Should you drive? Or should you fly?

First of all, everything is more expensive. Gas is approaching the $4-a-gallon threshold, and airlines have issued a half-dozen fare increases this year. But you should also consider some other factors in your decision of choosing one transportation method over another.

• Your distance. How far are you traveling? Where are the airports compared to your origin and destination? I once lived about three hours from the nearest airport. Needless to say, I drove almost everywhere I went, unless it was out of state. Also, would your routing take you out of the way one way or another? Flying from Miami to New Orleans is more direct than having to drive (because you cut across the Gulf of Mexico), but flying from El Paso to Oklahoma City may require you to transfer in Houston, further extending your trip.
• Your time. A good rule of thumb is that for trips of less than 300 miles – or maybe even 400 miles – flying is, overall, no faster than driving. When you leave on a road trip, you pack up your car and go. When you fly, you have to pack carefully (for example, no liquids in carry-ons), travel to the airport, stand in lines, go through security, wait to board, risk weather or mechanical delays, risk lost luggage, wait to de-board, and stand in line for transportation to lodging. But, you don’t want to waste two days of your five-day vacation traveling if you really want to maximize your time in Disneyland, no matter the cost.
• Your party size. How many people will travel with you? Are kids involved? Generally, when more than two are traveling together, it becomes cheaper to drive because you gain efficiencies on the transportation. It does not cost a lot more to squeeze one extra person in the car, compared to having to pay for extra tickets. Also, kids become an added hassle to have to manage at an airport, and there’s no pulling over in the middle of a flight to teach the kids a lesson – “If you two don’t stop fighting, I’ll pull this car over!.”
• Your baggage. It’s not just about buying a ticket from Point A to Point B. Almost every airline charges for checked baggage, and there are limitations to what you can bring with your carry-on luggage. Factor that into your cost. And, even if you don’t mind checking in your gear, there’s the risk that your baggage may not make it to Point B when you need it to.
• How long will you be away? The longer you are away, the more likely you would need to take more stuff with you. For example, before laptops and internet cafes were popular, I had to drag a desktop with me when I went on a work-related one-month trip. I decided that I’d drive, and I took a lot more clothes and personal amenities than I would have if I had flown.
• Will you need a car? You may be able to live with cabs and public transit for a few days, but would not having a car be a major inconvenience? Depends on where you’re going, and whether your stay involves a major holiday or a weekend, where public transportation is often not as frequent or reliable. If you’re going to rent a car at your destination anyway, would driving from home (consider time, party size, cost, location of airports) be better?
• The experience. They say that “getting there” is half the fun. Maybe. Driving may take you through a more scenic route, provide more flexibility for you, and allow you to tack on additional purposes like an errand or a stopover at an en route attraction. But are you traveling with people you want to be locked in a car with? How relaxing would it be if you were stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic on your way from Washington, D.C., to New York City? This is a “cost” that only you could assess, and depending on the time you had at your vacation spot, the experience could change between getting there and getting back.
• The environment. Yes, because Earth Day is coming up, and because people are more environmentally conscious these days, I thought we’d assess your trip’s cost to Mother Nature. While this may not cost you in terms of money, some may take environmental impact into consideration when they make this decision. But measuring this is not simple, due to number of variables that include number of travelers and size of car or airplane, because some are more efficient than others. According to the EcoPassenger website, a Paris-to-Frankfurt flight will emit 92.7 kilograms of carbon dioxide, the leading greenhouse gas, per passenger. The same trip by train will cost 16.4 kilograms, and a medium-size car carrying one person will cause 110 kilograms. The same trip for five people are 84.4, 16.4, and 22 kilograms of carbon dioxide per person. However, determining environmental cost with different modes of transportation is tricky, since we never really compare apples to apples, and you have to consider that regardless of whether a plane is full or half-full, it will make that flight.

Well, we all have our priorities. The bottom line is that it’s not just about the dollar bottom line. What else do you think about in deciding whether to fly or drive?

- Helpful Traveler Tony

That’s STEP, as in Smart Traveler Enrollment Program.

The free program allows U.S. citizens to register their foreign stay with the nearest embassy or consulate through a central website. By providing your contact information through this registration service, you provide vital information for the State Department to use to contact you in case of an emergency. You could also sign up to receive updates about travel alerts and warnings, and other information for a particular country.

