He brings new meaning to the phrase, “Road Warrior.” A senior sales position with a large, successful software firm in Burnaby for many years, our client Buzz Hemphill flew to all sorts of crazy spots in Canada and the U.S. So, when he decided to take a sabbatical, what did our road warrior decide to do? Fly round the world, of course—attempting to visit every country and continent you could possibly squeeze into STAR ALLIANCE’s special round-the-world airfare. Buzz ended up flying to 27 cities in 130 days, and he covered a lot more territory by boat, train, car, etc.
You can read more about Buzz’s adventures in his entertaining blog, www.buzzwords.ca , but we thought it would be fun to interview him now that he’s back.
TTG: So, most important question first, Buzz. What country has the best beer?
Buzz: This is an excellent question and I can tell you I took my investigation very seriously. By “serious” I mean I drank a lot of beer! The hands-down winner is Ireland. It is hard to beat Guinness, Kilkenny, Murphy’s, Smithwicks, and many, many more. Mmmmm, beer.
TTG: Did you get mugged, drugged, or hugged (inappropriately) on your trip?
Buzz: When you go on a trip, you just accept that a few nasty things are going to happen. I am not sure if it was my paranoia or “spider-senses” but nothing too horrific happened to me.
That being said, scams are the same everywhere. I think I saw this one in “Paper Moon” (starring the young Tatum O'Neill in her Oscar-winning performance): I was walking along when this guy started walking beside me. He was wearing a fancy suit, very clean and walking very straight. It was a little too perfect. Then from behind someone rushes quickly between us bumping us both. I of course throw my hands to my pockets immediately as I do anytime I am bumped but nothing was missing. Suddenly two 1000 ruble bills drop to the street at our feet. These bills were also too perfect - like they just came out of the cash machine; these were definitely not mine. The well-dressed man started his spiel. "Why, what do we have here?" I took off. Buzz rule: anytime you don't know what is going on; get the heck out of there.
TTG: Sage advice, Buzz. You say in your blog that South Africa is a country you’d definitely want to visit again. Why is that?
Buzz: Cape Town is a stunning place. If I didn’t live in Vancouver I would have serious city envy. The people were amazing everywhere I went in South Africa (please note that I kept a safe distance from Johannesburg at all times). There was so much to do there and I only scratched the surface: tour of the Cape, oggle the penguins, make fun of the ostriches for being big and dumb, petting cheetahs, spelunking, great beaches and of course safari. I could easily spend another month there.
TTG: I remember one of your goals was to check out Oktoberfest in Munich. How did that go?
Buzz: A huge success as measured by beer consumption, injuries, dead brain cells and giant pretzels. If you are a wallflower, you probably wouldn’t have a great time there. However, if you are a bit extroverted this is the place for you. It is exactly what you want it to be: an obstacle course of dancing Germans in wacky get-ups swinging insanely large beer steins at your head singing/yelling in some incomprehensible language (German) while hypnotic “oompah” music dulls your senses ( think it was the music that was dulling my senses!)
TTG: What’s the best airline you’ve ever flown?
Buzz: Singapore airlines certainly knows how to treat you. The attitudes, food and amenities were all top notch. This could be a result of the staff being such huge fans of Buzz but they seemed to treat everyone this way. Who am I kidding? I am sure it was because they were fans of Buzz.
TTG: Any nifty hotels you want to mention?
Buzz: The Imperial in New Delhi was colonial opulence at its best. This should be the mould for all five star hotels. Every luxury you could imagine was at hand. The staff doted on me to such a degree that I began speaking with an affected British accent and quoted conversations I had with “the Raj”.
TTG: Do you have any language barrier stories?
Buzz: Using a Greek payphone proved pretty challenging. My problems began when I realized they don’t take coin, cash, or credit cards; you have to have a pre-paid card. Oops. I managed to convince a Hungarian, who spoke no English or Greek, at the phone next to me to give me his phone card. I like to think I am a smart guy, but I couldn’t figure out how to make this crazy phone and card work. I got the Hungarian to make the call for me, but he had no better luck
New strategy required. I flagged down a cab driver, because they always have cell phones. Of course, he is also not so good with “The English”. Through a serious of grunts, points, mime, and a moving rendition of dance of the bumblebee, I managed to communicate my dilemma. He made the call to the agent. After only another 45 minutes of miscommunication and confusion, I figured out where I had to go.
Thursday, March 24, 2005
UN-TANGOING AIR CANADA AIRFARES
What do the words tango, fun, latitude, and freedom have in common? Are they words from a Brittany Spears song? Well, no. They are the names Air Canada dreamt up for its new, “simplified” fares. And to give Air Canada their due, they have made things somewhat better for us all by dispensing with the old, senseless “stay-over-a-Saturday-night” roundtrip airfares. In their place, Air Canada now sells exclusively one-way airfares in its North America market. Thanks to them, the U.S. airlines are grudgingly following suit, at least on many of their trans-border fares.
These new “simplified” one-way fares are not without their complications, however. For starters, all the silly names (mentioned above) are hard to keep track. So confusing were they, apparently, that Air Canada has just “simplified” things a bit more (effective April 1), by renaming Fun fares as “Tango Plus” and renaming “Freedom” fares as “Latitude Plus.” In addition to the semantic confusion, there are some important new issues to be aware of.
