NOW HERE'S A SECRET - AN ONLINE TRAVEL SITE WITH SERVICE!

Ok how about this little secret - an online travel site that gives great service ! Impossible you say ? Well there are some out there that can do it. Check out a hotels bookings site called. Hotels On Sale

As well as keen prices worldwide they do some cute stuff like sending you an email before you go telling you the weather for the day your arrive , what your currency is worth if your traveling to a foreign country, a link to your local newspaper so you can catch up on the news from home while your away and a link to the best restaurants in the city your visiting

Pretty cool we reckon. 

And when you get back you get a nice little welcome home email and a discount of your next booking. This is all pretty heartening stuff with a recent UK survey finding that 60% of on line travel users were unhappy with the service levels and the average response time to problems or enquiries was 57 hours ! If you have any secrets about great on line travel service we would love to hear them.

RED LINGERIE SECRETS !

Did we say Red Lingerie ? Er yes. If you have a bit of a fetish for the red silky stuff and your looking for a good deal on a Xmas present for your true love make sure your in Rome prior to Xmas ! Every December Romans buy new red lingerie to celebrate the New Year. Hmmm lets not ask where that idea came from ! However the good news is that Rome is home to many shops that specialize in red underwear and at this time of the year a bit of shopping around will deliver the goods. Some shops you might want to check out :

* Tudda, via Frattina 25

*  Vanita via Frantina 70

* Tomasiini , via Sistina 119

If you have any red lingerie shopping secrets ...er I guess we would like to hear from you !

TRAVEL INSURANCE SECRETS

These days with lost luggage on the increase, weird weather interrupting travel plans and the odd terrorist attack one thing that you probably should not skip is the travel insurance. Here are a few secrets to get the best value travel insurance.

* Shop Around. Firstly shop around on the net and get a couple of quotes. Then go and hit up a few high street travel agents. Insurance is a big fat earner for travel agents. Where typically they get anywhere from 1% to 10% on standard travel bookings like air , cruise & hotels on travel insurance they can earn up to a whopping 50% commission. Sooooo there is plenty of room for them to move on your travel insurance costs and still make a good margin.

* Check what your credit card offers. Most credit cards - particularly if you have a Gold or Platinum card offer free travel insurance as part of the deal on your card. I have lost track of the number of people who 'forget' they have travel insurance through their credit card and then go and buy additional insurance ! However make sure you call your credit card company and find out what it covers. They will also normally insist that you pay for your travel using the nominated card to get the free insurance.

* Never leave out pre existing stuff when you are taking out your insurance. If you have ANYTHING wrong with you no matter how minor get clearance from the insurance company. I know of a recent horror story where a traveller had a very very minor fall and scrapped her leg just prior to taking out travel insurance. A few weeks after taking out the insurance her leg blew up into a painful sore which required her to cancel her trip. The insurance company then tried to back away from a $10,000 claim ! After much huffing and puffing they finally gave in. So the lesson here is no matter how minor a complaint you might have at the time of taking out the booking mention it to the agent and get pre clearance. Make sure you note down the agents name and the time you made the call. Bottom line : Insurance companies like to take your money but hate to pay it out.

* Make sure you nominate the big ticket items ! If you read the fine print of your policy It will insure you for say jewellery up to $500 . If your wearing the expensive Rolex worth $2,000 you better mention it because if it gets nicked your out of pocket.

* Read the policy. How many of us just tick the 'I agree' box and never read anything ! This is one document you should read to make sure your covered for everything you want to be covered for. Unfortunately the line " I thought I was covered for that" just does not wash for the insurance companies who will always do everything they can not to pay out !

If you have any additional Travel Insurance secrets we would love to hear them !

FIRST CLASS TRAVEL SECRETS

As us baby boomers retire we start to think "gee all those years cramped in economy with the kids maybe its time to treat ourselves to some First Class or at least Business Class air travel". Its all great right ? Er no. Just like there is a huge difference between different airlines down the back of the bus the same thing applies to the pointy end. Here's some secrets and tips to help you get the most out of your Business or First class ticket.

1. DON'T shop off the airlines web sites. While the airlines can and do play with the cost of those coach tickets , and you can get some good deals , they hardly ever touch their premium seats. Why ? Its because that's where they make the most margin. Shop around on some of the better travel web sites for your First or Business Class ticket and your bound to find a better deal. Also don't necessarily be loyal to your Frequent Flyer plan. If you can get a First class ticket on any airline that is a $1000 cheaper than your Frequent Flyer airline why blow the money for a few extra points ?

2. Avoid American carriers like the plague. Sorry guys they just don't know how to do great stuff at the pointy end. The food  is generally still bad , the glasses are sometimes still plastic , the blankets and pillows are thin , the planes are old and the First Class lounges (unless they are using someone elses) are pretty lacklustre. Last time I was in the First Class Admirals Club lounge at JFK I was given a coupon for 2 drinks and there was a jar of pretzels - please ! If you are travelling outside the USA and you want to get serious about your hard earned bucks going into First or Business Class go with a carrier that knows the meaning of the word. So who is the best ? Generally in all the magazine awards the gongs normally go to the Asian carriers. Here's our list :

* Singapore Airlines. Consistently at the top of the heap. Great service. Lie flat beds even in Business , great food , modern aircraft and top of the range entertainment systems with over 100 movies , games music you name it - you ll never get bored.

