Tag: Airlines

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Where is Your Seat?

You board the airplane for your flight, looking for your seat. As you walk down the aisle, you discover it may be less than ideal.

In fact, it looks like you may have just about the worst seat on the plane. Is it in the back row, stuck by the lavatory, with no window? Does your seat recline? Is this a long flight?

Is the plane full or can you ask to sit somewhere else? If not, you may want to think about where your seat is before you purchase that ticket next time you want to fly.

Here are a few suggestions and things to think about before you book your LAX to CDG flight. After all, 10 hours in the air can feel like several days if you have a terrible seat.

Before you pack your bags, do a thorough check of the plane and its seats. When you are on the airline’s site, see if there is a map of open seats. In addition, check SeatGuru to see what they have to say about specific seats. They will show you where windows are, where the lavatories are located, and which seats may have reduced width.

If you are flying on an airline where you can pick your seat as you reserve your flight, check out the seats in advance. Then, book your flight and book your seat.

Even though you do that, keep in mind things could change. Why? Airlines sometimes need to rearrange seating due to issues we don’t know about. One time we saw a complete row taped off. When we asked, we were told there were some problems with the seat fasteners in that section. That meant 15 people had to be reseated.

If that happens and the airline notifies you when you are at the gate, ask the gate agent what seats are available. There may be something they can do. It doesn’t hurt to ask. Be polite…

Another reason you may lose your seat is if you show up late for your flight. The airline may have already booked someone else into that seat. This is especially true if you did not check in online 24 hours in advance. Moral of the story…check in in advance and arrive early!

Next time you are getting ready to book, think about seats as well as days and times.

Check out more tips about booking seats and flying

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Can I Take My Sleep Meds With Me? How About My Allergy Meds?

Did you know some popular prescription and over-the-counter medicines commonly used for things like pain relief, better sleep, allergies, or your common cold are illegal in some countries? That means you need to know what you can and cannot take into a country when traveling.

The United Arab Emirates and Japan, for example, are among the most restrictive nations. Many other countries ban or restrict importing narcotics, sedatives, amphetamines, and other meds you think are common. So…what should you do?

Plan Ahead

Laws vary by country and there is no central, up-to date repository. One travel consultant suggests asking your physician, travel medical insurance company, or local pharmacist four to six weeks before traveling. “When you inquire about your shots, ask about medications. Odds are they may not know off the top of their head, but they have the resources to find out.”

She also suggests checking with the embassy of your destination country. The US State Department website lists foreign embassies. It also lists insurance providers if you need one for health care abroad.

Label and Pack Your Medication Properly

Carry all your medication, from vitamins and supplements to prescription ones, in their original, clearly marked containers or packaging. You can put that in a clear plastic bag in your carry on luggage. Make sure the name on the prescription, the medicine container and your passport all match. If you lost the product information insert, ask the pharmacist to print a new one for you.

Also, check the TSA website for up-to-date rules and regulations on packing and carrying your medication when you depart. The standard rules for liquid carry-ons don’t apply to medications in liquid or gel form, but you need to inform them when you pass through security so they don’t confiscate it.

Obtain and Carry Necessary Documentation

Keep copies of your original prescriptions, if you can. Better yet, obtain a letter on official letterhead from your physician that lists the medicines you need and why they were prescribed.

Know the Names and Amounts of Active Ingredients

The documentation you carry should also indicate the generic and chemical names of the active ingredients, which determines permissibility, not brand names.

For example, the active ingredient in Benadryl, diphenhydramine, is banned in Zambia in over-the counter products. In Japan, it is allowed only if the amount in a tablet or injection is limited. However, a typical 25 milligram tablet of Tylenol PM in the United States exceeds the 10 milligram maximum amount in a tablet you can bring into Japan. Some countries restrict the overall total amount of an active ingredient an individual traveler can legally import, which may impact longer stays.

Bottom line…be prepared ahead of time.

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Is Your Computer Going to Fly?

Recently I read a post on The Points Guy that bears repeating.

The US Federal Aviation Administration has banned select MacBook Pro laptops from being carried on, or checked into the cargo holds of aircraft. The FAA’s decision follows Apple’s announcement that some of the older MacBook Pro units posed a fire risk.

According to the FAA’s statement, the agency has alerted major US airlines to the recall, explaining that the affected laptops should not be allowed to fly as cargo or in passengers’ carry-on baggage.

The devices in question are some 15-inch MacBook Pros that were sold between September 2015 and February 2017.

Apple originally announced the recall in June, saying it had “determined that, in a limited number of older generation 15-inch MacBook Pro units, the battery may overheat and pose a fire safety risk.”

Affected units can be determined by the product’s serial number and checked online. To check if your 15-inch MacBook Pro is part of the recall and has been banned by the FAA, follow these steps:

1. Click the Apple icon in the top left corner of your screen and select ‘About This Mac’.

2. Confirm your model is “MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015)”.

3. If so, go to Apple’s dedicated recall page. Enter your device’s serial number to see if it’s eligible. If it is, you’ll be offered several options, such as getting the battery replaced.

According to a notice distributed in Canada in June, about 432,000 MacBook Pros sold in the US were part of the recall, and about 26,000 of the affected units were sold in Canada. The number of the devices part of the recall that were sold in Europe has not been disclosed.

In addition, four non-US based airlines introduced bans on these. Included are TUI Group, Thomas Cook, Air Italy, and Air Transat.

Laptops with replaced batteries will be allowed on board.

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Help…My Flight Changed

What happens when your scheduled flight is changed? It’s probably happened to all of us.

Sometimes you receive an email telling you your flight has changed. Sometimes it’s leaving three minutes earlier than before.

Sometimes, you receive a notification your flight time is a little less than the original time.

Okay…not a problem.

I received a notification from American Airlines about my upcoming flight to Europe. This one was a problem for me.

Instead of going from San Diego to JFK and then Paris, we had been rerouted from San Diego to Los Angeles to JFK to Paris. This added an additional stop. That wasn’t the problem, however.

We had less than 30 minutes at LAX to switch from American Eagle to American. Not good. Worse, coming back we had 19 minutes in Los Angeles to get to the plane to San Diego. That’s not going to happen.

What did I do?

I immediately called American Airlines and gave my confirmation number to a wonderful lady. When she looked up my flight, she chuckled. “Honey, you aren’t going to make that. Let me fix it for you.”

Her customer service was amazing, she fixed my problem, and put us on new flights.

Everything seems to be good now. Stay tuned for the actual flights…

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Top Airlines for 2019

According to airline industry experts, these five airlines met the 2019 list for safety, comfort, and overall experience.

Singapore Airlines took the number one spot. Things like passenger reviews, operational safety, fleet age, and flight availability helped the airline reach this distinction. It doesn’t hurt that it also has a first-class suite.

Air New Zealand came in at number two. They added new aircraft like the A321 neo airbus. It also has the Best Premium Economy and Best Airline Pacific awards.

Qantas is number three. They plan on adding non-stop flights from London to Sydney next year or so. Since they received the Best Airline Lounge award, you have a great place to wait for your flight.

Qatar Airways is new to this list and is number four. Their business class and catering service helped move them up the list.

Virgin Australia brought home number five. They also received the award for the best cabin crew.

Have you flown any of these? Do you agree with these awards?