Keeping track of details - how far do YOU go?

[hmc]

I'm in the process of setting up a US trip Jun/Jul, as a SFSC, and doing my usual documentation to make sure everything fits, and thought it might be interesting to find out if others do this sort of thing, and how they arrange it.

I've found that there's heaps of useful information about one's itinerary out there, but never in the one useful place, so I gather it all together into a spreadsheet, keeping it so it fits sideways on an A4 sheet, with plenty of space for jotting down notes during the trip.

I email it to my hotmail & have it on my USB drive, as well as the hardcopy in my hand luggage.

The fields I include are:

PRN - eTicket # - airline - Flight # - dep - term - time - date - day - arr - term - time - date - day - duration - distance - FFP - aircraft - seat # - class - meal - IFE - Links

I also add contact details for any accomm I've arranged

The benefits include:

- I can anticipate my trip (I'll include links to stand-out websites of attractions eg. the Encounter Restaurant at LAX, or airport maps, or maybe even pix of the aircraft I'll be flying)

- I can work out timezones for the one medication I need to take

- I can be sure I've allowed enough time for transfers (hopefully )

Downside is:

- I'm the sad (OCD?) freak who can tell any 'normal' passenger the scheduled timing of any flight, what IFE to expect, whether there'll snacks or a meal, etc. etc.

So, what do other FFs do to keep their obessions alive?

hmc

 

[serfty]

I use Qantim ... It does most of what I need and I can run it on most PC's from a USB RAM drive.

 

[hmc]

Ah, yes, but what I like is to have the quick-reference single sheet that I can refer to easily while travelling

My template's now on the web, along with a couple of other FF spreadsheet examples

 

[NM]

I use TwoPeaks software on my Pocket PC to keep track of it all.

 

[hmc]

I use TwoPeaks software on my Pocket PC to keep track of it all.

This software certainly looks interesting, however TwoPeaks was bought by Iambic October last year, and the TripTracker has yet to be re-released.

 

[NM]

This software certainly looks interesting, however TwoPeaks was bought by Iambic October last year, and the TripTracker has yet to be re-released.

I bought a licence about 2 years ago, so have not had to renew it since. It has some quirks, but is not too bad.

 

[Dave Noble]

Excepting for visiting the US where I keep a written note of the full address of the hotel to keep those nice people at US Immigration happy, I just remember what Im doing. I do have my laptop with me and if necessary can always refer to it for the booking confirmations

Dave

 

[Skyring]

I make up a spreadsheet for listing the flights, the mileage and SC. This automatically adds in my bonus for cabin and status. I can then compare the expected return with what eventuates afterwards.

I have a transparent document sleeve for storing itinerary dicuments, booking confirmations, emails etc. Another for personal correspondence with people I'll be meeting along the way - you know, all those vital details like phone number and address, whether they'll be wearing a white carnation on the platform etc.

And I have a folder of sleeves for souvenirs - boarding passes, menus, dockets, maps etc. When i get a chance I paste these into a travel journal, and they are wonderful for bringing back memories of the trip.

 

[simongr]

I recently switched from an A4 black and red hard note book for work to an A5 spirax style notebook with a small sleeve in the front cover. I have now bought a second one of those so that I can put BPs in and take notes about the flight whilst actually travelling - and I tuck my printed itinerary in there - if i remember...

 

[Keith009]

Excel is my best friend...

 

[Shano]

I enter flights (#, departure and arrival times), hotel reservations #'s, rental car reservation #'s into my Outlook calendar, which is then synchronised with my phones calendar. Works well most of the time except when flying to US west coast. Calendar has trouble realising that you have arrived before you departed.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

Spreadsheets for me. Also word doc with flight & hotel details (more info than in s/sheet).

I'm in the process of setting up a new spreadsheet which more integrated and let me have it all in one place (using filters & pivots for printouts to take with me).

 

[hmc]

From many of these posts it seems like I'm in good company

 

[simongr]

The only problem with spreadsheets is having something in your hand when asked for an itinerary or asked for an address. I think I printed four copies of my itinerary and didnt take any of them with me on this trip...

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

The only problem with spreadsheets is having something in your hand when asked for an itinerary or asked for an address. I think I printed four copies of my itinerary and didnt take any of them with me on this trip...

Well I do try to remember to print out before I go. In fact I normally have on me a summarised version with my schedule listing flights and dates so I can easily amend or add trips without needing to log in.

 

[hmc]

Yes, I keep mine lean so it's all the key items of my itinerary on half a single A4 sheet, and that slips into my passport, along with my FF card & BPs.

Another thing I do in preparation is photocopy all docs (passport, CCs, Dr lic, insurance, eTicket, accomm emails) at a reduced size & double-sided so that I get 4 A4 sheets per A4 page - it's really tiny, but can be read at a pinch, but I also figure I can just as easily blow them up if needed. I pack these in my checked luggage, as well as having a scanned version of the main ones in my hotmail folders.

h

 

[JohnK]

I carry a travel wallet with me in my jacket.

I print all documentation to do with airline tickets, hotel accommodation, car hire etc and fold as you would when sending a letter to someone and place inside travel wallet. Once I am finished with said document it gets thrown away. I also keep all boarding passes in the travel wallet for future reference as well as any travel related receipts I have accumulated on the trip.

Now my room is full of old/new travel wallets, just wish I had the time/energy to file it all away before it decays.

 

[QF WP]

I'm the same as most - have every flight detail I have taken since 1987 (date, flight number, airline, flight from & to, class, seat number, mileage, cost).

Been a bit slack in recent times...

 

[Mal]

I have a plastic folder which stores in chronological order the itineraries for my flights, hotel bookings, car rentals, prepaid tickets, travel insurance details etc.

I also have a calendar in Microsoft word where I have quick details about what is happening each day of my trip (if more than a few days away).

I also have a word document where I'll jot notes about things I possibly want to do, street addresses etc.

Finally, I sometimes have a word document that summarises my hotel and flight bookings, and gives further notes about how to get to the hotel or airport.

Some of these are little help for me, but help when being quizzed by immigration.

I really want to move to a super small (but useable) travel laptop. My current personal laptop although nice is 15" so a little inconvenient to travel with (Light enough, but big!, and airport security is always a pita with laptops)

 

[Tooner]

I'm feeling a bit like a geek (although after the discussion about Skype I am confident I'm not), but:

For Domestic travel I copy the relevant bits of my itinerary into my Lotus Notes calendar, and thus to Blackberry as appointments and reminders, usually with a reminder 60 minutes before

For International, the above plus:

• Printed copy of Itinerary carried in my carry-on bag
• emailed copy in my Yahoo Mail
• Flights copied to home Outlook via Checkmytrip (though Outlook seems to struggle with different time-zones in a way Lotus Notes doesn't, unless WA elects to go with DST, which is awhole 'nother story)
• Passport scanned and copy stored at work (which I can access from almost any computer anywhere, depending on whether the trusty Dell D410 is with me or not)

Although it does feel weird to front an international counter with just a passport and WP card, I've not had to produce paper for a while. But then, I haven't been to the LOTFAP for a long time