flyingwithfish

Web: www.flyingwithfish.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com

4/09/2008 – Free WiFi Worldwide (well sort of)

Love Starbucks or hate Starbucks, they are everywhere. With stores in 54 countries, spanning four continents and a sub-continent, it is hard to not spot a Starbucks. Throughout most Starbucks locations you can find public WiFi spots to sit down, log on and surf the web.

How does any of this tie into getting free WiFi around the world? Simple, sign up for Starbucks Card Rewards and you can activate your card with two free hours of WiFi per day at Starbucks.

In the United States this offer is through AT&T, despite the vast majority of Starbucks locations still primarily offering T-Mobile WiFi hotspots. While the offer may vary from country to country, Starbucks customer service tells me the ability to access your two free hours per day should be available to all Starbucks Card Rewards users who use their Starbucks.com account and use that account to log on.

The cost of the Starbucks Card Rewards? Free. Want to customize your card? It is US$4.00. You can top-up the card, you can leave it bare, but you can still get your 2 hours of WiFi free per day. The only catch is that you muse use your Starbucks card at lease once per month.

Last week I came home and found a greeting card containing a personalized Starbucks Card Rewards card in my mailbox. What does my card have on it? A picture of 'me' holding a passport in a city.

While I do not drink coffee, I find myself in Starbucks all over the world.......almost always sitting down to log on and use the internet. From Frankfurt to Hong Kong, I have always been able to find a store when I want to read the news, send an e-mail home or transmit photos to clients via an FTP site.

Want your 2 hours of free WiFi daily at Starbucks? Order yours here: www.starbucks.com/card

Below are a few photos of my Starbucks card......and one of my Starbucks travel mug with my 'Fish Family' drawn on it.

Happy Flying!

--Click Images To Enlarge Them--

Web: www.flyingwithfish.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com

3/09/2008 – iPhone 'App' Of The Week : Coolgorilla's Talking French Phrasebook

With my enjoyment of Lonely Planet's Mandarin Audio Phrasebook (which I reviewed *HERE*) I set out to find other language translation 'Apps' for my iPhone. While looking at a variety of language options, for not only the iPhone but also ink-and-paper phrase books and instructional software, I found myself downloading Coolgorilla's Talking French Phrasebook.

Much like Lonely Planet's audio phrase books, Coolgorilla's talking phrasebooks are equally easy to scroll through to find the phrase you're looking for and effective in practice while on the road. The phrase categories are broken down into sub-categories. Inside each sub-category you'll find the phrase you are looking for. I was easily able to find the bathroom and explain that my baggage had not arrived while quickly scrolling through the Coolgorilla Talking French Phrasebook.

For those not comfortable in attempting to speak a foreign language (or in my case butchering a language) you can both find your phrase and show someone your comment/question in their native language or you can click the audio icon and play and audio clip of your comment/question. I generally attempt to speak (butcher) the language, but sometimes the audio clip is extremely helpful!

There is some overlap between both the Lonely Planet Audio Phrasebook and the Coolgorilla Talking Phrasebook, however they each have their own strengths, and in some areas there is no overlap in languages. Having used the Coolgorilla Talking French Phrasebook I'm now off to download the Coolgorilla Talking German Phrasebook as I start looking at a possible flight through Frankfurt, Germany.

Below are five photos that walk you through the steps of using Coolgorilla's Talking French Phrasebook on your iPhone.

Happy Flying!

--Click Images Below To Enlarge Them--

Web: www.flyingwithfish.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com

3/09/2008 – Southwest Airlines Moves To Cashless In-flight Sales Only

Next Tuesday, the 9th of September, Southwest Airlines will allow you to keep your 'Fives-&-Singles' in your wallet when you ‘Move About The Country. ‘

In an effort to make in-flight purchases easier for passengers, and streamline the in-flight operations for flight attendants, the airline has chosen to answer their customers’ requests to be able to use credit cards in flight. The twist in this is that Southwest Airlines will move exclusively to credit cards and debit cards and no longer accept cash.

Considering that Southwest Airlines will continue to serve soda, juice, pretzels and peanuts at no charge, I see the move to cashless in-flight services for those seeking to purchase alcoholic drinks and Monster Energy drinks as reasonable and actually favourable.

I'd like to see other airlines accept credit cards in-flight for buy-on-board meals (some already do). It would stimulate passengers in-flight purchases, which would in turn generate revenue for airlines......so maybe they'll drop other fees, like the outrageous charges for checking a first bag (Southwest Airlines still allows for the first two bags to be checked at no charge).

Happy Flying!

Web: www.flyingwithfish.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com

2/09/2008 – American Airlines Puts WiFi In The Sky

Last Wednesday, the 27th of August, an American Airlines (AA) Boeing 767-223 (762) closed up its forward cabin door, the jetway pulled away from the AA 762 at JFK International Airport's Terminal 8, in New York. As the ramp-tug slowly pushed the aircraft back from Gate 35 there was a quick stop, the tug disconnected and the American Airlines 762 turned right onto ‘Tango,’ left onto 'Alpha' and slowly made its way to runway 13-Right. As the aircraft started down the runway there were some excited techno-business travelers that were getting giddy, excited about their 6 hour and 19 minute flight to San Francisco International Airport (SFO).

Why were there some excited techno-savvy business travelers onboard? This flight was the day American Airlines launched their in-flight WiFi services for all passengers on-board.

