When it's time to book a plane ticket, you've got an overwhelming number of online destinations to check—which really complicates things. NYT writer Matt Gross details his simple booking workflow, which combines his favorite travel sites for great deals.
You've probably heard of most of the services he uses (we've mentioned most of them here, in fact), but his process of moving from one site to the next—and his reasons for doing so—are what makes his guide interesting. Like most of us he starts at the Lifehacker favorite, Kayak, to get a baseline for prices. Next, he continues down the booking rabbit hole into more interesting and esoteric sites to verify ticket prices, see if he can find anything cheaper, and determine if he might save some money if he waits a little longer.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Cheap Air Travel in Europe
Air travelers in Europe today have many more cheap air travel options than only a decade ago. The partial deregulation of air travel in Europe in the 1990s allowed the rise of low-cost airlines, and flying even short distances in Europe is often cheaper than taking the train. The days when national flagship carriers dominated air traffic and were regarded as national symbols are gone, and the fierce competition from low-cost airlines has led to bankruptcies and mergers of several large and reputable airlines. But with so many more airlines operating in Europe comes the difficult choice for travelers to figure out how to get the best prices and the services they desire. This article is intended to shed some light on cheap air travel within Europe, while also covering some aspects of traveling to Europe from overseas.
Flying to Europe
London is still the cheapest European destination from North America, but it is not a great gateway for continental Europe. If your final travel destination is not Great Britain, you are better off using a hub in continental Europe for connecting flights. The international airport at Heathrow is so huge and congested, that it is difficult to make connections on time. If you have a connecting flight to continental Europe, chances are that your bags will be delayed, due to the airport’s enormous size and the different terminals that are far apart. In addition, with ongoing terrorist threats and security alerts, security checks at London’s Heathrow airport are a continuous nightmare. But if you stay in Great Britain and then continue to other European countries, you can catch low-cost flights from secondary London airports that take you almost anywhere in Europe at incredibly low prices.
Also keep in mind that booking a direct flight to your European destination is not always the cheapest way to get there. The major European airlines will often take you to one of their hubs, from where you can catch a connecting flight to your final destination. A few years ago I wanted to fly from Boston to Lisbon, but the cheapest flight was first to Frankfurt, and then Lisbon. Frankfurt is a major hub of the German airline Lufthansa, with frequent connections to most European cities. Another option is to fly open-jaw, which means that you arrive in one city and fly out from another on the same airline, and you usually only pay a little bit extra. This is a great way to plan a one-way itinerary in Europe, which saves you additional travel expenses and time.
Starting in March 2008, the Open Skies agreement between the U.S. and the European Union will go into affect after years of negotiations. This partial deregulation of transatlantic air traffic will allow European airlines to fly from any city in the EU to any city in the U.S., and vice versa. U.S. airlines will also be allowed to fly within Europe. This agreement is largely expected to increase competition on transatlantic flights and reduce fares.
Low-Cost Airlines in Europe
Low-cost airlines have exploded onto the European market in recent years, and routes that were traditionally covered by national airlines now face the stiff competition of low-cost carriers. This has prompted several major European airlines to start their own low-cost subsidiary airlines to remain competitive.
Low-cost airlines typically fly to smaller cities or secondary airports, where landing fees are lower and where fewer airlines compete for landing slots. While large airports often operate at maximum capacity leading to delays and canceled flights, smaller regional airports still have room for additional flights, which many low-cost airlines take advantage of. This means that if you are flexible and willing to consider secondary airports or smaller cities as your destination, you can save a lot of money. Low-cost carriers usually offer only one passenger class and often have no assigned seating. Keep in mind that tickets from low-cost airlines are usually non-refundable and that flight dates cannot be changed.
To save cost and make extra money, low-cost airlines charge for food or drinks, and you will find the baggage and weight allowance to be very low, or you might even be charged for every checked bag. Airport taxes, fees, and fuel surcharges are often listed separately from the low advertised fare. Many low-cost airlines sell their tickets almost exclusively online, and few travel agents will be able to book a flight on a European low-cost carrier for you from overseas. If you are flying to Europe from overseas and want to continue with a low-cost carrier, you should do your own online search for a suitable airline and book a flight directly online.
