Use TripAdvisor to do research and compare prices for conference travelling

The street beach in Brisbane, really worth a visit

I only joined TripAdvisor in 2013, but since then this website is an important part of my research ritual for conference travelling. This is not the only site I use for research. When attending a cruise conference or combining a conference with a cruise, I also check Cruisecritic and for flights also Travelstart and Airwander. Mostly, I use the Tripadvisor site to read reviews by other travellers before deciding where to book accommodation especially when we are not familiar with the city or neigbourhood. 

A recent trip to Trinidad to attend the Transatlantic Race and Religion Round table (TRRR) conference (which will be held in Washington in 2017), we decided to end the conference trip with a weekend in Tobago. The reviews on Tripadvisor helped me to search for something nice, not too expensive and with a good average rating. 

Another time, when we visited Brisbane in Australia, I booked the hotel that was recommended by the conference organisers and nearly fainted when I read the reviews afterwards on TripAdvisor. So I did damage control by requesting a room not facing the railway tracks, on a higher floor where the noise level would be less and the refurnishing already done.

When reading reviews, make sure that you read both positive and negative ones and also check the dates as some of the reviews dates back a few years. You will get a more accurate description of both the positive and negative points of the hotel here, rather than on the hotel web page. However, when you want to book, make sure that you also check the hotel web page for better structured packages and prices.   

Use TripAdvisor to plan, compare, review and even book accommodation, flights, restaurants, things to see and do (including tours) or to ask questions about your travelling which often comes in very handy indeed. 

Save money and see the world with stopover flights

On our way back to SOuth Africa from Australia, we opted for a stopover at the magnificent Viceroy Abu Dhabi hotel - worth every cent and a must for all Formula 1 fans like us

A relatively new search engine to look for nice stopover experiences when flying is Airwander. The purpose of this page is to travel more by adding stopovers that allows you to discover more of the world while on your way to and from your destination. More often than not, these stopover flights are cheaper than non-stop flights, and you get to see places that your normally would not. This works best when you do not have a preferred airline because adding stopovers for less often requires the use of regional airlines (which can be challenging and adventurous).

When using the Airwander page to search for nice and affordable stopovers, do not change the currency to South African Rand. Keep it in US Dollar of Euro or Pound (I usually keep it in US Dollar and convert later to our currency). For some strange reason, when changing the currency to our Rand, some Internet pages start to act strangely. I saw this also when searching for hotel rooms, and it is even true for large hotels that have South African interests, like the Hilton group. If the currency is in US Dollars, there are 15-20 options on the page, but change the currency to Rand and suddenly there are no rooms available. Why providing such an option then, we all ask but as you know, there are no answers to such questions.

Keep in mind the time of year when you search for stopovers. In some places, winter can be a challenge if you are stuck in a small city due to a snowstorm and unable to get to your destination in time. Other places, like the United Arab Emirates, is much cheaper during their summer months than during their winter time. Talking about the UAE, I just got the call for papers fro the 4th International Conference on Humanities, Social Sciences and Education (ICHSSE-17), and the due date is the 1st of January - so not much time if you want to present at this conference on March 13-14, in Dubai.

Avoid paying for seats on the aircraft and getting faster service

Emirates has a nice selection of special meals to order from but on the down side they also charge additional fees to select a seat on long international flights

After many many years, we once again had a rainy Christmas. Nearly 20 mm of rain soaked the earth and the day went by much quieter than usual because the neighbours preferred not to gather around the pool and the barbecue. With Christmas gone for another year, we can start looking at those abstracts (you still have a week for the ICDE early bird abstract), conferences and travelling. 

Well, let us focus on how to get faster service on aircraft first. When booking, you can choose your meal preferences. Make sure that you choose something other than the standard meal and you will be served first with your meal. That way you will be finished with your meal and already sleeping or watching a movie when the standard meal cart arrives at your side. Depending on the airline, you will have a good or great selection to choose from and if you are adventurous, try something you do not usually eat at home. There are also religious food options on most international flights. The down side of this is that more and more people are ordering special meals and therefore even this service is becoming slower than what it used to be. 

