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Why Travel Insurance is Important

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 08:59:30 PST

Have you heard of Murphy's Law? When do you think Murphy's Law is most likely to apply? That's right, when you travel, but especially if you are traveling without travel insurance. Murphy's Law states that if something can go wrong it will. Today's accident travel insurance policies provide extensive coverage which usually includes: lost or stolen luggage; delays; Personnel belongings; medical emergencies; and, emergency evacuations. We are more likely to have an accident or some other serious problem when we are in a strange place, so regarding travel insurance don't leave home without it.

In order to ensure the proper coverage you should do some research to see what is offered by different providers and the cost. You might discover that you already have some coverage through your medical insurance, credit cards, auto insurance. It is worth noting that travel agents are generally not educated on insurance issues. There are journey policies available that cover every type of situation, if purchasing this type of policy do not assume you have what you need, make sure by reading the policy and inquiring when unsure.

If you need to make a claim, follow your provider procedures carefully. In general you will always be required to provide the following: Certificate or plan number; Travel agency or agent's name and phone number; Reservation or invoice number; Travel dates; purchase date and premium number; Date of loss or accident; and, Proof of age. Other more specific information will be required depending on the specific claim. Make sure that you keep all records and receipts, write down times places and dates, and be sure to document everything you can to make your claim as complete as possible. Weather it is stolen property, a canceled trip, an illness or anything else you will be required to prove your claim.

Fly Away! The Ultimate Guide to Budget Airlines Travel

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 11:13:55 PST

In the past, traveling by air was often considered a luxury because of the fact that airplane tickets cost such a substantial amount of money. Now, almost everyone can allow themselves to fly to their desired destination with the lowest airfares available. Using these great tips and links, airfare packages have never been easier to find cheaply

The concept of low cost airfares is not surprising, and it has become a new trend and phenomenon in the world of traveling. This concept has been well received by low and medium income families who can now also fly to their desired destinations. The foremost aim of the low cost airfare concept is to enable even more people to travel a great deal more often.

How Can Airlines Offer Such Low Cost Airfares?

The low-cost airline's main mission is to offer a more inexpensive, convenient and simpler form of transportation to its travelers. To achieve this mission, the airlines have to cut their costs to a minimum by eliminating some unnecessary expenditure.

The main feature of low cost carriers is that their airfares are extremely lower than other big-scale airline companies. In Europe, for example, their airfares are half or less than that the larger airline company's airfares. Many of these airfares are often lower than train tickets. Despite lower airfares, the profits of these airlines are often higher than larger airlines, with their sales profits going as high as 20 to 30%.

Low cost carriers do not use the major airports, instead they fly to and from secondary airports that are not necessarily the busiest. These secondary airports usually have lower operating costs than bigger major airports. Furthermore, the secondary airports are less congested and their “turnaround times” are shorter for the flights. Many European cities have more than one airport and for many small cities that are adjacent to the major cities, they often have their own airports. Because Europe's railways and highways use a very developed network, the passengers do not usually feel any inconvenience if the airports are located a little farther away from the major cities.

Low-cost carriers maintain lower labor costs because they mainly engage in short-distance business trips, and the pilots and crews do not stay overnight. Their wages are much lower than larger airline companies, and yet the average flying time is much longer. As the routes are allocated for only 2 to 3 hours for the short-haul flights, passengers are not usually provided with free meals. All foods and drinks sold are an addition.

No seats are reserved or allocated for passengers and so they will have to take any seats available, but luggage is allowed to be checked-in and taken on board.

The seating space in the plane is usually narrowed to allow more space for accommodating more passengers on board the flight. In this manner, their revenue can help in boosting their profits by at least 10%. Because flights are generally shorter, the passengers can easily accept the narrow distance between the seats.

These low cost airlines usually sell their air tickets via travel agents, travel-based search engines, and the internet, and do not need to rent a huge office space which may incur higher costs. By booking flights via internet or through an airline's call center, you do not have to pay a travel agent any commission, which would otherwise increase the airfares. You will end up saving even more money by not using travel agents to book a reservation.

Most low cost carriers cut their costs because no arrangements are made with any airline companies on flight transfers or connecting flights which would otherwise be reflected in the airfares. They employ pilots, flight attendants, operations personnel and mechanics who are specialized in a single type of aircraft, which saves the expenditure of re-training the staff, instead of maintaining a stock with parts for different types of aircraft. These are some of the reasons why the pricing is more affordable, economic and extremely low.

