A fortnight is a long time in the war on liquids. Since my previous entry, some further countries have announced new liquids bans in carry-ons. The upcoming changes are:

• Nepal – no liquids at all (other countries allow the small containers in clear sealable plastic bag)
• Pakistan – no liquids at all
• Fiji – from 1 March
• Japan – from 1 March
• South Korea – from 1 March
• Taiwan – from 1 March
• Australia – from 31 March on international flights
• New Zealand – from 31 March on international flights

This list is incomplete and with fast changing rules all travellers should check with their airline(s) in the first instance. The rules apply for both departures and transits.

So it seems it won’t be long until all countries have adopted restrictions on liquids in carry-ons for flights.

Musings of the Global Traveller
Thoughts, advice and travel news from around the world by a seasoned frequent flyer.

Since friends and colleagues know I fly a lot I often get asked my opinion on various aspects of flying and frequent flyer programs.

A common question is whether to sit in the window or aisle. The best seats are both window and aisle at the same time, but most of the time there is a choice (or the dreaded middle seat). I don’t have a universal preference, which makes it tricky to decide what to enter as preference in my frequent flyer program profile (for those airlines like Qantas that pre-allocate seats based on your profile).

I prefer a window seat when:

• it is a short flight – so easy access to the aisle is irrelevant
• it is a scenic flight – especially low altitude ones by/over/through mountains, but even longhaul flights at altitude can have great views
• I want to catch a glimpse of the northern or southern lights (on suitable routes and flying overnight)
• when the window seat has more room or more storage room – eg upper deck on 747 (thanks to the curvature and also side storage bins), on certain aircraft there is a missing window seat immediately in front of the exit row providing massive legroom
• I want to curl up against the wall on short overnight flights
• I want to avoid being bumped by other passengers or food/duty free trolleys

I prefer an aisle seat when:

• it is a long flight – easier to get up to stretch the legs or go to the bathroom or galley
• I am in a hurry to disembark – eg tight connections or a rush to make a meeting (okay this is most flights)
• I am sure to get a row of 3 or 4 seats to lay down on – easier to protect the row if you are seated in the aisle seat than if seated in the window seat
• I want easy access to gear stored in the overhead bin – eg when seated in an exit row
• on some aircraft, when seated in an exit row – to avoid the protusion of the slide into my legroom

So my answer is, it depends.

Which do you prefer and why?

Musings of the Global Traveller
Thoughts, advice and travel news from around the world by a seasoned frequent flyer.

It seems Qantas is keen on keeping up the numbers of elite members of Qantas Frequent Flyer (QFF) program. Many people have reported having retained their status on minimal flights on Qantas, or even having credited no flights in the whole membership year.

There seems to be 2 approaches – one is those who previously qualified Gold or Platinum with plenty of extra status credits than the minimum are automatically requalified a few months before expiry of their status. The second is for those who previously only just qualified, for whom QFF asks for expected travel pattern for the upcoming year – ie looking for an excuse to retain your status.

For those who are in between status levels – eg easily qualifying for Silver but not on track for Gold, QFF is providing double status credit offers to help them up to the next level.

Nice for QFF members. I can’t help think that Qantas is getting ready to spin off their frequent flyer program (having inflated the number of elite members in the process).

Musings of the Global Traveller
Thoughts, advice and travel news from around the world by a seasoned frequent flyer.

I got a reminder today to check itinerary change emails carefully. An upcoming itinerary had one flight rebooked to an earlier flight. So what you say? This flight not only departed before my connecting flight arrived, but it left around the same time the previous flight leaves. A totally impossible connection. To make matters worse, the email wording didn’t mention the rebooking at all.

PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF FLIGHT NUMBERS..FLIGHT TIMES HAVE REMAINED THE SAME

Oops. Fortunately this was all on one ticket and a simple search of the airline schedule provided me with an alternate flight (the last of the day) to suggest rebooking to (and a backup new routing if that failed). Easily fixed but I could have been stranded had I not read the email carefully.

Musings of the Global Traveller
Thoughts, advice and travel news from around the world by a seasoned frequent flyer.

The backscatter x-ray machine is being “tested” in Phoenix, USA. It will also be tested in JFK and LAX airports according to the Transport Security Administration (TSA). That innocuous sounding name belies just how invasive the technology can be. Check out these pictures in the NY Times.

The pilot is said to be voluntary, but as with so many rules in the name of security I bet it won’t be long before you won’t be allowed to fly if you don’t accept the screeners’ free perv.

I expect the TSA will be getting a lot of complaints over this, and perhaps also a surge in job applicants.

Musings of the Global Traveller
Thoughts, advice and travel news from around the world by a seasoned frequent flyer.

