The rest of Q&A

Q – Interesting discussion with friends last night about which of the world’s airlines is considered to be the best within the travel industry. Realizing this is subjective, wondering if you might care to shed some light on this? Appreciate your approach. Lots of food for thought – and dinner conversation! 

A – Surprisingly, there is s real consensus regarding the top three or four airlines in the world and one of them is generally considered to be the best of the best. That would be Etihad, based in Abu Dhabi. Three of the remaining four are also airlines based in the Middle East.

Airline ratings are less subjective than you might imagine. Careful records and analysis are kept regarding every aspect of an airline’s operations. This includes passenger service, seating/comfort, safety, cleanliness, food, schedules, aircraft conditions, home airport, partnerships, and financial stability.

We are working on producing an up-to-date ratings list of the world’s best airlines in all classes of service that will be specifically dedicated to non-business travelers. When completed, these ratings will appear on traveltruth.com

There are concerns among many of the world’s airlines that certain carriers are being heavily subsidized by their governments in the United Arab Emirates corridor. This is clearly reflected in the ratings but it would be a mistake to assume that service ratings are simply a reflection of financial strength.

Q – My husband is an excellent chef and a real foodie – but only a few of our friends in Manhattan really know this. He will turn 60 in February and I want to arrange to fly him to the best restaurant in the world. I really don’t care about favorable weather as this will just be a long weekend, somewhere on the planet, dining in the world’s top dining room. So how do I set this up and where will it be?

A – Right now, that would be NOMA in Copenhagen. But you will need to hurry up as NOMA will be permanently closing at the end of 2016 so Chef  Rene Redzepi can open a new, somewhat larger “urban farm” in 2017. Have your travel agent book the entire stay in Copenhagen, stay at the best hotel;, and have the On-Site, together with the hotel concierge, figure out how to get you in. These are sime of the toughest restaurant seats in the world to book so get started on it right away and don’t commit to air or hotel until NOMA is confirmed.

Q – Visiting relatives in Warsaw in spring. Is there a small, boutique hotel that is well-located and has less than 50 rooms? We can’t stand the chains or the larger hotels. 

A – Try to book the H15 Boutique Hotel on Poznanska 15. This new property just went through a five year renovation. It was formerly the Soviet Embassy and the Nazi Party Headquarters. Pleasant dreams.

Q – Y’all lost me a few weeks back. My wife and I have been huge fans of both this site and the information you provide for the past five years. We’ve used your information in our travels and passed it on to friends. But you just about lost us with the idea that anyone who actually knows what a hotel room costs is paying “too much.” Can you just touch on that one again?

A – Sure. And thanks very much for your time on traveltruth. It is good having you visit from time to time. When you look for the best rate for a hotel you are looking at three possible sources: A so-called OTA (online travel agency) like Expedia, a travel agent, or, perhaps, the hotel on its own site. In most cases, they are working under rather strict rules that mean that you will find the same pricing from all three sources. Certainly, no hotel in its right mind is going to allow an internet site to charge less than it is charging on its own web site and then turn around and pay the OTA a commission as well.

But there is a fourth way to book a hotel and that is the method that will get you the lowest rate virtually each and every time. Hotels in major cities and locations around-the-world are willing to offer special, lower-cost, contracted rates to key travel agencies and tour planners within their own country. These rates are highly confidential and may only be used when they are included in an itinerary. Your travel agent will work with an On-Site office wherever you are traveling abroad who will be able to package hotel rates that are simply unobtainable online or in the States. The price is not broken down as that would reveal the confidential tariff. So, the way to get the lowest rate is to have it be a part of other services you are receiving where the lower hotel rate can be included in one lump sum. It is absolutely true that if you know what you have paid for a hotel room you have not received anything like the best rate. Hope this helps. It is a bit counter-intuitive.

Q – My new agent belongs to something called Travel Leaders. Any good?

A – Travel Leaders is the largest network of travel agents in the United States. They have offices in 41 States. With 4,000 member agents, some are better than others. But you can trust their pedigree and credentials and know that they are well connected. They have won numerous awards, have grown quickly under enlightened leadership, and they offer full-services in the traditional travel agency model. No red flags here.

Q – We’ve reached a point in our lives where we have the income to travel anywhere in the world and to do it in some style. But we’re relatively young and we have two girls ages 11 and 14. Given our age, we want to try to see places in the world that might really appeal to our girls while providing the family with the opportunity to walk, see animals, and experience cultures different than our own. But for the next several years, at least, the focus is on our girls. Any suggestions from your team would be really appreciated.

A –  There are lots of suitable responses but here are some of our personal favorites:

Lapland – Incredibly beautiful snow-filled villages, the northern lights, sledding and other winter sports. Great for the pre-Christmas vacation.

South Africa Safari – A bit of Cape Town followed by a family-friendly safari experience taking in Kruger National Park. This can be followed by a flight over Victoria Falls. Unforgettable.

Sicily – Not on everyone;s radar -but the kids will love the food and Sicily has awesome beaches. Try staying at Cefalu where you can take hydrofoil boats over to the lovely Aeolian Islands.

Other options you might consider are New Zealand, with many outdoor options and a generally kid-friendly populace, and the Lake Districts of Italy or Switzerland.

