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Friday, April 27, 2012

Alaska - A Historical Journey of a Lifetime

Alaska is the largest state of North America and is almost twice the size of Texas, which is the next largest state of the US. Its coastline is the longest of any other American state. Today, Alaska is a popular tourist destination offering adventure, sports and culture for all to enjoy.
Visiting Alaska at any time of the year is a good time but usually tourists prefer the May to September slot as the days are long and warm comparatively. Many tour operators advertise cheap tickets to Alaska at this time of the year. The flights tickets need to be booked in advance to avoid disappointment.
Visitors to Alaska can experience the state's rich native culture through traditional native music and dance performances, totem carving, festivals and crafts, as well as cultural and historical museums and heritage centers. Many museums, tours and historical sites are dedicated to Alaska's gold rush era, World War II involvement, early Russian influence and more.
Alaskans are creative thinkers and celebrate beauty that surrounds them. Various cultural centers, art galleries and shops come alive with the arts illustrated by unique tribal and traditional native handicrafts. Music, theater and other art forms are celebrated in shows, festivals and workshops year-round.
The Juneau Jazz and Classics festival and the annual Alaska Folk Festival held over a period of seven days are all a celebration of life through music. The World Eskimo-Indian Olympics held in June every year sees indigenous people compete in traditional athletic games. Golden Days, a five-day event celebrating the town's gold-rush heritage includes the Golden Citizens' Luncheon, a fashion show, street fair, parade, duckie races, beer festival and river regatta. The Alaskan festivals have something or the other for all to enjoy. Inexpensive tickets at the time of festivals are available on the net, which are advertised as cheap flights to Alaska.
One cannot go wrong with the mode of transport in Alaska whether it's a bush plane ride around the Mc Kinley-Mountain or a train ride across the tundra region. Most tourist itineraries include a mix of travel modes. Shopping for authentic Alaskan Native moccasins, baskets, jewelry, carvings and both traditional and modern art pieces make great gifts for friends back home. They are available at retail stores, museum gift shops, galleries and farmers markets throughout Alaska.

FAA May Allow Electronics During Takeoffs and Landings

For many frequent flyers, one of the inconveniences of air travel is the ban on personal electronic devices during takeoffs and landings, also known as "critical phase of flight." That rule may change in the future, according to a recent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announcement. The FAA said that it will begin discussions with key stakeholders, including airlines, aircraft and electronics manufacturers and flight attendant unions to see if there is a practical way to test the in-flight safety of electronics devices. The devices on the table to be tested include e-readers, tablets and music players. The testing and use of cellphones, including smartphones will not be re-examined, per the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) which already has banned cellphones during takeoffs and landings.
The FAA last tested electronic devices in 2006, before many current devices such as iPads, Android tablets, and eReaders even existed. For this reason, the FAA is taking a "fresh look" at the use of personal electronic devices, other than cellphones. The FAA is also prompting discussions because the airlines have not conducted independent testing.
The testing of electronic devices is both complicated and costly. In order for a device to become approved, the FAA will require each airline to test multiple versions of a device on separate flights with no passengers. So to approve the Kindle eBook, for example, each version will have to be tested under the FAA's guidelines. One possible solution being discussed is for the major airlines to team up and create a single test aircraft, funded by the electronics manufacturers who have a vested interest in revising the current FAA regulations.
Current FAA Electronics Policy
Prior to this announcement, the FAA already permitted airlines to test electronic devices to determine if they create enough of a transmission to interfere with an aircraft's communication and navigation systems. But, because there are so many individual electronic devices, makes and models - and technology is advancing and products changing all the time - few airlines have actually done the testing the FAA requires. Instead, most airlines take the simpler route of following FAA guidelines for in-flight electronics usage: Passengers are allowed to use most personal electronic devices, other than cellphones, after an aircraft's cabin doors have been closed and it has reached 10,000 feet. All electronic devices must be turned off before the cabin doors are closed and the plane begins taxiing down the runway.
The reason for this rule is that the FAA, airlines and pilots are concerned that transmissions from electronic devices would interfere with an aircraft's communication and navigation systems. To date, the FAA is not aware of any aviation accident that was directly caused by, or the result of, interference from personal electronic devices.

