A great trick is to make your way to the departures drop-off point and find a taxi that is just dropping off a passenger.  While some airports frown on this, it is impossible for them to monitor and control.  It means you don’t have to wait for a taxi and you avoid paying extra airport charges.

Airports are usually a considerable distance outside of town.  When a taxi driver takes a passenger to the airport, it does not make sense to drive all the way back without picking up a new passenger.  However, due to the high number of passengers wanting a taxi at airports, there are usually a lot of taxis waiting for arriving passengers.

A taxi driver will therefore have to wait some time before getting to the front of the line to pick up passengers.  By picking up a passenger at the departures hall, they can save themselves a considerable amount of time so will usually be more than happy to take you.

The end result is a cheaper fare for you, very little queuing and no waiting for the taxi driver.  This lets you get to your destination faster and at less cost. After you collect your luggage, look for signs to check-in. Outside of this area will be the departures drop-off area where you can quickly jump into an arriving taxi.

Some airports are connected to the main city metro or subway line. This can present a great way to save some money and beat the traffic. In an attempt to save money on operating costs, many cities have implemented a smart card service. A good example of this is London’s Oyster smart card. You must purchase one of these cards and top it up with cash. The card then functions in place of a regular ticket.

In London the regular cash fare is almost three times more than the fare when paying with a smart card. You can purchase a smart card when you arrive and return it when you leave, receiving any money back that you have on the card when you do so. Few travellers take advantage of this and instead end up paying way over the top for subway journeys.

Transport to and from the airport does not have to be expensive and does not have to be difficult. A little bit of a smart research and preparation goes a long way towards preparing yourself for arrival. Airports taxis are notorious for profiteering from oblivious travellers, but by taking a taxi from the departure drop-off area you can save considerable time and money. Purchasing a subway smart card will save you money and also the hassle of having to carry small change around with you.

Do you find difficult to sleep sitting upright in an airline seat? If you have ever had 4 or 5 seats all to yourself, you will understand what a difference an empty row can make to a long flight. Imagine being able to sleep flat on a 7ft flat bed in Economy Class. Some people just get lucky and end up with nobody sitting next to them on a quiet flight. This article will show you how to get lucky every time, and wind up with a whole row of seats all to yourself.

An empty row of seats essentially means you are the sole occupant of a number of seats and can spread out and use the extra space for yourself. Airlines commonly try to leave middle seats free, when the plane is not full, to give passengers more space. An empty row is more than this though, as it allows you to stretch out and lie down flat. This is ideal for sleeping in, especially since most Economy seats do not recline very far.

The space available in an empty row will depend greatly on the aircraft and the seat configuration. Some airlines choose to lay out their aircraft differently, or to have the aisles in other places. For example a typical Boeing 777 aircraft has a 3-3-3 configuration – 3 seats next to the left window, then an aisle with three seats in the middle, then another aisle with 3 seats next to the right window. American Airlines has chosen a 2-5-2 configuration, which means that there are 5 seats in the middle and only 2 at each row next to the windows. Knowing the layout of the aircraft can help you when trying to secure an empty row. Seatguru.com has seat maps for all major airlines.

To acquire an empty row of seats, you must first find out how busy the flight is. Obviously if the flight is full then it will not be possible. My Bonus report <How to check how busy your flight is> can show you how to do this in advance. Failing that, you can always ask at check in – though this will mean you will have already booked your flight and be unable to move to a quieter flight. When you ask, be specific and say: “Can you please tell me how many empty seats there will be onboard?” If you ask the generic question “How busy is the flight?” then you are likely to receive a non-specific response.

Once you have established how busy the flight is then simply check in as normal. Based on what you now know, you can predict whether there will be any empty rows. What most people don’t realise is that the check-in procedures for an airline actually close about 30 minutes before departure. After this, very few people will be moving seats and this gives you a chance to find out if there are any empty rows. However if you try to get a seat allocated in an empty row prior to this then it is possible someone who checks in later could be sat next to you.

