Cybertrack - 11

www.airsafe.com

A site that I wish was around before I took my first flight. A wealth of information for the air traveller, including, for the ones like me who are nervous flyers, reassuring information on air safety.
There’s stuff here that’s invaluable for the first time flyers of course: tips and advice on security, what one should avoid carrying, safety and security concerns, especially in the post-9/11 world, and much else. It goes beyond the stuff in minute print on your tickets (does anyone manage to read all that?), and, in fact, to things you’re unlikely to find airlines telling you, like how to make a complaint. One particularly useful section deals with travelling with children, and for children travelling unaccompanied.
But, by the site’s own admission, the most popular sections have to do with accidents and fatalities and the statistics thereof. I’m guessing they were originally meant to help make the case for how safe air travel is, but human nature being what it is, you’ll see that half the items in the Most Requested Information have to do with fatalities. They’re available sorted by airline, aircraft model, even airports. Thankfully for my blood pressure, there’s also lists of airlines without fatalities.
One of the negatives is the lack of clear distinction between links on the site and links elsewhere. Which can get irritating when one clicks through what looks like being a useful page to find that it merely lists links elsewhere, many of which turn out to be paid sites or promotions for books, CDs or courses.
Overall? Useful, though a tad too many body counts for this passenger.


Published in Outlook Traveller, July 2006 edition.

Tags: Outlook Traveller, Cybertrack