When we first got our dog, I was a bit nervous about how this would affect our travelling. Soon, we realized it wasn’t that difficult because for many weekends away and road trips, we’ve found we can bring our dog with us! Hotels and motels in all price ranges increasingly allow pets to stay.
The first time we brought her along, I didn’t completely trust her to behave in the hotel, but she adapted quickly and she’s become a great travelling companion! Continue Reading…
Taipei’s Longshan Temple. Photograph by Matt Gibson
I lived in Taiwan for six years and, although I traveled around the country a lot, I never spent much time exploring Taipei. So, when I went back for a visit last year I was excited to see all the attractions that I’d heard about.
I only had one day, so I tried to pack in all of the best activities. I didn’t visit Taipei 101, because I’d seen been there before. Instead, this is what I did. Continue Reading…
Valentine’s day is just around the corner and the pressure to find your lover the perfect little something to lust over come February 14th is on (mostly on the men). Diamond earrings, dozens of long-stem roses and five star feasts mark the usual list of pricy suspects, but do you really need to spend to the moon, to get to your lover’s heart? Our second annual flightnetwork.com “Price Drop Love” poll reveals, that in many cases, to quote our favourite diva J. Lo, “Love Don’t Cost a Thing.” Continue Reading…
Photo credit: Marc Smith
Nobody wants the indignity of having to pay for it, but we all desperately want as much as we can get. Legroom is a prized commodity and airlines know it.
I am just waiting for the day that an airline starts pricing its tickets by cubic inch. Despite the nickel-and-dime attitude among carriers these days, there are still a few tricks you can use to get a bit more space without any extra fees and resorting to desperate and undignified tactics such as acting crazy or stuffing smelly cheese in your pockets.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Every aircraft has more space in the rows next to emergency exits and these seats have long been some of the most sought-after. Airlines clued into this and started charging extra to sit in an extra row. It has now become commonplace but there still a few exceptions of airlines that don’t charge for exit row seats. If all other considerations are equal, book on an airline that doesn’t charge for exit rows.
Anyone familiar with Spiderman knows that with great power, comes great responsibility. Remember that the reason there is extra room in exit rows is because it is needed to facilitate evacuation in the event of an emergency. If you are seated in an exit row you have an obligation to help out, so everyone flying in the exit row must be physically able and capable of understanding and following instructions from the cabin crew. It’s a good idea to verify your eligibility in advance.
Be ready to pounce. You need to be prepared so that you can check in and select your seats at the very moment that the airline gives you the opportunity to do so. Typically this is 24 hours prior to departure. Have all of the information that you need (e-ticket, passport, baggage information etc.) at hand and be on the web page a few minutes before so that all you need to do is click Refresh when the time comes. It is astounding how quickly the best seats fill up, but if you are on top of things you might score an exit row or bulkhead seat with some extra space.
My boss swears by this technique and claims to have a very high rate of success with it. It is contingent on travelling in pairs and I normally travel solo, so I’d never given it a try, but this summer I was travelling with my husband and we road tested it. It worked!
Photo credit: pixtree
If you want a row all to yourself,select the aisle and the window seat. Most planes are configured with three seats together and so if you pick a row that is free and reserve the aisle and window seats it leaves the one in the middle unoccupied. I have yet to meet anyone who loves sitting in a middle seat, so the middle seat in a fully booked row is not an attractive option to most travellers and they will be deterred from choosing to sit with you.
If the flight is full, and you end up with someone sitting between you and your travel companion, you can always offer to switch with them. Most people are delighted to trade a middle seat for their choice of the aisle or window seat, so you’re not imposing on them at all.
If you have the whole row all you can raise the armrests and stretch out.
photo credit: Bill Liao
These are our top tips for scoring more legroom for free. What are yours? Do you have any surefire methods for working the system?
Chain hotels are consistent and reliable, but it’s easy to get bored with them. For a change of scene, try booking a stay at a unique hotel that you won’t find anywhere else. Here are just a few examples of one-of-a-kind places to stay that will set your imagination flowing.
Sleeping on a bed made of ice isn’t for sissies, but staying at an ice hotel is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that many folks have put on their bucket list. At the Hotel de Glace near Quebec City, they have your bases covered. A room at a nearby conventional hotel is included in your stay, so you can slip over there at any point if you can’t hack the cold. Continue Reading…
Welcome to Let's Roll, Canada's favourite pop culture travel blog . My name is Matt Gibson. I'm a B.C. boy, an outdoors and travel writer and photographer, and an three-time expatriate (Taiwan, Guatemala, and the USA). I'm looking forward to sharing my love of exotic places with you!
