The Travel Detective

Posted on 05. Apr, 2008 by Kerry Banks in Travel Blog

I have been reading the revised and expanded version of The Travel Detective by Peter Greenberg, the travel editor for NBC’s Today Show and chief correspondent for the Discovery Network’s Travel Channel. It’s just one in a series of books penned by the Los Angeles-based journalist, who specializes in uncovering airline, hotel, cruise and car-rental secrets that conniving companies try to keep from consumers. Perusing The Travel Detective is both an eye-opening and scary exercise.

The scary aspects are all the stuff you don’t know about travelling. Take the simple act of getting a drink of water on an airplane. Unless you actually see the flight attendant physically open a new bottle of water and hear the snap of that cap, don’t drink it. Why? Greenberg says that “many airlines do not stock enough bottled water on their flights, and when they run out, flight attendants have been known to go back to the galley and refill those bottles with water from the plane’s holding tanks. And those tanks are the bacteriological equivalent of the bar scene from Star Wars!”

Of course these days you can’t bring your own water onboard unless you buy it in an airport shop and have it sealed in a plastic bag. However, from personal experience I know that this only solves one part of the problem. You still have to open the sealed bag once you get on the plane, and with all sharp objects removed from your person this is no easy task. It helps if you have razor-sharp teeth.

Here are some other insider secrets from Greenberg:

Airline Tickets
Did you know that there is a specific time and day when airline seats are likely to become available at a cheaper fare? The optimum time is just after midnight on a Tuesday night (early Wednesday morning) in the city where the airline is based. Why? As Greenberg explains: “Airlines like to do all their discount sales over the weekend to see who’s going to match them. All the matching finally ends on Monday, and as you know, once you book a ticket you’re given 24 hours in which to purchase it, so on Tuesday night all those discount tickets purchased by people who booked tickets on Monday, but didn’t pay for them, come flooding back into the computer system.”

Luggage
Because Greenberg believes there are only two types of luggage–carry-on and lost–he avoids checking bags whenever possible. Instead, he has them sent ahead by courier so that they are waiting for him at his hotel. If you do it at least three days in advance, you get a substantial discount. However, if you insist on checking bags, Greenberg offers a few tips. Due to the way baggage is handled, he says, “Don’t just put you ID on the outside of the bag, because conveyor belts like to eat those tags for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Instead, put your ID on the inside of the bag.” He also advises that travellers open their bags as soon as they come off the carousel, instead of rushing out the exit. This is because baggage thieves do not steal bags, but rather take individual items from bags, and if you wait to get home to find out that something is missing, it’s too late.

Checking In
Greenberg has a formula for avoiding long lines and other hassles when you arrive at the airport. It goes as follows: Print your boarding pass on your home computer the night before. When you get to the airport (especially for a morning flight), don’t go to the departure level. It will be a zoo. Besides, you have no baggage to check and you already have your boarding pass. Instead, head for the arrivals level. In the early morning, no one is there. Then take the escalator upstairs and go through security to your gate.

Hotel Bookings
When reserving a hotel room, don’t get fooled by thinking you are getting the best bargain by booking online. Websites such as Orbitz, Expedia and Travelocity buy rooms at a discount price but then charge you a markup of 24 to 48 percent. Instead, Greenberg says, “If you see a hotel room advertised online for $100 a night, call the hotel directly and offer $85. At the typical markup, you have to figure the hotel is offering it to the discounter at about $65. The hotel still stands to make a $20 profit by booking it from you rather than through the website.” And when negotiating it helps to deal directly with the on-duty manager or sales director rather than a desk clerk.

Jet Lag
Greenberg travels an average of 420,000 miles a year, yet claims that he never suffers from jet lag. He recommends avoiding airline food, alcohol and drinking only bottled water while airborne. But most importantly, he says, it is what you do once the plane lands that will make the crucial difference in your battle to avoid jet lag. “No matter what time you land, no matter how long the flight, you must stay up until at least 11 p.m. local time. This is the most difficult, but most also the most important, challenge you’ll face. If you succumb to the temptation to take that 4 p.m. nap, no one will see you for three days. Will you totally cycle? Most likely, you will average about five hours of sleep. But on the second night, again staying up until 11 p.m., you will sleep your normal cycle.”