Here is a summary of the new one-way airfares that Air Canada now sells for travel in Canada and trans-border. The first two are their premium fares—“Latitude” and “Latitude Plus (formerly “Freedom.”) Both offer free changes and are fully refundable. “Latitude Plus” fares are the most expensive economy brand. They come with some perks, including access to the Maple Leaf lounges (in Canada only), executive class check-in, and 25% bonus status miles (ie. what you need to earn Prestige, Elite, and Super Elite status). “Latitude” fares also offer considerable flexibility, but no perks. Both fares qualify for upgrades if you have upgrade certificates.
The second group of airfares are the non-refundable ones. They have restrictions and penalties. The higher-priced of the two is called “Tango Plus” (formerly “Fun”). Changes are cheap at $30, but this is misleading. First of all, because these are classified as one-way fares, the change fee applies to each part of your trip. For example, if you want to change a roundtrip ticket completely, you will wind up paying double—ie. $60 ($30 per direction). On top of this, the rules state that you have to pay any fare difference when changing to a new flight. This means that you will often be paying for a higher airfare, since prices climb the closer you get to the departure date. Generally, the more last-minute the change is, the higher the cost. This can easily add up to hundreds of dollars. So much for the $30 change fee! Like the two “Latitude” fares, these qualify for upgrades, but only if you are Elite or Super Elite and have certificates.
Finally, we come to the most controversial of Air Canada’s new airfares—the “Tango” fares. Named after the airline’s big embarrassment, Tango Airlines, which quietly disappeared after a couple of lackluster years, this airfare is designed to compete with WestJet, CanJet, Skyservice, and other low-cost airlines in Canada and trans-border. It is Air Canada’s cheapest line of airfares. So, what’s the problem? For starters, it offers no status miles. For the business traveller, this is a big deal. One of the perks business travellers enjoy is high tier status with their favourite airline. This entitles them to upgrades, preferred seat selection, priority waitlists on sold-out flights, and VIP treatment. When a frequent traveller learns that he/she is not going to earn status miles on these cheap fares, the conversation can get pretty “intense.”
Another irritant is that “Tango” fares only earn 50% “flown” miles on Aeroplan. And, finally, unless you pay $15 per direction (ie. $30 roundtrip) extra there’s no advance seat selection! Apparently, Air Canada’s rationale for this is that it is the same treatment you would get (or rather, not get) if you flew WestJet or one of the other low-cost airlines. Air Canada claims to be just offering a comparable product. This is not technically correct. WestJet, for instance, offers Air Miles in most cases. And some of the discount airlines do offer free advance seat selection. Furthermore, although WestJet does not offer advance seat assignment, they also don’t oversell their flights. Provided you get to the airport at a reasonable time before departure, you’re likely to be able to get a decent seat. This is not necessarily true with Air Canada, on the other hand. They do over-sell their flights, and since they offer advance seat selection on all of the other airfares, guess what seats are left for the Tango passenger? The dreaded middle seat. For this reason, and the danger of being “bumped” from an oversold flight, we strongly recommend you pay the extra $15 per direction for seat assignment when you buy a Tango ticket.
So, are these new fares a good thing or bad? Over all, I think they are a great improvement over the old style “stay-over-a-Saturday-night” roundtrip fares. They recognize the reality of the new world populated by low-cost, “point-to-point” carriers like WestJet, SouthWest, and JetBlue. For business travellers, who have never been happy with the idea of spending their weekends away from home just to get a reasonable airfare, these new fares are a fantastic development. Generally, we have found that the cost to make changes is lower now than in the old days. So, in spite of some concerns, especially about the Tango fares, Air Canada’s new brands of airfares are a good development. For more on Air Canada’s new “simplified” airfares, go to:
Air Canada Simplified
These new “simplified” one-way fares are not without their complications, however. For starters, all the silly names (mentioned above) are hard to keep track. So confusing were they, apparently, that Air Canada has just “simplified” things a bit more (effective April 1), by renaming Fun fares as “Tango Plus” and renaming “Freedom” fares as “Latitude Plus.” In addition to the semantic confusion, there are some important new issues to be aware of.
Here is a summary of the new one-way airfares that Air Canada now sells for travel in Canada and trans-border. The first two are their premium fares—“Latitude” and “Latitude Plus (formerly “Freedom.”) Both offer free changes and are fully refundable. “Latitude Plus” fares are the most expensive economy brand. They come with some perks, including access to the Maple Leaf lounges (in Canada only), executive class check-in, and 25% bonus status miles (ie. what you need to earn Prestige, Elite, and Super Elite status). “Latitude” fares also offer considerable flexibility, but no perks. Both fares qualify for upgrades if you have upgrade certificates.
The second group of airfares are the non-refundable ones. They have restrictions and penalties. The higher-priced of the two is called “Tango Plus” (formerly “Fun”). Changes are cheap at $30, but this is misleading. First of all, because these are classified as one-way fares, the change fee applies to each part of your trip. For example, if you want to change a roundtrip ticket completely, you will wind up paying double—ie. $60 ($30 per direction). On top of this, the rules state that you have to pay any fare difference when changing to a new flight. This means that you will often be paying for a higher airfare, since prices climb the closer you get to the departure date. Generally, the more last-minute the change is, the higher the cost. This can easily add up to hundreds of dollars. So much for the $30 change fee! Like the two “Latitude” fares, these qualify for upgrades, but only if you are Elite or Super Elite and have certificates.
