20 ways to make the trip less stressful
Get room for placing without feeling as if you are part of a livestock driving.
As for the horror stories of the plane, I have more than my fair share. I travel nearly 400,000 miles a year and I saw just about everything that can be wrong when you fly. I lived three emergency landings. My flights were touched by lightning five times, once so severely that he burned a grapefruit hole in the tail of the plane. I have been on aircraft that have lost engines and other parts of the Midair aircraft. And once, my flight landed safely only to be dropped on the floor ... by a restoration truck. I was asked in London, postponed to monks, brronted in Khartoum, and I stuck-more that I care about remembering 35th.
But I lived to tell the stories and have learned a lot along the way. So this holiday season, do not put yourself blindly in the hands of the airlines, hotel chains and car rental companies. Use these 20 stress-free travel rules and enter a little control. You will reduce stress and pressure on your mind and portfolio. And if the stress strikes you at home, do not missYour complete stress guide of the late night.
1 Speak with a human
Your new travel mantra: to be human. Although it may seem cheaper and easier to book your flight on the Internet, remember that many websites pose as informative when they are, in fact, a transaction attempt to push the sale. I do not say not to use the internet; I'm just saying not to reserve your flight there first. Instead, continue online and discover which airline department you want to take the road, and then tapgethuman.com, who will tell you how to easily maneuver through the customer service tree of your chosen airlines. Now pick up the phone. And while you book, do not missThis secret thing that will save you on the plane tickets.
2 Start with the price
Let's say you're calling for a reservation for a Chicago flight to San Francisco. The first question that the agent will ask you to seem reasonable enough: "When do you want to travel?" Do not answer this question. Answer a question: "Before answering that, can you just go to your screen and hit all the rates published on the Chicago at the road to San Francisco?"
It will take the agent about four seconds. "Now," You're saying, "Scroll to the bottom of the list. What does this tariff?" (Since no airline does not want to promote their cheapest flights, the lowest rates are buried at the bottom of the screen.) Work your list, finding the best price for you with restrictions you can live. Then, and only after getting the lowest rate possible, go on the internet and see if you can find a case that is fighting what you have. Remember that once you make an aerial reservation, you have 24 hours to book it. During this window 24 hours a day, you can go on the web and see if you can beat this business of human beings.
3 Look for your flight
Each month, the American Transportation Department publishes a list of flights with the worst time recordings in America - by road, airline and flight number. In one list, a USAIR flight between Philadelphia and Atlanta was reported late at 100% of the time. And there are dozens more late than 95% of the time.
4 Remain flexible
If all the flights from your destination city are reserved, think of alternative airports (Providence instead of Boston, Oakland instead of San Francisco, Milwaukee instead of Chicago, to mention a few some) or routing that you lead to Hawaii, for example, through Denver, Phoenix or Las Vegas. You will almost always save money and, in many cases you have less stress (and less delays) because you will avoid giant airports. For example, Midway has fewer delays than O'Hare and Long Beach has a better record than Lax. Once you are there, take a precious closure with the10 best tips for sleeping on an airplane.
5 Never call numbers without charge
The same applies to the reservation for a hotel room. Never call the number of 800 free to find a hotel room from a large chain. You will only be connected to a third-party exchange with a suitable for sale mandate at a designated price - no place to negotiate. Instead, call the hotel directly.
But do not ask for a reservation - they will just give you that 800. Request to speak to the manager's manager or sales manager. These are the best referees of their inventory of the room. If the wedding part SchmidLap has canceled last night and they suddenly have 60 rooms for sale, this number 800 (or the channel website) may not have this information. You are now in the best negotiation position. And an even better reason to talk to a human being at the hotel: you have established a relationship. Find this person when registering and you stand a good chance for an upgrade.
6 Call during football
Always try to call a hotel to4 m.on aSundayMake your reservation. Why? It's a day every week that hotel income managers - people who define and control room rates - do not work. You are in a better position to negotiate, because the hotel knows that a unsold room has returned that they will never recommend once the sun rises. This is just one of the20 Secrets Hotel employees will not tell you.
7 Do not be blinded by stars and diamonds
Forget the hotel assessment systems. In many destinations, the stars are a designation of the government for the charge of the hotel, not a reflection of quality. It just means that you pay more for your room. The Stars and Diamond Awards are perfect for the morale of hotel employees and are used by hotels to justify uploading a higher rate, but how does it benefit you? This is not the case.
8 Mail your luggage
There are basically two types of luggage: workforce and lost. That's why I did not check a bag on a domestic flightin eight years. If I need to know more than I can continue, I'm just sending you my bags at the hotel. I use FedEx, but there are more than 17 other private email companies that make the same door-to-door service.