7 Essential Tips To Getting Low Cost Airfares

The low cost airline companies will catch your attention with extremely low airfares banners or advertisements that require you to book the tickets 6 or 9 months ahead of the traveling date. You have to grab these opportunities by making a reservation from their respective websites. These airfares get sold very fast.
Once the tickets are sold out, the low-cost seats will not be available anymore and you will have to pay more if you purchase the ticket later. You have to book the ticket immediately as it will last only 24 hours. In other words, you have to plan your trip earlier and book the ticket in advance. By doing this, you may be able to get the best deal that is worth every penny.
Now, you need to get a list of low cost airlines. You may use the suggested list attached in this article to choose your desired traveling destinations. E-mail the airlines to obtain some details on when their companies offer a promotional trip package, when the low cost airfares are on sale, and when to look for seasonal or discounted airfares. Once you get a list from them, you can familiarize yourself with the low cost airlines that fly from your local or nearby airport to your desired destination. This information may also be included on your local airports website.
With these e-mail lists at hand you will be one step closer to getting to know which new destinations are launched that can generally offer discounted or low airfares as an added promotion to attract tourists to visit those places. They also offer numerous packages which can include car rentals and hotels. This way, you can save money instead of paying for each particular aspect of the flight individually.
Browse through the dates on low airfare searches in order to find out how much you can save. You will be surprised to find out that the rates for weekdays, weekends, school holidays, public holidays and seasonal holidays all have different rates. You should try to travel during the off-peak seasons in order to get the discounted or low cost airfare packages.
Because flights are usually not fully occupied during the off season, you will receive better discounts. The airfare in general, is also less for morning flights than for evening flights because the airlines want to make sure the flight will be fully occupied before the plane takes off.
In some cases, you will have to be patient while you wait for the release of cheap airfares. Some big airlines buy tickets in bulk and resell them at lower rates through the internet. This is because they want to sell as many tickets as they can to make sure that their flights are fully occupied.

It is important to do some research trying various sources while looking for cheap airfares. The information is usually available at sites set up by airlines, travel agencies, or travel-based search engine sites. Internet is by far the best option to let you to search through as many sources in the fastest and most most effective way to let you obtain all the information you want. Search engines like Kayak, Expedia, Travelocity or Mobissimo enable you to search travel sites for the cheapest fares by simply entering the date of travel and the destination. After you hit the Search button, all related flights information will be displayed on the screen. If you are happy with the airfare, you can book your ticket immediately.

Remember, do not make a quick decision. You should always check on multiple search engines like Kayak, Cheapflights, Iwantthatflight, Attitudetravel, Qixo, Whichbudge, Cheapair, SKYSCANNER, Wikipedia or Bookingbuddy to compare the airfares. The travel agencies can have prices much higher or much lower than another. Make sure that you check with the airlines about whether the airfare includes routes (direct flights, stopovers or connecting flights), refunds or extra charges, and if their rules for cancellations before buying the tickets suits you.

A hotel plus air package is often worth buying because the prices are offered at a rate lower than the airfare without the hotel accommodations. Lastminute.com has been found to have some of the the best deals in this field. The Travelocity who owns Lastminute is one of the best options for you to book your last minute travel reservations while still helping you save money.

Always make sure that you keep abreast of the different airfares offered by various airlines companies. The prices fluctuate like the stock market and the airlines may update their domestic fares up to two or three times a day. If you are serious about saving your money, you should really check them out regularly.

Try to combine two separate fares rather than buying an individual airfare which will probably cost you more. Travelocity or another travel-based search engine may provide you with even more information regarding combining fares.

Where to Get an Affordable, Economic and Low Cost Airfare?

The links below offer some of the lowest operating costs for airlines in Africa, Asia, Europe, America, Middle East and Oceania regions and were compiled from various resources.

AFRICA REGION

Morocco

Nigeria

South Africa

AMERICA REGION

Argentina

LAPA

Brazil

Columbia

Canada

Mexico

United States

Uruguay

ASIA REGION

Bangladesh

China

Indonesia

Japan

South Korea

Malaysia

Pakistan

Philippines

Singapore

Sri Lanka

Mihin Lanka

Thailand

Vietnam

Pacific Airlines

EUROPE REGION

Austria

Belgium

Brussels Airlines

Bulgaria

Czech Republic

Smart Wings

Denmark

Sterling Airlines

Germany

Greece

Hungary

Wizz Air

Iceland

Italy

Latvia

AirBaltic

Netherlands

Norway

Norwegian Air Shuttle

Poland

Romania

Blue Air

Russia

Slovakia

SkyEurope

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

Flybaboo

Turkey

United Kingdom

MIDDLE EAST REGION

Kuwait

Jazeera Airways

Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates

OCEANIA REGION

Australia

New Zealand

I hope this article will be useful and helpful for those who wish to find the cheapest airfare available. Bon Voyage!

To Use a Travel Agent or Go On-line

Sat, 17 Nov 2007 07:28:22 PST

A travel agent may still be useful although people are doing a lot of their travel on line. But if they want to combine a hotel stay with the flight, they are going to have difficulty unless of course the site gives alternative solutions regarding where to stay. Since shopping is personal for many, a lot of people like the feel of making their own choices that are not found within the cover of a travel brochure.

