Follow Friday (#ff) is a good concept: share the names on Twitter who you enjoy following, and maybe your recommendations will help someone else find a new person to connect with. Over time, Follow Friday has turned into a list of names with no explanations or descriptions, possibly because there are a lot of great people to follow and only 140 characters to recommend them in! However, I thought I'd take a few more characters to provide my recommendations and instead share them in this post.
I started following airlines because they are a great source for travel notifications, such as when you can get a waiver on your change fee due to weather disruptions. That is still the primary reason I follow them, but I also like following them for giveaways, contests, trivia, and more. Additionally, they can be incredible customer service agents, with the ability to help you with just about anything a phone agent could do for you (with the exception of booking award tickets)…and no hold times. I know similarly some hotel chains are known for their Twitter service (@hyattconcierge comes to mind) but frankly I've never had a need to contact a hotel. Tweeting a company for customer service needs isn't limited to the travel industry and is a good option if you need a fast answer, though remember not all companies' social media accounts are created equal.
I have a list of bloggers that I read without fail on a daily basis, but to be perfectly honest I don't have the time to read 100+ miles and points bloggers every day and yet another 1000+ more broadly travel-focused blogs. However, I know that some really awesome posts can come from other sources outside of my daily list and I don't want to miss a gem. I love to follow other bloggers on Twitter so that I see their posts pop up on my feed and can click through whenever it catches my eye. It's a great way to scroll through headlines when you don't want 400 subscriptions in your email or RSS reader. Plus, now that I've met many of them (and it feels like I've met even more once you consider the online interaction), I'm not afraid to ask them for tips or suggestions for my next trip! There are way too many people to name, but I'm sure your favorite tweeter is @newgirlintheair?
I love a good deal, even if I only act on 1% of the ones I see. My favorites are @Theflightdeal for super-low prices on airfare, @airfarewatchdog for deals that spring out of non-focus cities, and @bestrateguarantee for savings on hotel rooms. I know there a ton of other deal tweeters out there, but I've found these ones to be most relevant to my needs.
Although I scrimp on airfare and hotels, I'll splurge on meals and activities. To me, those experiences is what travel is all about, but it can take a definite hit on my wallet. There are some great bargains if you know to look for local deals, but who has time to check a dozen daily deal websites for every destination you're headed to? Add the local versions of Groupon (i.e. @GrouponDenver), Living Social, etc. to your Twitter list and you'll see the best deals roll through. When something lines up with your travel plans, instant savings! While you're at it, tourism offices for the city/state/country can also be a great resource.
There are a handful of Tweeters who round-up the latest and greatest about Twitter. Some of my favorites are @Gadling, @HuffPostTravel, @Jaunted, @Vagabondish, and @MatadorNetwork. Sure, they all have their own slant of things and you'll have to experiment a little to find what you enjoy, but they each cover a wide range of topics that round out my day.
Via: London celebrates 60 years on the throne of Elizabeth II
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