Always looking for the cheapest way to do things, I searched several websites that claimed to have cheap international airfare. The cheapest from Traverse City, Michigan to Quito, Ecuador, was $1720. Out of curiosity, I checked Miami to Quito, and it was only $404. Airfare from Traverse City to Miami was $299. Book two separate flights and I could save more than $1000! The discount sites aren't set up to check in this way, so you have to do this on your own.
Of course, if your first flight is late and you miss the second, you may not get a refund, so plan some time between flights. In any case, it's still cheaper (every time I checked) to just book a flight to Miami and catch a flight to Quito without a reservation, thus avoiding this problem. This strategy is for those in towns without international airports. If you live in Miami, you already have cheap international airfare.
Buy Cheap Aifare Online
We've found that travel agencies just can't compete with the discount ticket websites. You can search Google ("cheap airfare Europe", for example), or go straight to one of the well-known sites, like Expedia, Travelocity, Cheap Tickets, Hotwire or Priceline.
Doing a quick search for the cheapest airfare from Tucson, Arizona, to Buenos Aires, Argentina, using the five sites mentioned, here's what I just found: They ranged from $1221 down to $873 for the lowest fares, with fares as high as $3728. Hotwire happened to be the cheapest, but they were the worst of the five when I searched for a domestic flight earlier. You cannot say which service will find the cheapest international airfare from week to week. My number one money-saving tip is to always check several websites when shopping for inexpensive flights.
Courier Flights
Courier companies ship things using the luggage space of an aircraft passenger. It can be quicker, cheaper, and more reliable than sending the shipment unaccompanied, since checked luggage bypasses many of the typical customs delays. The company purchases tickets, and then they resells them to you. In exchange for your luggage space, they give you a discount on the airfare.
I saved $160 on my plane tickets this way when I went to Ecuador the first time. I had several suitcases full of car parts, but there was a representative of the courier company on either end, and I looked inside the luggage, so I knew what I was carrying. I carried a plane propeller on the return trip, which wasn't much trouble, and made a good story.
It's easiest to be an air courier if you travel alone. Ocassionally, a courier company will have opportunities for flights on or near the same date. If not, your travel partner can pay full fare on the same flight. You also are usually allowed carry-on luggage, since the point is for the shipping company to use your checked luggage allowance.
Once in a while, air couriers fly internationally for free, and almost always very cheap. It's a matter of how badly the company needs you and how flexible you are (can you fly to London on Friday?). Air courier opportunities are becoming rarer, due to the recent heavier regulation of international flights, but there still are opportunities. Find out more at The Air Courier Association Website (www.aircourier.org). The ACA can also help you get really cheap plane tickets by way of airline ticket wholesalers, discounters, last minute specials, and stand-by travel.
More Tips For Cheap International Airfare
When searching the discount websites, try several different departure and return dates if you can. The difference of a day or two can save you a lot. There's little logic to airfare pricing, so don't try too hard to figure it out. Just be aware that if you leave on Friday instead of Wednesday (or vice-versa), you may save $100.
Check the boxes that say "any time" for departure and "2 or more connecting flights". Even if you aren't sure that you want to leave at midnight, see what your options are. The savings might change your mind. When search criteria allow you choices, first take the ones that are the least restrictive for the airlines. If the savings aren't enough, you can always book first class, direct flights, or whatever you prefer.
Buying your plane tickets two weeks in advance is usually cheaper. There can be a dramatic difference (but not always) if your trip is over thirty days. You may want to cut it from 32 days to 30 to save hundreds of dollars on your fare. Play with the dates. You never know what you might discover.
When my wife and I went to Ecuador for six weeks, the cheapest discount plane tickets we could find were $3400. Instead, we took a bus to Miami ($352 round-trip for 2), then flew from there to Quito ($622 round-trip for 2). We saved $2400. I'm not recommending this, but for us, it was worth a couple days on a bus. (The whole six weeks cost $2400.)
Spend a few minutes or an hour to do some research, if you want really cheap international airfare.
