The Perrin Post

Finding Great Guides in Russia

2010-03-09T14:21:39Z

A private viewing of Peter III's small summer palace at the royal residence of Oranienbaum, near St. Petersburg, Russia, is a snap for Exeter International guides.
Photo by Dan Weisberg for Exeter International

'Tis the season for booking summer travel to Russia, apparently, because two readers have written in asking how to hire great guides and otherwise make smart arrangements in St. Petersburg and Moscow:

"Besides your article Eight Perfect Days in Russia: Moscow and St. Petersburg, have you written anything else pertaining to these two cities? I am looking for a guide/tour/hotel in both cities in June. Is there anyone you would recommend?"

-- Marilyn Schiamberg

"I am planning a trip to St. Petersburg and read your article. I understand that a guide is almost a necessity to see St. Petersburg if you want to get into a lot of the sights and beat the long line-ups. You made reference to a guide by the name of Yelena Kirpitchnicova. Do you know which company she works for? I am trying to make the arrangements for this trip as soon as possible--a couple of hotels have excellent specials on now if you book a certain period in advance--but I want to make sure I get a good and trustworthy guide before doing that."

-- John Carter

]]> I have traveled in Russia twice now, both times on assignment for Conde Nast Traveler, and, because I needed the savviest guides and flawless arrangements, both times I've booked through Greg Tepper of Exeter International. Greg, who is on my list of the world's best travel planners, handpicks guides of the highest caliber -- guides who can open doors for you that others cannot and who will custom-tailor your experience to your exact needs, even as those change during the course of a day. Indeed, here's what one of his guides accomplished for me in Moscow.

Exeter is pricey but, in my opinion and that of many Conde Nast Traveler readers, well worth it. If you can't afford Greg, however, contact my other favorite Russia specialist, Natasha Tichy of Frontiers International Travel. To understand the differences between Greg and Natasha, click to read my descriptions comparing them (scroll down to "Russia").

Be sure to have Greg or Natasha book as many components of your trip as possible, especially the hotels, as they both negotiate special low rates and added-value packages that can not only save you money but also greatly enhance your overall experience.

Even MORE of Your Pressing Frequent-Flyer Questions Answered

2010-03-05T16:28:28Z

Admit it. You wish you knew the answers to all those burning mileage-award questions that didn't get answered by Randy Petersen in our FlyerTalk Challenge. So do I. But there were more than 100 of them. Who could possibly have the time, the patience, the sheer mileage obsession, to step up and volunteer to answer them?

The Global Traveller, that's who. If you're a FlyerTalker, you know him by his FT handle, Kiwi Flyer, and by his FT blog, The Gate. If you're a loyal Perrin Post reader, you know him because of his frequent insightful comments here. He's been one of my favorite air warriors ever since he flew halfway around the world to meet me for lunch 2 1/2 years ago (see "I Was a Stop on His Mileage Run"). And, as if writing three blogs -- in addition to The Gate, he writes Musings of the Global Traveller and Real Cheap Air Fares -- didn't eat up enough of his time, he is now digging into your remaining miles-and-points quandaries! Incredibly nice guy or masochist? I don't know. All I know is Conde Nast Traveler readers are lucky to have him as their friend.

The first batch of questions he's answered involve elite frequent-flier status: how to work it, how never to lose it, when it's worth killing yourself to attain it and when it's not....

]]> Below are your questions about elite status, and you can click here to read The Global Traveller's answers.

"I have Premier Exec status on United, but basically never get any perks out of it except lounge access on international travel. Since most of my travel is international, I feel like I should be switching allegiances to a non-US carrier (I hate flying US airlines overseas anyway--they're so bad). I just don't know which one... I'm NYC-based and fly to Europe and the Mid East a lot."

--Zora

"You invest years into a frequent flyer program only to find the grass appearing greener on another carrier for what ever reasons float your boat in a particular program. So... when does it make sense to abandon your progress to million miler and annual top tier status on one carrier to move to another carrier only to start from scratch and claw your way back to the front of the plane?"

--Brian White

"As a 16-year old Gold Elite member, it is very difficult to be taken seriously. I have been laughed off by quite a few gate agents when I approached them about an upgrade, even when I wanted to use miles to do so. There was one instance where the gate agent gave my upgrade to a Silver Elite member, just because he was wearing a coat and tie and I was walking around with my Chemistry book. What can I do to be taken more seriously? Flashing my card doesn't seem to be working..."

--Chad

"Hi, I am Premier Exec with United, but I now spend 1/2 of the year overseas. I am not sure if I should stick with UA or switch to LH. I normally fly business/first when flying back to the States, so I don't really benefit from UA in terms of Economy Plus, upgrades, priority boarding, etc, due to status. But if I move from UA to LH, I wouldn't earn enough miles to make star gold with them, but I will at least be redeeming more miles with them for future trips for every flight I do take. I have been thinking about this for a couple of years, and I basically have another month before I decide if i'm going to switch from UA. The main benefit I get from being star gold is the extra baggage allowance, and using the senator lounges instead of the biz lounge."

--Ii7654

"I've become accustomed to the perks that elite membership offers. And, as I near retirement (okay in about 10 + years) I am increasingly worried about achieving lifetime benefits in the programs that I have been loyal to--Marriott, American, and Delta. I need Mr. Petersen to guide me and others as we "senior" travelers face the dilemma of losing status when we need it the most!"