Flying to Europe
London is still the cheapest European destination from North America, but it is not a great gateway for continental Europe. If your final travel destination is not Great Britain, you are better off using a hub in continental Europe for connecting flights. The international airport at Heathrow is so huge and congested, that it is difficult to make connections on time. If you have a connecting flight to continental Europe, chances are that your bags will be delayed, due to the airport’s enormous size and the different terminals that are far apart. In addition, with ongoing terrorist threats and security alerts, security checks at London’s Heathrow airport are a continuous nightmare. But if you stay in Great Britain and then continue to other European countries, you can catch low-cost flights from secondary London airports that take you almost anywhere in Europe at incredibly low prices.
Also keep in mind that booking a direct flight to your European destination is not always the cheapest way to get there. The major European airlines will often take you to one of their hubs, from where you can catch a connecting flight to your final destination. A few years ago I wanted to fly from Boston to Lisbon, but the cheapest flight was first to Frankfurt, and then Lisbon. Frankfurt is a major hub of the German airline Lufthansa, with frequent connections to most European cities. Another option is to fly open-jaw, which means that you arrive in one city and fly out from another on the same airline, and you usually only pay a little bit extra. This is a great way to plan a one-way itinerary in Europe, which saves you additional travel expenses and time.
Starting in March 2008, the Open Skies agreement between the U.S. and the European Union will go into affect after years of negotiations. This partial deregulation of transatlantic air traffic will allow European airlines to fly from any city in the EU to any city in the U.S., and vice versa. U.S. airlines will also be allowed to fly within Europe. This agreement is largely expected to increase competition on transatlantic flights and reduce fares.
Low-Cost Airlines in Europe
Low-cost airlines have exploded onto the European market in recent years, and routes that were traditionally covered by national airlines now face the stiff competition of low-cost carriers. This has prompted several major European airlines to start their own low-cost subsidiary airlines to remain competitive.
Low-cost airlines typically fly to smaller cities or secondary airports, where landing fees are lower and where fewer airlines compete for landing slots. While large airports often operate at maximum capacity leading to delays and canceled flights, smaller regional airports still have room for additional flights, which many low-cost airlines take advantage of. This means that if you are flexible and willing to consider secondary airports or smaller cities as your destination, you can save a lot of money. Low-cost carriers usually offer only one passenger class and often have no assigned seating. Keep in mind that tickets from low-cost airlines are usually non-refundable and that flight dates cannot be changed.
To save cost and make extra money, low-cost airlines charge for food or drinks, and you will find the baggage and weight allowance to be very low, or you might even be charged for every checked bag. Airport taxes, fees, and fuel surcharges are often listed separately from the low advertised fare. Many low-cost airlines sell their tickets almost exclusively online, and few travel agents will be able to book a flight on a European low-cost carrier for you from overseas. If you are flying to Europe from overseas and want to continue with a low-cost carrier, you should do your own online search for a suitable airline and book a flight directly online.
Least Expensive Cars of 2010
Looking for cheap wheels? Here they are -- the least-expensive 2010 cars on sale in America. (All prices are MSRP (sticker price) plus destination charge.) The About.com Cars test team has driven all of these cheap cars, and this list will tell you which are the real deals -- and which are the real duds.
1. Hyundai Accent Blue, $10,690
"Hyundai Accent"Photo © Hyundai
Last year, Hyundai chopped the price of the Accent to undercut Nissan's Versa (see below) by $20, but you had to buy a more expensive model in order to get any options. The price is unchanged for 2010, but you can now add air conditioning for an extra $1,000, although you'll still have to buy the pricier Accent GS if you want a stereo or automatic transmission. Hyundai has tweaked the powertrain for better fuel economy -- hence the name change from "GS Base" to "Blue" -- but they've also limited color choices to blue (of course), white, and shades of gray. The Accent is good fun to drive in a back-to-basics sort of way, but the lack of advanced safety features and mediocre crash test scores make it difficult to justify.