You get this assurance at no additional cost, courtesy of Uncle Sam, and it is part of your benefit as a U.S. citizen.

Why would the State Department need to contact you?  For example, in case of natural disaster, political unrest or something similar, your information could be used by the government or your family members to help locate and provide you with crucial information. This may seem far-fetched if you’re planning a trip to a relatively stable country, but look at Japan after the recent earthquake.  

Registration is very simple after you initially sign up for an account. You can provide as much or as little information as you want, and you can also register other travelers in your group at the same time. The kinds of information you should provide include passport number, dates of travel, contact information during your trip and how you want your trip information protected. You will receive confirmation e-mails to ensure you entered the correct information.

So go to travelregistration.state.gov and get your account set up and ready for your next trip abroad.

Happy Travels!

- Helpful Traveler Tony

Related Posts:

• State’s Website: A Must-Use for Foreign Travelers (Part 1) – Travel Alerts and Travel Warnings
• Tips for Foreign Travel

In the past month, we’ve heard about revolutions (as in Egypt and Libya) and natural disasters (New Zealand and Japan) and the Cricket World Cup (affecting India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka) that could potentially be disruptive to travelers.  Some of these stories were accompanied by mentions of travel advisories or warnings. What does that mean to travelers who are in or are traveling to those countries?

When Ray Flynt, President and CEO of Travelers Aid International, wrote the inaugural post for this blog, he introduced one of the most important resources for Americans planning to travel abroad. (For our international fans, the site still hosts plenty of information that would be useful for you.) In light of the recent world events, I thought we should highlight a few specific resources from the agency that runs our overseas citizens support and our embassies and consulates around the world.

The State Department issues two kinds of advisories, which are always posted on their website and are sometimes disseminated by the media:

• Travel Alerts: Natural disasters, terrorist attacks, political demonstrations or violence, anniversaries of terrorist events, and high-profile events such as international conferences or regional sports events are examples of short-term conditions that might generate a Travel Alert. There are about a half-dozen countries, as well as the South Pacific tropical typhoon prone zone, listed.
• Travel Warnings: These are issued when long-term, protracted conditions make a country dangerous or unstable, or when the U.S. government’s ability to assist American citizens is constrained due to the closure of an embassy or consulate or because of a drawdown of its staff.  There are more than 30 countries listed for a range of reasons.

An army of analysts and foreign affairs specialists from a number of government agencies provide information to the State Department to assess conditions around the world, and these advisories are issued promptly and updated routinely. I’d call these resources a must-read before you leave the country. You never know what happened between the time you last paid attention to the news and when you leave for the airport.

But while these warnings and alerts are issued for potentially dangerous situations, they are not necessarily denials for travel or activity in the country. Airlines and travel agencies are not required to adjust their policies on refunds or reschedules, and this could sometimes become extremely unfortunate for travelers who have planned their exotic once-in-a-lifetime adventure or have invested a lot of money into the trip. If you happen to already be in a country affected, in most cases, departures will also be at your own expense.

It’s more of a “travel-at-your-own-risk” advisory. People are still traveling to Israel, which has been under a travel warning since last summer (and before) for security reasons, and many brush aside the travel alert in Australia for their summer typhoon season and vacation Down Under. But these advisories have a lot of information for travelers, which allow those going to the countries to pack appropriately and to research and develop contingency plans, should they decide to travel.

So, before you head out of the U.S., check the State Department travel alert and travel warning pages to see if your country (destination and en route stops) is listed. If it is, read the advisory carefully and do your own risk analysis on whether it would be appropriate to adjust your travel plans. Call your airline or travel agent to ask about refund or reschedule options.

Have you altered your plans because of a State Department advisory?  We’d love to hear from you — leave your story via the “comments” link below.

- Helpful Traveler Tony

But at some airports, you may have to look a bit harder to find that elusive representative. 

That’s because the check-in representative at many airlines also service other posts at the airport. The same person who checked you in and gave you a boarding pass may also work at the baggage claim office or be the person boarding you at the gate. At airports where the airline has a minimal presence, or during the end of the day, you may not be able to find the representative at the front counter.