Finally, we come to the most controversial of Air Canada’s new airfares—the “Tango” fares. Named after the airline’s big embarrassment, Tango Airlines, which quietly disappeared after a couple of lackluster years, this airfare is designed to compete with WestJet, CanJet, Skyservice, and other low-cost airlines in Canada and trans-border. It is Air Canada’s cheapest line of airfares. So, what’s the problem? For starters, it offers no status miles. For the business traveller, this is a big deal. One of the perks business travellers enjoy is high tier status with their favourite airline. This entitles them to upgrades, preferred seat selection, priority waitlists on sold-out flights, and VIP treatment. When a frequent traveller learns that he/she is not going to earn status miles on these cheap fares, the conversation can get pretty “intense.”
Another irritant is that “Tango” fares only earn 50% “flown” miles on Aeroplan. And, finally, unless you pay $15 per direction (ie. $30 roundtrip) extra there’s no advance seat selection! Apparently, Air Canada’s rationale for this is that it is the same treatment you would get (or rather, not get) if you flew WestJet or one of the other low-cost airlines. Air Canada claims to be just offering a comparable product. This is not technically correct. WestJet, for instance, offers Air Miles in most cases. And some of the discount airlines do offer free advance seat selection. Furthermore, although WestJet does not offer advance seat assignment, they also don’t oversell their flights. Provided you get to the airport at a reasonable time before departure, you’re likely to be able to get a decent seat. This is not necessarily true with Air Canada, on the other hand. They do over-sell their flights, and since they offer advance seat selection on all of the other airfares, guess what seats are left for the Tango passenger? The dreaded middle seat. For this reason, and the danger of being “bumped” from an oversold flight, we strongly recommend you pay the extra $15 per direction for seat assignment when you buy a Tango ticket.
So, are these new fares a good thing or bad? Over all, I think they are a great improvement over the old style “stay-over-a-Saturday-night” roundtrip fares. They recognize the reality of the new world populated by low-cost, “point-to-point” carriers like WestJet, SouthWest, and JetBlue. For business travellers, who have never been happy with the idea of spending their weekends away from home just to get a reasonable airfare, these new fares are a fantastic development. Generally, we have found that the cost to make changes is lower now than in the old days. So, in spite of some concerns, especially about the Tango fares, Air Canada’s new brands of airfares are a good development. For more on Air Canada’s new “simplified” airfares, go to:
Air Canada Simplified
MOTORCYCLE DIARIES
In her younger days, Shirley Jackman, one of The Travel Group’s owners, travelled all over Europe with her boyfriend on a motorcycle. Twenty-two years later, we thought it would be interesting to revisit the experience. Here is our interview:
TTG: When did you & Bob go on this adventure?
SHIRLEY: 4 months, June to September, 1983. An eternity ago.
TTG: Why did you pick Europe and what was unusual about the way you chose to see it?
SHIRLEY: We had never been to Europe and it was the "in" thing to do. Wardair and CP Air had charters to London and Frankfurt and they were offering an incredible deal to ship a motorcycle across the pond. Bob had an 1100cc Honda Gold Wing motorcycle at the time, so he thought it was the perfect way to get around. The cost to ship the motorcycle was $250.00 return, cheaper than the cost of one Eurail pass!
TTG: What was the stupidest thing either of you did?
SHIRLEY: Well, the dumbest thing I did was misread the map, I thought the rivers were roads and to this day Bob has not let me forget that. I have since become a much better navigator. The dumbest thing Bob did was lose his travellers checks. Fortunately, there was an American Express office in the town and he was able to make a claim and receive a full reimbursement.
TTG: What are some things that have changed from the 80's in terms of travelling around Europe?
SHIRLEY: Certainly security is a big issue now, and it has become so expensive to travel in Europe. In 1983 the southern countries, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece were very inexpensive and you got great value for your money.
TTG: So, did you stay in hostels?
SHIRLEY: We had every intention of using hostels. We bought a Hostel card and took the proper sleeping gear with us, etc. At our first hostel stop we discovered that we could not stay together as they had separate dormitories for men and women. Consequently we never did stay in a hostel.
TTG: Do you have a language/communication story?
SHIRLEY: A lot of people think that if you speak in a loud voice or move your hands as if you are playing charades, they would understand you better. When looking for a place to stay I would go ahead and check out the rooms to make sure they were okay and then our next concern was where to park the motorcyle. Early in the trip I checked into a small hotel in Evora, Portugal. When Bob came into the hotel he started to move his arms and body as if he was driving the motorcyle. While he was doing this his voice got increasing louder and he kept repeating the words "grande moto, park eh, grande moto". The check-in agent and I looked at each other and started laughing as he replied in perfect English, "You can park around the corner in front of the Police Station, my brother works there and he will keep an eye on the motorcycle." We all had a great laugh over that one.
TTG: What surprised you about Europeans?
SHIRLEY: A few things. Everywhere we went they assumed we were Americans and they thought we were rich because of the type of bike we rode. At that time, the Europeans were driving 250hp Suzuki type bikes. Nobody had the large touring bike except for tourists like us. Also, when we were in Spain they warned us about the Italians, the Italians warned us about the Greeks and so on, yet we never had a single problem with theft or vandalism.
TTG: Any motorcycle stories?
SHIRLEY: Well, first of all we never had a single problem with the bike: it never broke down or ran out of gas or anything like that. But, everywhere we went we drew a crowd as they were not used to seeing that type of bike. They always wanted to know two things, how big the motor was and how much money it cost. What really surprised me was how respectful they were, they would never sit on the bike or touch our things. They took pictures and admired it from a distance. One hotel we stayed in were so worried that someone would steal the bike that they made us park it in the lobby at night so they could keep an eye on it. We have pictures to back up that story.
TTG: How about a foreign food story?