--Kevin Leibel

"As a 1K on United, I enjoy some of the best perks that top status has to offer, including upgrades, waitlist priority, dedicated reservations and customer service, and in generall excellent treatment. There's no question to me that for someone who flies 100,000 miles a year, sticking to one airline is absolutely worth it. My question concerns those at the other end of the spectrum, namely people who fly just enough to attain the lowest status level (e.g., "Silver") but not more: Are the benefits that come at the lowest status levels really worth the extra costs and potential inconvenience of sticking with one airline? I used to think so, but I'm not so sure anymore, particularly with the airlines' significantly diminished capacity, making upgrades harder to obtain; the the increasing difficulty of using frequent flyer miles to get where you want to go, when you want to go there; and proliferation of "Low-Cost Carriers," which often can get you from A to B at a much cheaper price. In short, is the lowest-tier elite game still worth the candle"

--Aaron

AND, THE FINAL QUESTION:

"I was going to say that my problem is I need a new job that allows me to travel, but (though true) that's a little boring. So I wrote this instead. Enjoy! :-)

Roger was having a bad day. Worse than that, he was having a Bad Day. The. Ultimate. Bad. Day.

Roger had it all. A nice place with some nice toys, nice suits, a decent amount in the bank account and most importantly, he had a lot of frequent flyer points. A lot. Like more than what most normal people would even dream possible. A veritable Mountain of Points. Most of the points had come via the credit card spend one dollar get one point. And Roger was smart he knew to stay at certain hotels in order to get bonus points. He knew to rent his cars from the one company that also gave bonus points. But by far, the most valuable, the most cherished of those miles were the status miles.

Status Miles. Just the words alone had a special glow that surrounded them. Status Miles. Words that slid off the tongue leaving a warm, special feeling behind in the mouth as they came out. Status Miles. Like silk fluttering gently over the skin. Status Miles. Those special rewards that came from flying.

Flying where? Well that didn't really matter, now, did it? Flying generated Status Miles. Oh how wonderful that was! Just that feeling of sitting on the airplane flying above the clouds knowing that Status Miles were his. And better still to see those precious, those truly precious Status Miles in black and white in his account. Mmmm Status Miles.

Status Miles. Status Miles. Status Miles.

And it was all over on this Ultimate Bad Day, because Roger had just been fired by some jerk named Ryan Bingham. Ryan “the smooth talking stuffed suit who was there only because Roger's boss didn't have the guts to face him himself. Ryan “ the well-coiffed, sharp dresser who smiled and said, "Roger, I'm here to talk about your future."

Future?! What future? There never was any future. There was only Now. And now only mattered if Status Miles were accumulating.

And now, there would be no miles. Not anymore. That was over.

The Ultimate Bad Day indeed.

Roger had fumed, had sworn, had heatedly told Mister Jerk Ryan Bingham that he was taking everything away. Who was he to do this to Roger? But The Jerk had just nodded as though he knew. But what could he possibly know? How could someone like him possibly even begin to understand what was at stake? What it was that was being unceremoniously yanked from Roger?

It wasn't the job. It wasn't the prestige of working for the company. Heck, it wasn't even for the money (though that was pretty good). It was the opportunity to accumulate Status Miles.

Roger knew well enough he could fly anywhere in style and comfort for a long time if he just used his miles. He knew how to work within the system to get himself around the world in First Class for only 120,000 points. Spending that wouldn't even begin to make a dent in his account.

But that wasn't the point. Spending miles might be OK for some, but for Roger the goal, the whole point of everything was to accumulate Status Miles. It wasn't a competition, it wasn't even necessarily a challenge. Nobody even knew Roger did this and nobody really needed to know. It was just The Way Things Were. Accumulation of Status Miles was the only thing that mattered.

And so, on The Ultimate Bad Day, Roger had a problem. How could he find a new role that would allow him to continue his mission? Where would he begin his search for the job that would enable him to get back to accumulating Status Miles?"

--Richard

Secret Codes for Snagging The Best Luxury Hotel Deals

2010-03-04T16:23:26Z

You can get 30% off at The Mondrian in Los Angeles via this week's private sale on TabletHotels.com, for travel dates from March through May.

"If you want access to the very best hotel deals out there, you'll need to harness the power of a new set of digital tools."

That's the advice from my latest Perrin Report, in Conde Nast Traveler's March issue, about how to nab those exclusive travel discounts that are increasingly being marketed to certain narrow groups of travelers via hidden online channels. In my column I stress the importance of gaining access to the private sales run by Jetsetter, Tablet Hotels, and VoyagePrive.

Since so many readers have e-mailed me asking how to gain such access, I figure I ought to provide the necessary entree. So below are special custom links embedded with the code that will allow you to become a member of these by-invitation-only sites:

Click here for access to Jetsetter's private sales.

Click here for access to TabletHotels' private sales.

Click here for access to VoyagePrive's private sales.

Happy hotel-deal hunting!

No, I Have NOT Forgotten Your Most Frustrating Frequent-Flier-Mile Quandaries. (I've Just Been Really, REALLY Busy.)