As a rule of thumb, if the Economy cabin is less than 50% full, you will almost always find empty rows of seats. Groups of people are always sat together so the more groups there are then the high the chance of securing an empty row. Try to pick a flight that is likely to have a lot of groups travelling together. Holiday destinations such as Florida will have a lot of families, tour groups and couples. Business destinations such as New York are likely to have a lot more individual travellers. Business travellers are also usually a lot savvier when it comes to choosing seats so you have less chance of an empty row on flights to major business destinations.

If the Economy cabin is 75% full, that means 1 in every 4 seats is free which means there is still likely to be a few empty rows. There is usually an empty row on all flights under about 85% full. I have found empty rows in flights where the only free seats were the three that I had to myself, so it’s always possible.

The best place to secure an empty row is at the boarding gate. There will be a ticket desk either as you enter the gate or just prior to the boarding aerobridge. Be warm, friendly and polite as you approach the person at the desk. Remember they will be busy and you are taking up their time. Ask them “Hi, I was told the flight wasn’t full and was wondering if you can check which rows are currently empty, I’d like to stretch out and get some sleep if that is possible”. Most gate agents will look on their system and if there is an empty row one of two things will happen.

The best scenario is that the gate agent moves you to the new seat. However, if they don’t have time, for whatever reason, they may simply tell you which row numbers have nobody sitting in them. Officially you aren’t allowed to move seats until the aircraft is at cruising altitude and the seatbelt sign is off. Try telling that to the businessman eyeing up those empty seats though! The best strategy is simply to go sit down in the empty row as you board the aircraft. Be aware that seats towards the rear of the aircraft in the middle section are among the last to get filled by the staff. This means the further back you go, the more likely you are that nobody will be sitting next to you. You know that boarding has finished when the aircraft door is closed. This is usually followed by an announcement to turn off cell phones and electronics.

It won’t always be so simple however. If you have a row of seats with a window, be sure to position yourself at the aisle seat to you block access to the row. If someone wants to sit next to you, ask them what their seat number is to make sure they have the correct seat. The best empty rows are those in the middle of an aircraft as they usually have 4 or 5 seats which are a lot more comfortable to sleep on. However these seats have two entrances which means you can’t block them with your body. Imagine that a flight is busy and a businessman is sitting next to 2 people beside the window. Across the aisle you have 4 seats to yourself. It is possible the businessman in this example may try to sit in on of your 4 seats – preventing you for being able to lie down and sleep.

You can prevent this from happening by some careful tactics. Let’s assume you are typing to occupy 4 seats by yourself. Sit in one of the two middle seats as other people will be dissuaded from sitting immediately next to you. Next, place you bag under the furthest away aisle seat – people will assume this seat is occupied. Place your shoes under the nearest aisle seat. Place any pillow and blanked in a pile on the furthest away aisle seat. This creates numerous barriers which people will perceive as blocking them from sitting there. It might sound harsh but you do want a good night’s sleep, right?

Despite my barriers I have once had someone try to join me in my row. I told them that I had asked for this row because I wanted to sleep flat (which was true). They simply accepted this and moved to another row. I don’t advise starting an argument with anyone, but be firm and you will get what you want most of the time.

The things to watch out for are armrests. While most should move all the way back, some only move to a vertical position and not back in line with the reclined angle of the seats. This means they can stick into you as you try to sleep. The seatbelt buckles and straps can also get in the way, but it is possible to squeeze these between the seat cushions. You can always keep one around you in case of turbulence. The metal connectors between the seat and the seatbelt can dig into your back as you try to sleep. In this case, simply take a spare blanket (you should have 3 or 4) and run it along the corner of the seat backs. You should also have plenty of pillows to get comfortable.

This guide can be used on any airline, but does not guarantee you an empty row as there are many factors outside of your control. The general rule is the quieter the aircraft, the higher your chances are. Try using my bonus guide <How to find out if your flight is busy> to determine in advance if you flight will be busy. You can use the tools I show you to find patterns in availability – perhaps the Friday evening flight is always full, for example.