SHIRLEY: One morning in Quateira, Portugal we were craving some good home-style bacon and eggs for breakfast. We spotted a sign that said English spoken so we decided to give it a try. As it happened, the family that owned the restaurant were from 100 Mile House (BC)! We had a wonderful breakfast and some great conversation. We had quite a time adjusting to the late meal times in Southern Europe. Quite often we ended up sitting on the sidewalk outside the restaurant waiting for it to open. We would be too tired and too hungry to do anything else, but it was always worth the wait.
TTG: Would you two ever do anything like this again?
SHIRLEY: Yes, I would definitely travel around Europe again, but a Mercedes is more my style now. I'm a lot older, maybe a little wiser, and a tad spoiled!
TTG: How did this trip change your life?
SHIRLEY: I can't say it changed my life but it certainly influenced me. It was an incredible experience to see all the historical places that I had only read about in school or seen on TV. I met so many wonderful people and discovered so many different cultures. To this day I still think about and talk about those experiences.
In spite of fond memories bumming around Europe, Shirley’s online bio states that her favourite place is “onboard a cruise ship, anywhere.” Did she mention she was spoiled?
TTG: When did you & Bob go on this adventure?
SHIRLEY: 4 months, June to September, 1983. An eternity ago.
TTG: Why did you pick Europe and what was unusual about the way you chose to see it?
SHIRLEY: We had never been to Europe and it was the "in" thing to do. Wardair and CP Air had charters to London and Frankfurt and they were offering an incredible deal to ship a motorcycle across the pond. Bob had an 1100cc Honda Gold Wing motorcycle at the time, so he thought it was the perfect way to get around. The cost to ship the motorcycle was $250.00 return, cheaper than the cost of one Eurail pass!
TTG: What was the stupidest thing either of you did?
SHIRLEY: Well, the dumbest thing I did was misread the map, I thought the rivers were roads and to this day Bob has not let me forget that. I have since become a much better navigator. The dumbest thing Bob did was lose his travellers checks. Fortunately, there was an American Express office in the town and he was able to make a claim and receive a full reimbursement.
TTG: What are some things that have changed from the 80's in terms of travelling around Europe?
SHIRLEY: Certainly security is a big issue now, and it has become so expensive to travel in Europe. In 1983 the southern countries, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece were very inexpensive and you got great value for your money.
TTG: So, did you stay in hostels?
SHIRLEY: We had every intention of using hostels. We bought a Hostel card and took the proper sleeping gear with us, etc. At our first hostel stop we discovered that we could not stay together as they had separate dormitories for men and women. Consequently we never did stay in a hostel.
TTG: Do you have a language/communication story?
SHIRLEY: A lot of people think that if you speak in a loud voice or move your hands as if you are playing charades, they would understand you better. When looking for a place to stay I would go ahead and check out the rooms to make sure they were okay and then our next concern was where to park the motorcyle. Early in the trip I checked into a small hotel in Evora, Portugal. When Bob came into the hotel he started to move his arms and body as if he was driving the motorcyle. While he was doing this his voice got increasing louder and he kept repeating the words "grande moto, park eh, grande moto". The check-in agent and I looked at each other and started laughing as he replied in perfect English, "You can park around the corner in front of the Police Station, my brother works there and he will keep an eye on the motorcycle." We all had a great laugh over that one.
TTG: What surprised you about Europeans?
SHIRLEY: A few things. Everywhere we went they assumed we were Americans and they thought we were rich because of the type of bike we rode. At that time, the Europeans were driving 250hp Suzuki type bikes. Nobody had the large touring bike except for tourists like us. Also, when we were in Spain they warned us about the Italians, the Italians warned us about the Greeks and so on, yet we never had a single problem with theft or vandalism.
TTG: Any motorcycle stories?
SHIRLEY: Well, first of all we never had a single problem with the bike: it never broke down or ran out of gas or anything like that. But, everywhere we went we drew a crowd as they were not used to seeing that type of bike. They always wanted to know two things, how big the motor was and how much money it cost. What really surprised me was how respectful they were, they would never sit on the bike or touch our things. They took pictures and admired it from a distance. One hotel we stayed in were so worried that someone would steal the bike that they made us park it in the lobby at night so they could keep an eye on it. We have pictures to back up that story.
TTG: How about a foreign food story?
SHIRLEY: One morning in Quateira, Portugal we were craving some good home-style bacon and eggs for breakfast. We spotted a sign that said English spoken so we decided to give it a try. As it happened, the family that owned the restaurant were from 100 Mile House (BC)! We had a wonderful breakfast and some great conversation. We had quite a time adjusting to the late meal times in Southern Europe. Quite often we ended up sitting on the sidewalk outside the restaurant waiting for it to open. We would be too tired and too hungry to do anything else, but it was always worth the wait.
TTG: Would you two ever do anything like this again?
SHIRLEY: Yes, I would definitely travel around Europe again, but a Mercedes is more my style now. I'm a lot older, maybe a little wiser, and a tad spoiled!
TTG: How did this trip change your life?
SHIRLEY: I can't say it changed my life but it certainly influenced me. It was an incredible experience to see all the historical places that I had only read about in school or seen on TV. I met so many wonderful people and discovered so many different cultures. To this day I still think about and talk about those experiences.
In spite of fond memories bumming around Europe, Shirley’s online bio states that her favourite place is “onboard a cruise ship, anywhere.” Did she mention she was spoiled?