AA launched this service, 'GoGo', on their domestic 767-200 fleet that services the high traffic New York-Los Angeles and New York-San Francisco routes. American Airlines has long since been the industry leader in providing simple business friendly amenities in all classes of service, most notable being in-seat power on all their mainline aircraft (DC power, using a standard automobile cigarette lighter plug), and this launch puts them significantly ahead of Delta Airlines and Virgin America who also service this high traffic route. American AA's primary competitor on this route, United Airlines, has not announced any intention to offer in-flight WiFi on their JFK-LAX/SFO sub-fleet of 757-200 "PS" aircraft.

The cost of the unlimited in-flight WiFi is $12.95. Unlike other airlines that have in-flight e-mail and messaging, this service will allow you to use your laptop or PDA in WiFi mode to work in a normal mode during your flight. VOIP will not be enabled with the service (no airlines intend to allow VOIP)

Back on the 17th of May 2004 Boeing introduced "Connexion" that was installed in both Boeing and Airbus aircraft to allow WiFi to the flying public. The original intention of Boeing Connexion was to primarily service high-traffic North American business routes. Instead of being installed primarily on North American aircraft it was installed by a variety of European and Asian carriers on long-haul international routes, without a single North American carrier picking up this option. With few airlines installing Connexion service, it was discontinued on the 31st of December 2006. Personally, I enjoyed using Boeing Connexion on Lufthansa and Korean Air.......so I am glad to see WiFi return to the skies.

Will this new service sway my airline choice to AA? That remains to be seen, as the WiFi is only on limited routes (although one I fly often) and does not service any of my three local 'home' airports.

So for those of you in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, who enjoy surfing will you fly, you now have an option to be production while in-flight!

Happy Flying!




PS: For those of you who use your travel time to relax....... there are plenty of other airlines that fly these routes

Web: www.flyingwithfish.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com

2/09/2008 – Airline & Airport Terminology Glossary 101

Some of the most interesting questions I receive from the readers of Flying With Fish involve the simple question of "what are they saying?"

I received one such question last week that prompted me to start a 'short glossary' for 'PA jargon.' The e-mail that inspired this post reads the following:

"I fly a few times a month for work. On each flight I always hear the flight crew announcing '1L 1R, 2L 2R' on the overhead. This evening I heard all the way up to '5L 5R' overhead. How many Ls and Rs do planes have? - Lori"

First off, I have to assume that Lori was flying a Boeing 747-400 (744), which has 10 exit doors downstairs and 2 exit doors upstairs, or a Boeing 777-300 (773) which has 10 exit doors.

Why do I assume they were flying one of the Boeing 744 or 773 aircraft and not the Airbus A380-800 (A388) that has 10 downstairs and 6 upstairs? Because anyone who has ever e-mailed me after flying an Airbus A388 usually starts their e-mail with "While flying on the Airbus A380.....etc etc etc etc).

So Lori, in short, the most you will hear currently on any overhead PA system is 8Ls and 8Rs on the Airbus A380-800. The number of exit doors on an aircraft is dictated by the size of the aircraft.

........so what does "1L 1R" mean? Simple, this is the flight attendants responding an 'All-Call' to verify that they have checked the door emergency and they are set for arrival or departure. All the doors on a plane are 'armed' and need to be 'armed' to depart and 'disarmed' for arrival. So when you hear "1L 1R" you are hearing "Door #1 Left and Door #1 Right" are checked and ready.



Since airline gate agents and flights crews often use language passengers may not be familiar with as they address the flying public, I have decided to define a few of the most commonly asked terminology questions I am asked.

ATC : Air Traffic Control. Air Traffic Control can be a tower at the airport you are departing from, a tower at the airport you're headed to, or an air traffic control center in the middle of no-where watching a huge swatch of sky keeping aircraft safely traveling through air.

Captain: The person in the cockpit sitting in the Left Seat with 4-stripes on their shoulder epaulets. The Captain is in charge, in flight their have command of the aircraft and everything on board.

Control Tower: The Control Tower is often referred to as simply 'The Tower.; The Tower oversees an airport's aircraft movements. These movements are not only on the ground, but also include inbound aircraft and departing aircraft.

Cross Check: This is used by both the captain and first officer and the cabin crew. Cross checking is simply one person on the crew verifying another person on the crew's actions. When doors are armed/disarmed by one crew member they are 'cross checked' by another crew member.

Equipment: Equipment is a 'technical' term for 'the plane' (I will not be defining 'plane,' 'airplane' or 'aircraft'). When you hear 'There has been an equipment change,' it usually means 'your plane isn't available' or 'your intended plane is broken.'

First Officer: The person in the cockpit sitting in the Right Seat with 3-stripes on their shoulder epaulets. The First Officer, often referred to as the co-pilot (both the captain and first officer are both obviously pilots), is the second in command of the aircraft and everything on-board it.

Gatehouse: The Gatehouse is the boarding area. I have never seen a house (or a gate for that matter), at the Gatehouse, so I have no idea where the term comes from. I usually just refer to the boarding area as 'The Gate."

Ground Stop: A Ground Stop is simply a stoppage of all flights into a certain area. If you are traveling to an airport that has become so congested with air traffic that it needs to clear out some space before new aircraft can depart for that airport, they can issue a 'ground stop.' A ground stop is like your sink filling with water, even when your drain is open. You can watch the water going down the drain while simultaneously filling up. You need to slow the water, or turn it off before you can lower the water level in the sink.