If they are not savvy about how to combine travel tips, speaking to the agent may be useful. One example maybe taking a trip to South America but by combining different means of transport, something that would not be apparent on an on-line system. An air-trip to Brazil can be combined with a rail trip to Mexico and the stops on the way might be worked out with a travel agent who is familiar with what kinds of rail travel there is.

If you wanted to change your mind from rail to bus she could advise you about where to go to get a ticket or book a ticket for you in advance. In short, having an agent will be a great convenience compared to hunting websites looking for travel deals that aren't there.

Travel agents are competing with on-line travel services and it is likely that people will be making more travel plans through the internet. In Quebec, internet shopping is predicted to go up to nine from six percent and is predicted to go up even further.

This may affect how many people actually visit a travel agent but as I have said, going to one allows you to get your tickets in advance and make sure that any questions about travel places are answered, something that is not guaranteed by on-line travel sites. One gets a sense of a company's reputability when you visit a physical establishment where you can see how an agent works out a travel plan. So the travel agent will still be around in years to come.

Group Touring for Senior Citizens

Sun, 23 Sep 2007 07:01:55 PST

Do Your Own Homework!

While suggestions from friends are always welcome, don't base you decisions upon what other people have done. They may have absolutely hated New Zealand - but it might have rained on their "highlight" days. Unlucky. If you go, you might just love it - millions have and continue to do so every year.

Visit several travel agents and obtain brochures on your destination. Each agent might have loyalty to one tour company and may not offer you information on a competitor that might just cater to older clientèle. Shop around.

Look at the websites of the companies you are considering. Look at the photos contained there - do they show teenagers riding camels, or seniors riding camels?

What is Your Budget?

While cost should not be the most important consideration for seniors, it will quickly cut a swathe through the list of products on offer. Many companies will offer the same itinerary - but the price is very different. Why? The answer is usually that the hotels used are of a lower standard and may be a little out of town. Big deal! The sheets and showers will be clean, and a walk into town should not be an issue unless you have mobility problems.

Another big price differentiator is "inclusions". Find out what meals, excursions and entry fees are included, and how many will see you putting your hand in your pocket. Quite often it is more economical to take the more expensive option and have all of these "extras" prepaid - at least you will have a better idea of your on-tour expenses this way.

How Active Are You - Be Honest!

When you look at an itinerary, take into consideration the number of times you will get on and off the coach every day. You will very likely be boarding early in the morning - off and on again for a coffee and bathroom stop - off and on again for a photo stop - off and on again for a lunch stop - off and on again for a visit to an attraction - off and on again for afternoon coffee - off late in the day for your overnight accommodation. And then you will do it all again the following day. Will your sore hip, knee, back etc cope with this? If the answer is "no", then you really need to consider your itinerary very carefully.

It is very disappointing to travel a long way to find that while your mind is willing, your body is letting you down. Perhaps a cruise will suit you better, on a tour where you spend more than one night at a location will afford you some "recovery" time.

Mobility Aids

If you have a walker, or collapsible wheelchair, will you be able to take these? Usually if you require such aids, you will need to be accompanied by a "carer", whether this is your spouse, family member or paid companion. If tour companies know in advance, it is possible to take these items. Do let them know - if they are aware of special requirements, they can make sure you do not have to negotiate obstacles like stairs at hotels and showers over baths.

Willing to Share?

Some tour companies offer the choice to single travelers of sharing a twin room with another single of the same sex. This works well very often, but before you decide to go this way, bear in mind the biggest problem that these people encounter…. Snoring! Do you snore? How would you feel if the person in the bed next to your snored all night? If you picture this as a tour-destroying problem, whether you are the snorer the one lying awake each night, the best advice here is to choose to pay for a single room, or simply take ear plugs.

Happy Touring!

Kerry Anne Finch is an accomplished marketer, with proven successes in corporate and NFP PR, event management and hugely successful product launch programs.

She has worked in the private sector for many years, in fields as varied as celebrity calender publication (notably Anne Geddes, Kylie Minogue and Elle Macpherson Calenders) to education and food ingredients. Her versatility as a writer has seen her in demand for the production of media releases, health reports, staff, consumer and B2B newsletters, and direct marketing material.

Currently Kerry divides her time between writing and gathering material through her role as a tour director, managing tour groups in West Australia and New Zealand. The life experiences related by her passengers has shown her that just about everyone has a story to tell.

With a love of research, Kerry's passion is to "look behind the news" to bring out the background to a story into the foreground. Her marketing, writing and research skills combine to present such information in a way to which audiences with a broad demographic profiles can relate. Visit her website at Kerryannefinch.com .