Travel and Technology

A couple months ago, I was on an anti-technology kick, pushing for people to take relaxing vacations where they left all forms of electronic communication behind. While that is still a great idea, and I encourage at least one trip like that a year, I cannot deny the facts: travel and technology--in this day and age--are practically synonymous. If the numerous travel websites like Expedia, Travelocity, Hotwire and Kayak are not evidence enough, check out all the latest travel apps that are available for smart phones. Technology is making travel easier, less stressful and more accessible, and people are loving every micro-second of it.

While technology can be a distraction on vacations, it can certainly help people get there and get around. I'm not sure where any of us would be without the trusty aid of GPS--what street are we on again?--or quick access to airline reservations--can we switch our flight to tomorrow? But there are so many more websites and apps launching nowadays that it's difficult to know everything that's out there.

On my long commute to work this morning, I was reading the feature story in the RedEye, which talked about all the ways that smart phones can ease the stress of travel. There are a number of different applications you can download related to the many facets of travel, some I had heard of, and others were completely foreign to me. As an avid traveler and someone who looks for anyway to simplify vacations, I felt a lot of these would be extremely convenient to have on a trip. I already have the app for Yelp.com downloaded on my phone, which is extremely helpful when hunger strikes as you are wandering around an unfamiliar city. All you have to do is open the app, select what you want to find (cheap eats, hot dogs, fancy restaurant) and your current location and results instantly pop up, showing hundreds of options located just a few feet away. Google Goggles is a useful app when traveling in a country you are very unfamiliar with. The program can translate a menu into English or can tell you the history of a monument in a flash, all you have to do is snap a picture of the item and the app does the rest. The Currency app is convenient when you are unsure about conversion rates--how much would this Fendi purse cost me in dollars? The app displays the current currency rates and even updates automatically with fresh information, since currency exchange can switch on a daily and hourly basis. Similar to Yelp, Happy Hour is an app that can show you all the great drink deals in the area you are visiting; so if it's five o'clock and you're out and about, this app can show you where to find a cheap watering hole close by.

As far as websites go, there is something out there for every possible travel need from tracking flights and navigating airports to managing travel itineraries and selecting optimal seating on planes.That's right, there is a website completely dedicated to finding the best seat on an aircraft. SeatGuru.com shows the layout for over 100 airlines and their featured planes, color-coding the best and worst places to sit. Reviewers back up these claims with comments about whether the seat is located near the bathrooms or if there is a cup holder. (Yeah, it's that specific.) You can also use the site to check for in-flight amenities. The only problem is that you cannot actually reserve your desired seat through the website, but at least you will know which one to select when choosing seat assignments online.

Some other interesting websites that caught my attention: TripIt.com, a website that inputs all your travel information into an online itinerary and sends you check-in reminders and even alerts you to flight delays and gate changes (you can also add restaurants and activities to the itinerary, but this needs to be done manually); Zicasso.com, a simple way to get travel ideas from a number of different sources all at once, all it takes is filling out a short questionnaire about the trip you want to take and voila, price quotes and suggested itineraries are at your fingertips within a couple days (and you don't have to commit to any of the travel companies that submitted suggestions); Livemocha.com is a site that helps you learn, or freshen up on, a language through flash cards, videos and live conversations with native speakers (but make sure you have a webcam, headphones and a microphone so you can fully learn any of the 35 languages featured).

Just as there is an unlimited amount of places to see in the world, there seems to be an endless array of technical options to get you there. So take advantage of these conveniences, utilize their benefits and make booking your next trip simple and worry-free. But be sure to toss that phone or computer aside momentarily and take in the wonderful environment that surrounds you.

Deal of the Week

Time again for the deal of the week. This was a tough decision, because there were at least four deals I thought were pretty good. But, alas, I had to narrow it down.

And the winner is.....

