Taking off Travel blog

It’s always good to look back over achievements during the year. One of the ways to measure that on a blog is to see which of our posts have got your attention most in the past 12 months (or, in the case of this travel blog, 11 months). Here’s a look at the posts that have received the most comments since our blog has been going.

• Japanese Customs, Quirks & Other Fascinating Oddities - One of the things I love about traveling to new destinations is encountering new cultural oddities used in daily life. I’ve collected some things my friends and I found in our travels to Japan. See if you can guess what they are!
• Tipping & Gratuity Guidelines For International Travel - Americans can sometimes be loud, boorish, and extroverted. We’re the class clowns of the world. But we’re also the biggest tippers. We know that clowns are laughing on the outside, but crying on the inside, right?
• Italian Blog Scene: Rubber Slippers & Bleeding Espresso - Imagine a country in which the denizens are experts at il dolce far niente (sweet doing nothing). Italy is a country in which a great day is one spent sippingespresso (the national breakfast) and people- watching in a piazza.
• Chocolate Travel Tours Offer Sweet Adventure - It’s the middle of winter. I’m stuck indoors, with nothing to do but surf the intarwebz and think about sweets - and chocolate, glorious chocolate. Walking tours of local chocolate stores are a dime a dozen – so how about a chocolate travel tour?
• Layover In LAX - Things To Do - Who wants to sit around at the airport? If you’ve got a layover in LAX, parking your bags somewhere will give you the freedom to explore and you can still be back in time to make your connection. Read more »
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  • TOTB Welcomes Guest Posts
  • Taking Off Travel Blog - Six Of The Best

Here is what you need to know about frequent flyer programs.

This continues our short series on Frequent Flyer Programs. Read Part 1 here.

Check Out The Fine Print

While many people skate over the fine print, this is a mistake when selecting a frequent flyer program. This will have details of how miles are calculated, what restrictions there are on travel, when you can’t use miles (known as blackout dates), fees, taxes (you didn’t think you would escape those, did you?) and the policy on flight cancellations. These issues will determine whether a particular program really suits your travel habits.

Other Benefits Of FFPs

When you have racked up thousands of miles, you may get other benefits, in addition to discounted travel. For example, you might get preferential treatment for check-in or boarding, access to a special lounge, flight upgrades, additional free tickets or a reduction in blackout dates. Whether you are just starting out with a frequent flyer program or already have your airline’s gold card, redeeming the miles is simple. All you need to do is have your frequent flyer number ready when booking. Check to make sure that you are really getting value for money. The fine print may tell you what those miles are worth in cash, so make sure you wouldn’t be better off just paying for your ticket. Read more »

Are you a frequent flyer? Here are some tips on frequent flyer programs

If you’re a traveler, then you probably belong to one or more frequent flyer programs. Whether you travel for business or pleasure, having that little card in your wallet guarantees you a range of benefits. Frequent flyer programs are loyalty programs which airlines use to reward you for traveling with them often. For them, it’s a customer retention strategy. For you, it’s the passport to lower fares and other benefits.

 
History Of Frequent Flyer Programs

Frequent flyer programs in the US have been around for almost 30 years, with the first one started by American Airlines in 1981. The AAdvantage program was soon copied by airlines across the country, looking for ways to keep their customers flying with them. It was simple - you earned a mile for every mile traveled and when you had enough you could use these for free tickets or rebates.

To sweeten the deal, airlines hooked up with other companies in the travel industry such as car rental firms and hotels, so that travelers could get and redeem miles from more places. The concept has spread across the industry, with many travel industry professionals offering programs for staying at the same hotel, renting cars from the same hotel or even booking offsite airport parking with the same company. Read more »

Is it the end of an era for business travel freebies from hotels?

The next time you take a business trip, the amenities may not be quite what you are used to. A couple years ago, when times were good, business travelers could expect to take their pick of freebies, such as toiletries, free breakfast, WiFi, cable, fitness centers and much more. But that may be in the past at some hotels. With the economic slump beginning to take hold, and forecasts that show unprecedented vacancy levels in the coming year, many hotels are cutting back on the freebies they offer guests, as well as resorting to innovative ways to get some people through the door.

Bye Bye Bathroom Freebies

Florida Today reported that with a reduction of up to 10 per cent in hotel occupancy already, two hotels in the Marriott chain have stopped having lotions and shower caps in the rooms - guests have to ask for them now. Coffee is no longer available 24/7 but only in the morning and afternoon. A Holiday Inn hotel in the Space Coast area has stopped handing out free newspapers and the breakfast is no longer a buffet to prevent food wastage. Hotels in other areas are cutting back on additional services such as gyms, reducing the amount of room service available and closing business centers.

Discounts, Anyone?

Other hotels are taking a different approach and offering discounts (some of them very discreetly) to get people into the hotels. With way more hotel rooms than demand for occupancy, this is working well for some. Reducing room rates and offering free nights for extended stays are just two of the strategies being used.

The crisis isn’t just in the US, but worldwide and some luxury Caribbean hotels have taken the visitor attraction concept one step further, by allowing cash strapped hotel guests to pay for their stay in stocks. (Let’s hope they’ve picked a good one.

So business travel freebies haven’t totally disappeared; they’re just looking a bit different - and that could be good news for those planning a trip within the next year. Hotel rates are likely to fall, so it’s a good time for Stateside travel deals.

(Photo: Kevin Rosseel)