Port Macquarie Airport Car Hire
Car Hire Port Macquarie Airport
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Microsoft’s Xbox 360 vs. the Sony’s Playstation 3
Microsoft has tried to catch up with some of the titans of the gaming world, such as Sony with the release of the Xbox 360. The Xbox 360 offers many new features that players will love:
Free limited subscription to online gaming - This allows players who have not been participating in online gaming a chance to see what is available at no charge.
All Xbox 360s come with Live-aware - This means you can get a friend invite or see who is online and what they are playing from your Xbox 360. The button in the middle of the controller makes all this very easy.
It offers great media features including listening to music while you play games, the ability to create custom playlists and your own custom soundtracks, the ability to rip songs from original CDs to your Xbox 360 and stream music from your MP3 player to your Xbox 360. You can also create slideshows of photos to share with friends and family.
Xbox 360 has a wireless controller. No more tripping over the wires, although it can support two wired controllers through USB ports in the front.
The game console is not only great for gamers, but developers as well. It is a powerful machine with an unprecedented amount of RAM - a feature added on the request of developers.
But, Xbox 360 still has some problems that need to be worked out:
Their Japanese third party support is lacking - While some Japanese developers offer software for the Xbox, it is small in number when compared to what the same developers offer for Playstation.
While the controller is wireless, it eats batteries rather quickly. Standard alkaline batteries only last about thirty hours, so if you buy Xbox 360, invest in rechargeable batteries to save yourself some money in the end.
When they were set up in WalMart stores before days before the launch, many suffered what is known as the Xbox "360 screen of death," an error screen. The Xbox 360 had also had some problems with overheating.
Some report the Xbox 360 system as being very noisy when playing an Xbox 360 disc.
Many people are eagerly awaiting the release of Playstation 3, which may occur as soon as November of this year. It has been said that the Playstation 3 has an outward feel (which allows it to stand vertically or horizontally on its own), as opposed to the Xbox 360's inward feel. It is a much larger console than the Playstation 2 and closer to the original size of the Xbox. Game discs slide into the console like CDs slide into a car player.
Here are a few attractive features of the Playstation 3:
It is always on, so you can access your Playstation 3 from anywhere as long as you have an Internet connection.
With a Playstation Portable, you can connect to your Playstation 3 and transfer media such as music and movies.
The Playstation 3 appears to be much more powerful than that Xbox 360, Ninetindo Revolution, and Playstation 2. Initial reports say it will be twice as fast as the Xbox 360.
Developers and publishers of over 230 games have announced titles for Playstation 3 games.
Here are a few reported cons and problems with the Playstation 360:
Comes with only 256 MB, less than the 512 MB the Xbox 360 will come with.
Their Playstation Network Platform (the online service) is still in development and may not be ready by the time Playstation 3 is released.
The launch of the Playstation 3 has already been delayed due to disk problems.
Both the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 are incredible gaming consoles. It seems that although the Xbox 360 came out first, the best bet is still the Playstation 3. The strongest point of the Xbox 360 is its online functionality, but Sony may be working on something similar to Xbox Live right now. However, Microsoft is closing the gap with Xbox 360 and probably will eventually catch up with Sony in gaming consoles. For some users, it may come down to something as simple as which one is more compatible with the games they already own.
Buy an Xbox 360 for that special child for Christmas.
Free limited subscription to online gaming - This allows players who have not been participating in online gaming a chance to see what is available at no charge.
All Xbox 360s come with Live-aware - This means you can get a friend invite or see who is online and what they are playing from your Xbox 360. The button in the middle of the controller makes all this very easy.
It offers great media features including listening to music while you play games, the ability to create custom playlists and your own custom soundtracks, the ability to rip songs from original CDs to your Xbox 360 and stream music from your MP3 player to your Xbox 360. You can also create slideshows of photos to share with friends and family.
Xbox 360 has a wireless controller. No more tripping over the wires, although it can support two wired controllers through USB ports in the front.
The game console is not only great for gamers, but developers as well. It is a powerful machine with an unprecedented amount of RAM - a feature added on the request of developers.
