Five Reasons to Have Trip Insurance
February 14, 2012 by Scott Applebee · Leave a Comment
A blog post by HCC Medical Insurance Services brought up some interesting points on why companies should invest in corporate travel insurance. But even if you’re just on your own — maybe especially if you’re on your own — getting travel insurance for yourself might not be such a bad idea.
Here are five reasons to consider travel insurance:
Medical Emergency
If you fall ill or have another kind of medical emergency shortly before your trip — whether your anniversary dinner gave you food poisoning or your kid broke a leg at soccer practice — the last thing you’re going to want to do is get on a plane, if that’s even possible.
If you get sick on the way to your destination or while you’re there, some travel insurance even provides medical coverage when you’re away. Be sure to look into this if it’s something you’re interested in!
Personal Tragedy
Definitely pick up some travel insurance if you have a family member who’s ill, or even a pet that’s not doing so good… But tragedy is never really timed well, so it’s a good idea more often than not to have insurance in place. This way, if you have to cancel a trip for any reason, your trip is covered, and won’t be a total loss.
Weather
Satellite view of a hurricane. Image via Wikipedia
Remember that bizarre cloud of volcanic ash that settled over Europe back in 2010? Or the freak snowstorm that pummeled the Pacific Northwest earlier this year? Climate change is wreaking all kinds of havoc on our meteorological systems, and having good travel insurance is one way of making sure you won’t be left in the cold because of any crazy weather.
Political Unrest
Travelers who had business of some sort in the Middle East last year may have had their travel plans upset by a little thing called the Arab Spring. Even something as simple as a mass-transit strike in Paris can derail (pardon the pun) the activities of an entire city and really mess up your travel plans. Travel insurance provides security for travelers headed to politically volatile locations, too.
Work-Related Changes
Suppose your project falls through, or gets cut short — or is extended. (Or, heaven forbid, you lose your job before your trip!) Travel insurance provides much-needed flexibility for business travelers with unpredictable situations.
Bottom line: If you can afford to splurge a few extra dollars for that bit of security on your plane ticket and other accommodations, it’s worth it. All it takes is one situation where you need it but don’t have it to realize how valuable it can be.
11 Websites for Travel Savings in 2012
February 7, 2012 by Karen Amin · 1 Comment
There are new sites cropping up everywhere for wired travelers looking for the best deals on getting to their destination, living comfortably while they’re there and enjoying everything their vacation spot has to offer.
The New York Times recently published 19 of the top travel sites. We’ve actually used several of these sites ourselves, and have some of our own favorites. Here are our top picks for the best sites for travel savings in 2012:
Flights
AirfareWatchdog.com: From e-mail promo codes to airlines that many web crawlers can’t display, this is the place for true comparison shoppers to find deals on travel.
Kayak.com: Give Kayak a price, and it’ll spit out a map dotted with travel destinations you can afford. There are plenty of customizations available, too, from climate and activities to flight length and travel region.
Bing Travel: Bing’s “price predictor” can tell you whether the fare to your destination is likely to go up or down in the next seven days, so you can save money on a trip you’re already planning.
Vayama.com: A site the promises cheap international flights, it scours the different airlines for best possible prices, letting you choose between different seat arrangements and favorite airlines.
Places to stay
Priceline.com: One word…Shatner. They may have killed off his character (they did it at the end of January), but his legacy lives on. Name your price and get a great deal…if you’re willing to risk not knowing the name and exact location of your hotel before you book.
Hotels.com: For the less daring, this is a great site to choose from more than 140,000 hotels, resorts and bed-and-breakfasts. If you travel often, you can join Hotels.com’s loyalty program to earn free hotel nights.
B & B Finder: Bed & breakfasts are nice little out of the way places found throughout the world. A great site to use if you’re looking for a quiet weekend out of the city, or want to skip the typical cookie cutter hotels.
LuxuryLink.com: High-end travelers who can still appreciate the thrill of a great deal will be right at home with Luxury Link, where you can bid on luxury travel packages.
Trip Advisor: Trip Advisor is a review site where travelers can rate their favorite hotels, restaurants, and even tourist destinations. Find the hidden gems in a new city and avoid the stinkers with Trip Advisor. They even have a smartphone app.
Other sites
Auto Slash: This car-rental helper scours the web for lower costs and better discounts, and updates the cost of your rental up until the day you travel.
