Travel and Leisure Articles

Be Flexible The most important factor for getting lower airfares is flexibility. When possible, check alternate airports, a range of days and times, other carriers, and various routings. Opportunities for lower airfares increase when you have more options.

Buy Early Most discounted airfares must be purchased several days before the flight­­–usually 21 or 14 for the biggest discounts. However, the lowest prices are offered during fare wars (sales), which may be several months before you want to fly. For instance, the cheapest summer flights to Europe are traditionally sold between the previous Thanksgiving and Christmas.

One way to discover fare wars is to use a customized homepage (such as My Yahoo!) and continually check fares for your favorite routes. Investigate whether a sale is in progress when prices suddenly change. Many web sites, including airline and booking web sites, notify subscribers by e-mail when fares drop.

Buy Late Many airlines offer distressed inventory as last-minute airfares. They rarely match the lowest airfares offered during fare sales, but last-minute airfares can be great deals for emergency flights or impulse trips. Airlines release last-minute airfares each week around Wednesday morning for flights that weekend. However, a recent trend is to offer “last-minute” fares for flights more than one week into the future. Sign up to receive e-mail notification from each airline or SmarterLiving.com, who compiles the information from all airlines for most cities.

Surf for Lower Airfares Compare fares offered by major booking web sites to fares listed on the airline’s web site. The airline’s price may be lower or they may offer bonus frequent flyer points. Booking web sites do not include Southwest Airlines, so visit Southwest’s web site to find their fares.

Use a Travel Agent Travel agents usually save you time and stress and often save you money. For instance, they may have preferred discounts with certain airlines and can offer lower airfares than you can find. They can also sell consolidator fares and charter flights that are not available to consumers.

Book Direct Call airlines directly to book bereavement or compassion fares. Some web sites do not offer senior, children, or group discounts. Keep in mind Step 1, Be Flexible, when calling airlines for fare quotes.

Get More, Pay Less Look for packages–lodging, rental car, and/or meals in addition to the flight–that cost a little more or even LESS than the airfare alone. Each winter, packages (including seven nights lodging and rental car) to Australia and other South Pacific destinations cost only $100 more than the airfare. Prices do not increase as the departure date approaches and a Saturday night stay is not required, making packages ideal for last-minute travelers.

Airfare Ploys Big savings can result from splitting long flights into two separate round-trip flights. You can even create a stopover and use different airlines, if you choose. Lower airfares or more convenient flights may be found when using co-terminals, which are different airports in the same city or area. Open jaw, charter, courier, consolidator, or round-the-world flights result in lower airfares in some situations.

Enjoy a high standard of service and comfort on board Cathay Pacific. Their First Class service promises an increased level of privacy, ambience and convenience aboard one of the youngest and most advanced fleets in the world. From the special paneling that creates individual cocoons to seating that is put through rigorous ergonomic testing a long haul flight on Cathay Pacific now offers the best in first class travel.

Cathay Pacific offers an extensive schedule from North America to Hong Kong and beyond Hong Kong to cities throughout Asia as well as daily nonstop service from Europe, Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand.

As soon as you check-in at the airport, all your needs are anticipated and met. With personalized service, exclusive cabins and spacious seats with a pitch ranging from 62 to 74 inches on long haul routes, all your needs are anticipated and met. Personal televisions in the armrest of each seat offer eight channels of entertainment, movies and TV features and up to 22 different first-run movies are available each month.

Foods and beverages including five-course meals, light snacks, fine wines, spirits and more are served in elegant custom-designed glassware and crockery at your preference. Refreshment menu choices range from light snacks such as sandwiches, to more substantial offerings such as Asian soups or hot entrées. Cathay Pacific’s noodle service is also available throughout the flights to and from Canada.

The experience of Cathay Pacific first class travel is enhanced by an environment that is natural, soothing and exceptionally well appointed.

Finding cheap airfare is the name of the game for people that travel frequently these days. When you can cut the costs by almost half, it is certainly worthwhile. Even if you are taking a family trip, there is no need to base the whole budget of the trip on airline tickets.

Planning is the key to reducing your budget for trips like these. Try to take a vacation far from major holidays. You will find better deals and more comfort when the plane is not jam packed.

Of course, not everyone can take their vacations whenever they feel like it. But, at least try to plan trips between Tuesday and Thursday as well as during the morning or the midday hours. These will be much more spacious and much cheaper flights.

Be prepared to spend a fair amount of time browsing different websites to find the best deal. You must find the correct airline and the correct site. There is a lot of chance involved, when you factor in what day it is, what time it is, how far in advance the flight is, which airline it is, and which airport you are starting from. You could find the best deal right away or it could take many hours. But, those will be the most worthwhile hours of trip planning you have ever spent.

