5 ways to decode a TripAdvisor review

Complaints outside a business's control don't make for a useful review. We know it hurts, we know somebody needs to pay, but if your team loses, it's hardly the bar's fault.

There's almost always something good that can be said about terrible things. Any reviewer who can't summon one is probably still working out high school angst.

"Coronation Street" star Jimmi Harkishin (Dev Alahan) isn't going to be at this bar every night, for everyone to meet. Mentioning your chance encounter isn't useful.

Your baby might have been born right after you had a tomato bisque at this restaurant, but that association doesn't make a review relevant. In fact, if it is, the place is probably best avoided.

Contribution counts beside each TripAdvisor and Yelp review hint at whether a user is being sincere or just popping in to prop up a business.

Excessive use of exclamation points (!!!!) and ad-speak jargon like "breathtaking," "unparalleled" and "fahrvergnügen" should raise red flags.

After raining praise on the food at London's Gordon Ramsay restaurant, one TripAdvisor alarmist closed his one-star review with a diatribe about babies, demanding "that seats in this august room are only given to guests who can speak. Gordon... Its either the babies or me." [sic]

Any review that begins, "For those who actually read my other reviews ..." is probably a little deluded. These are the people who bludgeon their Facebook friends with photos of their every meal. Anything from a reviewer with a hyper-inflated review count should be read with skepticism.

Nothing in this world is one-size-fits-all -- reviews of the same check-in experience on the same day at the same hotel, for instance, can yield wildly varying results. Some workmanlike reviewers toil thoughtfully and thanklessly for the betterment of all mankind. These, finally, are the reviewers to trust.

Even a review titled "Found a tooth in my food" (not from this noodle-feasting gent) was prefaced by, "Usually they have good food ..." A review like this with a blend of positives and negatives is usually more reliable.

• User reviews are useful -- except when motivated by anything other than usefulness


• Some reviews are odd -- such as complaining about too much sand at the beach


• Best reviews offer an opinion, but also inform about the facts

(CNN) -- Professional travel reviewers are like prickly old movie critics -- once they've done enough traveling, dining and lodging, they can become weary and entitled, taking for granted the joys that accompany nightly turn-down service or unlimited bread sticks.

That's partly why user reviews on sites like TripAdvisor, Yelp and Google+ Local have become so useful.

But user reviews, too, have their shortcomings.

And if they're not complaining about too much sand at the beach, or too much Spanish in Spain, you may not know what they are.

Woody Hayes, the legendary Ohio State football coach, once opined of throwing the ball, "There are three things that can happen when you pass, and two of them ain't good."

Likewise, there are five kinds of online user review -- prompted by five basic motives -- and four of them are almost completely worthless.

Make sure you know which is which before you stake your next global game plan on TravelFreak1979's portfolio of reviews.

Motive No. 1: Wrath

Six bad capsules or one great experience? Reviews are a state of mind.

Whether it's anger over a disappointing product or service, conniving competition or a disgruntled former employee, this makes the user less a reviewer than a vigilante.

A reviewgilante, if you will.

Telltale signs include:

Nothing good to say

A-Rod has great taste in suits.

Chernobyl has a delightful little self-lit café.

There's almost always something good that can be said about terrible things, and any reviewer who can't summon one is probably still working out high school angst.

Complaints outside the business's control

Legitimate criticisms about environmental noise or area safety can be helpful.

Bellyaching because a fellow patron's suicide leap "spoilt" your vacation karma, however, is not.

Commandments

"Avoid this place!" "Don't eat here!" "Stay away!" You're not the boss of the Internet, JDWAG2309.

Defensiveness

Chippy travelers with Napoleon complexes can find condescension in a clothing label, so any service that's not accompanied by groveling is going to earn a sternly worded tirade.

If you read something to the effect of "... our waitress smirked when we thanked her for deigning to bring us another round of gravy boats ..." that reviewer doesn't need dinner, she needs a prescription.

Elitism

Foremost among the complaints warranting a one-star review of the second highest-rated hotel in Sydney: a king bed that was really just two twins pushed together and an iPad that wouldn't turn off.

If room service gets the wrong reviewer's white truffle and caviar kobe burger wrong, there's going to be hell to pay.

Motive No. 2: Euphoria

We like exuberance, but sometimes the euphoria gets out of hand.

The flip-side of wrath, euphoria is the result of an overabundance of tittering satisfaction.

Whatever the reasons for their extreme joy over a complimentary bowl of beer nuts or an extra towel, these people should be avoided on- and offline.

Telltale signs include:

Nothing bad to say

Kate Middleton had eczema.

The sound from a Stradivarius is the result of asymmetrical flaws in its production.

There's almost always a hole that can be punched in even the most perfect things, and any reviewer who can't fathom one isn't sharing the same reality most of the rest of us live in.