Which of the above we would recommend would be heavily influenced by the specific period of time you would like to be away. Make certain that your consultant understands your priorities for this series of journeys. Knowing that this is primarily for the girls, will heavily influence the decision-making process.

Q – As we work on our future post-retirement travel plans, two things are clear. We want to see some of the world that we’ve missed out on all these years, and we want to stay in touch with traveltruth to help us make plans that will not disappoint. Could you give us a quick list of the most overrated popular destinations that you think we might want to miss?

A – Congratulations on your coming retirement. When ours comes, it is likely we will stop traveling. But then again, we always seem to do things in reverse.

It’s a challenging and quite subjective question. We prefer saying there are some places we would recommend you place on the back burner. Here is a quick list of places well worth avoiding in lieu of much better, more authentic  options:

Athens   –   The Spanish Steps in Rome   –  Stonehenge   –   The Leaning Tower of Pisa   –   The Taj Mahal   –   Frankfurt   –   Loch Ness   –  Buenos Aires   –   and virtually every Caribbean Island on the cruise ship itineraries.

Q – My boyfriend and I are starting to plan three trips next year, two of them overseas. To start looking at flights and hotels, which of the apps. do you think is the best for our initial; searches?

A – That is a question we got a lot from travelers who have been dumbed down by smartphone use. The first thing we would do is discuss our plans with an expert in the field – you know, like an actual human. But we know you won;t take that advice so we will answer your question by suggesting you begin with Hipmunk.com. You will find excellent flight and hotel information displayed on a visual timeline. Many of the travel pros use it. But remember, it will, like all other travel display web apps., only show you listed prices and so-called deals that anyone can get. Consortium negotiated hotel and air rates with benefits will never be listed as they are considered to be confidential. You will need an agent to get access to those rates.

Q – Remarkable site but, perhaps, I can challenge you with a pressing question involving our planned trip from southern California to Sydney, Australia. I won;t spend the money for First or Business Class seats, but I might be willing to fly that distance in Premium Economy. But I would want to know that if I spent the money to upgrade from regular economy, where can I sit to guarantee that the person in front of me will not put his seat down into my lap. Also, how do I really know if I am receiving favorable pricing on that route. I’ve been on one or two of the frequent flyer sites but they’re a bit nerdy and mostly deal with flying squirrels trying to save as many of their nuts as possible.

Oh, one more thing. My wife and I are leaving the kids with Grannie. My wife and I will want to cuddle  for at least a portion of the flight. Any way to get rid of those annoying armrests?

A – Our first reaction was to suggest that you charter your own aircraft. But we do have a few serious recommendations for you:

For pure service and an excellent flight crew, choose Virgin Australia over Qantas on a non-stop flight. Try to get a bulkhead seat in economy so that no one is seated directly in front of you.

But given your parameters, we might suggest that you look seriously at booking the Premium Economy Spaceseat on Air New Zealand which offers handy connections from Auckland to Sydney.

Air New Zealand is one of the world’s top-rated airlines and it has designed seating that does not allow the person seated in front of you to lean back into your personal space. If you find these seats for just under $3,000 per ticket, we would recommend booking them.

Cuddling is a different story. Air New Zealand has also pioneered the Skycouch, a row of three economy seats with footrests that lift up to form a flexible space for couples who wish to show affection to one another during one of the world’s longest flights.

Q – I have heard from one of my friends that I might want to cancel our Fifth Anniversary trip to the Big Island in Hawaii where I am holding reservations at Mauna Lani Resort. Is there any danger from mosquitoes? I am not sure if I should cancel or just hunker down and bring bug repellent.

A – As we are publishing, there have been more than 100 documented cases of mosquito-borne dengue fever on the Big Island. The vast majority of cases are local residents, many of whom live in more remote areas. But more than a dozen visitors have been affected.

Dengue fever symptoms include piercing pain headache and severe joint and muscle pain. Some sufferers say that it feels as though their bones are breaking. Even mild cases can cause hospitalization. The disease also causes a serious rash and body temperature as high as 104 degrees. The symptoms appear five to seven days after the initial bite.

Dengue Fever has been a problem in several Caribbean islands but this is the first time the disease has appeared in Hawaii. In many third world countries, Dengue Fever goes largely unaffected and is often fatal.

You will be safe if you use serious bug repellent and avoid areas where standing water exists. Walking into areas of heavy vegetation or jungle growth is not wise without proper precautions. With detection, the eventual survival rate is close to 99%.

We definitely think you should go on your trip. But be cautious about any time you may spend in remote areas of the Big Island. Fear nothing at night – almost all of the bites occur during daylight.

Dengue Fever is a subject you may wish to discuss with your travel counselor who can provide some specific advice. If you are headed for an island where Dengue Fever is an issue, we would advise that you discuss it with your physician or local travel health clinic.

We have been particularly concerned about exposure to this disease by guests on the larger cruise ships sailing out Florida to third world islands in the Caribbean. They often sign up for four-wheel drive and other adventure tours that take them into remote areas of the island where the disease may be prevalent. We do not wish to be alarmist, but Dengue Fever is one of those things that is rarely in the news but ought to be considered in making travel decisions.

Don’t let us bum you out on Hawaii. It is one of the world’s great vacation destinations and Mauna Lani is one of our most recommended resorts. Have a wonderful Fifth.