Category: International Travel

Gisborne Airport in New Zealand has active railroad tracks running across its runway.

http://www.amusingplanet.com/2013/08/gisborne-airport-runway-with-railway.html

Pretty weird!

It’s not widely known that different airline programs charge different amounts of frequent-flyer miles for the same routes. For example, to fly Business Class from USA and Europe can cost 70,000 Delta SkyMiles, or just 37,500 British Air Avios. And, there are some smart ways to earn BA Avios even if you fly other airlines (like American).

The Best Points & Miles for Travel to Europe

This blog post lists several ways to obtain and use the frequent-flyer-miles programs of unexpected airlines for travel from the United States to Europe.

The low airfares just keep coming. You can fly United Airlines to Shanghai and back for just $536. Dates are Oct-Nov-Dec 2016.

https://www.fatwallet.com/forums/hot-deals/1529905

The FatWallet thread contains information on Chinese visas and how to avoid the need for one.

SecretFlying has put together an around-the-world itinerary with 13 stops for just $1385! It hits many of the high places for tourism…Iceland, London, Istanbul, Singapore, Melbourne, Auckland, Honolulu, Los Angeles and New York.

http://www.secretflying.com/2016/around-the-world-13-stops-for-only-1385-usd/

This is a real marvel of piecing together various discounted routes into one do-able itinerary!

Some credit cards are fine for use internationally, but others charge a fee (often 3%) for purchases made overseas. This is a wholly-unjustified charge whose purpose it to enrich the banks.

This is a handy list of some cards that do charge a fee:

http://www.frugaltravelguy.com/2016/09/careful-which-card-you-use-abroad-these-credit-cards-charge-a-foreign-transaction-fee.html

Obviously, if you own several credit cards and are traveling (or making online purchases from a foreign company), you will want to use the cards with no fee.

Flying is made more tiring and stressful by the unavoidable background noise. Noise-cancelling headphones and earbuds reduce the droning sound level so you arrive in a better state of mind.

In general the noise seems to be worse the farther back in the plane you are sitting. Regional jets seem to be much noisier than larger aircraft.

I have used headphones with active noise cancellation for several years, with very good results. They have a switch on the side, and when you click it the noise level drops significantly…that’s how you know they use active sound cancellation. However, they take up room in my carry-on, so I’ve just ordered some “noise cancelling” Bluetooth earbuds from Amazon.

https://www.fatwallet.com/forums/hot-deals/1528897

I’m hoping these will be less un-comfortable when I lean my head against the aircraft while trying to sleep in a window seat. I plan to report back here shortly after they arrive.

If you have a larger budget and are interested in headphones, this blog post has good information:

Wireless Headphones

San Antonio’s international airport has opened a pet-relief room airside. The room has turf and a simulated fire hydrant, and is for use by dogs and cats accompanying passengers on airline flights.

http://www.twcnews.com/tx/san-antonio/news/2016/09/1/san-antonio-airport-opens-indoor-pet-relief-areas.html

Most airports have pet relief areas, but in almost all cases they are outside security. San Antonio has advanced to a facility airside, for passengers who have already done their security screening.

A travel website that helps plan itineraries has come up with a flight plan that includes a 47-year stopover in Thailand.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/08/30/complaint-about-47-year-flight-connection-wait-gets-brilliant-re/

I don’t imagine that the passenger will select that particular option.