2010-03-03T16:20:46Z

Mucho apologies to all you air warriors whom I've left hanging for an embarrassing--yikes!--six weeks. As you may recall, I was in the middle of publishing frequent-flier guru and FlyerTalk founder Randy Petersen's answers to the top ten winning questions in our FlyerTalk Challenge contest. These included:

Then I dropped the ball, waylaid by a hectic travel schedule and my Condé Nast Traveler print workload. All I can say is: Thank you for your patience, and I'm making it up to you with a special five-page Perrin Report, in Condé Nast Traveler's upcoming April issue, that's a step-by-step guide to fully harnessing the power of loyalty programs so as to snag as many free flights and upgrades as possible.

While you're waiting for that, here are the final five questions in the FlyerTalk Challenge, along with links to Randy Petersen's inimitable answers:
]]> How do I best stay on top of airline mergers and know when I can move miles to allied rewards programs? --Lauren
Click here to read Randy's answer.

7. When traveling for pleasure my timing is very flexible. Some airline Web sites are better than others in showing which days have award seats available (because availability is constantly shifting), and I know of no easy way to watch for seats, particularly at the lowest levels. Is there one? Once someone--maybe it was Randy--had a service where for a fee they would keep checking for you and because of their expertise they would know alternative routings to check. Does such a service exist today, beyond the free help and advice on FlyerTalk? --Michael
Click here to read Randy's answer

8. As a Continental OnePass member who has earned elite status this year for the first time since 2001, what is the best way to efficiently accumulate miles toward maintaining elite status? Also, at what price point does it make sense to redeem miles for a domestic coach reward ticket? --Michi
Click here to read Randy's answer.

9. I fly between the U.S. and Europe in paid business class very often. I want to be able to redeem miles for business/first-class travel throughout the world. Which frequent-flyer program(s) should I concentrate my earnings on--European or American ones? They seem to have different fee structures and award availability. --Plover
Click here to read Randy's answer.

10. When buying a seat using miles, I miss out on so much that has value to me as a frequent flyer:
*Miles from the credit card purchase, plus bonus miles from being linked to that airline
*Miles from the flight, plus bonus based on elite status, plus bonus based on class of flight
*Miles from the flight toward elite-status qualification, plus bonus on class of flight purchased
And the airlines don't let seats go cheaply, in comparison to how much flying it takes to earn those miles. So how do you weigh all the factors that need to be considered when deciding whether to buy a seat using miles or money? --Sitting Tight
Click here to read Randy's answer.

You can read the entire series of Randy's answers here on FlyerTalk. Thanks, Randy, for sharing your wisdom...and for having the patience of a saint!

Where in Chile is it Safe to Travel Now?

2010-03-02T16:32:42Z

Chile's famed Easter Island is safe for travel, with excursions being held normally.
Photo: vtveen / CC BY 2.0

Those of you who were planning trips to Chile before last week's earthquake hit may be wondering where it's safe to go right now and where it's not. Where will you run into logistical headaches, and where will you be unaffected?

This morning I got answers to these questions from Chile travel specialist Vanessa Guibert Heitner, who is based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and arranges trips to Chile for the many Condé Nast Traveler readers who book their South American journeys through her. (Vanessa is one of the Chile specialists on my list of top travel agents.) I figure I ought to share the information here, so that everyone with Chile travel plans can benefit. Here's a region-by-region report from Vanessa this morning:

]]> Altiplano (Arica, Iquique, Calama), Atacama (San Pedro, Antofagasta) and Norte Chico (La Serena, etc.)
Damage minimal or non-existent. Excursions are being held normally and hotels are operating in good condition to receive travelers. Roads are also in good condition for traveling either by bus or by car.

Easter Island
Excursions are being held normally and hotels are operating in good condition to receive travelers. Roads are also in good condition for traveling either by bus or by car.

Juan Fernández Islands
Completely hit by tsunami waves. Roads, ports, and airport in terrible conditions. No way of getting into the main island or getting out of there. There is no availability of hotels, nor are excursions being held in this archipelago.

Valparaíso & Viña del Mar
Valparaíso’s new part of the port, where all cruises arrive, is open, although the old part suffered some damage and is closed. It is expected that the old part will open quite soon. Excursions are being held normally, and hotels are operating and in good condition to receive travelers. Roads are also fine for traveling either by bus or by car.

Santiago
Roads to the south of the country have some interruptions and deviations; toward the North and the coast, roads are in good condition. In Santiago, the damage has been quite varied. In general, providers are claiming that tourist-related areas remain unaffected, yet major road damage on key roadways has had a considerable impact.

Wine Region (Santa Cruz and surroundings)
This region was heavily affected, both because of the magnitude of the quake and because adobe was the preeminent material that locals use for construction. Old houses and buildings suffered major damage.
The Maule Region suffered serious damage in all of the main cities and small towns. Places like Curicó, Parral, Talca and Linares, whose old buildings were constructed in adobe, simply collapsed, causing the loss of many lives. The Tsunami that struck the coast of this area created even worse consequences. Small coastal towns simply disappeared. This is a focus of search and discovery efforts. Many hotels have closed temporarily, and this is not a recommended area for travel.

Concepción
The area of Concepción, the second largest town in Chile, suffered the consequences of the 8.8 Richter Scale magnitude quake heavily. Communications with this area in particular have been very difficult. Water and electricity are inconsistent, and this is a primary focus of rescue efforts.

Northern Lake District
Temuco and Pucón have reported some damages. Valdivia has also suffered to some extent. Communication remains spotty.