Since you’re already at the airport, don’t waste the trip. Here are three ways to locate help:

• Go to baggage claim. When there are no more flights leaving the airport, the airline may close its check-in counter but still staff representatives at its baggage claim to coordinate incoming flights or meet customer service obligations. They may not be able to handle all transactions, but this would be my suggested first step in your quest to find an airline rep.
• Find the information desk. The airport information desk may have information on the airline’s hours of operations and phone numbers on how to reach the local office. The information desk could also help you reach an airline employee by phone or through the paging system.
• Check with a partner airline. This is not the best option because some transactions must be handled by the specific airline, but you may be able to gain advice from a partner airline if that desk is open, so if the first two options are not available, before you leave the airport empty-handed, see if a representative from a partner airline could help you.

If going to the airport is not very easy for you, I recommend that you use the airline’s telephone hotline or website to find out their hours of operations at the airport before heading there.

- Helpful Traveler Tony

While travelers on select airlines can now use their smartphones as a boarding pass, most air travelers are still using paper boarding passes to go through the airport security checkpoint and gain access to the airplane. And with the online check-in function available on almost every airline, many choose to confirm their seat assignments and check in from the comfort of their home computer up to two days before the flight.

Photo Courtesy of Delta Airlines.

But while checking in 48 hours before your scheduled departure can net you a choice seat assignment or boarding group, a lot can change between when you check in and when you depart. Before you go through security on travel day, I highly recommend you reconfirm your gate assignment, especially if you’re transiting a large airport. That’s because schedule changes and delays could impact where an aircraft parks on an inbound flight, and this could mean that you have to go to a different terminal or security area.

Also, some boarding passes — if printed too early — will not include a gate number.  Don’t worry, you could get this information at the airport without standing in lines.

Has this happened to you? Let us know by leaving a comment below!

- Helpful Traveler Tony

First – and foremost – I highly recommend that you sign up for flight alerts for your specific flights. (I wrote about the benefits of this recently.) You could also brush off your meteorologist instincts by keeping an eye on delay risk and weather conditions at the airports you’re flying from, connecting through or landing at, and assess how Mother Nature will impact your travel plans.

But, even if you’re not flying into or out of an affected airport, there’s still a chance the airplane that’s supposed to get you is affected at one of those airports. (If New York City is impacted, chances are your flight is impacted also, as the FAA said that 75% of the delays in the country are directly attributed to situations that affect the New York area.)

If you’re affected, consider rebooking your flight. Generally, this is first come, first serve, so if changing your flight plan by shifting travel dates or route of flight is feasible for you, you would want to be one of the first to call in. Many airlines have announced a relaxing of fees and penalties for cancellations and changes. If you can delay your trip, you may want to get a confirmed seat on a future flight than risk being on standby for the next flight before your original flight was canceled. Or, it’s possible that you can change your connection through Denver instead of Chicago, bypassing the weather threat. Some airlines will allow you to cancel your whole trip and get a full refund or airline credit. Remember to take into consideration your rental car, hotel and itinerary plans to ensure you won’t be penalized by the change.

Be patient. The lines at the airport will be long, and people will start showing signs of stress (and anger) as reality of a missed trip and additional costs start to sink in to them. During the post-Christmas blizzard that affected New England, New York and Philadelphia, the volume of calls crashed phone systems at some airlines, resulting in unpleasant wait times and frustrated travelers who were stuck in limbo because they couldn’t narrow down their travel choices. If you’re already at the airport, experts recommend trying to reach a person on the phone while you’re simultaneously in line to speak with an airport representative in person. See which method gets you to a resolution first.

What has your experience been with weather cancellations and travel plan modifications?

- Helpful Traveler Tony

I was lucky.

We all know that tis the season for winter weather cancellations. If you paid attention to the news, you probably heard about the pair of blizzards – one in the New York/New England area and another in the Atlantic Southeast – that affected travel for more than 100,000 passengers over a three-day period last week. And a record-topping Boxing Day blizzard that shut down New York and Philadelphia cost the airline industry up to $150 million, according to industry analysts, and delayed for days post-holiday travel for tens of thousands of weary travelers.

With a couple months of winter left, storms will likely impact travelers in a large-scale way before we see Spring. You do not have to be traveling from or to one of the cities affected by weather to risk being impacted. So what’s the best insurance to protect you from being stuck at the airport? Information.

