Unbeknownst to me (and some of you I’m sure) the Marriott has jazzed up its homepage to rival that of any upstart tech corporation.  It’s beautiful.  With point and click applications that eliminate searching through hotlinks, this site will surely make doing business easier. 

I was easily able to locate the login to for my account.  The new drop down feature showing you at a glance your nights and points is a hit for me.  I can also see my upcoming reservations without having to load another page!  This is really a step up!

Check out the new Marriott website here.

United Airlines is a leader of “pay for play” amenities.  From snacks onboard to extra leg room, United has made a business of upselling.  Because of that, they perhaps make it the easiest to obtain Elite status with some of the promotions they run.  Currently, United is boasting two promotions and one newsworthy item to boost your status:

1. Fly BMI airlines until December 15, 2009 from London Heathrow to any Western country. Now, in the event you’re not gallivanting around London and abroad, here are some more items.
2. Earn Double Elite Qualifying Miles on by registering at united.com using promotion code MPW049 until December 15, 2009.
3. Fly Star Alliance flights anytime. All Star Alliance partner flights will earn you mileage credit toward elite status on United Airlines.

See all of these promotions at http://www.united.com/page/article/0,6722,1252,00.html .

See Star Alliance partners here http://www.united.com/page/article/0,6722,1177,00.html

Erwin Vermont Washington is the third U.S. pilot in 13 months to be arrested for being over the strict alcohol limits imposed on airline staff.  Did you even know that pilots were allowed to have ANY alcohol in their systems?  What job can you drink on? 

Washington was arrested after officers were called to United Airlines Flight 949, which was already full of passengers and due to leave London’s Heathrow Airport just after noon on Monday. Under British law, pilots are forbidden from having any more than 20 micrograms of alcohol for each 100 millilitres of blood in their system, or .02 percent. For most average-sized men, that is the equivalent of having just had about half a glass of regular strength beer.

If convicted, he faces up to two years in prison, a fine, or both.   Thank goodness for breathalyzers!

Continental usually runs one or more promotions at any given time.  The best source of this information is on their website .  This article will cover the best ones going on now.

1. Elite Status Twice as Fast – This promotion runs from September 9 to December 15, 2009 and is as easy as booking a flight on Continental then flying.  You get double the miles which are used to qualify you for elite status.  Free upgrades!
2. Extra Mile program – This is in keeping with other major airlines efforts to charge fees for doing nothing, but, here it is anyway.  Valid for all of 2010 (January 1 to December 31), the extra mile program gets you 50% extra miles on all flights depending on the fee you choose.  The catch is it’s only valid up to 12,500 to 17,500 miles and does not count towards elite status.

If you just do these 2 things, you’ll be on your way to free award travel, and free upgrades in no time!

A business trip can be long or short in duration.  If you’re going to training, it’s even easier to predict.  Let’s take the average number of days, say 5.  What on earth do you bring with you for 5 days?  If you’ve never been on a business trip, you may feel overwhelmed by the possibilities.  What if it’s cold?  What if it’s hot?  What if I want to work out?  What if I want to go out?  While questions like these are good to ask, they can easily lead to over-packing.  And over-packing doesn’t do anything but cost you more money.  The tips below will help you navigate the world of business packing without breaking the bank.

1. Interchangeable Items – Whether you’re going for 2 days or 5, some items you can reuse.  Bring slacks/skirts that can be worn on the first day and the last day you arrive.  I often wear my Friday pants on my Sunday travel day.  If needed, I can send them out for cleaning and have fresh pants to go home in.  This rule also works for cardigans, jackets or blazers. 
2. One shoe, two shoe -  When going on a week-long business trip, I usually end up with 3 pairs of shoes.  1 black pair, 1 brown pair and 1 fun pair.  If you’re an avid exerciser, bring your work out shoes as well.  But, make sure you wear one of the pairs on the travel days.  Shoes take up a lot of space and are heavy, so, travel light.
3. Mini-size me – If you’re thinking you have to check your bag because you just can’t live without your favorite bottle of shampoo, think again.  The drug store (or Wal-Mart) sells airport approved bottles.  Load them up with your favorite toiletries and carry them on too.

