Q&A :: Code-Share Flights

Question If you book a code share-flight, where do you check-in? [Have travel questions you want answered? Send us an email and your question could be answered in our Q&A series!]

Answer Checking in If you're on a code-sharing flight, check-in at the operating airline's desk! If you check-in online, do so with the carrier from which you purchased your ticket.

Code-Sharing Code-sharing is ultimately a revenue-sharing agreement allowing airlines to extend their reach into cities outside of their regular routes by selling tickets on a partner's flight. Therefore, there's always an operating and selling/partner carrier(s). For example, let's say there's a flight from Vancouver to San Francisco operated by United, yet Air Canada and Air New Zealand (also Star Alliance members) are also selling tickets under their own flight codes for that flight. This triple code-share flight would have flight codes looking something like: UA102 for United (operating carrier), AC105 for Air Canada and ANZ 229 for Air New Zealand (partner/selling carriers).

Code Sharing Facts

• airlines don't typically code-share outside of their alliance, for example, Star Alliance or One World
• the selling and operating airline are required to be disclosed during the purchase process, as well as on your ticket and boarding pass
• the selling/partner carriers should always be identified on the terminal's status boards and at the gate
• need to change your itinerary or seat on your code-share flight? This is where things get tricky. Most airlines will suggest you contact the carrier that sold you the ticket, which may or may not be the operator.

Last year when flying from Milan to New York, I booked an Alitalia flight, checked-in at an Alitalia desk, and boarded an Alitalia plane, in other words, Alitalia was the operating airline. I learned after, this flight was apparently a Delta code-share. Upon arriving into JFK, customs would not accept that I was on an Alitalia flight, they wanted me to say Delta, so after a few words, I told them I was on a "Delta" flight. Trip Styler Tip: take note if you see if your flight is a code-share, in case you're asked.

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[image by rocksee]

Travel Medicine Trip Prep

Ever taken a trip abroad, fallen ill and didn't have your preferred medication? I have, many times. Searching for the correct medication in a foreign country can be daunting, frustrating and fruitless, sometimes resulting in the purchase of a wrong or ineffective med. In the spirit of easy preventative measures, here are some basic pre-trip preparations that can save time, money, and physical and emotional well-being while abroad:

Prep

• Eat yogurt
  • For up to a month before you leave, eating yogurt is an effective way to encourage good bacteria in your system and guard against a sudden and continued need to sit on the 'throne'
• Get lots of sleep
  • Whether you're traveling in your own time zone or across multiple, preparing for your trip with the right amount of sleep will help your immune system's natural defenses to run at full-throttle
• Vitamin C is your friend
  • Prior to and during a trip I always take at least one Emergen-C (or Redoxin-B or C) a day to naturally boost my immunity and energy
  • Trip Styler Tip: next time you're in the US, stock up on Emergen-C, it's about $8 there and $22 in Canada
• Pack
  • Bring a medical kit that's custom-tailored to your needs
• Insurance
  • Make sure you have appropriate insurance coverage for your age, number of days away, etc...
  • Trip Styler Tip: Check your medical plan's fine print, I just found out mine offers travel medical for up to 6 months away

Hit me with your Big Shot Most trips outside your continent usually involve making an appointment at your local travel medical clinic to become informed about the potential hazards of the countries you're visiting, learn how to minimize health risks and inquire about preventative vacinations or medications. This visit should take place approximately 1 - 3 months prior to your departure. While there, the nurse practitioner or Doctor will suggest the precautions you should take based on the threats in the area you're traveling to, find out what vaccinations you already have, and suggest a list of medications and vaccinations you'll need. Just like any experience with a Doctor, some will have different opinions than others.

Mini Medi Kit Consider including the following in your travel medical kit:

• All the regular suspects like antiseptic wound cleanser, adhesive bandages (even just for blisters), eye drops, medical tape, scissors and safety pins, antihistamines
• Hand sanitizer
• Insect repellent
• Insect bite treatment
• Personal medications
• Meds you think you might need given past experiences like pepto tablets, cold & flu pills, ibuprofen or acetaminophen, allergy pills, etc...

[source emedicine]

Additional Resources BC Centre for Disease Control ~ Travel & Health US Center for Disease Control & Prevention ~ CDC Yellow Book

[img by 1888PressRelease]

Master of Flight (Re)Search

I'm a KAYAK girl. I've spent more time KAYAK-ing online than I have on water; in other words, my go-to search engine for flights (and sometimes hotels) is kayak.com. BUT, I recently found out that the software powering the travel search giant is available for public use AND Google just acquired them, much to Expedia's dismay.