Begin your search at the major airline websites, at least a week or more in advance. Check every price that is being shown by the different airlines going to your desired location. Do this search with at least three different times throughout the day to find the best price on a particular day.

After those sites, spend some time with the big travel websites. You can always find good deals with these sites because that’s the way they designed it with the deals they have made with airlines to offer lower prices. All the same rules apply with these sites. Try different days, different times, and always get your ticket in advance.

Last but not least, there are special websites that will search all travel and airline sites to find and compare the best deals. These are the easiest and quickest to use so that you do not have to go to all the different websites. This will automatically search all of them for you. Be sure not to leave these special sites out of the picture.

Whenever you see a plane passing over, do you wish you could be right up there with them? Have you ever wondered what it would be like to feel the freedom of flight by controlling the airplane yourself? Flying is not just for airline pilots, military officers and passengers going on a trip. You can learn to fly the airplane yourself.

More than 100,000 people take flying lessons every year. The biggest reason why these people do it is because they think that flying is fun. Another popular reason comes from business people who want to cover a larger territory. Some people want to make it a faster and easier trip to visit family and friends. There are dozens of other reasons, but you will find that the majority of people who learn to fly simply enjoy it regardless of what the ultimate need or goal is. There are only a few considerations to make in order to get started.

The first step is to find a local airport. It is good to select one that is near your work, your home, or along your daily route. I suggest selecting an airport that has a lower volume of traffic. Many pilots will tell you that some airports have very few people around and you will find yourself standing at the desk waiting for someone to show up. They may be working on an airplane, mowing the runway, or cleaning up around the hanger just to mention a few activities. Airport security has become tighter over the past few years. Chances are there is someone there who can help you if the door is unlocked. That person may be the local aircraft mechanic, a local pilot, or even the instructor you are looking for. It is safe to say that just about every airport has an instructor somewhere close by. Your ultimate goal on this trip is to establish contact with that instructor, or at least get the name and phone number of the person who can get you started.

Your first meeting with the instructor will likely go very well. One thing you can be sure of is getting an opportunity to spend time becoming familiar with the airplane. The instructor will want to know a little about you and your flying goals. You will get an opportunity to get to know them too. Most instructors have been around aircraft for a quite a number of years. They realize people who want to get a pilot certificate may have little or no experience with aircraft. New students often do not know how far they are going to go with lessons, so be up front. In fact, many instructors would rather have a person who knows little and admits to it over having a student who thinks they know a lot about flying. There is nothing to hide and no reason to be afraid. The flying community is a tight knit group who know there are rules and regulations we must all follow in order to keep ourselves and other aviators safe.

Before you and your instructor part company, there is a good chance you will get a ride. What seat you are in depends upon your willingness and the instructor’s approach to teaching. You may discuss the various types and kinds of study material available and decide upon what method works best for you. You will need a pilot’s logbook to keep track of your flying time and for your instructor to sign off on specific requirements. All of your efforts will be focused upon being safe, knowing the rules and regulations, passing the written exam and passing the practical tests.

Just remember, you do not need to make any life changing decisions to get started. If you find flying to be enjoyable, make the heavy life decisions as you progress. The lofty goals of becoming an airline transport pilot are not going to change the way you begin learning. The first lesson is the same for an ATP as it is for the person who just wants to have a little fun on Sunday afternoons while they just fly around for the sheer joy of flying.

As fuel prices continued to rise, more families are choosing to fly to their vacation destinations instead. And there are lots of advantages to flying, including relatively short travel times, no hotel costs on the trip, and more time actually spent on vacation. But if your kids are bored and unhappy, your flight can seem to take forever. So here are a few suggestions to help make flying with kids easier.

Of course, booking your flight well in advance, perhaps even six months or so beforehand, is always a good idea. It not only helps you save money, but also gives you plenty of time to plan ahead for the flight to help make it a success. You don’t want to be caught at the last minute trying to prepare for the flight and your vacation. It’s just too stressful, and that stress can often rub off on the kids. So plan things out well enough in advance to avoid last-minute rushing.

When you book the flight be sure to arrange your seating so that the whole family is able to sit together. You can almost guarantee a miserable flight if everybody is split up and not sitting together. And you certainly don’t want to have to beg and plead with your fellow passengers to get the seats you need at the last minute.

If your vacation destination requires a very long flight, it’s often a good idea to arrange a night flight if you have kids along. By flying at night the kids will often be tired and may sleep for a good part of the trip, allowing you to get some rest as well.

The less time spent waiting in line at the airport the better too. So before you leave home print your boarding passes out in advance if possible, or use available kiosks to get your passes as quickly as you can.

Packing is a major consideration for a family trip too. Remember that the more bags you have to take with you, the more possibility that one of them will be lost. So try to combine your kids baggage in with yours as much as possible to avoid having to try to run down a lost bag on the first day of your vacation.

