USA

Priceline is my favourite website for flights. When you can fly from LAX to New York for $1 + $35 taxes, you know you've got yourself a deal. I didn't actually book that flight, as I didn't actually need to cross the US that day, but I'm sure you can get a cheap fare like that. At priceline.com there is a box below the main booking interface called "Name your own price". This is where you choose how much you want to pay! Having trouble? Bidding for Travel can help you out.

United Kingdom

In the UK it's usually just best to go straight to the airline. You've heard it before, and I'll stress it again: RyanAir and EasyJet are the cheapest for European flights. I stumbled upon a deal today... free flights. Nothing to pay. Not even taxes (they're included). That's on RyanAir. Wow - I wonder how they can be in the top 3 most profitable airlines in the world when they "sell" tickets like that?

Australia

Australia is one of the most expensive places to fly in, distance-wise, and there aren't really that many super-cheap sales. However, Jetstar gives tickets about AU$200 less than the other airlines. It's budget - but once you factor in food and everything you're still getting a huge discount. Jetstar also has on-demand in-flight entertainment - something the other domestic airlines don't have. So if you're willing to connect in Melbourne Airport and good at lining up times, give Jetstar a go. If not, try Virgin Blue.

Every year, millions of tourists come to Turkey to see the natural beauties of my country. Most of these tourists are Russian, German and people coming from North Europan countries like Finland, Sweden and Norway. There are many historical and touristic places in Turkey but most of them are found in Aegean and Mediterranean region. Izmir, Antalya, Didim, Kusadasi, Marmaris, Fethiye, Bodrum and Ephesus are all great examples to these beauties. All of these places are located near the sea. Some of them have a historical background while some don't have. This article is about a small town Patara.

Patara is an ancient town in Mediterranean region. It is located in city of Kas which is one of the touristic cities of Antalya Province. According to the historians, Patara is the birth place of Saint Nicholas who is known as Noel Father in Turkish culture. Most of you know him as an old man who drives his deers and gives presents to the children in Noel nights. He lived all his life nearby Patara, in the town of Myra..

Patara was founded by Patarus. So, it is known with his name. Patarus was one of the sons of famous Greek commander Apollo. In the past, Dorians coming from city of Crete lived in this small town. It witnessed many wars of Greek and Egyptians. In 1. century B.C, it was joined to Roman Empire and Rhodians occupied the ancient Patara. It was joined to Pamphylia in the year of 43. According to the quotes in Bible, Paul of Tarsus and Luke changed their ships in Patara.

Patara has a small hill and a ruined temple on one side of the hill. Currently, It is under ruins. Every year, Europan and Turkish archaeologists come to Patara to search about ancient civilizations living in this region. Excavations are made.Most of those excavations are made on the hill and ruined temple nearby. Off-shore part of Patara is under sand. After the latest excavations, archaeologists announced that Patara has a main street and amphitheatre.

One day, if your steps take you away to Turkey, you should visit Patara. Sure that, you can find many interesting things which have not been discovered yet.

The concept of low cost airfares is not surprising, and it has become a new trend and phenomenon in the world of traveling. This concept has been well received by low and medium income families who can now also fly to their desired destinations. The foremost aim of the low cost airfare concept is to enable even more people to travel a great deal more often.

How Can Airlines Offer Such Low Cost Airfares?

The low-cost airline's main mission is to offer a more inexpensive, convenient and simpler form of transportation to its travelers. To achieve this mission, the airlines have to cut their costs to a minimum by eliminating some unnecessary expenditure.

The main feature of low cost carriers is that their airfares are extremely lower than other big-scale airline companies. In Europe, for example, their airfares are half or less than that the larger airline company's airfares. Many of these airfares are often lower than train tickets. Despite lower airfares, the profits of these airlines are often higher than larger airlines, with their sales profits going as high as 20 to 30%.

Low cost carriers do not use the major airports, instead they fly to and from secondary airports that are not necessarily the busiest. These secondary airports usually have lower operating costs than bigger major airports. Furthermore, the secondary airports are less congested and their “turnaround times” are shorter for the flights. Many European cities have more than one airport and for many small cities that are adjacent to the major cities, they often have their own airports. Because Europe's railways and highways use a very developed network, the passengers do not usually feel any inconvenience if the airports are located a little farther away from the major cities.

Low-cost carriers maintain lower labor costs because they mainly engage in short-distance business trips, and the pilots and crews do not stay overnight. Their wages are much lower than larger airline companies, and yet the average flying time is much longer. As the routes are allocated for only 2 to 3 hours for the short-haul flights, passengers are not usually provided with free meals. All foods and drinks sold are an addition.

No seats are reserved or allocated for passengers and so they will have to take any seats available, but luggage is allowed to be checked-in and taken on board.

The seating space in the plane is usually narrowed to allow more space for accommodating more passengers on board the flight. In this manner, their revenue can help in boosting their profits by at least 10%. Because flights are generally shorter, the passengers can easily accept the narrow distance between the seats.

These low cost airlines usually sell their air tickets via travel agents, travel-based search engines, and the internet, and do not need to rent a huge office space which may incur higher costs. By booking flights via internet or through an airline's call center, you do not have to pay a travel agent any commission, which would otherwise increase the airfares. You will end up saving even more money by not using travel agents to book a reservation.