Home Exchange: Have you seen “The Holiday”? For the truly courageous, swap homes with another traveler. Spoiler alert: It probably won’t be Cameron Diaz or Kate Winslet.
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Airlines Urged to Lighten Up on Baggage Fees
January 17, 2012 by Scott Applebee · Leave a Comment
Who says there’s no good news in the papers anymore? In late November, the L.A. Times did a story on politicians goingto bat for passengers rights by tackling that hassle of the highest order: baggage fees.
Mary Landrieu, a Democratic senator from Louisiana, introduced proposed legislation just before Thanksgiving that would allow airline passengers — by law — to check one suitcase, gratis, per flight. That allowance is only one part of a larger proposal that would keep carry-on baggage free and guarantee travelers access to water and bathrooms throughout their flights.
If you do choose to check your bags, most airlines charge $25 (or more!) for your first bag and additional charges for second and third bags.
But what if you want to avoid those fees? Carrying bags on is a real source of stress for air travelers. Let’s start at the security line. Those used to checking bags — and therefore not accustomed to TSA restrictions on liquids and other items — can cause real hold-ups in line. (It’s stressful for everyone around, too.)
In the Times article, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano said that carry-on bags increase screening costs nationwide by $260 million a year.
If you thought that TSA line was long and slow, wait until you actually start boarding. Passengers now have to be ready to fight tooth and nail for a coveted spot in an overhead bin for their Rollaboards or business briefcases. That jockeying for bin space — and the inevitable scramble to gate check a bag (for free, by the way) when the last passengers to board can’t find space — not only slows down the boarding and deplaning process, but it’s also fostering animosity among already-stressed travelers who have to share a very small space for the next few hours. This has also made flight attendants’ jobs understandably more challenging as they attempt to keep customer’s happy and ensure that the doors of the overflowing overhead bins are closed and secure.
Most airplanes are built with a huge area underneath for storing luggage and other items. As fewer people check bags to avoid checked-bag fees, that space is going largely unused. Meanwhile, people are fighting for on board bag space and hoping they’ll find a place for their feet afterward. The system as it stands now is counterproductive — and it should change.
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Proposed Air Travel Tax Could Hurt Smaller Cities, Airports
January 5, 2012 by Scott Applebee · Leave a Comment
Just as the holiday travel season was getting under way, CNN published an article by Brett Snyder, the blogger at “The Cranky Flier.” Snyder discussed the new plan just set forth by the federal government to help shore up some revenue losses from the economic dip we’ve experienced these past few years.
It’s a two-pronged plan. The first part would simply increase the security fees levied on travelers when they fly. (And those costs would likely be passed directly on to passengers when they book flights.) But the second part is a bigger tax that would have pretty major implications for certain parts of the country: a $100 tax on every flight that takes off from any airport in any US city.
For big cities already served by a major airport — or sometimes even more than one — this proposed tax likely wouldn’t have much of an effect. The volume of travelers coming through and the sizes of the planes that take off from and land at these airports would allow these costs to be fanned out to the point where nobody has to feel too much pain. As little as $.50 per passenger.
But for smaller cities with smaller airports, which are often served by smaller aircraft, a $100 fee per plane is steep. Snyder points out in his article that for airports served by small, 19-seat aircrafts, the tax would add more than $5 per seat for a completely full flight. (That number obviously goes up when loads are lighter.)
This proposed tax could actually squeeze smaller metropolitan areas out of the airport business altogether because they either can’t afford the fees based on their volume — or they just won’t be able to justify staying open for reduced passenger loads when air travel plummets because travelers can’t afford to fly anymore.
There are a number of groups that are against these proposed taxes, including StopAirTaxNow.com (an airline industry group) and the American Aviation Institute. Only time will tell what happens here, but this year’s projected travel numbers paint a pretty clear picture that travelers know they still have options: of the 42.5 million travelers who traveled at least 50 miles this year for Thanksgiving, 38.2 million of them (that’s 90 percent!) chose to drive — up 4 percent from last year’s numbers.
A $100 tax could have a further slowing of airline travel, which could not only put small city airports out of business, but could have an opposite effect of the one the government is hoping to achieve.