The rules are pretty simple.  In order to follow them, I try on every outfit I intend to bring with the 2 shoe rule.  This helps me cut down on extras and gets me through the airport faster.  See my post on carry-on’s here:  

http://misfortunatetraveler.wordpress.com/2009/08/10/getting-through-airport-security-with-carry-ons/

For example, let’s say you want to go to Mexico for the holidays.  Are you well off, or are you barely scraping by and the least you can do for yourself is take a vacation?  The type of deals you go for are completely dependent on your idea of a bargain.  For some, flying first class for half price is best.  For others, a $50 one way fare is best.  If you’re not sure which category you fit into, here are some tips on how to select the best deal for you.

1. Circuitous Trips – All this means is you’re going to be all over the world and take all day to get there.  If you find a super smashing good deal, but, you have to make 3 layovers, leave at 6:00 am and not arrive until 10:00 pm, is that ok with you?  Keep in mind the more layovers you have the more chance you have to be bumped or cancelled from a flight!
2. Tight Squeeze – If this flight only has middle rows and is on a carrier that only has older planes, what’s best, your safety and comfort or saving a $100?  Nothings worse than being stuck in the middle and on a circuitous trip.
3. Nickel and Dime – Ok, so, let’s say you find this $50 fare.  And then, let’s say you’re going to pack a bag, eat in the plane, and watch a movie.  You may have walked straight into a trap for your wallet if you’re not careful.  Some airlines sell you reduced fares only to nickel and dime you later.  Do your research.  If a flight on another airline costs twice as much, it might just be the better deal.

The Times of India, local newspaper, reported that the pilot on flight IC 884 ended up in a full-blown brawl, and, wait for it….left the cockpit unmanned!

In my opinion, all these shenanigans and goings on with today’s airlines leads me to want to drive more!  Well, no, not really, but, I definitely won’t be flying on Air India any time soon.

The relief of this change to Star Alliance is that now there won’t be anymore nightmare delays at the hands of a codeshare flight between Delta and Continental.  Now, we’ll just have to see how United pans out.  I’m personally very excited about this move since many of the places I travel to are only serviced by United instead of Continental.  Expect more flexibility in your travel arrangements.  Here’s an excerpt from my letter:

Continue Earning Miles with OnePass
Continental’s OnePass members do not need to make any changes to their OnePass accounts and will continue to utilize their mileage as normal. Mileage balances will not be affected by the transition.

Travel through Oct. 24, 2009
OnePass members can continue to earn and redeem miles and make reward reservations on SkyTeam partners through Oct. 24, 2009. All reward travel on these partners must be completed on or before Oct. 24, 2010.

Travel on Oct. 25 and Oct. 26, 2009
If you travel on a Star Alliance airline on Oct. 25 or Oct. 26, we will make every effort to ensure you automatically receive OnePass mileage credit (including Elite Qualification Miles/Points) and eligible customers receive lounge access. Please save copies of your travel documentsfor Oct. 25 and Oct. 26 — eTicket receipts and original boarding passes — until mileage credit is confirmed on your OnePass statement.

Travel Oct. 27, 2009 and beyond
When the transition to Star Alliance occurs on Oct. 27, 2009, OnePass members will begin earning base miles and Elite Qualification Miles/Points and be able to redeem miles on Star Alliance airlines.

The official codeshare status begins October 27, 2009.  If you fly on either airline on October 25/26, 2009, keep your boarding pass as they have agreed to begin giving credit for those flights then.

Happy Flying!!