Most low cost carriers cut their costs because no arrangements are made with any airline companies on flight transfers or connecting flights which would otherwise be reflected in the airfares. They employ pilots, flight attendants, operations personnel and mechanics who are specialized in a single type of aircraft, which saves the expenditure of re-training the staff, instead of maintaining a stock with parts for different types of aircraft. These are some of the reasons why the pricing is more affordable, economic and extremely low.

7 Essential Tips To Getting Low Cost Airfares

1. The low cost airline companies will catch your attention with extremely low airfares banners or advertisements that require you to book the tickets 6 or 9 months ahead of the traveling date. You have to grab these opportunities by making a reservation from their respective websites. These airfares get sold very fast.
2. Once the tickets are sold out, the low-cost seats will not be available anymore and you will have to pay more if you purchase the ticket later. You have to book the ticket immediately as it will last only 24 hours. In other words, you have to plan your trip earlier and book the ticket in advance. By doing this, you may be able to get the best deal that is worth every penny.
3. Now, you need to get a list of low cost airlines. You may use the suggested list attached in this article to choose your desired traveling destinations. E-mail the airlines to obtain some details on when their companies offer a promotional trip package, when the low cost airfares are on sale, and when to look for seasonal or discounted airfares. Once you get a list from them, you can familiarize yourself with the low cost airlines that fly from your local or nearby airport to your desired destination. This information may also be included on your local airports website.
4. With these e-mail lists at hand you will be one step closer to getting to know which new destinations are launched that can generally offer discounted or low airfares as an added promotion to attract tourists to visit those places. They also offer numerous packages which can include car rentals and hotels. This way, you can save money instead of paying for each particular aspect of the flight individually.
5. Browse through the dates on low airfare searches in order to find out how much you can save. You will be surprised to find out that the rates for weekdays, weekends, school holidays, public holidays and seasonal holidays all have different rates. You should try to travel during the off-peak seasons in order to get the discounted or low cost airfare packages.
6. Because flights are usually not fully occupied during the off season, you will receive better discounts. The airfare in general, is also less for morning flights than for evening flights because the airlines want to make sure the flight will be fully occupied before the plane takes off.
7. In some cases, you will have to be patient while you wait for the release of cheap airfares. Some big airlines buy tickets in bulk and resell them at lower rates through the internet. This is because they want to sell as many tickets as they can to make sure that their flights are fully occupied.

It is important to do some research trying various sources while looking for cheap airfares. The information is usually available at sites set up by airlines, travel agencies, or travel-based search engine sites. Internet is by far the best option to let you to search through as many sources in the fastest and most most effective way to let you obtain all the information you want. Search engines like Kayak, Expedia, Travelocity or Mobissimo enable you to search travel sites for the cheapest fares by simply entering the date of travel and the destination. After you hit the Search button, all related flights information will be displayed on the screen. If you are happy with the airfare, you can book your ticket immediately.

Remember, do not make a quick decision. You should always check on multiple search engines like Kayak, Cheapflights, Iwantthatflight, Attitudetravel, Qixo, Whichbudge, Cheapair, SKYSCANNER, Wikipedia or Bookingbuddy to compare the airfares. The travel agencies can have prices much higher or much lower than another. Make sure that you check with the airlines about whether the airfare includes routes (direct flights, stopovers or connecting flights), refunds or extra charges, and if their rules for cancellations before buying the tickets suits you.

A hotel plus air package is often worth buying because the prices are offered at a rate lower than the airfare without the hotel accommodations. Lastminute.com has been found to have some of the the best deals in this field. The Travelocity who owns Lastminute is one of the best options for you to book your last minute travel reservations while still helping you save money.

Always make sure that you keep abreast of the different airfares offered by various airlines companies. The prices fluctuate like the stock market and the airlines may update their domestic fares up to two or three times a day. If you are serious about saving your money, you should really check them out regularly.

Try to combine two separate fares rather than buying an individual airfare which will probably cost you more. Travelocity or another travel-based search engine may provide you with even more information regarding combining fares.

Where to Get an Affordable, Economic and Low Cost Airfare?

The links below offer some of the lowest operating costs for airlines in Africa, Asia, Europe, America, Middle East and Oceania regions and were compiled from various resources.

AFRICA REGION

Morocco

• Atlas Blue
• Jet4you

Nigeria

• Chanchangi Airlines
• IRS Airlines
• Kabo Air
• Sosoliso Airlines

South Africa

• Kulula.com
• Mango

AMERICA REGION

Argentina

• LAPA

Brazil

• BRA Transportes Aéreos
• Gol Transportes Aéreos
• OceanAir
• WebJet Linhas Aéreas

Columbia

• AeroRepύblica
• EasyFly

Canada

• Air North
• Air Transat
• Porter Airlines
• Skyservice
• WestJet
• Zoom Airlines

Mexico

• Aladia
• ALMA de Mexico
• Avolar
• Click
• Interjet

United States

• AirTran Airways
• Allegiant Air
• ATA Airlines
• ExpressJet
• Frontier Airlines
• JetBlue Airways
• Mesa Airlines' brand Go!
• Primaris Airlines
• Skybus Airlines
• Southwest Airlines
• Spirit Airlines
• Sun Country Airlines
• US Airways
• USA3000 Airlines
• Virgin America

