Here is the point that I am trying to make.  Alcohol on flights doesn’t cause problems, its people that drink in access and become roudy and obnoxious that do.  I have been on my share of domestic, charter, and international flights and haven’t seen the serving of alcohol cause any problems.  Now consider the fact that I have been on several spring break flights – flights where you would expect wild college kids to go crazy and overboard with the alcohol…but they didn’t. I am not a huge drinker, and generally don’t drink on shorter domestic flights.  However, when flying longer international flights, I like knocking back a few strong cocktails because it helps me fall asleep, and sleep through the flight.  Now I don’t know about you, but when I sleep, I don’t get annoying, violent, or belligerent.

Mr. Elliot writes that alcohol hightens stressful situations, and that on a plane its harder to ignore or get away from a beligerent drunk.  He also mentions that alcohol at higher altitudes is much more toxic/intoxicating than at ground level.  This is true, however a simple reminder of this for people will likely solve that problem.  Most average people aren’t on the plane to get wasted, especially since getting drunk on a plane is generally a very uncomfortable situation.  I would be ok with limiting the number of drinks that each person can have, although then you run into the problem of weight and tollerance.  I think that flight attendants should act like bar tenders – they should cut people off before they push themselves over the top.

One more thing – even we did stop the serving of alcohol on flights, it wouldn’t solve any of the issues, because the people that do want to be drunk on a plane still will be.  Their are airport bars which serve alcohol, and don’t forget about the duty free shops which sell alcohol for cheap.  Also don’t forget, airlines are struggling as it is, taking away alcohol, one of their revenue sources, is probably not going to help the situation.

I am very interested to get our readers take on this one.  Please reply with your comments.

"To tip or not to tip"

To tip or not to tip, that is the question.  Or better yet, how much to tip.  Whether you are travel frequently or seldom, for business or for pleasure, or any combination of the above, you have probably had this dilemma.  This becomes a problem especially when traveling internationally.  In the U.S. we are pretty much used to the commonplace 10% – 15% minimum gratuity, however in other countries this can vary up or down.  And what about those dreaded doormen, porters and maids?  In this post I will give you some pointers that  I have gathered from my travels.

• When arriving to a new destination, make a quick detour to the airport info kiosk and ask about tipping practices/customs in the area.  Otherwise make a quick stop at the hotel concierge and ask the same question (don’t forget to tip him/her as well)
• Have a separate stash of “gratuity money” available in small local denominations.  This way you don’t have to worry about getting change back (some waiters tend to “forget” to bring it back), or about not having enough money for a tip.
• Whenever tipping, its best to err on the side of generosity – think about it, these people are preparing your food, cleaning your room, and ferrying you around from place to place…all things you want done well, and generally you get what you pay for.
• Most countries outside of the U.S. include a service charge in your bill, but its still a good idea to give at least 5% over the top.
• In most Asian countries, Japan and China in particular, gratuities are not common place.  In bigger cities its a good policy to leave 5% – 10% more, but otherwise they generally include a service charge and don’t expect to get anything on top of that.
• If you are ever traveling in a country with a corrupt government/social system, try to avoid paying bribe “gratuities” if you can.  If you are forced to bribe your way out of a bad situation do so, but otherwise just walk/drive away.

These are just some general guidelines for you, but as mentioned above its a good idea to ask the locals when you arrive, because every place is a bit different.  Check back next week, for a more detailed region-by-region synopsis of tipping policies.

Also, if you trust Rick’s travel advice, then checkout his line of travel gear.

1. Know The Rules – Double check the carry-on guidelines with your airline.  The size and weight guidelines tend to vary a bit from airline to airline, so be sure to get specifics.  For example, your 35lb. suitcase might fine with one carrier, but will have to be checked with another.  Carriers also have varying linear size limits.  Check out our Travel Center for more tips, guidelines, etc.
2. Know Your Size – Are you planning on domestic travel, international travel, or both?  This is very important, since domestic regulations limit the carry-on bag size to a 22″ bag, whereas the international limit is 20″.  If you plan on using the same suitcase for all your travels, I suggest getting a 20″.  I personally travel with a Crew 7 20″ Rollaboard .
3. Beware of the Liquid Restrictions – In case you didn’t know yet, the TSA has restrictions on liquids.  All liquids must be in 3oz. containers which all need to fit into one clear ziplock bag. You can technically go out and buy mini bottles of shampoo, shaving cream, lotion, toothpaste, etc.  However, my preferred solution is purchasing a TSA approved bottle kit.   This allows you to not only bring your favorite shampoo, lotion, etc with you, but it also will save you money because the mini bottles are grossly marked up.  The Eagle Creek Pack-It Custom Travel Bottle Set is my favorite because it contains squeeze bottles, a pump bottle, a spray bottle and a toothbrush holder all conveniently packed into a custom reusable zipper bag.
4. How to fit everything you need into one bag – when going on longer trips, it becomes harder to fit everything you need into your carry-on, especially if you are traveling to colder climates and packing bulky clothes.  My favorite solution is compression bags.  If you have a few extra large heavy duty ziplock bags handy, you can pack them full, and press the air out of them.   However the ziplocks are prone to tears and they do slowly refill with air, so you need to pack fast.  My suggestion is to spring $20 or so, and buy a set of compression bags (Eagle Creek Pack-It Compressor Set).
5. Check Your Lock – If you are going to lock your luggage, be sure that you are using TSA approved locks.  This can benefit you in several ways.  First, if you bag needs to be searched, you don’t need to fiddle around for the key, every TSA agent has a master key.  Second, if you make the bonehead mistake of forgetting or losing your key, you will be able to have a TSA security agent open it for you – save yourself a trip to the hardware store and $25 on bolt cutters (personal experience).

