How to get notified of airline open days

Hearing: Michael Buble - Haven't met you yet

If you read my last post on my almost Japan trip you will remember that i mentioned trying to rent a room in Tokyo through a website called Sakura-House. While browsing the site i came across several buildings i wouldn't mind renting a room in but not all the rooms were available and the room status could change from day to day as people already renting could move to another location without losing a months rent.

So what does all this have to do with helping you get notified about airline open days? Well, as it was becoming a time consuming task to check each buildings site to see if there had been changes (and even if there were any - did i notice?) i went in search of a little technical help.

ChangeDetection.com is one heck of a nifty site and it saved me a LOT of time and effort. It basically monitors a webpage you nominate and then emails you when there are changes and actually highlights whats changed! Brilliant! I used it to monitor the buildings and got notified when a room status had changed and i could easily tell which room it was.

You, however, can use this FREE service to keep tabs on your favourite airline. If the airline publishes updates of when and where it is holding open days you can get notified. If it publishes new jobs, you can get notified. If you need to login to see job opportunities - you cant get notified. But hey, its still a fantastic little tool. And you are sure to know as soon as something comes up so you can relax knowing that you wont miss an upcoming opportunity.

For example, say you wanted to keep an eye on the Emirates open day schedule all you would have to do is copy the URL of that page paste it into the changedetection.com website and provide your email address. Anything happens to that site and you'll get an email. Not too shabby huh?

Of course there are other tools and websites out there that can do the same thing for you, I'm just mentioning this one because i have used it (i have not been paid to review or recommend it). It might not be the best or it might, either way it does the job and i found it really useful. Try it for yourself.

VP

Disclaimer: Please use at your own risk, if an opportunity is missed for any reason through using the changedetection.com site or similar VP & Globetrotter Postcards cannot be held accountable. It is recommended that you test out the features of such sites ensuring they give you correct results before relying on them.

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My almost Japan trip

Hearing: Dr. Dre, Skylar Grey & Eminem - I Need a Doctor

It is quite obvious to anyone who has been reading this blog for a while that i haven't really don't much by way of travelling. In fact "Globetrotter Postcards" should be renamed to "Stay at home Postcards". Since my trip to Thailand in 2009 i actually haven't been on any overseas trip. I hang my head in shame. For someone who for two years barely spent a week on the ground at one time this has been a drastic turn of events and a huge adjustment. However, i must say that my confinement has been of my own infliction. I made myself promise that i would not go anywhere after Thailand unless it was to Japan.

Shibuya Crossing (http://www.flickr.com/photos/poagao/2305789735/)

All my close friends know that Japan has been a dream of mine since i was in year 3 and my teacher introduced this strange and vastly different culture and language into the classroom. Since then i took Japanese in high school and a semester at Uni. Even flying with my old airline was meant to get me that bit closer. The airline was meant to fly there 6 months after i joined. It ended up flying there 6 months after i left instead.

Shinjuku (http://tumblr.inky.me/post/112921528)

So i saved and saved and saved! I planned to be there a month during cherry blossom season and then one day i would post live from the heart of Tokyo. Surprise! But nature had other plans it seems.

Cherry Blossoms in bloom (http://www.accessjapan.co.uk/newlookimages/CherryblossomsKanonjiRiverFukushima800.jpg)

Unless you have been living under a rock, you would have heard of the disaster that Japan went through  almost 6 weeks ago and is still recovering from. I had my ticket booked - a bargain on sale with Jetstar - my first nights accommodation and had planned to sit down on the 16th to book the remainder of my accommodation (more on that a bit later). But disaster struck the day before and a huge earthquake hit off the coast of north-eastern Japan and was of such magnitude that it was felt all the way down to Tokyo. The city of Sendai was wiped out - literally - by the massive and crushing tsunami that hit in the wake of the earthquake. To top things off the 3 nuclear reactors were under threat. In the days that followed there were explosions, areas evacuated for fear of radiation and a rush to try and avoid a total nuclear meltdown.

I watched the news with horror and sadness over the loss of lives and the devastation. I agonised for a week over different options and all sorts of pro/con arguments regarding my trip but in the end i cancelled my trip. It wasn't an easy choice.

Japan to me has always been a very unique place. I'm not just talking about the ultra modern Tokyo. I'm talking about the festivals, the tradition, the people. My trip was to take me to Tokyo, Kyoto/Osaka, Hiroshima. I was planning to rent out a room in Tokyo through Sakura House, dump my stuff there and travel around the country lightly. It worked out cheaper than other types of accommodation and would give me a chance to meet expats who lived and worked in Tokyo. It is a bit tricky to book with them though as they only allow "advanced bookings" if you arrival coincides with a room being available no longer than 2 weeks, that can be a bit tricky. The best thing to do then is just wait till you have 2 weeks left before you arrive and book then.

I haven't given up my dream. It has just been postponed to next years Cherry Blossom season, who knows, maybe by then I'll have enough to keep me there longer than a month!

If you are interested in helping Japan recover, please donate to the Japan and Pacific Disaster Appeal. While Japan is a country that bounces back well from disasters, its people still need all the help they can get and any little bit extra can go a long way.

VP

http://www.phototravels.net/japan/japan-sakura.html

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