Travel tools

One of the little things on airplanes that can make a difference is where you sit. Last night I jumped onto an earlier flight and was amazed at the seat(s) I had. It was a DC-9 and I had Row 5 all to myself. Simply amazing that people would sit back in regular coach seats when row 5 (bulkhead) was wide open. Some might see this as no big deal, but I'm 6'3" and its really nice not to have someone recline right into my knees. Its also nice to be able to get off the plane quick - I'm all about minimizing my time stuck in an airplane and airports.

Next time you fly and are picking your seats online, check out SeatGuru.com. They have all the airline's planes mapped out and you can save yourself from being stuck in a really bad seat on your next jaunt somewhere.

There a new trip itinerary service that I just started using that's really sweet. TripIt lets you consolidate air, hotel, car + reservations and builds individual trip itineraries for you on the fly. They were super smart in that all you have to do is email your itineraries to "plans@tripit.com" even if you don't have an account - they'll get things rolling for you. Super easy and great for folks like me who travel a lot.

I also recommend that 24 hours before your next flight - check in online. This serves you in a few ways. 1) you can get good seating options as Elite fliers are being upgraded to first class, etc. and you can snag a good seat in an exit row or bulkhead. 2) Checking in, even if you don't print your boarding pass will get you past the 'must be checked in 30 minutes prior to your flight or your ticket will be cancelled' issue. Hey - traffic, etc. happens and sometimes a little extra time can make a difference. 3) By printing out your boarding pass you can cruise past the airline check in desk and skip that line. 4) when you print out your boarding pass, you will have all tickets on one page - easier to keep track of. 5) and lastly, while I'm not 100% certain on this, printing your own passes can keep you from the dreaded "special" notation that will cause TSA to pull you aside for "random" security check.