Archive for the ‘Chicago’ Category

Why You Can’t NonRev in September

Monday, August 23rd, 2010

I just rode in on Jet Blue and received some bad information for NonRevs. Jet Blue’s All You Can Jet Pass promotion is sold out. That means between September 6th and October 6th the planes will be more than full. I was lucky enough to meet the Senior Analyst for Network Planning and he gave me some great insight on how to NonRev in this difficult period.

With the kids going back to school,  September is known to be a great time to non-rev because the loads are low. This is why JetBlue does this promotion now. That means the demographics of people flying will be those without kids. Without those kids, there won’t be child weights on the numbers and more planes at JetBlue having weight and balance issues. So that empty seat may not be available. Make sure you ask when you sign if it will matter and plan you options accordingly.

According to last years numbers, the worst days to travel is Fridays and Sundays. The don’t have hard numbers for this year because the promotional passes can be booked up to 3 days prior to a flight. And don’t worry about the people booking a seat and not showing up because JetBlue has as ingenious solution, charge them $100 or more if they don’t show up!

The worst city pair was between Chicago and New York. The interesting thing is this is one of the shortest legs they have. It also shows how underserved this market really is. Hey Airlines! This is a hint! More seats between New York and Chicago! And guess what the busiest airport will be? JFK, their hub.

The best solutions to this problem in NonReving to New York I have written in a post “Top 5 Reasons You Can’t Non-Rev to New York.” I have the 5 top problems but more importantly the solution and the ways to avoid the problem. But the best solution to bring chocolate, lots of chocolate. Gate Agents love that stuff. I think it has something to do with their stress level.

Chicago’s Crown Jewel FOR FREE

Saturday, October 17th, 2009

Chicago is now known for another landmark, the Bean. This sculpture is so engrained in the city’s persona, it real name has fallen by the wayside. This is the spirit of Chicago, and the spirit of Millinium Park.

Millenium park is the crown jewel of the city. It represents the attitude of the mayor’s vision to bring the city into the future. Not only is the bean part of the park, but so are futuristic fountains that squirt water from mouths of images of actual people. Besides that are art exhibits of unique sculptures, all for free. If you happen to have children, there is an area dedicated jst for them.

This free attraction in Chicago apitimized the new vibrence of the city. To pass this FREE attraction up is not frugal at all.
See more free attractions at Nonrevwebsite Chicago Attraction. See more free attractions from arond the world at Nonrevwebsite.

Save $119, Top 10 Free Chicago Attractions

Thursday, March 5th, 2009

As a site that prides itself in finding the best deals when you travel, we think this is a great list. What makes it so great is the fact that it encompasses the best attractions the city has for FREE. These are places you will want to go, your children will want to go, and they are all FREE. Did I mention they were free?

With the financial difficulties we are all going through, I hope this list will help entertain you and your family and allow you to save money for things you might need it for, like a mortage. So take this list and share it with everyone you know. And feel free to share your own free things to do in Chicago. 

  1. Field Museum – Special FREE Days Savings $23.00
  2. Shedd Aquarium – Special Free Days Savings $15.95
  3. Chicago History MuseumFree Monday Savings $14.00
  4. Museum of Science and Industry – Free Days Savings $13.00
  5. Lincoln Park Zoo Free Days  Estimated Value $12.00
  6. Art Institute of Chicago – Free Days Savings $12.00
  7. Museum of Contemporary Art – Free Days Savings $10.00
  8. Adler Planetarium Free Days Savings $10.00
  9. Chicago Children’s Museum – Free Days Savings $9.00
  10. John Hancock Building

Your can see all othese with links to the days they are free at on our Chicago Free Attraction Section. Please feel free to share this and add your free attractions. The person you give this too may give you a tip to a great free attraction.

Pleasure or Pork

Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009

As a resident of Chicago working in Atlanta, I get asked about the Earmarked Project that caused an uproar. Remember last year when a Presidential Candidate talked about the $3 Million dollar Pork Barrel overhead projector?

Now you can see that overhead projector for free. That’s Right, the Adler Planetarium has free days, or as they call them Discount Days. For the General Public that means a savings of $10.
Besides viewing Chicago’s most famous Pork Project, there are several great exhibits on my favorite subject, Travel. In this case it is Space Travel and the destination is the Moon. The exhibit titled Shoot for the Moon includes “exciting stories of space exploration and America’s bold plans to return to the Moon.” It’s devided into two parts. The first, A Journey with Jim Lovell, tells the history of space travel while Mission Moon describes our future plans to returning and colonizing the moon. There is even an interactive section on what space travel will be like for young astronauts.
If you would like to see other free attractions or more deals in Chicago, visit our Cheap Cities section.