Uruguay

• Aeromas
• Air Class Lineas Aereas
• Lapsa

ASIA REGION

Bangladesh

• GMG Airlines
• Royal Bengal Airline

China

• Oasis Hong Kong Airlines
• Spring Airlines
• Viva Macau

Indonesia

• Adam Air
• Batavia Air
• Lion Air
• Mandala Airlines

Japan

• Skymark Airlines
• Skynet Asia Airways
• StarFlyer

South Korea

• Hansung Airlines
• Incheon Tiger Airways
• Jeju Air
• Yeongnam Air

Malaysia

• AirAsia
• AirAsia X
• Firefly

Pakistan

• Aero Asia International
• Air Blue
• Shaheen Air International

Philippines

• Air Philippines
• Cebu Pacific

Singapore

• Jetstar Asia Airways
• Tiger Airways
• Valuair

Sri Lanka

• Mihin Lanka

Thailand

• Nok Air
• One-Two-GO Airlines
• Thai AirAsia

Vietnam

• Pacific Airlines

EUROPE REGION

Austria

• Niki
• InterSky

Belgium

• Brussels Airlines

Bulgaria

• Hemus Air
• Viaggio Air

Czech Republic

• Smart Wings

Denmark

• Sterling Airlines

Germany

• Condor Airlines
• Germanwings
• LTU International
• Germania Express

Greece

• Aegean Airlines
• Southeast Airlines
• Vanguard Airlines
• Pearl Air
• Safe Air

Hungary

• Wizz Air

Iceland

• Iceland Express
• JetX Airlines

Italy

• Air Italy
• Air One
• Alpi Eagles
• Blue Panorama Airlines
• Evolavia
• Meridiana
• MyAir
• On Air
• Volare Airlines
• Windjet

Latvia

• AirBaltic

Netherlands

• Martinair
• Transavia.com

Norway

• Norwegian Air Shuttle

Poland

• Centralwings
• Direct Fly

Romania

• Blue Air

Russia

• KD Avia
• SkyExpress

Slovakia

• SkyEurope

Spain

• Air Comet
• Clickair
• LagunAir
• Vueling Airlines

Sweden

• FlyNordic
• Scandjet
• Sverigeflyg

Switzerland

• Flybaboo

Turkey

• Corendon Airlines
• Free Bird Airlines
• Inter Airlines
• Izair
• Onur Air
• Pengasus Airlines
• Sky Airlines
• World Focus Airlines

United Kingdom

• Air Southwest
• Easy Jet
• First Choice Airways
• Flyglobespan
• Jet2.com
• Monarch Airlines
• Thomsonfly
• XL Airways

MIDDLE EAST REGION

Kuwait

• Jazeera Airways

Saudi Arabia

• Sama Airlines
• Nas Air

United Arab Emirates

• Air Arabia
• Jupiter Airlines

OCEANIA REGION

Australia

• Jetstar Airways
• Tiger Airways Australia
• Virgin Blue

New Zealand

• Freedom Air
• Pacific Blue

I hope this article will be useful and helpful for those who wish to find the cheapest airfare available. Bon Voyage!

1. Hosts

   You ask, they serve. Isn't it a nice break to not have to go and fetch some apple juice yourself? And to have your meals delivered right to you, without having to move at all. Can't complain.

2. Entertainment

   Music, movies, games, radio, television shows and dramas. There's something for everyone when you're flying long-haul. You can watch a recent blockbuster, before listening to some calm, relaxing music, followed by an episode of your favourite drama.

3. Neighbours

   If the people sitting next to you are wide awake, and if you are too, perhaps a little conversation wouldn't hurt. You never know, you may find that you're sitting next to the most interesting person in the world!

4. View

   Looking out at the clouds... aren't they pretty? You can just imagine a city up there, with creatures light enough to stand on the clouds... or maybe it's just me who can imagine that. Anyhow, the view is often spectacular, and you can't miss the city and country views during takeoff and landing.

5. Food

   Although it may not always be great, there's always at least 1 item of food that's delicious, no matter how your appetite is. And best of all, it's made and served straight to you! 6. Relax: Flying long-haul is the perfect time to relax and ponder things over. All you have to do is sit down, and think. (You can also even listen to music on demand while you do this)

6. Travelling

   Last, but certainly not least, you're travelling! You have a new location to enjoy once you land. Often this is something to look forward to, after the long (and fun!) flight.

Growing up I always wanted to be Flight Attendant. From the youngest days I can recollect I would fly to and from Alaska. Those were the days with no inflight movies, fairly decent airplane food and the only “competitive” edge one airline had over the other was, no, not price, service! An unheard word in today's industry. Due to airline regulation, all flights cost about the same to any given destination.

Thus, if you wanted to woo customer's, you have to show them how much you cared about their business by being customer service oriented. Thus, the Flight Attendant's on board would allow me to practice being a Flight Attendant. At the tender age of eight or nine I would assist the inflight personnel with such pleasant tasks as collecting the passenger garbage. But to me, it helped pass the time and also gave me a break from playing with the cards or reading the magazines (provided by the airline, of course). My career began in those early years and I was able to pick up where I left off upon graduation.

