Suggestion Box for Travel Board

I'm opening this thread to give you all a chance to voice your suggestions/opinions on what I can do as a moderator to maintain/improve the quality of this forum.

You can use this thread to point out links which should be included in the links thread or to suggest other potential "sticky" threads (i.e., information with enduring value) or anything else I can try to do to make the forum more useful to you.

Please DON'T use it to start debates about anything which is suggested!!!!!! If someone posts something, and you have an opinion about it, feel free to email me.


Thanks for your input!

Tom

Suggestions for Travel FAQ's

Hi Tom,

I suggest using numerals rather than bullets for the Travel FAQ section.
One could then refer the reader to view a specific section of the FAQ's and make it easier to locate.

Another suggestion is to add www.weather.com to the weather FAQ. The Washington Post Link used to be one of my favorite historical weather links but got displaced by weather.com because it's easier to navigate and displays nice historical bar graphs that can also be toggled to display in a different format.

Thanks for all your wonderful work behind the scenes.

Regards,
Richard

Good Site for Flight Information

Tom,

I suggest adding this smarterliving.com link to the Flight Information Travel FAQ.

Go to http://www.smartertravel.com/

Scroll down a bit till you see "Search Flights - Compare Fares"
The default will be "Compare Fares" - change this to "Search Flights"
Now, put in your point A to point B travel plans (you can use city names or airport codes). Now hit "Compare" or the return key
You will now see a list of all flights for the dates you put in from point A to point B, starting with the nonstop flights.

You can click on search pricing if you wish (they use the Travelocity search engine). I usuually don't do the price search with them - I get the info I need and go directly to the airlines website.

Great site to get a quick list of your flight schedule possibilities

Richard

www.weather.com AKA "The Weather Channel" was added to the FAQ.

I'm liking the idea of numbers, EXCEPT that it means more editing if something changes. I'll definitely consider it for an update.

Thanks!

Tom

Google map website

Dear TTom:

I have the impression you deleted a message put in the travel BBS on this, but that's okay. Anyway, my suggestion is to list the Google map website if you haven't already. It's still the Beta version and most folks I know are unaware of it. It has many functions the other mapquest-type websites lack, including a way-cool feature where you can toggle between the map view and satellite view of any address you are browsing. I don't work for Google and am not shilling -- it's just a neat product and useful for the traveler.

http://maps.google.com/

This site is also very cool:

http://www.terraserver-usa.com/

Actually, it wasn't me

that deleted your original post.

I saw it (this morning), but I didn't choose to do anything about it (even though it was a "multiple" post). Apparently, one of the other Mods/Admins decided to make it go away.

I will certainly try to add the Google site to the Travel FAQ as soon as I have a moment.

Thanks!

Tom

"How to Pack" Ideas

Would this topic be worthy? I sure could have used it! Items like how to roll your clothes, what to put in plastic bags, best luggage to buy, etc.

SmarterTravel Web Site Update

www.smartertravel.com has updated their website since I posted my
earlier instructions on how to find scheduled flights between Point A and Point B for a particular travel date.

It's now slightly different on how you access the information.

Go to the smartertravel home page - scroll down and look in the left column for "Travel Tools" - in the Travel Tools Section click on the "Flight Schedules"
hyperlink. Enter your "From and To" info (you can do it by city name or airport code) and enter your travel date - you will then get a list of scheduled flights for the info you entered.


Richard

Don't know if I missed this but perhaps a link to the latest NTSA allowable items, gels, tc?

links to restaurant forums

I'm not sure this is the right place, but I was hoping to find links to peoples opinions on restaurants. I once found a great site I used for opnions on restaruants. I like to hear opinions other than the guide books or critics. I've tried IGOUGO, but it didn't really have many people comtributing (at least not for the resort area I was looking for). Tripadvisor helped some, but I know there are some good better sites for restaurants that I am not finding.
Maybe someone else knows of some. Thanks

Opinions on restaurants ~~ Go to this foodie website for this reason ~~ Been around for years ~~ Pick a State or just ask a question ~~ These Chow Hounds know where to go !! ~~


http://www.Chowhound.com



:ignore:

How about the TUG reviews?

Roxi:

Seems to me that there are also a number of restaurant reviews for various areas in the TUG Reviews area.

In fact, I've got to take a trip over to see what there is for Kauai.

I don't know if your area will be covered, but it can't hurt to take a look.

Tom

disappointed:

I have edited/deleted this message, which had nothing at all to do with Travel board.

Suggestion

I have a suggestion since it is one of my pet peeves. When the posting new thread button is clicked a new screen should come up that says: "Did you try searching for your information on this forum?" and then instructions on how to do a search. We really don't have to re-invent the wheel every time.

maybe add some polls. other forums have polls for a lot of things and i love them

How about a chart for FF benefits and FF cards and their benefits.

It would be nice to have a chart of airlines and the FF benefits, partnered with all FF credit cards and their benefits and airlines.

I find out things from other travelers, both here and when I visit with friends, like Alaska's special price for using half of the cost in miles.

Then I found out that you can upgrade your regular ticket to first-class to Hawaii for about 17,500 miles. That sounds great to me!

I can add what I know about Frontier Airlines (ain't much to it), and their correponding credit card. I also looked into Discover's premium travel card and chose the Capital One Venture card instead (for overseas travel). So I can help with those two.

This idea came to mind as different people have talked about the benefits they get, like Delta's free bag with the AmEx card.

TTom said:

www.weather.com AKA "The Weather Channel" was added to the FAQ.

Click to expand...

This is great, thanks Tom!

Travel-Tuggers requesting/offering accomodation

I would like to see a place w/in Travel where Tuggers could request overnight accommodations from other members. an example.. need a place to stay near Amarillo, Texas while traveling through. DH is 60, I am 53, no kids or pets.
If it was not too complicated, maybe we could also have a place where people could list their user names and locations and say that they are willing to be contacted by PM about possible accommodations.
I could foresee that there would be times I could even offer a Timeshare bedroom for a member passing through as I sometimes have an extra one.

I hate paying a lot for hotels between my timeshare destinations. I would rather spend my money on entertainment and activities. So far I have found one member who messaged me that she feels the same and would like to see this happening.
This would be a Pay it forward type of accommodation..not direct exchange. Always at the discretion and convenience of each potential host. No obligation.
It would be for 1 or 2 night stays not a longer term stay.
Anyway, that is my idea. I know there are groups like this online. I think meeting and helping Tuggers would be ideal for me.

We have a place to request and offer hospitality. There is a new sticky in Bargain Deals.

momeason said:

We have a place to request and offer hospitality. There is a new sticky in Bargain Deals.

Click to expand...

What section is this Bargain Deals under?

Hornet441 said:

What section is this Bargain Deals under?

Click to expand...

Never mind, got it. (Buying, Selling and Renting).

I think you should have to add a question answer interface here like used in FAQs. That will help you to update a topic on every week and you also get suggestions from different users regarding the same. Keep updating...

I think map and the weather report is a very important. Then after Flight Schedule,Place and precaution to be taken at time of travel.