But, Xbox 360 still has some problems that need to be worked out:
Their Japanese third party support is lacking - While some Japanese developers offer software for the Xbox, it is small in number when compared to what the same developers offer for Playstation.
While the controller is wireless, it eats batteries rather quickly. Standard alkaline batteries only last about thirty hours, so if you buy Xbox 360, invest in rechargeable batteries to save yourself some money in the end.
When they were set up in WalMart stores before days before the launch, many suffered what is known as the Xbox "360 screen of death," an error screen. The Xbox 360 had also had some problems with overheating.
Some report the Xbox 360 system as being very noisy when playing an Xbox 360 disc.
Many people are eagerly awaiting the release of Playstation 3, which may occur as soon as November of this year. It has been said that the Playstation 3 has an outward feel (which allows it to stand vertically or horizontally on its own), as opposed to the Xbox 360's inward feel. It is a much larger console than the Playstation 2 and closer to the original size of the Xbox. Game discs slide into the console like CDs slide into a car player.
Here are a few attractive features of the Playstation 3:
It is always on, so you can access your Playstation 3 from anywhere as long as you have an Internet connection.
With a Playstation Portable, you can connect to your Playstation 3 and transfer media such as music and movies.
The Playstation 3 appears to be much more powerful than that Xbox 360, Ninetindo Revolution, and Playstation 2. Initial reports say it will be twice as fast as the Xbox 360.
Developers and publishers of over 230 games have announced titles for Playstation 3 games.
Here are a few reported cons and problems with the Playstation 360:
Comes with only 256 MB, less than the 512 MB the Xbox 360 will come with.
Their Playstation Network Platform (the online service) is still in development and may not be ready by the time Playstation 3 is released.
The launch of the Playstation 3 has already been delayed due to disk problems.
Both the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 are incredible gaming consoles. It seems that although the Xbox 360 came out first, the best bet is still the Playstation 3. The strongest point of the Xbox 360 is its online functionality, but Sony may be working on something similar to Xbox Live right now. However, Microsoft is closing the gap with Xbox 360 and probably will eventually catch up with Sony in gaming consoles. For some users, it may come down to something as simple as which one is more compatible with the games they already own.
Buy an Xbox 360 for that special child for Christmas.
Monday, December 7, 2009
How Can I lose Stomach Fat
As a personal trainer, one of the most common questions I’m asked is “how do I lose stomach fat?”
Well to put it as simple as possible, you can’t.
No matter how may crunches you do, or leg raiser, you will not be able to target the fat in your abdominal region. The reason being, you can NOT localize fat removal. Doing sit ups and crunches only work the abdominal muscles and have absolutely no effect on the fat burned in that area.
When your body burns fat, it uses fat stores from where it can find fat. Your body does not know that it should be concerned with your love handles. The fat on your body is distributed differently on each of use. For many males, the majority (or most noticeable) is the fat on the stomach areas. When you lose fat, your body will do so in it’s own natural “balance.”
The best way to lose that ugly fat is through diet. Once your diet is in tune, you will slowly se the fat melt away. There is no hidden secret, magic pill, or piece of equipment that will quickly remove any fat. You have to work for it, and depending on your genetics, it may take awhile.
Belly Flab - Blast The Fat For A Trim Stomach.
Well to put it as simple as possible, you can’t.
No matter how may crunches you do, or leg raiser, you will not be able to target the fat in your abdominal region. The reason being, you can NOT localize fat removal. Doing sit ups and crunches only work the abdominal muscles and have absolutely no effect on the fat burned in that area.
When your body burns fat, it uses fat stores from where it can find fat. Your body does not know that it should be concerned with your love handles. The fat on your body is distributed differently on each of use. For many males, the majority (or most noticeable) is the fat on the stomach areas. When you lose fat, your body will do so in it’s own natural “balance.”
The best way to lose that ugly fat is through diet. Once your diet is in tune, you will slowly se the fat melt away. There is no hidden secret, magic pill, or piece of equipment that will quickly remove any fat. You have to work for it, and depending on your genetics, it may take awhile.