My life as a flight attendant in the early 1980's was always eventful. It started shortly after deregulation hit the industry and flight personnel were only governed under what we termed FAR's. Prior to that most airlines had union contracts that protected them from lengthy days and being away from home too much.

Having grown up in a very strong mining area with unions that owned most of the town, I didn't feel unions served much purpose other than to protect the lazy and drive wages sky high. Of course if wages went sky high, prices obediently followed. Who wins there? And even though prices have never come back down - wages sure did and this was evident in the days of my flying career.

I started flying in 1984 with an airline who was currently in their first of many bankruptcies and whose union personnel were on strike. Yes, I was a scab! That alone kept each day adventurous. I braved the six weeks of training while living in a hotel. When graduation day finally arrived I wanted to leave the hotel to run a brief errand to the dry cleaners. It was a drizzly day as I ventured out and started my 15 minute trip to town. Within seconds the weather turned and I was driving in what seemed to me to be a hurricane. (Coming from the dry arid desert of the mountains, more than a couple inches of rain would qualify as hurricane weather to me.) Never having experienced such a phenomena, I continued to the dry cleaner. I picked up my clothes, raced to the car and continued back to the hotel. I had plenty of time before the ceremony started so I wasn't too put off by this somewhat seemingly minor delay. The traffic was moving slower and slower as the water inched higher and higher. Soon the traffic stopped altogether. I couldn't figure it out. There didn't seem to be a wreck or anything significant that would prevent our moving forward. But as minutes turned into hours, I sat, watching water gather on the road. Soon it was rising high enough to seep into my car. This was really bizarre. I had no idea what to do. I was trapped and couldn't move and all I could do was sit and watch my feet get engulfed with water while situated on the car brake pedal. The rain subsided some time later - but my car was not going anywhere. We didn't have cell phones in those days and I was in a city far from home, knew no one and had no recourse but to start pushing my car to the nearest gas station. They helped me dry the car out as best as they could and sent me on my way. Yes, I missed graduation. This was certainly an omen of what was yet to come.

When I got back to the hotel, which was on airport property, many of us “graduates” were called upon to fly trips that night as so many regular flight attendants were unable to get to the airport, due to rain. We had observed many flights and were only suppose to be one of the crew members on the flight. We were not to be “the crew”. Thus, four of us “greenies” got on board a 727 flight bound for Tampa Bay, Florida. Having very little clue what to do, we fumbled through the galley, set up the drink cart and started our in flight service, after running the appropriate safety checks, boarding the plane and taking off. We left the food to warm in the oven for the second round of drinks. Things seem to be going okay when all of the sudden we heard the pilot's voice over the sound system saying that we had begun our initial decent into Tampa Bay. Whoa! We were not even done with our dinner service. A mad scramble began to get the flight ready to land and to secure all the equipment. In flight personnel who were passengers on the flight jumped up to help us and with the aide of our pilot's circling over the Tampa Bay area we finally were able to secure the cabin, strap into our jump seats and prepare for landing. We realized then how much we needed to learn before crewing a plane again.

But as time went on, we melded into the system well. It was grueling working the very long hours required, due to shortages of flight crews. FAR's are bare bones rules that simply keep you from collapsing with exhaustion. That was all the protection we had from a company who was struggling to recover from the mad “fare wars” brought on by deregulation. For a mere $900 per month - we worked most everyday 12-14 hours a day. Unions weren't sounding too bad at this point in time.

Due to drastic infrastructure change in the airline industry - we rarely were on time, only most of the time went where we were originally scheduled, and lucky if we got home the same day our work schedule stated. We were flying out dated equipment, which frequently had “mechanical” delays to secure the flight for safety. I never did quite understand why people were so upset that we wouldn't take off until we ascertained the flight worthiness of the aircraft… Hmm... I was as inconvenienced as anyone and not getting paid any more for the delay - why take it out on me. I wanted to get home as much as they wanted to get to their destination. Tough to figure out the mentality of people sometimes.

One of the most vivid examples came on a “turn” we were scheduled to fly from Houston to Miami. A turn simply means you go out and back the same day. We were always advised to carry extra clothes and supplies, “just in case”. But this day I didn't heed that wise counsel and left home with only my flight manual, apron and in flight shoes.

We boarded the plane as usual and traveled to Miami on a DC-10 with roughly 250 passengers on board. Landing in Miami was uneventful and thus we rounded up the Houston bound crowd and took off on our one hour and 30 minute flight over the Gulf. Shortly after take off, while safely secured in my jumpseat, the plane started shaking and vibrating immensely. The four pink bell symbol went off indicating an emergency and my aft facing jumpseat became the target of all eyes on board. I just shook my head and shrugged my shoulders. I truly did not know what was happening. It was frightening as people's eyes were watery and fear was evident on their faces. I was no source of comfort or security as I was clueless as to the events taking place. Soon my jumpseat phone beeped and I answered. No need to fear - our starboard engine had just taken in a seagull and were going to be circling the Gulf to dump fuel and return to Miami.

