Sep 13 2015

How To Get the Best Seat on the Plane

Traveling on a plane can come with a slew of seat-based comfort challenges, whether you’re assigned to a seat that doesn’t recline or located just adjacent to the bathroom. If you want to get the best seat without having to pay extra cash, there are a few simple tips to follow. While you might not feel like you’re lounging in a featherbed in one of the many luxury hotels in Milan, you will optimize your chances of having a travel experience that’s comfortable, pleasant and relaxed.

1. Don’t Pre-Select Seats

Many flyers are tempted to pre-choose seats when they book their plane flights on Hipmunk. However, it’s best to actually let the airline assign you seats when you check in; particularly for full flights. Airlines cannot require you to pay for premium seats if they are the only spots available. If you wait until everyone else on the plane has chosen a seat, there’s a good chance that one of the premium seats will be assigned to you at no cost.

2. Volunteer to Sit in an Emergency Exit

Flight attendants need to fill emergency exit rows with capable passengers who can assist in an emergency. If you feel physically fit, you can volunteer to move to an exit row if flight attendants are looking to fill the seats (or swap someone out who is not qualified). Sitting in an exit row affords you a lot of extra leg room. It’s also often is an emptier row, as airlines usually pre-charge an extra fee to sit there.

3. Fly During the Middle of the Week

Statistics show that the smallest number of travelers fly on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. To ensure you have the most room on the plane–and the biggest selection of great seats–fly during the work week.

4. Take Seats Freed by Upgrades

Once you board a plane, some may opt to pay extra for first class or business class seats. Ask if you can take the seats they left empty. Many of these seats will have been occupied by frequent flyers or business travelers, which means that you might earn yourself a premium seat with extra legroom, greater recline or other great features.

No matter whether you’re crossing a few state lines or the Pacific Ocean, having a comfortable seat can ensure you have a restful and pleasant flight. By following a few simple tips, you can find yourself the best seat possible without forking over any extra dough.

This post was posted by TheHipmunk on Hipmunk’s Tailwind blog on September 2nd.

Jul 06 2015

Trip Planning Advice: 3 Quick Tips To Get You Started

The quickest trip planning advice I can offer you is do not wait until the last minute. If you’re planning for yourself and your family, it just adds a dose of unnecessary stress. If you’re on your own, then by all means, live for the moment and seize the day!

In this video I answer a reader’s question asking for tips to make the process easier. This is the first in an “Ask Me” series were I address travel questions my readers have. I invite you to email me your own.

I’m still working on the name for the series. Maybe I’ll call it “Tawanna’s Travel Tips.” What do you think? This series is all about reader feedback so leave me your thoughts and a travel question below.

An American Express report noted that it takes the average person 30-40 hours to plan a vacation. If you want to make trip planning easier for yourself, there are a few simple things you need to know.

Where to Start

Do you start from your current budget? Do you start from what time of year you can travel? Do you start from where you dream of going? Those are tricky questions.

Honestly, I think it depends on your personality so you have to apply any trip planning advice you get accordingly. If you’re doing a last-minute spur-of-the-moment hop, you have to look at what you can afford first. Eventually, it all comes down to budget but if you’re actively planning, it comes a little later in the process.

Creating a System

Like anything else, planning is a process. And with processes you have to create a system which allows you to easily implement and replicate. What steps are you currently taking when you plan your trips? Where do you usually start first? Do you do this consistently for every trip?

The more frequent you do something, the more systemized it becomes. The same goes for trip planning. Inevitably, it becomes easier and you become faster at it.

In the video I share three quick tips to get you started that will help make your future vacation planning go smoother. Check out the video and leave your feedback.

Be sure to like, comment, and subscribe to the channel. Can’t wait to hear what you think.

Jun 30 2015

Travel Products That Help Make Your Travel Life Easier

This travel segment originally aired on WBALT-TV 11 Baltimore. You can also watch it on the site here. In the segment I talk about several travel products that I love which help make my life easier.

Video Transcript

JENNIFER: DAN SAYS CHANCES ARE YOU ARE GOING SOMEWHERE. WHEN YOU TRAVEL, THERE ARE THINGS TO TAKE WITH YOU TO MAKE YOUR TRIP EASIER. FAMILY TRAVEL STRATEGIST, TAWANNA BROWNE SMITH IS HERE. GOOD MORNING. LET’S TALK ABOUT THE LUGGAGE AND HOW FAR IT HAS COME.

THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE PRODUCTS. THIS IS REALLY FOR THE SOLO TRAVELING MOM OR DAD. THIS IS CALLED THE RIDE ON CARRY ON. ESSENTIALLY IT IS A CHAIR THAT WILL HELP TO REPLACE YOU CARRYING AN ADDITIONAL ROLLING STROLLER. YOU PUT YOUR CHILD IN THE CHAIR. YOU STRAP THEM IN. THEN THERE’S THE SEAT BUCKLE HERE. THEN YOU HAVE YOUR LUGGAGE. THEN YOU JUST PULL THEM.

JENNIFER: HOPE THEY ARE SAFE AND OKAY.

THEY ARE SAFE BECAUSE THEY ARE LOCKED IN IT. YOUR LUGGAGE IS GOING TO BE PACKED. YOU DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IT TIPPING OVER. THE WEIGHT IS BALANCED. THIS IS A HEADREST THAT’S A TURNTABLE THERE FOR THEM.

JENNIFER: I CAN SEE HOW THAT WOULD WORK.

WHEN YOU GET ON THE PLANE, YOU PUT IT INSIDE. YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO THAT.

JENNIFER: ALL RIGHT. LET’S TALK ABOUT THIS STUFF. THIS IS MEANT TO MAKE LIFE EASIER. YOU ARE NOT CARRY ANYTHING.

IF YOU WANT TO BE BAGLESS, IT HAS 17 POCKETS. YOU CAN PUT A MINI PAD AND CELL PHONE AND LOOP YOUR HEAD AND MONEY IN THERE. YOUR TRAVEL DOCUMENTS CAN BE IN THERE. YOUR ID IS IN THERE AS WELL. YOU CAN ALSO PUT A CAMERA IN HERE. THERE ARE SEVERAL DIFFERENT WAYS YOU CAN USE THIS. WHEN YOU GO THROUGH SECURITY, JUST TAKE IT OFF AND PUT IT THROUGH THE SECURITY TRAY. YOU ARE DONE.

JENNIFER: IT IS LIGHTWEIGHT. I IMAGINE IT COMES IN MANY COLORS.

YES, IT DOES. AND ITS AVAILABLE FOR MEN AS WELL.

JENNIFER: NOW CHECK THIS OUT. LOOK AT THAT.

THIS IS A REALLY INNOVATIVE PRODUCT. I HAVEN’T SEEN ANYTHING ON THE MARKET LIKE IT. THESE ARE BRIDGELESS EYE WEAR. YOU ARE PROBABLY WANDERING WHAT IT WAS. NOISE CANCELING HEADPHONES FOR YOUR EYES. THEY ARE LIKE SUCTION CUPS. THEY BLOCK OUT AMBIANT AND UVA LIGHT. YOU CAN USE THIS ON THE PLANE WHEN PEOPLE HAVE THE SHADES OPEN, AT THE BEA CH TO BLOCK OUT THE SUN, IN THE CAR TO TAKE A NAP.

JENNIFER: ALL RIGHT. THIS IS AN ARMREST.

THIS IS AN ARM PILLOW. IT IS THE LITTLE THINGS THAT COUNT. THIS LITTLE THING MAKES YOUR — THIS CUSHION MAKES YOUR — FLIP IT ON THE ARMREST AND MAKES IT MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE. IT IS ADDING FIRST CLASS TO YOUR ECONOMY CLASS. IF YOU DON’T HAVE THE OCCLES YOU CAN USE IT FOR YOUR EYES.

OR USE IT AS A LUMBAR CUSHION IN THE CHAIR. IT’S MULTIFUNCTIONAL.

ALL RIGHT. MATCHING OUR CLOTHES HERE.

YES, THIS IS THE HARD CASE SPINNER LUGGAGE. AND IT HAS DUAL ACCESS. I TOOK THIS LUGGAGE WITH ME TO SPAIN. THE FIRST T HING THAT I LIKE IS IT HAS THE TSA APPROVED LOCKS. YOU DON’T HAVE TO HAVE AN ADDITIONAL LOCK TO PUT ON IT. THESE JUST LOCK IN. YOU HAVE THE COMBINATION. THEN YOU CAN ACCESS YOUR LUGGAGE IN TWO WAYS. THERE’S A FRONT WAY TO ACCESS IT AND —

JENNIFER: OF COURSE IT IS GOING TO STICK.

OF COURSE. IT HAS THE DIFFERENT COMPARTMENTS. THIS IS CARRY ON LUGGAGE. THIS IS APPROVED FOR YOU. IT ALSO WORKS INTERNATIONALLY. I CAN ACCESS IT THE BACK WAY.

JENNIFER: THAT’S GOING TO HAVE THE BIGGER CAVITY. ALL RIGHT. YOU ARE COMING BACK IN THE NEXT HOUR. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT THEN?

I’LL BE TALKING ABOUT PACKING TIPS STRATEGIES.