I personally have been either grounded or in “holding” more times than I care to remember.  It seems like every time you turn around either a flight is significantly delayed arriving to take you where you want to go or leaving where you’re leaving from.  With all of these delays, it befuddles the mind as to how anyone gets anywhere, ever.  But, in reality, airlines don’t like to be late.  They really don’t like to have to explain to you why they’re late either.  Check out some of the various reasons the airline thinks it’s better for you to board a plane and sit on it for hours vs. you waiting comfortably (although unhappily) in the airport:

1. Ontime departures.  The truth is, unfortunately, if the plane backs away from the gate, the airline can claim victory concerning their on time departure.  Seriously.  Even if you wait on the tarmac for a whole day, they still are considered to have departed on time.
2. Compensation.  Airlines don’t want to have to compensate you if they know for sure they won’t be leaving in time for you to catch your next flight.  Reaccomodating passengers is time consuming and expensive.  Although they will eventually have to reaccomodate you, depending on the number of other flights that go awry, this may save them more time in the long run.
3. They don’t know.  It would be nice to think that airports are well organized and able to accurately predict the flight traffic.  This is definitely true, in most cases.  But, what happens when 10 flights all scheduled to leave within 20 minutes of each other are all moved around because of delays at other airports?  The same thing that happens to you if you leave your house 20 minutes late in the morning, you’re caught in traffic.

There really is no way to avoid being stuck on an airplane at some point.  Weather either at your location or the one you’re going to can behave unexpectedly and we all know how well weather men can predict what’s going to happen.  Traveling by air means you’re at the mercy of the airline.  You’ll leave when they say you’ll leave, so suck it up!  It’s not all bad though.  Due to some recent movement to change laws, passengers hope to one day have rights while they’re stuck sucking up recycled air and wishing they’d stopped to eat that hamburger before getting on the plane.  What should you do before your flight, in case it turns into a all-nighter?  Follow these simple steps to help you out of a jam anytime:

1. Don’t check your medicine:  If you are diabetic, have migranes, or are just depressed, always have enough medicine on you to last the entire day.  Often times your checked luggage can be delayed or lost and having medicine with you in a carry-on is just good practice.
2. Snack well:  I generally carry two food related items when I fly:  1) Water mix-ins of my favorite drink packet 2) chips, candy, or veggies if I’m trying to be healthy.  You can bring your own food into the airport and pick up a bottle of water on the way to the plane.  My mom loves nuts, so, she stocks up on those at her local grocer because they cost a grip at the airport.
3. Bring a change of clothes:  Nothing is worse than being in the same clothes 24 hours.  Pack a spare pair of undies and a shirt in your carry-on.  In fact, if you only bring a carry-on you’ll already have all of the toilitries you need as well.
4. Check your attitude at the door:  YES!  I know it sucks something awful being stuck in an airport, airplane, or worse on an airplane at an airport not moving.  Becoming frustrated with your equally captive crew won’t help you.  In fact, it could get you tackeld by those elusive air marshalls.  Being nice to the flight crew can mean the difference in you getting water and snacks at hour 2 or hour 10.  They’re stuck too, remember.

Tips from this post:

1. Check the health of your airline before you travel.  Ontime departure statistics can be found here http://www.bts.gov/xml/ontimesummarystatistics/src/index.xml.  But don’t stop there, also look at the arrival statistics, you’ll be able to determine if the flight took longer than expected, i.e. you were stuck in the plane longer.
2. See the post about getting through security with your carry-on for great packing advice.   http://misfortunatetraveler.wordpress.com/2009/08/10/getting-through-airport-security-with-carry-ons/

Why is it important to understand your role in a security slowdown or speed up?  Let’s say you arrive at the airport, and you’ve decided you’re going to carry on a bag instead of check it.  But, let’s also assume that you are running just a tad bit late.  To leave the house, you throw your clothes and personal items into a random carry-on and head out the door.  You even remember your laptop, but, you stuff it in the bag, at the bottom.  What’s wrong with this picture?  You may have repeated it countless times, thinking, “it’s only a weekend trip, I don’t need to pack in advance.”  Before you end up losing valuable time and purchases, follow these rules for a carry on bag.

