Online Travel Resources Put Information at Your Fingertips
February 22, 2012
Dreamstime.comGiven the wealth of online sources from which to gather travel information, the biggest challenge may be sorting through it all to find the most reliable and well-organized information relevant to your own unique requirements.
Cruises, rail travel, first-class accommodations or youth hostels — they’re all covered on multiple sites. Some provide lots of stats (on-time percentages, seat dimensions), others offer concierge-like services for trip planning, yet others provide chatty, first-person observations of destinations with news items, travel tips and advice thrown into the mix. Busy travelers appreciate the resources which provide a comprehensive mix of all of those features, presented logically and updated frequently. How to determine a site’s reliability and usefulness?
John E. DiScala, creator of online travel portal JohnnyJet.com, says there’s really no better way to assess a site’s reliability than through experience. “You have to put in the legwork to see if what that site recommends is reliable,” he says adding that he also looks to other travel writers he trusts for their endorsements. Since most people are looking for help — booking a ticket, a hotel reservation, advice on what to see or do — “A website that can provide help in a friendly, easy-to-understand way is a winner in my book.” But, he cautions, “I find that this old adage is usually true: ‘If something sounds too good to be true, it usually is’ — especially when it comes to travel deals.”
Herewith a short list of sites our Global Traveler staff have identified as some of their favorites:
Airfarewatchdog.com
Like several of the sites here, Airfarewatchdog.com was created by an individual who loves to travel and/or worked in a travel-related field. In this case, George Hobica, a travel journalist specializing in consumer issues, and his “dedicated team of airfare experts” search out airfare deals and offer money-saving tips. One can receive low-fare alerts and weekly travel deals, while daily blogs offer a fare of the day, travel tips and comparison charts analyzing seats, carry-on rules, baggage fees and the like. Other features include a Flexible Date Search and a Search & Compare tool.
Flightstats.com
This site provides information on individual flights — flight tracker, status, availability, on-time performance — as well as on airports (weather, terminal guide, ground transportation), airlines and delays. You may set up a personal account to receive flight alerts and provide ratings. As with the majority of these sites, Flightstats.com has a mobile app and a presence on the major social networking sites and YouTube.
Johnnyjet.com
Launched in 1999, this comprehensive site offers a weekly newsletter subscription, articles from major news sources, blogs, travel deals and tips. The Travel Portal provides links to resources for investigating modes and means of travel, booking travel, and options of what to do and see once you get to your destination.
Seatguru.com
Plug in the airline and route number of your next flight and up pops the color-coded seating chart, complete with seat dimensions, features and icons detailing amenities offered. One can search for “Cheap Flights,” check out travel tips and follow links to airlines’ websites. Also provided: charts comparing seat dimensions and amenities between different airlines and classes.
ThePointsGuy.com
For all those seeking to get the most bang — er, points — for their buck, Brian Kelly’s site presents top deals, sorted by category (airlines, hotels, credit and debit cards); current points/miles promos; and summarizes offers for airline and hotel rewards cards. Blogs offer tips, commentary, news and unique deals, while the Beginner’s Guide provides neophytes with a step-by-step plan for “setting up an effective points strategy.”
