Check out CheapOAir’s blog to see the guest post I wrote for them about South America:

CheapOAir’s Blog

And while your over there, you might want to check out their main website Cheap Flights to search for cheap airfare, hotels and car rentals. I particularly like that they have a business class search engine.

If you are an avid collector of frequent flier miles, and you really should be with the way airfares are right now, a good mileage calculator is essential. Airlines aren’t always clear about what your going to earn for a flight so I like to use MileCalc. It lets me enter my itinerary, including multi-stops, and calculates the mileage I’ll earn based on the airline I’m flying, any bonuses or promotions and my booking class. It’s particularly helpful if you are chasing elite status or trying to earn a specific number of miles for a trip you’re planning.

A lot of people will be flying over the holidays and many of us will be carry gifts which means more luggage. It’s hard to keep up with which airlines charge for bags and how much it costs but luggagelimits.com is a great resource to keep you well informed. Just type in your airline, departure and arrival airports and the site will list the baggage rules for your flight and any applicable fees.

If you’ve visited the Continental Airlines website recently, you may have noticed Alex, the new virtual assistant in the top right corner. Just type a question into the search box below her and not only will she give you an answer, but she’ll also bring you to the webpage on the site where the answer is found. I spent a few minutes asking some questions and her answers were surprisingly accurate. What’s great about Alex is that she’s available 24 hours a day, she won’t put you on hold and you won’t get charged a fee for talking to her. All good things!

Continental Airlines

Flight delays are common in the U.S. but all too often, we have no information until we arrive at the gate directly before our departure time. FlightCaster is a new website and smart phone application that will give you news long before your airline so you can plan ahead. 4-6 hours out, it will help you track your flight and using historical and real-time data (previous flights, weather, arrival delays) it will let you know the odds of your flight being on time. It’s not a perfect science and it’s only available for domestic flights at the moment, but it’s definitely better than guessing or relying on solely on the airline.

Have you ever loved something you used at a hotel? Many actually have online stores so you can buy products you enjoyed during your stay from the toiletries all the way up to the beds. Here are a few from popular chains:

W Hotels

Ritz Carlton

Westin Hotels

Hilton Hotels

Hyatt Hotels

Radisson Hotels and Resorts

Sofitel

Most people take a vacation to get away from work, but Vocation Vacations lets you use the time to try out your dream job. Just choose from a list of over 125 vocations and book a trip to try the job for two days under the supervisor of a mentor in the field. Some of the many interesting options are Alpaca Rancher, Custom Neon Sign Maker and Wrestling Ring Announcer.

The company also recently partnered with Hilton HHonors so if you are a member, you can even pay for your trip using HHonors points.

Vocation Vacations

Although I use search sites like Orbitz to find low airfares, I normally book directly with an airline to avoid extra fees. Recently though, Orbitz caught my attention when they announced they will be dropping fees and issuing refund checks through their price assurance program if another customer books the same itinerary as you for a lower price. The fee waiver is scheduled to end on May 31st and the price assurance is capped at $250. I’m not sure if I’ll book my next flight on Orbitz, but I’ll probably consider it.

If you are planning a road trip in the U.S. this summer, let RoadEscapes help you make the most of it. Just type in the details of your trip and they’ll give you suggestions on places to sleep, eat and attractions to stop at along the way. The great thing about the site is that they take into consideration a wide variety of preferences like the time of year, your budget and energy level and if you are traveling with a pet, children or a person with special needs.

Ridecharge is a new service that allows you to book and pay for a taxi online or by phone in over 30 U.S. cities. Just log on and pay with a credit card and your ride is on its way. Ridecharge will even send you an alert when your car arrives so you won’t waste time looking out the window or standing on the street. Anything that makes travel more efficient is fine by me!