And while we’re on the subject of packing, it’s probably a good idea to let your children take backpacks with them on the flight. Make sure that they have any special toys, or games that they enjoy in their backpacks. And just in case, you may want to take a few extra games with you in your carry-on luggage as backups. Other items that can help kids stay busy and involved on the flight are coloring books if they are very young, or maybe a portable DVD player that can keep them entertained while flying.

Finally, why not take along a few nutritious snacks for the flight just in case your kids get the munchies? Just try to avoid sugary snacks and drinks that can cause too much agitation on the flight.

Hopefully, some of the suggestions can help you plan your vacation flights with your kids so that everybody has a good time while traveling.

If you want to purchase an airplane then you need to do some research beforehand. In order to make a smart decision, you’ll need a few tips for getting started. Even if you just want a small plane, and don’t plan on spending that much money, you still need to take precautions before making your decision. Just as you would shop around before buying a car, you should also do the same when looking into aircraft sales. Actually, you should spend even more time in choosing your aircraft. To begin with, you need to ask yourself the following questions:

o What type of aircraft do you want to buy?

o Why do you even want one in the first place?

o What insurance and endorsements will you need in order to fly your plane legally?

o If you also want to buy aircraft equipment and tools, what all will you need?

o How often do you plane on flying?

o Where do you plan on flying to?

Answer these questions to narrow down your search. Once you have a pretty good idea about what you want and need, you can begin searching for your dream plane. Consult with your flight instructor and an unbiased inspector and ask them to help you find the best aircraft sale. Having professional assistance is essential, as they will be able to inspect the aircraft for you and offer you advice.

The mechanic you consult with should be one with an Inspector Authorization. He or she will be qualified for inspecting the aircraft during the pre-purchase period. If you can, make sure you are present during the inspection. That way you’ll be able to view any problems firsthand before you buy the aircraft. There will more than likely be some kind of cosmetic flaws, if nothing else, and you need to know exactly what you’re getting yourself into.

There are, however, a few flaws that will make the plane more trouble than what it’s worth. Never go through with the transaction if you can’t get a detailed history of the aircraft. Once you get a hold of all the damage history for the aircraft on sale, you need to look for the following: any major corrosion, incomplete logs, low compression, and wing-spar cracks. Also, if there are any missing logs or undocumented alterations, you should stay away from the plane and look elsewhere for one. If the damage is so bad that you’ll have to use more money to buy aircraft equipment than the aircraft itself, then you need to take your business elsewhere.

As a consumer society we are all used to, and have come to expect, our creature comforts. You will therefore be little surprised to hear that on top of the in flight movies many airlines are already offering, some plan to introduce satellite television.

This would primarily be introduced on domestic flights by certain airlines with the added advantage of being able to send and receive emails through the system as well.

With the introduction of the super jumbos such as the Airbus A380 and the newly launched Boeing 787 dreamliner (a wide bodied take on the super size plane) we can now expect a higher standard of service.

The Airbus A380 allows airlines to make the most of the massive amount of space it has to offer. One airline has added “armchair” style enclosed seating in its business class section and spacious private cabins with the option to have a bed, in which to spend the flight should it be an overnight trip.

Personal 23″ screens are offered for the enjoyment of the passengers and even the economy passengers have much more room and a higher level of comfort than they would usually expect on any flight.

Of course with this extra level of comfort comes a higher price and you may find it more difficult to search out the cheap flights we have come to expect as a “price comparing” nation.

Along with the introduction of these super jumbos has simultaneously come the demand for cheaper long haul flights. There are now also several new contenders for the budget long haul market which has seen prices for transatlantic flights drop massively.

The question is; do you pay a substantial amount more to ensure you receive your creature comforts or can you do without them for the length of a 7-8 hour flight to America?

There will always be those who would never consider dropping below business class on any flight they take; where as, some of us are just happy getting to a destination as quickly and as cheaply as possible. The choice really is yours……

Perhaps I should explain. This list came to me after spending one too many days dealing with airports and airplanes. Besides, I thought it would be a nice change from the usual serious travel tips and information I serve up on my blog.

But don’t worry, nothing like this will ever happen to you. Probably.

–Don’t worry; this baby can still fly just fine with only one engine.

–$100 says this thing can too do a barrel roll.

–Let’s see if that loudmouth Delta pilot can play a little game of “chicken”

–Captain, did you just say, “Thank you for flying Jihad Airlines” ?

–No, I thought it was your turn to close the airtight door.

–Idiot! Never, never, set your coffee cup on that “Fuel Dump” button.

–Wow, what a coincidence, it’s my first day on the job, too.

–Captain, why don’t you just put this thing on auto-pilot and come join our little party?