Many airlines offer flight status notification to your e-mail accounts or mobile phones at no charge (other than what the phone company charges for text messages). Regardless of what inside information you have, such as a meteorologist friend, a contact from air traffic control, or a premium-service travel agent, it is the airline that will offer the best information about the status of your flight.

Sure, other sources such as local media or a flight tracking website can give you some expectations of flight delays, but that’s only a macro look. You don’t know if the airplane that’s picking you up in Dallas and taking you to Los Angeles originated in New York and was delayed there, or if your commuter flight from Atlanta to Augusta was one of the flights the airline chose to cancel because of airplane availability.

So, sign up for automated flight status notification when you buy your ticket or when you do your online check-in (normally, you have to sign in to your account on the airline’s website to see that option). Also, enroll in the service for the person picking you up.

If your airline does not offer this feature, you may still get real-time flight status on the airline’s website. You would want to have the flight number available to ensure you are getting information about the correct flight.

Getting information about delays and cancelations before you leave for the airport may save you and your travel companions the adventure of camping out at the departures lounge, but it’s important to know if you’ve been rebooked on another flight, or if you’re still expected to show up at the ticket counter. When in doubt, get to the airport.

The recent travel disruptions stressed airline call centers tremendously, and many passengers looking to rebook instead found themselves unable to even reach a reservations agent.  This insult to injury may be frustrating, but if you’re unfortunate to be in the situation, keep trying to reach that live person: The sooner you talk to an airline representative, the sooner you will know if you should bear the delay or scratch the trip altogether. (Many airlines will waive change fees during harsh weather situations.)

Well, we could put the busy travel season behind us now. For me, the Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday represents the end to the winter holidays, and excuses associated with the “holiday slowdown” will no longer fly. A lot of people – including me – can’t wait. We survived, one way or another.

- Helpful Traveler Tony

For example, one person on dialysis wanted to know about the possibility to travel. We were able to point out that there are several national networks of dialysis units, and that working with a social worker at their home unit it is possible to arrange for “guest” dialysis at a different location.

We also heard from a woman who desparately wanted to travel, but needed to find a hotel room that provided a ceiling mounted lift. We successfully found several hotels in Las Vegas that offered that type of lift, and passed the information on.

And we heard of a bad experience a family had when taking their blind son (who was in a wheelchair) into a restaurant. We took an advocacy role and contacted the management.

We know that travel can be a challenge under the best of circumstances, but since we consider this the “useful” travel blog, we’d like you to use the comments section below to share challenges you’ve observed (disability related or not), and then we can provide feedback.

Photo Courtesy of Ben Earwicker, www.garrisonphoto.org.

Although I’m settled in at the location where I expect to spend the winter holidays, some prospective travelers have yet to decide how they want to spend their time. Why not consider a local or short-distance getaway?

It’s probably too late to get a reasonable deal on flights. In addition to airfares being an average two percent higher this year compared to the 2009 winter holiday travel period, based on a Bing Travel prediction, you have also already missed out on advanced-purchase requirements many airlines require to get the lowest costs for tickets. And with fewer seats and more demand, even if you want to pay more for air travel, you may find that there are limited options at this point.

Thankfully, there are more ways to get from Point A to Point B, and these are more suited for the impromptu traveler:

• Take the train: It’s more expensive than sale-priced airfares, but it’s more flexible and cheaper than the full-priced airline tickets, so hopping on a train may be an option. Taking Amtrak makes more sense in the high-travel corridors of New England, the Eastern Seaboard and between Midwest cities, but the train may not be an option for many who do not live within a commutable distance to an Amtrak station, or do not have a lot of time to get to the destination.
• Get on the bus: Check out city-pairs on Greyhound or other bus lines to see if you could avoid personal driving on the roads but still take advantage of a very low cost way to get to your destination. Many companies offer free wireless internet during your travel, so you could show up at your destination with a few episodes of Lie to Me under your belt. You can book last-minute trips between Washington, D.C., and New York City for as low as $20 each way – try beating that with an alternate travel mode. However, beware of itineraries that make you go through several cities, transfer motorcoaches and suffer through long connection times.
• Rent a car: Weekly deals, free upgrades and insurance through your credit card company can help lower the cost of a rental car, and you will have a reasonably reliable vehicle to get you to your destination. Checking prices through websites such as Travelocity will give you instant access to what several companies are charging so you could pick the best deal, but do your research on road conditions, gas stations, rest stops and alternate routes before leaving.
• Drive your own car: This is the best deal if you want to travel with the family or with friends, want to remain flexible on the itinerary and don’t have mileage restrictions such as on a leased vehicle. If you’re going to drive your car, make sure it is prepared for the conditions you’re planning to be in. For example, if you’re driving to places where winter storms are possible, make sure you have the right tires, heat, snow chains and ice scrappers to make your trip safer and more comfortable.