Experiences no one else will have

It's truly awesome that management took such great care of you.

But remarking, "The desk clerk is from my same village in Nottinghamshire, so he upgraded us from a supply closet to a 24-room villa!" is a one-time-only experience that's just distorting the curve for the rest of us.

Irrelevant praise

Where it's hard for reviewgilantes to find anything good to say about a place, euphoriacs are so full of gratitude they credit businesses with benefits they had nothing to do with.

Take a five-star TripAdvisor review of the UK's Depa Indiana restaurant titled "19 yrs ago, had a curry here & gave birth that same evening :)."

Unless this observation actually is relevant, in which case this restaurant, too, is to be avoided at all cost.

Motive No. 3: Profit

A reported 16% of Yelp restaurant reviews are fake.

According to a Harvard study, 16% of Yelp restaurant reviews are fake.

Telltale signs of a phony review include:

It's the author's only review

Contribution counts beside each TripAdvisor and Yelp review hint at whether a user is being sincere or just popping in to prop up a business.

Words real people don't use

In their zeal to liven up the garden-variety contributions of real reviewers, fakers use lofty ad-speak words like "breathtaking," "succulent," "unparalleled," "mouth-watering," "sumptuous" "thrilling" and "fahrvergnügen."

Exclamation points

Life!!! Just isn't!!!!! This exciting!!!!!!!

Life stories

A Cornell study found that fake reviews center more on first-person narratives, like details about a travel partner and reasons for a trip.

Real reviews focus on specifics like bathroom size and pricing because they're boring and useful.

Admissions of fraud

It's not often someone confesses to getting kickbacks for their reviews, but it sure is appreciated when they do.

Magic Smile, one of the businesses implicated by the New York State Attorney General's office in its investigation of fake Yelp reviews, features this glowing endorsement: "I'm getting a free touch up for reviewing them here on yelp and that is just very cool!"

Motive No. 4: Status

If you're taking on this guy, it better not be for attention.

The most unseemly of all motivations -- yes, even more than profit -- is that of the user who derives a kind of online celebrity from the number of reviews they've written.

Telltale signs include:

Self-absorption

The Hunter S. Thompsons of TripAdvisor, power users often make their reviews about themselves.

One TripAdvisor alarmist, after raining praise on the food at London's Gordon Ramsay restaurant, closed his one-star review with a diatribe about babies, demanding "that seats in this august room are only given to guests who can speak. Gordon... Its either the babies or me." [sic]

It's the author's 10,000th review

Professional writers get paid by the word and they don't write this much.

Forced humor

Everyone's a comedian.

Except that almost no one is a comedian.

Cute, snarky and glib, these reviews are packed with more rim-shot one-liners than a ... aw, hell, now they've got us doing it.

Motive No. 5: Duty

The most dutiful reviewers highlight the sweet and the sour.

Awarding three stars may be like kissing your sister, but somebody's got to occupy the reasoned middle.

Here is where, without agenda, workmanlike reviewers toil thoughtfully and thanklessly for the betterment of all mankind.

These, finally, are the reviewers to trust.

Telltale signs include:

Concessions

Conscientious reviewers understand polarity -- that there are positives and negatives associated with everything.

Even a review titled "Found a tooth in my food" was prefaced by "Usually they have good food ..."

One reviewer who's been to Hedonism II 17 times still hasn't given it more than four stars.

Context clues:

Nothing in this world is one-size-fits-all, making distinguishing details about the reviewer helpful when trying to get your bearings as a reader.

A qualifying hotel review might read, "I'm 250 pounds, so I found the bathrooms at the Smurf Hotel a little cozy for my tastes ..."

That's it, actually

Despite what you may have heard, sober objectivity when reporting is remarkably simple.

Jordan Burchette has edited and written for several dozen magazines and websites including ESPN, Comedy Central, Thrillist and Woman's Day.

Spanish Nanny for UK´S Prince George

Royal Couple Have Picked a Spanish-born Nanny for Baby George

William and Kate have chosen a new nanny for Prince George. The new nanny, who is thought to have started working for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge last month, is currently being shown the ropes by Kate's mum Carole Middleton.

William and Kate are currently enjoying a romantic break in the Maldives. They arrived in the capital Malé last Thursday on their first trip away alone together since the birth of baby George last summer.

Sources say the Spanish-born nanny, who "lives for her job" is using this time to bond with baby George. The dark-haired woman has been seen out and about with her charge. They´ve been spotted strolling around London´s Hyde Park, a protection officer in tow.

Next month, when William and Kate take their son on his first official trip overseas, the new nanny will go with them and take charge while his parents are carrying out official engagements.

Despite the new nanny, who replaces Jessie Webb, William´s former nanny, it´s believed that while the couple are abroad this time George will remain under the principal care of his grandmother Carole.