1. Hyundai Accent Blue, $10,690
"Hyundai Accent"Photo © Hyundai
Last year, Hyundai chopped the price of the Accent to undercut Nissan's Versa (see below) by $20, but you had to buy a more expensive model in order to get any options. The price is unchanged for 2010, but you can now add air conditioning for an extra $1,000, although you'll still have to buy the pricier Accent GS if you want a stereo or automatic transmission. Hyundai has tweaked the powertrain for better fuel economy -- hence the name change from "GS Base" to "Blue" -- but they've also limited color choices to blue (of course), white, and shades of gray. The Accent is good fun to drive in a back-to-basics sort of way, but the lack of advanced safety features and mediocre crash test scores make it difficult to justify.
Sports Cars - Fast Cars
SUVs are advertised as rugged, but few have bumpers designed to withstand a minor bump in a low-speed collision. Eight of nine new midsize sport utility vehicles (SUVs) earned poor or marginal ratings for bumper performance in 5 mph crash tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. In this group, only the 2003 Honda Pilot is equipped with bumpers that resisted major damage. The Pilot earned an acceptable rating. The 2004 Mitsubishi Endeavor, 2003 Nissan Murano, and 2004 Lexus RX 330 are rated marginal. The 2003 Toyota 4Runner, 2004 Chrysler Pacifica, 2003 Infiniti FX35, 2004 Cadillac SRX, and 2003 Kia Sorento are rated poor.
The Highway Institute's series of four bumper tests includes front- and rear-into-flat-barrier plus front-into-angle-barrier and rear-into-pole impacts. The tests assess how well bumpers can prevent damage in 5 mph impacts simulating the fender-bender collisions that are common in commuter traffic and parking lots. A good bumper system should absorb the energy of these minor impacts and protect expensive body panels, headlamp systems, and other components from damage.
Top 10 Cars for Women
Women tell us they prefer a car that's agile, has good visibility, and isn't a chore to drive. Many like to sit higher and most rightly insist on plenty of storage space, reasonable prices and low running costs. Space for growing families is essential in many cases and safety is a major factor. Furthermore, many women tell us that a high fun-to-drive factor is important.
The ten cars listed below meet these criteria while allowing for different tastes, lifestyles, and incomes.
Ford Focus
"2006 Ford Focus ZX4 front view"Photo © Aaron Gold
The Ford Focus has a markedly different character than most Ford products sold in the US and Canada. That's because it was developed by Ford of Europe -- that's right, this is an honest-to-goodness European car. The tall cabin, upright driving position, roomy interior and trunk and smile-generating driving experience all come courtesy of the Focus' old-world roots, but with the humble Ford badge on the boot -- er, trunk -- you aren't paying for a fancy European name.
The ten cars listed below meet these criteria while allowing for different tastes, lifestyles, and incomes.
Ford Focus
"2006 Ford Focus ZX4 front view"Photo © Aaron Gold
The Ford Focus has a markedly different character than most Ford products sold in the US and Canada. That's because it was developed by Ford of Europe -- that's right, this is an honest-to-goodness European car. The tall cabin, upright driving position, roomy interior and trunk and smile-generating driving experience all come courtesy of the Focus' old-world roots, but with the humble Ford badge on the boot -- er, trunk -- you aren't paying for a fancy European name.
Sports Cars - Fast CarsSports Cars - Fast Cars
The emission test regulations have kept the wild Mosler MT900s supercar away from North America until now.
The Corvette engined MT900s will go on sale in Anaheim, California starting in late fall 2006.
Althogh the Mosler only weighs 2,200 pounds, it packs a beefy 435 horsepower, 5.7 liter Corvette LS6 V8 engine. Once you light the fuse, the Mosler will speed from 0 to 60 miles/hour in 3.1 seconds and reach a top speed of 190 miles per hour.
The body is made of carbon-aluminum honeycomb just like aircraft bulkheads and you can purchase one for $189,000.
2013 BMW 3-Series Review and Prices
Consumer Guide's Impressions of the 2013 BMW 3-Series
It's still a few years off, but the next iteration of BMW's top-seller is shaping up as a mix of fresh styling, big-Bimmer tech features, and thriftier engines. And yes, the redesigned 3-Series is almost sure to cost more.