Follow the process and wait until check-in has closed before asking about empty rows. Remember that you are likely to be the only person using this strategy on the aircraft and therefore if you follow it correctly, you will be rewarded with an empty row all to yourself. Always be polite and friendly at all times and enjoy a good night’s rest, for once, in Economy.

By law, airlines must provide at least one free method of payment, otherwise booking fees must be added to the base ticket price. This inflates the apparent price of the ticket and makes customers less likely to make a purchase. In reality, there is a battle between keeping one free method of payment available and ensuring that as few people as possible use it.

Most budget airlines in the UK have a policy of charging for payments made with most Visa and Mastercards, but not for Visa Electron cards. Visa Electron cards are rarely used, fewer than 1.7 million people in the UK have them – most of which are teenagers. It makes sense for airlines to choose Visa Electron cards as the one payment method that does not incur payment charges.

This means that these 1.7 million people can get their airfares for less than everyone else. However, as teenagers do not make up a large proportion of the individuals booking airline tickets, it actually means that airlines can overcharge a large amount of people.

The case of Ryanair has drawn new attention to this phenomena. In Ireland, no banks which issue Visa Electron cards so effectively it was nearly impossible for Irish citizens to book Ryanair tickets without fees. It seems though that Ryanair is a little more worried about the situation in the UK. Several money saving internet groups have been sharing information, for some time now, about how to obtain a Visa Electron card for free.

Consider the possible savings for a moment. Since Ryanair charges €5 per passenger per segment, a family of 4 booking a return flight will be subject to €40 in credit card fees. For regular passengers, having a visa electron card could save hundreds of Euros per year.

The airlines claims that by introducing free-payment by way of pre-paid mastercard, passengers from all European countries have a chance of receiving free flights. Some countries such as Belgium, Ireland, Netherlands and Portugal do not currently offer Visa Electron cards.

The main issue with pre-paid mastercards is that they cost money to use. It seems less likely that passengers will bother to go down the prepaid mastercard route when the saving is not as significant. Ryanair will therefore make more money on regular credit card fees.

Is this another sinister trick by Ryanair to steal all our money? Not likely. While newspapers are already spinning this angle, the reality is that credit card charges were not really “optional” for passengers living in countries without Visa Electron cards.

UK advertising regulations state that one method of payment must be free of charges for the charges to be defined as “optional”. However, with Visa Electron, this is technically not the case across Europe. This could lead to potential controversy in terms of what can and can’t be defined as “optional” charges.

The worrying thing for Visa Electron cardholders is that other airlines, such as EasyJet and BMI Baby may follow suit. For now, Ryanair has offered a one month grace period where Visa Electron cardholder can still book tickets without charges.

Power Outlets in the Sky

Laptop computers have been around for many years but in the past 12 months prices have really plummeted. More and more people now carry a laptop when the travel, especially since the tiny sized netbooks became available. Battery life is still an issue and while shorter flights may not pose a problem, longhaul flights still mean almost everyone will run out of battery before the plane lands. Fortunately many airlines have power socks on board, however these vary dramatically in both their design and availability.

This article will show you how to determine if your flight will have power sockets and how to tell where they are. It will also show you how to use them – did you know there are 3 different kinds of in flight power sockets? Also included are tips on how to save battery life so that if your aircraft doesn’t have power sockets, you can extend your battery life further than normal.

Does my plane have power outlets?

Very few airlines have power sockets in every seat on every aircraft. Most airlines fit their newer aircraft with power sockets, but not always in Economy class. Some newer airlines, such as Virgin America, have power sockets in every seat on all of their planes. Some airlines have power sockets in every seat, but only in First Class, Business Class and Premium Economy – All Nippon Airways (ANA) is a good example of this. American Airlines has power outlets in all First/Business class seats but only in selected Economy seats, usually towards the front. Note that very small aircraft such as Canadair and Embraer jets operated by American Airline’s subsidiary, American Eagle, have no power outlets at all.