No debris found, oil slick only lead

• The plane lost contact with air traffic control early Saturday


• A large, multinational search is underway at sea


• At least two people boarded the plane using stolen passports


• The plane might have tried to change course, officials say

(CNN) -- More than two days after a Malaysian passenger jet with more than 200 people on board vanished in the skies over Southeast Asia, solid information about what happened to it remains elusive.

Aviation investigators say they are as puzzled as anyone else about how a large plane could disappear into thin air.

A large-scale search involving boats and planes from a range of countries continues at sea. Relatives of the people on board keep up their painful wait for news. Officials have warned them to prepare for the worst.

And possible theories about what might have taken place abound.

Search area for missing plane widens

Are flight recorders 'antiquated?'

But until clearer information comes to light, here's a summary of what we know, and what we don't.

THE FLIGHT PATH

What we know: Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 took off from Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital, at 12:41 a.m. Saturday. The Boeing 777-200 was scheduled to arrive in Beijing at 6:30 a.m. the same day, after a 2,300-mile (3,700-kilometer) journey. But around 1:30 a.m., air traffic controllers in Subang, outside Kuala Lumpur, lost contact with the plane as it was flying over the sea between Malaysia and Vietnam.

What we don't know: What happened next. The pilots did not indicate to the tower there may be a problem, and no distress signal was issued. Malaysian military officials cite radar data as suggesting the plane might have changed course and turned back toward Kuala Lumpur before it vanished. But the pilots didn't tell air traffic control that they were doing so. And at this point, we don't know why the plane would have turned around.

THE PASSENGERS

What we know: There were 239 people on board: 227 passengers and 12 crew members. Five of the passengers were younger than 5 years old. Those on board included respected painters and calligraphers, as well as employees of an American semiconductor company.

According to the airline, there were passengers of more than a dozen nationalities, spanning Asia-Pacific, Europe and North America. The most heavily represented were people from China or Taiwan at 154, and Malaysia at 38. There were three U.S. citizens on the plane. Five passengers ended up not boarding the aircraft. Their bags were removed and were not on board the jet when it disappeared, authorities said.

What we don't know: The real identity of the some of the passengers. Two people who boarded the plane under the guise of an Italian and an Austrian citizen were using stolen passports, officials say. Authorities say they are investigating the possibility that others on the plane were traveling under fake passports.

THE PASSPORT MYSTERY

What we know: The tickets for the two people using the stolen Italian and Austrian passports were both bought Thursday in Thailand, according to ticketing records. Both tickets were one-way and had itineraries continuing on from Beijing to Amsterdam. One ticket's final destination was Frankfurt, the other's Copenhagen. The original owners of the passports were not on the missing plane, authorities say. Both had their passports stolen in Thailand -- the Austrian's was taken last year; the Italian's in 2012.

What we don't know: Who the people using the stolen passports are, and whether they have any connection to the plane's disappearance. Malaysia's national news agency cited Home Affairs Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as saying that the two people who used the passports looked "like Asians." But authorities have so far declined to disclose any other details from the investigation into their identity.

The stolen passports have raised fears that foul-play could be behind the plane's disappearance. Officials say they are not discounting any possibilities at this point, including a hijacking -- but they haven't found any link to terrorism. Another possible explanation for the stolen passports is that illegal immigrants were using them to try to enter Europe.

THE SECURITY CREENING

What we know: Interpol says the stolen passports were in its database. But no checks were made on them from the time they were entered into the database and the departure of the missing plane. Interpol Secretary General Ronald K. Noble said it was "clearly of great concern" that passengers were able to board an international flight with passports listed in the agency's database.

What we don't know: If the passports had been used to travel previously. Because no checks were ever made on the stolen documents, Interpol says it's "unable to determine on how many other occasions these passports were used to board flights or cross borders." Malaysian authorities are investigating the security process that allowed the passengers to board the flight, but officials insist the Kuala Lumpur airport that the plane departed from complies with international standards.

THE CREW

What we know: All the crew members on board the plane were Malaysian. The pilot of the missing plane is Capt. Zaharie Ahmad Shah, a 53-year-old with 18,365 flying hours. He joined Malaysia Airlines in 1981. The first officer, Fariq Ab Hamid, has 2,763 flying hours. Hamid, 27, started at the airline in 2007. He had been flying another jet and was transitioning to the Boeing 777-200 after having completed training in a flight simulator.

What we don't know: What went on in the cockpit around the time the plane lost contact with air traffic controllers. The passenger jet was in what is considered the safest part of a flight, the cruise portion, when it disappeared. The weather conditions were reported to be good. Aviation experts say it's particularly puzzling that the pilots didn't report any kind of problems before contact was lost.

