Kiwi Flyer Tips

Flyer Tips - series index

noreply@blogger.com (The Global Traveller) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 06:02:00 +0000

Index to a series of Flyer Tips posts.

1- seat maps
2 - basics of airline revenue management
3 - booking classes
4 - availability tools
5 - booking class availability myths
6 - keeping informed of schedule changes

Seat preferences

flying alone
flying as a couple
flying with 2 others
flying with 3 others

Keep watching for more to come.

Twitter Travel

noreply@blogger.com (The Global Traveller) — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Useful Tools for Twitter

twitter
is.gd - shortens links
11 url shortners - incl explanation of what each one does or doesn't do
twitter wiki
a guide to twitter
twitter hygiene, ultimate twitter guide

Saved Twitter Searches
twitter search - general
twitter search globtrav - search for Qs and RTs that get missed by @replies
twitter search #travel
twitter search #travelhelp
twitter search #tbex
twitter search #boarding - use boarding.fr for graphic results
twitter search qantas
twitter search air nz
twitter search air new zealand
twitter search new zealand
twitter search flyertalk

Twitter Groups and Apps

twitter flyertalk
twitter travel
twitter traveldeals
twitter travelhelp
twitter twavelers - travel junkies

Minervity's blog post 12 useful twitter tools
twitpic
mr tweet
tweetgrid (highly customisable search widgets)
tweetstats
twitter grader
twitalyzer
twittercounter

Good Tweeps to Follow
In no particular order. NB this is a work in progress - still to add lots of good tweeps.

Telegraph - 50 great travel tweeters

Misc
@chrisguillebeau - travel & inspiration
@crankyflier - travel info
@EverywhereTrip - hard core traveller
@tomtravel2 - mr positivity, & travel
@wendyperrin - CN Traveler consumer editor

@BizAvWeekly - travel info
@craig_martin - indietravelpodcasts
@EverywhereTrip
@nerdseyeview

Travel bloggers/writers
@AuthenticCoast
@Chinkerfly
@craig_martin
@crankyflier
@DonnaLHull
@EverywhereTrip
@flightblogger
@globtrav
@nerdseyeview
@SheilaS
@soultravelers3
@traveltipsguy

Travel "businesses"
@BizAvWeekly
@flightwisdom
@lplabs - Lonely Planet
@matthewcashmore - Lonely Planet
@myflightinfo - follow, send dm with flight number (eg DL 1234)
@VictoriaOnAir - ATI / Flight Global
@wendyperrin - CN Traveler consumer editor

Travellers
@ARoadRetraveled
@boldlygoingsolo
@Ladyexpat
@nickbowditch
@schofs_travels
@Skyring
@thefutureisred
@umarket

Other travel & unassigned
@GirlsWithWings
@HavePack
@ilivetotravel
@italylogue
@karasw
@katya152
@KimMance
@niltiac
@peace_
@purplepassport
@rjhintz
@RobBarham
@sdweathers
@thetripchicks
@tomtravel2
@Travelaholic
@travelfish
@travelrants
@TravelShout
@TravelWriteTale
@WhyGo

Inspirational
@chrisguillebeau

Useful
@flightmemory
@myflightinfo - follow, send dm with flight number (eg DL 1234)

Other
@FlyAArmy
@GlendaWH - accessibility tips
@jeanettejoy
@robbin_g
@Zut_Radio - crazy Canuck

Travel Tools

noreply@blogger.com (The Global Traveller) — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 11:00:00 +0000

incomplete - to be added

Flights

Most Useful Tools
Expertflyer
ITA
KVS

Fares
Amadeus
Fare Compare (US bias)
ITA

CRS
my blog post on CRS - check which applies for which airline
Check My Trip
My Trip and More
View Trip
Virtually There

Airlines & online TAs
grabaseat - Air NZ grab-a-seat ex-NZ
grabaseat - Air NZ grab-a-seat ex-Australia
Air NZ
American Airlines - useful for most airlines & less fuel surcharge
British Airways
Cathay Pacific
Continental
Delta
Emirates
LAN
Qantas
Singapore
United

listing of airlines twitter accounts

"special" airline sites (for fare and product information)
British Airways

Airline Alliances
Star Alliance
Oneworld (note this site blocked in China)
- OW 10th anniversary competition (expires 31 December)
- conditions of carriage for all OW airlines
Sky Team

Airline routes
Airline route mapper (download)

Seating
Seat Guru
Seat Expert

Availability
Expert Flyer
KVS
seatcounter
availability.publicbackup.com
Schedules
Amadeus
Executive Sky Guide
Flight Stats (pull-down has only a couple of days before & after today but can edit the URL address for more)
ITA
see also alliance websites

Flight status
Flight Stats (pull-down has only a couple of days before & after today but can edit the URL address for more)

Misc
US immigration wait times by airport
LAN "tax" lookup
Amadeus fare receipt lookup

Land Travel

Accommodation
Accor
Hilton
Intercontinental
- 72 hour sale page (use this to get advance notice of next sale)
Marriott
Millenium Hotels
Starwood

Lastminute
Octopus
Wotif

Other Sites

Meeting other travellers
BA97 - FTers flight diaries
boarding.fr - twitterers at airports

Record-keeping
BA97 - flight diary
Flight Memory / Flugstatistik - flight diary with maps & stats
Most Traveled People - big list of countries and places
Open Flights - flight diary with maps & stats
Passport Stamp - ISO country list
Where I've been
World66 - country (& US states) list, easy to use

Misc
Climate - when to travel
GPS calculator - distances between airports, map shortest route between airports (not as flexible as GCM)
Great circle mapper (GCM) - distances between airports, find airports, map shortest route between airports (very easy to use)
High altitude weather conditions worldwide from NOAA
Historical weather summaries from Weather Underground.
IATA personal travel site - visa, passport & health requirements plus customs, currency & airport information
Our airports - look up airports nearby any address, sorted by distance
Timatec - visa requirements

Miscellaneous Links

noreply@blogger.com (The Global Traveller) — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 09:00:00 +0000

to be added

Stuff I read

FlyerTalk home page - and myFT
Twitter

Odds & Ends

ActiveSmart
Agent & editor queryfail
Blogger - expandable posts
Dealing with blog/website plagiarism
Google page rank lookup
PersonalDNA
Worldwide emergencies information