The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

Overseas travel tips for baby boomers

Baby boomer consumers love to travel.

Vayama, an online travel agency that focuses on international travel, offers the following tips the best day of the week to fly, how far in advance to book flights to get the best deal, when to use multiple flights, and how much a stopover can save:

Travel midweek

International travel deals are entirely based on availability. Since most people travel on Friday and over the weekend, you’ll find the cheapest international airfare deals if you travel midweek, usually departing and returning on a Tuesday or Wednesday.

Spend Saturday night

Business travelers fly home on the weekend, so most discounted international airfare deals require a Saturday night stay. Be prepared to spend Saturday at your destination. 

Don’t book too early or too late

When it comes to cheap international airfares, follow the Goldilocks rule: Don’t book too early or too late.

An international ticket booked with less than three days notice will be very expensive, but it will also be pricy if you book too far in advance. Most airlines start competing for passengers around three to four months before departure. This is known as the “Goldilocks Zone.” Search for your international airfare about three to five months out, and you’ll be in the best position to hit the international airfare deal jackpot.

Fly through the side door

If your desired destination is too expensive, try flying out of a secondary international airport, Boston instead of JFK or San Francisco instead of Los Angeles, for example.

The same tips works with your destination airports. If you’re flying to Costa Rica, check out Liberia airport as it’s often cheaper than flying into San Jose plus. In addition, it’s only two hours from Playa Tamerindo and Ollies Point verses the 8-plus hours it takes to get to these designations from San Jose. 

Use the multiple flights function

Vayama has a “multiple flights” function on its “find a flight” box. It’s a good idea to use it because it may be cheaper to fly into one city and return from another; New York to London, returning from Amsterdam, for example. Try different combinations to save.

Add a stopover and save

Direct flights – those with one stop – are also cheaper than nonstop flights, especially when you have a long flight.

For example, the fares for a New York to Johannesburg flight will be cheaper on airlines that add a stopover, usually in Europe, Africa or the Middle East, versus the nonstop option from New York.

The same applies to long haul flights to Asia. One stop in Seoul or Taipei could shave hundreds of dollars off an India trip when compared to nonstop flights.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Sale on candy is this week’s best consumer experience, while trying to get a ticket with American Airlines disappoints

By Rita R. Robison

My best consumer experience this week, was finding two sales on Valentine’s Day candy. My worst was trying to use my frequent flyer miles with American Airlines.

My best: Getting a good deal on Valentine’s Day candy

When I went to Rite Aid and Target, I found sales of 75 percent off on Valentine’s Day candy.

My daughter, who lives in Madrid, asked me to get some for her family for next year. They don’t have the special heart-shaped candy there.

I also bought some valentines cards with candies attached. Valentine’s Day cards aren’t available in Spain, and this year, I mailed two sets for my grandchildren.

My worst: Trying to get American Airlines to issue me a ticket using my rewards miles

I have 39,183 miles in my American Airlines Advantage account. I had hoped to buy additional miles to put my point total up to 50,000 so I get a reduced fare ticket to Madrid later this year.

When I called about it, there weren’t many Advantage mile slots available. The ticket agent could get me to Madrid, but on my return flight, there only were slots available to Chicago.

Adding to the frustration, I had a five-hour layover at Dallas-Ft. Worth International Airport.

It wasn’t looking good. I would have to pay $355 to buy the extra miles, and the ticket from Chicago to Seattle would cost another $220. I’d have to pay about $565 for a ticket and use up all of my Advantage miles.

Then I had what I thought was another brilliant idea. I have miles through the rewards programs on two credit cards. I had enough miles to get a one-way ticket to Chicago to get me back to Seattle.

However, again, I’d have another five-hour layover on the way home when I was really jet lagged.

I got ready to try to book the ticket on hold the day before it was going to expire.

When I called, I found I had to buy the $355 worth of tickets in advance before I booked the ticket. The ticket agent said there might not be time for the transaction to clear before I arranged for the ticket.

I threw up my hands and purchased a full-price ticket. I’ll use the miles for my next trip and try to get an Advantage ticket to use next year.

The airline analysts who said American Airlines would be instituting belt-tightening measures due to their bankruptcy filings certainly were correct. I’ve never had this much trouble arranging a rewards ticket with American previously. I’m disappointed.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Dining outside in the warm weather is this week’s best consumer experience, while having my flight canceled is the worst

By Rita R. Robison

My best consumer experience: Enjoying a dinner outdoors

When my sister and I went to Ft. Lauderdale to visit my niece, we had a nice dinner at Bahama Breeze, a restaurant that features food from the islands.

It was wonderful to sit outside in the nice February weather, visit with my niece and her family, and enjoy a tropical drink with six kinds of rum.

