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May 2010 Travel Column
Give a Getaway
Late spring and early summer seem to be filled with a never-ending series of gift-giving events: Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, graduations and weddings. The perfect gift for all of these occasions and more is, of course, travel. It’s always appropriate, always welcome, and always fits just right.
Airlines, hotels and travel agents make it very easy to give the gift of travel. You can give a gift of virtually any value. You can make it specific (for example, a pre-selected flight to a specific destination), or more general (for example, a gift certificate for the flight of the recipient’s choice).
Your gift of travel doesn’t have to be as extravagant as full payment for a flight. If the recipient loves to travel, he or she will appreciate a gift certificate they can apply toward the cost of a flight or hotel stay. If you know the recipient’s tastes, consider giving a certificate for a spa treatment at their favorite resort or for dinner in their favorite city. Your travel professional can provide more suggestions for travel gifts that fit any budget.
If you’re worried that a gift of travel might seem a little impersonal, there are ways to put a personal touch on your gift. Give something the recipient will use again and again while traveling – for example, a high-quality travel bag, a travel clock, a digital camera, even a satin eye mask – and they’ll think of you each time they use it.
Or, put yourself in the travel picture. For example, for Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, give your parent the gift of a trip you’ll take together. Traveling to a place that’s special to your mom or dad – the place they grew up or the site of a favorite childhood vacation – can be especially meaningful and memorable. Or create new memories by planning travel to a destination your recipients have always dreamed about visiting.
Another idea is to give the gift of travel for a parent, friend or graduate to come and visit you. If you live some distance away, perhaps the best gift they could receive is some airline, train or bus tickets that will enable them to spend time with you.
To explore all your options for giving the gift of travel, talk with your travel professional.
One Seat or Two?
People, and airline passengers, come in all sizes, and fitting within the confines of an airline seat can be difficult or uncomfortable for some. However, solutions are available for generously sized air travelers.
If you and your travel professional contact the airlines to let your needs be known in advance, the airlines will work with you to accommodate those needs. Some airlines have formal policies regarding larger passengers, such as requiring the purchase of two seats. Some may ask you to purchase a second seat only if the plane is full – otherwise, they will try to place you next to an open seat.
While you may only need a few inches of additional space, rather than two entire seats, purchasing a second seat does ensure that you will have enough room to travel comfortably. Some airlines charge full fare for a second seat, while others will provide a discount. If you purchase a second seat but find that the flight is not full, you may be able to request a refund.
If you wait until check-in to purchase a second seat and the flight is full, you may be asked to leave the flight and buy two seats on the next flight. Film director Kevin Smith recently had an experience like this – after purchasing two seats for an Oakland-to-Burbank, Calif., flight, Smith decided to accept a standby seat on an earlier flight. However, only one seat was available, and he was asked to leave the flight.
It may help to fly during off-peak hours, when fewer planes are full. Or, reserve a first-class seat, which in some instances may cost less than purchasing two coach seats. If you are a frequent flyer, you may be able to use some of your frequent flyer points to upgrade to first class at no additional cost.
Rather than try to figure it all out yourself, consult with your travel professional, who will help you weigh all the options.
Traveling with Disabilities
If you or someone you love is one of the more than 50 million Americans with some level of disability, be assured that there are many accommodations available to enable you to travel in comfort. Still, travel can be a challenge, particularly outside the U.S., where laws and regulations that govern accommodations for travelers with disabilities vary widely.
Travel Leaders’ experts nationally agree that the key to enjoyable travel for people with disabilities is to think through every detail in advance, as well as to make certain that your travel providers know and understand your specific needs and limitations. Your travel professional can help you through this process.
Some people with disabilities choose to travel to their chosen destinations in the off-season, when less crowded conditions can mean less standing and waiting. However, surface conditions – cobblestone streets, monuments with stairs, rocky footpaths – don’t change with the season. Consider how easy it will be for you to maneuver, and make arrangements for additional transportation or mobility device rentals in advance. Also remember that not every country has the same laws governing accessibility for those with disabilities.