As a general rule of thumb, newer aircraft are far more likely to have power outlets than older and smaller aircraft. To highlight this point, every single Airbus A380 has power outlets in every seat of every class. Airline websites can be misleading and vague with regards to describing the exact availability of the flight. I always suggest consulting two sources, Seatguru.com and the airline website.  Check your booking confirmation to find out which type of plane you will be flying on and look it up on Seatguru. Double check through the airline website that Seatguru is correct, as some aircraft have been refitted and are not up to date on Seatguru.

How do I use the power outlets?

There are three types of power sources available: AC power, DC power and EmPower.

AC power works just like a normal wall socket – simply put the plug in the socket and you have power. Note that US and European 2 blade/prong connects typically work whereas UK 3 pin and Australian 2 pin plugs require an universal adaptor. Most modern aircraft use this kind of power socket.

DC power is identical to the cigarette lighter style power that is available in most cars. Adapters are required for most laptops and the same car adapters work in these sockets. Many smaller devices such as portable DVD players come with car adapters so will work fine here.

EmPower ports require BOTH a cigarette lighter style adapter and a special EmPower adapter. The cigarette lighter style plug goes into the EmPower adapter and the EmPower adapter goes into the socket. It means buying extra equipment from electronics stores or online.

Seatguru or the airline website will be able to advise you which type of power socket your aircraft will have. Note that for DC and EmPower ports, it is usually necessary to purchase an adapter though some airlines will let you borrow one – the airline website will usually advise if this is the case.

How can I extend my battery life if there are no power sockets?

There are a few simple tips that will help you get extra hours out of your laptop battery, should your aircraft not have any power outlets on board. Before you travel, make sure you laptop is fully charged and switched off completely. Just closing the lid or placing it in standby mode will draw a slight charge and reduce consumption.

Unless you are using in-flight WIFI then turn the WIFI module off completely. This is usually done through the function keys on most laptops. The WIFI module draws a significant amount of power and a 25% increase in battery life is easily achievable by switching this off. I also recommend turning down the brightness of the screen, this again saves more power. Any USB devices such as hard drives, a mouse or even memory sticks draw power so by keeping use of these to a minimum, you can save considerable energy.

Playing DVDs and watching movies from the hard drive will increase power consumption, but for most people it is a worthwhile trade-off to have some decent entertainment. When you are not using DVDs, take them out of the laptop – the motor which spins the disc uses energy. The less workload that you can put on the laptop the more power saved and the longer the battery will last. Closing applications such as Spotify or Skype that you will not be using in flight can help here.

Most new aircraft are likely to have power sockets from this point onwards. However there are still aircraft flying that are 30-40 years old so don’t expect it to be a universal perk any time soon. A little bit of prior research can go a long way to preparing yourself for a long flight. Choosing an airline that has power outlets can let you catch up on your work or relax and watch your own movies. Either way, it pays to be prepared. Seatguru and airline websites combined should keep you informed about what to expect. Be sure to visit you local Electronics store to find the suitable adapters for DC or EmPower sockets. These vary for every brand of laptop and are not usually available at airport electronics stores.

In Flight Entertainment Comparison

In flight entertainment has come on leaps and bounds in recent years. It is now unusual not to be able to watch a movie on any flight of more than a few hours. However, as the technology behind in flight entertainment has advanced, there is now a large gap between the best and the worst airlines. It may also surprise you to learn that many of the largest full service airlines are among the worst in terms of movies and other in flight entertainment. This article will look at what you should expect today in terms of the entertainment offered. It will also show you how to find out exactly which movies are playing on your next flight.

Not every aircraft has in flight entertainment, IFE. In Europe for example, very few short-haul aircraft have any form of in flight entertainment. Some flights can be up to four hours so be prepared for this and bring a book or mp3 player. In North America, Australia and Asia most airlines do have onboard IFE. It is always worth checking on SeatGuru.com whether the aircraft you are flying on has any form of IFE.