Whatever mode of transportation you decide to use, make sure you know what to expect when you get to your destination. Many places that are open year-round close on Christmas Day or on January 1. It would be a shame if you go all the way to Philadelphia to have an original cheesesteak sandwich, only to find out the restaurant is closed.

Happy Holidays!

- Helpful Traveler Tony

Photo Courtesy of FAA.

But I thought:  You wouldn’t think of driving to the local grocery store without strapping your toddler, nephew or friend’s kid into a car seat, so why not protect the child when you’re at 35,000 feet going 500 miles an hour?

The short answer: It’s not required. That could change in the future, as government officials recently announced they are considering a child-restraint requirement on commerical flights (see article on Fox Business). If the government mandated a “car seat” for airplanes, those family trips will become a lot more expensive.

Depending on individual airline policies, children under two years old may travel without a seat reservation or a paid fare today. The expectation is that the baby will be carried in the arms of an adult during the trip, unless there is an empty seat and the airline allows the parent to use the empty seat for free.

But just holding onto your child does not guarantee safety, and that’s why kids are required to be in car seats on the road. The danger, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, is turbulence, which can be unpredictable and is a top cause for midair injuries. The safest place for a child on an airplane is in an approved child safety device, not on a parent’s lap.

While the FAA prohibits passengers from using booster seats, harness vests or supplemental lap restraints (or “belly belts”) on airplanes, it provides guidelines for what you can use to protect your tiny tot.

The agency that runs the air traffic system and inspects airlines also controls the approval of some, but not all, child restraint systems. These restraints are hard-backed child safety seats used in both motor vehicles and aircraft. The FAA has long been involved with research about how to protect children while flying on airplanes and “strongly urges parents and guardians to secure children in an appropriate restraint based on weight and size,” according to a statement posted on the FAA website.

The agency advises passengers to follow the manufacturer’s instructions when using a restraint and recommends that a child weighing:

• Less than 20 pounds use a rear-facing child restraint system.
• From 20 to 40 pounds use a forward-facing child restraint system.
• More than 40 pounds use an airplane seat belt.

The FAA also provided some suggestions on traveling with child restraint systems:

• Make sure the restraint is government approved and has “certified for aircraft use” on it. Otherwise, you may be asked to check it as luggage.
• Measure the width of the restraint. It should fit in most airplane seats if it the restraint is not wider than 16 inches.
• Ask your airline for a discounted fare. Buying a ticket for your child is the only way to guarantee that you will be able to use a child restraint system.
• Reserve adjoining seats. A child restraint system should be placed in a window seat so it will not block the escape path in an emergency. Do not place a child restraint system in an exit row.
• Ask your airline if they can provide a child restraint system for your child. If so, you may not be permitted to bring your own restraint on board, and may need to check it as baggage.

For more tips, download the FAA’s Childproof Your Flight brochure or visit the agency’s special website on Child Safety. 

The FAA also produced a 3-minute video that shows you how to properly install a child restraint system on an airplane. The short presentation touches on positioning harness straps and seats properly, threading the seat belt and other steps to ensure a child is safely secured.

With all this hassle, should travelers with kids ditch the airplane and just drive? It may be cheaper, but not necessarily statistically safer. According to data from the FAA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the risk to families is significantly greater on the roads than in airplanes. 

So, go online and get smart about child safety on airplanes, plan your trip carefully, get to the airport early, sweet talk the gate attendant to a good seat and priority boarding, secure your precious cargo and fly in peace.

Do you have other tips about flying with young travelers? Let us know by leaving a comment!

- Helpful Traveler Tony