Blind Man Flies From London to Sydney

In an amazing feat, Miles Hilton-Barber flew halfway around the world. Blind. The British pilot departed London on March and arrived in Sydney on Monday. The journey was a total of 13,500 miles.

"It's the fulfillment of an amazing dream," the 58-year-old adventurer said after touching down at Sydney's Bankstown airport. "I've been wanting to do this flight for about four years."

Hilton-Barber flies with a sighted co-pilot but relies on speech output from his navigation instruments to steer his course, directing the plane from a wireless keyboard.

"I've wanted to be a pilot since I was a kid. Now I'm totally blind and I've had the privilege of flying more than halfway around the world. The big deal is not me doing this, it's raising funds," he said.

Hilton-Barber, who has been blind for 25 years, hopes the trip will raise some two million US dollars for the charity Seeing is Believing, which works to cut the incidence of preventable blindness in developing countries.

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Terah Shelton
www.terahs.com
Traveler. Writer. Ingenue

Kenya: Africa's Newest Aviation Hub?

With the rehabilitation of 15 airstrips, the renovation of the Moi International Airport, and the expansion of the Kisumu Airport, Kenyan government is making bold strides to become the leading aviation hub in Africa.

Transport minister, Mr Chirau Ali Mwakwere, said that the move was in tandem with the ongoing harmonisation of aviation sector in the East Africa Community and Comesa region.

He said the Government would continue to provide the necessary infrastructure and put in place appropriate policies to enable the aviation industry to thrive.

"Kenya will be one of the leading countries in Africa in terms of aviation," he said.
He added: "This year, 10 more airstrips are planned for upgrading while 14 more will be inspected for rehabilitation."

Among airports earmarked for upgrading is Moi International Airport in Mombasa, which is currently under going renovation, and Kisumu Airport whose run way will be extended at estimated cost of Sh2.6 billion.

At the Kisumu Airport, the terminal building will be expanded and the runway increased to 3.2km, from the current 2.1km, to accommodate bigger aircraft. A new control tower will also be built.

Other facilities to be upgraded are lighting and security systems. Another airport in the sights of KAA for expansion is the Malindi Airport, which locals want to be upgraded to an international airport. The Wajir Airport terminal building has been constructed and the control tower rehabilitated for the airport to serve both military and civilian aircraft.

Quote Source and entire article here.

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Terah Shelton
www.terahs.com
Traveler. Writer. Ingenue

U.S/EU Agreement Opens Transatlantic Skies

With one stroke of the pen, travel to Europe just got cheaper. In a landmark deal years in the making, the United States and the European Union signed an agreement to open up transatlantic markets, allowing airlines in the European Union to fly to any U.S city and vice versa. Which means, in March 2008, competition between airlines could equal lower fares for customers.

The "open skies" deal that removed World War II-era barriers to service appears initially weighted toward European carriers, some of whom have begun to recognize what they anticipate will be new business opportunities.

"Already, the European airline industry is feeling its effects in a positive way, with plans for new services and signs of a much more flexible and dynamic approach to airline investment among European carriers," Barrot said.

As a result, several overseas airlines have been active in pursuing new routes. European low-cost airline Ryanair is exploring the possibility of transatlantic service between Dublin, Frankfurt and Barcelona to New York, Dallas and San Francisco.

Virgin Atlantic plans to expand vigorously, possibly adding flights to the United States from Paris, Zurich and other cities within a couple of years. Ireland's Aer Lingus is also planning new routes.

For the quote source and the entire article, click here.

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Terah Shelton
www.terahs.com
Traveler. Writer. Ingenue

Unknown Airlines

Question: I'm going to London at the end of May for a few days and I want to get my ticket this weekend. The airfare is less than $600 roundtrip if I book with Expedia. But, would you fly Air India?

Answer: Yes! This is a good question. Because only 30% of American hold passports, thus not traveling internationally, means some of these airlines, such as Air India, they've never heard of. But, just because you haven't heard of an airline doesn't mean it's not a respectable one.

Before you purchase this ticket, I suggest you research Air India. Go to their website and see what separates them (if anything) from say British Airways or Virgin Atlantic. Do they offer more legroom? Free drinks? What's the in-flight entertainment situation? Overhead screen or individual monitors? What's the weight capacity for luggage? Higher or lower than others?

You may also want to research the meals options. Since Air India is based in India, their meals may reflect their ethnic palate. If so, ask yourself: do you like Indian food? If not, I suggest you pack a snack, especially if you're flying on a long international flight. Last year on a China Airlines flight to Thailand, I packed a lunch after I researched their meals.

Honestly, my rule for choosing which airline to fly is simple: whatever is the cheapest. Seriously, I do not restrict airlines. As long as I arrive at my destination safely, I don't pay it much thought. If Air India is offering the lowest rate, buy it before the rate expires.

Hope this helps!

* Have a travel question? Please send an email to travelerspen@yahoo.com or leave a comment.

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Terah Shelton

www.terahs.com

Traveler. Writer. Ingenue.

