Living in Maine, the off season is basically anytime except summer. Many people who work in the travel industry will tell you it’s the best time to go overseas. It is traditionally cheaper than peak travel times, and with today’s economy, saving is something we are all trying to do.

Off season travel (October-March) has always appealed to those of us who want to avoid long lines and high prices. This year, with more people staying close to home for their summer vacations, affected travel industry businesses are offering better deals and lower prices in order to attract more visitors during the off season. The empty restaurants and short wait times equal better customer service. This year in particular, you can expect to see more travel incentives due to the drop in number of people traveling.

Here at Auto Europe, a car rental in Dublin, Ireland is available for just $9 USD per day, which is lower than most rentals in the United States. With savings on your rental, one can find a location to stay outside of major cities. As I have written about before, Ireland is a good place to do this! A car rental in London, England will start at around $21 USD per day, which is still affordable. London is starting Olympic sized overhauls too, so you can find great deals staying in hotels that are under renovation.

Of course, you will still want to book in advance, as most car rental agencies cut down on the number of vehicles in the fleet during the off season. Old cars are retired, but new ones may not be purchased until later on in the year. It’s a good thing that Auto Europe guarantees the best rates in the industry! This way you can book your car well in advance, and it will be guaranteed to be there.

With airlines lowering costs this off season, travel to Europe should be relatively affordable. With some shopping around, you can be sure to have an enjoyable cost effective vacation this winter!

Imagine you’re on your way to the Caribbean for a wonderful, much needed vacation. You stow your carry-on baggage and take your seat next to the window. You get out the book that you’ve been waiting to read for the past two weeks, and flip to the first page. Things couldn’t be going better, right?

Next thing you know, an hour into a 6 hour flight, the guy next to you gets on his cell phone and proceeds to have a 45 minute argument with his wife, then call his best friend to tell him all about it. You try to read over the slightly hushed, angry tones of the conversation, but are unable to concentrate, and eventually just give up to stare out the window while the chatter continues.

This is what I envisioned when I heard that the Bureau of Transportation was considering lifting the ban on cell phone use on planes. As if being forced to listen to other people’s cell phone conversations everywhere else weren’t enough, they’re now thinking about allowing it on flights as well! What’s worse is some lawmakers think that airlines are pushing for this so that they can charge extra to sit in a section where there aren’t cell phones. Airline travel has become expensive enough as it is with paying to check bags, or even to reserve a specific seat, let alone paying to not be annoyed the entire flight. If anything, one would think that they would charge people who feel that they need to use their phones mid-flight, not the other way around.

An interesting survey was conducted to see what people think about this idea. There is a definite gap between age groups in terms of how this plan is viewed. Of people 65 or older, 60% oppose it, while less than a third support it. For the 18-34 age bracket, half support it, while a little over a third oppose it. Yours truly falls into the latter group, and is most assuredly opposed to it. A person having a loud, overly personal conversation in public has always been a pet peeve of mine, but at least in most cases I can walk away. I can’t even imagine how terrible it would be to be trapped next to someone talking on a cell phone for an entire flight.

Let’s all cross our fingers and hope that the ban on cell phone use stays permanent. So, until the day that it changes, enjoy the relative quiet on your flights.

Safe Travels,

Ted Phelps

Customer Travel Consultant

As gas prices have shot up over the past year, many have been forced to cope with the severe impact that fuel prices have on everything we do. The impact on summer travel plans has been significant and far-reaching. Not only will people taking summer road trips have to spend more at the pump, but they will also have to cough up more cash for just about everything they purchase on the road, and at their final destination.

The impact this has had on people is all across the board. In some cases it has had a minimal effect, in other cases families have simply had to cancel their plans altogether. Unfortunately, there is not a whole lot that people are able to do about the situation.

I would be interested to know how everyone else is dealing with this. Are you and your families just staying home, or are you trying to cut costs in an effort to make a summer vacation work? Or, is there just a lot of media hype around how much people are struggling, and you aren’t really feeling the push of gas prices in relation to your plans this summer?

Safe Travels,

Ted Phelps

Customer Travel Consultant

Air Rage. It’s a catchy phrase, but not such a nice reality. Sometimes it’s humorous in its outlandishness. Other times it verges on frightening. Let’s explore some of the most recent outbursts of air rage to have hit the news:

Let His Behavior Slide?

Enraged that passengers flying in the economy section were exiting the plane before him, a man in first class pulled the escape hatch and slid down the emergency chute onto the tarmac in Georgetown, Guyana.

Preaching to the [Unruly] Choir

After a flight was delayed for more than 12 hours with no explanation, over 100 passengers were directed to the flight desk where one attendant was there to take care of everyone. After several hours of waiting, employees and passengers began to shout at each other. When police attempted to arrest passengers for getting out of line, a priest attempted to tell the officers that the passengers were the ones that had been mistreated. He was told to “shut up,” or he too would be arrested.

Nicotine Nightmare

A NY woman on board a plane was disorderly, and after being told to calm down she proceeded to light up a cigarette in the middle of the flight. When flight attendants confronted her about it, she shouted obscenities and racial slurs, and then punched a flight attendant in the jaw. The plane had to be re-routed 300 miles to another airport, where the woman was put under arrest.

Frat Boy Flight Fiasco

A 21 year old college student boarded a plane, where he proceeded to consume an entire bottle of vodka that he had smuggled onboard. Incredibly drunk, the boy began to shout at passengers, flight attendants, and do things to himself unsuitable to describe on this blog.

These incidents are by no means isolated. Is it the recycled air? The ever-escalating price of tickets? Or something else altogether? Send in your most atrocious Air Rage stories or any thoughts as to the cause of this phenomenon. I would love to get your input.

Safe, happy, and air rage free travels,

Ted Phelps

Customer Travel Consultant

Hi Everyone,

This is the first post of many in our brand new Auto Europe Blog. I am hoping that this blog will create a forum for our community members to exchange information, make friends, and pick up some useful travel information along the way. Working at the travel desk, I spend a lot of time talking to people about their vacations. Over the past couple of years I have noticed many common questions, concerns and opinions regarding travel. My hope is that this blog will offer an opportunity not only for me to discuss these common themes, but also for you to offer any thoughts or advice that you have gained during your own travels. I am very optimistic that together we can create a really useful travel resource, and make everyone’s traveling experiences better.

I know that your vacations are important to you because not only does it give you a chance to learn about yourself and the world, but it is also a chance to relax and spend time with your loved ones. My sincere desire is that our shared experience and knowledge will help everyone involved make the most of the vacation time that they have.

I am really looking forward to hearing from you all.

Safe travels,

Ted Phelps

Customer Travel Consultant