More and more airlines add fees when you want so select a specific seat, even on long international flights. This must also be brought into consideration when doing the initial research for the costs of the ticket because you normally pay in US Dollars or Euros which could add a significant amount to the price of the ticket. One way to avoid this is to select your seat only when you check in, usually 24 to 48 or 72 hours before the flight but then most of the better seats are already taken. You can also use your loyalty membership benefits to ensure that you do not need to pay for your seat. Normally, when you reach the second level of membership, your benefits include options to select a seat when booking without having to pay for it and the option to board with first class and business class passengers even if your seat is in economy class. So do check the benefits of the different levels of membership of your preferred airlines and start to use them to your advantage the next time you travel. 

Get set for next year but do take a break

 Christmas roses outside a store in Montreal

Due to the fact that the sale of air tickets will soon end - Qatar and Emirates sales will end next week - I bought our 2017 tickets yesterday. I did not know this beforehand, but one piece of important information that you need to know when trying to book by combining miles and cash, is that if one part or leg of the itinerary is not provided by your preferred airline,  you cannot use your miles to pay. We have a short leg from Los Angeles to Seattle and the service provider is not Emirates but Air Alaska. And we cannot use our miles to book the other legs. Fortunately, we will also fly to Toronto with no other short legs, so we will be able to use our miles to book that flight. We used Emirates because the fly to more destinations than Qatar, and we get better service due to our higher loyalty status with Emirates but I am still investigating a few other options for the flights later next year. 

Remember to also research and book your hotel stays and airport transfers. And also the extra tours if needed. I have a notebook (yes even in the computer age note books do have a purpose), in which I write the entire itinerary, including all the booking reference numbers and also indicate if the booking is already paid or not. This small book fits into my backpack and I can easily refer to it when at the airport for the reference number of the shuttle or the hotel. 

Academic life is coming to a standstill for a while over the Christmas and New Year festive time. The university closed at noon today and those of us who are planning to do some academic work will have to do it from home or on our lap tops from where we will be. As usual, most academics have to work on abstracts, overdue articles or research that just never get done in time. May your work be successful and may you also have a wonderful time with your loved ones during this festive season. 

A few more travel assistance tips to investigate during the holidays

This was the view from our hotel room in Sydney where we got a room upgrade due to our loyalty membership

Paying with your credit card for air tickets usually means that you do not need to buy additional insurance from the airline. Contact your credit card provider or bank to find out what type of insurance they offer before you make the booking at the airline because different cards and different levels (for example gold or platinum) have different benefits.  Some countries also ask for proof of medical insurance when you apply for a visa. Your medical scheme also provides some medical cover depending on the option you have chosen, so also contact the medical aid to enquire about your options.

Be flexible if you can when investigating hotel costs and remember to check for extended stay discounts. Hotels often offer cheaper deals when you book for a longer period, sometimes more than three days or more than five days or seven days. This means that you can plan for an extra day or two to do sightseeing and visit local tourist attractions without paying much more.  Also, check if it is really cheaper to book Bed and Breakfast because the breakfast is often very expensive and if you do not need to be at the hotel early morning, you can get breakfast at a fraction of the price elsewhere. I already spoke a few weeks ago about the benefits of a loyalty membership at hotel groups and I really think this is a good way of saving money and getting nice upgrades to what we can afford.

And check the rand value before you book air tickets, hotels, excursions, or make any other travel related payments. This is not an easy thing to do because we never know what the rand will do next, but I always try to do bookings when the rand is on an upward curve (and not when there is sensational breaking news that upsets the financial applecart).

Academic citizenship expansion during the festive season

Beautiful Mauritius, more than just the sea

Academic citizenship at our institution means more than just the need to present at conferences and publish articles related to our presentations. We constantly need to expand our involvement to fulfil our obligations to our institutions. During the festive season, I usually have a few days leave and because I have tons of work to play catch-up with, I am normally in front of my computer. So, when I want to take a break, I look for some extra things that I want to be involve with but during the year simply cannot find the time to do some research on.  

