The Best Comments Of The Month: December 2008
Every insightful comment you leave on a post enhances foXnoMad more than I could with even the best travel article. I appreciate every comment, hope you’ll leave more, and encourage you to do so if you never have.
In case you don’t get a chance to follow the latest comments in the sidebar, or read through a viewer, here are some of the best comments of the month.
- Luis warns Stina that donkeys can be very dangerous.
- Sound advice from Priyank that terrorism must be dealt with at the source, not the destination.
- Like most of us, Deniz didn’t realize that airline pillows and blankets are not washed.
- Despite the dropping British pound, Marta’s hoping Thailand is still a good deal.
- Andy is on his way from Panajachel, Guatemala to Antigua this week.
- Cuckoo says I look more Indian than Turkish and translates some Hindi for me.
- Although Kim was wrong, I’m glad that these two predictions of his were off.
There were plenty of new commenters this month chiming in especially on the Inspire Me Africa Photo Contest. Thank you to all of you who left a comment this month. If you’ve never left a comment or it’s been a long time, drop a comment on this post and tell everyone hello, we’d love to hear from you 
CheapTravelInsurance.com
December 31, 2008 by Anil P.
Filed under Sponsored Reviews
The traveler’s insurance company, Cheap Travel Insurance, has been offering its services to backpackers and travelers of all ages since 2000. The company, which is currently available to UK residents only has a variety of policies for individuals, couples, and families for trips ranging from a few days to several months. Cheap Travel Insurance’s policies cover a large range of physical and financial hardships you may face while away from home.
World Map Of Air Travel Over 24 Hours
December 30, 2008 by Anil P.
Filed under Pictures and Video
A representation of air traffic patterns across the world during a typical 24 hours span using data from delay predictor FlightStats.
It seems as though most flights flow from the US to Europe, then back again. FlightStats is a great way to predict potential delays in advance. If you’re traveling in the US, you can use the the FAA status map or Google hack to find out about current delays and find out how long you’ll be waiting in security lines from the TSA.
[via: Upgrade: Travel Better]
A Look Back On My Travel Predictions For 2008
Rising airfare prices, airline mergers, and an increase in foreigners being targeted by extremists are just some of the predictions I made for 2008 earlier this year. With the year drawing to a close I’d like to look back with you at my predictions and see how each of them turned out.
- Airline Prices Will Continue To Rise – “The major air carriers, especially US companies, have been poor to adjust to their competition and the needs of travelers in general. Expect airlines to raise fares.“
Outcome: Correct. According to Rick Seaney in 2007 there were 17 total base airfare hikes. Compare that to 2008, where airlines have increase prices on standard routes 15 times – from January to August. United and Delta were the main culprits using fuel surcharges to increase base fees by $10-20 an average of every other week.
- 2. Alternative Modes Of
Travel Will Become Less Popular – “The use of trains, buses, and other modes of transportation have and will continue to decline in ridership as people look to the skies to get around quicker.“
Outcome: Inconclusive. Air travel continues to rise slightly at approximately 1-2% from the United States and at similar rates globally. While land travel is decreasing, more people are traveling by boat.
- 3. Green Travel Vacations Will Become Available – “Vacation packages for eco-friendly globe roamers are out there but will hit the mainstream over the course of 2008.“
Outcome: Wrong. Let’s put it this way, talk of green travel has increased over the course of 2008 as marketers try to appeal to the consciousness of every traveler. Aside from the Germans taking staycations more people are visiting emerging nations on the tourism scene. Many of these places are third world counties whose lavish accommodations wreak havoc on the local ecology. Here are 33 ways to green your travels no matter where you go.