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Travel Tips for the First 40 Minutes In Country
December 29, 2011 by Karen Amin · 1 Comment
Our friend and travel-writing hero, Mark Eveleigh, has been doling out some pretty great travel advice on a number of different blogs, and his latest one — The First 40 Minutes on RoundTheWorldFlights.com — really caught our eye.
In it, Eveleigh details some of the different traps and pitfalls that international travelers, especially backpackers, can fall into if they’re not careful.
We found a few of our favorite tips, and think they’re especially important, whether you’re an adventure traveler on a backpacking trip around the Far East, or a business traveler landing in Mexico City, or even Chicago.
1) Don’t arrive late at night when security is lax, taxis are expensive, and you’re too sleepy to be fully alert. This is true whether you’re landing in London or touching down in Thailand. You need to be alert, even if it’s just to make sure you get the right airport shuttle, and don’t inadvertently leave something behind.
2) Know in advance what the exchange rate is, and if possible, try to arrive with enough local currency to get you through the first night. We’ve talked before about how credit cards are going to be your best bet to finding the best exchange rate. But also, the worst places to exchange money are right there in the airport — exchange rates are not in your favor in most places, but especially in the place where people are in a rush to change their money. Find a bank away from the airport to make exchanges the next day.
5) If there’s a domestic terminal in the same airport, head there and take a (often cheaper) taxi from the same stand where you see locals waiting. Some taxi services see international travelers as a way to make a little extra cash, especially if you show up wearing a suit, but that doesn’t mean you have to fall victim to it. Walk over to the domestic terminal, step outside there, and catch your cab on that end. The prices may be a little cheaper, and you are less likely to be taken advantage of. And, be sure to take only an official taxi, don’t get a ride with someone who says they’re “just as good.”
7) Don’t let yourself be rushed into anything — it can be a benefit in a particularly hassled airport simply to grab a seat at a cafe and ‘people-watch’ for half an hour. We know from personal experience that it’s easy to get caught up in the stampede of people all rushing to get off the plane, get out of the airport, and get to your destination. If you’re in a brand new country and a brand new culture, don’t get caught up in the rush and miss something important. Take a few minutes, sit down, relax, and soak up some of the atmosphere. Get an idea of what’s going on, plan out your next step (probably the hotel), and then move to the taxi stand or shuttle station at your own pace.
Going to a new country can be frightening for some people. But if you plan in advance, move at your own pace, and — this is especially important — look like you know what you’re doing, you can get to where you need to be without any hassle or problems.
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Winter Packing Tips
December 27, 2011 by Scott Applebee · 2 Comments
Whether you’re heading out on a ski trip, jetting off to see relatives up north, squeezing in some last-minute chilly business travel, or pursuing any other cold-weather activities during a trip this holiday season, you’ll need to pack for the frosty weather.
When you’re staring into your closet and trying to decide what to pack for the cold — all while taking into consideration what will actually fit into your luggage! — it can be a bit daunting. But don’t despair. Here are some tips that should make your frigid travels much less shivery.
Image via Wikipedia
Consider where you’re headed.
If you’ll be spending a lot of time outdoors — like on the ski slopes or at an ice-skating rink — of course you’ll need to bring along several pairs of insulated socks, a warm coat, toasty boots, a warm hat, gloves, and so on. But if your exposure to cold weather will mostly be the brief times between the car and the mall or on the short trips from one family member’s house to another, you may want to save yourself some space and hassle by leaving your heaviest, most cumbersome coats and boots behind.
Bring along thin layers.
One of the most essential principles of clothing yourself for cold weather is wearing plenty of thin layers. Bring along lightweight shirts to layer under sweaters and thin jackets. Don’t forget tights, leggings, thermal underwear, or leg warmers. Pack some garments made of fleece for a toasty option that will resist wrinkling. Also consider toting along items made from Thinsulate and Gore-Tex.
Get creative.
Ladies, bring along a pashmina shawl that can also serve as a blanket on the plane, a wrap or a shawl, as well as a scarf. Pashmina shawls are available in a wide variety of prints, colors, and designs and are quite fashionable in addition to their practicality.
Envision how you can layer your individual clothing items differently so you can re-wear each piece multiple times. Mix and match colors, and have fun with your look!
And if you’re running short on luggage space, wear your bulkiest items onto the plane. You’ll always be able to take off a layer or two once you’ve boarded if you get too warm. Travelpro® Rollaboards have extra large front pockets that are ideal for storing hats, scarves and sweaters.