6 NIGHT EGYPT VACATION WITH NILE CRUISE AND FLIGHTS FOR $1299!!!

Who wouldn't want to see the Pyramids of Egypt or sail along the Nile River? This package gives you that option for a decent price. While the title says 6 nights, it's actually an 8 day package, but that includes flying over from the U.S. But for this price, I'd say it's worth it.

The deal from Gate 1 Travel includes roundtrip airfare to Cairo from New York--options for other departure cities can be inquired about through the website or over the phone,--intra-Egypt flights, 6 nights first class accomodations (2 nights at the Oasis Hotel in Cairo, 3 nights MS Queen of Hansa Nile cruise, 1 night Iberotel Cairo Hotel & Casino), all transfers, 12 meals (6 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 3 dinners--all meals on the cruise), sightseeing, and an English speaking Egyptologist tour guide throughout the trip.

The only downfall of this trip is its limited travel days, April 13, 20 & 27 and May 4 & 11, but luckily prices on surrounding dates are only a couple hundred dollars more. To book this deal, you can either call 800-682-3333 and ask for this package using the promo code TZEG150, or you can go online to their website and use the same code when prompted. But hurry! You have to book by Febuary 3!


The Runner-Up this week...

NEW ZEALAND 'SUMMER' FARES, WITH TAHITI GETAWAY $1253

Let's face it, flights to Australia and New Zealand are pretty pricey. So when a deal like this comes up, it's almost too good to pass up. Bonus? Three free nights at a Tahitian hotel! Sold!

Thanks to Air Tahiti Nui, you can visit New Zealand in the summer--their summer--and get a free stop-over in Tahiti and have a choice between the 4-star Hilton Tahiti, Sofitel Tahiti or Radisson Tahiti for accomodations. You can stop in Tahiti on either leg of your journey, heading there or going back. Travel dates are any time through May, but you have to book by February 1.

One negative--no accomodations provided in New Zealand. But who cares? You're in New Zealand!!!!




P.S. For anyone who is curious, the other two contenders in this competition were a Mediterranean Cruise and a week in St. Maarten. Check them out!

Being Spontaneous

If there is one thing I love in this world, it's an impromptu trip. Especially one home to Denver.

Let me rewind for a second. Every year my parents throw an amazing company Christmas party that their employees chat about for months to come. I am usually in attendance at this party, but this year, sadly, I wanted to get some more hours in at work to help pay off some high credit card bills--I have a shopping problem, I have acknowledged and accepted it. As a result, my travel plans home for the holidays had me missing out on the infamous festivities. However, things were in my favor this year.

My boyfriend is taking grad school classes online because his company will pay for it and he wants to get his Masters taken care of sooner rather than later. But because he took on two classes, he has had a lot of work to do, and his stress level is beyond a normal, healthy state. With the knowledge that his finals are next week, being around the apartment can be a large distraction for him, and I have nothing to do whatsoever, he decided he would pack up his things and head home to Crystal Lake for the weekend in the hopes of getting some real hard core studying done. When my mom heard this, she made a snap decision: Home was not the answer, he needed the apartment to himself. So she jumped online, found some great prices for flights, and booked me a ticket home to Denver. This way, not only would I be gone and out of his way, but I would also get to join in on the Christmas party tomorrow night.

When she called me last night in sheer delight of this plan, I was a little apprehensive. Did it really make sense to go home for a couple days, come back to Chicago to work for a few days, and then head straight back to Denver? Did I even have the time to do it? Would it be too stressful of a trip because it was so quick? After I had a moment to think about it, I realized I was the only one creating the stress in this situation. I have no commitments right now to hold me back, and I should take advantage of that while I still can--before classes start again and a full-time job becomes my life. Plus, as my boyfriend so astutely pointed out, I rarely get to see my parents--maybe two or three times a year, if I'm lucky. This year I have been lucky enough to see them more, and this was just one more opportunity. And I don't want to sound presumptuous, but these company Christmas parties are the best. It seemed too good to pass up. After rearranging some plans, I called my mom back and told her I was coming. She was elated.

