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Dec. 1, 2008
Max Freidlander, as told to Jacklyn C. Wadler: India Inkings
Mark Steyn: Whodunit!?
Nov. 28, 2008
Rabbi Ahron Rapps: An evil seed that didn't have to be
Melanie Phillips: Carpe diem --- or can we all relax now?
Nov. 26, 2008
Michael Feldberg: Meet the Orthodox Jew who laid groundwork for scientific development of ordnance that undergirds America's current world leadership
Andrea Simantov:
Shades of life
Nov. 25, 2008
The Jewish Ethicist
by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir : Getting Emotional For Influence
The Kosher Gourmet
by Ethel G. Hofman : Thanksiving feast!
Nov. 24, 2008
Rabbi S. Binyomin Ginsberg: 'I just Became a grandchild!'
Barry Rubin: Don't flatter your enemies, protect your friends
Nov. 21, 2008
Rabbi A. Henach Leibowitz: Money matters?
Caroline B. Glick:
Civilization walks the plank
Nov. 20, 2008
Rabbi Avi Shafran: Bronfman's blindness
The Kosher Gourmet
By Linda Gassenheimer: Portobellos add a hearty flavor to pasta with pesto
Nov, 19, 2008
The Jewish Ethicist
by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir : Spread the wealth? Jewish tradition and income equality
Elliot B. Gertel:
'Mad Men': Tackling prejudices or reinforcing them?
Nov, 18, 2008
Dr. Debby Schwarz Hirschhorn: The End of the Age of Reason
Jonathan Tobin: Does Barack + Bibi = Disaster?
Nov, 17, 2008
Rabbi Yonason Goldson: The End of the Age of Reason
Diana West: Gulling Americans into making terror legit?
Nov, 14, 2008
Rabbi A. Henach Leibowitz: The Power of Spiritual Inertia
Caroline B. Glick: The perils ahead
Nov, 13, 2008
Stratfor Intelligence Briefing: How Bush and Obama together could change the Middle East dynamic
The Kosher Gourmet
by JeanMarie Brownson: Sweet and savory, crispy and meltingly tender bestilla
Nov, 12, 2008
The Jewish Ethicist
by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir : Tyrannical Co-Workers
Michael Doyle: High Court to consider today donated monuments that may have religious messages in public parks
Nov, 11, 2008
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Will Obama stop government officials considering institutionalizing financial jihad?
Jonathan Tobin: They Will Decide Their Own Fate
Nov, 10, 2008
Rabbi Avi Shafran: $8 billion, modern-day Tower of Babel being built?
Barry Rubin: A letter to the president-elect from a Middle East realist
Nov, 7, 2008
Rabbi Francis Nataf: Of Children and Immortality
Caroline B. Glick: Livni's Obama strategy
Nov, 6, 2008
Rabbi Yonason Goldson: How I tricked a classroom of apathetic students into grasping the fallacy of moral relativism
The Kosher Gourmet
By Gina Kim: Tips for making the perfect soup --- includes recipes
Nov, 5, 2008
The Jewish Ethicist
By Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Destitute Debtors
Bruce Weinstein: 'Religulos': Bad title,even worse movie
Nov, 4, 2008
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Treasury Dept. submits to Shariah law
Frida Ghitis: A surprise for Obama in the Middle East
Nov, 3, 2008
Jonathan Rosenblum: Who says Jews are Smart?
Jonathan Tobin:
Was He Wrong About Everything?
March 22, 2007
J-Rhythms with Avraham Rosenblum: JWR's cutting-edge music program showcasing performers -- singers, song writers, musicians, and bands -- who learn and live the Torah lifestyle (OUR NEWEST IGODCAST !)
Oct. 29, 2003
Mortimer B. Zuckerman: Graffiti On History's Walls (MUST-READ!)
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Jewish World Review
May 6, 2008
/ 1 Iyar 5768
Put an escape hatch in your travel plans
By
Vicki Lee Parker
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | (MCT)
Let me just put it out there: Air travel this summer is going to be downright miserable.
If you manage to get through a trip without a major delay, flight cancellation, lost bag or overnight stay in a strange city, consider yourself an exception.
Airlines are cutting flights, raising fees and in some cases, shutting down. Add the usual summer storms and heavy traffic to the mix, and it'll be messy.
Most travelers will benefit from packing a travel contingency plan.
Don't have one?
Here are some tips from those who travel best - frequent fliers.