No travel this past week for the first time in ages. Seems a bit odd.

So instead I have been preparing for some upcoming trips, and planning 2 or 3 more round the world trips. It is quite a logistical challenge fitting it into my schedule, with availability, including as many places I need to go as possible in the one ticket (or convenient side trips), whilst maximising enjoyment, comfort, frequent flyer miles and status earning, and minimising misconnection risk, taxes, transits in horrid airports, etc.

While the online tools of the main alliances have improved over the past few years, they are still buggy enough that I rely mainly on spreadsheets plus information I have amassed. Flyertalk.com is also very useful for picking up tips.

Musings of the Global Traveller
Thoughts, advice and travel news from around the world by a seasoned frequent flyer.

I like to keep an eye open for new route announcements. Often when they are first released there is reasonable availability for decent paid fares as well as awards. Sometimes this doesn’t work out though – if the airline’s revenue management is being unduly cautious for example.

I’m currently impatiently waiting for Air New Zealand to release seats on their newly announced Vancouver to Auckland nonstop service.

Musings of the Global Traveller
Thoughts, advice and travel news from around the world by a seasoned frequent flyer.

The Cranky Flier has been in touch with Jet Blue over the meaning of Controllable Irregularities (see Jet Blue’s Passenger Bill of Rights). And apparently they have decided not to define the term. Hello big gaping hole in their trumpeted PBOR.

This brings to mind a piece from Lewis Carroll’s “Through the Looking-Glass“.

“When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone. “It means just what I choose it to mean – neither more or less.”

“The question is,” said Alice, “whether you can make words mean so many different things.”

“The question is,” said Humpty Dumpty, “which is to be master – that’s all.”

Musings of the Global Traveller
Thoughts, advice and travel news from around the world by a seasoned frequent flyer.

Jet Blue has today announced it’s own voluntary passenger bill of rights (PBOR) – which will be highlighted prominently on its website (at least for now). Further they have decided to apply it retrospectively to those affected by delays last week.

The details are:

Cancellations

• Passengers have the choice of full refund or put on alternative Jet Blue flights at no cost.
• If cancelled at less than 12 hours notice due to Controllable Irregularity (whatever that means as it isnt defined in the PBOR), passengers will also get a Jet Blue voucher for the fare paid.

Is this on top of the full refund/rebooking?

Delays

If Controllable Irregularity (that term again), then delay of:

• 1-2 hours = $25 Jet Blue voucher
• 2-4 hours = $50 Jet Blue voucher
• 4-6 hours = Jet Blue voucher for the fare paid (one way)
• 6+ hours = Jet Blue voucher for the fare paid (round trip)

Involuntary Denied Boarding

$1000 if the result of overbooking.

Ground Delays

Once passengers spend 5 hours onboard Jet Blue will deplane.

Ground delays of:

• 30-60 minutes on arrival = $25 Jet Blue voucher
• 1-2 hours on arrival = $100 Jet Blue voucher
• 2-3 hours on arrival = Jet Blue voucher for fare paid (one way)
• 4+ hours on arrival = Jet Blue voucher for fare paid (round trip)
• 3-4 hours on departure = $100 Jet Blue voucher
• 4+ hours on departure = Jet Blue voucher for fare paid (round trip)

Contract of Carriage

Jet Blue intends to incorporate their PBOR into their contract of carriage.

My comments

It is a start and by putting it into the contract of carriage it will have binding impact (at least until contract of carriage wording is changed). That is good.

Not so good the unequal treatment of delays on departure and arrival – what were they thinking? Apart from involuntary denied boarding (IDB) the compensation is wholly in vouchers, which effectively devalues it significantly and imposes a lesser penalty on itself than cold hard cash would do.

Thirdly, the longer delays providing compensation in the amount of one-way vs round-trip fare is odd – not everyone travels round trips any more and some fares could be ridiculously low. How will someone on a say $80 fare feel being given a voucher for $80 after a 5 hour delay? Not happy I would guess.

It will be interesting to see the reactions to this airline PBOR.

Musings of the Global Traveller
Thoughts, advice and travel news from around the world by a seasoned frequent flyer.

For the first time in a while I need to get visas to enter some multiple countries in a short period, and I’m reminded how much of a pain this is. Most places I travel to I do not need to get visas in advance. Now I need to get a few, and I have a short window of time between other overseas travel (when I need my passport) in which to do so.

I have some visa experts on the case and so it should all work out okay, but I’ll rest easier once I have my passport back in hand complete with all the necessary visas.

Musings of the Global Traveller
Thoughts, advice and travel news from around the world by a seasoned frequent flyer.