Belly Flab - Blast The Fat For A Trim Stomach.
Amazing Present Ideas for the Holidays
It's that time of the year again, the holidays are here! The nights become brighter as people put up their festive lights, and all the decorations really bring about the holiday cheer! We all get together with family and friends to really enjoy each other's company with lots of wonderful food. It's a great time of year to make memories, and don't forget the presents!
Gifts are great, but they also create some extra stress for a time of the year that can already pile it on. After all, we have to focus on cooking and entertaining friends and family on top of everything else. And then, we have to get the "right" gift for our family and friends, and sometimes coming up with an idea can be difficult. Especially when you only have a couple of weeks to figure out what you want to buy them. Luckily, whether you need a big gift, or just a small stocking stuffer, this article has a great idea for you: stuffed toys. This is a present that can be great for any age, especially around the holidays.
Stuffed Animals for Kids
Getting a plush toy for a child is something of a no brainer, after all, traditionally toys are for children. And stuffed animals in particular are great for kids. They give them something fun to play with, and let them learn about animals. They can even be a great substitute when mom and dad don't want the child to have a real pet. A lot less mess, but still a lot of fun! Even though it's the age of technology, stuffed animals will never go out of style, and they will certainly continue to help children jump start their imaginations.
Stuffed Animals for Teenagers
Teens are the consumer generation, and there a ton of items marketed to them, but this just gives you too many choices. Make things easier by giving a stuffed animal. There's a lot more to plush toys nowadays then just the small, traditional plush bear. For teens, one good idea is to get them a gigantic plush toy. These big stuffed animals can be around 5 feet tall, bigger than some people! These can be a particularly great gift for a teenage girl. Not only does the sheer size of the toy make it a "wow" gift, but it becomes a conversation starter when anyone else sees it. Just imagine her bringing a gigantic teddy bear to college, her dorm mates would want to ask about it and it could be a great icebreaker. Plus, something nearly her size could become a good friend, and keep her from being lonely. That way she'd have something soft to hug when she is upset. A gigantic stuffed animal can really be a fun, and unusual gift for a teenager. Consider one the nex t time you have to buy a present for someone in this age group.
Gifts are great, but they also create some extra stress for a time of the year that can already pile it on. After all, we have to focus on cooking and entertaining friends and family on top of everything else. And then, we have to get the "right" gift for our family and friends, and sometimes coming up with an idea can be difficult. Especially when you only have a couple of weeks to figure out what you want to buy them. Luckily, whether you need a big gift, or just a small stocking stuffer, this article has a great idea for you: stuffed toys. This is a present that can be great for any age, especially around the holidays.
Stuffed Animals for Kids
Getting a plush toy for a child is something of a no brainer, after all, traditionally toys are for children. And stuffed animals in particular are great for kids. They give them something fun to play with, and let them learn about animals. They can even be a great substitute when mom and dad don't want the child to have a real pet. A lot less mess, but still a lot of fun! Even though it's the age of technology, stuffed animals will never go out of style, and they will certainly continue to help children jump start their imaginations.
Stuffed Animals for Teenagers
Teens are the consumer generation, and there a ton of items marketed to them, but this just gives you too many choices. Make things easier by giving a stuffed animal. There's a lot more to plush toys nowadays then just the small, traditional plush bear. For teens, one good idea is to get them a gigantic plush toy. These big stuffed animals can be around 5 feet tall, bigger than some people! These can be a particularly great gift for a teenage girl. Not only does the sheer size of the toy make it a "wow" gift, but it becomes a conversation starter when anyone else sees it. Just imagine her bringing a gigantic teddy bear to college, her dorm mates would want to ask about it and it could be a great icebreaker. Plus, something nearly her size could become a good friend, and keep her from being lonely. That way she'd have something soft to hug when she is upset. A gigantic stuffed animal can really be a fun, and unusual gift for a teenager. Consider one the nex t time you have to buy a present for someone in this age group.
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