One such web page that provides links to extra opportunities for involvement is that of Common Ground Publishing. Most of you probably already know that Common Ground Publishers changed to a non-profit organization and that they are now known as Common Ground Research Networks.  Visit the page if you are interested in becoming an associate editor, join the advisory board, become a Research Network partner or even if you want to host one of the Common Ground conferences. You can also publish a book or publish articles in their 77 journals. Also, ensure that you sign up for their new and still expanding social platform called Scholar to broaden your academic network.

If you are still undecided about the conferences you want attend in 2017, there are 24 different research networks including most academic disciplines linked to Common Ground. Some of the networks, like the Sustainability network already has a call for papers for both 2017 and 2018. And I also saw that the Interdisciplinary Research Network will host their 2017 conference in Hiroshima, Japan, in 2017. I previously blogged about The Learner Research Network conference that we attended in Mauritius which was a very positive experience. Common Ground was established in 1984 and they really have the knowhow and experience to host wonderful conferences. 

Sale: Book and buy your 2017 conference air tickets now

The emirates flag in the background is also on the tails of their aircraft

Both Qatar and Emirates are promoting their annual sale prices of air tickets. If you book on Qatar before 26 December and fly before 16 June 2017, you will save 10% in economy class and 15% in business class which could add up to a few hundred rand. If you also sign up to their loyalty programme and book on-line you will get a bonus of 2000 miles extra. And remember that you can also book a stopover in Doha – definitely worth considering.

Well, almost all that is said about Qatar is equally true of Emirates.  If you book before 28 December and fly between now and end of March, or middle April to end November, you will see that the cost of the tickets is cheaper – the flights I am monitoring are more than R600 cheaper. Direct Flights are cheaper than multi-city flights when booked on this special offers and remember to also look for alternative airports or transit airports that could be cheaper.  Emirates also have Featured fare specials available until 18 January 2017, but there are terms and conditions linked to these prices so make sure that you know what you are buying.

Personally, I prefer to fly with Qatar, but seldom do so because of their limited destinations and partner options (when compared with Emirates). We will go to Los Angeles and from there to Seattle. When searching for options on this, booking on Emirates provided me with more than 20 options throughout the day and on different airlines. When trying to do such a booking on the Qatar page, Seattle simply could not be selected.

It is worth taking some of your well-deserved time off to search and compare the airline fares during the festive season to prepare properly for the 2017 academic conferences. Even if the university is paying for the ticket, it is to the benefit of both the institution and the academic to save on expenses. And if you are planning to take someone with you on the next international trip, do your research and compare prices but also take advantage of the sale options by your favourite airlines.

Excellent opportunities are often lost because of not paying attention to detail

Ackland: there is always time for tourism while attending a conference

Excellent opportunities are often lost because of not paying attention to detail  

I often delete conference calls from my inbox after scanning the name of the organization and then deciding that it is not really in my field of specialization although I would like to visit the host university or city. Take for instance the call for papers from the Australian Historical Association for their annual conference 3-7 July 2017 at the University of Newcastle. Even if you get to read the theme which is ‘Entangled Histories’ many of you will think that you will not be able to present at this conference. But read this: ‘The conference theme will explore the ways in which peoples, ideas and goods circulated across the boundaries of empires and nations. ‘Entangled History’ views all cultures and societies as connected. We welcome submissions that consider the value of entangled frameworks for historical analysis from all historical periods, themes and research areas.’ Don’t you agree that this description opens up opportunities for a much larger number of academics to present their research?

In addition to the general theme, the following are also included: Indigenous histories; histories of violence; migration and refugee histories; Mobilities, transnational spaces and borders in history; histories of sexuality; digital histories; histories of health, illness and disability; intimate histories of families and localities; public histories and cultural heritage. Affiliated with the conference, there are also strands included on Women’s history, environmental history, religious history and oral history.

