Tag: travel itinerary

Planning a Flight around the Holidays

There is always a chance that your flight will get cancelled or delayed regardless of when you fly. However, the holidays are a very busy time for airports and you dont want to spend Christmas there instead of with your family. Be prepared for long lines at the check in desk and security. Even though you should be at the airport two hours before your plane takes off during normal travel times, you will want to increase that up to three hours when you travel around the holidays.

Try to keep the amount of items you bring along to a minimum. It will make checking in your baggage easier and prevent such items from being lost or damaged. If you are traveling for Christmas and you want to send gifts it is a good idea to mail them separately and they will be there when you arrive. If you do decide to pack them dont wrap them as they are subject to being inspected. You can wrap the gifts when you arrive at your destination.

Traveling around Thanksgiving or Christmas always comes with the risk of the weather being a problem so make sure you are prepared. Some travelers have had their flights delayed for a couple of days due to storms coming in during these times. It is a good idea to arrive at the airport prepared for the worst. Make sure you have plenty of activities with you for children to stay busy with. You also want to carry snacks and drinks so you dont have to pay the outrageous prices at the airport for these items.

If you have specific dates of travel in order to be spend the holidays away from home you will want to secure your travel arrangements early. Look for the best possible deals online and with a travel agent. If you want until the last minute though in hopes of prices dropping you may be disappointed that you wont get to go because the flights are sold out.

Many people save money on flights by taking connections or accepting a layover or two. You may want to skip this money saving tip during the holidays just because most airports will be very busy. You dont want to have to deal with hurrying across a busy airport terminal to find your connecting flight. If you can get a decent price on a direct flight then make sure you do so.

It is very important that you have all your travel documents and a printed copy of your travel itinerary. Most airline staff will be overwhelmed with people asking for assistance during this time of the year. You dont want to arrive and discover that you dont have a reservation after all and that there is not a space on the plane for you.

If you want to avoid the crowds during holiday travel, consider taking a very early morning flight or a late evening flight. You will find these are often less expensive as well. While it may interrupt your normal sleep patterns, it can help to reduce the amount of stress and anxiety while you are traveling during the holidays.

For those planning to fly with children around the holidays, make sure you keep a careful eye on them. They can quickly become separated from your family in the crowd of people moving around. Strollers are a good option for small children. Make sure all the adults in the party know which flight they are taking and the airline in case they get separated as well.

You can have a fabulous trip to visit your family and friends over the holidays if you are prepared. Paying attention to the guidelines of the airlines is very important to ensure you have a save trip. Being on time will help to ensure that you dont have your plans crushed because you have to catch a plane in the following days.

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Are Travel Agents Obsolete?

It seems you cannot watch television for more than an hour without seeing an advertisement with William Shatner talking about Travelocity or that silly gnome talking about Orbitz. These travel web sites have been very successful at facilitating travelers to book their own airline and hotel reservations online. So with this huge push from the internet to take over the travel industry, one has to ask, Are travel agents obsolete?

If you have browsed some of these travel sites, you have observed that they are amazing in the diversity of travel options that they make available. And it is impossible to deny that many thousands of people have taken advantage of these services. As a business traveler, however, your needs are somewhat different than the typical airline passenger.

There are some very specific services that a living and breathing travel agent can provide that simply cannot be replicated by an automated web site like Travelocity or Orbitz. Some of those services that a seasoned business traveler would be hard pressed to live without include

Focus. You as a business traveler are not arranging this trip for entertainment. You have specific business objectives in mind. So if you must take time away from preparation for your business task to worry about travel itineraries, hotel and rental car reservations and the like, that is time that you are not being productive for your business. If you can call a talented travel agent who knows your travel profile well and delegate those arrangements to that agent, they do their job in finding just the right accommodations for you and you are freed to do what you do best, focus on your business and the upcoming business trip.

Economy. It is difficult to find that balance between finding the accommodations that fit the demanding schedule of a businessperson on the road and is respectful of the companies travel budget as well. If you use an automated online travel service, you may have to sacrifice convenience, schedule or location for economy. A good travel agent will work hard to get you the right itinerary while getting as close the corporate travel cost restrictions as possible. And they will do it without taking up a lot of your time.

