I am trying to submit a poll here.
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I am trying to submit a poll here.
Moderate traveler here. I travel frequently but haven't yet mastered the "juggling act" at screening. ;) Now I have no problem with part one- I can juggle my ID, boarding pass, carry-on, cell phone, jacket and one-quart oz plastic bag with noooooo problem. What throws me off is the "shoe shuffle". I can slip off one shoe without difficulty; however, removing the second shoe proves disastrous. I don't know if its the one shoe/one footie that throws my balance off, or the hopping on one foot, either way, something or somethingssss always end up hitting the floor.
I believe it is this "crash, bam, boom, along with my frustrated sigh and eye roll :rolleyes: that get me noticed by TSA.
I aways get the secondary screening. Wands Up! B)
I'd like to consider myself an 'expert', especially for short hops. I only take as much as that will fit in a carry on sized bag, slip on shoes and try to maintain a 'they're just doing their job' attitude - I'd rather them catch me in the extra screen net than to have them miss someone who could cause problems.
Especially non reving, you gotta go with the flow...
I have noticed that if I go a few months without travelling, I don't really get thrown off. I think I automatically know what to look for and expect. Unless things change drastically. Travel requires alot of moving around on your feet. I definately don't move around like when I was say 25. But I still get around. I sometimes trade off pain for seeing what I need to see. If I start to get achey, from so much walking around, I just try to take more breaks. I found while in Canada, my legs were in pain including my ankles. I must have walked one of those days at least 3 or four miles including in the malls ect...
I found that by going to my hotel and using the heated whirlpool with a good rest, relieved alot of tension. I know we end up walking alot on trips. I kind of plan it that way to avoid over eating, under excercising and getting sloppy/lazy on the trip.
Expert - (as flying in Australia we can keep our shoes on!) ;) .....well moderate to expert - I enjoy planning holidays - I like to have everything organised and booked when going overseas. We usually always hire a car if doing a "touring" holiday - with a family it saves on airport transfers and food when you can get out to different places to eat etc etc.
But we also like to go away just for a night which we usually do on the spur of the moment depending on the weather etc. I usually just ring up and book somewhere on the morning or night before we go.
I voted "expert" but I rather play modest and say experienced.
I view getting "Frisked" by barking security agent from head to toe as hassle.
I am addicted to nonreving to the point that being confirmed becomes boring.
Some rules always travel with just a carry on (if you can).
Know the routings on other zed carriers from the airport you will be travelling.
Have a lot of Zed tickets ready the these situations.
Always check the weather forecast.
I am sure some of you might have other advices...........
A tip if you just travel to England, leave out of STN the British taxes are not so high there.
Here is a question for you "Z". How do you go about knowing the routings on other ZED CARRIERS? Do you go online and take each airline and check them? I've tried this scenario before, and it takes a long time to surf the internet to find out routes. I haven't really needed too much to go off line with my carrier. We about fly all over the world. I have bought ZED, off line passes. The last one I bought, I had to get a refund because I never made it with the other carrier. Ended up using my airline via other routes. I've made some 70 percent of the standby non rev seats using offline passes. I bet I have at least close to 100 percent on my carrier making my flights. If I didn't make one of the flights, I usually made the other. I bet a lap top would come in handy at least CONUS if you miss connections or get bumped so you can check things right there.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (z @ Nov 4 2007, 05:39 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>Quote:
I voted "expert" but I rather play modest and say experienced.
I view getting "Frisked" by barking security agent from head to toe as hassle.
I am addicted to nonreving to the point that being confirmed becomes boring.
Some rules always travel with just a carry on (if you can).
Know the routings on other zed carriers from the airport you will be travelling.
Have a lot of Zed tickets ready the these situations.
Always check the weather forecast.
I am sure some of you might have other advices...........
A tip if you just travel to England, leave out of STN the British taxes are not so high there.[/b]
29palms imagine the earth as a big puzzle your goal is to go from point A to point B. The important is to know all the pieces or at least as much as you can.
The majors one are the airports, the carriers, the weather forecast. The knowledge of the routes helpsyou to link the pieces together. This great site helps me a lot:
http://www.airlineroutemaps.com/
Checking the weather can help you a lot because if your international flight is full the the hub you will take it from but if the weather is bad from one region which is known to be a feeder to this hub chance will become good to make it due to misconnects.
From any place I go to I will find out which ZED carrier fly and to and where in case I get stuck with my own airline (which is most of the time my preferred choice because I'd rather be in the front, I have more priority and I know the exact loads).
