Geeky Traveller

Have you ever come across something that other people have known about for months and you wonder why on earth you didn’t know it existed? That’s exactly how I felt when I learned that you can Google your flight to see how it’s standing (or flying, to be more precise).
You’d think I would have known, considering how much I love Google for anything and everything but apparently they’ve been using a mash-up with FlighStats for ages now to bring you up to the minute information of the status of your flight (or the flight of someone you …read more

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If you’re mildly disorganized (you know, like me. You should see my desk!) then putting together a proper itinerary can be a bit of a disaster. If you find yourself armed with five print-outs of flight, hotel, car rental, and visiting information on top of a piece of notepaper with your own chicken scratch scrawls all over it, you might end up wonder what you’re actually doing, when you’re going, and how you’re ever going to find your way there.
That’s where a brilliant site like TripIt comes in. They use (don’t laugh) something they like …read more

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Much like a weather forecast can tell you if your day is likely to be filled with sun or rain, Farecast is an airline prediction website. Using hundreds of flight results from various airlines, hotels, and agencies, Forecast will make predictions on your travel plans.
Instead of just telling you where the lowest price is right now, it also predicts whether those fares of today are going to rise or drop over the next week. Airline #1 may have the lowest air fare today but airline #2 might be even lower tomorrow. They will also tell you if …read more

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It can get pretty confusing to keep track of how much carry-on baggage you’re allowed and what the charges are for breaking the baggage rules – especially since various airlines have different rules and prices. It can make it tough to figure out whether you’re going to get charged extra for bringing your new carry-on bag with you or whether it’s worth it to you to pack extra luggage.
The Washington Post did a pretty good job of rounding up the differences between nine airlines (unfortunately that leaves out a heck of a lot of others!) to get you started.
You …read more

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There are two main categories of travelers (aside from the obvious of pleasure vs. business) and that is Planned Travel and Last Minute Travel. While planning ahead is a great way to ease any stress you might feel about wanting to know your hotel and destination plans as much as possible, it’s a well known fact that snagging last minute deals can give you an excellent price. A friend of mine desperately needed a break from work this past winter and took some accumulated time off at the office. She picked up a phone and snagged a …read more

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There are many reasons you might need to log on while you’re traveling. You may need to check in on work or stay in touch with people back home. Maybe you just miss your favorite blog or want to read your email and you’ve realized the coffee shop you’re patronizing is actually an Internet café. Using a public computer is a great way to access the Internet if you’re traveling and don’t wish to bring your laptop, but it also poses a danger depending on which sites you’re visiting.
Using the IronKey is a great way to protect …read more

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There’s a new mile high club in the making and it’s got nothing to do with what you’re thinking! Several different airlines (Southwest, JetBlue, Lufthansa, and more) are working on testing Internet access on their flights. Some are using local connections to provide the Wi-Fi access. T-Mobile, Verizon, and Aircell are among the providers offering up connectivity. Meanwhile, some airlines are looking into satellite systems.
The upside of satellite Internet access on flights is that it’s faster and allows access even over the ocean. The downside is that it’s more expensive.
So far, expectations are that it …read more

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My fabulous blog network, b5media, has recently launched another blog in the travel channel – this one will feature a lot of great travel products that might be of interest to you. Unlike Geeky Traveller, the Travel Product Blog won’t just give you the geeky tech side of travel ease, so even if you or someone you know isn’t too tech-inclined, you’ll be sure to find something awesome and useful over there.
Do drop by and check it out!

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Or at least let them THINK they’re driving!

This kind of thing is a total lifesaver for someone like me. With two kids in our family and our most common method of traveling being via the car, anything that can make the drive a little less stressful is key. If the little one is tired she’ll fall asleep, and both kids enjoy listening to music, but all kids have their limits and that’s when you get the whining and fussing in the back seat.
If they have their own steering wheel to play with, they’ll ideally feel like …read more

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While I have the utmost respect for travel agents (I studied to be one myself before changing career track ideas), there’s something I absolutely love about websites that allow your average amateur at home to help you with your travel. Many sites feature sections where you can review your opinions on hotels, restaurants, and attractions where you’ve traveled. However, Guideal (how cute is that name) lets the locals help you out – in person.
Basically, the gist of it is that people sign up to offer their wisdom and advice as a tour guide in their own area. …read more

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