Appropriate announcements were made to calm the passengers and we made preparations for an emergency landing back in Miami. All seemed to go well until we landed in Miami only to find that another DC-10 had the same problem we did, so roughly 500 passengers were now stranded in Miami and the Pam Am hub had an airline strike in progress.

As the priority is to get passengers out first, all rebookings were prioritized with their needs in mind. We got to stay with the plane until a new engine could be shipped from LAX to MIA. What ensued was utter chaos. They finally situated us in a hotel, realizing this wasn't going to be a “turn” any longer. Airline rules state that while on duty you must remain in uniform and technically we were still “on duty”. Besides most of us did not bring a change of clothing anyway. We were not to be seen out and about in uniform, so we were confined to our room. Thus, some with money went and bought clothing to wait out the storm, until our engine arrived. Most think it would be grand to be stranded in Miami! I guess it would have been except for those pesky rules that confined us to our rooms.

Three long days later, we were finally ready to leave. Most of our passengers had left days ago so the plane wasn't too full. To lighten the mood of all involved, the crew opted to throw caution to the wind and invest in some t-shirts to wear on board - an absolutely forbidden policy. Flight crews must be in FULL uniform at all times when the flight is in route. We just couldn't resist the colorful t-shirts splattered with bird dung stating “DAMN SEAGULLS”. It was too appropriate and certainly lifted the spirits of all.

Even though the flight didn't land in Houston until 2 am, we were all relieved to arrive at our destination, safe and sound. The passengers deplaned and as we were gathering our belongings to go home, the Captain announced that we would be taking another DC-10 to Acapulco as soon as we got off the plane. That plane had experienced some mechanical issues and in the delay the flight crew became “illegal” to fly as they had been on duty too long. Since we had three days to bask in the sun of Miami, we were legal and could thus escort this plane full of inebriated (they comp'ed liquor to pacify the angry crowd) to the pacific coast of Acapulco at 3 am.

Tired, angry and discouraged, we did our best to keep this crowd under control and maintain a positive outlook. We flew down, picked up the waiting people in Mexico and departed for Houston. About 30 minutes out of Acapulco we lost one of the engines on this plane mid-air. But Houston was closer than turning back, so at least we were going home. Once again we prepared our worn down passengers for an emergency landing and safely landed at Houston's Intercontinental airport at 5:30 am. We breathed a sigh of relief and planned to avoid the Captain at all costs. Our efforts were in vain as we sat on the runway, waiting for Custom's to open at 7:00 am. Nice to be home - but would have been better to be in my own bed resting peacefully instead of waiting for Custom's to allow us entrance into the United States.

That trip did end. We did get to rest. I don't remember how long, but I am sure it wasn't long enough!

Years later were doing a San Antonio turn. Very easy trip. Short, full loads and not a lot of time to think about much. We left Houston without incident. While turning the plane back to Houston, the passengers outside waiting to board were watching television screens flashing news casts about an L-10-11 that had just crashed in Dallas, killing most everyone on board. Initial speculation blamed wind shear. There was a decent size storm in Dallas that was now on its way to Houston - our destination!

It need not be said that most of the passengers boarding the flight were a bit anxious and feeling uncomfortable about flying into the eye of the storm that had just downed an L10-11 with most on board perishing. But the Captain reassured of our safety and we took off and began our short 30 minute flight to IAH.

Upon our initial decent we felt the plane go into a rocking pattern, not typical for landing. Nerves were fragile and the tension high. We knew we were crossing paths with a deadly storm. As most sat frozen in their seat the aircraft lost power and was now swaying madly. Flight Attendants are to remain calm in an effort to maintain control. Passengers started screaming and the Flight Attendant next to me joined in with vigor. My thoughts focused on the ridiculous high heels we were required to wear and the pantyhose that would burn into my legs if a slide evacuation become necessary. I was sitting right next to the door so I was certain I had an escape route readily available. Off went the shoes and the pantyhose… I was getting prepared. Just about the time I had gathered my thoughts and prepared for the worst, the pilot eased the plane down to the ground and reversed the engines. We slowly taxied to the gate and quietly deplaned passengers. We were safe.

After a few months of uneventful flying we were taking a flight to Detroit on a DC-9. The trip was quiet and most of the passengers were comfortably resting while we descended. A faint smell of smoke alerted the crew. About the time passengers had detected the smoke a rush of thick brown smoke filled the cabin. Shortly thereafter, we touched down, taxied to the gate and patiently waited for the smoke to dissipate. It did and after deplaning the passengers our pilots informed of that one of the engines had caught fire. It never fully ignited and was quickly denied oxygen, in essence putting it out before it really started!

After that, I never really had any more incidents as a crew member. Things were settling down and procedures put in place to maintain better care of the planes. Even though fares were low, airlines were learning how to operate profitably in a lean market. Our schedules were calming down and we were starting to realize the benefits of working for an airline. Time off and flight benefits make for a unique and comfortable job. Despite the calm, I still encountered a few mishaps as I flew on my own time.