Cheap Air Tickets - Useful Tips To Help You Travel Cheaply

There are many people's lives that depend on air travel. Also, families and friends like to plan for vacations that require air travel. If you are in large countries like the US or India, you can get cheap air tickets for domestic travel which will help cut down on overall travelling costs. In order to get these air tickets at a cheap rate, there are some helpful tips that can help. These tips are outlined below:
  • Avoid weekend flights The weekend happens to be the busiest time when it comes to travel. Whether it is by air or road, many people travel during this time. It is also during this time that fares for travel go up. This means that it is very hard to get a cheap air ticket for domestic travel during the weekend. The best way to get such a ticket is if you reserve for a mid-week flight. There are less people travelling and thus you will get an affordable rate for your ticket. Also, the time of flying matters. Early morning domestic flights usually cost more than late evening flights.
  • Avoid peak season flights This can be a bit tricky especially if you had planned to go on vacation. People tend to travel a lot during certain holiday seasons like Christmas. To get cheap air tickets, you will have to reserve much earlier. If you plan to travel during a peak season, it is always advisable to make your reservation at least a month in advance. In this way, you will pay less for the ticket.
  • Make flight reservations using return tickets One way of saving money through cheap air tickets for domestic travel is getting a return ticket. In the long run, it saves you a lot of money. One-way tickets are quite expensive compared to return tickets.
  • Compare airline fares Another way you can save money on your air travel is by looking for airlines that are going to your destination. Many airlines have websites. You can visit these websites and note down the airfare for each airline that goes to your destination. Compare the airfares and then make a choice on the airline that offers the best ticket fares.
In conclusion, it would be good to note that the smaller airlines have cheap air tickets for domestic travel compared to the larger ones. So, if you want to pay less for domestic air travel, you should consider using the smaller airlines.

Airlines and Airline Subsidiaries

Over the past few years, the airline industry has experienced a number of changes. This was mainly influenced by the global crisis that was experienced between the years 2008 and 2009. In this period, there was a drastic drop in the number of domestic flights in many countries, including India, US, UK, among others. Many people preferred cheaper ways of travelling which included using the train, the bus or their own personal vehicles. Other people started using the less known airline companies for their domestic travel. Well-known, established airlines experienced a major drop in profits while minor airline companies raked in profits.
Major airlines saw the need to still cater for the local clients while maintaining their international clients. This led to the collaboration between major airlines and minor airlines. The major airlines would focus on international flights while the minor airlines would focus on local flights. The catch was that the minor airline would have to work under the name of the major airline. For example, in India, one of the major airlines is Jet Airways. It is a well-known airline that flies to various destinations all over the world. It collaborated with one of the minor airline companies which catered for the local market. The minor company, which is now a subsidiary of Jet Airways, is known as JetLite. While Jet Airways provides airline services for the international market, JetLite offers services for the domestic market.
There are some differences that exist between established airlines and their subsidiaries. One of them is the size of the aircraft. Most established airlines have large and fast-moving aircraft compared to aircraft owned by their subsidiaries. The large aircraft consume more fuel and that is why it is better that major airlines cater for the international market. This is one of the things that make airfares for major airlines expensive. On the other hand, airline subsidiary companies have smaller aircraft which consume less and hence their airfares are affordable. In any case, their aircraft are designed for short distance travelling, making them very economical.
With the information provided above, it can be safely concluded that it is better to use more established airlines for international travel and use their subsidiaries for domestic travel. You can always do some research on the internet to find out about more about well-known airlines and their subsidiaries which operate in your country. This information will help you the next time you want to travel.

How Travel Portals Are Beneficial

There are various things that people have to consider when they are going for a vacation or a holiday. Some of the things that need to be considered include the mode of transport to be used, the place where the travellers will reside, car rental services if necessary, among others. Sometimes, getting all this information together can be tasking. It is for this reason that people created travel portals.
A travel portal is a website that can help you find the necessary information on how you can travel. It can help you get information about flight tickets, hotel reservations and also car rental services. It is like a one-stop shop for travelling services. For example, in India, one of the popular travel portals is Yatra flights. This website provides information about holiday packages, flight schedules, deals on cheap tickets, hotels and resorts, car rental services, etc.
Outlined below are some of the benefits of using travel portals when planning for a vacation:
- The portals can help you share travel information easily with the people you are planning to go on vacation with.
- Information about flights such as cancellations, postponement and delays are usually emailed to customers.
- The travel portal helps you know alternative flights that you can use to reach your destination.
- The travel portals produce travel plans which make planning for the vacation easier and enjoyable. You can access these travel plans through the website, from your mobile phone or you can have it printed out. Also, you can be able to make changes on your travel. This will be reflected in your travel plan and the updated information will be sent to you.
- If you are using a connecting flight to get to your destination, you will always be alerted about that particular flight.
- You are not only provided with details about your flight but also about the weather conditions. You also get information on sites that you can visit, restaurants you can dine in and instructions on driving.
As you can see, these websites can actually plan your whole vacation for you.