Sleight of hand ... online tools provide options previously open only to the initiated.Credit: AFP
Remember when travel agents had all the power? When only they could interpret the mysterious codes required to book even a simple air ticket and had access to the information needed to put together a good itinerary? Now we can all book our own flights, accommodation, tours and activities if we choose to, thanks to the development of point-and-click technology.
And the power shift continues as more information previously available only to those in the industry becomes available to consumers.
There will always be a limit to how much time and effort people are willing to put into sourcing their own answers but, for those who want to, there isn't much that can't be found.
When it comes to flying, one of the best sources of information is the Official Aviation Guide, first published in 1929. The OAG's web tools (www.oag.com/travel-guides/air-route-info/) are a great resource for travellers, allowing you to search for a range of information.
If you need to work out which airlines fly a certain route, which routes a particular airline flies or how long it takes to fly from point A to point B, the answers are there.
These tools can be used to help you decide on a destination, according to your personal tolerance of flying.
If you don't want to fly for more than eight hours, you can search for destinations within that range from your home city. If you hate changing planes and only want to go somewhere you can reach in one flight, you can search for direct routes from your point of departure.
If you're trying to minimise or maximise your time away, perhaps in the case of a short break or weekend trip, you can also search for the first and/or last flight of the day on any given route.
Another thing that may help travellers perplexed by the growing trend of "codesharing" by airlines is the “who am I really flying with” tool. Codesharing is a system of airlines sharing seats on an aircraft, rather than flying two half-empty aircraft on the same route.
For example, you might book a British Airways flight with a "BA" flight number yet find yourself on a Qantas plane or another carrier. Some airlines offering flights from Australia don't even fly their own aircraft here – they work in conjunction with another carrier to get their passengers as far as Asia or other hubs, then fly them the rest of the way in their own planes.
It is particularly useful to know which airline you are actually flying with if you have special needs, such as a baby requiring a bassinet, as on-board facilities and services can vary greatly from airline to airline.
Or you might want to make sure you're doing a long flight on an aircraft that has in-seat entertainment in economy, as some carriers still have not installed it.
Another useful site for planning a trip, especially if you're not sure where you want to go, is Skyscanner (skyscanner.net), which allows you to leave the destination field blank, or narrowed down only by country.
The site breaks down available flights from your departure point into direct and indirect services and can give you an interesting range of options to consider.
If you find a flight and price that you like and click on "book", you will be directed to the relevant airline's website to make the booking.
For serious bargain hunters, another useful website is Yapta (yapta.com), which tracks price changes in air fares and other travel products, such as hotel rooms, you select to keep an eye on.
You can be notified when the price drops, or when it falls within your budget range, so you can try to buy at a good time.
The company claims to have saved its members (free sign up) more than $US150 million ($170 million) during the past two years.
Last word on luggage
TRYING to find out what luggage you are allowed to take on a flight can be a frustrating process, with every airline having different rules and policies varying from route to route.
Enter Luggage Limits (luggagelimits.com), a site that provides detailed information for 64 major airlines and more than 3000 airports. Developed by a high school maths teacher, the site cross-references an airline with the departure and arrival airports to tell you exactly what your luggage entitlements are.
The site covers both checked-in luggage and hand luggage and provides details such as allowed dimensions, the number of bags allowed, any restrictions relevant to that route and what the fees for excess baggage are. It even allows for different entitlements under frequent flyer programs.
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