Back up. You dont need help if your trip goes completely as planned. But if you encounter problems on the road, you can find yourself in need or rescheduling flights and finding new accommodations to work around canceled flights, weather issues or other unexpected interruptions to your plans. These travel disasters are not mindful of your tight deadlines to meet your business goals. But if you have a travel agent who is dedicated to providing you service, he or she can find those alternative routes and resources to do all they can to get you to your destination so you can conduct your business on time.

That personal touch. You may have travel preferences that you want to achieve with each trip you take. A travel agent has your profile and your travel history so they can do what they can to accommodate your preferences. But moreover, if you have specific special needs such as a diet limitation or a need for accommodation due to a disability, it will be a travel agent that sees to it that your needs are provided for and you are well taken care of on the road.

Complications. If your travel itinerary involves making connections with other business partners who are traveling from diverse offices, complex travel schedules and itinerary challenges that just cannot be described to the generic screens of an online travel service, you can explain these complications to your travel agent and they can work with other travel agents working to organize the meeting and see to it that your itinerary meets your requirements.

While the online travel services do provide a valuable and affordable alternative to the general traveling public, it is easy to notice their limitations if you are trying to book a trip that is tricky or if you have specific needs that the screens do not anticipate. That is why working with a human travel agent guarantees that this travel professional will dedicate themselves to the task of making sure your trip works to your specifications and that you get to your destination ready to conduct business and be successful in your achieving your goals.

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Preparing for Last Minute Air Travel

Traveling by plane to your vacation destination at the last minute can make you panicky enough to forget traveling essentials. Use the tips to ensure that when you go away for vacation, youre not leaving trouble behind.

Flight Documents
Double and triple check your passport. Make sure you have it with you at all times. Pack your passport together with your flight tickets, too. Last but not the least, if you are traveling abroad, be sure you also have your visa documents with you.

Reservation and Other Vacation-Related Documents
When you make a reservation by phone, youre usually given a confirmation number and that can stand as proof of your reservation. But when you make a reservation online or you book for accommodations through a travel agency, youll usually get documented proof for your reservations. These reservations are important: they expedite the registration process and youll get to your room more quickly. Make sure youve got similar documented proof for car rental, admissions paid in advance, and other important vacation-related details.

Giving Information about Your Travel Plans
If youve prepared a travel itinerary, its best to share your plans with loved ones youll leave behind. In the event that something untoward happens to you, your loved ones could notify the necessary authorities to verify your well-being.

Choose someone whos dependable and close to you to be your primary contact at home. Make sure you call him at regular intervals so that everyone back home knows how youre faring abroad or out of town. Be sure to hand out your contact details whenever you change accommodations.

Last but not the least, you can also register your travel plans with the US government. Its not really necessary, but better safe than sorry, dont you think?

Delegating Responsibilities
If you have your bills and other important documents mailed to your home, make sure you inform the post office to put all mail on hold while youre away. If not that then you can also have all mail forwarded to a neighbor or any other person you trust.

If youre going to be on vacation for a considerable period of time, make sure you also ask someone to check your house from time to time. Have someone to water the plants, clean the yard, and maybe temporarily adopt your pets while youre away.

Packing Dos and Donts
Pack light. Remember: every passenger is ascribed a certain weight quota for his baggage. If you go beyond this, youll have to pay extra. Make sure you label every piece of your luggage properly. Its always a hassle when your luggage ends up lost and misplaced. Bring clothing that you can mix and match and use repeatedly. Make sure the clothing you bring is also appropriate for the weather in your destination.

Off to the Airport!
Be at the airport at least two hours prior your flight departure time. This way, you wont be in any great hurry having your stuff stored properly and getting to your seat in comfort. Double-check your flight documents. Going through the same safety precautions repeatedly is tedious, yes, but again, its something you should do if you dont want to risk getting deported when you get to your destination.

Follow all these tips and when you return home, you can look forward to going home without having to suffer last-day-trouble.

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