Marco Fregenal, CEO of Raleigh, N.C., software firm Carpio, racks up more than 150,000 air miles a year traveling to offices in Panama, Mexico and Brazil.
Over the years, he has learned flight attendants' names and schedules, which flights from Newark, N.J., are usually delayed and which seats on American Airline's planes have the least amount of leg room.
He also has figured out some timesaving tricks. One helps him avoid standing in line for hours, waiting to clear Customs on international flights.
Fregenal finds out how many planes are scheduled to land in the country where he has to go through Customs. If there are two or more, he tries to get a seat on the first flight landing there in order to be the first in line.
If his flight is canceled, he doesn't bother to run to the counter to rebook. Fregenal keeps at least two airline numbers on his cell phone's speed dial.
"I'm immediately on the phone, getting a seat on the next flight out," he said. "There is only one person at the counter, but there may be 100 people waiting to take your call."
Before trips, he often goes to the airline's Web site to research his flight. There, he can find out what percentage of the time the flight lands on schedule. If it's less than 80 percent, he might try to find another flight.
Bill Mann, a lawyer at Ragsdale Liggett in Raleigh, said he travels with only a carry-on bag. He estimates that when he was making about 60 flights a year, carrying his luggage on board saved him about 90 minutes per trip. It also saved him from worrying about lost luggage.
Mann said that he knows of frequent fliers who FedEx their bags to the hotel they are traveling to - a common tactic among corporate salespeople who transport stacks of sales brochures and packages. But Mann has never tried it because of the cost. According to www.shippingsidekick.com, it can cost more than $100 to ship an early-arrival, 10-pound overnight package from Raleigh to Manhattan.
The expense might be easier to swallow as airlines begin charging for the second checked bags.
Mann has had so many canceled flights that at one point in his career, he had memorized the toll-free numbers for four airlines, as well as his frequent flier numbers.
Now when he books his reservations online, he prints a list of alternative flights with dates and times so he will have backup flights handy just in case.
Sometimes he uses airline-tracking sites such as www.flightstats.com, www.flightguide.com or www.oag.com. Travelers can also use the sites to check airport delays, set up flight alerts and find out who flies where.
Most airports have wireless Internet connections, so travelers with laptops can hop on the Internet to rebook or track flights.
Tony Maupin, owner of Maupin Travel in Raleigh, suggests that if you book your flight through a travel agency, call the agency first if your flight is delayed or canceled.
An agent can book you on the next available flight. The service is usually included in the fee you pay when you purchase your ticket.
Maupin also suggests:
Try not to book the last flight of the night. If it's canceled, you'll have to stay overnight.
Avoid booking flights on the busiest travel days. The best days to fly are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Use major airlines that will rebook you on another airline. Many charter airlines do not have such arrangements with other carriers.
Have someone drive you to the airport. During the summer, airport parking lots fill up quickly.
Download and print boarding passes before going to the airport.
Check luggage curbside to avoid the ticket-counter line. However, luggage for international flights must be checked inside.
Carry an airline contract with you. Each airline has rules that cover different circumstances. Make sure the airline is providing you with all the services outlined in the contract.
Finally, don't yell at gate agents. If you are calm and understanding, they will serve you better, Maupin said.
Do you have other frequent flier secrets? Send me more if you don't mind me sharing them.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
Vicki Lee Parker is a columnist for The News & Observer. Comment by clicking here.
Previously:
Put up or shut up for card companies
Don't fall for rebate check scams
Recall agency needs help
Account can help you save
Gift refund made him feel cheated
7 gifts to build wealth
Dump your bank escrow account, earn some interest
Enticing e-mail may lead to viruses, ID theft, malware
Ask to receive discounts
Learn from a con man
Nitrogen: pricey way to keep tires pumped
Buying private health coverage
Better Business Bureau ramps up
Two beeps, one item: Listen for overcharges
Recalls: What to do next
Do your homework before home repairs
To tip or skip it: Gratuity must be earned
Advice is free, if you look
Hire a cleaner who won't clean you out
Teach children smart money tips that will keep them busy all summer long
Warning: Don't trust the ATM
Reasons to beware of We Buy Homes
Too wise to fall for a scam
Untethering cell phone from carrier
Re-check your credit card rewards
Treasure might be buried in medical bills
Tax-time saving tip: Free filing is available
College money is waiting; don't procrastinate
Extended warranties rarely worthwhile
Too busy for tax planning? It'll cost you
© 2007, The News & Observer Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services
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