I write about travel because I know, love, and can’t get enough of travel.  Sometimes my adventures wind up here on the pages of Flyaway Cafe, as do stories (often disguised) from my work as a Flight Attendant.  I enjoy sharing my travels with readers, whether it’s a trip to Miami Beach (I’m leaving in the morning), or just what’s going on around my home town of Seattle (tonight is opening night of Grease at the 5th Avenue Theatre).

If you want to know more about where I’m going and what I’m doing, you can follow me on Twitter.  I’m known there as @flyawaycafe, and I make an effort to share little bits and snippets of what’s going on in real time travel life.  Should you choose to add me as a friend, please take a moment to say hello.

See you traveling about in the Twitter-sphere!

Image credit:  Twitter

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 a lesson to help me back, and I have no clue how to get through security. 
• Miracle Worker – These kids, car seats, strollers and bag didn’t magically get to the plane, OF COURSE I KNOW WHAT I’M DOING!

Vote in the Poll Section of the top portion of the sidebar, and feel free to leave comments below.

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 scenarios, and my recommendations on making sure you have enough time to make your connection:

You are traveling domestically on Airline A and are connecting to another domestic flight also on Airline A:

If it’s a large airport, I’d allow no less than 45 minutes.  That gives you time to get off one plane, walk to another gate, and board another.  It has a little built in room in case there’s a small delay.  I’ve seen people do it in 30 minutes, but I’d not take that chance unless it is a very small airport.  Under 30 minutes is just asking for trouble.

You are traveling domestically on Airline A and are connecting to a domestic flight on Airline B:

I’d probably go with 45 minutes unless I knew that the connecting gate areas were at opposite ends of a busy airport.  Then I’d allow an hour.

You have purchased two separate tickets (rather than one) and will need to get to another gate to make that flight:

This is the riskiest scenario of all.  Because you have two different tickets, and if you miss the connection, the second airline will assume you are a no show and will cancel your ticket.  Will you be able to convince them to reinstate it?  Maybe.  Will there be a fee associated with it?  Most likely.  If you are going to take this option, I recommend leaving lots and lots of time to make the connection.  Don’t try to cut it short and find yourself without a flight.  Depending on the airport and the airlines, I’d suggest hours and hours of a cushion.

You are traveling domestically on Airline A and are connecting to an international flight on any carrier:

I’d allow no less than an hour at a smaller airport and 90 minutes at a major hub.  The reason?  You will most likely have to go to the international terminal, and that’s going to take some time.  Depending on the airport, you may have to go back through security (LAX for example).  That means you need to allow for time in line and clearing security.  You also want to make sure there’s time for your bag to make it as well.  And if you’re flight is early and everything goes smoothly, you can use those few extra minutes to browse duty free!

What about an international flight?  Any difference?

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Looking back seems to be the thing to do this time of year.  So it’s time to take a look back at how I did with all the resolutions that I made for 2008.  How did I do?

Here’s a recap:

1. Visit two new countries – I can check this one off with my visit to Italy and Vatican City. 
2. Visit two new states – Ooops, a big zero here.  Some plans fell through at the last minute, and never did get rescheduled.
3. Visit four new cities in countries or states that I have already visited – I’ve been back to Guadalajara , Mexico, after a 20 year absence so that almost counts as a new city.  But that’s about it.  Lots of good intentions, but not much follow through.
4. Try a minimum of one new restaurant a month (while traveling), and blog about it - I did better here.  I definitely made it to a new restaurant each month, and posted several reviews both here and at The Seattle Traveler.  I probably didn’t make it to one a month in the review department, but it’s a good start, and I have a lot of material for next year.
5. Stay at 10 new hotels (inns, resorts, bed & breakfasts, etc.) and blog about it - I did pretty good here as well, posting not only some hotel reviews, and information about hotel services and amenities in general, but I also did a couple of trips late in the year which yielded lots of good info for the next few months.  Not a perfect completion, but pretty credible.

All in all, not a very good job at meeting my travel resolutions!

I’m not discouraged, though!  It just means that I have to make some new resolutions for 2009 and redouble my traveling efforts.

How about you?  How was your year in travel?

Image credit:  SXC

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Q.  What do you do when you have a delay and are stuck at an airport?

A.  What a great question!

No one likes a delay, least of all your flight crew, but they are rarely within our control.  So, we’re pretty much in the same boat as everyone else.

What I do depends on when the delay occurs.

If we’re already boarded and ready to go, we hang out along with you guys.  Generally speaking, in this situation the delay is what we call a “creeping delay.”  This means that every ten minutes or so we’re supposed to get an update.  It doesn’t always happen that way, and the flight crew is often the last to get an update.  And believe me, although the delay is expected to be short, a creeping delay can quickly add up into a whopper of a delay.