Southern Lake District (Puerto Varas, Puerto Montt, Chiloé)
The Earthquake was a mild tremor in the Lake District. No buildings were damaged, and it was barely noticeable compared to the rest of the country. The only issue here could be that, since connectivity is difficult, some goods like gas are becoming a bit scarce.

Patagonia
The quake was not noticed in Patagonia. Places like Torres del Paine, Punta Arenas and Puerto Natales are in perfect condition.

Flying to or within Chile
The closure of the Santiago airport makes traveling between some of the areas listed above very difficult. Even if one wanted to travel to areas that were untouched (e.g., Torres del Paine to Atacama), the lack of flights makes such movement virtually impossible for the moment. Once the airport is open (some are claiming Friday is the target date, but there is no official statement to date), there will be a backlog of people and flights that will take an extended period to resolve. We have rerouted all clients who are planning to travel to impacted areas of Chile this month and are providing extensions to their trips in Argentina. Those planning on visiting areas that remain up and running have been rerouted to make use of land transportation into and out of Chile in case the airline situation is not resolved promptly. For example, clients who were traveling to Torres del Paine have been rerouted to arrive by road from Argentina, as opposed to by plane from Santiago."

Advice for Hawaii-Bound Families and Starwood Frequent Guests

2010-03-01T18:00:57Z

My seven-year-old had his first surfing lesson last week on Waikiki Beach at the Royal Hawaiian, the iconic pink palace where we stayed in Honolulu. The tower next door? The Sheraton Waikiki.

Listen up, fellow parents and/or Starwood loyalists: I feel I should share a hotel discovery I made in Hawaii last week, as well as a few tips for making the most of your Starwood Preferred Guest points on your next vacation.

Starwood has four Honolulu properties located within about a seven-minute walk of one another. Prior to my trip I had deliberated over which would best suit my family's needs: the Sheraton Waikiki, a behemoth on the beach with the biggest, most kid-friendly pool; the Moana Surfrider, a Westin with old-world elegance and nightly hula dancing in the fun Banyan Courtyard; the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani, the cheapest option at only $119 per night but a couple of blocks from the beach; or the Royal Hawaiian, an historic property that is the plushest of the four. I was choosing among Starwood properties because, like many Conde Nast Traveler readers, I've got a Starwood Preferred Guest American Express Card that earns me a ton of starpoints, which I cash in for family-vacation hotel stays when I'm not redeeming them for airline tickets.

]]> At first glance it was the Sheraton Waikiki that would have seemed to suit my family's needs best, thanks to its water slides, kids' club, and numerous affordable meal and snack options. But it was sold out for our travel dates, so we booked the Royal Hawaiian next door instead. In the end, my husband and I were thrilled we ended up at the Royal Hawaiian, as it turned out to be the best property for our needs after all. Here's why:

Not only did we get a more spacious and user-friendly room than we would have gotten elsewhere--a room that included an enormous walk-in closet where we could store all our bags and gear, as well as old-fashioned windows that actually open so our bathing suits could dry overnight--but we also got access to the facilities at the other Starwood properties. We never used the Royal Hawaiian's tiny pool, for instance; instead, we went to the huge one two minutes away at the Sheraton, where the kids could slide to their heart's content. Instead of eating expensive breakfasts at the Royal Hawaiian, we strolled five minutes down the beach to the Moana Surfider, where the enormous breakfast buffet on The Veranda was free for kids and a great value because breakfast was so filling that we didn't need lunch. Furthermore, because the Royal Hawaiian is right next to a huge shopping plaza with a terrific food court, we had easy access to fast and cheap lunches and dinners, not to mention inexpensive convenience stores so that we didn't have to rely on pricey hotel gift shops for sundries. As for surfing lessons, after comparison shopping among several vendors along the beach, we determined that the best value for our dollar was in our own backyard. At the Royal Hawaiian's beach activities desk, surf lessons were $100 per hour (the right length when you're not sure whether your child is going to like it or not) and included a whole disk of photos of you on your surfboard, snapped by a photographer who follows your every move out at sea.

Not only do I recommend the Royal Hawaiian to parents hoping for that rare combination of sophisticated adult ambience and child-friendliness, but I also want to share three important tips that every smart Starwood Preferred Guest member or wanna-be should know:

* When you redeem starpoints for hotel stays, the "cash and points" redemption option typically represents the best value for your dollar. In my particular case, I could have paid either $310 per night or 20,000 points per night for my room at the Royal Hawaiian. Instead I chose the "cash and points" option of $150 plus 8,000 points per night. (Starwood equates 750 points with $10, which means 8,000 points are worth about $107 in Starwood's eyes. This means I paid the equivalent of $257 per night instead of $310. But, of course, I really only paid $150 per night...and am grateful to Starwood for enabling me to enjoy family vacations at properties I otherwise couldn't afford.)

* You earn at least 3 starpoints per dollar spent when you use a Starwood AmEx card to pay for your stay. Every time we ordered a drink or meal at any of Starwood's Honolulu properties, we were able to charge it to our room at the Royal Hawaiian, and apparently charging meals at Starwood properties to a Starwood AmEx Card can earn you as many as 5 starpoints per dollar spent. (It depends on your SPG elite status.)

* Starwood's "Instant Awards" are typically not a good deal.

