It seems to be a week of parents, kids, and air travel, and a whole lot of discussion of hoaxes.
First, there was the Heene family, and what it becoming known as the Bubble Boy Flight.  Or hoax, depending on which side of the issue you come down on.  A recent CNN breaking news report said that charges were soon to be filed against the dad.  What charges?  Not yet known, but many who followed the story on Thursday will be curious to find out.
Next, comes the story of Nic (a mom), Jackson (a baby), Atlanta’s Jackson-Hartfield Airport, and the TSA.
On …read more

Anyone who travels knows that way too much time is spent waiting.  You have to wait at the airport, the train station, even for a taxi.  Sometimes it seems like all we do is hurry up so that we can wait some more.
How can you put all those precious waiting minutes to good use?  You can keep a book nearby, but often you just get into the plot and it’s time to put it aside.  You can talk on your phone, annoying everyone around you and risking private information being overheard my many.  You can stare into space, day dream, …read more

With only three sleeps before I head off to Italy, much of my time this week has been spent reading up on all sorts of wonderful things about Italy, and doing some research about Croatia.
Still, I did get intrigued by a number of other topics, though. . . .
Eyeflare – 9 airport rip offs, and although I don’t agree with all of them (Duty Free can be a bargain, if you know you’re prices), there’s some good tips here.
The Edinburgh Guide – I don’t often think of tanning in Scotland, but Andy tells us the best spots in Edinburgh …read more

If you’ve got substantial connection time at Salt Lake City International, you can spend time just hanging out, or take advantage of your ground time and get in a little sightseeing and cultural expedition.

Between the hours of 9 am – 6:30 pm, a complimentary van service makes scheduled trips between the airport and Temple Square.  The service delivers you to one of the two visitor centers where complimentary tours are offered.  You can take a quick guided tour of this 10 acre area at the center of the city, then return to the airport for your outbound flight.
Regardless of religious …read more

Sure, we’ve all cut it close getting to the airport.  I’ve done it too. 
But this?  If you miss your flight, that’s bad.  But acting like this?  Even worse!
 

Time for a new poll, and the topic evolved out of some conversations with some other travel bloggers:
What kind of traveler do you consider yourself to be?
 

Expert – My bag is always packed, I can be at the airport in half an hour, and will figure out plans on the fly.
Advanced – It takes me awhile to figure out what I need to do, but I can manage planning, packing and the airport with minimal stress.
Intermediate – It’s going to take some doing, but I’ll manage.
Novice – I don’t travel that often, so it takes me awhile.
Inexperienced – I need …read more

With all the tools available for booking travel online, more and more people choose to do it themselves rather than use the services of a travel agent.
I think the ability to research, sleuth out the best and perfect deal, and make reservations yourself is a wonderful thing.  BUT – it also means that you have to take responsibility for those reservations, including the mistakes that you make.
One mistake that I’m seeing on a regular basis, is travelers not allowing sufficient time to make a connection.  This can have unintended consequence that can wind up costing you money.
Here are a few …read more

After all the preparation that you’ve gone through, from packing efficiently at home, making sure that you have the important things in your carry on, getting to the airport, and checking your bags, you still have the daunting task of getting through the security screening process.
After you check your bags, take a deep breath, queue up, and get ready to wait.  The lines are likely to be long this time of year, but there are things you can do to put that time to good use.  Sure you can chat on your phone or with your traveling companions, but …read more

As we rapidly approach the busiest travel time of the year, I’ll be having some extra Back to Basics posts.  I hope you’ve enjoyed reading them every Wednesday, and that these Back to Basics Extra posts leading up to the holiday travel season that will make your travels a little easier.
Today, I tackle the the planning and packing that will help you comply with the liquid and gel restriction, and make getting through airport security a breeze.
Let’s be honest, the big headache at the airport is getting through security.  It’s time consuming, the rules seem to be continually changing, …read more

With all the rushing around during the holiday season, one place you won’t want to be rushing to is the airport.
While you can get away with being fashionably late to your office or party or neighborhood gift exchange, airport counters and security lines are not that forgiving. This will be a busy travel season, despite the recession, and if you’re one of the ones who’ll be flying it’s time now to start planning on how you’ll be getting to the airport.
As you’re making plans, remember to leave plenty of time to get to the airport, and make sure you …read more