Also, make sure that any airports, airplanes, hotels, trains or tour buses you’ll be using can accommodate you. Don’t hesitate to ask questions. Is wheelchair assistance available at the airport? Can you get a hotel room with an accessible bath, or one near the elevator? Can the front seat of a tour bus be reserved for you each day or does it even have a chair lift?
If you’ll transfer between flights, trains or busses, be sure that you have plenty of time to make each connection. Tight connection times can add an unnecessary level of stress to travel.
Pack your medications in their original containers, checking to make sure your name as it appears on the prescription label matches your name as it appears on your tickets. Be ready to answer security screeners’ questions about these items and their use. If you need to use prescription items, particularly liquids, while in transit, bring a note from your doctor explaining this.
One mode of vacation travel that people with disabilities should consider is a cruise. Most ships have very good accessibility features and a crew that is used to assisting guests with disabilities. Much of the work of moving between ports is done at night, while you relax and sleep in your stateroom, with no tiring bus or car rides. Many wonderful destinations are accessible via cruise ship, and your travel professional can help you plan daily activities that fit your needs.
For more ideas and tips on traveling with disabilities, talk with your travel professional.
Medical Coverage Abroad
Even with the most careful planning, unexpected things can happen while traveling. Sometimes, travel delays or weather changes prove to be only minor inconveniences. But, if you become ill while traveling, it has the potential to disrupt your entire trip.
With HINI influenza and other viruses in the recent news, more travelers are concerned about the possibility of falling ill while away from home. However, an illness doesn’t have to be exotic or newsworthy to disrupt your trip – a case of stomach flu, a reaction to medication, an accident that causes injury or a sudden condition that requires surgery can all wreak havoc on a carefully planned, long-awaited vacation.
If you don’t have insurance that covers you while traveling – most U.S. medical insurance does not cover clients when they are outside the country – treatment costs can be significant. And, in a foreign country, you may even be required to pay medical bills in full before you are allowed to leave.
Fortunately, you can protect yourself in advance by purchasing medical insurance, including medical evacuation insurance, when you book your trip. Medical evacuation insurance covers the cost of being transported home for treatment, which is especially important if you’re traveling to a country with questionable standards of medical care. Access America and Travel Guard are two well-known providers of this type of insurance.
If you don’t believe that anything could interrupt your next trip, you should know that the United States Travel Insurance Association estimates that as many as one in six travelers who purchase travel insurance need to file a claim. And, travel insurance is more affordable that you may expect. Talk with your travel professional about the peace of mind that your purchase of travel insurance, including medical coverage, can provide.
Credit Card or Currency?
If travel is taking you overseas, be prepared to encounter some extra fees whether you will pay for what you need with a credit card or withdraw cash from an automated teller machine (ATM). With fees wherever you turn, the choice of paying with credit card or cash really becomes a matter of personal preference – once you know the pros and cons of each.
The advantages of using a credit card include security: if you lose your card or it is stolen, your credit card company will ship you a new one, and you’ll be protected from paying any charges made by a thief. In addition, major credit cards are widely accepted across the globe, and are often required to reserve rental cars or hotel rooms.
The disadvantages of using credit cards overseas include significant foreign transaction fees, although there are still some card companies that don’t charge them. As part of planning your trip, call your credit card company to find out what their fees are (and to let them know that you’ll be using your card overseas, so they won’t think it’s been stolen). Also, credit cards are not always accepted in third-world destinations, where transactions are more likely to be cash-based.
Cash always comes in handy for small purchases, tips, local transportation fares and emergency situations. Before you leave home, you might wish to consider changing a small amount of U.S. cash into the currency you’ll need so you can hit the ground running.
If you plan to carry U.S. currency and convert it to the local currency as needed, note that banks usually charge lower conversion fees that currency exchange desks at airports and hotels, yet the cost is typically more than if you’re using your ATM card.
While there may be some fees attached to making withdrawals with your ATM card, the limited associated costs and usually most favorable exchange rate possible make using one a very practical solution. But remember, it’s best to only withdraw the amount of cash you plan to use. And as with credit card companies, be sure to advice your financial institutions of your travel plans so that your transaction will not be denied.
Whatever you use for payment abroad, keep it close to you and as concealed as possible – an investment in a good money belt may be well worth the price.
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