Traveling can be as easy as point and click

Excitement. Anxiety. Fear. Distress. Relief.

It’s amazing how one can go through a wide range of emotion during a cross-continental flight. I found myself going through those set of emotions, after being strapped for 17 hours inside a flying coffin that some people would rather refer to as a “state-of-the-art Airbus A380.” Once my feet finally stepped onto the cold, hard steps of London, I was completely ecstatic... for a couple of minutes that is. The fear of experiencing a fiery death inside a flying metal monstrosity should really not be a concern given the high safety rate of air travel these days, as there’s a higher chance one could meet an untimely demise while crossing busy streets.

As any experienced traveler would narrate, the greatest concern of any tourist should be his health and the security of identity and belongings. I consider myself a neophyte when it comes to traveling, and I seem to never being able to prepare enough. I’m always missing something, like a map route, list of good restaurants, my hotel booking slip, and so forth. My brother, on the other hand, has traveled to so many countries that he’s always as relaxed as a cucumber during these excursions. Obviously the key difference here is that my brother does every pre-traveling need online while I usually just improvise once I get to my destination. Being a complete tech geek, I was completely and utterly shamed. The technology that I have been preaching and endorsing for years was left unused. But instead of hanging my head in shame and crying myself to sleep, I opted to learn, and learn I did! Never ever will I be caught unawares of my traveling needs which should go for you dear readers as well.

Being fully prepared for an upcoming trip can be done quickly and easily, as all that is required is an Internet-connected computer and internationally accepted credit card. Booking and paying for a plane ticket over the Internet is not the only thing one could do to ease pre-travel preparation, given numerous resources available these days. In fact, the intricacies of planning a sightseeing route can be readily done. Google can be quite a best pal when looking at various maps and searching for interesting places to visit, but never be afraid to mix up and play with various keywords when an initial search produces no desirable result. Several pieces of information can be downloaded over the Internet; just make sure, however, to weed out the bad from the good ones. Always cross-check any important information that might come up, as it’s always good to get a second opinion, similar to medical consultations. Cross-reference websites that have a similar subject matter to get the highest level of authenticity. Buying travel guide books like Lonely Planet and Rough Guides would be a good initiative, but make sure to check the websites of these guides as there might already be updated tidbits that failed to make it through the final printout.

On the day of the flight itself, it is not far off to be skimped a bit for time. Shaving off a few minutes from the check-in process can be really useful, so take advantage of online check-in systems that almost all major airline firms provide. Besides, nothing is as convenient as printing your own boarding pass at the comfort of your home, prior to leaving the airport. Meanwhile, there’s usually an express lane for people who checked in online, especially for smarter ones who abhor having to take the long queue. The plus side here is that some airlines allow passengers to select where they want to sit during the online check-in process.

A word of caution when settling your order bills online: it is always prudent to follow some safety precautions to prevent credit card fraud. Always shop at reputable online travel agents, especially those equipped with certified online hotel booking systems. When faced with the credit card checkout screen on the Web browser, make sure the Web address is pointed at “https” uniform resource locator or URL. Normal websites only have “http” header for their URL, and the added “s” means connection is secure and there is a close to zero percent of having any credit card information stolen. Also, never respond to any e-mail that asks you to confirm your purchase with your credit card number via e-mail, since credible online retailers will never ask customers for any information through this scheme. One more thing, avoid using Microsoft’s Internet Explorer when doing any money transactions online; download and use a more secure Web browser like FireFox or Opera.

It’s quite simple really. Taking advantage of various travel-related online services can spell the difference between a panic-filled travel experience and a peaceful and well-prepared one.

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The author is the vice president for information technology of 2TravelWorld.com. For your comments or queries, e-mail him at [email protected].