I save an average of two hours of my life whenever I fly by not checking the bags. I do not have to Schlep, I do not have to stay online at the airline's counter, I do not have to stand in the TSA, then when I finish, I do not have to me Keep in this refugee circle around the carousel of the luggage, hoping that my bags were really on the same flight as I was. Where are my bags? In my hotel room. How cool is it? And while you are considering not hanging around your luggage around, take advice from our guide to theBest way to pack a suitcase.
9 Ignore start times
If you call the airline and ask if your flight is on time, you will be sorry. More often than no, the air agent will interpret your question to mean: "Is theft planned to leave on time?" It does not make sense. Instead, ask to receive the number of the tail of the aircraft assigned to your flight, and ask that this aircraft is. If you are planned to fly from Boston to Atlantain two hoursBut the aircraft assigned to your flight is always in Belize, now you know you do not leave in time before leaving your home or office.
10 Go where you are not supposed to go
Since you would not have any bags to check, follow my advice and save more time and aggravation. If you have an early morning flight from a double-level airport, you do not have your car dropping off at departures - it will be stuck with vehicles and people - but at the bottom area at the bottom down. Who comes to6H30in the morning? Anybody. No traffic, no lines. Get out of your taxi and simply take the escalator upstairs and through the safety of your door. And when you land, there is absolutely no reason to go on arrival, which will be a zoo. Get yourself pick up at empty departures.
11 Undress for success
Before leaving the airport, turn any metal that you take with you-watch, keys, coins, jewelry, pens, chains, plastic bags and ziplock plastic bags al-in in your hand luggage. Dress on the other side of security, please! This will save five minutes per passenger. Do the math: it makes so much sense.
12 Ignore the departures
While airlines have led the expedition of business, from advice always show the Titanic as "on time". Look at the map departures for one information: the gate from which your flight is expected to leave. Then go immediately to the card arrivals. Check what happens to your door. If nothing comes to your door, then you can enjoy the luxury of not being disappointed counter.
13 Negotiate your phone bill
Yes, the Internet and telephone costs are negotiable, as long as you make a deal in advance. Before you take your room key, tell the person at the reception that you want your phone and Internet charges provided - a must for $ 10 or $ 15 per day for unlimited internet and long distance national calls. More often than not, the hotel will accept the agreement. This also applies to other annoying charges such as resort fees and use of the hotel gym. Negotiate at the very front.
14 Remain below the eighth floor
If you are a really anxious person, know that the fight against modern equipment did not fire the ability to easily fight fires or to rescue people, more than eight stories. Stay on a lower floor is particularly important in Third World countries, where regulations and fire safety procedures are not as stringent as in the US.
15 Follow the booster pumps
Most high-rise hotels can not maintain adequate water pressure. As a result, many have installed pumps boost in their buildings. The pumps are not necessarily on alternate floors, just on different floors. So when you register, ask the clerk to the reception to call the engineering and discover what floor booster pumps are activated. If, for example, the answer comes back that the pumps are on 4, 6, 9, 11 and 15, then ask a room of 4 or 6. Why? Why? Because when you enter your room on a floor where there is a booster pump, you will ensure a decent hot shower, no matter the time of day you need it.
16 Ask about construction
Now that you have made friends with the desk clerk, ask another question: "How far is my room in building" Virtually all hotels takes place on a constant cycle of improvement, which means that at a given moment, an entire floor (or soil) is closed for reconstruction. If you do not ask this question, you can have the keys to the Jackhammer on.
17 Germans room
Short of use of a biohazard suit, you must do three things immediately after entering your room: First, always pack some disinfectant wipes and use them to wipe the TV remote and the telephone handset. Second, walk to bed, remove the bedspread and throw it in a corner of the room. No longer looks ever. Do not ever touch. And last but not least, go into the bathroom. Turn on the hot water faucet and place the water glasses under the tap for at least three minutes. Why? The hotel maids are highly loaded to clean 12 to 16 rooms per shift. And if your room is one of the last three, she worked, chances that your housekeeper ran out of time and do not replace the last guest water glasses. Instead, it's probably wiped with dirty towels left on the counter in the bathroom.
18 think locally
Again, using a number from 800 to reserve a car may not obtain the lowest rates and the best car. To verifyRentalCars.com for big price comparison locally. Another tip: rent a car on aSaturday. Why? Many cars suddenly become availableSaturdayWhen the customers who booked them for the weekend do not show up.
19 Take photos
Stroll through the rental car and look for tasters and bumps. If you see it, take some snaps and date them. Show them to an employee of the rental agency and get his full name. It will take every five minutes. Later, if the company claims that you have struck the car (and these repair costs can be draconian), you will have proof that the damage was pre-existing.
20 Get your own essence
In some cases, rental car companies will charge you north of $ 6 per gallon to fill your tank when returning the car. Register real money by filling the tank yourself. And once you have filled, be sure to hit one of the7 best beach cities to celebrate Christmas.
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