I plan to visit every winter. It’s great to get away from the rainy Seattle-area weather. When I got home, it was snowing and the next morning, snow had accumulated in my backyard.

My worst consumer experience: Having American Airlines cancel my flight

When my sister and I arrived at the ticket counter at Ft. Lauderdale to go home, we learned our flight had been canceled.

The ticket agent said I had been notified in an e-mail on Jan. 6, and we had been scheduled on an earlier flight. However, since I didn’t get the e-mail or I deleted it accidentally, we missed the flight.

The ticket agent scheduled us for a different flight. It left about the same time, but instead of a one-hour layover at Ft. Worth-Dallas Airport, we had to wait three hours for our connecting flight.

I wonder if American is canceling more flights due to belt tightening caused by its filing bankruptcy late last year.

I do know from now on, I’ll call to check my ticket a week in advance to make sure all the details are correct.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Airline trips were my best and worst experiences this week

By Rita R. Robison

It was surprising to me. My experience with American Airlines was much better than one with “top-rated” Alaska Airlines.

My best experience: A trip on American Airlines

I just returned from a trip to Madrid on American Airlines. It was a good trip. The planes were all on time, no delays. I was able to get the seats I needed – ahead of the wing and by the window – for my respiratory problem.

I had enough time to grab supplemental food so I could skip the airline food if I needed to. I packed my backpack lighter so I didn’t have to struggle to get it under the seat in front of me.

American Airlines, which recently filed for bankruptcy, had one of the lowest ratings in a Bloomberg Rankings analysis of operating performance and service charges.

My worst experience: A huge extra charge from Alaska Airlines

A few days after I returned from Madrid, I had a trip scheduled to Sacramento to see my granddaughter perform in a play.

My daughter checked my ticket and alerted me to the fact that it had a mistake. My return trip was 30 minutes after I landed in Sacramento.

I called Alaska Airlines, and the representative said she didn’t know how the problem occurred. Either Alaska made a computer error, or I made the mistake when I signed up for the ticket.

The representative said there was no way to determine how the error was made. But she said, it didn’t matter. It would cost $219 for different return flight – plus a $50 fee for the change. A whopping $269 additional charge. (The representative said she was doing me a big favor by cutting the fee to change the ticket in half.)

It was devastating. I had purchased the original ticket for a total of $101, a great sale price.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Top 10 tips for preparing for your holiday trip

By Rita R. Robison

When my friend comes to pick me up to go to the airport to go on a trip, I’m usually just finishing up all the tasks I need to do to get ready.

What can you do to prevent last minute frenzy?

1. Make a list of what you want to take. That way, you won’t forget important items. I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve forgotten to take a sun hat for a visit to Miami.
2. Arrange well in advance to have neighbors or friends take care of your plants and pets. It’s stressful when the person you had in mind says she’ll be on vacation, too, and you have to scramble to find someone else at the last minute.
3. Print out your ticket and put it and other travel documents in your purse or backpack several days before you leave. You want to avoid the disaster of forgetting your passport if you’re headed overseas.
4. Have all your yard work caught up. One time, I was worried about my gutters just before I went to visit my daughter. Since I was ready a half hour early, I decided to check them out. I found they needed attention. I spent an hour quickly cleaning them. I arrived at the gate just before it closed to passengers.
5. Don’t get distracted by projects that can wait until later. Concentrate on having everything done on time. Another time, when I first started blogging, I thought I had to write my two daily posts before I could finish packing. I completed the posts at about 11:45 p.m. I finished packing into the early morning hours. I only got a couple of hours of sleep before my ride came.
6. Don’t worry about leaving your house spotless. Vacuum your house and mop your kitchen floor several days before you leave. Put away things as you go about your packing.
7. Plan out what clothes you’ll need well in advance of your departure date. That will give you plenty of time to get them washed, dried, folded, and packed. Don’t leave the packing to the day before you leave.
8. Put lotions, sun screen, vitamins, toothbrush, floss, toothpaste, and other items in a canvas bag or other small bag as you think about what you’ll need. That way, they’ll be ready to be popped into your suitcase, reducing your chances of forgetting something.
9. Start early with your holiday shopping. Put the presents you’re taking all in one place so you’ll get an idea of the space they’ll take. If the pile is too big, you may need to buy an additional suitcase.
10. Take a grab and go breakfast to eat on the way to the airport if you’re rushing to meet your deadline. This can help you save valuable time.

Good luck with your holiday travel preparations. I hope you have a great, safe trip.

Copyright 2011, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Top tips for travelers for the Thanksgiving holidays

By Rita R. Robison

Across the state and country, more consumers will enjoy their Thanksgiving feast at a table away from home this year, according to AAA's annual travel forecast.