I am aware of the fact that most people do not have this kind of time to just book a spontaneous trip somewhere for the weekend. But if by some chance you can find an extra day or two and a decent price on a flight--trust me there are many--then it may be worth a spur-of-the-moment vacation. Even if it's just up to a cabin a couple hours away, or into a city the next state over. Or maybe splurge for something bigger, a quick trip to Florida, California, the Bahamas. It can be anything you want it to be, and with all the obligations we have nowadays, wouldn't it be nice to just throw that schedule away for a few days and fly by the seat of your pants?

South Africa is Booked!!!

For those of you who have been paying attention to my blog, I mentioned a couple weeks ago how expensive flights to South Africa are and the difficulty we have had in booking them.

Well, no need to worry further...our flights are completely booked!!

Thanks to my parents insane determination--and many, many frequent flier miles--we successfully found flights. Admittedly, it is going to be a long trip, but it's a sacrifice we are willing to make. First, my boyfriend and I fly from Chicago to Newark and meet my parents there, then we all fly over the pond together to Lisbon. We have to stay a night in Lisbon, but I've never been to Portugal, so that makes it all the more exciting. Then we fly from Lisbon, have a stop over in Mosambique, and then arrive in Johannesburg. The final leg is Johannesburg to Durbin. Yeah, it's gonna take us about three days to travel there, but that's half the fun, right?

Needless to say, I am very excited for this trip. The flights are set, the hotel is booked. Now all we have to do is wait. Wait for the matches to be decided--so we know who we'll be watching during the tournament. And wait for that glorious June day when we board the plane for our African journey.

Last Minute Travel on Halloween...

...make sure you read the fine print.

When I heard from Travelzoo that JetBlue was offering all nonstop U.S. routes on Halloween for $31 each way, I thought it was too good to be true. So I clicked the link to see what the deal was.

Turns out, there are a couple technicalities:
1. You have to book the flight TODAY! That's right, the deal only lasts until 11:59 p.m. tonight, Oct. 20.How can anyone in one day figure out where they want to go--on Halloween of all days--and get it booked in time?
2. The price is only valid on flights that depart after noon on Oct. 31--so if you wanted to leave in the morning so you could get to your destination earlier and have more time to spend there, it's not an option.
3. It claims that the cost is $31 each way, but according to the website, the price is applied to a one-way ticket. How are you suppose to get back? And since the price only applies to the day of Halloween and ends at 11:59 p.m. on the 31st, you have to pay for a full price ticket for the return flight--unless you want to fly there and back in one day, but who wants to do that?

Personally, I'd rather save myself the money and the hassle and just stay home for Halloween. I appreciate a good travel deal as much as the next person, but this doesn't sound like much of one to me.

Struggling with Airfares

I know that right now is a great time to travel. Hotel deals galore, cheap flights, and easier ways for people to redeem miles. But my family and I are still battling with finding reasonable flights for the world cup next summer.

"But it's 8 months away!" You might be thinking.

Well, unfortunately because it is such a big event and the destination can take two days to reach, we need to jump on flights right now. But every time we search on any combination of options--Chicago to London to Johannesburg, or New York to Paris to Johannesburg--we are looking at prices far exceeding $2000. That is just way outside our price range, especially me and my boyfriend who are struggling graduate students.

But it isn't just the expensive airfare that poses an issue. Once we get to Johannesburg, we then have to find a way to Durbin, the city where we have tickets for games. The easiest option is to fly because it gives us more time to get there before the first match, but that's more money--as you can imagine. The train takes the whole night and we would arrive just before the game and a day later than our hotel check-in date, and the bus takes even longer.

I am tempted at this point to reach out to anyone in the travel business who may be able to find us a good deal. If we can't find one soon, we may have to bite the bullet and book the expensive flights.

I'm gonna need to start saving.