I was returning from a visit with my family in Wyoming. I left the Rock Springs, Wyoming airport on a Convair, prop plane, as a passenger, but dressed in uniform because I had a flight as soon as I got back to Houston. Our first leg of the journey was from Rock Springs to Denver. The take off was uneventful and I was settling in as we passed through 10,000 feet and the “No Smoking” sign was turned off. I had a window seat over the wing and was casually looking out the window when I noticed that the prop quit turning. Several other passengers noticed the same thing and were looking to me to provide an answer. Obviously I was no help, I was not a crew member, but simply a passenger. I confirmed that I did not think that it was normal… big help I was!

Shortly after the prop quitting turning the captain informed us that we would be returning to Rock Springs. We safely landed, made a few changes and took off again, barely running late! It is amazing to me how many things can go wrong and still not truly cause a problem. That helped me feel safer as I continued flying.

Since Wyoming was considered home, I flew there often. Planes were small and winds high on the plateau where the airport was situated. One another trip from Rock Springs to Denver we boarded the plane and were cleared for take off when the wind grabbed the plane and drove us off runaway. I am not sure what really happened because the pilot came on the intercom and said there was a paperwork error we needed to go back to the terminal and fix. Hmmm…..

Although much of this sounds a bit scary, I think of how many “close calls” I have had driving and I still feel much safer in an aircraft!

Toward the end of my flight attendant career I was leaving Houston for a trip and when it was complete I planned on going straight to Wyoming for Christmas. Prior to my scheduled work flight I needed to put my 15 year old dog on the plane and send her to Wyoming so she would be there when I finished my trip. She did not do well flying so I gave her a mild sedative. I was standing in line, in uniform, with the other passenger checking baggage. While I was waiting I was holding her in my arms. She was passively resting in my arms when all of the sudden I felt something warm on my stomach. I looked down to realize that she had urinated all over my uniform. I felt very uncomfortable and the horrified stares of those waiting in line with me made me want to crawl in her kennel and hide! I continued to wait and put her on the plane and quickly took my luggage and went to the closest restroom where I was grateful I had an extra uniform to change in to. I found a plastic bag to store my soiled uniform in my luggage and was even more appreciative of the fact that none of the passengers waiting in line with me were on my flight!

Flying has truly proven to be an adventure for me, in more ways than I anticipated when I yearned to fly the friendly skies!

American Airlines on almost any domestic flight now either makes you pay for your meal or if they do give you one, it's absolutely awful. I've even been on three plus hour flights that have had nothing more than general beverage service. Not even peanuts or pretzels! Air Tran though, even though it was just pretzels, was very consistent in their service. Better still was that if you asked for more to drink or more pretzels, you got them. Everything was always done with a smile.

Another nice little touch is that every seat has XM Satellite radio in it's seat arm. It's a minor point really, but in an age in which airlines seem to only care about cramming as many people into a metal tube to shoot across the sky, it's nice to see that there's still an airline out there that is willing to offer an extra comfort (no matter how small it may seem) to it's passengers. As if that wasn't enough, if you didn't already have headphones with you, they gave you a pair to use. No rental charges, no need to return them, just enjoy.

Even more than food and creature comfort, is the importance of having clothes upon arrival at your final destination. I was very pleased that not only did all of my luggage arrive with me, but it was all intact as well. In prior travels with American and United airlines I have had my luggage lost approximately 50% of the time. Fortunately it was almost always lost on the return trip, but it was still a major inconvenience. Air Tran on the other hand, lost nothing. Maybe it was careful handling and paying attention to detail on the part of the ground crews, or maybe it was the bright pink tags marked TRANSFER that helped things. Either way, not having your luggage lost is a good thing.

Then there's the icing on the cake, the arrival time. Of the four flights I took, every single one of them was on time or early. Two of the flights arrived thirty minutes ahead of schedule! It was quite a luxury to be able to arrive early for once. On prior trips, United hasn't fared too poorly, but American has caused me to almost miss connections due to unexplainable delayed arrival times. Worse still have been the numerous times in which American has arrived close to on time only to end up sitting on the tarmac for upwards of forty-five minutes before finally arriving at the gate.

Would I fly Air Tran again? You bet I would. It was a pleasure flying on an airline that didn't treat me like another head of cattle. It's been a long time since I've felt like a real traveler again and I look forward to it again.

When my boyfriend had suggested going to Hong Kong a month before, I was a little dubious. After all, it was an extremely expensive flight and I felt slightly alarmed at traveling further than I'd ever been before from my home in Dublin. He, the lucky beggar, had been in Australia for six weeks on a sabbatical and was busy sunning himself on Bondi beach while I was left to make my decision. Eventually, I decided to throw caution and credit card to the wind and I booked my ticket. I spent four excited weeks buying guide books and figuring out what attractions we could go and see. Then, the day arrived and I flew into London, feeling mildly annoyed that there are no Hong Kong flights from Ireland.

I have often wondered what it must be like to be American; to live in a country of such vast expanses. Ireland is such a tiny country (I think we would fit into Texas about thirty times) that we Irish are used to getting where we want to go quickly by car or train. It only takes three hours to drive from one side of the country to the other. As you can imagine, I'm not a frequent long haul flier and the prospect of fourteen hours from London was making me distinctly nervous.