WHILE THE CAT'S AWAY
When your house is empty while you are away on vacation or business trip, who keeps an eye on things for you? If you’re like me, you try to enlist a neighbour or friend to drop by to collect the mail and make sure nothing has blown up; but when you plan to be away for longer than, say, a week, you probably feel reluctant to impose on other people. Our agency now has an exclusive arrangement with a company that will check on your home for you while you are away. Phoenix Home & Property Care will do everything your neighbours would, and a whole lot more.*
“Just about the only thing we won’t do,” says owner Peter Rosen, “is look after pets”. (They will drop off and pick up pets from boarding facilities to synchronize with your departure and arrival home, however.)
In addition to a wide array of standard services,* they will do things like water indoor plants, forward mail, drop off and pick up dry cleaning, to name a few. They will arrange for emergency services in the event of broken windows, burst pipes, hot water tank breakdown, and other minor disasters. They will even supervise other contracted services such as gardening, window-cleaning, maid services, etc.
One unique service Phoenix offers is to take a complete set of digital photos of your home before departure. Should a burglary or other damage occur, they will take photos of the effected areas for insurance purposes.
“Our mission at Phoenix Home & Property Care is to give our clients complete peace-of-mind while they enjoy a vacation or business trip away from their Vancouver or Richmond home,” says Rosen in his web site, www.phoenixpropertycare.com. Contact Peter at 604-263-2161 or homecare@phoenixpropertycare.com, and make sure you mention The Travel Group referred you.
*Standard Inspections Services:
Check all windows and doors
Check appliances for proper operation
Check and flush toilets
Check water heater for leaks
Check smoke detectors
Check electrical panel box and breakers
Check security system for proper operation
Run water faucets and check for leaks
Check and replace indoor and outdoor light bulbs as required
Remove any direct mail and community newspapers from property
Open and shut curtains and blinds
Liaise with customers via email or fax if required
Serve as a security company contact
AIRLINE SPECIAL MEALS
If you ever want to liven up a conversation, start talking about airline food. Everyone has a bad-food story to tell. As tempting as it would be to write about this subject, we’re going to deal with something a bit less controversial, but more important—airline “special meals.”
Vegetarian Meal on Qantas - Economy Class
First of all, special meals must be ordered at least 24 hours in advance, no last minute decisions permitted. And, you can’t just order anything you want as if you were in a restaurant. (I’ve had people ask for fish & chips or a cheese burger!) Special meals are standardized and are based on dietary, health, or religious restrictions. On the other hand, no one is going to cross-examine you to make sure you are Muslim if you order a Muslim meal or check out how fat you are if you request a low-fat meal. You have every right to order these meals; just don’t expect them to be “made to order.”
A typical large airline offers about 25 special meal types, ranging from Asian vegetarian to—believe it or not—bland meal. (That implies they offer something other than bland!) There are meals catering to religious restrictions, such as Kosher or Hindu. And there are dietary choices, such as low-fat, low-purine (ie. low caffeine), and gluten-free. There can be up to seven varieties of vegetarian meals. Note, however, that not all airlines and not all flights will offer anything close to 25 special meals. Small regional airlines such as WestJet offer nothing except peanuts (although often you can buy food on board). And many of the small airlines that do offer food will have few or no special meals. Even on the larger airlines, certain kinds of meals, such as Hindu or Asian vegetarian, are only offered on international flights, and sometimes only on specific routes. Your travel agent will verify if your choice has been confirmed or rejected, so that you will have a chance to choose an alternative meal if necessary.
Okay, so let’s say you’re not a vegan or Muslim or diabetic, but you just want to avoid the typically abysmal food served on planes. What should you order? If it’s offered, try ordering seafood or fruit plate. Failing that, low-fat is a good bet—it will at least eliminate the greasier offerings. Or, you might want to experiment with some of those more exotic meals such as Asian Vegetarian or Oriental meals if you are taking an international flight.
So does this mean we’ve found a loophole in the airline food racket? Probably not. Even though most major airlines seem to offer a large number of special meals, they cheat a bit. Typically, the vegetarian meal is the same as vegan, high fiber, non-lactose, low-fat, low calorie, and diabetic meals, among others. Usually, there really aren’t that many choices. Also, just because the meal is “special,” don’t assume it will be tastier than standard fare. Sometimes it is, but it could be worse—something I have learned in my food-ordering experiments. Keep in mind that airline food is prepared about 8 hours in advance. How good could it be?
With these warnings, if you still feel adventurous, here are some tips*: · Low-cholesterol is not the same as low-fat. The low-cholesterol meal may include some fat. Sometimes the vegetarian meal has less fat than the low-fat meal. On the other hand, some airlines will treat low-fat and low-cholesterol as the same.· Your definition of “low-fat” may not be the same as the airlines’. Eg. You might get chicken and margarine instead of beef and butter—-not necessarily what you had in mind.· The Hindu meal is just a non-beef meal; if you want Indian vegetarian meals, make sure you request Hindu vegetarian.· If you want a vegetarian meal be sure to specify whether it is “strict vegetarian” (ie. vegan) or lacto-ovo vegetarian (which includes dairy products and eggs. Also, be prepared for unsatisfactory offerings, especially from some foreign carriers, where vegetarian might mean a meat dish with the meat removed or a dish made up of nothing but vegetables.· If you are gluten-intolerant, or have an allergy to peanuts, you might not want to take chances. I have had a client hospitalized on more than one occasion, for example, when she ate a supposedly gluten-free meal. Better to pack your own food!· Even if the food is what it is labeled to be, there is also the danger that it just doesn’t show up (or someone else accidentally claims it). Again, if the meal is important for health or religious reasons, consider packing your own. Ordering a special meal could prevent you from being upgraded. Airlines often by-pass passengers with special meals ordered when looking for someone to upgrade on an over-sold flight. They do not want business class passengers seeing economy meals (ie. the special meal that had been pre-ordered) served up front. It’s bad P.R.
