Looks like Apple is in the same boat as Dell – they both use Sony-made batteries. You do not want your laptop to explode, period.
Prepare to send in your batteries.
Be safe.
The concept is relatively straight-forward. Collect ticket price data over time and use it as a predictor for future ticket prices. I’m guessing there are probably more variables used to determine future airfare prices between cities, but the most consistent source of data will come from historical ticket prices.
Honestly, this is probably directed more towards recreational travelers as business travelers have little control over travel requirements, but being respective of travel expenses for either your company or client is always beneficial. If you’re a procrastinator, these tools will at least give you an idea as to how long you can wait before you should pull the trigger and purchase the flight.
There are at least two fare forecasting websites out there:
Check them out and see how it works out for you. I’d love to hear your experiences.
On a somewhat related note, if enough people begin using these tools, wouldn’t it reduce the effectiveness of the tools as people react to the same predictors of price and thereby eliminate any advantage for using such tools?
Something to think about.
I only quote “International” because I just returned from a trip to Canada just across the border, but I think the experience will apply leaving to/from the United States to anywhere in the world.
I had traveled to Montreal last year and there was a very noticeable difference in my travel experience. It was definitely much more time-consuming.
Here’s a few of the lines I had to deal with:
- Check-in line, not for baggage, just actually printing out my ticket (20 minutes)
- Baggage line for getting my baggage tagged (50 minutes)
- Customs line for declaring items (15 minutes)
- Security line for carry-on luggage (10 minutes)
- Boarding line waiting for the plane to being boarding (40 minutes due to delay)
This doesn’t include the time involved in driving to the airport and returning a car rental. Wow - that is a LOT of time spent working through the process of just trying to fly between Canada and the States. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.
If you want to make your life easier when traveling internationally then make sure of the following: * You have your passport (you’ll need your passport number for customs as well) * You’ve filled out your customs declaration form in advance (save your ticket stub so you can fill in the flight information) * Be prepared to explain why you are entering a particular country (I was receiving training for a particular industry-specific application) * Know in advance which terminal you need to go to before you goto the airport – some countries like Canada have a special terminal for all international travel to the United States; If you have a layover in another city within the same country, you’ll need to goto a domestic terminal * Print out your boarding pass in advance * If you can travel without check-in baggage, then do so – check-in baggage is a huge headache these days * And most importantly, if you aren’t sure about something, then ask about it before you go waiting in a line
It’s all about getting home safely and on time.
The title says it all. If you’re interested in transferring points between various travel programs, look no further.
If you haven’t heard already, there are several Dell laptop batteries that have been recalled due to the danger of spontaneous combustion. Here are a few mug shots:
If you want to know more about why your batteries may be susceptible to exploding then check it out here.
Straight from the horse’s mouth:
Potentially affected batteries were sold with the following models of Dell notebook computers or separately as secondary batteries:
- Latitude: D410, D500, D505, D510, D520, D600, D610, D620, D800, D810
- Inspiron: 500M, 510M, 600M, 700M, 710M, 6000, 6400, 8500, 8600, 9100, 9200, 9300, 9400, E1505, E1705
- Precision: M20, M60, M70, M90
- XPS: XPS, XPS Gen2, XPS M170, XPS M1710
If you have one of these – it’s time to swap. Check out the Dell Website for more details.
Be safe.
A co-worker recently pointed out a good option for redeeming your Diners Club points. It’s called the Tailored Travel Program and it offers a good exchange rate as well as cash in hand as opposed to certificates.
The premise of the program is that you use points to pay for any travel at the exchange of 80 points to a dollar. This includes anything related to travel such as hotel stays and car rentals. Diners Club leaves it up to you to determine what are travel expenses and what are not.
There is small print that points out a $5 handling fee when using the program, but the benefits are still pretty good.
You can compare this to other Diners Club programs that either provide you with merchant gift certificates at 100 points per dollar exchange rate or credit towards merchandise which is well over 100 points per dollar.
Maximize your points redemption and take advantage of the program!
