During my weekly travels I am always quick to strike up a conversation on a plane or in the terminal, and I usually come across other workshifters. Horror stories of travel are swapped and tips and tricks are shared, but I am always amazed at how many of these regular travelers aren't aware of the sites that make my life much easier than it used to be.  Over time, I've come up with my 5 sites for better flights to share with other workshifters and road warriors.

1. Kayak.com
This is where every trip begins for me.  Kayak, named 'Best of the Web' by BusinessWeek, is a site that searches hundreds of travel sites based on your search terms.  Most major airlines are included, but you'll need to go check a few separately (Southwest and JetBlue, for example). After you enter your initial search terms you can use the sliders to narrow down the specific flight you need.  Leave before 7:30am from IND and get to BDL by 11am but leave BDL before 6:30pm that night and get home before midnight?  Yeah, it can take care of that. You can also uncheck boxes to remove certain flights from the results.  I always remove 2+ layovers, and anything going through Chicago O'Hare, and typically check the SkyTeam flights to help with my quest towards the elusive Platinum Elite status.

2. SeatGuru.com
After getting your flights arranged, head over to SeatGuru to figure out where you should be sit on the plane. Just choose your airline and then the plane you'll be traveling on. Seats are ranked as green, yellow or red with remarks in regards to why the seat is rated that way.  Red seats typically are near the lavatory or limited recline. A bulkhead seat might be yellow due to the lack of under-seat storage in front of the seat.  Green seats = exit rows.  Get them while they're hot. (My favorite green seat: 14F on the Continental 737-300... just look at all of that legroom for my lanky 6'3" frame.)

3. TripIt.com
After you set up an account on TripIt, just forward those confirmation emails to plans(at)tripit.com and your itinerary is created. From there you can add hotels, car rentals, and other items for your itinerary.  Download the iPhone app for a quick glance of your trip and be one touch away from maps of addresses in your itinerary, as well as phone numbers for customer service of the airlines/hotels you are using.  Bonus - Check out TripIt Pro for under $10/month and get text message + email updates on all of your flights. When I get the notifications I feel like Shia Lebouf in Eagle Eye with TripIt Pro.  "Disembark at Gate C37.  Your flight departs from Gate A7 at 5:47pm.  You have 49 minutes." If you want to feel like an action movie star as you rush across the terminal, give it a try.

4. Yelp.com
Nothing is worse than getting off of your flight with a rumbling stomach. You've arrived, you've eaten nothing but salty pretzels for 2 hours, and you're hungry.  Search for food on Yelp.com to figure out where you want to eat and how others rate about the place.  Get away from the regular chains and find that hole in the wall you'll be raving about for years to come (hopefully).   

5. search.twitter.com
Yeah, you're on Twitter already.  And yes, you've updated your loyal followers that you have landed and the guy next to you smelled like sweaty gym socks.  But now it's time to really use the power of Twitter.  Whenever I have an extended layover or am looking for some local cuisine and can't decide between what I've found on Yelp, it's off to search.twitter.com I go. It's easy to find people nearby with a quick search or the advanced search, which allows you to search within a certain radius of where you are.

I view every layover as a potential tweetup.  Search your airport code with and without a hashtag (#JFK, for example) and look for others who are tweeting from their layovers.  See if there is anyone interesting passing through and if your terminals are close and the time allows, see if they want to grab a drink or a bite to eat. Just like the popular book states, 'never eat alone'.  Break up your mundane travels and trips with the opportunity to meet others and expand your network.

What do you think?
What are your favorite sites for better flights?  Leave a comment and spread the love.  And as always, happy workshifting!

Brad J Ward is the Chief Explosion Officer at BlueFuego. He is a proud SkyTeam Elite member and thinks a quick flight the best way to boost productivity.  Find Brad on Twitter (@bradjward) and share your favorite tips and tricks with him.