Every person has different tastes in terms of the place they want to stay. Whether traveling with friends, a partner, or alone there are several key elements to be considered when making your decision about where to rest your weary head. We have put together a list of the top nine things to take note of when booking a hostel.
Nowadays it’s pretty easy to find user ratings on the internet. Most decent hostels have at least equipped themselves with a basic website so you can suss out what other travelers think of them. Obviously, people who love the hostel and have had a positive experience will give a high rating but more importantly, you will find that people will tend to post comments if they have had an unpleasant experience.
It’s a sad part of life these days that we are eager to give negative feedback at the drop of a hat, may occasionally give positive feedback if we were provided an outstanding experience but are more reluctant to comment if the stay was just pleasant and met our expectations.
One note I will add here is to average out the reviews. It’s becoming all too common for people to post false negative reviews for their competition and phantom positive reviews on their own place. Best to disregard the top few and bottom few and see what’s left.
Due to a tight budget, people tend to look at the price of the hostel first before anything else. Some people believe that the price alone can tell what the hostel is like. Instinct would tell us that an expensive hostel is a better place to stay than that low-rate hostel (I’m sure you will agree that this is not always the case). Still, this may not be your only basis when booking for a hostel because more often than not there are cheap hostels that offer excellent services that are keen to grab your business from their higher-priced competitors.
The ambiance of the hostel is the place’s atmosphere, its heart, and soul. Is the place quiet or rowdy? Is it an older crowd or teenagers backpacking for the first time? Location can be a big factor in the ambiance of the hostel too. For example, if it is close to the nightlife you will more than likely find a younger, more social crowd.
For me personally, this is probably the key factor in determining where I stay when traveling. The accessibility of the place is really important. Is the place near the airport or transportation if – I’m just transiting? How close are the major sites and attractions? Is it in a noisy part of town and I will be kept awake all night by the sound of sirens?
The location can have an effect on other factors too. If the hostel is not in the center of town or close to the sites, the money you may have saved on the room will be wasted on the transportation needed to get you there.
Consider how big the rooms are and how many people will you be sharing with. Hostels usually offer more than one room type so find the one that’s best for you. You can opt to stay in a single room, a double or multi-share. It is also important for you to know if the rooms are same-sex or mixed (especially for girls looking for that peace of mind at night).
If they have separate rooms for men and women, make sure that they have rooms for couples too – you don’t want to wake up to the sound of grunting in the bunk next to you.
Although you may be out all day and the amount of time you actually spend in your room is minimal, I’m sure you will agree that getting a good night's sleep is very important.
What facilities does the hostel offer? Like how many bathrooms do they have? What about the electricity and water and some other facilities like the kitchen, swimming pool, and a bar? These days everyone keeps in touch via the web, so do they have free or paid internet access?
Safety is one of the most important things to be considered. Does the hostel have security guards, especially during the night? Is the place secured from fire and does it offer safety from some other unexpected calamities?
What about the security of your belongings? Is there a safety box you can keep your valuable items like your passport?
Some hostels offer extra services like WiFi, sheets, dinner or breakfast, towels, free pick up from the station or airport, etc. Anything you might be getting included in your room rate needs to be factored into the total end cost.
There are hostels that charge for some standard services like using a sleeping bag or a sheet, for meals, and sometimes for using the shower.
It is recommended that you research the hostel you want to stay in, to have a comfortable stay and ensure you are getting ‘bang for your buck’. One of my favorite hostels that I have had the pleasure of staying at was the Wombats The Base hostel in Vienna. This place has it all….check out the bar.
If you have any other tips we would love for you to share them in the comments section. Keep traveling!!
The times are a-changing. Remember the good old days when you could pack your suitcase full of clothes and other items, show up at the airport, and be greeted by a friendly counter clerk who would check your luggage for your flight for free. Many things have changed since then and even more so since 9/11 but today we are going to focus on the growing trend of traveling with carry-on luggage only.
With the introduction of checked baggage fees, an increasing number of people are switching to using a carry-on bag as their only luggage. This trend comes with a number of pros and cons that we will discuss here today. We invite you to join in the conversation by having your say in the comments section below.
For stylish and durable carry-on luggage, check out Nobl Travel — designed to make traveling easier and more efficient.
How many times have you seen a plane with an empty overhead compartment lately? I’m guessing not at all unless that plane happened to be well under capacity. There are indeed many complications that arise from the airline's decision to charge for checked luggage.
Recently on a flight from Seoul to Vancouver, I arrived a little late to board the plane (let me clarify – I was there well before the specified boarding time but towards the end of the lineup) and when I finally boarded and went to stow my backpack in the overhead locker above my seat I was confronted with numerous ‘wheelie bags’ taking up the whole space. So I moved to the next locker…..and the next….and again.. (you get my point). I finally had to store my bag in the flight attendant's personal compartment at the rear of the plane.
The experience was not only frustrating but also rather time-consuming and no doubt held the plane up for a few unnecessary minutes. Now don’t get me wrong I’m not a hater of carry-on, in fact, I am an advocate of the ‘less is more’ principle but something seriously needs to change here.
So why are the airlines forcing us to travel lighter? Well, the easy answer is that it is extremely profitable for them to do so. Checked bag and related fees netted $6 billion for US air carriers alone in the first 9 months of 2010, federal statistics show.