What We Know About the 2013 BMW 3-Series
The next edition of BMW's top-selling 3-Series is in the works, but don't look for it anytime soon. Reports indicate the redesigned "F30" line won't start home-market sale until 2012, which likely means a 2013 U.S. debut. Typical of European brands, the new 3-Series will launch with sedans, then add wagons and coupes a year or so later. An updated hardtop-convertible should arrive in 2014. Also due is a first-ever 3-Series 4-door hatchback, a sort of kid brother to the recently announced 5-Series GT and with most of the same functional attributes. The current E90 3-Series design will be seven years old when the rollout begins, having bowed in Europe during 2005 and in America for model-year '06--quite a long run in today's super-competitive global auto business.
Explore the Options
* New Luxury Car Prices & Reviews
* Reviews of All New BMWs
* All BMW 3-Series Reviews
The 2013 BMW 3-Series has lately been spied testing in Germany disguised in E90 bodywork, albeit with some telling alterations. Prime among them are a reported wheelbase stretch to 110.2 inches, up 1.5 inches, and axle tracks broadened by perhaps 2 inches front and rear, matched by like gains in overall width. The F30 should also be a bit longer than E90, but little, if any, taller. Curb weights will likely rise, but we think BMW will limit the gains to 100-200 pounds. As with E90, the F30 architecture--which may or may not be technically "all-new"--will also underpin BMW's smaller 1-Series premium-compact cars that get their own redesign for release about a year before the new 3s.
Chassis design is said to be basically a current-model carryover. Though the suspension may get some redesigned hardware, the 2013 BMW 3-Series will retain a 4-wheel independent setup with front struts, so-called "Z-axle" multilink rear geometry, and an antiroll bar at each end. Four-wheel disc brakes with ABS will continue per BMW tradition. So, too, a standard stability system with traction control, available auto-adjusting shock absorbers, and BMW's optional "Active Steering" that's designed to quicken low-speed response for more-nimble handling. Wheel sizes are likely to stand pat as well, with 16-inchers, 17s, 18s, and 19s all available, depending on model. Run-flat tires should remain standard across the board, mainly because they eliminate the need for a spare wheel and thus save a little gas-wasting weight.
It's still a few years off, but the next iteration of BMW's top-seller is shaping up as a mix of fresh styling, big-Bimmer tech features, and thriftier engines. And yes, the redesigned 3-Series is almost sure to cost more.
What We Know About the 2013 BMW 3-Series
The next edition of BMW's top-selling 3-Series is in the works, but don't look for it anytime soon. Reports indicate the redesigned "F30" line won't start home-market sale until 2012, which likely means a 2013 U.S. debut. Typical of European brands, the new 3-Series will launch with sedans, then add wagons and coupes a year or so later. An updated hardtop-convertible should arrive in 2014. Also due is a first-ever 3-Series 4-door hatchback, a sort of kid brother to the recently announced 5-Series GT and with most of the same functional attributes. The current E90 3-Series design will be seven years old when the rollout begins, having bowed in Europe during 2005 and in America for model-year '06--quite a long run in today's super-competitive global auto business.
Explore the Options
* New Luxury Car Prices & Reviews
* Reviews of All New BMWs
* All BMW 3-Series Reviews
The 2013 BMW 3-Series has lately been spied testing in Germany disguised in E90 bodywork, albeit with some telling alterations. Prime among them are a reported wheelbase stretch to 110.2 inches, up 1.5 inches, and axle tracks broadened by perhaps 2 inches front and rear, matched by like gains in overall width. The F30 should also be a bit longer than E90, but little, if any, taller. Curb weights will likely rise, but we think BMW will limit the gains to 100-200 pounds. As with E90, the F30 architecture--which may or may not be technically "all-new"--will also underpin BMW's smaller 1-Series premium-compact cars that get their own redesign for release about a year before the new 3s.
Chassis design is said to be basically a current-model carryover. Though the suspension may get some redesigned hardware, the 2013 BMW 3-Series will retain a 4-wheel independent setup with front struts, so-called "Z-axle" multilink rear geometry, and an antiroll bar at each end. Four-wheel disc brakes with ABS will continue per BMW tradition. So, too, a standard stability system with traction control, available auto-adjusting shock absorbers, and BMW's optional "Active Steering" that's designed to quicken low-speed response for more-nimble handling. Wheel sizes are likely to stand pat as well, with 16-inchers, 17s, 18s, and 19s all available, depending on model. Run-flat tires should remain standard across the board, mainly because they eliminate the need for a spare wheel and thus save a little gas-wasting weight.
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