Smartertravel.com has Smart trips you can use when traveling to expedite your trip or fix those annoying and unexpected problems that come up.
Need to Cancel a Flight?
If you missed the cancellation window on your hotel, restaurant or car rental reservation, but are still within a window to change the reservation free of charge, move your reservation back several weeks or moths. Then, call back and cancel with a different representative.
The possible caveat if with services, such as OpenTable, that allow the representative to see the booking history, but it isn't very likely they will check. If you luck goes poorly and they do, you can always try calling back again to see if you have better luck with the next call representative, who may be too busy to check the history.
Squished on an Airplane?
If you are sitting behind a passenger who is in the reclining position, and you need to make use of your space to eat or use your laptop or any other activity you may choose to do, the easiest method is to politely ask the passenger in front of you. More than likely, they will be respectful of your space an move their seat forward while you complete your activity.
If that doesn't work, there is a device called the Knee Defender, which you can purchase for about $20, and lock onto your tray table to prevent the seat in front of you from reclining. It isn't particularly polite, but it is approved for use by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and will solve your problem if you're in a pinch.
How Do I Close My Bag When the Zipper is Broken?
If the zipper on your suitcase won't close, there are a few remedies available before you need new luggage, which can at least prolong the shopping until you get home and make your life that much easier.
If the zipper seems stuck, try rubbing bar soap, Vaseline, lip balm or any similar substance on it. Likely, it will provide the necessary traction or slide for the zipper to close.
If you have the opposite problem, and the zipper will not stay closed, it is often because one tooth of the zipper is bent and it can be easily adjusted with a pair of pliers. If you don't have any with you, the hotel can likely provide a pair for your use.
If the zipper handle has snapped off, replace it by putting whatever you available, a souvenir keychain, a paper clip, a safety pain, etc. through the slider, which will give you a makeshift zipper for your return home.
How Can I Check My E-mail Without Spending a Fortune?
An article in Lifehacker, "The Definitive Guide to Finding Free Wi-Fi" gives Internet users a number of ways to find free Internet. One example is to download a program like NetStumbler, which locates "hidden" Wi-Fi networks your PC may have missed. For Mac users, iStumbler provides the same service. Smartphone users can download an app like JiWire's Free Wi-Fi Finder, which tracks the exact location of nearly 150,000 free networks worldwide.
As a last resort, there is always Starbucks.
Forgot Your Phone Charger?
No need to panic. The number one most common item left behind in hotel rooms is the phone charger, according to Smartertravel.com. Check with the hotel's front desk in case they have a spare that matches your phone. And if you are the one to leave your charger in the hotel, find out if the hotel participates in the new automated lost and found program, chargerback.
Check International Airline Sites Before Booking Your Flight!
Sometimes, airlines run a sale on the international site, but not the English language site. As long as your credit card doesn't have a large international transaction fee, the savings is worth it.
What Should I Do With the Rest of My Foreign Currency?
For coffee drinkers with a few bucks leftover, rather than pay yet another fee to convert the foreign currency back to U.S. dollars, find a Starbucks. Make sure you have a reloadable Starbucks card before you leave on your trip, and then find the Starbucks in the airport before your return flight takes off and use the remaining cash to reload your Starbucks card. No fees and you can grab a coffee while you're there!
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
