According to US Customs and Border Protection, Australia has extended their SmartGate expedited entry program to members of Global Entry. Beginning November 01, 2012 Australian Customs and Border Protection will allow eligible U.S. Trusted Travelers to use Australia’s automated border processing system, SmartGate, on a trial basis. SmartGate performs the customs and immigration checks usually…
A number of airlines have released new safety videos this week. While the safety video could be one of the most boring parts of flying, some airlines will spice it up. Air New Zealand is well-known for producing quirky (and fun) safety videos. The newest installment is based on the characters in The Hobbit, and…
Have you ever found yourself stranded at an airport, longing for a free internet connection? Although there are a number of airports that offer free WiFi (a service for which I am VERY grateful), free WiFi is hardly ubiquitous. Enter FreedomPop, a nationwide 4G wireless internet service that, among other things, promises: Free Data – guaranteed 500MB…
Alaska Airlines continues to impress me with their commitment to their customers. One of my biggest frustrations with checking baggage is how long I have to wait at some stations for the bags to be delivered. Waiting 45 minutes or an hour for bags is an experience nobody wants to have, but almost every traveler…
Flying means that things sometimes go wrong…horribly wrong. Flights get delayed or canceled, reservations get lost, and involuntary denied boarding happens. Here’s how you can be prepared to make sure that, when things go wrong, you can get home. This post is inspired by my travel last weekend. Both the significant other and I had…
Just a quick reminder for any Chase Freedom cardholders out there: Starting today (September 15, 2012), you can register for this quarter’s bonus categories, which includes hotels. Visit https://creditcards.chase.com/freedom/Activate.aspx to activate next quarter’s promotion.
It’s summer, which means time for traveling. I’ll be visiting 15 countries over four months. Scores of flights on almost as many carriers, night trains in several countries, ferrys, hitchhiking, and camel rides all mean that there will be plenty to share when I return in the fall. Success stories, my commentary on exclusive terminals, an…
Just a quick reminder for any Chase Freedom cardholders out there: Starting today (June 15, 2012), you can register for this quarter’s bonus categories, which includes restaurants. Visit https://creditcards.chase.com/freedom/Activate.aspx to activate next quarter’s promotion.
It might be wise to think twice about checking a bag when traveling through JFK. According to a recent CBS News story out of New York, more than 200 bags are stolen by airport workers every day at New York’s JFK airport. Law enforcement sources told Kramer that thefts at the airport have increased at…
I’m pretty sure that there are no four-legged friends reading this blog, but for those of you who like to travel with your pets and have heard horror stories about kittens freezing to death, there is an alternative to checking your pets as cargo on a commercial flight. Pet Airways specializes in pet transport, offering…
The Flying Consultant 