What is CheapOAir & Is It Legit?

What experiences have you had booking through CheapOAir? I am booking a flight and found the site is $100 cheaper than every other site including Kayak, Travelocity, Orbitz, and the airline's website. It sounds too good to be true?  Has anyone had any experience with the service?

Tips: 

Be mindful of the fact that you are buying tickets for consolidators. If you do not know what that means, you may want to do a Google search. With them, there is nothing wrong, but you should be an educated customer. When you book from a third party, read your ticket's terms and conditions carefully. You will normally pay additional fees that are not levied by the airlines. 

Perhaps the largest value with them right now would be their buy now, pay later tickets. If you want to buy a ticket after you are hoping Covid will end, a low deposit could help you minimize your financial loss, should the pandemic stretch out longer than planned for.

If you are inclined to change your own itinerary, Cheapo is not for you, because the fees are steep.

The only problem that came up is the same sort of problem you get with using most third-parties. When I missed my connecting flight due to a storm delay on my first flight, it was hell trying to talk to someone about getting a new flight and accommodations for the night since I didn't book through the airline. Still a cheap flight, though.

There were quite a few additional fees, buying checked bags, etc. that showed up as you completed the purchase that brought the price up.

What is CheapOAir?

CheapOair partners with more than 400 carriers, including Air France, Jet Blue, Spirit Airlines, and United Airlines. Comparing airline, hotel, or cruise options and booking them at your leisure is simple on the online travel platform.  Every fare comes with the price-match guarantee of CheapOair-if you find a cheaper price within 24 hours of booking for the very same itinerary, CheapOair matches it and refunds you the difference.

Signing up with CheapOair helps you to control your travel directly from your account, review previous transactions, and monitor flights. For every $1 spent, members will have the added advantage of collecting points, which can lead to discounts of up to 20 percent for flights and 55 percent on hotel bookings. 

Members can also gain points by recommending to friends and family members or by using a credit card from CheapOair, which can be used to earn points for regular transactions, flights, hotels, and car rentals. 

CheapOair lets you browse cheap flight offers through its online booking system at more than 30,000 domestic and foreign locations. To have discounted stays, the organization also partners with hotels, motels, and resorts. With Enterprise, Alamo, and Budget by CheapOair, you can get additional savings.

CheapOair's service rates start at $25 per ticket and extend on all domestic or international U.S. flights. Because of special circumstances, these fees can vary, including business and first-class airfares or fares for unaccompanied minors. The table below shows the most common service fees from CheapOair.

Here is more info on CheapOAir fees. 

Where Does AT&T Have 5G & 5G+ Coverage?

By committing to 5G requirements back in 2016, AT&T began running on a 5G network. Presently, with their low-band and millimeter wave spectrum network, they are already serving customers. The coverage map of AT&T 5G includes 190 regions of approximately 120 million individuals by April 2020. Of these, the low-band network encompasses 80 million individuals.

Why Does iOS 14 & Health App Drain Battery?

Draining your battery life with iOS 14? You're not the only owner of an iPhone with that problem.

Apple iPhone owners have complained about their battery life being dramatically shortened after updating their smartphone to the latest operating system, known as iOS 14, which launched on September 16, 2020, worldwide.

First off, installing a new OS on an iPhone triggers a lot of stuff to go on in the background, from indexing to recalibrating the battery, and this can go on for hours or even days. Not only does this consume power, but the battery recalibration can give the impression that the battery is draining more rapidly.  Add to this the dual-factor that accompanies a new release and several software updates, coupled with a ton and new functionality available that can bring further drain on an older smartphone.

My advice stays the same -- turn off the Health App don't worry about your iPhone's battery for a week or so after installing a new iOS. It takes time for things to normalize. If you go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health and the message is that it is good for Peak Performance Capability, then it's either just the normal stuff going on or a bug.

I suspect that having the health app do contact tracing running the background doesn't help also.  Read more about what does the iOS health app contact tracing do? Contact tracing is part of the process of supporting patients and warning contacts of exposure in order to stop chains of transmission. It works by logging when two people have been in close proximity to each other for a substantial period of time. If one of the users is later diagnosed as having the disease, an alert can be sent to others they have recently been close to, telling them that they should also get tested and/or self-isolate.  This likely requires a lot of processing power in the background of your phone. 

Note that rolling back to iOS 13 doesn't help here because that too would be a new operating system, and would need to go through that initial setup period before things settled down.