Most low cost carriers worldwide have no entertainment on board, aside from a magazine. There are a few exceptions here, most notable Virgin America in the USA and Virgin Blue in Australia. Air Asia X, one of the world’s only long haul budget carriers, also has IFE. As is the case with most things on budget airlines, if they do have IFE you must usually pay for the privilege of watching.

Overhead TV Screens are the oldest form of in flight video entertainment. They consist of a number of TVs placed throughout the cabin so that everyone can hopefully see one. Audio is piped through the audio system in each seat – headphones are required and often charged for. Many airlines have unusual dual socket headphone connectors which make using your own headphones a challenge. It also means that there is little benefit to a passenger to take a pair of the headphones with them after the flight is over. Many electronics stores sell in-flight adapters so you can bring any pair of headphones with you and use them onboard. It is worth investing in one of these adapters as the cost is so low.

The downside to overhead screen is you are forced to watch just one movie or tv show and have no choice. If you have a choice in aircraft, it is worth checking Seatguru.com to find out which entertainment option is available. Many older aircraft such as Boeing 757, 767 and 747s have overhead screens whereas more modern aircraft at more likely to have individual TV screens.

Towards the end of the 1990s, some airlines started to introduce personal TVs on their long haul aircraft. This trend quickly caught on and has almost become the standard for long haul flights. When it comes to personal TVs, the main advantages are that it is much easier to see the screen compared to overhead screens. It also allows passengers to choose from different programming available.

At first, Personal TVs had a selection of channels (usually 8-12) with different movies and TV shows. The system is comprised of essentially 8-12 tapes playing a 2-3 hours programme on repeat. Movies and TV shows are shown on repeat and the passenger must simply tune into the programme to watch it. Some airlines also offer basic games such as Mario or Tetris through these as well.

AVOD, or Audio/Video on Demand and is revolutionising in flight entertainment. The technology has been around for many years now and continues to be rolled out across many airline fleets. Some airlines, for example Singapore Airlines, have had this around for many years. Instead of watching a predefined “recording” of a movie or series of TV shows, you select what you want to watch, when you want to watch it.

AVOD systems typically have a much larger selection of programming with hundreds of movies and a huge range of TV shows. There is also a great selection of music, all available on demand. If you need to stand up to stretch your legs then that is no problem. You can start and stop the program whenever you want. It is also possible to fast forward and rewind shows so you will never have to worry about missing crucial moments.

The next generation of IFE is already starting to appear. AVOD systems will be expanded to offer a much larger amount of content. Imagine choosing from thousands of movies and entire series of TV shows. Also, with the amount of portable video devices, such as iPhones, appearing all over the world it is finally time to see these integrated into IFE. Singapore Airlines has pioneered the first onboard iPod dock. You can plug your iPod into your personal TV and watch your own movies or TV shows through the screen. For non-Apple technology, generic display ports are available so virtually any device with video-out functionality can use this. Furthermore, USB sticks can be used to load music and documents onto the screen, however not video at this stage.

WIFI internet connections are increasingly becoming available which promises much potential for IFE. Imagine viewing YouTube videos on your seatback TV or watching a live sports match through streaming services, such as the BBC iplayer. IFE will start to resemble actual PCs very soon and this opens a whole realm of possibilities for both mobile entertainment and office facilities.

How to find out what Movies are Playing

Did you also know that it is possible to check which movies will be playing on most airlines in advance of your flight? The information is usually published around a month in advance on airline websites. Click on the links below to view the entertainment in flight options on the airlines’ website

Air Asia
Air Canada
Air France
Air New Zealand
AirTran
American Airlines
British Airways
BMI
Cathay Pacific
Continental
Delta
Emirates
Etihad Airways
Frontier
Japan Airlines
jetBlue
KLM
Qantas
Qatar Airways
Singapore Airlines
Thai Airlines
United
US Airways
Virgin America
Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Blue