The Wall Street Journal Guide to Power Travel: How to Arrive with Your Dignity, Sanity, and Wallet Intact

322 Pages·2009·4.03 MB·English

by  Scott McCartney

O RR
T R
D E EEE
U I WWW
G
OO
O
PP
P
LL
L
EE
E
VV
V
AA
A
RR
R
TT
T
HOW TO ARRIVE WITH YOUR DIGNITY,

SANITY & WALLET INTACT

Scott McCartney
Middle Seat Columnist
The Wall Street Journal
To Karen (again and always),
for making the journey a joy
I travel not to go anywhere, but to go.

I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.

—Robert Louis Stevenson

Contents

Epigraph iii

Introduction: What This Book Is, and How to Use It ix

C H A P T E R 1

The Ten Commandments of Travel 1

C H A P T E R 2

Deciding Where You Want to Go, and How 11

C H A P T E R 3

How Airlines Price Tickets 23

C H A P T E R 4

Hunting That Elusive Low Fare 39

C H A P T E R 5

Up-Sells, First-Class Bargains, and Enhancements 59

C H A P T E R 6

Frequent-Flier Rewards and Rip-offs 71
VI CONTENTS
C H A P T E R 7
Preparing for Takeoff 93
C H A P T E R 8
Baggage Woes 115
C H A P T E R 9
Hassle-Free Security (Hah!) 135
C H A P T E R 10
Bumping, Upgrades, and Boarding 163
C H A P T E R 11
In the Middle Seat 181
C H A P T E R 12
When Bad Things Happen to Good Travelers 205
C H A P T E R 13
Airline/Air-Traffi c-Control Operations 215
C H A P T E R 14
The Best Perks 245
C H A P T E R 15
Hotel Secrets and Strategies 263
C H A P T E R 16
Cruise Strategies 277
Conclusion: Will Travel Ever Get Better? 293

Appendix: Resources 299
About the Author

Credits

Cover

Copyright

About the Publisher