Royal Hawaiian guests have the option of using starpoints to pay for everything from surfboard rental to cabanas to luaus. I could have paid 1,500 starpoints for a "Smokin' Mai Tai" cocktail not featured on the menu, for instance, or 23,500 starpoints for a "Cabana & Surf Package" including a private surfing lesson, surfboard rental for the day, and a full day of cabana amenities. I opted for none of these Instant Awards, as I believe other uses of starpoints (such as the "cash and points" redemption option) provide better value for one's dollar.

I'd love to hear any additional Starwood Preferred Guest tips you might have. Please share them in the Comments section below. Thanks.

Forced to Pay an Airline Fee I Didn't Owe

2010-02-24T14:27:58Z

A Hawaiian Airlines “customer experience agent” spoiling my customer experience at Kona International Airport two days ago.

Have you ever wrongly been charged a fee at an airport check-in counter? And you had to just shut up and pay, or you'd miss your flight?

It happened to me on Monday in Kona, Hawaii. My family and I were flying back to Oahu (where we are now) after a week on the Big Island. The Hawaiian Airlines check-in agent insisted we owed $40 in luggage fees: $10 per bag times four checked bags. I insisted we did not, showing her my credit card that waives luggage fees: I had booked my family’s airline itinerary--from Newark to Honolulu to Kona to Honolulu to Newark--on Continental, and I carry a Continental Airlines Presidential Plus MasterCard that waives fees for checked luggage on flights booked through Continental.

The Kona check-in agent would not budge, even after I told her that a week earlier the Honolulu check-in agent had waived the fee because of my credit card. The Kona agent said the Honolulu agent had been flat-out wrong. I had no choice but to pay the $40 or miss my flight, so I charged it to the MasterCard in question.

Yesterday I called the number on the back of the credit card to report what had happened and, sure enough, they said that I should not have been charged the luggage fees and that the $40 charge will be removed from my bill.

There are two morals to this story:
]]>
* If you’re sick of paying baggage fees, consider getting a credit card that waives them. On this Hawaii trip alone, with four family members each checking a bag on each leg of our itinerary, my Continental Airlines MasterCard has saved me something like $280 in luggage fees.

Has anyone else been wrongly charged a fee at an airport check-in counter? If so, I’d be interested to hear about it. Please let me know in the Comments section below.

Boat Blessing in Bombay

2010-02-12T19:37:32Z

A few days ago I was in Mumbai (a.k.a. Bombay), India, where we stumbled upon a boat christening.

Before I head west toward Hawaii tomorrow, I figure I should share at least a snippet from my adventures to the east last weekend. I loved watching these Mumbaikars bless their boat by slapping splotches of saffron on it.

The christening ceremony involved slathering wet saffron all over the boat's prow.

The best part was when they decided to come over and bless me too. To see what yours truly looks like with saffron slathered on her face, click to page two.

]]>

Free facial treatment on the Arabian Sea!

Talk about local color.

The saffron wasn't easy to remove (at least three Wet Wipes were required), and the pungent smell seemed to linger long after the scrubbing ended, but my skin did feel smoother.

You can catch the article about my many Mumbai adventures in Conde Nast Traveler's upcoming September issue.

Lessons Learned from a Cancelled Flight

2010-02-11T03:32:33Z

Photo: Telstar Logistics / CC BY 2.0

I was supposed to fly to Hawaii today. Then the snowpocalypse hit. My Continental flight out of Newark was cancelled. And suddenly I was faced with the daunting prospect of trying to reschedule my family of four on flights from Newark to Honolulu to Kona and back during the Presidents' Week holiday.

Instead of arriving in Honolulu tonight via a nonstop, we'll now be arriving on Sunday, after an overnight in Houston. Still, I consider myself lucky: Continental let me reschedule not only our outbound flight to Hawaii but our return flight as well, enabling us to make up for our four lost days in Honolulu on the back end of our trip. Plus we suffered no financial penalty--neither from the airline nor from the hotel we were supposed to stay in starting tonight.

The lessons I learned might prove useful to you the next time a big snowstorm hits and threatens to ruin your vacation:

]]> * Don't wait for the airline to inform you your flight has been cancelled.

Yesterday afternoon, with today's storm approaching, I did not wait for Continental to notify me that my flight was cancelled. Had I done so, I would not have found out about the cancellation until 10:54 pm last night, when the airline notified me by e-mail. Instead, I checked Continental.com periodically throughout the day. When the Web site announced late yesterday afternoon that it was suspending operations at Newark today, that's when I called the airline to try to reschedule my flights. I can only imagine how many weeks our trip might have been postponed, had I waited till 10:54 to call the airline.

* Suggest alternate routes to the airline agent.

When I first phoned the airline, the Continental agent said the earliest she could get four passengers to Honolulu out of Newark--via any conceivable route--was next Tuesday, February 16. But when I told her I was willing to leave from any airport within driving distance of Newark and to overnight en route, she eventually snagged me an itinerary from LaGuardia to Houston on the 13th, continuing from Houston to Honolulu on the 14th.

* Ask the hotel to waive cancellation penalties.

The hotel I was supposed to stay in tonight and for the next four nights, the Sheraton Waikiki, allowed me to cancel without penalty even though normally there's a fine for cancelling within three days of your arrival date. I know there are smaller, independent hotels that would have inflicted a penalty.

After flying from LaGuardia to Houston on the 13th, and from Houston to Honolulu on the 14th, we'll be flying from Honolulu to Kona on the 15th. All with a 6- and 7-year-old in tow. Wish me luck!