It turned out my fears were justified: I was stuck in a window seat beside an enormous British soldier who kept his elbow in my face for much of the flight. Luckily, the wine kept me hazy enough to ignore the agonizing cramps in my legs. I'm not very materialistic but I do envy rich people their ability to fly business class! I spent an uncomfortable night thinking jealously of those smug business men sitting in the front of the plane in their super luxurious faux leather arm chairs!

When I finally reached Causeway Bay, the district where my hostel was located, all I could do was sink onto the bed and rip of my grubby clothes. That would have been fine, apart from the fact that the bed had the consistency of frozen concrete or possibly titanium. I resolved then and there to never throw myself onto a bed again without first checking the feel of it with my hand. My spine is still wonky.

Our hostel was about ten stories high and our room had a small window which looked onto a dingy alley of the kind where rumbles take place in Hong Kong cop movies. I could hear families chatting and dishes clinking as I drifted to sleep. The most unexpected surprise of my sojourn was the temperature. I had expected humidity of the tropical kind which makes it difficult to breathe and muggy heat drifting up from the pavements. To my annoyance, I found it was colder than Ireland! When I woke up the next morning, (C had arrived from Sydney by that stage), I struggled into my big woolly jumper, usually reserved for winter.

Apart from the disappointment of the weather, I was monumentally impressed with Hong Kong. The street scape of neon lights, skyscrapers and tropical trees was an overpowering vista. None of what I had read about it in my guide book prepared me for it. My favorite aspect of the Island is how even though modern buildings cover the shore line; it still feels wild and verdant. Although obviously touched by human hand, the close vicinity of the sea, the peak and the forests reminiscent of jungles means it retains its air of mystery. It's not just "another city". One of the problems of urbanization is that so many cities are uniform. However, this city has retained its individual character.

I loved riding on the ferry to Kowloon and Lantau. The journey to Kowloon only took about two minutes but the close up view of the harbor is impressive enough, particularly at night. The return journey from Lantau is spectacular: zooming in on ricocheting waves with the view of the Excelsior Hotel and other imposing buildings quickly approaching. My eyes were glued to the ferry windows, trying to drink in everything. C was looking distinctly green at this point as he doesn't sail too well and the motion of the waves was rocking our seats!

However, my favorite ferry ride of the trip was undoubtedly the evening cruise to watch the light show. The ferry sails out to the middle of the harbor about twenty to eight in the evening. It gently stays there rocking while tourists cluster around the edge of the boat. The light show occurs on both sides of the harbor and a start at eight pm. Music was piped out of the boat and the buildings lit up in time to the music.

One building would light up in fluorescent pink and then others would follow suit, changing color every few minutes, lighting up the dark sky. The irony is that the buildings are mundane by day; a bank, an electricity company, but by night, they perform in a world class show. Blue, red, gold, green followed each other to the beat of the music. By the time it ended, the cluster of tourists was left in an awestruck hush at what they had seen. The show is certainly not environmentally friendly because it uses up vast amounts of electricity every night but it is one of the few cases of a worthwhile use of energy.

Food was lavish. Generally, we ate noodles from a nearby café for breakfast, or dim sum, which was drowned in soy sauce. Afternoon tea at the peninsula hotel is a must though. The Peninsula hotel is the most elegant and expensive hotel in Kowloon. The lobby is plush and covered in gilt and the visitor can watch the front door where illustrious guests glide through fresh from Mercedes and Bentleys. Eating cucumber sandwiches in Hong Kong reminds one of its colonial past. The sandwiches were served with crisp breakfast tea and dainty cakes. Chinese food is delicious and extremely healthy but I have to confess to craving a bacon sandwich with brown sauce by the end of the ten days!

The Ten thousand Buddha monastery lies in the northern part of Kowloon. It took us five metro stops to get to the general area. We were then flummoxed as on the map it looks very close to the metro but we couldn't find it. We went into Chinese real estate agents where we asked some helpful realtors. They wrote the Chinese symbols for the monastery on a piece of paper so we could show it to a taxi driver.

To our amusement, it turned out that the monastery was very far away indeed from the metro station contrary to what the guidebook said. Once we arrived, we found ourselves in a small forest at the base of a hill. We could see macaque monkeys bounding through the trees. It was a family group. A baby macaque swung from a branch by his tail and peered at us. My good friend Rupali told me that a monkey once bit her in India, so I was a trifle nervous of them even though they looked like cuddly monkey toys.

I decided to make a wide berth between the monkeys and hurried up the steps to the monastery. My fears were justified as I soon saw a sign that said "Do not tease or feed the monkeys". My imagination created all kinds of scenarios where innocent day-trippers were attacked by rabid monkeys. I hurried up the steps faster.

The stairs to the monastery were ancient cracked stone and on each side of them stood numerous large gold Buddha statues. Each Buddha had his own personality and facial expression. There was the jolly Buddha, the sad Buddha, the Buddha with a beard, the naughty Buddha, etc… Each one held an offering of a white biscuit in his hand with a red marking on it. The sheer number of the Buddhas is impressive. They follow one all the way up the steps. At the top, there is a selection of little temples and one large courtyard which has a view of the surrounding forests and apartment buildings. At either side of the courtyard are a giant elephant statue and a dog. In the middle is an ornate tower. The visitor can go inside and climb up to the top.