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Finding the Best Seats on the Airplane
December 22, 2011 by Scott Applebee · Leave a Comment
These days, as flights are more crowded and more in demand, it’s hard enough just to score yourself a seat at an affordable price, let alone a great seat. It’s especially worse if you’re on a tight budget. So how can you avoid the bummer experience of being trapped with no legroom next to the lavatory and get one of the better seats instead?
First off, plan ahead. The more time in advance you book your flight, the more likely it is that you’ll be able to nab one of the nicer seats on the airplane, simply because more seats are available earlier. And while booking, seek out the seat you want, if possible, and choose it from the get-go. This will save you a lot of hassle and discomfort later.
If you book online, you can use the airline’s seat selector. Or if you book on a third-party site like Orbitz or PriceLine, log into the airline website and use the same seat selection process.
SeatGuru.com is also a powerful tool to use during the flight-planning process. Check out this site to get details on everything from seat maps to in-flight amenities to detailed ratings of individual seats on planes. The site uses helpful color-coded diagrams and incredible depth of detail in its descriptions. You can even submit your own comments on particular seats or airplanes, if you’d like.
Pick a seat near the very front of the plane to get on and off your flights more quickly. This is great if you’ve got a tight connection to make, or you simply want to get home or to your hotel as quickly as possible.
Tall passengers may want to choose seats in the bulkhead or exit-row seats. These seats typically have much more generous legroom than those on other parts of the plane. Take advantage of this if possible.
If you do, however, find yourself without your desired seat on the day of the flight, you may get lucky and land a better seat if you just ask airline employees nicely. This won’t, however, work for flights that are packed to the brim. (Hint: If there are standby passengers, count yourself lucky that you have a seat at all.) And for flights that have plenty of empty seats, it never hurts to ask if you can change seats. If possible, the folks with your airline will often accommodate you.
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Why Do Airlines Pad Their Flight Times?
December 20, 2011 by Karen Amin · Leave a Comment
Have you ever wondered why it takes so long to get anywhere when flying these days? And have you been curious whether airlines are just trying to make themselves look better with more “on-time” flights by padding their schedules? It can be pretty easy to take a cynical stance on padded flight times and more time-consuming travel, especially with all the other hoops to jump through when traveling by air. But maybe we shouldn’t be so quick to assume airlines are padding their flight times without legitimate cause.
The general consensus among many experts seems to be that airlines actually pad flight times for no reason other than to plan for the worst-case scenario. So many variables come into play when it comes to air travel: congested airports, air-traffic control delays, unpredictable inclement weather, unfavorable headwinds, crucial last-minute maintenance tasks, and much more.
Today’s more heavily congested airports can up the wait time for flights. With the oft-crowded airports of today, it often takes travelers a long time to make it through security and to one gate from another. Consider, too, that travelers have different levels of experience navigating their way through airports, which can also add to necessary travel time.
Also think of how the huge number of planes arriving and departing influence travel time. It makes a lot of sense — the greater the number of planes heading into the air, the more time it will take for air-traffic control to organize the incoming and outgoing flights. On the runways, it’s the same principle as rush hour vs. off-peak times on your local roads: high-volume traffic can create bottlenecks and logjams that leave people waiting and waiting.
Bad weather and headwinds also contribute to padding of flight times. As soon as thunderstorms, fog, snow, or other bad weather situations enter the equation, flights times can become very uncertain. Unfavorable headwinds, too, can slow down planes significantly.
Flight times are also padded to allow for any necessary maintenance work.
Airlines tend to pad their flight times a bit to help compensate for any of these uncertainties, which can actually be a great thing for travelers. There’s a bit of a built-in buffer to help customers arrive in time to make connecting flights or to touch down on time at their final destination.
So that’s that: With the skies heavily saturated with air travel and abounding unknowns thrown into the mix, it simply takes longer now to get from Point A to Point B. And just think — without those padded flight times, it’d be far more common to find yourself at the airport in a crowd of disgruntled travelers who expected to arrive at their destination much, much sooner. So maybe they’re not such a bad thing after all.