Not only could there be bugs in iOS 14 that affect battery life, but developers have been given almost no time to release apps that are ready for iOS 14, so problems are to be expected.

So yes, I know it's annoying, but just charge your iPhone more, and keep a power bank or wireless charging pad nearby and see if things settle down after a few days.

For Apple Watch owners

I would recommend unpairing and re-pairing your watch to your phone. It will save all your faces, apps, and settings in the process and it solved the battery drain issue for me. I had to charge my watch multiple times a day after updating to watchOS 7. Then I repaired it and now I get the same or better battery life than I had before the iOS 14 and watchOS 7 updates.

Please add any additional comments or suggestions below . . . 

iOS 14 Wifi and Battery issues Continue After Bug Fix Update

On September 16, Apple launched iOS 14 for all compatible iPhones and also rolled out the iOS 14.0.1 update after just one week. Some problems that came along with the iOS 14 update were resolved by this update. But it seems the latest update has some glitches in it as well.

To fix bugs that were reported in the iOS 14 update, Apple released iOS 14.0.1. The bugs addressed in this update were: 

• Fixes a problem that could trigger your iPhone to reset the default browser and mail settings after restarting 
• Addresses a problem that could prevent displays of camera previews on iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus 
• Fixes a problem that might impede the connection of your iPhone to Wi-Fi networks 
• Solve a problem that could prohibit some mail providers from sending an email 
• Addresses a problem that might prevent the appearance of photos in the News widget

To fix the above-mentioned problems, Apple has rolled out this new update, but after downloading it, the bugs still continue to pop up. There were some unfixed issues and the update came along with some new issues.

These include problems with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and widespread problems with widgets. Keyboard lag, device instability, and weak battery life are the latest bugs identified following the update. 

This is the beginning of a big update, and in the upcoming updates, there will be some bugs that will be repaired. Apple is looking forward to the 14.0.2 update to iOS that will address these problems.

Resetting network settings -- go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings -- helps some people experiencing connectivity issues, but for others does nothing other than creating the hassle of having to add back devices and networks.

Performance aside, here’s the list of devices that are supported.

Supported iPhone models

• iPhone 11
• iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max
• iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max
• iPhone XR
• iPhone X
• iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus
• iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus
• iPhone 6S
• iPhone 6S Plus
• iPhone SE (1st and 2nd generation)

Supported iPad models

• iPad Pro 12.9-inch (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th generation)
• iPad Pro 11-inch (1st and 2nd generation)
• iPad Pro 10.5-inch
• iPad Pro 9.7-inch
• iPad (5th, 6th, and 7th generation)
• iPad mini (4th and 5th generation)
• iPad Air (2nd and 3rd generation)

FCC Finally Cracking Down On “Spoofing Phone Calls"

The FCC reports that more than $3 billion a year could be saved by cracking down on robocalls, adding that fraudulent robocalls have cost Americans about $10 billion annually.  

"American consumers are sick and tired of unwanted robocalls, this consumer among them. Caller ID authentication will be a significant step toward ending the scourge of spoofed robocalls. It's time for carriers to implement robust caller ID authentication." – FCC Chairman Ajit Pai

The FCC ordered telephone companies earlier this year to introduce new technologies for caller ID authentication by June 2021. The FCC is now clarifying, stating that carriers should not charge surprise fees for caller ID features to customers. 

Modern technology, known as STIR / SHAKEN, enables phone companies to check that caller ID information actually matches the phone number of the caller. The principle is to curtail the use of "spoofing," where phone calls are concealed and made to appear like a credible or trustworthy source is coming from.

In order to be able to incorporate the STIR / SHAKEN technology, the FCC needs phone companies to update their networks if necessary. At the June 2021 deadline, the FCC will include some "tiny extensions" for small businesses that are unable to upgrade on time. 

STIR / SHAKEN 's widespread introduction would decrease the efficacy of illegal spoofing, make it easier for law enforcement to detect bad actors, and help telephone companies recognize and even block calls with illegal spoofed caller ID information until their customers enter those calls. Most importantly, when they answer the telephone, it will give consumers more peace of mind, ”FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said in a statement.

What Does STIR/SHAKEN Mean?

STIR/SHAKEN is a framework of interconnected standards. STIR/SHAKEN are acronyms for the Secure Telephone Identity Revisited (STIR) and Signature-based Handling of Asserted Information Using Tokens (SHAKEN) standards. This means that calls traveling through interconnected phone networks would have their caller ID "signed" as legitimate by originating carriers and validated by other carriers before reaching consumers. STIR/SHAKEN digitally validates the handoff of phone calls passing through the complex web of networks, allowing the phone company of the consumer to receive the call to verify that a call is in fact from the number displayed on Caller ID.