Because I am a theologian, I attended two previous conference and presented papers in the Religious history strands while enjoying the general history discussions of the main strand and other themes very much. I presented on South African Church History and the level of understanding and knowledge of our situation surprised me. I also met people from Australia and New Zealand who were doing research on aspects of South African history and culture and we engaged in interesting and thought provoking discussions. 

Reminders about upcoming conferences and a few more tips to consider during the holidays

Always nice to fly during the holiday season. This was a few years ago in the terminal building of Cape Town airport

Keep in mind that the early call for papers is open for the International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE). If you submit your proposal before the end of December, you will get feedback by the end of January and you will have enough time to do research and planning for the trip in October 2017 to this conference that is hosted every second year. 

For those of you who are planning to attend the Postgrad supervision conference in Stellenbosch end of March 2017, the organisers added interesting tours before and after the conference dates that can add value to this experience. If you are not a member of the young (2016) Postgraduate Forum for Southern Africa yet, please join this very important and enriching forum either now or while attending the conference at Spier. 

And now for a few for money saving tips when travelling: Compare the price of the airport shuttle or Gautrain with hiring a car (when using loyalty miles you get really good car rental deals). For us (we are however, normally two or three persons travelling together) it is usually much cheaper to rent a car and drop it off at the airport than taking the shuttle. The car hire drop off and pick up points are conveniently near to the terminals at OR Tambo airport.

If you do not yet use WhatsApp on your phone, download it immediately as this will not only save you lots on money while travelling internationally, it will also lower your mobile phone bill immediately. Using this application, you can chat (like sms), send photos or videos and even call for free. Yes, also from outside the country, as long as you have a Wi-Fi connection. This is super: We were sitting next to the pool in Tobago recently and could first send a video of our surroundings before calling the kids without having to keep it short because it did not cost us anything. 

Be flexible; it saves money and provides additional sightseeing opportunities

Ask yourself - do I need to fly? What about the bus, boat or train?  

When doing research to book your tickets to attend an international conference, look further than the obvious choices. A few years ago, one of the air ticket options was significantly cheaper. At first I thought it would be because of a long airport lay-over, but when I investigate, I saw that the airline substituted an air ticket between Belgium and France with a first class super-fast train ticket. We decided to take this option because 1) at that stage super-fast trains were something we really would like to see and experience, 2) this way we would be able to see much more of the two countries and 3) because of the price. We enjoyed every second on this trip.

Also note that alternative and nearby airports, such as Gatwick and Heathrow in London or our own OR Tambo and Lanseria, often offer cheaper and sometimes even more convenient options for you to choose from, so included these options when you enter information into the search engine or ask the travel agent to investigate such alternative options for you. Sometimes, however an air ticket can be cheaper but the visa cost, even for transit only, could be much higher. This is one of the reasons I start doing research months before I need to book a flight.

When you are investigating tourist attractions and things to do and see before or after the conference, also keep in mind that it is often cheaper to book and pay online and in advance. We normally do this for accommodation, the transfers from and to the airports and scheduled tours such as Viator or the Big Red Bus Tours. This way we not only save money, but most of the expenses is paid before we leave, so we do not need to calculate and keep track of all payments while travelling. 

Conferencing on a tight budget

The lovely botanical garden next to the harbour in Sydney which does not charge an entrance fee.

Today I want to share with you a few more tips for conferencing on a tight budget as this is always the case when we travel – there is no extra money. So, over the years we discovered a few things that make it easier to enjoy as much as possible without having to spend too much money.

One of the most important things that saves me money and also add wonderful experiences to our travelling is to shop where the locals shop. Local supermarkets provide a great variety of local foods at a fraction of the price that you have to pay for hotel food. We normally book bed and breakfast and rely on our own supply of food from home (rusks, cookies, dried fruit and nuts if the country allows these in; cup-a-soup and instant noodles), and small purchases at supermarkets if needed to get us through the day. Often the conference organisers provide lunch and tea so we do not need much more.