If these situations, there’s really not much that you can do.  It’s not fun, and we hate it too.  Ringing your call button and asking how long it’s going to be, won’t speed the process up any.  Complaining about how uncomfortable you are, when you’ve turned down an opportunity to get off, will not garner you any sympathy.  If you are given the opportunity to deplane, take it.  We would if we could. 

If the delay occurs before boarding, Flight Attendants are likely to get off the aircraft.  We’ll go searching for food, coffee, a magazine, use rest rooms in the airport, find a place with good reception to make a phone call, or even find a wi-fi spot.  It will all depend on the length of the delay.

It always amazes me how after a delay of some duration, the first thing people start talking about is needing to use the lavatory or wanting something to drink.  Didn’t you do that while you were in the terminal?

What do you do during a delay?  Tell us in the comments.

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Today’s Matchbook Monday comes from best gal pal Anita, and is from a trip to Germany a few years back.

The Gerbermuehle Hotel (click on the English version) in Frankfurt (60594 Frankfurt Main) is a designer hotel, located on the banks of the Main River.  It was a former flour mill, and its evolution from mill to hotel is the story of the love of literary great, Goethe.

Providing a mix of old and new, both quaint and contemporary, the hotel has all the modern features that a traveler could want.  One unique summertime feature is a 500-seat garden, consisting of elaborate tents where guests and companions gather to enjoy a summer Frankfurt day.

Photo credit:  personal collection

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If you’re leaving your hotel room a little bleary-eyed from too much partying the night before, you may not be seeing straight.  Or maybe you’ve lost a contact, or forgotten your glasses.  Or maybe you’re in a country where you don’t understand the floor numbering.

Don’t worry!  You can always get back to ground level, usually the location of the hotel lobby and front desk, by looking for the star sign. 

The star sign is universal elevator-speak for ground floor.  And that piece of information can help keep you grounded.

Photo credit:  flickr

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There’s a lot of humor in our jobs as Flight Attendants, and most of us enjoy a good comedy routine about what it’s like working in the skies.

One entertainer who has captured the humor of our job is Pam Ann, a character created by Australian comedian Caroline Reid.  Pam Ann, a twist on the name of former airline Pan Am, is part drag routine and part campy humor with a bit of glamour thrown in for good measure.  Her routines play on the stereotypes of airlines, Flight Attendants, and some of the quirkiness of various airline cultures. 

Although much of the humor can be on the risque side, here’s a safe-for-work clip of what it’s like to work the beverage cart:

Pam Ann frequently tours in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and Australia.  She has a released a couple DVD’s, and I hear that one more is in the works.

People often think that Flight Attendants are offended at humor like this.  Quite the contrary is true!  This is funny stuff, and we appreciate it as much as anyone!

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There are a number of ways to select the flight that you’ll take, from a price point to convenience.  Usually it’s some combination of a number of factors.

Ring in on your booking criteria with the August poll:

What is your most important consideration when booking a flight?

• Price - I only book the lowest fare
• Price - within a range, but doesn’t have to be the lowest
• Scheduled departure
• Scheduled arrival
• Non-stop flight, no connections
• Only one stop or one connection
• Airline - I’m loyal to my favorite(s)
• Any airline other than the one(s) I hate
• Other - please explain in the comments

Make your selection in the side bar at the right, just below the “About Flyaway Cafe” box.  Feel free to explain your choice in the comments below.

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Q.  Do you have some packing tips, and ways to keep from taking too much stuff with you?

A.  For many people, packing is the worst part of the trip! 

Although I pack differently for a pleasure trip than I do for work, I generally use the same pieces of luggage.  I have one roller bag with the majority of my clothing in it, and also a tote that contains some toiletries, computer and electronic gear and items that I need to keep close at hand. 

Here are a few basic “rules” I keep in mind.

The first thing I think about is where I’m going to be – the weather (be sure to check weather reports before leaving home), what I’ll do while there (beaching it, hiking, formal event), and how long I’ll be there.  With those guidelines in mind, you can put together a pretty basic packing list.

Next, I make a list of the days I’ll be gone and what I’ll be doing on those days.  I try to match up clothing to each day based on the activities I expect to happen (even if it’s not exact, it will help give you an idea of what you need).  It is rare than you will change clothes more than once a day, so discard any notion of lots and lots of cute outfits for each day.  A list also helps you focus on having the proper clothes for any special event or specialized activity.

Now it’s time to assemble clothes and start packing!

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