Choosing a Travel Agent

Do you need help planning that trip of a lifetime?

Are you looking for some expert recommendations on which are the best cruise lines? or the best time of the year to travel to Asia?

Choosing the right travel agent may not be as stressful as choosing a new dentist, but in case it makes you uneasy, try this travel planner tool from Traveler magazine.

Search by specialty or destination or area of interest to generate a list of recommended agents among 175 professionals the magazine has rated as the best in their field.

Click here to access the site.

Exploring made Easy

Know when you want to travel but are flexible as to where?  Try Kayak’s handy travel tool, Kayak Explore.

Just plug in your departure city and time period, and Explore will display on a world map several destinations from which to choose.

Ticket prices are shown and criteria may be narrowed by budget and desired activities such as golf or skiing.

Great for browsing or for booking your next trip.

On-Time Performance

If  comparing cost, convenience and leg room isn’t enough to plan your next flight, how about on-time performance?

The website, FlightAware.com displays a one week average of actual flight times which may help you choose between otherwise comparable airlines.

Use the Flight Finder tool to locate the options between any two cities or airports. Click on the desired flight and the weekly average will be shown.  You can refine your search by aircraft, airline or alliance affiliation.

Both Domestic and International itineraries are available.

For more detailed results, you may need to complete the free registration.

New York City app

The New York Times Inside Guide to New York, The Scoop , is now available as an Iphone app.

The Scoop is a collection of restaurant, shopping and entertainment tips  from the staff of the New York Times.

The site can be searched alphabetically, by category or geographically. Online comments are welcome, and the app is free.

Fare Tracking Tool

Want to ensure you are getting the best price offered on your next flight or hotel stay?

Yapta.com offers a tracking tool that will send you alerts when the listed fare/room rate drops on your preferred route or destination.

It also provides an easy way to apply for a refund if the price goes down on a fare you have already paid for.  Refund policies on fare changes differ, and Yapta displays an easy to follow guide on which airlines offer the benefit.

A definite time saving service for travelers searching for the lowest fares.

Photo of airplane wing by Zoagli and republished here under a Creative Commons license.  Some rights reserved.

TSA Connection

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is reaching out to you.  It has launched My TSA, a new IPhone app.  Read about it in a  July 9, 2010 posting on the New York Times Travel blog, In Transit.

My TSA offers four categories of information:  Airport Status, Can I bring, TSA Guide and Security Wait Times.  Get the latest updates on checked baggage and carry-on requirements as well as tips on how to get through the security lines more quickly.  The Security Wait Times feature relies on real time feedback sent by airport passengers, which may be a good thing, or not, depending on its usage.

My TSA, along with 17 other free apps, is available at USA.gov.  A non IPhone version is available at www.tsa.gov/mobile.

Photo of airport security queue by MikeCogh and republished here under a Creative Commons license.  Some rights reserved.

TripAdvisor Weds Facebook

The Boston Globe reported on June 14, 2010 (p. B5) that the popular TripAdvisor website has launched a new application with Facebook.

Trip Friends incorporates the  Cities I’ve Visited feature with publicly available Facebook profile information to allow the sharing of travel experiences with Facebook friends.  Users may post review requests on their Facebook wall without leaving the TripAdvisor site and save the responses in a custom folder.

Tech reviewers are calling the app a winner.  Give it a try!

Organizing & Sharing Trip Details

TripIt, www.tripit.com, is a free online program that helps you organize and share trip information with  family, friends or any person or group related to your trip on a private webpage.

Itinery information can easily be shared on facebook, through email or displayed as an open web.

You can track all of your reservations including flight, dinner and car rental info.

Your page automatically displays weather reports and maps of your destination(s).  Other free feautures include calendar synching, driving directions and ability to add your own personal notes.