Supermarkets usually also stock local speciality products at a much lower price than the airport shops and the souvenir shop. Recently, in Canada, the supermarket around the corner from the hotel sold exactly the same little bottles of maple syrup as the souvenir shop at a lower price. In Mauritius the supermarket provided a large variety of souvenirs and, to our amusement and shock, also magic mushrooms! No, we did not buy the mushrooms, only a beautiful seashell.

Another great way to keep money in your pocket and still enjoy authentic experiences while travelling is to do research before you travel and to note all the things you can do and places you can visit for free. Most travel web sites list these activities and it often includes unexpected delights such as the free rides on the white and red boats in Brisbane which my husband calls 'floating coke-bottles'. We enjoyed riding on these boats daily during our stay there to explore the city and to enjoy the view from the river – for free.

Conference on trauma and the Spirituality of Children and the Youth

Unisa - the African university in serve of humanity

Today I want to promote a local conference because of the very important theme that will be addressed. You will most probably not find it easy to locate the call for abstracts on the web, therefore I will include the essential information and also the information that will assist you to contact the organisers. Although this will probably not be a very large conference (I guess just more than 50 people, but hopefully around 100), the topic is relevant to all and the key note speakers will undoubtedly provide us with powerful insight, challenges on how to become involved and stimulate our thoughts and reflections. Here is the short description on the call for abstracts:

‘Trauma can impact children and youth on a physical, emotional, social and spiritual level, causing distress in all of these areas. However, not enough emphasis has been placed on the spiritual consequence of trauma on children and youth. This conference will aim to bring together scholars from various disciplines in order to present research, encourage conversations and critically reflect on the impact of trauma on the spirituality of children and youth.

We invite papers from multiple disciplines, addressing the spiritual trauma children and youth can experience when faced with adversities such as violence and crime, the death of a loved one, accidents, life-threatening and life-limiting illnesses and other healthcare experiences, bullying and cyber bullying, abuse and sexual abuse and pornography.’

This multi-discipline conference will be held at the main campus of the University of South Africa in Pretoria on the 27th and 28th of July 2017. Abstracts should be submitted by 31 March 2017 and must not exceed 250 words. Please send your abstracts to either aposta1 or oberhae at (@)unisa.ac.za, both who are linked to the Department of Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology at Unisa. 

Mauritius in July is a must!

The beautiful Sugar beach resort on the west coast of Mauritius.

Oh, combining a conference with a few days on this magical island in July, when it is not too hot to swim or tan or dive or paddle in the sun, is absolute magic (especially when it is winter cold in South Africa). Bonuses are the fact that the flight is not that far and you do not have to pay a lot of money for a visa. So, when academic conferences are listed for July in Mauritius, do investigate and plan accordingly.

In 2017, there will be two conferences running simultaneously in Port Louis by the end of July (26-27 with an additional one day tour of the island at an extra cost of $100). The first conference is the 20^th International Conference on Social Sciences and Humanities (ICSSH). The call for papers is open and the last date for submission in 15 February 2017. This is a general conference with a long list of themes and a long list of invited speakers – do check it out on the web page.

Secondly, the 21^st International Conference on Teaching, Education and Learning (ICTEL) will take place on the same dates and also have the option of a one day tour. Presenters to both conferences pay a registration fee of $400. The web site has an impressive list of themes to guide prospective presenters on a choice of topic. I really like conferences with a wide scope of themes because you can learn and network with people who are specialists in fields adjacent to yours and with whom there is a possibility to start networks an

d multi and interdisciplinary cooperation.

And lastly a tip on accommodation: We stayed on the west coast of Mauritius (to be able to take nice photos of the sunset over the sea) at a resort. We rented a car at the airport and drove each day to the conference venue. That way we effectively combined a holiday with the working and networking opportunity of attending a conference on the one hand and also explored the island and interact with its population on the other hand.