Now they are looking to capitalize even further. Did you know that several airlines have been experimenting with the carry-on bag fees now too? Spirit Airlines is charging between $20-40 USD per bag, which boggles my mind. Unless you have the most spacious pants pockets in the world, the airline has got you where it wants you — shelling out cash for something you just can’t avoid.
It’s time to have your say… how do you prefer to travel? Carry-on or checked? And what do you think about the airline fees?
Today we ask the age-old question… how important is good service versus getting a cheap ticket?
Recently I purchased a number of flights with the low-cost airline Air Asia through their website. I have been planning my trip to Malaysia and India for some time now and even though I am not staying in luxury hotels, the budget was starting to blow out. So when I saw an advertisement online for a massive sale on airfares with Air Asia I was naturally excited to see if I could bag myself a bargain.
I ended up booking six flights in total for just under $1,000 Australian dollars (AUD) including taxes and all the associated costs (we will address this a little later). Now I need to tell you that I work as a travel agent so I’m well aware of the terms and conditions that are set by airlines and I make sure to check the conditions of the fare before booking. It states that there will be no refund if you cancel your ticket but you can make changes to the flights at an additional cost.
Two of the flights I purchased were from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu return as I was looking to travel around Sabah. Unfortunately for me, being a travel agent turned out to be a disadvantage once I started looking into what I was going to do in Borneo. Most of the trips we plan in the region are for families where the best accommodation is in Kota Kinabalu, like the Shangri la Rasa Ria. I was looking for an eco-adventure though, which seems to be on the opposite coast around Sandakan and therefore the flights would be best to fly into Sandakan airport.
I went about calling Air Asia’s reservations line to make the change to my flights. After more than two hours of waiting on hold, I was told that the change was impossible and I would need to forfeit my ticket and purchase a new one. “Not good enough”, I thought so I asked to speak to a supervisor to try and talk some sense. I was willing to pay a change fee and any fare difference, don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t looking for something for nothing.
The reservation girl promptly advised me that there were no supervisors available and that I would just be getting the same response from them anyway. Well as you can probably imagine this infuriated me and I demanded to speak to someone senior who could help me out. She then offered to get someone to call me in the next 12 hours. About an hour or so later I received a call from the so-called supervisor who quickly and repeatedly explained, in detail, the fine print of their changes which states you are not allowed to change the route. I then asked that I be refunded the taxes and services charges (such as meals, seat reservations, and baggage charges) as these were not part of the flight ticket.
To cut a long story short the response was continually a negative one and not a single staff member would help me out. All this drama over the $120 AUD they stood to gain for my cancellation, where I was willing to pay more than that to make the change……. Now they have not only lost a customer (before I have even flown), but I will make sure to tell my network of friends and family not to travel with them.
First, it’s really important to understand that bad airline service is more of an overall attitude than one specific incident. Most experienced travelers can handle a delayed bag or missed flight if there’s a helpful, even sympathetic, and knowledgeable professional on the other side of the counter who sincerely tries to help and seems to care.
Perhaps consumers are tired of taking the time to complain about a system that seems to need a total overhaul. Many have accepted bad airline service as a fact of life. As long as you obsess over low fares as the overriding factor in your decisions to buy, you’re going to get what you seem to demand in the marketplace: a cheap but lousy product.
Is there any hope for relief on the horizon? It’s not easy to see. Clearly, a majority of travelers want the cheapest possible tickets, no matter what. As long as that mindset persists, lousy airline service is inevitable.
So will it end up that you will arrive at the airport ready to check-in and the staff swiftly duck for cover behind the counters…….. I know that I will be basing my flight decisions on service now rather than price alone.
Sometimes all we need is a little nudge to inspire us to venture into new and unfamiliar places. I have compiled a list of interesting and sometimes funny travel quotes that will be sure to entertain you. Some are profound in their meaning while others are purely observations that we can all relate to.
"Travel is glamorous only in retrospect"
– Paul Theroux
"If you wish to travel far and fast, travel light. Take off all your envies, jealousies, unforgiveness, selfishness, and fears."
- Glenn Clark
"Home is where the heart is, and my heart is wherever I am at the moment."
— Lily Leung
"Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."
— Helen Keller
"A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles"
– Tim Cahill
"I see my path, but I don’t know where it leads. Not knowing where I’m going is what inspires me to travel it."
— Rosalia de Castro
"We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm, and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open."
— Jawaharal Nehru
"How beautiful it is to do nothing, and then rest afterward."
— Spanish Proverb
"No matter where you go, there you are"
– Confucius
"Our happiest moments as tourists always seem to come when we stumble upon one thing while in pursuit of something else."
— Lawrence Block
"One of the great things about travel is that you find out how many good, kind people there are."
— Edith Wharton
"To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries"
– Aldous Huxley
"To travel is to take a journey into yourself"
— Danny Kaye
"Without new experiences, something inside of us sleeps. The sleeper must awaken."
– Frank Herbert
"If at some point you don’t ask yourself, ‘What have I gotten myself into?’ then you’re not doing it right."
— Roland Gau
"I travel light. I think the most important thing is to be in a good mood and enjoy life, wherever you are."
– Diane von Furstenberg
"If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home."
— James Michener
"He who is outside his door already has the hardest part of his journey behind him."
— Dutch proverb
"The greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted."
— Bill Bryson
"If you look like your passport photo, you’re too ill to travel"
– Will Kommen
"Long-term travel doesn’t require a massive bundle of cash; it requires only that we walk through the world in a more deliberate way."
