The rest of Q&A

Q – I have one, hopefully, simple question. How are people supposed to keep up with events in a country abroad they are going to be visiting in the near future? Sure there is lots of info on the internet but it all seems uneducated or anecdotal. Travel agents don;t seem very good at describing current conditions and, according to CNN and FOX, every country on earth is in turmoil. We depart for Ankara and Istanbul in two weeks. How should we prep?

A – Fair enough. First, consider using one of the better security sites.The one we like is ASIgroup.com These folks are in the business of analyzing security threats for prominent individuals and corporations. They will send you a summary report that will cover Turkey and it will be up-to-date. But the best thing you can do is scan the local papers in English before you travel abroad. Just go to ipresscenter.com for a list of worldwide newspapers in English. They will link you to the site and you’re off. You will know more about the current situation in Turkey then some of the licensed guides.

Q – We just saved about $400 by paying no attention to what a US Air agent told us on the phone and doing our own online research. It turns out that we were able to save considerably by departing Philly for the West coast on the early morning flight and leaving LA around dinner time. Just wondering if this was a fluke and why we weren’t told this by airline reservations. Our departure and return flights were pretty close to the ones they quoted so why didn’t they tell us about the lower fares if we just changed our times?

A – Thanks for a great question because you have put your finger on a pricing anomaly that makes the airlines millions upon millions of additional dollars per year. If you give them your desired flight times, they will, most often, not go the extra step to inform you that you could have saved $200 each by coming home later or departing LA earlier. The fact is that the first flight out, the 6:00 am or so departure, is usually the lowest priced flight of the day because it means that business people would have to awaken at three or four in the morning to make it to the airport on time. No one wants to do business in that condition. Coming back from LA, to use your example, you lose hours so a flight that leaves around 5:00 pm. will not get you into Philly much before Midnight. No business person wants to arrive home that late. So that’s the trick. Choose the flights you would never select if you were flying on business and had to put in a full day at work soon after your arrival. Work around those times demanded by business travelers. That is the best way to secure the lowest fares on domestic flights.

Q – Thanks to Japan Airlines mileage desk, and a business trip, my wife and I are headed to Tokyo for two weeks on the company. But, unfortunately, that does not extend to the six days we are on our own for a short vacation. We live in Denver where there is some good Japanese food but we are anxious, really anxious to try the real thing. Where should we splurge and how can we learn the most while dining well for the few days we have in the city?

A – We never minimize the challenges of Tokyo. But the rewards are beyond measure as the starting point for everything is so different. Two approaches we recommend. Find someone at your company based in Tokyo who is willing to take you to one or two food markets. Have them explain what is being sold and how it is used in traditional Japanese dishes. Along with this experience, try to hit some of the better restaurants for lunch instead of dinner. You will have fewer courses and prices will be half of what you pay in the evening. Finally, for a splurge, we would recommend the chef of the moment, Yoshihiro Narisawa who is making culinary history at Les Creations de Narisawa. Figure dinner at between $225-$250 per person with wine.

Q – OK, we’re in our forties, about three decades younger then your average blogger on this site. My goodness, if they are so afraid of getting robbed, hurt, or sick, why don’t they just stay and go to Starbucks for entertainment? But we trust your advice so put on your party hats and advise, if you only had one night on Ibiza, where would you party?

A – Actually, we don;t go to Starbucks because it is filled with 40 something’s starring vapidly at their computer screens. Our generations prefer places where people actually converse. You are not a very good prognosticator of demographics – but that said, The Blue Marlin is where you want to head. It sits right ont he beach, has great music, and they spritz you with water instead of air conditioning. Pardon us if we don’t join you.

Q – Living in Atlanta, I get to fly Delta quite a bit on business and for pleasure. I’ve always wondered about something. About a month ago, I returned from overseas and got a bad case of something that seemed food-related. I kept reviewing what I ate and then it hit me that I had been drinking a ton of water on the return flight and it did not appear to be out of any bottle. Could this be the cause of my stomach upset?

A – Well we blame the airlines for everything else – why not a bout of food poisoning. Actually, it wouldn;t surprise me if it was the water. Commercial jets have water storage tanks that are not, as far as we can determine, under any federal inspection controls. Once in a while, those water tanks are supposed to be “cleansed” with some soft detergents. I have read accusations that this “tank” water is often tainted and, at the very least, stale and crawling with contaminants. You’ll notice that the crew won; touch it – so avoid it in the future. Evian is a mystical word at 33,000 feet.