Nationwide, 42.5 million Americans will travel over the holiday, a 4 percent increase compared to 2010.

Sixty percent of travelers state that the economy has either no impact on their travel plans or that things have improved for them since last year. The remaining 40 percent of travelers state that they will scale back as a result of current economic conditions.

For many, the Thanksgiving holiday is about reconnecting with friends and family. The top five travel activities include: dining, 72 percent; visiting friends/relatives, 67 percent; shopping, 49 percent; touring/sightseeing, 43 percent; and/or going to the beach/waterfront, 27 percent.

If you’ll be traveling in your car, be sure to be prepared for winter by using these tips:

Basic winter safety gear

• Make sure you have an ice scraper, a snowbrush, a small shovel, tow chain, jumper cables, and chains.

Breakdown kit

• Assemble blankets, gloves, boots, warm clothes, a flashlight, food, water, a first aid kit, extra batteries, road flares, and emergency cash.

Information about conditions

• Watch weather forecasts.

• Call your state transportation department’s information line.

• Check the Internet for winter information about conditions on roads before you leave.

Safe driving

• Drive for conditions – use slower speeds, slower acceleration, slower steering, and slower braking in winter conditions.

• Use your headlights at all times

• Remember, four- and all-wheel drive vehicles won’t stop or steer better in icy conditions.

• Don’t use cruise control or overdrive on slick or snow-covered surfaces.

• Leave extra room between your vehicle and the vehicles in front of you. Look farther ahead in traffic. And remember, big trucks take longer to stop.

• Slow down when approaching intersections, off-ramps, bridges, or shady spots.

• Slow down and be extra cautious near the chain-up and removal areas.

• Stay behind well snowplows until it’s safe to pass.

If you’re traveling by air, follow these tips to make sure you get to the airport and your plane on time: 

• Call your airline's customer service number or visit the airline’s website to confirm your flight prior to coming to the airport, especially if severe weather is predicted.

• Print your boarding pass before coming to the airport. Some airlines also offer electronic boarding passes.

• Place identification tags on both the inside and outside of your luggage.

• Place a label on your laptop computer and another on the carrying case.

• Have a viable plan for where you’re going to park at the airport or which shuttle service you’ll hire.

• Put spare lithium batteries for cameras, laptops, and cell phones in carry-on luggage and make sure they are in the original packaging or separate protective cases or have tape across the battery’s contacts to isolate the terminals and prevent short-circuiting.

After you're on the plane, Luis Navarro, M.D., director of the Vein Treatment Center in New York, offers these tips on how to avoid poor blood flow from sitting too long on an airplane or train:

• Avoid prolonged periods of sitting and standing. Walk up and down the plane/train every one to two hours, when possible, for five to10 minutes.

• Get exercise. Do ankle and lower leg exercises, such as ankle rotations.

• Wear graduated compression stocking, preferably knee highs with open toe, which are 15-25mm/hg or 20-30mm/hg.

• Stay hydrated. Double your water intake when traveling. Buy bottled water before you board the plane and start drinking before takeoff. It will take a while before flight attendants will bring water to you.

• Avoid alcohol. Alcohol dehydrates your body so avoiding alcohol a few days before taking a long trip would be a good idea.

Best wishes for a great Thanksgiving trip. And remember, don’t drink and drive.

Copyright 2011, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Gallup is off the mark to call federal government an industry

By Rita R. Robison

Things were going well as I clicked through the list from a Gallup Poll of the most hated industries in America:

10. Advertising and public relations industry

9. Pharmaceutical industry

8. Airline industry

7. Education

6. The legal field

5. Banking

4. Healthcare

3. Real estate industry

2. Oil and gas industry

Then I clicked on No. 1: It was the federal government. I couldn’t believe it.

In every economics class I’ve ever taken, including consumer economics, it’s clear that businesses make and sell “widgets.” Government has a different function; it provides services. Business and government are two entirely different segments of the economy.

Dictionary.com defines industry as follows:

1. The aggregate of manufacturing or technically productive enterprises in a particular field, often named after its principal product: the automobile industry; the steel industry.
2. Any general business activity; commercial enterprise: the Italian tourist industry.
3. Trade or manufacture in general: the rise of industry in Africa.
4. The ownership and management of companies, factories, etc.: friction between labor and industry.

I don’t see any thing in the definition that would classify the federal government as an industry.

Gallup started polling about the popularity of American industries 10 years ago. Two years later, it added the federal government.

I think Gallup is way off with this poll that classifies the federal government an industry.

What do you think? Let me know in the Comment section below.