— Rolf Potts
"Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and celebrate the journey."
– Fitzhugh Mullan
"I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list"
– Susan Sontag
"A person needs at intervals to separate from family and companions and go to new places. One must go without familiars in order to be open to influences, to change."
– Katharine Butler Hathaway
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a cash advance."
- unknown
"I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them"
– Mark Twain
"The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land; it is, at last, to set foot on one’s own country as a foreign land."
– G. K. Chesterton
"A ship is safe in the harbor, but that’s not what ships are built for."
– Gael Attal
"Travel makes one modest, you see what a tiny place you occupy in the world"
– Gustave Flaubert
"Once in a while it really hits people that they don’t have to experience the world in the way they have been told to."
– Alan Keightley
"Travel is like love, mostly because it’s a heightened state of awareness, in which we are mindful, receptive, undimmed by familiarity and ready to be transformed. That is why the best trips, like the best love affairs, never really end."
— Pico Iyer
"Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore"
– Andre Gide
"Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of men, instead, seek what they sought."
— Matsuo Basho
"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
"If you come to a fork in the road, take it"
– Yogi Berra
"Heroes take journeys, confront dragons, and discover the treasure of their true selves."
– Carol Pearson
"Let your heart guide you. It whispers so listen closely."
– Unknown
"Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition."
— Steve Jobs
"The further one goes, the less one knows"
– Lao-Tzu
"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference."
— Robert Frost
"Travel is like a giant blank canvas, and the painting on the canvas is only limited by one’s imagination."
— Ross Morley
"Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves"
– Henry David Thoreau
"Through travel, I first became aware of the outside world; it was through travel that I found my own introspective way into becoming a part of it."
— Eudora Welty
"You lose sight of things… and when you travel, everything balances out."
— Daranna Gidel
"The great difference between voyages rests not with the ships, but with the people you meet on them."
— Amelia E. Barr
"All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware."
— Martin Buber
"When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then take half the clothes and twice the money."
– Susan Heller
"Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not."
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
"A man of ordinary talent will always be ordinary, whether he travels or not; but a man of superior talent will go to pieces if he remains forever in the same place."
— Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
"If you’re not living on the edge, you’re taking up too much space."
— Unknown
"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step"
– Lao-Tzu
"Don’t be a tourist. Plan less. Go slowly. I traveled in the most inefficient way possible and it took me exactly where I wanted to go."
— Andrew Evans
"Not all those who wander are lost."
— J. R. R. Tolkien
"When you’re traveling, you are what you are right there and then. People don’t have your past to hold against you. No yesterdays on the road."
– William Least Heat Moon
"Bizarre travel plans are dancing lessons from God."
– Kurt Vonnegut
"The first condition of understanding a foreign country is to smell it."
– Rudyard Kipling
"Take only memories, leave only footprints."
– Chief Seattle
"It is better to travel well than to arrive"
– Buddha
"I had rather have a fool to make me merry than experience to make me sad and to travel for it too!"
– William Shakespeare
"I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train."
– Oscar Wilde
"Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends."
– Maya Angelou
"We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think. Words are secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far."
– Swami Vivekananda
"Writing and travel broaden your ass if not your mind and I like to write standing up."
– Ernest Hemingway
"Tourists don’t know where they’ve been, travelers don’t know where they’re going"
– Paul Theroux
Which travel quote is your favorite? Which sayings would you add to this list?
Ok, so the title might have been a little deceiving but let’s find out if you fit the bill.
We’ve all had that experience of feeling like the complete outsider in a new city. Wandering from one tourist trap to another, you end up spending more time in line or at the gift shop than exploring the area. As you trudge between guidebook recommendations, you often get a surface-level view of your destination but never really get to dive into the local culture.
So wouldn’t it be great if you could step off the beaten tourist track and meet locals who are willing to take you around their cities, show you all the best spots, and share stories about their culture, traditions, and lives?
Well, now you can. There’s a new hospitality network called Tripping, where travelers like you can connect with local people. Members live in over 90 countries and they use Tripping to share travel tips, meet over cups of coffee and even open their homes to each other.
Not looking to go traveling anytime soon? No problem- as a local host, you can stay home and still feel like you are away. You might end up playing drinking games with some Australians, perhaps learn how to make Tom Yom Kung from some Thai travelers, or brush up on your French with a Parisian family. In an instant, your life will become more fun, more colorful and – best of all – you’ll have new friends to visit all around the world.
It’s a pretty simple process of registering your details on their website and you can choose whether you would like to host someone or not. Not a bad idea to just scroll through the community of trippers who are already using the service to read their comments and feedback.
Oh and by the way, Tripping is totally free. The founders believe that cultural exchange makes the world a better place and they’re committed to making Tripping the safest and best hospitality network on the planet.
So the question begs – Are you a Tripper?
To learn more, check out Tripping.com
We go through all the trouble of planning where to stay and what we are going to do each day on our trip so why is it that after all this effort we leave our health in the hands of the gods. Holiday illness is one of the main reasons why otherwise perfectly planned trips end up being a disappointment. And there’s no wonder – getting sick gets sucks, whether it is during your holiday or when you get home.
Here is a selection of the most common ailments you may encounter on your travels.
If you are planning on traveling to altitudes above 8000 ft then we recommend spending a day or so acclimatizing before doing any strenuous activity. Especially when traveling to countries such as Nepal, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru.