THE SEARCH

What we know: Dozens of boats and planes are scouring a large area of the South China Sea near where the plane was last detected. None of the reports of pieces of debris spotted in the area have so far turned out to concern pieces of the plane. "We have not found anything that appear to be objects from the aircraft, let alone the aircraft," Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, director general of the Malaysian civil aviation department, said Monday. Oil from a slick found in the area is being tested to determine whether it came from the plane.

What we don't know: Whether the search is concentrating on the right place. Authorities began focusing on a stretch of sea around the mouth of the Gulf of Thailand, near the plane's last known position. But they have since expanded search efforts farther west, off the other coast of the Malaysian Peninsula and north into the Andaman Sea, part of the Indian Ocean. And the more time passes, the more ocean currents will move things around, complicating the investigators' task.

THE CAUSE

What we know: Quite frankly, nothing. "For the aircraft to go missing just like that ... as far as we are concerned, we are equally puzzled as well," Rahman said Monday. The aircraft model in question, the Boeing 777-200, is considered to have an excellent safety record.

What we don't know: Until searchers are able to find the plane and its voice and data recorders, it will be extremely difficult to figure out what happened. CNN's national security analyst Peter Bergen says the range of possible reasons behind the disappearance can be divided into three main categories: mechanical failure, pilot actions or terrorism. But until more information becomes available, all we have are possible theories.

THE PRECEDENT

What we know: It's rare for a big, commercial airliner to disappear in midflight. But it's not unprecedented. In June 2009, Air France Flight 447 was en route from Rio De Janeiro to Paris when communications ended suddenly from the Airbus A330, another state-of-the-art aircraft, with 228 people on board. It took four searches over the course of nearly two years to locate the bulk of Flight 447's wreckage and the majority of the bodies in a mountain range deep under the Atlantic Ocean. It took even longer to establish the cause of the disaster.

What we don't know: Whether the actual fate of the missing Malaysia Airlines plane is in any way similar to that of the Air France flight. Investigators attributed the Flight 447 crash to a series of errors by the pilots and a failure to react effectively to technical problems.

CNN's Steven Jiang contributed to this report.

36 world-changing travel moments

In 1903, Orville Wright, aided by his brother Wilbur, flew the first sustained powered flight -- lasting 120 feet. Since then we've witnessed supersonic flight, moon landings, online booking and camera-phone technology. Click through the gallery here and see the article below for more seminal moments in travel history.

Edward N. Hines from Michigan thought it'd be a good idea to mark roads to separate traffic. Hines was a member of the Wayne County Road Commission at the time. So in 1911, River Road in Wayne County became the first road in the world to be marked.

Few things achieve iconic status like that of RMS Titanic. Its sinking on April 15, 1912, has echoed down the decades. Here a man looks on in what is believed to be the last picture taken of the ship as it leaves Queenstown, now known as Cobh, in Ireland.

American aviator Charles Lindbergh completed the first trans-Atlantic nonstop flight on May 20-21, after flying for 33.5 hours. A typical New York to Paris flight today takes around eight hours.

The Hindenberg crash in New Jersey in 1937, which killed 36 people, effectively ended the era of zeppelin aviation. The Luftschiffbau Zeppelin Company recently launched a new model, using nonflammable helium instead of hydrogen.

The first crash test dummy was the Sierra Sam, created in 1949 to test ejection seats on aircraft. Over the years, the crash test dummy has been refined to be more human-like in shape, size and weight.

Rarely do three letters conjure such relief in the minds of hungry, homesick travelers. The world's first ATM was unveiled in 1967 at Barclays Bank in Enfield, London. The machine was created by John Shepherd Barron, who headed up the invention team at De La Rue Instruments, and worked by cashing radioactive checks.

Elegant, fast, luxurious -- Concorde is one of only two supersonic planes to have entered commercial service (the other being the Tupolev Tu-144). Its retirement in November 2003 was seen by many as a backward step in air travel.

It's hard to imagine that the wheeled suitcase didn't exist 50 years ago. When Bernard Sadow invented his wheeled suitcase in 1970, he had trouble selling it to the luggage industry. It was thought that people wouldn't want to pull their suitcases behind them. Nice call, luggage experts.

It was a little more than forty years ago that a call was made from the first handheld mobile phone by its creator, Martin Cooper. Now, it's rare not to be constantly interrupted by the bleeps and vibrations of this pocket-sized computer.

When you're lost on the back roads of a small town and your GPS comes to the rescue, think of Roger L. Easton. He worked with a team at Naval Air Systems Command in the United States to develop and track satellites in space. His work ultimately led to the invention of GPS, for which the patent was awarded in 1974.

Invented by Kodak engineer Steve Sasson in 1975, the first digital camera used a lens from a movie camera and a digital cassette recorder as a memory card, but it paved the way for all of us who click and snap our way through our vacations today.