• Follow the actual Rules: The TSA (Transportation Security Administration) has several rules regarding carry-on bags.  http://www.tsa.gov/  They even have guidelines on how to get through the line faster.  They recommend packing in layers in the event you’re selected for random screening.  While I agree, layers are useful, following their guidance (putting electronics in the middle)  might not make sense for everyone.  I usually pack my shoes on the bottom under clothing, any electronics such as curling irons or extra chargers go directly on the sides and personal items (i.e. underwear) go in the zippered areas.
• Use travel sizes: There’s nothing worse than bringing your favorite cologne/perfume in your bag for your special weekend only to watch a security agent gleefully toss it into the garbage.  I traveled with this perfume in a 4 oz bottle for about 6 months through the Colorado Springs Airport (COS).  One day, I flew through Denver, and actually had my bag “searched.”  As the agent berated me on traveling with oversize liquids, I casually mentioned I’d been traveling with that same bottle every month for the last six months.  She was so happy to tell me this, I have to share.  She says, “Just because you speed everywhere, doesn’t mean you’re not breaking the law.  The liquid size is the law, and you’ve been breaking it.”  I was furious at the time, but, now follow the specific limits for liquids.  The maximum allowed liquid size is 3.4 oz.  Your deodorant is usually this size, for reference.  If you don’t want to shell out money on travel size lotions, potions, etc. then buy your own and fill them with your too large liquids at home.  I get travel size bottles from Wal-mart for $0.50 each.  www.walmart.com

• Be mindful of your bag: Have you ever seen a person trying to jam a too large bag into an overhead bin?  Just think of the poor folks standing behind them in the security line.  Bag regulations are oftentimes ignored, but, the TSA has long since changed the screening conveyors to accomodate only carry-on sizes.  I’m sure you’ve seen the “If your bag doesn’t fit” signs everywhere, but who actually measures their bag?  The Federal Aviation Administration or FAA indicates that 45 inches is the maximum bag size.  This is heigth + width + depth, see http://www.faa.gov/passengers/prepare_fly/baggage/ for more information.  But, something you should know is that regional carriers often only have room for briefcase size bags, and not the regulated FAA travel size.  If your bag does not fit on a regional carrier, they will gate check your bag (See gate checking and other post security tips).

• Wear easily removable shoes:  I absolutely love it when I see someone either in boots or tennis shoes trying to unlace them in time to make it through the metal detector.  This is not convenient!  Not for you or the people behind you.  If at all possible wear slip on loafers or even sandals in the summer.  If it’s the dead of winter, wear your boots that you can take off easily.  This will save you time in line coming and going.  Some airports provide foot booties so you can even take your shoes off earlier and not have to stand on the airport floor, yuck.
• Take everything out of your bag they want to see:  Since your liquids are in the appropriate sized containers, your job is done, right?  No.  Put your 3.4 oz containers into a 1 quart zip-lock bag.  Remove that bag from your carryon luggage, the TSA likes it like that.  Also, if you don’t have a butterfly style laptop bag, take your laptop out too.  I like to stage my items so that when I get up to the stainless steel table, it all goes straight into the bin and through the screening system.  One thing to note here is that the TSA requests that you place your shoes on the conveyor belt, and not in a bin. 
• Did you make it through? Ok, now move!:  It’s classic to see the well prepared traveler make it through the screening successfully only to watch their time go down the drain.  The most common mistakes are standing directly in front of the conveyor while putting on your shoes and then putting everything back in your bag.  You’ll easily create a pile up of unhappy people if you do this.  I recommend slipping on your easily removable shoes and grabbing everything else out of the bins.  Next, move quickly to the seats the TSA so lovingly places at the end of the screening area where you can sit and calmly put everything back in your bag.  This also allows you to see if you left anything behind on the belt.

If you follow these 6 tips, you should be breezing through security and to your gate in no time.