Behind the Scenes ITA Software powers some of the biggest names in Travel: Bing, Air Canada, Hotwire, Virgin Atlantic, Orbitz, etc...  and the software behind these online search giants is also available to you, me and your grandma, through their Flight Matrix (pictured above). The matrix, not to be confused with the movie, provides a snazzy, simple and robust way to search for flights using the same tools you'd have access to if you were snooping around the back room at Bing Travel!

The Research Master Although using the site makes you feel travel agent-esque, it should be noted that the flight search capabilities ITA offers the public are research-driven versus transaction-driven. With ITA, you can only research the flight you want, after that, you must book it directly with the airline that best suits your needs (ie - price, airline alliance, times, direct vs multi-stop, etc...). When you find the flight you like, there's no direct link to the fare, so you need to make a note of the info, navigate to your airline of choice and go through the booking process until you find the flight ITA found for you. Even though this sounds cumbersome, some DIY travel aficionados never veer from searching with ITA first before booking their flight. You be the judge.

Trip Styler Tips Here are some best practices for using ITA combined with other travel tricks to book the best fare with the most points:

• I like and will use this site for research purposes
• When I've narrowed down my results: I'll opt for a carrier within the airline alliance where I collect miles
• Once I know the flight I want: I'll book the flight on my Travel Credit Card's site to get extra travel points over and above the miles I'll get with my preferred airline alliance

Travel Beauty Month :: Double Duty

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Space is at a minimum when you travel, so jetting off with double duty clothing and toiletries is a must. For example, a long blouse can double-up as a plane outfit when worn with leggings, and a bathing-suit cover-up for the pool/beach. Similarly, there are a few beauty gems which double in the program as well.  Here are a few multi-purpose beauties for travel:

Double Duty Travel Beauty Face & Body Powder with SPF Jane Iredale's Powder-Me SPF™ Dry Sunscreen – SPF 30 is actually a triple-threat: face powder, body powder and sunscreen!

Shimmer & Scent Benefit's luxurious Bathina "take a picture it lasts longer" body balm gives your skin a light shimmer and a sultry scent. Leave an impression with an alluring sheen and fetching aroma!

All-in-One Colour Nars has taken their most popular selling blush "orgasm" and translated it into The Multiple, and all-in-one radiant peachy pink stick adding shimmer to the eyes, cheeks, lips and décolletage.

Dewy Glow Petroleum jelly is about as multi-purpose as a product comes. Use as a lip gloss and deep moisturizer for hands, elbows, knees and feet. It also adds some natural pizzaz to your peepers; apply a little onto eyelashes and eyebrows to help them stay in place, as well as to lids and contours for a dewy glow.

Ice, Ice Baby Ice from your hotel does two things: a) adds a burst of cool to your bevs, and b) reduces under-eye puffiness when placed in a washcloth and applied under the eyes.

{Don't miss this week's Travel Beauty Month Jane Iredale giveaway. Contest ends Thursday, September 2nd.}

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Celebrate Today ~ Disneyland Tips & Tricks

[trip style = sun + family] {more pics below}

Celebrate Today On a recent trip to Newport and Laguna California, going to Disneyland wasn't part of the plan, but when I realized it was only 20 mins from Newport, my husband and I thought we'd revert to our inner child for the day. When our GPS instructed us to pull up to one of the many parking lots, we were greeted by a big sign exclaiming "Celebrate Today." Yes indeed, we would celebrate today, how apropos since that just so happens to be the mantra of my EARLY 30s!

{For our third Travel Beauty Month contest, win some fab travel-sized Tarte make-up by engaging with our Facebook group.  Details Here. Contest ends this friday.}

Two Kids in Adult Bodies We only had a day, so we strapped on our backpacks, wore comfy clothes and runners, and conquered the park like two kids in adult bodies. As an adult, your experience at Disneyland is different: you think about best practices for conquering the parks, download the best Disney apps for ultimate efficiency and ask your social network about their best tips and tricks.  In other words, you don't just goand eat breakfast with Mickey like you did when you were a kid. You're grown up now, which means you plan then go, starting at Disneyland and strategically ending at California Adventure, so you can relax with a glass of California wine!