Flight Closed: When you see your flight flashing "Closed" you have missed your flight. Once a flight has Closed, the door is shut, the gate agent is standing at the end of the jetway steering it away from the aircraft so it can 'push back.'

Flight Crew: The Captain, First Officer and your flight attendants (Cabin Crew) are your Flight Crew.

Flight Deck : The Flight Deck is a fancy word for 'The Cockpit'

Final Boarding: Final Boarding means that if you have not handed your boarding pass to the gate agent, crossed through the door and made your way down the jetway, you've missed your flight. When you see your flight flashing "Final" you need to RUN.

Holding Pattern: "We're being placed into a Holding Pattern" This is an announcement that everyone hates. A Holding Pattern is when aircraft are sent into loops circling their destination, or just outside their destination, until a landing slot is available for them to land at the airport.

Jetway: The Jetway is also referred to as a AeroBridge, Boarding Bridge or Jet Bridge. The Jetway is the 'tunnel' you walk down that connects the terminal to the aircraft.

Paperwork: Paperwork, as in "we're just waiting on some paperwork." This is when the Captain and First Officer are waiting on paperwork they need to close up the aircraft and 'push back.' Paperwork is usually out of the hands of the flight crew, so the flight crew is stuck waiting, just like the passengers, for the ground crew to deliver the 'Paperwork.'

Push: Push is also 'Push Back.' An aircraft 'pushing' is usually quite literally a 'tug' or 'tractor' pushing the aircraft back from the terminal. Aircraft can push back by reverse thrusting their engines, but that wastes a lot of fuel, it is extremely loud and it is easier to maneuver an aircraft by pushing it backwards as the crew in the cockpit cannot see backwards to steer themselves around other aircraft.

Ramp: Originally 'The Ramp' was an area outside of a water where aircraft parked. Since I don't see many sea-planes landing at major commercial airports these days, we'll go with the modern definition of 'ramp'..........the area surrounding the terminals and jetways, excluding the taxiway and runway, where aircraft and airport vehicles operate.

Wheels Up Time: An aircraft's 'Wheels Up' time is the time the aircraft is scheduled to be airborne. When there are delays it is common to hear he Captain announce a 'Wheels Up Time," this is when they expect to be on the runway with the aircraft traveling at a high rate of speed and the aircraft's wheels are no longer in contact with the ground.


Hopefully this simple glossary helps you further understand what is being announced around you.

Happy Flying!

Web: www.flyingwithfish.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com

1/09/2008 – Cathay Pacific Lets You Experience Landing At Some Of The World's Greatest Airports

Have you ever wondered what it looked like to peer out of the cockpit of a Boeing 777-300 as it approached New York's JFK airport? Have you ever wanted to look out the cockpit window of a Boeing 747-400 as it approached one of the steepest and most dangerous airports in the world (Hong Kong's old Kai Tak airport)? Well now you can.........sort of.

Cathay Pacific Airways (CX) has recently added an interesting online experience for visitors to its interactive web site. This feature allows you to go into a flight simulator with CX's Captains and First Officers as they train for landings in the Boeing 747-400 and 777-300 simulators.

While it is fun to watch to the arrivals through the simulator cockpit window at Hong Kong's Chek Lap Kok Airport (HKG), New York's JFK (JFK), Sydney's Kingsford Smith International (SYD), London Heathrow (LHR) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), the real thrill to be able to watch both day time and night time approaches into the now abandoned Hong Kong Kai Tak International Airport.

Why is watching the approach from a pilots point of view into the old Kai Tak International Airport so thrilling? Because the approach into this airport was amazing, world famous and appeared to be a controlled "suicide dive” towards the airport.

The end of Runway 13 (the end most aircraft landed from) had a slight problem with direct approaches, the heavily populated area of Western Kowloon, the crowded Victoria Harbour and the minor inconvenience of a Mountain Range (who builds a runway in the middle of a busy international harbour and facing a mountain range? I have no idea).

Pilots would need to fly fairly low looking for a red-and-white 'checker-board' sign facing up at them from the ground then make a very steep right turn less than 2 miles from the runway, followed by a final right turn at an altitude of less than 700 feet.

Sounds challenging, right? Now add in the normal inconsistent cross-winds coming down off a mountain range into a large busy shipping harbour and you might get the idea of why watching landings at the old Kai Tak Airport were SPECTACULAR!

So want to experience landing at Kai Tak for yourself from the front seat of a Boeing 747-400 on a steep downward approach?

Check out the Cathay Pacific Experience here: www.cathaypacific.aero/index_en.html

When watching the video watch the incredible steep turn in the approach guidance lights on the ground!

Happy Flying!

--Click The Images Below To View Footage Of An Approach into Kai Tak Airport--

Web: www.flyingwithfish.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com

30/08/2008 – Travel Planning & Natural Disasters

As many people in North America watch the weather on the television they cannot help but notice Hurricane Gustav taking aim at New Orleans just three years after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the city.

As this potential repeat natural disaster potentially plays out I'd like to address travel planning in regions as they face immediate natural disasters. When I covered Hurricane Katrina back in 2005, flying into New Orleans was almost as challenging as flying out of New Orleans. The challenges in finding a flight, a rental car and lodging were significant.