This is an interesting email that lays out the technicalities of transporting the chemicals that the terrorists were planning to use as explosive materials (assuming the news reports correctly identified the chemicals – we’ll leave that up to the blogosphere to verify)
I am not a chemist, but as I stood in a check-in line that stretched out into the airport parking garage, I thought to myself, “Terrorists would see this security line and tell themselves, ‘Oh hell no, I’m not waiting this long in a line for a chance at blowing up an airplane!’” Perhaps that is the TSA super-secret plan all along.
I appreciate the fact that many things are being done for my own safety, but I really do wish we had someone in charge that applied some common sense to airline security.
This is good news if you are part of the Star Alliance…
Ensuring your comfort on flights has just gotten a little easier. We’re pleased to announce the introduction of Star Alliance® Upgrade Awards, which enable you to redeem Mileage Plus® miles for upgrades on participating Star Alliance carriers. Star Alliance is proud to be the first airline alliance to allow customers to use miles earned through one frequent flyer program to upgrade on another airline.
Mileage Plus members enjoy Star Alliance Upgrade Awards on Asiana, TAP Portugal and Thai Airways. Star Alliance Upgrade Awards will also be available August 3, 2006 on ANA, Austrian Airlines Group, LOT Polish Airlines and Lufthansa.
As always, you can earn Mileage Plus miles for every flight on any Star Alliance or Air Partner. Visit http://www.united.com/starupgrades for more details or to book your Star Alliance Upgrade Award.
As I stood in line waiting to check-in my luggage, here are a few things that I noticed (funny how much more observant you are, when you are spending alot of time just standing around).
Interesting Things:
- Those heavy duty “rapid” x-machines run on Windows 98 - I saw the boot-up screen
- Airlines are going to take a big hit on labor expenses - Every single check-in counter has someone behind it; Many TSA workers actually doing work - they had to constantly load the conveyer belts with check-in luggage
Things to look-out for when you are traveling:
- Longer check-in lines
- Shorter security lines - since more people are checking their luggage, there is less to scan in the security lines
- Longer waits at baggage claim - some of the baggage claims were overflowing with luggage where it became difficult to pull luggage off or even find yours
- Plenty of overhead bin space for obvious reasons
- More bathroom breaks during the flight since people are finishing off their drinks before they board
Things to help make your traveling life more bearable:
- Get an EVDO card and never worry about a WiFi connection again - you’re going to spend more time in the airport because it’s harder to time when you need leave from home so get work done while you wait for your flight
- Get an extended battery for your laptop - you’re going to need it - EVDO cards (and any other wireless component) reduce your laptop battery duration
- If you are traveling to the same location every week, then leave a set of toiletries at your client site or hotel - you need to travel light
- Check-in online in advance - that’s one less thing to worry about
- Start flying on less popular airlines to reduce check-in times, since security lines are no longer the bottleneck
- Start flying on a difficult schedule if your job gives you that flexibility - avoid peak travel times like Monday mornings and Thursday evenings
- Make use of that curbside check-in - it’s usually alot shorter, especially if the airline charges $$
Coming soon - I will post what typical wait times are for various airports based on an informal poll of my peers
I’ve been a business traveler for over 10 years. When I first started out, it was all about the points. Though, I’ve never been a fan of flying, I took solace in the fact that I was reaping the rewards of this virtual currency that would allow me to purchase anything from airline tickets to hotel rooms to car rentals without spending a single dollar of my own salary.
The subject of many discussions with my fellow business travelers focused on how to best take advantage of the numerous point systems that weaved themselves into our everyday lives - best credit card point system, best deals on double counting points - you name it and we talked about it.
As I’ve entered my thirties, my priorities have changed and I’ve learned that points aren’t enough for me to make the sacrifices that business travel requires. It’s more than points now - it’s about how to spend more time with my family, waste less time waiting for flights, and improve the overall quality of my life. I want to have my cake and eat it too - and points are just the icing, not the cake itself.
Think of this place as a layover that actually gets you home faster.
Who Travels
- More than half of all long distance business travel is made by professional, managerial or technical workers
- More than half of all business travel is made by individuals age 30 to 49
- Over one-fourth of all business travel is made by those who earn $100,000 or more annually
- Almost eight out of every 10 business trips (77%) are made by men
*SOURCE: National Household Travel Survey, 2001-2002.