–Does anyone know what that flashing red light thingy is?

–What do you mean, you just got us a 50% discount at our last refueling stop?

–Tower, did you just say, “eeney, meeney, miney, moe?

–Here’s your parachute, here’s yours, and yours, and here’s mine.

COPYRIGHT © 2006, Charles Brown. All rights reserved

Walter Herschel Beech founded the Beech Aircraft Corporation. This company is best known for its propeller planes and jet aircrafts all of which carry the name Beech Aircraft. Beech competes with aircraft companies such as Lear, Cessna and Piper for a share of the market. It also manufactures different parts and components for other aircraft companies. McDonnel Douglas is one of its biggest clients and it sells a lot of the components to this company.

The story of Walter Beech and his interest in flying has become modern day lore. Young Walter Herschel Beech was always very interested in flying. At a very young age he constructed a glider out of wood and also used his mother’s newest bed sheets for the same. Later he took to flying the Curtiss airplane at the young age of 23. After joining the Army Signal Corps he also learned the various maneuvers of dog fighting.

After the war was over, he was discharged in 1920 and that was when he joined the Swallow Airplane Company. He worked there as a salesman and was soon promoted to the position of a General Manager. He eventually left the company when the company did not start building a metal plane instead of the usual wooden ones. This was when Beech and another aviator who went by the name Lloyd Stearman decided to start their own business and formed the Travel Air Company. They were soon joined by an aircraft designer Clyde Cessna. Soon after making the first biplane, they received many accolades from all quarters. Their early designs which were powered by Curtiss-Wright engines were hailed as having some of the best airplane design in the country. This was the start of a brilliant career by Walter Beech in airplane manufacturing.

The Beech aircraft company still sells some of the best airplanes ever built. If you are interested in buying the excellent N101CC 1964 Beech aircraft then there are some of them available from sale on various sites on the internet. This excellent aircraft has two engines and nine seats and some of these are still available on the internet for a discounted price.

If you’re like most private pilots, you’ve put a lot of blood, sweat, tears and time into earning your pilot’s license. It’s an accomplishment you’re proud of, and rightfully so. Taking the next step up to owning a plane is a very exciting and serious financial commitment.

Unfortunately, with higher fuel prices, it’s becoming more and more difficult for plane owners to enjoy their time in the sky. At major air shows like Oshkosh, pilots who were typically flying around 125 hours in past years, last year told us they have dropped to between 50 and 75 hours in the air.

If you’re flying less frequently and especially less than 100 or 150 hours a year, be aware that oil contamination, acids and water can lead to insidious engine corrosion. If you don’t use your plane often enough, corrosion could leave you grounded with huge repair bills at your next annual.

This doesn’t mean you’re doomed to lose the very plane that’s become your pride and joy. You can take steps to prevent corrosion and keep your aircraft airworthy. Here are just a few things you can do to keep yourself airborne:

1) Fly as much as you can.

You’re probably worried because you haven’t been able to fly as much as you want to; however, you should still try to fly as often as practical. Frequent flying will keep the oil from just sitting and soaking the internal engine parts in a pool of contaminated lubricant. Corrosion becomes a major problem in infrequently used engines, so make an effort to get your plane in the air as often as possible.

2) Change your oil often.

You may think that in changing your oil every 50 hours, you’re doing a good job. However, oil that’s been in your engine just 15 to 20 hours is already contaminated and becoming corrosive. Unless you fly a lot, maybe 200 hours per year, don’t let that contaminated oil sit in the engine for any length of time. Change your oil every 25-35 hours or quarterly.

3) Don’t use automotive oils in aircraft.

This may sound like common sense to most people, whereas others are scratching their heads and wondering, “Isn’t all engine oil the same?” Not all engine oil is created equal, and there are major differences between automotive oil and aircraft oil. Automotive and diesel motor oils have metallic detergents added that are incompatible with aircraft engines and can actually damage them. Make sure the oil you’re using is aircraft oil.

4) Look for an oil additive that prevents engine corrosion.

Blow-by contaminates oil with acids, water and fuel residues that reduce its lubricating efficiency and can harm your engine. Look for an oil additive that specifically addresses these problems. Most additives are simple solvents and do nothing for contamination or corrosion.

No additive can actually cure the effects of rust after it occurs. Corrosion is worse than cancer for your engine. Once you have it, you have it forever. The only way to fight corrosion is by prevention. CamGuard is one oil additive that nullifies the contamination problem and provides a barrier to protect against corrosion.

Don’t let all the hard work you’ve put into getting a pilot’s license and owning a plane go to waste because you can’t afford to fly every week. By taking these few simple steps to help prevent corrosion, you can keep your aircraft engine in better shape and keep your plane flying longer.