Wunderground.com--Your Ultimate Trip Planning Weather Source

Avoid weather delays on your next trip. Wunderground.com will help. With Wunderground's Trip Planner, Road Trip Planner, and Flight Tracking you can plan your trip around storms. Or, if you're already locked into your travel plans, you will know whether you need to pack sweaters or shorts.

To use Wunderground, input your dates of travel and your destination into the Trip Planner or Road Trip Planner, and using a historical database, Wunderground will tell you what kind of weather to expect.

To use Flight Tracking, select the option from the Travel & Activities Menu, select an airline, and input your flight number. Or, simply take a look at the live Doppler radar map and take note of any red dotted areas, which indicate flight delays due to poor weather.

Use Wunderground to check weather conditions anywhere you want, including severe storm outbreaks such as hurricanes and tornadoes. The Wundermap will give you an aerial view of a city or neighborhood, and the health map will let you know if there are any virus outbreaks.

Stay safe and dry on your next trip--check out these resources and much more at Wundground.com.

Lesser Known Sites That Can Save You $ on Airfare

These smaller, relatively unknown sites may be your solution to affordable airfare.

SkyScanner.Net includes a wider variety of budget options than the traditional aggregators. SkyScanner also allows you to search rates for an entire year, which is extremely beneficial if you like to book early, or have a flexible schedule.

BudgetFlightFinder.com helps you find budget airlines that fly a specific route.

Tripeedo.com searches across dozens of carriers and aggregators and opens their sites on a separate window. This allows travelers to view any advertised specials any flights they might not otherwise see.

Quickly and Easily Search for Cheap Airline Tickets with Momondo

Momondo.com is a cutting edge search engine recommended by Frommer's, Smarter Travel, Time, and CNN, among other places. As a search engine, it searches multiple websites around the world, through hundreds or airline company websites, online travel agencies, etc., to give you the cheapest flights available. No need for you to spend hours online checking individual sites and comparing them. Momondo does it for you! (They do not sell tickets, however, but they will link you to where you need to go.)

At Momondo, you can also book a hotel, and find out information on your destination. Their travel and city guides are continuously updated, with information on food, fashion, art, lifestyle, shopping, sites, nightlife, transportation, and more.

Which Airlines are the Safest?

The Daily Beast recently compiled data and crunched numbers to determine which U.S. based airlines have the best safety records. The rankings were based on two criteria: accidents and incidents. The data took into consideration both 1 and 5 year records. Their findings, for national carriers, ranked from best to worst, are as follows:

1. AirTran
2. JetBlue
3. Southwest
4. US Airways
5. American
6. Alaska
7. Continental
8. Delta
9. Northwest
10. United

Airline Services that might Sweeten the Deal

In recent years, airlines have cut services such as meals and free on-board entertainment. They've also raised booking fees, and started charging for baggage. But what, if anything, have they added to their service list that might make flying more affordable and/or enjoyable?

WiFi
American Airlines, Delta, Virgin, Southwest, and Jet Blue airlines offer, or have plans to offer, WiFi access on many fleets. Unfortunately, access isn't offered for free. On American Airlines, for example, laptop users will pay $9.95 for flights under 3 hours, and $12.95 for longer flights. Other device users will be charged a flat fee of $7.95.

Frequent Flyer Programs
Nearly all major airlines offer frequent flyer programs, but some claim to be better than others. Check out this article from Smarter Travel, and pick the program that's right for you.

Non-Stop Flights
It's often hard to get a non-stop flight between destinations, but as the travel industry continues to struggle, airlines are adding more non-stop flights to try and lure travelers their way. Many of these non-stop offers are seasonal, however, such as Alaska Airlines service between Seattle or Portland to Cancun, Mexico. Check airlines for specific details.

Track Flights with Flight Arrivals

Flight Arrivals, one of the oldest flight arrival status sites on the web, updates information every four minutes, so you will always be able to find current information on arrivals, departures, delays, and schedule changes at 71 major airports all over the world. Search by flight number, city, airport code, airline, or time-frame to find the flight you're looking for. Flight Arrivals new Airport status also allows you to check the weather at an airport, and any delays associated with weather conditions.

How-to Pack Toiletries for Airline Travel

The rule for toiletries packed in carry-on luggage is easy to remember: 3-1-1. This amounts to 3 ounce bottles or less, packed in 1 quart-sized, clear plastic, zip-lock bag, and 1 bag per passenger.

Before arriving at the screening area, remove the toiletry zip-lock bag from your carry-on. It will need to be sent through security separately.

If you need to pack toiletries larger than 3 oz. they must go in checked baggage. However, medications, baby formula, and breast milk are allowed in carry-on in larger than 3 oz. containers in reasonable quantities. Declare them when you arrive at the checkpoint.

Where to Find Deals on Airfare

There are plenty of online sites that offer deals on flights. Here are three good ones to try your luck with. One hint before you dive in—research shows that even if you're traveling in a group, booking your flights separately (but on the same flight, of course) can save you money.

Travelocity
(http://travelocity.com/)
Check Travelocity's Deals, Last Minute Packages, and Flexible Dates to find the best rates on airfare. If you're not that flexible, or flying to a remote area, their web deals can offer some pocketbook relief.

Expedia
(http://www.expedia.com/)
Expedia claims to give you the best price on every trip, guaranteed. You can get their best deals delivered, or visit their site, where you can check their 24 hour sales or discover Expedia exclusives.

Airfare Watchdog
(http://www.airfarewatchdog.com/)
Sign up for the cheap airfare alert, or visit their site and check current deals. Check their Discount Airfare, Top 50 Fares, and Fare of the Day pages, as well.

Airport Security Line Triggers

The following items can set off the metal detectors at airport security checkpoints. Before you arrive at the checkpoint, make sure you have removed the following items. If the item is not removable, inform the security guard.

• Jewelry, including heavy necklaces, bracelets, barrettes, rings, watches, earrings, tie pins, cuff links, and body piercings.

• Keys and loose change.

• Personal portable devices, such as cell phones and pagers.

• Jackets with metal snaps and buttons.

• Belt with belt buckles.

• Under-wire bras.

In addition, you will be asked to remove your shoes. You are, however, permitted to wear head coverings or other religious garments, though you may have to be moved to a special screening area.

Airline Three Lane System Reduces Security Wait Times

The Transportation Security Administration has introduced a new three lane system designed to shorten wait lines at security checkpoints. Called "Diamond Lanes," the three lines are:

Families and Special Assistance
Casual Traveler
Expert Traveler

You're an expert traveler if you fly more than twice a month and are accustomed to security procedures. If you stand in this line, it's expected that you will have all items, including shoes, jewelry, jackets, etc. removed before entry, and all documentation in hand.

If you don't meet the qualifications for the Expert "Black Diamond" line, use the Casual Traveler line, where people who are familiar with traveling, but don't fly as frequently as expert travelers, are welcome.

Those people who are traveling with children or have special needs, should use the slower lane, where they can take the time they need to get through security comfortably.

Five Carry-on Essentials

• Change of clothing. Don't let lost luggage have you scrambling to find something to wear. Always pack an extra outfit in your carry-on, in case your luggage is lost or delayed a day.

• Medication. You never know when your flight will be delayed or canceled, or if your luggage will be lost. Always carry any essential medication on your person, instead of in checked baggage.

• Water. Staying hydrated is important while traveling. Purchase a bottle of water after you get through security.

• Gum. Plugged ears be gone! Gum can help keep those ears open and headaches at bay.

• Reading material. Even if your flight is short, bring something to do in case your flight is delayed, canceled, or on hold for maintenance.