Altitude sickness is caused by a lack of oxygen or low air pressure and the common symptoms include headaches, fatigue, nausea, stomach upsets, and dizziness. If you experience any of these symptoms at altitude it is a good idea to rest up and stay put. Drink plenty of water and avoid alcohol to avoid getting dehydrated.
Doctors say that ear pain is one of the most common travel afflictions. Air pressure in the middle ear should be the same as that outside your body. The ear’s Eustachian tubes help keep it this way. On a plane, the pressure changes rapidly during take-offs and landings playing havoc with this.
So, the air pressure in the middle and outer ears becomes different – and eardrums are pulled towards the brain. In most cases, this is merely painful but in very rare instances eardrums perforate.
Swallowing helps many people while others find chewing gum or sucking sweets helpful. Some say taking decongestants prevents pain. Symptoms are worse if you have a blocked nose.
It’s one of the most common holiday illnesses a traveler could contract during their holiday. The cause of diarrhea while traveling is generally a bacterial infection due to poor hygiene.
When I travel I generally will take some Imodium with me, just in case I come down with a case of ‘the runs’. If you do happen to get diarrhea, make sure to drink plenty of water and replace your salts to avoid dehydration.
If you’re on an island holiday or a beach break it’s easy to get excited and enjoy the beautiful, scorching sun a little bit too much. Do not underestimate the power of the sun. Have a waterproof sunblock with you at all times. It is recommended to get a sunblock with at least 30 SPF (Sun Protection Factor). It is important to know that this actually means your skin will take 30 times longer to burn than with no protection.
If you’re traveling with children, be particularly careful not to expose them to too much sun. Little children should wear sunglasses, hats, and plenty of ‘maximum protection’ sunblock at all times. It’s best to use a sunblock that’s not waterproof on children, as they rub their faces a lot and could get it in their eyes, making it rather difficult to get out afterward. There are also specially designed swimsuits that block out UV rays.
Hepatitis causes serious damage to the liver, so it is not to be taken lightly. As a traveler, you are the most susceptible to Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B. There are other strains of Hepatitis, but when it comes to avoiding travel illness, Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B are the two you need to give a thought. Hepatitis vaccination is routinely performed in many countries – check with your local health center to see if you already have protection.
A vaccination to protect against Hep A consists of a single shot that you should take a few days before departing to your travel destination. A more complete Hepatitis vaccination that gives protection against Hep A and Hep B is also available but needs to be taken as a series of three shots over a six-month period.
Malaria is transmitted by mosquitoes. Mosquito bites are unpleasant on principle, therefore, the use of an insect repellent with DEET is highly recommended in any area prone to mosquitos. I also recommend buying inexpensive mosquito netting that can cover your bed and block those suckers from getting to you while you’re sleeping. You can buy one of those in a dollar store and they don’t take up much space in your backpack.
Malaria is no fun at all. It’s actually a dangerous disease that could lead to coma and death. There are pills a doctor can prescribe to you that you should consider taking before and during your travels if you are going to a destination that is prone to Malaria. Just be aware of the side effects of these pills which is commonly photosensitivity (your skin is more sensitive to the sun’s rays) and nausea.
Dengue Fever is another nasty disease caused by mosquitoes and more distressingly has no preventative measures. The best prevention is to avoid being bitten so use a high DEET repellent.
If you are going to mosquito areas avoid soaps or lotions with floral scents (no scents is best). Eating massive amounts of garlic and vitamin B also makes you less tasty.
If you’re taking a cruise or bus tour you may experience motion sickness. Good thing is that most cruise ships will have medical professionals on board and guess what they deal with most – Sea Sickness. If you are at all concerned about your tummy then it’s a good idea to get hold of some preventative medication before you set off.
I’ve heard of some people having good results sucking on ice…. Accu-Pressure wristbands that rub anti-nausea spots on people’s wrists sound like a much better solution, but those may not work for everyone. Over-the-counter antihistamines can help since the center of motion sickness in the middle ear. Ginger is great for motion sickness. Whether in the form of tea or just plain old ground it works. Chew on some ginger candy and prevent a plethora of tummy troubles.
Check out our complete guide on Motion Sickness.
Stress is a major cause of that run-down feeling which can make a person more susceptible to getting sick. You will no doubt encounter setbacks when you travel so it is important you don’t let them get to you. It is important to remember there are some things you have no control over.
Don’t try to pack too much into your day. Trying to see too many sights, particularly in a hot climate, can lead to exhaustion. Aside from tiredness, symptoms include dizziness and confusion. Related hot-climate risks: painfully blistered feet and raw, itchy groins. (For the latter, over-the-counter anti-fungal creams are available in most countries).
Get Rest: Much like stress, exhaustion can also help make you more susceptible to the airborne germs that multiply during the colder months of the year. Make sure to get 6-8 hours of sleep nightly to help fend off any germs that may be attempting to bring down your immunity.
For long air trips, doctors often recommend wearing compression socks. They’re long (to just below the knee) and apply light pressure to the legs – where DVT most often occurs – to encourage blood to move more efficiently through the limbs.
Though it’s relatively rare, higher-risk individuals (people who’ve recently had surgery, for example) should ask doctors whether taking a prescribed blood thinner (anticoagulant) is warranted.
I can’t begin to tell you the importance of this but when going on holiday, make sure you pack enough of your own prescribed medication. Make sure you have a full supply and it might even be worth carrying extra. Don’t assume you will find a pharmacy with the medication you need at your destination. That goes in particular if you’re traveling overseas. It’s often extremely difficult to find the medications you need at a dose you need in foreign countries. Even if you’re traveling to a country similar to your home country (for example Australian traveling to New Zealand), pack enough of your own medication.
