Get the best deals on flights and hotels at kayak.com and sidestep.com These two aggregators (both owned by Kayak) are still the ultimate source for deals on airfare, hotels and car rentals. Their Every Hotel on Earth program allows users to search a database of 1,340,000 properties by amenities and location.
Source: Travel + Leisure magazine
Get prime parking at the airport at aboutairportparking.com This directory of more than 500 airport parking lots around the world gives prices and distances from the terminals, plus maps and user reviews. Caveat: Contact info is included, but reservations can be made online for lots at only 15 airports.
Source: Travel + Leisure magazine
Increase your odds for a hassle-free insidetrip.com flight at Online bookers will love the TripQuality function, which lets you search flights based on factors such as the carrier's record for losing bags and the air-craft's age.
Source: Travel + Leisure magazine
Snag a seat with the most legroom at seatguru.com With 436 detailed seating maps for 62 airlines and 74 aircraft models, the site makes it possible to pinpoint the ideal spot for the most space, access to power outlets and distance from toilets.
Source: Travel + Leisure magazine
Find on-time flights at 60 U. S. airports at delaycast.com Learn the odds of an on-time departure, the expected length of delays and the likelihood of a cancellation for any given flight. Caveat: Predictions reflect past delay patterns, not real-time data.
Source: Travel + Leisure magazine
Predict the ideal moment to buy a ticket at farecast.com The site uses historic pricing data to anticipate whether or not a fare is likely to fluctuate in the next week, even providing a rating.
Source: Travel + Leisure magazine
If a fare drops, get your money yapta.com back through If you've booked a flight directly through an airline website, Yapta will monitor the fare, alert you if the price drops and instruct you how to get a refund from the airline for the difference (yes, it's often possible).
Source: Travel + Leisure magazine
Web check-in is an idea that more and more cruise lines are implementing. The purpose is to speed up the entire embarkation process. If you've ever been in one of those endless 2 hour line with small children waiting to board, you'll agree that this is a great idea.
Unfortunately, all is not always as it seems. Recently went to explore thee MSC express web check-in process as I am booked to go in the next few months. I was alarmed to discover that their check-in is not encrypted, in other words not secure. As a web designer I know what to look for...
The problem with using an unsecure site is you are entering sensitive information such as birth dates and passorts that lacks the security to protect it.
As a result of my discovery I decided to check and see what the security was like on other Major Cruiseline sites and the results are below.
As of the publishing of this blog, MSC had not responded to customer inquiries regarding the security status of the Express Check-in.