Inside the tower and indeed everywhere around the courtyard were fragrant offerings of incense, oranges and biscuits. The main temple has a beautiful curvaceous roof. Inside, it is dark except for the fact that it is lit up by the thousands of tiny Buddha statues that line its walls in small compartments. They are arranged from the floor to the ceiling. They dazzle the eyes. The color scheme of the walls is dominated by rich red with a velvet texture.

In the middle of the temple is a statue of Tin Hau, the Hong Kong God of the sea, with a treasure trove of offerings in front of him ranging from chocolate to every imaginable kind of fruit. The color and vibrancy of Buddhist temples reminds the visitor of a jewelery box filled with treasures. The peace and tranquility of the buildings lulls one into calm. I liked watching worshipers rhythmically swaying their incense in front of the Buddha. The scent of the incense is heady and soporific.

We spent a long time just sitting in the courtyard looking out over the valley and listening to monks chanting in the sunlight. It was the first sunny day of the trip and the Buddhas and I were basking in the heat. We took many photos of the monastery but none seem to do it justice.

It's a place I keep returning to in my mind, so enchanted was I by the simplicity and peace and as I reluctantly wedged myself into my seat for the fourteen hour flight home, I still considered myself glad that I had the opportunity to explore a part of the world which was both foreign and familiar to me.

Both airlines agree that the passengers have not dropped in off-peak seasons. However, they are not in a position where the airlines are making money. It is not normal that any airlines start making money during the first year of a new flight, as there is normally huge start-up costs involved in launching any new route. The airlines are normally not giving out any details on the financial condition of the route. Both airlines say that they have exceeded expectations in terms of quality of revenue and load factors. The airlines refused to speculate on the number of passengers they carried during the year.

American Airlines launched a daily non-stop service between Chicago and Delhi on November 16; Continental Airlines launched its daily non-stop service on November 2 last year. The airlines reported that over 1.5 million passengers had bookings on the US-India non-stop flights.

The biggest plus of these non-stop flights is the reduction in travel time between the US and India. The launch of the American Airline flight to Chicago from India saves between 1 hour 50 minutes and 2 hours 50 minutes, depending on which airline used when traveling to the US. Air India takes 17 hours and 45 minutes between India and Chicago while the same journey would take 18 hours 45 minutes on the German airline Lufthansa. American Airlines is only 15 hours and 45 minutes to Chicago from India.

Since the two airlines launched their non-stop flights with reasonable success, another American airline company has joined in with launching their own non-stop flight. Delta Airlines announced that from November 3 of 2007 it would start a daily non-stop flight service between Mumbai and New Your.

Air India is planning to get a brand new Boeing 777 next year to add to its fleet of airplanes. The addition of this new plane will be a great advantage for Air-India. Air-India plans to launch non-stop flights between India and several American cities.

The first year is going to be expensive with the extra expense of the new plane and start up costs so passengers will not be receiving any travel specials. Air India claims that they expect it will be at least two years before any specials become available passengers.

One other major problem for the Airlines and the American government is the threat of terrorist taking control of the planes or even worse planting bombs. The Indian government is working with the American government is trying to counter any such occurrences.

Carry all your travel documents in your hand luggage

This may seem like common sense, but it is surprising to see the amount of people who end up stuffing all of their important travel documents into their suitcases and other checked pieces of luggage! So be sure to always carry your tickets, valid passports (for international travel) and unexpired photo ID for domestic flights. Then when you check in, it will be a much smoother and quicker process and you will not have to rummage through your luggage to find what you need! Remember that if you traveling to another country, your passport will need to be valid for at least a further six months. Some countries are very strict about this requirement and will not allow people to enter their country if their passport will be expiring soon.

Dress appropriately

Even if you are flying somewhere hot and exotic, it would be a good idea to dress in layers. Cotton is a good material that will keep you cool in the summer months and warm during winter. Choose clothes that are loose fitting that will not cut off your circulation during the flight. Planes are often quite cool, so if you are wearing shorts and a T-shirt you may end up feeling quite cold and uncomfortable.

Treat flight attendants with respect

A key to having a successful flight once you are on board a plane is to show the utmost respect toward flight attendants. They work hard and deserve to be treated well. If you have asked for a drink and they take longer than you expected to get you one, do not start abusing them. Flight attendants have other people to deal with as well as you, so be patient and remember to thank them for the services they provide.

Entertain yourself

Long flights can be very tedious and boring if you do not have any way of entertaining yourself. Take along a good book or some magazines to read on the plane. Alternatively, listen to some music. Many flights now have on board films that you can watch, which will help to pass the time more easily, if they are of interest to you.

Avoid excessive amounts of caffeine and alcohol

When you fly, you will have a choice of drinks on offer to you. But, try to limit your intake of caffeine and alcohol, as they will quickly dehydrate you. Excessive alcohol consumption can also passengers more prone to violence and loud behavior. So try to be sensible when you fly. You would not want to face criminal charges for being drunk and disorderly once you disembark. If you must drink tea or coffee, make sure that you also drink a glass of water for each caffeinated drink, which will help prevent dehydration. Water is by far the best drink you can choose.

If you are sensible and are mindful of the rights and feelings of others, you will have a more successful flight. So try to put these tips into practice and you will find air travel one of the most pleasant forms of travel.