If this does happen at some point, it will obviously only be for domestic fights, since most international flights are way too long for people to stand through. However, can you imagine flying NYC to LA while standing? I am curious how big of a price difference will there be between traditional seats and standing-room spots, because there is no way that I would pay hundreds of dollars to stand for 4 hours.

If you ask me, air travel is uncomfortable enough as it is, and I am a below average sized person.  Making people stand in a cramped “seat” isn’t going to make that situation any better.  I am curious to know, how many of you would willingly buy a standing-room-only seat and at what kind of discount, compared to a regular seat?

• Timing – If cutting trip cost is your biggest priority, then try to travel during non-peak travel times.  Avoiding major holidays and student breaks (spring and summer break) is also a good idea.  Also, don’t forget about major local holidays.  For example, if you are planning on traveling to Brazil, and you don’t want to spend tons of money, then avoid Carnival.  Ticket prices sky rocket during this time, not to mention accommodation, food and entertainment prices.
• Where to Buy – You might need to get away from using the usual online booking sites, such as Expedia or Travelocity.  Though they are generally good for domestic travel, they tend to have a markup on international flights.  Kayak.com is a great place to start.  My personal favorite tool on Kayak is the fare history charts.  These can help you decide whether to book now, or wait in hopes of the fare going down.  Also it’s worth a shot to check out some of the consolidator sites, such as AirlineConsolidator.com.
• Be Flexible – If at all possible be open to a variety of travel dates.  This is partially related to the first point of timing.  However, as with domestic flights you can save a significant amount by shifting your travel dates by a few days.  This is generally due to other external factors.  For example there might be a large conference in your destination city happening on the weekend of your planned arrival, shift your trip to arrive on Sunday night and you will likely save some money.
• Make Some Stops Along the Way – Generally multi-stop flights will be cheaper, but another strategy is to buy separate tickets to and from a hub (stop over city) and then from that city to your destination.  You might be able to find a cheap deal for a flight to NYC, which is a hub for most trans-Atlantic travel; and then you might find a great deal on a flight from NYC to your destination.  This is a bit more involved because you now have to coordinate these connecting flights yourself, but you can often save hundreds of dollars by doing this.

Virgin Galactic has started taking advance bookings, at $200,000 per flight, in 2005, and over 45,000 people have already signed up.  Yes, the majority of the world’s population will still not be able to personally witness space, at least not at the $200,000 price tag, but one has to be interested and excited about the prospect of the beginning of space travel.

Due to the recession, and in turn the decreased demand for both business and leisure travel, online travel agencies have seen decreasing sales and profits.  It seems as though the removal of booking fees will remain a mainstay, at least into the foreseeable future.

The biggest improvement is that not only do these machines give screeners a top-down look, they also give a side-view at the same time. The machines can be programmed to look for specific items, if need be. The images are in HD and color to show the best images possible. There are already 797 machines in airports nation wide with the TSA looking to get 900 total in airports.

Hopefully, it’ll save some time standing in the waiting lines to get past the security checkpoints eventually. New York is a major international hub and any improvements would be greatly appreciated, I’m sure of it.

• Know where to exchange money

  The airport is by far the worst place to exchange currency. Airports notoriously have both worst exchange rates and the highest transaction fees. If you need to buy something at the airport, its best to use your credit card. If you must have cash, then its best to be prepared ahead of time and exchange money before your trip.

• Be wary of extra fees when renting a car.

  Most car rental companies make a lot of money on selling you the “Collision Damage Waiver Insurance”. This is largely a way for them to pray on the overly cautious and/or tired travelers. Many credit card companies already provide this service, just like they often provide extended warranties for items purchased with them. So be sure to book your rental car with those credit cards.

• Know hotel policies and/or fees for various services/amenities.

  This especially applies for business travelers that rarely leave the hotel. Be sure to ask about possible fees for Wi-Fi and the Business Center. Know the fees for items in the mini-bar and for ordering movies to the room. Many hotels, especially outside of the US, also have fees for the use of the pool and/or fitness center. In general, be sure to ask about the fees for any services/amenities that you plan on using. This way you can avoid any unpleasant surprises on your hotel bill when you checkout.