Valuable Vouchers

Question: Great blog! On my way home from the holidays, I learned my flight was overbooked and the airline was taking volunteers to give up their seats for a $400 voucher. I declined because I'd never heard of this. Is this legit?

Answer: Yes! This is a legitmate proposition. In fact, I often wish my flights are overbooked to benefit from the airline's deliberate situation. I say deliberate because the airlines actually overbook popular flights with the hopes someone will not show up or arrive late. Why? To capitalize as much as possible. But, when all passengers arrive, they have to make concessions. This a huge perk for you.

Interested in qualifying for the voucher? Here are a few tips:

• Don't check your bags. For various security reasons, you cannot fly without your luggage. If you check your bags, you don't qualify. Customer service representatives often tell you if you go back to the check-in counter you MAY be able to retrieve your bags. This is not true. When you check your bags, your bag is shipped away almost immediately. Don't waste your time. It's not worth it. If you believe you're on a overbooked flight, carry on.
• Get to the gate early. As previously mentioned, the airlines purposefully overbook flights (holiday flights to popular cities, for example) and if there isn't enough seats, they make the annoucement early. The practice of receiving vouchers is very popular and there are always people waiting to volunteer. The earlier you arrive at the gate, the better your chances.

And there are other perks. I once relinguished my seats on a late flight to Dallas which was the last flight of the day. I received a $400 voucher, a free night at an airport Hyatt, two meal vouchers for breaksfast and dinner, PLUS a first-class seat on the first flight out the next morning.

But, before you give away your seats, ask the customer service representative and yourself these questions:

• How will this affect my own travel plans?
• May I use this voucher for domestic and international flights?
• Does this voucher include penalties?
• Can I redeem it online or over the phone or do I have to travel to the airport?
• What's the earliest flight I can get on?

Hope this helps!

* Have a question? Please send an email to travelerspen@yahoo.com or leave a comment.

Delayed in Denver

Note: There will not be a question on Monday in observance of Christmas. Also, next week, I'm traveling to Antigua and Montserrat, so depending on internet access, posts may be spotty. Safe traveling and Happy Holidays!

Question: After reading about the long delays in Denver, can you tell me what do if this ever happens to me?

Answer: Let's face it, no one likes delays, especially the ones travelers are experiencing in Denver. However, they're a part of traveling and when you choose to fly anything can happen: bad weather, equipment failure, to name a few. And when you fly during the winter months, long delays are to be expected.

So, what do you do? First, before you purchase your ticket, learn your airlines cancellation and delayed flight policy. They're different from airline to airline. Know what your options are.

Second, be patient. Yelling at the customer service representative will get you nowhere. This is not just happening to you, but them as well. The last thing they want or need is 200 angry passengers screaming at them. Wait your turn in line and practice patience. Delays cost airlines money and they're working hard to get everyone moving as soon as possible.

Third, if you're flight is delayed, sometimes it's easier calling the airline's 800-number instead talking to someone at the airport. They may have more answers and be able to help you one-on-one without all the distractions at the airport.

One more thing, pay close attention to delays even if you think it doesn't pertain to you. A delayed flight in Denver can effect someone traveling to Puerto Rico. Why? Because the flight could be a connecting flight in Philadelphia, before flying to Puerto Rico.

Hope this helps!

* Have a question? Please send an email to travelerspen@yahoo.com or leave a comment.

Tackling Travel Sites

Question: Help!! I'm overwhelmed by all the travel engines, Travelocity, Orbitz, and Expedia to name a few. What's the difference between them? Which one offers the lowest rates? And, can you recommend your favorite?

Answer: I understand your frustrations. Without proper research, it's easy to get lost in the sea of travel sites and difficult to determine which ones to offer the best rates. But, don't feel overwhelmed by the number of sites, the presence of them is great for you. They are what I call the new travel agent. They make it easier to find inexpensive flights, because they represent most airlines. And you save time by searching one website instead of bouncing from airline site to airline site. Essentially, it's one-stop shopping.

The difference between them is subjective. I've talked to people who swear by Expedia and others who love Travelocity. Finding your favorite is like finding the perfect pair of jeans. You have to try on a few until you find the perfect fit. Travel sites are the same way. You have to research each one (or a few) until you find one that matches your interests. I've hear cruise lovers favor Travelocity and package shoppers (purchasing the hotel and airfare together) like Expedia. My advice? Take a few minutes to determine your travel goals, then scan a few sites until you find your favorite ones (I would suggest bookmarking your top three choices).

Which one offers the lowest rates? I would venture to say, 80% of the time, they'll have the same rates. But, there's that other 20%. And because of that, unfortunately, I can't tell you which one will save you money. It's really a hit-or-miss with these sites, because the airlines only provide the sites with a few seats at the discounted price. So, low fares could come and go before you even know it. I would search your top three just to be sure.

Travelocity and Sidestep are my favorites. I like Travelocity because you can select the "flexible date" option and find the lowest fare to your destination (this is domestic flights only) and work your schedule around a particular fare. Sidestep, as it namesake suggests, allows you to sidestep all other websites by giving you the posted rates for ALL the airlines and major travel sites.

Hope this helps!

* Have a question? Please send an email to travelerspen@yahoo.com.