For your reference and amusement, below is a list—copied directly from our reservations computer—of the most common special meals available on the major airlines, complete with their silly airline codes:
** MEAL CODES **
AVML - ASIAN VEGETARIAN
BBML - BABY MEAL
BLML - BLAND MEAL (NOT RECOGNIZED BY UA)
CHML - CHILD MEAL
DBML - DIABETIC MEAL
FPML - FRUIT PLATE
GFML - GLUTEN FREE (NOT RECOGINZED BY UA)
HFML - HIGH FIBRE
HNML - HINDU MEAL
IVML - INDIAN VEGETARIAN (UNITED AIRLINES ONLY)
KSML - KOSHER MEAL
LCML - LOW CALORIE MEAL
LFML - LOW FAT/LOW CHOLESTEROL
LPML - LOW PROTEIN
LSML - LOW SODIUM
MOML - MOSLEM MEAL
NLML - NON-LACTOSE (NOT RECOGNIZED BY UA)
ORML - ORIENTAL (ASIAN)
PRML - LOW PURINE (LOW CAFEINE)
RVML - RAW VEGETARIAN
SFML - SEAFOOD
SPML - SPECIAL MEAL (NEED FREEFORM)
VGML - VEGETARIAN
VLML - VEGETARIAN LACTO-OVO
Now that you know the story, the next time you book a flight consider jazzing things up a bit and try out a special meal. Or, alternatively, pack something interesting of your own, just to make your neighbouring passengers jealous.
*From FAQ: Air Travelers’ Handbook. For more tips on special meals, see
“Making your In-flight Meals Special,” “Low-Carb Friendly Meals,” and a web site exclusively devoted to the subject, “AirlineMeals.net.”
Vegetarian Meal on Qantas - Economy Class
First of all, special meals must be ordered at least 24 hours in advance, no last minute decisions permitted. And, you can’t just order anything you want as if you were in a restaurant. (I’ve had people ask for fish & chips or a cheese burger!) Special meals are standardized and are based on dietary, health, or religious restrictions. On the other hand, no one is going to cross-examine you to make sure you are Muslim if you order a Muslim meal or check out how fat you are if you request a low-fat meal. You have every right to order these meals; just don’t expect them to be “made to order.”
A typical large airline offers about 25 special meal types, ranging from Asian vegetarian to—believe it or not—bland meal. (That implies they offer something other than bland!) There are meals catering to religious restrictions, such as Kosher or Hindu. And there are dietary choices, such as low-fat, low-purine (ie. low caffeine), and gluten-free. There can be up to seven varieties of vegetarian meals. Note, however, that not all airlines and not all flights will offer anything close to 25 special meals. Small regional airlines such as WestJet offer nothing except peanuts (although often you can buy food on board). And many of the small airlines that do offer food will have few or no special meals. Even on the larger airlines, certain kinds of meals, such as Hindu or Asian vegetarian, are only offered on international flights, and sometimes only on specific routes. Your travel agent will verify if your choice has been confirmed or rejected, so that you will have a chance to choose an alternative meal if necessary.
Okay, so let’s say you’re not a vegan or Muslim or diabetic, but you just want to avoid the typically abysmal food served on planes. What should you order? If it’s offered, try ordering seafood or fruit plate. Failing that, low-fat is a good bet—it will at least eliminate the greasier offerings. Or, you might want to experiment with some of those more exotic meals such as Asian Vegetarian or Oriental meals if you are taking an international flight.
So does this mean we’ve found a loophole in the airline food racket? Probably not. Even though most major airlines seem to offer a large number of special meals, they cheat a bit. Typically, the vegetarian meal is the same as vegan, high fiber, non-lactose, low-fat, low calorie, and diabetic meals, among others. Usually, there really aren’t that many choices. Also, just because the meal is “special,” don’t assume it will be tastier than standard fare. Sometimes it is, but it could be worse—something I have learned in my food-ordering experiments. Keep in mind that airline food is prepared about 8 hours in advance. How good could it be?
With these warnings, if you still feel adventurous, here are some tips*: · Low-cholesterol is not the same as low-fat. The low-cholesterol meal may include some fat. Sometimes the vegetarian meal has less fat than the low-fat meal. On the other hand, some airlines will treat low-fat and low-cholesterol as the same.· Your definition of “low-fat” may not be the same as the airlines’. Eg. You might get chicken and margarine instead of beef and butter—-not necessarily what you had in mind.· The Hindu meal is just a non-beef meal; if you want Indian vegetarian meals, make sure you request Hindu vegetarian.· If you want a vegetarian meal be sure to specify whether it is “strict vegetarian” (ie. vegan) or lacto-ovo vegetarian (which includes dairy products and eggs. Also, be prepared for unsatisfactory offerings, especially from some foreign carriers, where vegetarian might mean a meat dish with the meat removed or a dish made up of nothing but vegetables.· If you are gluten-intolerant, or have an allergy to peanuts, you might not want to take chances. I have had a client hospitalized on more than one occasion, for example, when she ate a supposedly gluten-free meal. Better to pack your own food!· Even if the food is what it is labeled to be, there is also the danger that it just doesn’t show up (or someone else accidentally claims it). Again, if the meal is important for health or religious reasons, consider packing your own. Ordering a special meal could prevent you from being upgraded. Airlines often by-pass passengers with special meals ordered when looking for someone to upgrade on an over-sold flight. They do not want business class passengers seeing economy meals (ie. the special meal that had been pre-ordered) served up front. It’s bad P.R.