You can watch the second segment about packing tips here.

Jan 13 2015

8 Travel Security Tips You Should Know From A Professional

We don’t all have the pleasure of bringing our spouses to work with us. However, last October my husband accompanied me to Greece for the annual TBEX Europe conference. After a heated conversation, I asked him to share his travel security tips with me for the blog. It’s nice to have another voice on here. He is raw, honest, and doesn’t pretend to be a writer. He knows what he knows and I love him for it.

Read below to see what he had to say.

On a recent trip to Greece with my wife, I had a chance to mingle and observe some of her travel writer counterparts. I was amazed to see how nonchalant most of them were about security and their surroundings. Naturally, she said that I overreacted.

When I pointed out a few examples, she huffed and puffed and asked to me share my security advice.

So, here we go: Travel Security Tips to staying safe.

1. Trust Your Instincts

If it doesn’t feel right it isn’t. I know that sounds like a cliché but you’d be surprised how many people try to “MAKE” things ok. Trust your gut. Get in the habit of looking over your shoulder every once in a while.

2. Know Your Surroundings

NO, listen to me! Know. Your. Surroundings. Part of this means: see, hear and smell what is around you. A great way to do this is to take a walk or jog around the area where you’re staying.

It also means:

Know at least two routes to your hotel/house/apartment.
Learn where the cameras are in your location (this can save you).
Identify where you can find the nearest police station and save the number in your phone. You can always delete it when you leave. Make sure you know how to dial it.
Observe and be familiar with the shops, stores, and people who frequent your area.

3. Plan, Plan, Plan

Know what to do in emergency situations. Run scenarios in your head. No one ever suspects that they’ll have an issue on a vacation but you never know. Here’s what you should think about:

Where’s the exit if a fire happens?
What should you do if you see a crime (i.e. how to get away; how do you report it to the police)?
Where do you go if you get injured? Having travel insurance is also very wise if you’re traveling overseas.
What should you do if someone is following you?
What’s your escape plan if you need to get out of somewhere quickly?

4. Protect Important Information

Don’t carry your official documents with you. Always carry copies of your passport or visa. You can also scan and email important documents to yourself to save on your phone.
Save the address and phone number of the US Embassy in your contacts or email it to yourself as well.

5. Backpacks Come In Handy

Whenever we went out for the day, I carried my backpack with a few essential items. Note, I did not keep my money in my backpack. Whenever my wife bought something at a store, I stored it in the backpack so that she wasn’t walking around with visible shopping bags in her hand.

You should always have a go-bag prepared so that if you need to leave in a hurry, it will be easy for you to move quickly.

6. Mind Your Money

Keep your money and your wallet in your front pockets. Be sure to pull out only what you need when making a purchase.

Keep money separated. One pocket should have small bills, another pocket should hold the larger bills. For bigger purchases, opt to use your ATM or a credit card.
Know how much money you have at all times.
Look over your shoulder when using cash.
Never carry all of your bank/credit cards with you when you go out exploring.

7. Be Smart About Communications

I learned this the hard way in Greece, depending on the use of my wife’s global phone. On the last day of my trip we were separated. I had no way to get in touch with her until I was able to connect to wifi at the airport. I walked away learning a valuable lesson:

No matter what the cost, make sure you have the ability to use a phone. It may cost a little extra but it’s good to have that option should an emergency come up.
Having communications is important but when you’re walking, don’t keep your face buried in your phone. Twitter and FB can wait.
Smart phones are targets for thieves. Keep them out of view as much as possible.

8. Remember Faces

Lastly, when you’re talking to people, make sure to look at them closely. It’s common courtesy to look at someone eye-to-eye but you also want to remember what they look like in the event you need to describe them later.

Please keep in mind that these are not the only things that you can do. However, these are a few tips that will definitely help you stay safe.

I really appreciate my husband for taking the time out and providing me with these very useful travel security tips. I love traveling with him because I know he has my back. It seems like a lot to remember but once you train yourself to think about these precautions and do some pre-planning for your vacation, it’ll always be in the back of your mind when you travel.

You’ll be safer for it.

What tip did you find to be particularly useful? I’d love to let him know.

Nov 14 2014

Travel Planning: Are You Asking Yourself The Right Questions?

Travel Planning like a Rockstar

Do you like planning for your family vacations or do you view it as a chore?

Don’t worry. You’re not alone.

After speaking to hundreds of families, I’ve learned that travel planning isn’t as enjoyable for most people as it is for me.

People just want to pay and go.

I feel you!

Spending 15 hours at the computer is reserved for the travel research nerds.

I admit to being one of them.

It’s important to know your calling and I recognize mine.

In all honesty, travel planning can be a daunting task.