Power shifted into the hands of travel consumers in the 1990s, when Expedia, Priceline and a raft of other public access booking engines were born. Travel agents no longer held the only keys to the hotel and airline reservation channels, leading others, such as Tripadvisor, to become the influential market leaders they are today.

In 2001, U.S. rich guy Dennis Tito became the world's first space tourist. His six-day trip rotating the Earth reportedly cost $20 million. While the expense still prevents the majority of us from taking a vacation to space, at least it's a possibility.

The 787 had a record number of pre-orders when it was announced with nearly 800 planes due for delivery. A series of problems, mostly involving the plane's battery system, saw the whole fleet grounded for a short period in 2013. It's technological advances may yet prove revolutionary.

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• The idea to mark road surfaces reportedly came from watching a milk truck drip milk on the road


• U.S. airline passengers increased by 3,000% in two years following Charles Lindbergh's flight across the Atlantic


• Nil Bohlin's invention of the three-point seat belt is estimated to have saved more than a million lives


• Several companies are in the process of bringing back supersonic flights

(CNN) -- Just more than a hundred and ten years ago, Orville Wright became the first human to achieve powered flight.

On a calm, December 1903 day, helped by his brother Wilbur, Orville successfully launched their flying machine, maneuvered it through the air for 120 feet, and landed it safely.

Later that same day they achieved another flight of 852 feet in 59 seconds, to start the modern air travel era.

Since then numerous inventions, discoveries and milestones have been made.

Here are a few of our favorites.

Have we missed your top travel moment? Tell us about it in the comments section.

1903: First powered flight

Flying isn't the tricky part we're told -- landing is.

But until December 17, 1903, it was all a bit of a dream.

Then, with a design based on a glider kite, the Wright brothers successfully piloted a powered aircraft for 12 seconds for the first time, and (important!) landed it safely.

Step one in global air travel achieved.

When do we get flight attendants?

More info: Wright Brothers take flight

1911: Discovery of Machu Picchu

Field trips and textbooks about the Incas must have been far less exciting before Hiram Bingham III, an American explorer and politician, stumbled upon Machu Picchu in 1911.

Bingham uncovered the Inca ruins, now one of the most popular travel destinations in the world, with the help of local guides more than 400 years after the European discovery of America.

The discovery put Peru on the map as a travel destination and changed ideas about Latin America's history.

More info: Machu Picchu: 100 Years Since Its Rediscovery

1911: Road surfaces marked

Seems simple now, but it wasn't until Edward N. Hines from the U.S. state of Michigan spoke up that anyone thought it'd be a good idea to mark roads to help separate traffic.

Hines was a member of the Wayne County Road Commission at the time.

In 1911, River Road in Trenton, Wayne County, became the first road in the world to be marked.

The inspiration reportedly came from watching a milk truck drip milk onto the road.

More info: Inventor of highway centerline

Few events have echoed through the decades like the sinking of RMS Titanic.

1912: Titanic sinks

The Titanic's sinking is the best documented maritime disaster of all time.

Back then, people around the world mourned the deaths of 1,500 after this state of the art, supposedly "unsinkable" luxury liner struck an iceberg on April 14, 1912, four days into her maiden voyage from Southampton, UK, to New York.

The sinking also sparked panic among transatlantic cruise travelers and prompted improvements in maritime safety measures.

More info: Chinese theme park to reenact Titanic iceberg collision

1912: Automobile self-starter invented

It's probably apt that "cranky" is a synonym for bad-tempered.

You would be too if you had to hand-start your car every journey.

In 1912, presumably after years of sore arms, Charles Kettering created the first electric self-starter that eliminated the need for hand cranks, the patent having been granted some years before.

More info: 10 cars for every type of traveler

1927: First transatlantic flight

An unknown 25-year-old U.S. Air Mail pilot flew into the record books on May 21, 1927, by becoming the first pilot to successfully make the first nonstop transatlantic flight from New York to Paris.

Charles Lindbergh was after a $25,000 prize -- six well-known pilots had perished in their attempts to claim it before Lindbergh pulled it off.

Lindberg's epic flight and subsequent publicity tour changed the public's skepticism toward aviation.

U.S. airline passengers increased by an incredible 3,000% in the two years following his flight.

More info: Person of the Year: Charles Lindbergh

1937: Hindenberg disaster ends era of airship travel

When the hydrogen-filled Hindenburg airship burst into flames and crashed to the ground in New Jersey in 1937, killing 36 people, the era of intercontinental zeppelin travel came to a horrifying end.

Though the crash of the Hindenburg wasn't the worst airship disaster in history, the shocking newsreels and chilling live radio commentary -- "Oh, the humanity!" -- broadcast around the world shattered public confidence in airship travel.

More info: Could airships make a comeback?

1946: Credit cards created

Cash was king until John Biggins invented a novel method of payment in 1946 for Flatbush National Bank in Brooklyn, New York.