For your reference and amusement, below is a list—copied directly from our reservations computer—of the most common special meals available on the major airlines, complete with their silly airline codes:
** MEAL CODES **
AVML - ASIAN VEGETARIAN
BBML - BABY MEAL
BLML - BLAND MEAL (NOT RECOGNIZED BY UA)
CHML - CHILD MEAL
DBML - DIABETIC MEAL
FPML - FRUIT PLATE
GFML - GLUTEN FREE (NOT RECOGINZED BY UA)
HFML - HIGH FIBRE
HNML - HINDU MEAL
IVML - INDIAN VEGETARIAN (UNITED AIRLINES ONLY)
KSML - KOSHER MEAL
LCML - LOW CALORIE MEAL
LFML - LOW FAT/LOW CHOLESTEROL
LPML - LOW PROTEIN
LSML - LOW SODIUM
MOML - MOSLEM MEAL
NLML - NON-LACTOSE (NOT RECOGNIZED BY UA)
ORML - ORIENTAL (ASIAN)
PRML - LOW PURINE (LOW CAFEINE)
RVML - RAW VEGETARIAN
SFML - SEAFOOD
SPML - SPECIAL MEAL (NEED FREEFORM)
VGML - VEGETARIAN
VLML - VEGETARIAN LACTO-OVO
Now that you know the story, the next time you book a flight consider jazzing things up a bit and try out a special meal. Or, alternatively, pack something interesting of your own, just to make your neighbouring passengers jealous.
*From FAQ: Air Travelers’ Handbook. For more tips on special meals, see
“Making your In-flight Meals Special,” “Low-Carb Friendly Meals,” and a web site exclusively devoted to the subject, “AirlineMeals.net.”
TRAVEL TIPS BY THE EXPERTS
No question about it: travel agents get around. Most of us joined this crazy business because we wanted an opportunity to travel—lots and cheaply. So, who better than travel agents to offer some sound and useful travel tips? Here, stolen directly from our web site’s “About Us” page is the accumulated wisdom of our staff and agents. For a bit about any of our agents, just click on their name.
Keep track of your photos by pre-labeling your film canisters. This will save the cost and aggravation of having 72 pictures of an iguana eating a banana. Also: read historical novels about the places you are going to visit. Annie.
Always carry basic picnic essentials. Cathy.
Always take an small, empty, foldable bag with you in your suitcase to carry home all your purchases - even if you don't think you'll do any shopping. You just never know what treasures you'll find! Corene.
A friend of mine went backpacking in Europe with a nuclear symbol patch sewn to his pack. He was also carrying an alarm clock that beeped. When checking into the Paris airport, the alarm clock went off and because of the nuclear symbol Paris police ripped his pack apart looking for a bomb. Moral of the story, don't backpack with a nuclear symbol sewn to your pack. Denese.
Unless you're headed to a beach where weather does matter, always travel in off-season. That way you avoid the line-ups, the tacky-touristy atmosphere, and inflated prices. Ignore all restaurant guides printed for tourists (usually found in your hotel room), as they are just paid advertisements. Ask store clerks and other locals for restaurant recommendations. They will usually lead you in the right direction. David.
Take half the clothes and twice the money! Grace.
Always pack a spare jar of Vegemite in case you find yourself in an uncivilized country! Jason.
Travel with an open mind, a positive attitude, and respect for other cultures. Jay.
If you are in a non-English speaking country, learn some basic words first before you go and the rest takes care of itself. Otherwise, trying to find the public washroom in a strange country can be challenging! Linda.
Always photocopy your passport and important documents before you leave home. Leave a copy at home, and take a copy with you in case of loss. Laura.
Don't use the public toilets in Europe. There is something about having to pay to use the facilities that just goes against my grain -- especially when they are so dirty. I just went into the pubs and asked to use the toilet. They were clean and free. Not once was I refused. Lindy.
Carry at least $20.00 in US dollar bills for tips; and photocopy your passport. Margaret.
Leave your valuables at home; just who do you think you're impressing anyway! Marie.
Always expect the unexpected. Be determined to have fun, no matter what. Martha.
If you ever get one of those rooms in the tropics that only activate the air-conditioning when the key card is placed in a special slot, try inserting an unimportant plastic card (eg. phone card) from your wallet. That way, the air-conditioning stays on when you leave, and you don't have to return to a sweltering room. Maureen.
All work and no play makes you boring: take a vacation! Michele.
When travelling the back roads of the Lone Star State at night beware. The big gray rock-like impediments in the middle of the road are really slow moving turtles, and the row of armadillos on either side of the road are waiting until they can see your headlights before they start their nocturnal games of "red rover". If you should see a skunk scuttling across the road, avoid it at all cost: your sense of smell may never recover from a close encounter with one of those little guys!" Mickey.
Always take a change of clothes in your carry-on, just in case your bags wind up in Timbuktu. Bring lots of film. Regine.
Take twice as much film as you think you need (the cost of film abroad can be exorbitant!) If you plan to snorkel or scuba dive, bring your own underwater camera.
Shirley.
When you pack, leave room for the shopping you bring home. (“I had to buy a duffel bag in London to fit all of my purchases.”) Tara.
Pack small items inside your shoes for extra space. Roll up your clothes. If you have to fold items, do it where they will naturally crease, like the elbows, knees, etc. Bring small gifts to leave for the housekeeping staff. Always buy travel insurance. Teresa.