* Emirates. The new kid on the block that is chasing Singapore FAST. The newest fleet in the sky. Unbelievable entertainment system. Great food and wine. Attentive if a little cold service and the thing I love about Emirates - free limos to and from the airport for Business or First passengers.

* Etihad. Emirates are chasing Singapore and the other Middle East airlines are out to chase Emirates. I have not travelled with them but I hear they are stunning

* Qantas. The flying kangaroo still does it well with lie flat beds in business class on most flights and superb food and wine. The planes are starting to get a bit old and dirty and some of the interiors need a make over so it can be a bit hit and miss at the moment. Just like the staff. I recently came back London-Hong Kong-Sydney First Class. The London based crew were stunning but the crew out of Hong Kong were tired old and could barely get through the gig.

* Air New Zealand. On the come back trail with new 777's on the North American-South Pacific route. You can also catch them at good prices between LAX and London. You will find the ticket prices are sharp and food and service good. The new aircraft have lie flat beds in their Business Class (see photo with this story). They don't do First anymore. However the fleet upgrade is still on going so check that your getting a bed and not a seat.

* Malaysian. Some call it the poor mans Singapore but they have sharp fares.

* Thai. Some call them the poor mans Malaysian ! I have heard mixed comments.

* British Airways. Poor old aunty. I have had some good flights. But the food is a struggle and the fleets getting old. If your flying across the pond to the UK your probably better off with Virgin Upper Class or from LA I would grab Air New Zealand

3. Beds Vs Seats - Go Figure !. Make sure you check with your nominated carrier that the flight you are on has a lie flat bed and not a seat ! The smarter airlines are upgrading fast. If your in  First Class and it does not have a bed your really not in First Class anymore. And most of the better airlines are putting the beds into Business. A word of warning though. We are in the middle of a lot of fleet upgrades so don't just check if your airline has beds check that the flight you are booked on has beds.

4. Get To The Airport Early and Enjoy the Lounge ! Great airlines have great lounges particularly in their home ports. The Cathay Lounge in Hong Kong is like a five star hotel. Singapore Airlines Singapore hub you could probably spend a week in ! Likewise Emirates at Dubai. Getting to the Airport early allows you time to have a free drink and meal ,catch up on your email , have a shower and just generally chill before the long flight. Your paying for it babe so enjoy the side bits !

We would love to hear any comments or secrets you have for getting the best out of First or Business travel.

SECRETS OF ONE BLUE VIRGIN!

A report in a Sydney paper says a former Virgin Blue pilot has been doing a little flying close to the ground by entering a flight attendants room to make unwanted sexual advances.

"You can trust me I'm your captain" he allegedly said as he entered the girls room ! The 51 year old Captain was in the Industrial Relations Commission over his unfair dismissal claim.

The attendant claimed the pilot tied to kiss her,undress her and made unwanted advances. The pilot claims they merely had a 'mutually enthusiastic sexual engagement".

No truth in the rumour he has been employed by Singapore Airlines as 'chief tester' for the new First Class Suites ! (See story below)

AIRBUS A380 MILE HIGH SECRETS

Word is filtering out that the 'Mile High Club' goes to new levels with Singapore Airlines new Airbus A380. The first mega jet entered service in October. No longer is First Class called a cabin ! Its now your own 'Suite" or could that be 'sweet' ! For the price of a good car you can now be pampered in a separate lie flat double bed in addition to your own private seat .

A spokesman for Singapore Airlines said 'no hiding the sausage allowed' but as one punter said ..." if you can fart and pick you nose in Economy why cant you have a root if First Class ? " 

The first person to book the 'Suite' were Tony & Julie Elwood from Perth. Right girls who want to climb into the sack with Tony (picture)....hmmmm yummy!

And what's the secret behind the sliding door you ask ? For starters a 27 inch by 78 inch stand alone flat bed which is separate form the seat with a whopping 81 inch pitch. Of course there is a 23 inch - hat 23inch TV, USB ports,Internet,a chaise lounge for companion seating blah blah blah.

Here's a video tour of the last word in flying luxury outside your own private jet ! If you have any other A3890 secrets we would love to hear them.

SECRETS TO HOTEL UPGRADES & FREEBIES!

OK so your off for a romantic weekend with the missus,the girlfriend or the parish priest and you want a little more than what you ordered off the Internet site. Here's a little secret that was recently shared with us that you might want to use, Its called the Anniversary excuse'. Now allow yourself plenty of time before you travel to do this and you should be sweet.

After you have made your booking email or write or ring the hotels 'General Manager'. Explain to him/her that " you have made a booking for say your 5th Wedding Anniversary....the hotel was the spot where you met your little lady blah blah blah and you were hoping that you could really surprise her with an perhaps a room upgrade or a little something special like chocolates or flowers or a bottle of champagne....

If you don't get an answer get back in touch 'just to check you got my message'. This secret also works if your looking for a late check out ...."er we want to enjoy our romantic getaway as long as we can....any chance of a 400pm check out...."

The secret is to be incredibly humble...er make that grovelling...If you don't get an answer back run the same line again at check in....whisper your request to check in staff....because you want to surprise you love ...er right !

And does this secret work ? You bet ! I just got back from a long overseas trip that involved 7 different hotels. Three of them I got upgrades,two of them late check outs and one  a free bottle of French Champagne with a nice note from the Manager. Now so I don't appear to a be a complete tosser it really really really was my anniversary...er well at least in six months time ! So if you have an more secrets on getting upgrades and freebies at hotels let us know !!