First off, when looking at planning travel to a potentially affected area you need to asses the importance of your trip. If you are traveling for pleasure or routine business, reschedule your trip. If you have an 'essential role' or you are a journalist you need to look at your options and your resources. As you plan your flights, you may need to fly a hundred miles, or more, away, to find in-bound flights. Airlines start canceling flight and shifting schedules to make sure they have no aircraft caught in the wake of a hurricane.

Outside of flights, rental cars can be hard to find in a city about to be hit by a storm. If you need to be in a city, such as New Orleans, you may need to fly into Baton Rouge or Dallas to get a rental car, as rental car companies often try and move their fleets prior to a potential catastrophic event to reduce their loss of their assets.

If you are in, or around, an area about to be affected by a major natural disaster and you need to leave, you need to know airfares will be rising. Airfares rise due to all the seats being sold out and airlines minimizing capacity just before a hurricane. It is not uncommon for airlines to stop servicing a city at least 48 hours before the expected storm to affect the area. This allows an airline to not only move their aircraft, but also move their staff out of the potential disaster zone.

Once a storm, or natural disaster has occurred, travel to a specific area can be a serious challenge. With New Orleans for example, flying into New Orleans may not only be a challenge, but flying into an airport such as Dallas-Ft Worth or Houston's Intercontinental Airports may be difficult. While these airports are 300 miles and 450 miles from New Orleans, they will play major roles in staging, relief and evacuation from the potential disaster zone. With aircraft flying additional aircraft to surrounding areas the airspace and ground space gets congested. While many flyers only factor in passenger flights, you need to also keep in mind that freight and cargo airlines must continue to fly, and at times fly additional aircraft into a region to keep business and relief efforts going. Outside of these additional aircraft, military aircraft may also use nearby regional airports as potential staging points.

If you have critical business in an area within approximately 400 miles from a potential disaster zone, you may need to adjust your travel plans. While seats may be available on flights, rental cars may not be available and you need to account for potential delays in flight schedules.

I know this is over simplified, but with a potential major disaster about to happen to a city that has already been nearly washed away once before in the past three years, I wanted to put this basic information up for as a reference point for journalists who will potentially find themselves in the region in the coming days.

Remember this. If you choose to travel to an affected region and you decide it is time to go home, you may find yourself at the end of the line for evacuation.

Happy Flying!

Web: www.flyingwithfish.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com

28/08/2008 – iPhone 'App' Of The Week : Currency

Not all useful iPhone 'Apps' have whiz-bang features and tons of options. Some very useful iPhone 'Apps' are straightforward, simple and singular in purpose, which is why this week I'll be discussing the simplistic nature of 'Currency.'

'Currency' is an exchange rate tool ideal for anyone who travels, or who needs to quickly review foreign currencies. The set-up of the Currency 'app' allows you to add and delete currencies and set a 'Master Currency' (mine is obviously set to US$)

The one function the iPhone Currency 'App' is missing is that of a rate calculator. I'd like to quickly be able to figure out a total cost, so I am still looking at other currency converter 'apps,' but for the total cost of FREE from the iTunes App Store, I'm quite happy with the Currency 'App.'

Below are two images of the Currency 'App' on my iPhone

Happy Flying!

--Click Images To Enlarge--

Web: www.flyingwithfish.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com

28/08/2008 - Choosing Your Lenses When Traveling : Your Shoulders Will
Thank You

This post is being posted for me, as I am no where near an internet
connection, but I've been having fun playing with the Flip Video Camera I
figured I'd get someone to post this entry for me in advance.

In this third installment of Flying With Fish Video I discuss choosing
your lens selection to cut down on space and weight. I know photographers
are always tempted to pack everything. I know when I have packed for
shoots in far away places I have looked at my bag and wonder 'how will I
knock 10 lenses down to four?'

It can be hard to make the tough choices in lens selection, but when you
assess your actual needs, whether packing for business or pleasure, you'll
find that not only will your back and shoulder thank you, but you'll be
able to work quicker and more effectively.

Happy Flying!


--Click Image Below To Play Video--

Web: www.flyingwithfish.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com

26/08/2008 - Choosing Your Cameras For Traveling

This week should be a 'light week' for posting on Flying With Fish and somehow this is my third post for the week. This post is also the second installment of Flying With Fish Video.

In this installment of Flying With Fish Video I discuss choosing your camera body selection for traveling. Many photographers purchase mismatched, or incompatible, camera bodies which forces them to pack excess weight and use valuable space in their bags, while traveling. In this video I'll go through choosing 'matched cameras' to add to save you space and weight while also making your experience in the field with your cameras easier.

Happy Flying!

--Click Image Below To Play Video--

Web: www.flyingwithfish.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com

25/08/2008 - Shooting Long Lenses With No Tripod At Slower Exposures While On The Road

With this coming week being a short week here on Flying With Fish, I decided to use the two days I'll be posting to try something totally new.........Flying With Fish Video.

While I have appeared on national television in the past, and been in front of TV cameras a few times, I had never actually tried shooting my own video. In fact, I have never really even used a video camera until two nights ago! Two nights ago a Flip Video camera appeared in my kitchen, and much like in the movie "Field of Dreams" I heard a quiet voice whisper, "if you shoot it they will come."