Customers could buy items in local shops with their cards, the business owners would present the sales receipts for cash from the bank, which would, in turn, bill the customer for the amount.

Thanks to his convenient invention, travelers today enjoy unrestricted access to hotels, rental cars and online booking engines around the world.

And banks enjoy the high interest rates when we overspend or flub a payment.

More info: World's 12 best shopping cities

1947: Chuck Yeager breaks sound barrier

Could a plane, or a person, withstand the pressure of exceeding the speed of sound?

That was the question for the United States Air Force in the mid-20th century.

Selected by the Air Force Flight Performance School to provide the answer, Chuck Yeager became the most famous test pilot in U.S. history when he hid two broken ribs (he'd been thrown from a horse two days before his flight) and flew a bullet-shaped, rocket-powered plane faster than the speed of sound (767 miles per hour) on October 14, 1947.

More info: Chuck Yeager fast facts

1948: Transistors invented

Often called the most important invention of the 20th century, transistors are what all modern computing technology is based on.

They made space travel possible and today are the building blocks of smart phones, computer terminals, radios and other electronic devices that make world travel a comparative breeze.

They were created by John Bardeen, Walter Brattain and William Shockley at Bell Laboratories, and act as a switch in a circuit or to amplify currents.

So, "Flappy Bird" fans -- you know whom to thank.

Or blame.

More info: The Nobel Prize in physics

The first crash test dummy was created in 1949 to test ejection seats on aircraft.

1949: Crash test dummy born

Safety tests on cars, planes and other vehicles would be a lot less meaningful without the crash test dummy.

The first of its kind was Sierra Sam, created in 1949 to test ejection seats on aircraft.

Over the years, the crash test dummy has been increasingly refined to be more human-like in shape, size, weight and even fitted with sensors to allow better interpretation of results.

More info: Inside the world of professional car crashing

1952: First commercial jet flight

It may have been Americans who flew the first aircraft (Wright brothers, 1903) and the first commercial flight (a 23-minute flight between Tampa and St. Petersburg in Florida in 1914), but the Brits launched the first commercial jetliner service in the world -- the closest thing to today's air travel.

In 1952, the de Havilland Aircraft Company debuted the first commercial jetliner flight -- on a plane called the de Havilland Comet -- between London and Johannesburg, a trip that took 23 hours.

The jet shortened the London-New York flight from 18 to 12 hours.

Due to a series of accidents after its initial success, the Comet's fleet was grounded in 1954 and the jet was redesigned, including replacing the square windows and panels with the rounded versions we see today.

More info: A century of romance with flying

1959: Three-point seat belt created

The first seatbelt was invented at the beginning of the 19th century by Sir George Cayley for his glider.

It was a strap that went across the lap to hold down the pilot during flight.

Effective, but rudimentary.

More than 150 years later, Nils Bohlin came up with the three-point seat belt found on almost all vehicles today.

Bohlin's design allowed users to put the seat belt on using only one hand and it was more secure, holding down the driver by the shoulder.

It's estimated the three-point seat belt has saved more than a million lives.

More info: Three-point seatbelt inventor Nils Bohlin

1964: Japan launches bullet train

These days, associating a lethal projectile with a new mode of transport would be a PR no-no.

But back in the '60s it was deemed apt for Japan's "shinkansen" trains, which hit speeds of 210 kilometers per hour and brought high-speed rail to the masses.

After the first three years of service more than 100 million passengers had been aboard.

The term "bullet train" is a direct translation of the Japanese term "dangan ressha," a nickname given to the shinkansen prototype.

More info: Hayabusa bullet train hotfoots it up Honshu

1967: ATMs rolled out

If the trauma of forgetting your PIN or losing your debit card makes you question the benefits of the ATM, consider what this process used to involve: walking around with pieces of radioactive paper in your pocket.

The world's first ATM was unveiled in 1967 at Barclays Bank in Enfield, London.

Created by John Shepherd Barron, who headed the invention team at De La Rue Instruments, the original machine was initiated when it detected radioactive isotope carbon 14 on a check.

Thankfully, we've moved on to the card and PIN system, giving travelers easy access to their cash in hundreds of countries.

More info: The world's first ATM

1969: First 747 flight

The queen of the sky, the jumbo jet, or simply the Boeing 747 -- whatever you call this icon of mass transit, it was a game-changer.

It was the first wide-body plane (carrying up to 490 passengers) and it traveled almost twice as far as any other commercial aircraft of the day; 13,450 kilometers (8,350 miles) with a 747-400.

It's often hailed as the plane that brought air travel to the masses, making flying cheap enough for more people.

More info: Best of Boeing: 10 revolutionary aircraft

One of only two supersonic planes to have entered commercial service.

1969: First Concorde flight

For three decades the supersonic Concorde was a marvel of aviation technology and the ultimate status symbol for wealthy jetsetters.

