A friend of mine brought to my attention that I use travel lingo. I mentioned “infinity pool” and she asked what that is. As I explained, we realized you all may want to learn some of the lingo. My world includes airlines, cars, hotels and resorts, trains, cruises and insurance. I can not do all the words in one newsletter so I will do some now and some next time. Also over the years I have written several 101’s. You can go to my blog and find them. https://alwaysharriet.wordpress.com Then on the lower right where is says travel subject type in 101 and they will all appear!
Airlines… These words are probably the most commonly used by all of us. Each section of the airplane is called a cabin or class, the individual has a seat; first, business, coach or economy. Some of the international airlines use their own words for each cabin. So if you see Club World or Magnifica they are just fancy names and ask for an explanation. When an airplane has all three classes it is called a three cabin plane. Some planes have only two or one cabin. If it is one cabin the seats are usually coach only. Flights with two cabins, often the business class is a step up from the usual business class, but still not first class; though domestically it is called first class. Some first class seats are little private cabins all by themselves. Many of the airlines often called carriers, have mid-class seats neither business nor coach. They may have extra legroom, bigger seats or special service. These features cost more. On the long haul flights, meaning many hours, these extra costs are often well worth it! Seats have pitch (recline angle of the seat back) and width. To learn about your seat go to http://www.seatguru.com a great website. You can also see which seats are desirable. See the unique language is hard to ignore! I will not try to cover frequent flyer miles because each carrier has different rules and procedures. I believe the best use of your miles is to save them for the domestic long haul flights and upgrade to first class. Enough about airlines… just ask if you have questions.
Cars… This is probably the simplest because most of us own a car. And most people reserve a mid-size car; a four door sedan. There are as many options as there are cars. In Hawaii I always suggest a convertible! You can even get a four wheel drive jeep convertible in Hawaii! For an extra cost: GPS, ski racks and child seats are available. Remember: dropping off a car at a location other than the pick up may cost more money. And if it is very far or another state or country I can be a great deal more. So before you plan your entire itinerary make sure you have all the information. (P.S. It may be less expensive to pick up a car at a location other than the airport!)
Trains… Domestic trains: Amtrak has Acela, the fast trains with few stops between Washington and Boston. First class has a meal served with beverages at your seat, very elegant while business class is most comfortable. Business also has a quiet car, where no devices are used! First class tickets give access to the lounges at major stations. You may also board early with a porter if needed. Just tip! There is no coach class on the Acela. Regional trains are everywhere including the northeast. It services more local stations. These seats are less money and come in first and coach. Coach may be over sold. All trains have a café car, where you may purchase light foods and beverages. International trains in Europe and beyond also have the fast or express trains as well as regional or local. The European trains have passes or several varieties, but most often reservations are still required on the fast trains. Always double check. Passes are expensive so know how many trains you will be riding before purchase. They can be purchased only in the USA and not until 90 days before departure. My general rule of thumb is if you need to take more than three trains then a pass makes sense.
Until next time… Are there words I use you do not understand in the travel context?
AlwaysHarriet 