It’s a good idea to have your doctor write a list of your medication for you to take. In some countries, the prescription drugs you take might be illegal. Avoid the hassle and pack your medication in your hand luggage and declare it to immigration.
Consult your local Travel Health Clinic and ask for advice on the requirements for where you’re traveling. They will have up-to-date information on the location and will inform you of necessary or suggested vaccinations and whatever other precautions you should be aware of.
Illnesses that require vaccinations include Typhoid Fever, Influenza, Hepatitis A and B, Varicella, Japanese Encephalitis, Meningococcal Meningitis, Rabies, and Yellow Fever.
If you’re an Australian, go to the Travelvax website for a clinic near you.
This is likely an exercise in preaching to the choir but let's face it; the traveling public desperately needs a lesson in common courtesy. There is something about flying that can turn ordinary people into inconsiderate passengers.
Here is a shortlist of types of offenders, along with some tips to respectfully alleviate the problem, where available. The following list is mostly in jest and it is understood that people sometimes behave in an inconsiderate manner unknowingly or accidentally.
This person reclines the seat, especially when done abruptly and without regard to the body position of others in the aft direction. A tip that was given on another website devoted to airline travel prescribes opening the air gasper (air vent) and putting it in the full forward position. In this position, air will be blowing directly on the head of the person in the seat immediately forward when their seat is reclined.
Using the armrest isn’t a faux pas, but sticking extremities into the seat space adjacent is. That is exactly what this person does.
Watch for these passengers when they are removing their carry-ons from overhead bins directly above to avoid a concussion. They seem to have no concern for the people around them, are generally not very strong, and oftentimes try to remove very heavy bags…. the worst combination possible.
If you see this scenario about to occur, offer a helping hand.
Flying on airplanes is not the time to pull out the toenail clippers or any other type of grooming for that matter. No one wants your clippings, dead skin, hair, etc on them so keep your grooming habits to yourself.
Gate Hoarders are passengers who, when the announcement for pre-boarding and first-class begins, crowd the boarding door and are a hindrance to the proper order of boarding passengers. Things will move a lot smoother if you stick to your designated boarding group – the plane isn’t leaving without you!
Although inherently not a gaffe, when the person next to you doesn’t take the hint that you are not in a talking mood and would prefer to sleep it can become a problem. If this happens, politely mention that you enjoyed the chat and would love to continue the conversation after you have had some shuteye.
Shoes come off and bare or socked feet are propped up. Let the relaxing begin! This person is often a combination of Lateral and Horizontal Space Monopolizers. An airplane is not your lounge room so please be respectful of the people sitting around you.
When travel plans are awry, everyone within earshot (and beyond) is going to hear about it.
This passenger lacks earphones and plays movies and music for an unwitting crowd on their portable device.
Sure, everyone wants to be in a good position to retrieve their luggage from the baggage claim but these people stake their claim at the front of the crowd and seem to make it their mission to stop anyone else from picking up their bags.
Airplane engines are loud enough to mask the sound of passing wind…..this does not give you free rein to let it rip throughout the flight.
Kids will be kids there is no doubting that, and as much as we hate to have a screaming child nearby it is generally an unavoidable situation. The Dis’owner parents are a whole new breed though, letting their children run amuck without any concern for the people around them. It is sometimes difficult to know if they are in fact the parents.
There is a simple rule when boarding (or exiting the plane) – Find your seat as swiftly as possible, place your gear in the overhead locker then take your seat. This is not the time to hang out and chat with your friends in the aisle forcing the people around you to wait. TheAisle Hog can also be found seated during the flight with their legs blocking the aisle, similar to the Lateral Space Monopolizer.
We all want to try and save a few dollars by packing light and taking carry-on luggage only. Unfortunately, these people have no concept of what will fit in the overhead bin (nor do they seem to care). You will recognize them as they make their way down the aisle, dragging their bag which is bashing into seats left and right.
Yes, there are times when it is unavoidable and we happen to be sick when flying…..no one’s denying that but seriously show a little decency and cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough, and if possible wear a mask.
This person seems to make it their mission to create the biggest barrier possible for you to get by. Sleeping with your head on the tray table might be comfortable for you but it creates a Ninja Warrior course for those trying to get by. The Obstacle often leaves their tray table down for extended periods of time before and after meal service.
The Stinker boards the flight with major B.O. To avoid this, pack a small deodorant in your carry-on and apply it regularly. Of course, showering before you arrive at the airport is a no-brainer too… but sometimes we are forced to sprint between gates to make our next flight and a little sweat is unavoidable.
No explanation really needed for this one. This passenger feels the need to exploit the free bar by downing as many drinks as humanly possible.
Pushing up off the back of the chair in front of you is not on. To avoid this, simply ask the person next to you if they can stand up, or use the handrest to prop yourself rather than annoying the person seated in front.
You are entrenched in your book, magazine, tablet, or other media device and have a feeling that someone is watching over you…. this is the Eavesdropper at work. It is not cool to invade someone’s privacy by reading over their shoulder at any time. The worst offenders can’t help but look over and watch the movie that you have selected in the in-flight entertainment.
It is important to note that we have tried to outline situations that can easily be fixed rather than legitimate issues that often get discussed (eg. overweight passengers). That being said are there any types of airline passengers you would want to avoid that we may have missed?