After test flights started in 1969, the plane entered commercial service in 1976 with London-Bahrain and Paris-Rio (via Dakar) routes.

Concorde later flew travelers from London to New York in about 3.5 hours -- twice as fast as any other commercial airliner.

When an Air France Concorde crashed in France in 2000, killing 113 people, the plane's already waning luster faded out entirely.

All Concordes were retired in 2003 by British Airways and Air France, the airlines blaming high operating costs and sinking demand.

But a few companies, including Aerion and Spike Aerospace, are in the process of bringing supersonic travel back.

More info: Celebrating Concorde

1970: Wheeled suitcase 'invented'

Hard to fathom, but the wheeled suitcase didn't exist 50 years ago.

When Bernard Sadow, president of United States Luggage Corporation (now Briggs & Riley Travelware), developed his in 1970, he had trouble selling the idea.

It was thought people wouldn't want to pull their luggage around behind them.

Thankfully Sadow stuck with it, and we can all now transport our oversized, overweight bags to check-in with ease.

More info: Happy anniversary, wheeled luggage

1972: Lonely Planet first published

Broke but happily married young hippie couple Tony and Maureen Wheeler created what became the world's most successful travel guides when they published their accounts of how to travel across Asia on a shoestring in 1972.

Their books, most popular with backpackers, recommend handfuls of places across the world and have often been the source of intense competition among hostel owners, to the extent that it has occasionally proved problematic to travelers.

One unconfirmed report from India illustrates: when Lonely Planet gave a positive review to a hostel named "Green's Hotel," several other hotels on the street renamed themselves "Green's Hotel."

The company made headlines last year when the BBC sold it to reclusive Kentucky billionaire Brad Kelley.

More info: Tony Wheeler's top 5 edgy destinations

1972: Security measures improved

A world without queue-swelling security searches did once exist.

Then, in the early 1970s, a spate of "skyjackings" occurred, triggering a chain of events that led to the modern airline security we experience today.

The first reported plane hijacking can be traced to Peru in the 1930s.

But it was a Southern Airways hijacking, in which hijackers threatened to crash into a nuclear reactor at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee in the United States in November 1972, that prompted authorities to finally install strong counter measures.

More info: Skyjacked: A nation with no airline security

1973: First call from handheld mobile phone

A little more than 40 years ago a call was made from the first handheld mobile phone by its creator, Martin Cooper, an American inventor.

Thanks to Cooper and his brick-sized prototype, the door was opened to an unprecedented era of communication, turning people into callable numbers, contactable any time, anywhere.

So, enjoy that holiday totally away from work when ... wait, sorry we gotta get this real quick ...

More info: Inventor of cell phone: We knew someday everybody would have one

1974: First hotel minibar installed

Countless thirsty travelers have been saved (and their wallets thinned) thanks to one Hilton executive and Siegas, the German company that invented the refrigerated minibar in the 1960s.

In 1974, an executive from the since-closed Hong Kong Hilton was inspired to stock overpriced liquors in all 840 rooms, and lo the loved/hated minibar was globalized.

The minibar led to a 500% increase for in-room drink sales and a 5% boost to the company's net income that year, according to the Atlantic.

More info: Hotel minibars: In need of being refreshed?

Death knell for road maps?

1974: GPS hits the road

When you're lost on the back roads of a small town and your GPS comes to the rescue, think of Roger L. Easton.

And when you're lost on the back roads of a small town because your GPS "came to the rescue," blame Roger L. Easton.

Easton, an American scientist and inventor, worked with a team at Naval Air Systems Command in the United States to develop and track satellites.

His work ultimately led to the invention of GPS, with the patent awarded in 1974.

Easton was inducted into the Inventor's Hall of Fame for his work.

More info: GPS inventor

1975: First digital camera appears

Digital cameras have come a long way since Kodak engineer Steven Sasson screwed together a bunch of misfit parts, including the lens from a movie camera and a digital cassette recorder, in 1975.

That hefty bit of kit weighed eight pounds and displayed its images using a separate TV set.

More info: 9 great cameras for travelers

1978: First list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Announced in 1978, the inaugural list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites provided the world with an officially sanctioned travel bucket list.

A dozen "properties" were given the heritage treatment on debut, including the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador, Aachen Cathedral in Germany and Yellowstone National Park in the United States.

Strangely, for such a wide area from which to take their choices (the entire planet), 10 of the entries came from five countries. Asia and Australasia had no inscriptions.

There are now 981 properties on the list, covering every continent except Antarctica.

More info: 20 of the world's most beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Sites

1979: Sony Walkman launched

Launched in 1979, the Sony Walkman's transportable music playback system was revolutionary.

Gone were the days of trunk-like boom boxes and other unwieldy stereos.

Opened was the door to music anytime, anywhere.