Was your flight cancelled too? If so, I'd love to hear whether the airline's been able to accommodate you and which dates you've rescheduled your flights for. Just let me know in the "Comments" section below.

How to Maximize Your Port Sightseeing During Your Mediterranean Cruise

2010-01-15T13:37:42Z

Those are my kids at Ephesus, the ancient Greco-Roman city in Turkey, during a Mediterranean cruise in December 2008. Through Sea Song Tours we hired a car and driver to pick us up at the pier in Izmir and help us beat the crowds to Ephesus so we could explore it independently.

If you've read my January column in Condé Nast Traveler about "How to Have a Perfect Time in Port," you know that if your primary goal on a cruise is to sightsee in the ports of call, it's crucial to research and plan your shore time in advance. Typically the ship is in port for only seven or eight hours, so you need to use your time efficiently and wisely. It's sometimes smartest to avoid the cruise line's pre-fab group shore tours and hire a private driver and/or English-speaking local guide to pick you up at the pier, take you to the sights you want to see (helping you bypass all lines), and then return you to the ship shortly before it sails. The right driver/guide can both expedite and enhance your sightseeing, providing a flavorful and custom-tailored shoreside experience that's more rewarding—and, depending on the country and the number of people in your party, sometimes a lot cheaper—than the cruise line's tours. Which is probably why Louise Nunnink has written in with this question:

"Four people will be cruising out of Barcelona in February. Could you please give me the contacts for port excursions in Rome, Athens, and Izmir, Turkey?"

Louise, if you booked your cruise through the right cruise travel agent, that person should have tight relationships with precisely the contacts you need and should be arranging all of this on your behalf. I can only assume that you did not use a travel agent--or did not use the right one--and therefore now must organize your shoreside itineraries on your own. If what you want in these ports is a customized day of sightseeing and cool insider experiences, along with efficient and reliable car transportation, my suggestion is to contact the following:

]]> For Rome: Filippo Curinga of I.D.I. Travel at filippo@iditravel.com

For Athens: Leftheris Papageorgiou of Hellenic Adventures at leftheris@hellenicadventures.com

For Izmir: Karen Fedorko Sefer of Sea Song Tours at fedorko@seasong.com

If what Filippo, Leftheris, and Karen offer is too expensive—I'm sending you to the finest, after all—try ShoreTrips.com and Viator.com. Bon voyage! And if you want to see some pics from my last Mediterranean cruise, you'll find them here.

Does anyone else have a tour-company recommendation for one-day shore excursions in Mediterranean ports? If so, I'd love to hear, so please share it in Comments below.

Top Ten Tricks for Getting the Flights You Want with the Miles You Have

2010-01-13T21:06:05Z

I hope everyone's having a happy new year. Mine's been a busy one so far. Since 2010 started I've skiied in Vermont, been to a wedding in Boston, and planned trips to Montreal, Mumbai, and Hawaii all within the next month ... which partly explains my delay in getting back to our FlyerTalk Challenge questions and answers. Sorry about that!

Without further ado, here's the excellent question submitted by reader Kevin:

"I'm a teacher, so can only fly on weekends, major holidays, or at peak times in the summer. I manage to collect points on United, but usually can't find a way to USE those points. Do you have any ideas as to how a non-elite-level flyer can book a flight with points at peak times?"

Wouldn't we all like to know? Luckily, FlyerTalk founder Randy Petersen, the world's leading expert on frequent-flier programs, has the answers and has graciously shared them with us. Here are Randy's top tips for travelers who want to use their miles for free tickets:]]> 1. Pick up the phone. Call the airline mileage-award-redemption desk. The award-booking tools on airline web sites often don't display all the award seats that are actually available. Phoning the desk will cost you a few dollars, but that's a small price to pay if you find a helpful reservations agent who will think creatively, look into alternate routes and partner airlines, and find that available seat you're looking for.

2. Try to predict which flights will have award seats available. Generally speaking, the emptier a flight, the lower the airfare will be and the more award seats it will have. So look to see which flights during your travel window are priced lowest, since they will be most likely to have award seats. Try using Bing's Farecast technology for this. If you search for a flight and the "predictor" says "wait" to buy it because the price may drop, then award availability is a possibility. "When fares are predicted to go down," says Randy, "then award seat availability can be predicted to rise."

3. Know which days of the week offer the most award seats. It varies by destination. For flights to Hawaii, for instance, award seats are most likely to be available on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. For flights to Florida, they are most likely to be available on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays.

4. Consider flying into one airport and back from another. A number of programs now offer one-way awards, allowing you to fly into one airport and return from another, which can be very helpful if your destination has more than one airport. Say you want to fly to New York City. "Just because Tuesday into JFK isn't available doesn't mean that Wednesday into Newark isn't either," says Randy. Say you want to fly to Los Angeles. You could fly into LAX and back from Ontario or Orange County airports.

5. Look for award seats six months ahead. After years of research, Randy and his team have figured out that six months before your travel date is the time when you'll find the greatest award-seat availability. If you plan to travel during the peak summer months, the best time to look for award seats is December.

6. Make sure the frequent-flier program you've chosen is the right one for you. "Some airlines are known for being very stingy on award availability," says Randy, "while others are fairly liberal." American AAdvantage, for instance, is known for giving away a lot of award seats. InsideFlyer can help you determine which airline's program best suits the types of awards you want to redeem.