Now I have no idea what the voices meant, or who will be coming where, however I may have just been craving a chocolate bar and a can of ginger ale, so the voices may have just been my stomach grumbling, however I set out to go shoot a segment on Saturday night along the Connecticut Shoreline just after sunset, and Sunday afternoon in Long Island City, in Queens, New York, in the afternoon.

I learned two important things in these two brief attempts
1) The audio on a Flip Video leaves a lot to be desired.
2) I cannot talk while my face is pressed against a camera, no one will hear me!

So, I have learned from these two attempts, and promise that when I get out of the hospital and get back to shooting in about 10 days, I will work on better audio and never speak while my face is pressed against a camera (unless I am wearing a mic, but I don't see how I could attach a wireless mic to the Flip Video camera).

......... enough with my rambling, welcome to the first installment of Flying With Fish Video. This segment is a quick introduction to shooting longer lenses, at slower shutter speeds, without a tripod or monopod.

Happy Flying!

--Click Image Below To Begin The Video--

Web: www.flyingwithfish.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com

23/08/2008 - Airline Fees For Surfboards Wipeout Traveling Surfers?

Yesterday evening I would an interesting article in the Los Angles Times that cited exorbitant fees for flying with surfboards.

While I have not surfed in years (and I do miss it, I grew up spending 7 days a week at the beach all summer long) I have been an avid snowboarder for two decades and see these fees as completely out of line for my fellow 'boarders.'

Surfboards are being singled out for excess fees while many airlines have no fees for golf clubs or skis & snowboards. Delta Airlines, for example, allows a set of golf clubs, or a single ski/snowboard bag to fly for free if they are under 50lbs, while they now charge a fee of US$175 each way for a surfboard to fly on their US domestic routes and US$300 each way on international routes. Additionally, Delta now charges a US$20 fee, each way. For surfboards to fly on Honolulu and Maui routes.

Continental charges US$100 each way for a quiver bag of up to two boards and United is US$85 each way for boards under 109"(277cm) and US$170 for boards longer than 109"(277cm). I see the $170 fee as more of a special handing fee for over-sized items.

Surfboards while longer and wider than golf clubs and skis/snowboards generally weight less than skis/snowboards when packed with boots and they certainly weigh less than flying with golf clubs.

British Airways has actually banned flying with surfboards on their airline since the Fall-of-2007. British Airways has also banned Kayaks, yet it remains a premier sponsor the British Olympic Team and the 2012 Olympics in London where they are of course the Olympic Sport of Kayaking.......of course no Olympic Kayaker will be able to travel on British Airways.

Airlines are citing 'higher costs of fuel' for transporting surfboards. I can see a potential 'handing fee' for surfboards due to the size, but the actual weight of a surfboard vs that of a set of golf clubs would indicate a significantly higher baggage fee for golf clubs than a surfboard.

If the airlines are going to cite ‘fuel fees’ they really need to be consistent and not single out a single group of travelers. If airlines want a more consistent source of revenue, single out the golfers. Golfers fly with more weight, fly more consistently for ‘business golf outings’ and are more likely to ‘expense’ the cost when traveling on business.

Are you a surfer looking to enjoy good waves, good weather and no fee to fly with your board? Check out Australia and New Zealand, as neither Qantas nor Air New Zealand is charging to fly with your boards, even when traveling with your quiver.

Happy Flying!

Web: www.fishfotoworldwide.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com

22/08/2008- The Weekly Round Up : What Open Skies Doesn't Allow : Locly iPhone App : Crunchie Bars & Violet Crumble : Toiletry Kits

This week's Weekly Round Up does not kick off with the week in review, but a moment to reflect on the crash of Spanair (JK) Flight 5022 this past Wednesday as it lifted off from Barajas Airport (MAD) in Madrid, Spain. A faulty air-intake is believed to be what caused the Boeing MD-82 aircraft to crash, killing 153 people on board the plane.

Before we move on, please take a moment to stop and have a silent moment in memory of those 153 people who died in this airline disaster.

This week Flying With Fish began by tackling the complex, and common question, of what the 'Open Skies Agreement' allows and does not allow. Will we see foreign carriers being allowed to fly certain US Domestic routes? It is not likely. Find out why here: 18/08/2008 - Will 'Open Skies' Allow Foreign Airlines To Fly U.S. Domestic Routes?


Tuesday saw the latest installed me in the iPhone 'App' Of the Week series. This week I reviewed the 'Locly' App and detailed why anyone who travels should have this ‘App.’ Find out more about Locly in this post: 19/08/2008 – iPhone 'App' Of The Week : Locly

Many international travelers discuss the gourmet delights they encounter in their travels. This week I discussed my 'gourmet' indulgences on the road, the Crunchie bar from the UK and the Violet Crumble bar from Australia. This post received not only quite a few comments, but more than a dozen e-mails from Canadian readers informing me that the Crunchie bar is readily available in the Great White North......nice to know Crunchie has a more loyal following that I thought up in Canada! Read up on my candy bar addiction here: 20/08/2008 – Trivial Travel : Honeycomb Chocolate Bars From Two Hemispheres

This week wrapped up with a write up of a simple and inexpensive toiletry kit that is airport security approved. While I don't foresee myself giving up the 1-quart Ziploc bag with my toiletries, this might be a good option for someone a tad more organized than I am. Find out if this is what you've been seeking by clicking here: 21/08/2008 – A Compact Toiletry Kit Bag That Is Inexpensive & Meets Airport Security Requirements

Interested in discussing travel planning, tips, ideas and anecdotes with other travelers? Join Flying With Fish's "Travel_Planning" community on Live Journal. The community is free and easy to join and is open to first time travelers and seasons road warriors. The best information is shared information, which is the goal of the online Travel_Planning community.