Yes it is useful to have a laptop and being able to get connected.
By the way forget that I said about STN our system was updated regarding the charges.
I put expert. I love planning it and finding the best deals. My philosophy here for the site is that the quality of the deal you find will be proportional to the amount of time you have to search. You may find the best hotel deal in our Reservations area, with an interline agency, with an interline discount service, or another internet site like priceline.
It's fine to head to an all inclusive or resort if that's what you like but I think the best travelers take the time to plan it out, find the best deals, and go where the locals go the way the locals do it (the tube in London vs. the red double decker tour buses), and really experience the culture.
I went to a series of cross divisional meetings and single-handedly wrote Security Checkpoints for delta.com. I head to security with anything metal already stowed in my carry-on. The trouble is that there is so much to security that it seems like I still forget one thing - like pulling out the clear plastic bag with the liquids.
Oh, I built and maintain this site and manage the forum - gotta count for something, right? ;)
The only reason that I might slide back to moderate is not traveling enough. I'm now "former" DL so don't have flight benefits (imagine me with forlorn look holding sine that says "will give travel advice for buddy passes"). I've been raising small kids or spending my time writing ABOUT travel or working on this site. But I'm chomping at the bit to do more. If it all works out like I dream of, I'll be on the go frequently with laptop in hand, journaling in "nonrev1's blog" from Internet Cafe's around the globe and assembling the entries and photos into travel articles upon return. :D
Z. Thanks for that link. I book marked it. I'll give it a good looking over. So far, I haven't been caught bad in the airports to where I had to pull rabbits out of my hat. The last ordeal happened on my way from MNL to get back to IAH. I ended up using my own airline because NORTHWEST flights to NRT were fully booked. I ended up going MNL-GUM-HNL-IAH. Call it the milkman route. Set us back about 17 hours too with airport waiting and connections.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (z @ Nov 5 2007, 03:43 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>Quote:
29palms imagine the earth as a big puzzle your goal is to go from point A to point B. The important is to know all the pieces or at least as much as you can.
The majors one are the airports, the carriers, the weather forecast. The knowledge of the routes helpsyou to link the pieces together. This great site helps me a lot:
http://www.airlineroutemaps.com/
Checking the weather can help you a lot because if your international flight is full the the hub you will take it from but if the weather is bad from one region which is known to be a feeder to this hub chance will become good to make it due to misconnects.
From any place I go to I will find out which ZED carrier fly and to and where in case I get stuck with my own airline (which is most of the time my preferred choice because I'd rather be in the front, I have more priority and I know the exact loads).
Yes it is useful to have a laptop and being able to get connected.
By the way forget that I said about STN our system was updated regarding the charges.[/b]
I am glad to see alot of people posting on this poll, and glad to see most think of themselves Expert/Moderate travellers. And someone mentioned "EXPERIENCED" traveller is probably a more modest term. So what makes an experienced traveller? Someone that has flown many times, perhaps many years. I think the air time I've travelled crossing the PACIFIC OCEAN alone back and forth, I think I calculated 15 times or so. That's alot of hours on a plane for a long time. By that time, you would suspect I'd know the little knicks needed to survive these long flights. Getting ready MENTALLY alone is half the battle. If you can prepare yourself mentally for your travel escapades, to face long flights, deal with security, waits in the airport, possibilities of getting bumped ect...I assume it will make your travel easier and build your experience level as an expert/experienced traveller.
You will know by heart...."I need a place to stay. I need public transportation, I need to tap the locals for information, i need to stop at a store to pick up water and soda's, snacks or beer. It will save me more than drinking from the hotel mini-bar in your room". Just to name a few.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (nonrev1 @ Nov 5 2007, 11:12 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>Quote:
I put expert. I love planning it and finding the best deals. My philosophy here for the site is that the quality of the deal you find will be proportional to the amount of time you have to search. You may find the best hotel deal in our Reservations area, with an interline agency, with an interline discount service, or another internet site like priceline.[/b]
Expert.
I travel somewhere every week on my days off, even if it is just a day trip to somewhere I have never been.
We do an International trip every other month.
Who does your laundry?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (vulindlela @ Nov 20 2007, 01:00 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>Quote:
Expert.
I travel somewhere every week on my days off, even if it is just a day trip to somewhere I have never been.
We do an International trip every other month.[/b]
Airlineroutemaps.com is a great site. I also use flyzed.com, all you do is put in the city pairs and all flights come up. Another option I use is most airports have a schedule listed online, for instance laxairport.com. Before any trip I always plan a backup route and then zed fares as well.