7. Keep calling back to see whether award seats have opened up on the flights you want. Airlines change their award inventory, and frequent fliers change their plans. Somebody who's booked award seats on the flight you want may cancel...which means that seats may open up.

8. Look for award seats on your airline's partners. If the flights you want are code-shared, there may be award seats available on the code-share partner. Say you want to fly from Denver to Montreal and the flight is code-shared by United and Air Canada. It could be that United has no award seats available but Air Canada does, and you can redeem your United miles for those Air Canada seats. Or it could be that you're able to nab an award seat on United for the outbound and on Air Canada for the return.

9. Use a service that helps you find the award seats you need. One free tool that can be used this way (although it's primarily for tracking airfare) is Yapta. If you register as a member of Yapta and search for airfare to your destination, you'll see that Yapta offers you the option to track both airfare and award-seat availability on certain flights. Should the price drop or should an award seat become available, Yapta will alert you by e-mail. A service that may better suit your needs because it's a dedicated award tool is the AwardPlanner benefit from MileageManager. AwardPlanner searches for award seats available through all the frequent-flier programs you belong to. If it can't find what you need, it will re-check award availability daily for you and, when it finds a seat, alert you via e-mail. This means you don't have to call the airline every day to check for award seats. AwardPlanner also has human beings who can "use their special knowledge of how to work around the 'No' answer to figure out how to get the award you want," says Randy. "It costs, but will certainly be less than buying a ticket." There's also BookYourAward, which I've told you about before. It's the new service from frequent-flier expert Gary Leff (perhaps you read his blog View From The Wing?), who will use his mileage savvy to find you the award seats you need.

10. Collect more miles. The more mileage you have, the easier it is to get to the destination you want (since you can redeem for double-mile awards with no blackout dates). There are almost always creative ways to collect more miles than you ever thought was possible--by doing your online shopping via airline sites, taking advantage of bonus-mile promotions, etc. Check the Miles & Points forums on FlyerTalk and read the blogs at Boarding Area to educate yourself about these points-accumulation tricks.

What I've shared here is only the tip of the iceberg. You can read Randy's advice in much greater detail over at FlyerTalk, where he's in the middle of answering the ten tough questions posed by the winners of our FlyerTalk Challenge.

Got tips to add to the list? I'd love to hear them, so please click on the Comments section below to share them with us.

How to Cope with Holiday Flight Cancellations, Overbooked Planes, and Other Airline Adversity

2009-12-21T23:40:55Z

Photo: yahya/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

The snowstorm this past weekend that canceled thousands of flights and stranded thousands of airline passengers—just before the peak Christmas travel period—serves as a reminder that U.S. travelers have few rights when their flights are delayed or canceled. An airline's only obligation is to get you to your destination eventually; it doesn't owe you compensation for damages. Which is no comfort to travelers like Susan Karpa, who wrote in with this sad story:

"My husband and I were booked on a Uniworld holiday market cruise on the Rhine. We were scheduled to depart Chicago O'Hare yesterday and arrive in Basel, Switzerland, today. The heavy storms on the East Coast cancelled our USAirways flights. After an agent at the airport service counter spent 2.5 hours trying to get us to our destination, it became apparent that this was not going to happen. The only possible flight is for arrival on December 24, when the ship will be in another location. Uniworld is unwilling to give us a voucher for later travel, as we did not buy the travel insurance. We are out almost $3,500."

Yikes. Unfortunately, I can't help Susan with her predicament (she should have bought the insurance), but I can tell you that if you're hitting an airport this holiday season, you should follow these steps to minimize the damage that flight delays and cancellations can do to your travel plans:

]]> 1. Make sure you're among the first to know if your flight is delayed or canceled.

Advance knowledge is power—the sooner you learn of a cancellation, the more likely you can nab one of the few seats available on an alternate flight—so sign up for trip alerts either from the airline you're flying or from FlightStats (or both). You'll be notified by e-mail or text message ASAP if there's any change in your flight.

2. If your flight is canceled, instead of standing in the world's longest line to get accommodated on another flight—or, while standing in the line—use your mobile phone.

Call the airline or, if you booked through a travel agency, the travel agent. If you have elite status in the airline's frequent-flier program, call the dedicated elite number. If you don't but a family member or travel companion does, have him/her dial the dedicated number for you. Otherwise call the regular frequent-flier program number (if you're a member) or, failing that, the regular reservations line. If you've got a credit card that promises help in travel emergencies—say, the American Express Platinum Card—or you've bought travel insurance that provides emergency assistance, of course try that too. There's also a cool digital tool that can instantly give you seat availability on alternate flights: ExpertFlyer.com, which is downloadable to your mobile device ($4.99/month).

3. If your flight has been delayed and no new departure time has been posted, ask the gate agent, "Where's the equipment?"

In my experience this is the best way to learn the truth about what your plane's new departure time is likely to be. If you ask, "When are we taking off?" the agent may well answer that he doesn't know. But ask, "Where's the equipment?" and it forces him to look into the computer and find out what time the aircraft left its point of origin (if it has indeed left), which tells you how much time you really have.

4. As soon as it looks like you may be stranded overnight, make a hotel reservation (that you can cancel if you end up not needing it).