Next week Flying With Fish will most likely be off-line. I am scheduled for a fairly significant surgery on Tuesday and do not expect to be released until Friday morning. I'd like to have 2 or 3 posts next week, but I am not planning on having them written and published. The hospital I'll be admitted to has no internet access and chances are I'll be heavily sedated until Thursday at some point.

Maybe I'll be get lucky and have the opportunity to write a few entries this weekend and have someone post them for me, but I think I'd rather take this weekend to hang out with my kids and forget that Tuesday morning is just around the corner.

......so until possibly 10 days from now (I know I probably can't stay away that long) Happy Flying!

Web: www.flyingwithfish.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com

21/08/2008 – A Compact Toiletry Kit Bag That Is Inexpensive & Meets Airport Security Requirements

For the past few years......OK for the last who knows how many years (at least a decade) I have used a 1-quart Ziploc bag as my toiletry bag on the road. I like the Ziploc bags, they last about a year, they are easy to replace and they can hold quite a lot.

In the past few months It has come to attention that most travelers don't generally pack their toiletry bags with random soaps and shampoos they have taken from hotels and toothbrushes and combs they have liberated from airline lounges.

In an effort to 'see how the other side travels' I set out to find a simple, compact and low cost toiletry bag for those seeking an organized all-in-one kit. The majority of the toiletry kits I looked into would pose a problem under the current carry on restrictions, limiting these kits to checked baggage only. Many toiletry kits I looked at were not see through, as required by not on the US Transportation Security Administration, but also by airport security authorities around the world.

This week while wandering through a bookstore I found what I had been looking for. A simple, clear plastic, all-in-one travel toiletry kit for under US$5.00!

Paperchase Stationary, a British stationary manufacturer, produced a simple and inexpensive toiletry kit. This kit comes with two liquid soap/shampoo bottles, a perfume/cologne sprayer and two cosmetics 'dishes.' All of these are clear making them ideal for dealing with airport security. When I loaded my Paperchase Travel Accessories kit the first thing I did was remove the perfume spray bottle and two cosmetics 'dishes.' I loaded the two liquid soap bottles with some Mrs. Meyers hand soap and Aussie shampoo. From there I added a Toothbrush (courtesy of Air Canada), a comb (which was freed from a Korean Air lounge), some travel deodorant (thank you Lufthansa) a bar of soap (borrowed from a cart at the Vagabond Inn at SFO) and some travel toothpaste, which I seem to have a pile of for some reason.

All the basic toiletry accessories fit nicely into the case and for under US$5.00 how can you go wrong?

You can find the Paperchase Travel Accessories kit on Amazon.com, in some Borders Bookstores (in the US) and on Paperchases' online store (for sales in the UK only).

Do you have a favourite airport security approved toiletry kit? Let me know!

Below is a photo of the Paperchase Accessories kit and its original components .

Happy Flying!

--Click Image To Enlarge--

Web: www.flyingwithfish.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com

20/08/2008 – Trivial Travel : Honeycomb Chocolate Bars From Two Hemispheres

Some travelers like to lament about the gourmet foods they find during their travels. I on the other hand plan to use this post to lament about two of my favourite candy bars, one from England the other from Australia.

Back in 1992 I 'discovered' the Cadbury Crunchie bar while briefly living in London. I recall landing at London's Heathrow Airport and picking one up.......then being hooked for the following 16 years (and counting).

The problem with having a Crunchie Bar addiction? They are not distributed in the United States. For years I have come home on flights from the UK with a backpack full of Crunchie Bars, or found ways to have others send me these delectable delights.

More recently I found myself craving a Crunchie bar with none to be found, and this lead me to find the Australian Violet Crumble bar. Upon first bite I was equally hooked on the Violet Crumble bars. The problem with this new, and equally as powerful addiction, is that the Violet Crumble bar is primarily sold in Australia (although it can be found in Hawaii, as well as in the international aisle in some supermarkets).

What do these two candy bars have in common? They are both chocolate covered honeycomb bars.

The Crunchie bar is a honeycomb toffee that is quite literally crunches as you bite through it, while the Violet Crumble bar more subtly melts in your mouth as the honeycomb touches your tongue. I find the Crunchie bar to be a slightly chewier bar while the Violet Crumble is crisper, which causes it 'crumble.'

So next time you're traveling to distant lands seeking out new things to try, pick up a new candy bar. You might just find yourself needing to return just to satisfy your sweet tooth!

Happy Flying!

--Click Image To Enlarge It--

Web: www.flyingwithfish.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com

19/08/2008 – iPhone 'App' Of The Week : Locly

Whenever I travel one of the challenges I find most difficult to resolve at times is where things are. I don't know a single person who has gotten off a plane; gone to work then suddenly thought, "What is there around here to eat?"