Airline crews have their own inscrutable patois that can be difficult to decipher by outsiders. Below is a list of common terms one might hear while eavesdropping on an inter-crew confab or listening to a passenger announcement (but who does that these days?).
A pilot or flight attendant who is traveling in a passenger seat and on company aircraft to a work assignment.
A crew member that spends zero time with their confreres on layovers. When they arrive at the hotel, the door is promptly slammed and the deadbolt secured.
An Air Traffic Control (ATC) assigned departure time to allow ATC to fit an aircraft into the flow of inbound traffic at busy airports, such as Boston-Logan or Philadelphia International Airport. This time is often a shorter delay of less than 10-20 minutes, but not always.
Is an ATC delay program that results in holding aircraft at the departure airport. These programs are often a result of inclement weather, such as high winds, thunderstorms, or low clouds & visibility.
Any airport that is not a major hub for the airline. Outstations are typically small, sleepy airports, but not always.
Is an airline route structure and schedule system based on having major hubs connect to smaller airport outstations. Once aircraft are at the outstation, they fly right back to the hub. The hub and spoke moniker is derived from the wheel-like appearance the structure takes when viewed on a map. An implication of this system is that it invariably results in the traveler having to traverse through a major hub on two separate flights to get to the destination. An example of this would be AGS (Augusta, GA) to ATL (Atlanta) to ERW (Newark), Atlanta being the large airline’s hub (Can you guess which one?).
Antithetical to the Hub-and-Spoke system. As the name implies, the point-to-point method of airline schedules is where an airline aircraft may not travel at all through a hub over the course of multiple days or multiple flights.
Is an acronym for “Minimum Equipment List”. When a pilot says an item is “on MEL”, that means that a particular aircraft appliance is broken but is not needed for safe flight. Examples include the coffee maker, an “in triplicate” redundant system such as an electrical generator, and countless other items.
A racetrack-shaped ground track that an aircraft follows when directed by Air Traffic Control (ATC). It is often the result of a ground stop at the destination airport and can result in a diversion if the aircraft doesn’t have enough fuel to hold for the ATC assigned holding time.
A minimum fuel quantity that, when reached, necessitates a diversion to a secondary airport called an “Alternate” airport. It is often the result of a protracted holding pattern.
Steerage passengers who, when the announcement for pre-boarding and first-class begins, crowd the boarding door and are a hindrance to the proper order of enplaning passengers. Gate hoarding is a serious faux pas and thoughtful, experienced travelers often hold these passengers in contempt.
(Also called the “Second-in-Command or colloquially, the “Copilot”)
Is a fully qualified pilot that occupies the right seat in an aircraft and shares in the duties and operation of flying. They are fully qualified so avoid asking when they will become a “real pilot”.
Although both pilots perform similar duties, the Captain is the final authority as to how the aircraft will be flown, such as in an emergency or a situation where the two pilots disagree. As a result of holding “command authority”, the Captain will ultimately be responsible for the attendant ignominious shame or Sully Sullenberger-esque glory after an aircraft accident or incident.
Is a delay time that where the crew can expect an update on the delay program from Air Traffic Control (ATC). Once reached, there will either be an extension of the EFC or the aircraft will be released for departure.
Usually, this terminology is heard from the flight deck crew and describes an area of thunderstorms. Thunderstorms are given a wide berth and are not to be trifled with.
An aircraft position of approximately 10-20 minutes from landing at the destination airport and at an altitude of approximately 18,000 feet.
“Timing Out” is the result of crews reaching the FAA's maximum permissible duty time for the day. Reaching maximum times are the result of unforeseen circumstances, such as inclement weather delays. The Federal Aviation Administration sets the maximum and takes violations very seriously. Consequently, airline crews are very careful to adhere to these limits, knowing that their career, license, and livelihood are on the line if non-compliance is discovered.
A consequence of delays the day prior, where the crew flew well beyond the planned schedule and needs a minimum quantity of rest before duty.
Is a paved aircraft parking area on the airport surface, not directly controlled by Air Traffic Control (ATC).
Passengers that have not been assigned a seat and will not be assigned a seat until all passengers with a confirmed assigned seat on the flight have boarded.
A passenger that is traveling on airline passes that are provided to airline employees as well as their friends and family. These tickets are on a “space available” or “standby” basis, meaning that there must be an empty seat. A Non-Rev has a lower seating priority than a paying passenger.
An airline that had established routes before route liberalization as a result of the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978. In other words, legacy airlines have a long-standing pedigree. Legacy airlines often have separate classes of service and larger route structures. Examples include Delta Air Lines and Alaska Airlines.
IROP simply means that the airline schedules did not go according to the plan, which is typically a result of weather and subsequent delays or cancellations. Irregular operations result in cancellations and crew rescheduling to perform different flights than planned.
A flight without passengers for the purpose of flying a broken but airworthy plane to a maintenance base.
A flight without passengers to move an aircraft into position for scheduled service.
A carrier that came into being after the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978. These carriers often have lower levels of service than the Legacy carriers. Examples include Southwest Airlines and Allegiant Airlines.
An agreement between two airlines that cover gaps in route structure. For example, buying a codeshare ticket on United from San Francisco to Dubai may require a plane change in JFK, where the passenger would deplane a United aircraft to fly an Emirates aircraft to Dubai since United does not service Dubai. This is a codeshare, albeit a make-believe one.
