It is finally time to take my vacation. I am very excited since its been a long time since I had the opportunity to take some personal time. My last vacation was well over three years ago. In fact, I planned this trip far in advance so to leave no doubt about my itinerary. I am headed to South America, a place I have never been to. The weather is said to be perfect, sunny and mild.

For the plane ride itself I dressed very casually and comfortably. I have on sweat pants and a loose t-shirt. For sleeping, I plan to change into my Nautica sleepwear. This should be perfect for taking a nap. Given the duration of the trip and since its my first trip in a long time I decided to go business class. This makes for a more comfortable trip as the seats fully recline.

In business class, the airline provides a number of addition amenities. For example, they give a small pouch that contains a night time eye patch, comfortable socks, and also toiletries. The toiletries include, among other things, a tooth brush, paste, comb, floss, and an eau de parfum spray. There are some body wash soaps and the like, as well.

Another advantage of a business class flight is the vast array of menu choices. There are also off menu items that can be requested. I am a vegetarian and this is very helpful given my dietary limitations. The attendants on the flight are very accommodative. There are also a number of entertainment options, including games, movies, and music. I was able to fully take advantage of their offering.

I also brought with me a change of clothes for when we are about to land. I put these items in my carry on. I have a pair of jeans, belt, tank top, and leather brown boots. I am hoping to wake up in time prior to landing so that I have time to change. The rest of the items in my carry on are personal items and valuables. I, of course, have some currency and my passport. This is vital.

Among the valuables, is my new digital camera. I will definitely be getting my money’s worth with this item. The camera is rechargeable and I did not bring any additional memory options. The reason for this is that I plan to download my snapshots onto a web site. This will not only allow my friends to see where I am traveling, but also save space on my camera. There is also an AC convertor. This will be helpful as the electric outlets are different in this part of the hemisphere and not directly compatible with all electrical accessories.

The pilot finally began to speak and announced that we were approaching our destination. Excitement rushed through me. The attendants were advised to prepare for landing. I did likewise. I gathered my accessories, a book, mp3 player, etc. And stored them away. I set my seat in an upright position. I then headed for the rest room to change into my vacation gear. I am finally here!

This holiday season, competition between airlines will dictate the going rate of your flight ticket. Travel columnist Tom Belden recently discussed how one Philadelphia-Boston business traveler was shocked to see US Airways offering a basic round-trip coach ticket costing $1,115 for the 281-mile route, even if he purchased two months in advance! To find a better way, this passenger considered driving or taking the train from Philly to Newark, New Jersey, where he could hop aboard a $270 US Airways flight to Boston, which ironically connected through Philadelphia. “Think about the irony,” Belden writes. “The travelers on US Airways could wind up on the Philadelphia-Boston leg of the trip sitting next to someone who got on in Philadelphia and paid five times as much.” Since Delta pulled its Philadelphia-Boston route in August, there is no competition among carriers, Belden argues. To sort through this madness, many holiday travelers will visit www.farecompare.com, a website full of researched flight deals.

FareCompare is a new website geared toward helping you find the best flight deal, and each day processes feeds from over 500 airlines and more than 270,000 city pairs worldwide. You’ll even see fares from carriers like Jet Blue or Southwest, which typically don’t share their deals with aggregator websites. Their high-tech software delivers fast results for an enjoyable shopping experience. On this website, you can find cut-rate tickets for domestic and international travel, discounted first class flight ticket deals and expert insider travel advice. In addition to finding great deals on flights, you will also find up-to-date information on cheap hotel rooms too.

One of the most popular features at FareCompare is the “Best Time To Buy” tab. If you’re looking for a flight ticket and your departure/return dates are somewhat flexible, you can save yourself as little as $20 or as much as hundreds. The unique thing about this website’s search is that you receive real-time information right away. For instance, you enter your departure city and your arrival city. Then, when you click on the departure date, a calendar will pop up telling you when the cheapest and most expensive flight fares are offered, so you can pick a date accordingly. The same calendar option comes up for your return date as well.

FareCompare understands that many a traveler has been burned on a flight ticket purchase in the past. Conventional wisdom seems to say that planning and purchasing ahead will save you big bucks. However, last year, procrastinators saw record-low prices on their travel due to oil prices dropping from $145/barrel in early July to $60/barrel in early November, not to mention the recession left fewer travelers than expected. FareCompare founder Rick Seaney doesn’t expect this rare confluence of events to occur this year. Oil prices are always a wildcard, of course, but so far it seems like cheap flight ticket deals are in abundance.

Kenny Leichester is a foremost expert in the interior design industry specializing in the outdoor or patio settings using outdoor heaters, patio umbrellas, outdoor cushions, patio lighting and so on to create exquisitely beautiful layout. His work on patio umbrellas are widely distributed and is a regular contributor to PatioShoppers.com.