A few extra quotes from friends of ours:
The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page. ~St. Augustine
I love to travel, But hate to arrive. ~Albert Einstein
Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness. ~Mark Twain
The traveler is active; he goes strenuously in search of people, of adventure, of experience. The tourist is passive; he expects interesting things to happen to him. He goes "sight-seeing." ~Daniel J. Boorstin
Travelers never think that they are the foreigners. ~Mason Cooley
I travel a lot; I hate having my life disrupted by routine. ~Caskie Stinnett
Like all great travellers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen. ~Benjamin Disraeli
Venice is like eating an entire box of chocolate liqueurs in one go. ~Truman Capote
The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco. ~Mark Twain
Vacation used to be a luxury. In today’s world, it has become a necessity. ~Anonymous.
We hit the sunny beaches where we occupy ourselves keeping the sun off our skin, the saltwater off our bodies, and the sand out of our belongings. ~Erma Bombeck
And, the last word on the subject goes to a nice commercial web site, www.freetraveltips.com, which is nicely organized just like any good traveller should be and has truly useful recommendations.
Keep track of your photos by pre-labeling your film canisters. This will save the cost and aggravation of having 72 pictures of an iguana eating a banana. Also: read historical novels about the places you are going to visit. Annie.
Always carry basic picnic essentials. Cathy.
Always take an small, empty, foldable bag with you in your suitcase to carry home all your purchases - even if you don't think you'll do any shopping. You just never know what treasures you'll find! Corene.
A friend of mine went backpacking in Europe with a nuclear symbol patch sewn to his pack. He was also carrying an alarm clock that beeped. When checking into the Paris airport, the alarm clock went off and because of the nuclear symbol Paris police ripped his pack apart looking for a bomb. Moral of the story, don't backpack with a nuclear symbol sewn to your pack. Denese.
Unless you're headed to a beach where weather does matter, always travel in off-season. That way you avoid the line-ups, the tacky-touristy atmosphere, and inflated prices. Ignore all restaurant guides printed for tourists (usually found in your hotel room), as they are just paid advertisements. Ask store clerks and other locals for restaurant recommendations. They will usually lead you in the right direction. David.
Take half the clothes and twice the money! Grace.
Always pack a spare jar of Vegemite in case you find yourself in an uncivilized country! Jason.
Travel with an open mind, a positive attitude, and respect for other cultures. Jay.
If you are in a non-English speaking country, learn some basic words first before you go and the rest takes care of itself. Otherwise, trying to find the public washroom in a strange country can be challenging! Linda.
Always photocopy your passport and important documents before you leave home. Leave a copy at home, and take a copy with you in case of loss. Laura.
Don't use the public toilets in Europe. There is something about having to pay to use the facilities that just goes against my grain -- especially when they are so dirty. I just went into the pubs and asked to use the toilet. They were clean and free. Not once was I refused. Lindy.
Carry at least $20.00 in US dollar bills for tips; and photocopy your passport. Margaret.
Leave your valuables at home; just who do you think you're impressing anyway! Marie.
Always expect the unexpected. Be determined to have fun, no matter what. Martha.
If you ever get one of those rooms in the tropics that only activate the air-conditioning when the key card is placed in a special slot, try inserting an unimportant plastic card (eg. phone card) from your wallet. That way, the air-conditioning stays on when you leave, and you don't have to return to a sweltering room. Maureen.
All work and no play makes you boring: take a vacation! Michele.
When travelling the back roads of the Lone Star State at night beware. The big gray rock-like impediments in the middle of the road are really slow moving turtles, and the row of armadillos on either side of the road are waiting until they can see your headlights before they start their nocturnal games of "red rover". If you should see a skunk scuttling across the road, avoid it at all cost: your sense of smell may never recover from a close encounter with one of those little guys!" Mickey.
Always take a change of clothes in your carry-on, just in case your bags wind up in Timbuktu. Bring lots of film. Regine.
Take twice as much film as you think you need (the cost of film abroad can be exorbitant!) If you plan to snorkel or scuba dive, bring your own underwater camera.
Shirley.
When you pack, leave room for the shopping you bring home. (“I had to buy a duffel bag in London to fit all of my purchases.”) Tara.
Pack small items inside your shoes for extra space. Roll up your clothes. If you have to fold items, do it where they will naturally crease, like the elbows, knees, etc. Bring small gifts to leave for the housekeeping staff. Always buy travel insurance. Teresa.
A few extra quotes from friends of ours:
The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page. ~St. Augustine
I love to travel, But hate to arrive. ~Albert Einstein
Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness. ~Mark Twain
The traveler is active; he goes strenuously in search of people, of adventure, of experience. The tourist is passive; he expects interesting things to happen to him. He goes "sight-seeing." ~Daniel J. Boorstin
Travelers never think that they are the foreigners. ~Mason Cooley
I travel a lot; I hate having my life disrupted by routine. ~Caskie Stinnett
Like all great travellers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen. ~Benjamin Disraeli
Venice is like eating an entire box of chocolate liqueurs in one go. ~Truman Capote
The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco. ~Mark Twain
Vacation used to be a luxury. In today’s world, it has become a necessity. ~Anonymous.
We hit the sunny beaches where we occupy ourselves keeping the sun off our skin, the saltwater off our bodies, and the sand out of our belongings. ~Erma Bombeck
And, the last word on the subject goes to a nice commercial web site, www.freetraveltips.com, which is nicely organized just like any good traveller should be and has truly useful recommendations.
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