Sometimes various problems prevent you from using SideStep in its all-out totally awesome mode. Sometimes this is caused by broken firewall or web accelerator software. Some older browsers can't do all the fancy tricks SideStep needs them to do. Sometimes people get a little over enthusiastic with FireFox extensions, and that causes trouble. Or maybe you are trying to use SideStep over a web browser on a mobile phone.
Whatever the reason, basic mode is here to save you. It uses the simplest possible HTML, and tries very hard to keep pages very small. Sometimes we put in you basic mode if we aren't sure what kind of browser you have, or if you are using one that we know does not work. Or you can switch to it yourself, if you want to remember those good old days of 1996 when HTML was just HTML, and there was none of this new fangled AJAX stuff clogging up the Internet.
In any case, this is for all you Mac OS 9 users, you Windows 95 holdouts, you Sharp Zaurus fanboys. Rock on!
Things that don't work in basic mode:
If you have a browser that doesn't work in basic mode, please let us know. Maybe we can make basic even more basic.
Note that basic mode is not tested much, so it might not work on your browser. Think of it as a last-ditch, desperate attempt to find a flight or hotel. It just might be crazy enough to work. Or not.
Basic mode is off. Turn it on.