And for parents, when time is more limited, they may opt to visit the places where they are most familiar, delay the process until the last minute (thereby missing out on possible deals), or avoid a family trip altogether.

None of that is necessary.

Here are some important questions to ask yourself before you start planning for your next trip:

1. WHERE DO YOU WANT TO GO?

If you can’t think of a specific city, state, or country, think of a general region. Are these the first thoughts that come to your mind:

“I don’t know where I want to go?”
“Where can I afford to go?” If so, take a look at travel magazines or the travel section of your Sunday paper for inspiration.

If so, take a look at travel magazines or the travel section of your Sunday paper for inspiration.

If you have the budget for luxury travel, pick up a copy of Conde Nast or Travel + Leisure.

If you’re working with a mid-range budget, stop by your local Costco or AAA agency and pick up a travel brochure.

If you have a tight budget, look into Budget Travel magazine for some ideas or google last minute travel websites.

2. WHAT IS YOUR BUDGET?

Your budget will often help to narrow down your destination. This isn’t to say that you can’t be a budget traveller anywhere in the world because you can. What am I saying is that you need to understand that sometimes there are trade-offs to being a budget traveler.

You may have to sacrifice convenience and comfortability for budget traveling.

If you prefer to only stay in 3-5 star hotels, budget traveling to say, Paris may not work for you.

You can find an inexpensive ticket to Paris but you have to do your research and track ticket prices.

Cheap ain’t always convenient.

A cheap ticket doesn’t promise a direct flight. You may have to make two or more hops (depending where you’re located) to get there.

For someone strapped on time, this isn’t very convenient.

3. WHAT IS YOUR SCHEDULE?

When can you travel? When are your vacation days or your children’s school vacations (if you worry about those things)?

Having an idea of when it’s most convenient to travel can also help you identify destinations that will work for you.

If you can only travel during the (U.S.) Fall, then travel to the Caribbean may be a bit of a challenge.

Many countries experience their hurricane and rainy season during our Fall.

If you can only travel during the Winter months, travel to Great Britain may not be the best use of your money and time.

4. WHAT TYPE OF TRIP OR VACATION WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE?

Are you looking to do something active, adventure, or outdoorsy?
Would you like your trip to be of a historical nature or a cultural-exchange?
Are you looking to go somewhere exotic and/or tropical?
Do you enjoy wildlife?
Should the trip be more theme park-focused to accommodate younger travelers?
Would you like to stay within the country or go somewhere international?

Can you see yourself in any of these places:

Egypt
China,
Alaska,
Galapagos islands,
Canadian National Parks: Banff National Park or Moraine Lake
Canada
Costa Rica
Thailand Lima Peru, Amalfi Coast etc?
Lima Peru
Amalfi Coast etc?

Decide on the type of vacation you’re looking for and see which destinations fall best within that category.

SIDE NOTE: If you’re traveling with kids, set realistic expectations for where you can go and get the most out of your family vacation. I’m a firm believer that you can travel anywhere with your kids.

Kids live all over the world!

However, every child may not be suited for every destination at every point in their childhood.

Someone will argue with me on this point but at the end of the day, you know your child best.

And all kids are not the same, Younger children may not be able to handle an African safari or a tropical jungle.

Touring Athens with a baby might just be a little hectic.

It’s important to gauge the pace of a particular destination and decide how it may (or may not) be a fit for your child.

5. HOW MUCH TIME ARE YOU WILLING TO SET ASIDE TO PLAN FOR YOUR TRIP?

Travel planning takes time especially if you’re looking for the best price for your dollar and unique experiences.

The last thing you want to do is spend hundreds of dollars to get somewhere only to have a horrible time.

Educating yourself about all that’s available to you doesn’t happen in an hour.

If you can’t find the time to commit to doing the research, don’t beat yourself up about it.

You can still have an amazing trip, you may just need some help putting all the pieces together.

Parting Tip: If you’re flying to your destination, once you know where and when you want to go, don’t wait to book your flight – especially if you’re traveling on your child’s holiday schedule.

If you have a year or several months ahead of you, you can track prices through airfarewatchdog.com or any other ticket tracking site.

However, once the price is within your range, get the tickets out of the way.

If the ticket prices are too high for you to handle all at once, you may consider working with a travel agent who can create a payment plan for you.

If you’d like to maintain control of the planning, your other option is to set up your own travel savings plan through your bank.

One additional word of valuable advice: Make sure that you budget for travel insurance.

Usually 4-10% of the price of your trip will be the cost of your travel insurance.

Travel Planning doesn’t have to be daunting.

It takes research, planning, organization and a little bit of time to get it right. I’m always happy to help you with the process.

Plan My Trip!