The tool I happen to like best for sussing out available hotel rooms in any given location is Mobiata's HotelPal—a free app you can download if you've got an iPhone. If there are no available rooms near the airport (as was the case the last time I was stranded in a snowstorm ... in Munich), make a reservation downtown and suss out your public transportation options there and back. Most hotel reservations can be canceled without penalty before 6 p.m.

5. Know what you're owed if the airline oversold your flight and you're denied boarding.

If you're involuntarily bumped from a flight in the U.S. you're owed up to $800, depending on the amount of time you're delayed. (Here's the rule.) In Europe you're owed up to 600 euros for flight cancellation as well as denied boarding (check out the European rules here).

6. Consider earning a free future ticket by asking the airline if it needs volunteers to be bumped.

Got time to kill? The peak holiday travel period actually represents one of the very best opportunities to earn a voucher for a future flight by volunteering to give up your seat and fly later. If you're booked on an oversold flight and interested in volunteering, don't wait until the gate agent calls for volunteers to give up their seats. Offer yourself as soon as you arrive at the gate, so your name is first on the list. If they do ultimately need volunteers, be sure to ask whether they're providing a confirmed seat on a later flight, so you don't end up stranded indefinitely.

Anybody else have tips for coping with holiday flight cancellations and other grisly airport scenarios? I'd love to hear them!

How To Turn Your Hodge-Podge of Miles in Different Mileage Accounts Into a Free Ticket

2009-12-18T16:49:16Z

Photo: alex-s / CC BY 2.0

What to do when you've got a bunch of frequent-flier mileage accounts, yet not enough miles in any one of them? That's the excellent question from Jennifer G., one of the winners of our FlyerTalk Challenge. She asks:

We have frequent-flyer miles for every airline, but the problem is that we never seem to have enough in each one for a free flight! With Delta, every flight seems to be in the 'high' season...and every Costa Rica flight during the rainy season!

Frequent-flier guru and FlyerTalk founder Randy Petersen has answered Jennifer's question over at FlyerTalk. He's also laid out his top ten tips for combining miles from random mileage accounts in order to scrounge up enough for a free ticket. After the jump, the first five.]]> Mileage Converter tool to convert your miles from one program into another.

(2) Use the Global Points Exchange tool at Points.com to trade miles with other travelers.

(3) Give your more neglected mileage accounts a shot in the arm via credit-card bonuses and online shopping.

(4) Look out for occasional award sales where airlines lower the number of miles needed for an award to as little as 15,000.

(5) Once you've built up enough mileage, use the AwardPlanner service over at MileageManager.com to check award availability daily for you so you can nab that seat you need as soon as it opens up.

For lots more detail and the remaining five tips, see Randy Petersen's complete answer to Jennifer's question in this thread on FlyerTalk.

Tips for the Caribbean Island of St. Lucia

2009-12-08T15:19:57Z

The last time I was on St. Lucia, I ate lunch at Dasheene Restaurant.
Photo: Lisa Limer for Condé Nast Traveler

A question has come in from a reader named Nancy:

"We are going to St. Lucia's Coconut Bay Resort on January 1st. Any tips for our week there?"

I'm a big fan of St. Lucia—it's a lush island full of picturesque drives, rainforest, and views—and have been there three times but, unfortunately, for only one day each, as a stop on a cruise. The last time—three years ago—I hired a driver in advance to pick me and my husband up at the pier in the morning when the ship pulled in and drop us back there in the late afternoon. My advice for you is to spend a day on a private island tour with him. His name is Julian Bissette, and his email address is bissettejc@candw.lc. (If you want his phone numbers, shoot me an email at wperrin@cntraveler.com.)

Julian showed my husband and me the island's highlights that were on my agenda—the fishing village of Soufriere and the Diamond Botanical Gardens among them—as well as off-the-beaten-path spots we wouldn't have known to look for on our own, such as Plas Kassav, a "factory" where they make a local bread from cassava root the traditional way (an experience that I wrote about here). I found Julian through the concierge at Ladera Resort, where my husband and I ate lunch midday (at the restaurant pictured above). My suggestion for you is to contact Julian and let him spend a day showing you his island.

Should You Stay Loyal to Your Loyalty Program Or Call It Quits?

2009-12-08T00:05:31Z

When your preferred airline or hotel chain suddenly changes its award-program rules, devaluing your precious miles and points, at what point do you bail and throw yourself into another program's arms? That's question #3 in the FlyerTalk Challenge, from reader Jenni:

"With miles and points constantly being devalued, how do programs expect their members to stay loyal? I run everything through my program credit cards, and I focus on one airline program and one hotel program to maximize my status and points. Do I start over when a program (ahem Hilton HHonors) changes its structure...again? Or do I ride out the storm and hope the program managers come to their senses?"

Most frequent travelers are smart to focus their efforts on just one airline and one hotel program, but doing so means that you're at the travel company's mercy when it suddenly changes its award chart. Since many of us have been in the same situation, I was very curious to read frequent-flier guru Randy Petersen's advice for Jenni. Randy recruited two FlyerTalk experts -- KiwiFlyer, who co-writes FlyerTalk's blog The Gate, and Pizzaman -- to weigh in too.

Their consensus? Stick with the Hilton HHonors program for the time being, but keep an eye out for the occasional HHonors award promotion that will double the value of your points, and always be on the lookout for a more suitable frequent-guest program as your travel patterns change. You can read the complete answer to Jenni's question here.