Copyright 2011, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

The Consumerist: Take a scale to the airport to weigh your bags

By Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

My daughter and I got a chuckle out the recommendation by The Consumerist to take your own scale with you to the airport to avoid baggage weight overcharges.

The article said a TV station found nine out of 23 scales at the Boston Logan airport were giving inaccurate readings. It also cited a report in Ontario that found 27 percent of the airport's scales weren’t weighing bags correctly.

We thought lugging a 5-pound scale to the airport when you have baggage weight problems wasn’t workable.

Then, I read the comments on the article. They were amusing as well.

However, one consumer wrote that scales are available with a hook on them that you can hang a bag on. They weigh about 1 pound. He said it helps determine if you have one bag that weighs 60 pounds and another that weighs 30. That might be worthwhile, if you can hold up a 50- or 60-pound bag.

However, another consumer pointed out that just because your scale says your bag is under 50 pounds doesn’t mean that the airlines will accept your number as the actual weight.

What to you think of the "take your own scale to the airport" idea?

Copyright 2011, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

What were your best and worst consumer experiences this week?

By Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Which consumer happenings cheered you this week and which ones made you want to scream or weep?

Here are my best and worst consumer experiences this week:

My best: Good seats on Delta Airlines

For my recent trip to Madrid, I got lucky. I was assigned bulkhead seats on both the flight to New York, than also on the connecting flight to Madrid.

It made the trip much better. I was able to get more rest because I was able to stretch out.

My worst: Misinformation at the airport caused long, unnecessary walks

On my return trip from Madrid, the stopover was in Atlanta.

At the Information Desk, the attendant said my gate was B1. I found Terminal B and walked to one end pulling a rolling suitcase with my backpack on top, a heavy load.

When I arrived at B1, another trip was schedule to depart from it. When I asked if my flight would be next, the Delta ticketing agent said she didn’t know. She told me to walk back to the middle of Terminal B, and ask someone else.

Since I was tired, I stopped about 10 gates down. A helpful ticketing agent said she would call the tower to find out the correct gate. It was B 31, way at the other end of Terminal B.

I told her I was tired, so she hailed an electric cart so I could get a ride.

That was helpful. But when I arrived at Gate 31, I realized I’d paid for a bottle of water with my salad but didn’t receive it. I didn’t have the energy to walk all the way back to the other end of Terminal B to get it.

Copyright 2011, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Tips on how to land the best airfare

 

By Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

It’s a consumer topic that has great interest for me – how to find a cheap airline ticket. My last post was about a survey Consumer Reports conducted of nearly 15,000 of its readers on airline service.

Along with the survey, Consumer Reports offers tips on how to get a good price on an airline ticket.

Consumer Reports says regardless of which airline you choose to fly, there’s no reason to pay more than you have to. Airfare prices have risen in the past year and though a cheap seat may be harder to find, you can still save money by taking these steps:

Use social networks. Many airlines tweet deals. Two examples are @FrontierSale and @JetBlueCheeps, where Consumer Reports found a $10 one-way fare from San Francisco to Long Beach, Calif. However, seats are limited. Some reports say @UnitedAirlines’ Tware fares sell out within two hours.

Sign up for promo codes. If you’re a member of an airline’s frequent-flyer program, you can get discounts from 10 to 50 percent. Promo alerts can be sent to you via e-mail, RSS feeds, Twitter, Jaiku, Facebook, and other channels. However, the deals expire quickly, so you’ll have to act fast. The trade-off? Your e-mail inbox can get flooded with offers that don’t interest you.

Work the web. More than 70 percent of respondents to the Consumer Reports survey booked their own flights directly on an airline’s website. A smaller number, 55 percent, compared fares on other websites. For the best deals, you should cast that wider net. Start with websites that allow you to compare the deals from multiple airlines, such as Airfarewatchdog and Kayak. Also try travel-agency sites, such as CheapTickets, Expedia, and Travelocity. If you’re a bit more adventurous, Hotwire and Priceline.com, where you don’t know which airline you’re flying until after you book, are another option.

Book early or late. You don’t need to book more than 90 days in advance. Booking about 21 days before your trip will usually get you a good fare. Price-comparison sites often let you sign up for alerts that will tell you when prices drop. Many sales are posted late Monday or early Tuesday making it a good time to shop, but bargains can appear at any time.

Be flexible. Shifting dates by a day or two often allows you to nab a much lower price. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday are generally the cheapest days to fly. If you’re traveling with a group, consider splitting up your party. If you have four in your group and only two cheap seats are available, online reservation systems will give everyone higher-price seats. Instead, check the price for one, two, and three seats on the plane, as well as for all four before booking.

Good luck finding cheap airline tickets. I travel frequently, so it’s important to me as a consumer to get the lowest price possible.

Copyright 2011, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist