Business travel is often unavoidable, but some of the travel hassles can be. Here’s the 411 for choosing cities and flights likely to have on time departures, less stressful airport picks ups, airline quality ratings, and ways to avoid flying fees.
On time departures: You automatically check fares, flights, and arrival times as part of your purchase process. Do you regularly check the flights or airlines on time record? Arriving on time for that big presentation doesn’t have to be left purely to luck. Making a quick online stop at Flight Stats (
www.flightstats.com) and clicking the “flight rating” option can remove much of that travel mystery. Expect a brief information delay on your first visit because a no fee registration is required.
Dallas to Los Angeles: On the day we visited Flight Stats, we found that flights from Los Angeles (LAX) to Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW) leave on time 79.9 percent of the time and the airline we choose could make a difference. When comparing airlines, we learned that American and Alaska Airlines earned 3.5 out of a possible four stars for on time departures; while United earned only 1.5 stars on this route.
Cities do make a difference. If you live in Milwaukee and are planning a summer trip to the amusement and entertainment destination of Orlando, Florida, double check your alarm click’s wake up setting. The flights depart on time, most of the time (84 percent). Northwest and Air Tran both earned a 4.0 on time rating.
If your home base is Atlanta and you are heading to New York City, you are more likely to find yourself pacing concourses waiting for your delayed flight. Last quarter, flights departed on time only 67 percent of the time on this route. That doesn’t mean you can automatically plan to hit the snooze button one more time. Learn more. You can check specific flight numbers and see if the flight you are considering has a track record of on time departures or if it has a recurring pattern of delays.
Many major airport’s web sites also provide a range of traveler information services ranging from the time to clear security check points this afternoon to your individual flight’s progress.
Less Hassle Airport Pickups: About the only thing more aggravating than trying to flag down your ride while they drive laps around the airport amid the blaring whistles of security professionals, is to be the one driving endlessly in circles around the airport. Free cell phone lots, now available at about 25 airports allow you to pull off that circular track and wait for your friend to call your cell. Cell-phone lots can save on gas and fraying nerves.
Among the airports with free cell phone lots are: Denver, Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Diego, Baltimore-Washington, Seattle-Tacoma, and Philadelphia. To find out if your local airport has a cell-phone lot, call their general information line or check its website.
Avoiding Flying Fees: If you’ve ever wondered where the advertised fare disappeared when purchased your ticket, you aren’t alone. That fare could be buried under fees and service charges (e.g. departure fees, ticketing fees, traveling with infant fees, and service charges). One way to avoid phone and airline ticketing fees is by buying online directly from the airline. You may want to do some comparison ticket pricing on general travel sites but be aware of the fees some travel sites charge. Expedia.com charges up to a $5 book fee per ticket; Travelocity, $5 to $10; Orbitz $5 to $18.
Low Cost High Quality: ‘You get what you pay for’ may have become a mere travel memory or business traveler urban legend. The 2006 Independent Airline Quality Rating report found that the best performing airlines continue to be low-fare carriers again this year. Following Jet Blue (number one spot) in the top five were Air Tran, Independence Air, Southwest, and United.
© 2006
Florence News reprint permission to Billy Florence Team Dream Chasers blog.