Disneyland Strategies

• Time of Year
  • Try to go in low or shoulder season (fall and winter).
• Parking
  • Disney's lots are plentiful and massive, take a pic of your lot and the aisle/row, so you don't forget your car's locale.
• Best Practices
  • Go early, take breaks, stay late (this is if you only have 24 hours, but if you're there for a multi-day trip, many of the same tips and tricks apply, except for your breaks involve going back to your hotel and chilling).
• Rides
  • Use the early/late philosophy. In other words, go to the most popular rides early morn (opening - 9.15ish), and later at night (8 - close) especially during shows, that's when you'll encounter the smallest lines.
  • People say to hit the rides during the afternoon parade. Note that in high season at least, rides were still not very empty at this time.
  • If you get motion sick, or just want to give your brain a rest, break up the big/fast rides with rest, refueling and main street browsing.
  • The Fast Pass is your friend. Use it to get into the popular rides!
  • If you're there as a small adult group or duo, using Single Riders saves HOURS.  Follow signs closely, you enter most rides with Single Rider access via the exit! For example, there were 2 -3 hour lines for Splash Mountain and Indiana, and doing Single Riders we got on the rides within 5-10 mins!
  • For rides that post pics like Splash Mountain, if you don't want to buy the picture, take a picture of the picture. See mine below, it's not like I'll frame it, but at least I have the memory...
  • The busiest Disney rides are still Indiana, Splash Mountain & Autopia.
  • Don't forget about the Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Caribbean. Disney classics!
• Day-of
  • You can bring in a modest amount of your own drinks and food. Do this, it's helpful to have water and an energy bar when you're spaced out from space mountain while waiting in a 45-min line for the nostalgic Autopia ride!
• World of Colour
  • California Adventure's newest light show (think Vegas' Bellagio fountains meet an Under the Sea Calypso) World of Colour only has good viewing if you secure a Fast Pass to one of their three nightly shows. As soon as the parks open, get one at the Grizzly River Rafting ride, or, if it's 8pm and you realize you don't have a pass, buy a picnic at the Sonoma Terrace and your Fast Pass is included!

Eating & Drinking

• Make reservations at restaurants like
  • Disneyland: The Blue Bayou, Cafe Orleans, Big Thunder Ranch BBQ, Plaza Inn and Carnation Cafe
  • Cali Adventure: Ariel's Grotto, Wine Country Trattoria
  • Reservations: Call Disney Dining at (714) 781-DINE or (714) 781-3463.
• Adult Bevs
  • Disney doesn't serve alcohol but California Adventure does!
• Healthy Eating
  • There are healthy options like pickles, fruit and salad, but most of the food at the parks are deeply, deeply fried!  At the end of the day, you end up feeling fairly deep fried yourself.  But really, when in Rome...
• Recommendations
  • Breakfast - either eat your own, or have a Mickey-shaped waffle at the Carnation Cafe.
  • Snack - Dole Whip = heaven on earth at the Adventureland Tiki Bar, & Corn Dog (like you've never tasted before) in a cart at the end of Main Street!
  • Lunch - The Monte Cristo Sandwhich at the Blue Bayou (deep fried sandwich with cheese, turkey & ham which you slather raspberry jam onto) is semi-weird but out-of-this-world good. Giant portions. We were full with one shared serving.
  • Dinner - Wine Country Trattoria
• Tips
  • Use lunch and dinner as your opportunity to sit down, chill out and enjoy. Both options I've recommended above have table service---you'll spend a lot, but the rest and retreat from the hustle and bustle is well worth it!
  • If you don't have any restaurant reservations (don't worry neither did we), but still want the full-on Disney culinary experience, go to the Blue Bayou around 3.30pm when lunch is clearing out and dinner is about to start at 4pm. But don't leave it too late, the Monte Cristo isn't on the dinner menu!
  • The to-go picnics offered by the Sonoma Terrace at Cali Adventure are pretty decent and include a World of Colour Fast Pass. They come in a branded World of Colour reusable shopping bag,  as if you needed another one of those.

Disneyland Essentials

• Comfy clothes & shoes ~ trust me ~ opt for function over fashion
• Sweater and/or scarf for at night, even in summer, it really cools down at night
• Hat
• Sunglasses
• Sunscreen
• Backpack or cross-body bag
• Phone/Camera
• Gravol (you might want it after the California Screamin' ride, I know I did...)
• Small water bottle, healthy snacks (the only healthy thing you'll eat all day...)

Pictures {The Magic Kingdom}

{Splash Mountain picture of a picture. The girl behind me was hard-core, she'd been on the ride 25 times in two days---she rode a lot at night and as a Single Rider.}

{Fave Ride: Jungle Cruise}

{Us....at at Kodak picture spot}

{Classic Disney: Big Thunder Railway}

{Love, Love, Love everything about the vintage, whimsical design of this ride}

{Check out the Glow party at Cali Adventure---entertaining}

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