How to prevent spam phone calls on iPhone?

Read more articles related to Spoofing. 

Read more about FCC call spoofing.

Southwest Airlines Canceling Flights & Major Scheduling Problems

Something happened with Southwest Airline's automated rescheduling of flights in the last few days. I talked with a customer service representative today who said 90% of the calls today were regarding this scheduling issue.  Flights are getting consolidated but aren't being rebooked correctly.  

We recommend that you double-check what flight Southwest Airlines rescheduled you.  I had two one way flights that were changed wildly incorrectly.  

Thankfully Southwest Airlines has wonderful customer service and will accommodate your needs but it will require a phone call likely to make a change.  It also won't cost you anything and you might possibly benefit from changing the flight to a better time or date. 

Here is the sample email letter you will receive. 

We want to make you aware of a change we’ve made to your upcoming trip. This was done proactively due to a Southwest flight schedule change on your day of travel.

Please review your new itinerary below. Your reservation is confirmed and no further action is required.

In the event this new itinerary does not work for you, we are offering the opportunity to change your flight date(s) and/or time(s) by up to 14 days from the original travel date at no additional cost in accordance with our established re-accommodation practices.

For expedited service, you can change your flight at www.southwest.com/rebook3 within three days of the delivery of this email. Flights with no additional cost will display as “Available”. Should you need further assistance, you can reach a Southwest Representative at 1-800-IFLY-SWA (1-800-435-9792). * Please keep in mind that wait times may be very high at this time.

We look forward to seeing you onboard soon.

-Your friends at Southwest

How to Recover a Stolen Phone

We use our phones for everything. Our phones keep track of our appointments, store important information, and help us keep track of the world around us. If your phone has been stolen, then you probably feel like a major piece of your life is missing. Worse, your data is in danger of being used by the wrong people. 

Even if your phone has a passcode, it’s important to protect and recover your data as soon as possible. With Drivestrike, protecting that data is simple. Whether or not you have Drivestrike, though, here’s a guide that may help you recover your phone and protect your information. 

How to Recover Your Phone with Drivestrike 

If you have Drivestrike, issue a remote wipe immediately. This action will remove all of the data that can be used to steal your identity, harm your company, or perform any other threat. 

Next, is your phone a company resource? Does it contain company information? If so, notify your manager and IT team right away so that they can safeguard their data. 

After that, you should notify the police that your phone has been stolen. Use your Drivestrike account to access your phone’s location, and then let the police know where it is. You can also use Drivestrike to access helpful information like your phone’s serial number, which will aid the police even further. 

Finally, we recommend changing the passwords of any accounts that you used on your phone. This action can provide some protection in case your data was accessed before you performed the remote wipe. It doesn't fully guarantee protection, but it does decrease your chances of data theft. 

How to Recover Your Phone if You Don’t Have Drivestrike 

Without Drivestrike, recovering your phone and its data will be more complicated, but it’s not impossible. 

First, if you’ve stored usernames and passwords in your phone, change those usernames and passwords immediately to protect your data, and implement two-factor authentication whenever possible. 

Next, if your phone was issued by your company, or if your phone contains company information, let your manager and IT team know that the phone was stolen. 

Now, if you have any information about your phone, including details like the make, model, and serial number, keep those details in mind. You can use that information when you contact the police. If you don’t have that information, contact your phone carrier. They can provide the information and disable your phone remotely. 

Now that you have the information you need, consider the details of the theft. When and where do you think your phone was stolen? This information will give the police a general idea of how they might recover your phone. For instance, if you think that your phone was stolen in a place with security cameras, the police may access those cameras to get a description of the thief. 

Finally, you can check eBay and local pawn shops to see if the thief has attempted to sell your phone. 

Use Drivestrike in Case of Phone Theft 

It’s difficult but not impossible to install Drivestrike on a stolen phone. We may be able to entice the thief to install Drivestrike under a different name. If we’re successful, we can remotely wipe the data from the phone and determine its location. 

Once your phone has been recovered, or once you get a new one, we recommend installing Drivestrike on your device. Drivestrike protects your important data in case of theft or loss, and it’s available for less than $1 per device per month when protecting multiple devices. 

Please contact Drivestrike if we can help you during this time. Phone loss is a stressful situation, and our team is here to help.