The Sony Walkman sold a total of around 200 million units while it was being made, and spawned later models that were waterproof, solar-powered and one model with two cassette drives.

CDs, MiniDiscs and now MP3 players have since usurped the Walkman, but this was the device that made "music on the go" an integral part of travel for millions.

More info: 12 best travel songs of all time

1985: Schengen visa created

Signed in 1985, the Schengen Agreement made possible the free movement of people within the Schengen states -- 26 countries in Europe.

A byproduct is the Schengen visa.

International tourists now need just one visa and can take their pick of destinations.

More info: Schengen visa services

1996: Internet travel booking takes off

Expedia.com's launch in 1996 meant travel agents no longer held the only keys to hotel and airline reservation channels, allowing travelers themselves to research, compare prices and book trips.

So many booking sites have been launched, we've even started seeing the creation of aggregator sites that search these booking sites.

More info: 12 websites that'll make you a smarter traveler

1998: Smoking ban on planes

Breathing someone else's expelled air inside a confined metal tube is bad enough; breathing their expelled smoke was, for many, dreadful.

In 1998, the late Senator Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey helped ban smoking on planes in the United States, allowing non-smokers to breathe a sigh of relief.

Smokers got grumpy, and still are -- those little ashtrays in the armrests, still included for some reason, reminding them how good the traveling life used to be.

More info: 10 ways to improve the travel industry right now

1999: Introduction of the euro

While the benefits of being in the euro-zone are always up for debate, one thing is clear -- Europe's single currency is useful for travelers.

The singular currency works in 17 countries.

More info: Bored with Europe? Try the 'new Europe'

1999: Smart phones arrive

A child of the '90s and the first phone equipped with a WAP browser, the Nokia 7110 was the first step toward the face-to-phone lives many of us live today.

The 7110 is often cited as the first true media phone, with messaging and Internet capabilities.

Since then we've been introduced to myriad other ways to ignore the real world -- Blackberry, Samsung, and Apple being just three other major providers.

Now it's rare to come across a mobile phone that isn't Internet enabled, so we can Tweet, Facebook and WhatsApp wherever we are.

More info: Smartphones abroad: What to know before you go

If he'd waited a few years, he could have got it for 1% of the price.

2001: First space tourist

In 2001, U.S. rich guy Dennis Tito became the world's first space tourist.

His eight-day trip with a Russian crew on a visiting mission to the International Space Station, during which he orbited the Earth 128 times, reportedly cost $20 million.

Today, cheaper space tourism possibilities are out there, but you still need to fork out around $250,000 for a seat.

Virgin Galactic has said it'll launch its first mission in 2014.

More info: What does a $250,000 ticket to space with Virgin Galactic actually buy you?

2001: 9/11

The events of 9/11 changed the world in a way that needs no explanation.

When traveling pre-9/11, airport security was comparatively relaxed.

Today, shoes and belts are often removed at the security scan, bottles of water are confiscated and pat downs are thorough.

Even the words we use, or tweet, can lead to questioning or arrest, as one unlucky joker found out.

More info: Flight attendant: How 9/11 changed my job

2002: World adapter invented

Hair tongs, cameras, laptops, phones -- most travelers will have found themselves desperately in need of using one of these in a foreign hotel, only to find it's powered out and the plug won't fit the wall.

There are 12 significant electrical plug shapes in use around the world and until Swiss company SKROSS invented its world adapter, the chances were your new home for a few days didn't have sockets that fit.

Now there are various plug adaptors to fit (almost) all sockets.

More info: Postcards vs. the Future: 10 'endangered' travel items

2008: Airbnb founded

For travelers weary of floating in a sea of inflated hotel rates, ridiculous Wi-Fi prices, cramped rooms and bad buffet breakfasts, Airbnb's arrival was a much-needed lifesaver.

The platform connects people who have space to rent with travelers who are looking for a place to stay.

There have been a few horror stories along the way, but for the most part the rental site is today a reliable alternative for those who aren't afraid to try something different.

Airbnb says more than 9 million guests have used its site, booking everything from apartments to castles in more than 33,000 cities and 192 countries.

More info: Pushy guests and porn: Confessions of an Airbnb hostess

2012: Boeing Dreamliner launched, then grounded

Said to have revolutionized jetliner design and brought commercial aeronautics into the 21st century, the 787 had a record number of pre-orders when it was announced with nearly 800 planes due for delivery.

Its composite fuselage makes it lighter and therefore cheaper to fuel and its bigger windows and extra space inside make it more comfortable.

A series of problems, mostly involving the plane's battery system, saw the whole fleet grounded for a short period in 2013.

The aircraft's advances may yet prove to be revolutionary, though it remains to be seen if the plane will show up when lists such this one are updated in five, 10 or even 100 years.

More info: Another battery incident troubles Boeing's 787 Dreamliner