Locly has the answer to "What is there to eat" as well as different categories for this question (such as restaurants, cafes, pubs, and super markets), and other common questions on the road. How Locly works is by figuring out your position from the GSM mobile phone towers. I have had Locly have an accuracy of my location far off as 3,000 meter (1.85 miles) and as close as 450 meters (0.25 miles)

While 3,000 meter can be a great distance if you are standing in the middle of a city, it is extremely helpful when you find yourself in metro-area or suburban area rather than in the middle of the city. I have however used Locly in city center environments and be very happy with its results as the results for 450 meters of accuracy is quite convenient to wherever you may be.

I have used Locly to find dinner on the road as well as locate movie theaters, banks and gas stations. To find interesting tid-bits I have used Locly's "Wikipedia" feature and have heard of others using the iPhone 'App's' Twitter feature to meet up with others.

For you international travelers, fear not! Locly works in many countries throughout the world! Being able to look up a restaurant for dinner in Paris or Shenzhen has never been easier (OK, I haven't tried Locly out in Shenzhen yet, but I'm sure I'll use it in the region at some point in the coming months)

Locly is certainly an iPhone 'App' I will continue to update as they become available and use on a regular basis both on the road and at home.

Below are four photos of Locly on the iPhone

Happy Flying!

--Click Images To Enlarge Them--

Web: www.flyingwithfish.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com

18/08/2008 - Will 'Open Skies' Allow Foreign Airlines To Fly U.S. Domestic Routes?


A frequently asked question in the past year has been "will the Open Skies Agreement' allow foreign airlines to operate domestic flights in the United States.?" In shot 'Open Skies' does not allow for the non-U.S. airlines to operate 'domestic flights' in the U.S.

What Open Skies does covers is the the Eighth Freedom of the Air, as agreed upon during the 1944 Convention on International Civil Aviation in Chicago. The Eighth Freedom,which is also referred to as 'True Cabotoge,' allows for an airline to operate routes that are completely independent of that airline making stop in, or connecting through, its home country.

There are very few airlines operating with the route authority of the Eighth Freedom. Northwest Airlines operates a limited number of flights that are 'domestic' inside Japan,such as Tokyo-Nagoya and Tokyo-Saipan. NWA has been afforded this unique route authority due to their original relationship with the Japanese Government and their role in helping establish Japan Airlines (JAL).

Pan Am, the former global airline giant, previously operated flights domestically in Germany under the Eighth Freedom of Air. Pan Am flew regularly scheduled flights between West Berlin and their European hub in Frankfurt.

Qantas operates a daily flight between New York's JFK and LAX, however they may not sell a ticket for this flight only. Passengers on the flight must connect onward to a Qantas flights to Sydney, Brisbane or Melbourne. Stop-overs are no longer allowed as they once were, such as when BOAC operated service from London to Los Angeles (LAX) and Honolulu (HNL) via New York's JFK (and HNL was also via LAX).

Northwest is also one of only two US airlines that operates under the Fifth Freedom. The Fifth Freedom allows NWA and United to fly to points in Asia using Japan as a 'Hub.' Both airlines have Asia hubs in Tokyo and can sell passengers tickets to fly from Tokyo/NRT to a further 3rd country, without requiring those passengers to first stop in the United States.

Airlines such as Air New Zealand (NZ) and Singapore Airlines (SQ) operate daily flights in the United States under the Seventh Freedom. The Seven Freedom is the ability to service two international routes, without a stop in the airlines home country. This would be NZ's daily service from LAX to London Heathrow and Singapore's abilty to fly from JFK to Frankfurt, Houston to Moscow, San Francisco to Seoul & Hong Kong and LAX to Taipei and Tokyo.

Keep in mind that when Virgin America (VX) was forming it was barred from flying because Richard Branson, who is not a U.S. citizen, owned the controlling stock in the airline. In the US. United States airlines that operate in the US must not be controlled by a foreign person or entity. Under the U.S. regulations had Richard Branson been the control stock holder in Virgin American, it would have been considered a "foreign airline." As a 'foreign airline' Virgin American would have needed to operate under 'stand alone cabotoge,' and this Freedom of the Air will certainly not be granted permission in the United States in the near future.

The interesting twist in this may that airlines such as "Open Skies" (Open Skies is the name of the airline, not to be confused with the actual commercial aviation agreement) that are not registered to a single country. Open Skies aircraft fly under both the EU and US flags, despite the British Airways (BA) tail and UK registration. To make the ownership of the airline more confusing, the airline is not considered British. This leave a lot of room for some interesting grey areas in the Freedoms of the Air in the future.

As for me? I'd welcome Lufthansa (LH) and Air France-KLM (AF-KL)coming to the US and operating flights. I'd love it if Air Canada (AC) could service some US routes as well (as I have flown them at times on U.S. 'domestic' transcontinental flights using Toronto simply as a layover and really enjoy their service.)

Happy Flying!

Web: www.thetravelstrategist.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com

15/08/2008-The Weekly Round Up : Is "Clear" Secure? : Proper Jetiquette : Duct Tape : Carry-on Bag Sizing : Lonely Planet iPhone App : Fish On The Move

This week ends with Flying With Fish swimming into new waters. If you surf over to www.flyingwithfish.com between 5:00pm EST/10:00pm GMT today and sometime on Sunday and don't see the site DO NOT PANIC! Flying With Fish is simply changing web-hosts. If you e-mail me this weekend chances are I won't see it until Monday on my Blackberry. You can still view the site at : http://flyingwithfish.blogspot.com

To read more about Fish on the move, both online and off-line (not only am I getting a new online home, but I am getting a new home for my family this weekend as well!) feel free to check out: 15/08/2008 – Flying With Fish Is Moving!