The unit measure of distance used in aircraft navigation that is 1.15 times greater than the statute mile.
Altitudes of 18,000 feet and above are referred to as Flight Levels or FL for short. For example, for 18,000 feet a pilot may refer to that altitude as “Flight Level One-Eight-Zero”.
Luggage that is checked at the gate, due to the overhead bins filling up. It may either be checked to the next gate or checked to baggage claim at the final destination, depending upon the airline and airplane.
An airline that, at least at its inception, was utilized to fly passengers from smaller, less traveled airports to the major hubs for major airlines. Regional airlines are exclusively lower-cost contractors who fly for the mainline carriers and have mainline liveries on their aircraft. Examples include Republic Airlines, Piedmont, American Eagle, and ExpressJet.
Is the air carrier that provides a higher level of service on bigger aircraft to further destinations. For example, Delta Airlines and American Airlines.
A phase of flight approximately 5 nautical miles from the runway end where the aircraft is aligned with the runway for the purpose of landing.
Permission to perform some action by ATC. An example would be a landing clearance, which is the ATC means of telling the inbound aircraft it is permissible and safe to land on a particular runway.
Refers to place or time allotted to the crew at the hotel after their duty day is complete. Often called a “layover” or “RON”.
Refers to the airport where an airplane is going to rest for the night. It can also refer to the crew overnight or layover.
Sometimes also called the “Hard Stand”, it is a slab of pavement where aircraft can be parked, but it is not considered a designated parking spot. It is a location where aircraft may go to wait for their assigned parking gate, which may be occupied. If an aircraft has a maintenance issue, it may be parked at remote parking so that a gate area may be freed for the next arriving/departing aircraft.
Preplanned routes in busy airspace that allow for the orderly flow of traffic into a country's busiest airports. Delays occur if one of these corridors gets closed, as they often do when a thunderstorm develops over them.
Occurs when a passenger is removed from an assigned seat and placed on a later flight. This occurs when the airline manages to sell more tickets than there are seats on the airplane.
A condition in which the airline has managed to sell more tickets than the capacity of the airplane.
It is fairly common that when a Captain makes an announcement, she/he assumes a minimum level of knowledge about airline operations. Because of this, it is easy to get bogged down with the jargon, which can lead to increased anxiety in the excitable passenger. Knowledge of the above terminology will go a long way in aiding to understand airlines and their operations, as well as maintaining a stoic understanding of the contretemps of delays and irregular operations.
Tailwinds!
Statistically, turbulence resulting in injury is a rare occurrence. In 2013, the FAA reported that there were 11 passenger injuries and 13 crew injuries from turbulence. With U.S. carriers servicing approximately 50 to 70 million passengers per month, the chances of turbulence causing injury are on par with snagging that 600 million dollar lottery ticket. This fact alone should be enough to assuage the nervous flier’s turbulence anxiety. If not, read on.
Turbulence is caused by sudden changes in wind speed and/or changes in wind direction. Changes in direction could be in the vertical, lateral, or a combination thereof. Since aircraft move within air-masses, sudden changes in wind speed or direction impart an influence on aircraft motion in the axes of flight (Pitch, Roll, and Yaw). This perturbation of the aircraft is dependent upon the wind velocity and rate of change (wind gradient).
Known in pilot parlance as “Wake Turbulence”, this type is a result of the wing design of modern aircraft. If not given a wide enough berth, it can cause controllability problems for aircraft, mostly on the takeoff and landing phases where airplanes are closer together. Wake turbulence, if visible to the naked eye, would appear as tornadic vortices emanating from aircraft wingtips. The FAA has done much research into wake turbulence.
Click here to see a demonstration.
This type of turbulence is caused by horizontal winds that come into contact with jutting ground features such as trees, buildings, and mountains. When the localized wind strikes surrounding impediments, it causes small, irregular, tumbling vortices called eddies. These eddies result in the sudden changes in wind speed and direction that perturb aircraft trajectory.
As an air mass is heated by insolation, (A fancy word to describe the solar radiation) air at the surface heats and rises. These rising pockets of air can cause sudden changes in aircraft position, which is felt through the sensation of turbulence.
Shear turbulence is a result of adjacent air masses with differing winds over a horizontal or vertical distance. To remember this type of turbulence, think of garden shears. There are two different surfaces that meet when the garden shears are in motion. In shear turbulence where two air masses meet, there will be intermixing of the two, and eddy currents will form. The eddies will cause erratic changes in aircraft motion that will be perceptible from within the aircraft. This type of turbulence is common with frontal weather, jet-stream boundaries, and thunderstorms.
Turbulence can be very difficult to forecast and thus predict in aircraft operations, especially when it is turbulence of the clear air variety. Clear Air Turbulence (CAT) is turbulence that has no visible evidence of its existence. Because of the fickle nature of the atmosphere, the pilots can be as surprised as the passengers with a close encounter of severe turbulence. For this reason, heed crew member admonitions to keep your seat belts fastened when seated.
Fortunately, pilots are able to easily predict turbulence when particular weather conditions are present. Extant are certain cloud developments, such as cumulonimbus (thunderstorms) and building cumulus clouds, which indicate a very high likelihood of uncomfortable & dangerous turbulence. Pilots avoid these clouds judiciously and with zeal. As a final note and an aside, take a look at the Flight Crew. Do they look nervous? If not, then there is a very high likelihood that the aircraft will return to terra firma in the same condition that it left in.
