If travel takes you to areas with the tendency to be impacted by bad weather (snow, thunderstorms), I recommend that you travel with a paper ticket. This way, if your flight is canceled because the plane you're booked on can't get to you (such as from Chicago), perhaps another carrier that flies a different route through a drier part of the country will be able to get you to your destination. Having a paper ticket will allow you to save time and avoid long lines when endorsing your ticket over to another airline for use. However, the trend is to charge you more for the paper ticket if purchased directly from the airline. Not so through a travel agent, which is just one more reason to have a travel professional handle your travel needs.

Another trend within the airline industry is the phenomenon known as "code sharing". This entails the sharing of seats by one or more airlines on another carrier's flights. For example, Continental and Northwest put each others' flight numbers on selected domestic routes. This gives the impression that a carrier has a much larger network when in essence they are just branding another carrier's product. A great example of this is United Airlines' Star Alliance which has several international carriers offering the same plane with several different flight numbers. Traveler beware! Make sure you fully understand which airline you are actually flying. Some travel insurance won't cover foreign carriers, some foreign carriers still allow smoking, and some companies might have restrictions on which carriers you are allowed to fly on. It is a complicated business and takes time to fully understand all that is involved.

I would appreciate the opportunity to help you navigate through all this confusion. Please call me at 800-986-3371 to discuss your travel needs.

With best regards,

Chip Stevens, CTC
Travel Consultant