Tag Archives: flying

Travel Planning, Travel Tips, Travelling with Kids

Large Family Vacations: 8 Tips for Traveling Cheap

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Even with a large family, it is easy to slash traveling expenses. Traveling with large family can be a fun adventure for the entire family. It is also fun to discover how far the family can make their dollars stretch. Here are eight ways to save when going on large family vacations.


1. If at all possible, drive instead of flying. Even if gas prices are soaring, it is generally cheaper to drive than to fly for large families. Plan well ahead of time to make your road trip all about attractions, and not miles. Plan to drive several hours a day and stop along the way to take in relevant historical sights and attractions. Driving increases the family’s ability to see and feel the world around them. If anyone uses a wheelchair, make sure every accommodation is available for the trip.

2. Pack well. It is easy enough for small families to lose track of clothing. With large families, it is almost a given. Knowing how to pack for a large family can save a lot of headaches on the trip. Pack outfits in gallon zipper bags. Keep pajamas in a special bag.

3. Make it a priority to find lodging accommodation that fit your family’s size. It is difficult to fit a family of five or six into a standard hotel room. Rooms that adjoin can also end up being quite expensive. Why not look for vacation home rentals or an extended stay hotel with all the necessary accommodations?

4. National parks are beautiful and can provide some of the best memories for vacationing families. You may even plan your family vacation around several national parks. Consider renting a lodge for your large family if one is available. Some families even choose to camp outside.

 


5. You may or may not be familiar with the term “shoulder season.” This includes the weeks just before and after your destination’s peak season. Traveling during shoulder seasons can lower your costs and save on lodging or airfare. For example, ski resort areas are less crowded in the autumn while the weather is still nice. For the beach, the shoulder season is May or September. Also, there is a good chance that families can upgrade to bigger suites, without additional cost, during a shoulder season.

6. When traveling with large family numbers by air, book the family flight far in advance. Airlines usually post their schedules about 300 days in advance or so. Beyond 300 days, prices generally increase. Families should also look for nonstop flights. Connecting flights generally cost more money. With large families, it is preferable for everyone to sit together too.

7. Decide on locations, venues, and dates and get everyone to agree. Everyone usually has a place they would like to visit or experience. Most People also have a place they would rather not visit. Let one family member take charge and gather all the information well ahead of time. Plan the trip based on what the youngest family member can handle. Be ready for multiple breaks during the day and lots of stops.

8. Buy your family snacks in local grocery stores. This can be a small adventure all by itself. Local stores offer a glimpse of what it would be like to live in your vacation destination. How does the store pack its fruits and vegetables? What new candies are available? Are there familiar brands your family prefers? Buying in local grocery stores, if available, can reduce food bills. It is also a good idea to bring water if you can to rinse off scrapes and to clean sticky fingers and hands.

Your family can also tap into the power of technology. There are apps you can download for nearby gas stops, sites to see along the route, local restaurants, inexpensive hotel accommodations, rental cars, vehicle maintenance, attractions, medical assistance, and so much more. Technology can be a great friend when it comes to family road trips. A travel agent can also help find your family the very best deals. Some travel deals offer specials for five or more people. Utilize your travel agent’s insider information to your advantage and enable your family to have the time of their life.

Infographic

The Ultimate Guide to Ensuring You’re Not Bumped Off The Plane on Your Next Flight [infographic]

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The ultimate guide to ensuring you’re not bumped off the plane on your next flight!

While it has long been a policy for plenty of airlines, the process of potentially bumped off before takeoff is something which has only just come to light for many people.

In April, a passenger aboard a United Airlines flight was forcibly removed from an overbooked flight.

David Dao, a doctor from Elizabethtown, Kentucky, who refused to leave the plane, was dragged off by a security officer, cutting his head in the process.

A video emerged of the incident online which sparked a chain of controversy surrounding the process of removing people from overbooked flights. You can take a look at the video by heading to the NY Times site.

While this was clearly a rather overblown example, it made many people aware of the possibility of overbooking.

Avoiding Overbooking

Obviously, overbooking is pretty much out of your hands. However, you need to be aware of the protocol once you have been made aware that your flight has been overbooked.

Firstly, airlines are required to ask for volunteers to switch flights. As a thank you, they will compensate you with a travel voucher or some sort.

If there aren’t enough volunteers, the airline may well select people who will then be entitled to cash.

Clearly, neither of these scenarios are ideal and we would all much rather get to our destination on time, without any unnecessary fuss.

How To Not Get Bumped Off A Flight

So, how do you best avoid situations like this or manage them when they unfortunately arrive? Well, thanks to a new infographic from silverdoor.co.uk, you can learn all you need to know.

It’s called ‘The Ultimate Guide To Ensuring You’re Not Bumped Off The Plane On Your Next Flight’ and you can take a look below.

It covers everything from explaining which airlines are less likely to overbook to which type of flights you should consider booking.

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Infographic

15 Ways to Overcome Your Fear of Flying [Infographic]

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Even in the sheltered and largely safe world the majority of us live in today, plenty of us suffer from fears and phobias, some of them irrational, others entirely rational.

According to fears.net, some of the top ten phobias of all time include the fear of small spaces (Claustrophobia), a fear of spiders (Arachnophobia) and a fear of heights (Acrophobia).

Rational vs Irrational

Overcoming a fear of something can be difficult, especially with both irrational and rational fears.

A rational fear is one which exists because there is potentially a real danger involved in the action or event. An irrational fear is a fear which exists without this danger existing.

The difficulty of overcoming fears is amplified when the particular fear sits somewhere between the two. One great example of this is a fear of flying.

Fear of Flying

There is no hiding from the fact that throughout history, people have died as a result of a plane crash. This fact makes a fear of flying rational.

However, the frequency of deaths as a result of flying is incredibly small, almost making it irrational.

For example, Fly Fright statistics show that there’s a 1 in 11 million chance of being involved in an aeroplane incident.

They also show that 96% of people survive these accidents. All in all, air travel is by far one of the safest modes of transport in the world.

Despite this, there are still millions of people around the world who suffer from a fear of flying. This fear can really limit your ability to travel, be it for business or pleasure, meaning it could have a massively negative effect on your life.

15 Ways To Overcome Your Fear of Flying

To help those who do struggle with it, silverdoor.co.uk has created this infographic titled ‘15 Ways To Overcome Your Fear of Flying’ which presents lots of handy ways to tackle this phobia.

Whether you genuinely are afraid of flying, or just fancy a little more reassurance, this infographic could be a real help, so take a look for yourself.

15 Ways To Overcome Your Fear Of Flying – An infographic by the team at SilverDoor.co.uk