Learning to fly heavier-than-air powered craft is undoubtedly a prodigiously rewarding life experience. It affords a sense of absolute freedom, control in three dimensions, and the stunning cockpit vistas are otherworldly. There’s no other feeling quite like owning mastery over a complex machine, flying through the ever-changing panoply of weather and airspace, and setting the main landing gear down effortlessly at the destination airport. What’s more is the act of sharing the flying experience with others can be a source of great satisfaction.
Common questions surrounding the expansive subject typically concern certification requirements, flight schools, costs, and length of training. It’s easy to get lost in minutiae when discussing flight training due to its expansive nature. This editorial is intended to introduce some of the very basics to those who have not given training much thought.
An introductory flight is a short flight with an instructor pilot, whereby prospective students can experience aircraft operations and ask questions about training. These flights consist of about ½ hour to 1 hour of flight time with an instructor in an airplane and, depending on your level of comfort, may be hands-on.
Many instructor pilots allow prospective students to manipulate the controls during the introductory flight, sans the complex operations of takeoff and landing. Fortunately, most aircraft have two separate sets of controls and the instructor is able to manipulate them, if necessary to correct minor errors in flight path. Have no fear! Instructors are highly trained professionals and will not allow an error to be made that would either cause a scare or put the aircraft in jeopardy.
In large metropolitan areas like Chicago or Philadelphia, it is commonplace for one or more flight schools to run promotions on the likes of Groupon or Travelzoo. If unfamiliar with either, both websites provide access to an array of deals for local products & services all over the country. Expect to spend anywhere from about $50-$250 on the introductory flight, with the rate mostly dependent on aircraft type and flight school location. As a caveat, many flight schools put an expiry date on the use of these coupons, so be mindful of the date if you decide to purchase from either website.
There are flight schools interspersed all over the United States. It is highly likely that almost everyone in the contiguous United States lives within an hour of an airport that contains a flight school. In large metropolitan areas, there is a high likelihood that a smorgasbord of flight schools exists to choose from. Unfortunately, flight training is sparse or cost-limited outside of the United States. This is the result of expensive insurance and fuel. Moreover, user fees are collected on each landing or use of navigational facilities. In fact, many trainee pilots travel to the United States to earn certifications. For example, Lufthansa Airlines sends their pilot cadets to Arizona for ab initio training.
There are medical requirements for certification, which widely vary depending on the certificate pursued. Before receiving the Private Pilot certification, at least a FAA 3rd Class Medical is required. It is important to note that the Sport Pilot and Recreational Pilot can “self-certify” medical airworthiness. Self-certify means that, if the pilot has a valid driver's license, no medical exam is needed and the pilot makes the determination if medically fit to fly. This is not recommended. There exists a litany of latent adverse medical conditions that could affect flight safety.
The 3rd Class Medical is much like a standard physical examination covering, in part, health history, blood pressure, urinalysis, hearing, and vision. Although not required, it is highly advisable to get a medical certificate before training. There have been a number of student pilots who insisted on starting training without a medical certificate and, after spending a large sum on flight training, found that there was a medical condition that was disqualifying. Medical Certification is a somewhat complex legal thicket, as is most aspects of aviating. Learn more about FAA Medicals here.
There are 4 certifications that new pilots work towards, but this is by no means an exhaustive list of the obtainable licenses:
This certificate requires no training to obtain. It is a certificate that, when endorsed by an instructor pilot, allows solo flight in aircraft before full certification is obtained. There will be restrictions on student pilot solo operations, which are determined by the Federal Aviation Administration and by the Flight Instructor performing the training.
An individual who is authorized to fly only Light-Sport Aircraft
A certification that allows operation of aircraft of up to 180 horsepower and 4 seats, in daytime and for pleasure only.
Allows the highest level of privilege and flexibility. There are no limits on the number of passengers you can carry, airspace traversed, and horsepower or aircraft class (class means single-engine, multi-engine, landplane, and/or seaplane). To fly more complex aircraft may require a trifle more training. Moreover, the private pilot is trained to a superlative degree compared to the aforementioned certificates. I highly recommend obtaining the PPL (Private Pilot License) over the others.
Flight Instructor matching is extremely important and you want to be sure that a candidate ultimately chosen is a good personality match. It is desirable to find someone who makes you feel safe and comfortable, has excellent communications skills, and who will foster a robust learning environment.
Some common considerations to contemplate when choosing an instructor are:
It may be worth it to fly the first few lessons with different instructors to discover the style of teaching most comfortable. This may cost extra, but it beats flying with an incompatible instructor and having to switch mid-training, which will end up costing more.
The flight-training environment can be stressful and it necessitates the instructor and student is on the same page. I firmly believe that personality matching is an important aspect of success and worth the time to mull over before the initiation of training.
For more detailed information on pilot medicals and certification see the following links:
The Federal Aviation Administration has developed many training tools since its inception. Downloadable free copies of FAA pilot training books are provided in PDF format on FAA.gov. Below are links to some of the books that are needed to learn to fly (If the link gets broken, search the hyperlinked term in your browser to find the PDF):
Aviating is an elite and exclusive club, with pilots comprising approximately 0.0021% of the population of the United States. Pilot training is a worthwhile journey and a watershed event that will challenge both intellectually and spiritually. Although the training can be an end in itself, the fruits of training will afford a lifelong journey of discovery and new means by which to explore the world.
Blue Skies and Tailwinds