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Tips For Traveling With Children
December 15, 2011 by Scott Applebee · Leave a Comment
Traveling by air with children can be a real challenge. It used to be that most airlines took plenty of measures to cater to traveling families, with guaranteed early boarding, plenty of kid-friendly meal options, and seats close together for Mom, Dad, and the kids. But airlines are in a tight spot now, with extra-crowded flights and slashed amenities. So when flying with children today, it’s important to plan earlier and be more prepared than ever.
Consider the following when traveling with children:
- Ask yourself plenty of questions.
- “What do we need to carry on, and what do we need to pack away into checked luggage?” Think what your child might want or need while the plane is in the air, and carry that on. Things you won’t need until you arrive at your destination can be stowed away with the checked luggage.
- “How will the children be entertained and at ease throughout the duration of the flight?” Sometimes airlines will offer to play television shows or movies during a flight, but always be prepared to keep your children occupied in case no such entertainment is on your flight. Bring along quiet toys, books, and so forth that will keep your child happy but won’t draw the ire of other passengers.
- “Should the child bring his or her own luggage, or should the parents take care of it all?” This really comes down to the age of the children and the personal preference of the family. Figure out what will keep the trip most streamlined and stress-free for your family, and go with that option.
- Check into early boarding for families with children. While the early boarding may cost a bit extra, this could save you a lot of hassle if you’re not feeling rushed at the gate.
- Inquire about getting seated together. This may also cost extra, but it could make both you and your children much, much more comfortable if you’re traveling close together.
- Ask about kid-friendly meals, but be prepared for them to be unavailable. Though options may be limited, some airlines still carry kid-friendly meals, like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. It’s best, though, not to take the risk because the meals may be sold out or otherwise unavailable. So bring along plenty of snacks — and even meals, for longer flights — to keep your children from getting hungry and grumpy.
- Bring what you’ll need, because the flight may very well not have it. This goes for food, blankets, pillows, and just about any other need you can think of. Many flights will have plenty of amenities available for free or for purchase, but being prepared is always the best way to keep from being unexpectedly disappointed and to keep stress at bay.
If you prepare in advance, flying with your children doesn’t have to be a hassle. Just ask the right questions beforehand, and plan accordingly.
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What to Pack When It’s Winter at Home, But Summer Where You’re Going
December 13, 2011 by Karen Amin · Leave a Comment
As if packing for a big trip isn’t enough of a challenge already, sometimes you need to use some strategic planning to figure out what to tote along when it’s cold where you are, but your final destination is balmy and sunny.
The temptation is to take a big coat, and maybe a couple of sweaters. But you’ll find once you’re down there that you’ll never need it, and you never needed to pack that stuff to begin with. So what steps do you need to take to make sure you pack smart for where you’re going, not where you’ve left? You may be able to get by with one or two pieces of Travelpro luggage depending on the duration of your trip. Travelpro Rollaboards can expand 2 ½”. This allows you to expand the luggage, instead of taking additional luggage. This saves you the cost of checking an extra bag.
Leave bulky stuff at home.
It may be sub-zero in your departure city, but that doesn’t mean you have to drag your heavy parka to sunny locales like Jamaica or Florida. Unless you’re flying out from the frozen tundra, you’ll likely be able to get by just fine in the short times you’re outdoors in the cold with a jacket or sweater. And though you may be uncomfortable for a few minutes between the house and the heated car or the heated car and the airport, it’s worth leaving a heavy coat behind to save precious luggage space and hassle when you touch down in a tropical climate.
Pack a variety of light, thin garments for layering.
You’ll want to be warm enough in your departure city, and airport and airplane temperatures can be incredibly unpredictable, so be sure you’ve got several layers to keep your parka-free self from freezing until you make it to your sunny destination. Think layered T-shirts, cardigans, and jackets paired with comfortable bottoms. You can always shed the excess layers as you get closer to your destination. Men can change into more lightweight clothing during layovers, and women can even wear thermal tights or leggings under a dress, then remove them when they touch down.
Check the weather.
Be sure to study the forecast for the area you plan to visit. Pay special attention to both projected daytime temperatures and nighttime temperatures. After all, it can be shorts-and-T-shirt weather all day, then drop to jeans-and-jacket weather once night falls. A-ha! This is where your thin layers will come in handy. Also be sure to research whether you need to be prepared for rain. Temperatures in even the warmest of cities can quickly drop when storms blow through.
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