This week started off with Verified Identity Pass (VIP) finding its missing laptop containing more the personal information of more than 30,000 'Clear Card' patron enrolled in the Registered Traveler Program. The loss and 'miraculous' recovery of this laptop with non-encrypted data puts the overall security and trust we place in this system at critical risk. Find out why I question VIP's security of secure data as it related to the Registered Traveler program here: 9/08/2008 - Stolen 'Registered Traveler' Laptop Found, But Is The Data Safe?

I have discussed passenger etiquette multiple times on Flying With Fish. I am a firm believer in being courteous and practicing basic etiquette while flying which is why I love the "Jetiquette Card." You can check out the Jetiquette Card, as brought to you by The Sky Steward (www.skysteward.com), and print one our for yourself by clicking on this link: 11/08/2008 - The "Jetiquette" Card : Passenger Etiquette Revisited

Looking for a simple solution to quickly identifying your bags? I have discussed baggage identification and labeling quite a few times to quickly spot your bags and deter airport thieves.........now read up on the extremely simple tools to label my bags by reading this post: 12/08/2008 - Baggage Identification With Duct Tape : A Simple Solution

With more than 10,000 laptops being lost at airports each week in the United States learn a simple technique to significantly increase your chances of being reunited with your laptop in this entry: 13/08/2008 - Don't Lose Your Laptop In The Airport (and if you do get it back again)

Is your roll-aboard bag legal for carry-on while flying on international flights? You might be surprised. Learn how to measure your bags for international carry-on specifications here: 14/08/2008 - Is Your Carry-On Bag Legal For 'International' Carry-On? Maybe Not

This week's iPhone 'App' of the Week is ideal for travelers who want a powerful tool to help them communicate in a foreign land. Lonely Planet's Audio Phrasebooks are top notch! Navigate the Lonely Planet Mandarin Audio Phrasebook here: 14/08/2008 – iPhone 'App' Of The Week : Lonely Planet Mandarin Audio Phrasebook

I'm off to finish packing up, wake up in one house to go photograph a wedding and return to an entirely different house to go to sleep when I'm done!

I'll have regular access to internet again in a week when it is all set up in the new house................so please bare with me if there are gaps in my posts next week.

Happy Flying!

Web: www.flyingwithfish.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com

15/08/2008 – Flying With Fish Is Moving!

I'm flapping my wings and moving to a new fish bowl!

My move this weekend happens both physically and online. My online move begins today as I change web hosts. After years of happily swimming around with S2F, the hosting business is closing up shop. The creators of S2F founded PhotoShelter (www.photoshelter.com) a few years ago and have chosen to focus entirely on that business. For you photographers looking for an outstanding and professional place to host and control your archive, for both clients or stock sales you should check into PhotoShelter.

In the land of linear time and space my house is being packed and we're taking the show on the road! After four years of living in a cramped house (in all fairness when I moved into this house I only had one kid and one large dog and now I have three kids and two large dogs) we're moving from a fishbowl to a full-sized aquarium. While the move is physically less than one mile the new place will let my kids spread their wings out and swim around with more space and freedom (and I'll get my own office.....woohoo!)

So, for those of you who check Flying With Fish daily,the web address www.flyingwithfish.com will be off-line for 24-to-48 hours, however you can pop in and visit Flying With Fish at: http://flyingwithfish.blogspot.com . During this transition my e-mail may be delayed for up to two days as well.

Posts on Flying With Fish next week may be sporadic as we get settled in and I will have no internet installed in my house until at least Thursday.

Happy Flying.

Web: www.flyingwithfish.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com

14/08/2008 – iPhone 'App' Of The Week : Lonely Planet Mandarin Audio Phrasebook

When traveling many people find quickly communicating in a foreign language difficult. Personally, I am terrible at learning new languages, so when I found Lonely Planet's Audio Phrasebook I was intrigued.

Lonely Planet's Audio Phrasebooks are easy to use and eliminate much confusion when asking simple questions (other than being completely embarrassed to be allowing an iPhone to speak for you). The categories of phrases are broken down into easy to find sections and subsections, such as Tools, Transport, Communications & Banking, Sightseeing, Shopping, and Greeting People.

Inside the sections are easy follow sub-sections. Inside of Communications & Banking for example the subsections are: the Internet, mobile/cell phone, telephone, post office, bank.

Inside each of these subsections are common phrases you may need to use to find the answer you are seeking.

The best feature included in Lonely Planet's Mandarin Audio Phrasebook is that once you find the phrase or question you'd like to ask an automatic voice says the question or phrase for you. This eliminates fumbling through an awkward attempt to incorrectly pronounce the phrase or question. Additionally this iPhone 'App' also displays the text in both 'Roman' and 'Chinese' characters so it may be easily read.

Having played with Lonely Planet's Mandarin Audio Phrasebook for use in practical applications I can safely say I will be downloading other languages available through Lonely Planet's iPhone 'Apps.'

Below are seven photos that walk you through the steps of using Lonely Planet's Mandarin Audio Phrasebook on your iPhone.

Happy Flying!

--Click Images To Enlarge Them--