inFLIGHTout Travel Tip: Email Important Documents to Yourself

By Mike Grasso

Even what seems the most solid planning and preparation occasionally fails. Take for example a recent trip to Boston: I had booked a car rental with a reputable agency months in advance and armed myself with a copy my itinerary, evidence of such reservation. Well, through a series of unfortunate inflight mishaps, coffee ended up soiling my paper itinerary, causing it to be unreadable. So, when I showed up at the car rental agency, you guessed it, they for whatever reason, had no reservation on file for me, and I no longer had no proof anything existed either. I was ready to fly back home at this point. 

But, the magic of the Internet and an Internet capable mobile device saved the situation. I simply logged into my email account, scrolled to my "active travel" folder and bada-bing, with a sense of pride and accomplishment, I flashed the reservation to the front desk agent who quickly processed my reservation. 

The lesson: A hard copy of all your travel plans are great (airline, car rental, hotel, tours), but also storing an electronic copy, which can be accessed anywhere you have Internet capability, improves on that. With the e-versions of itineraries, I store them in email folders labelled, "active travel" and "past travel" which helps locate files quickly - such as when standing at the car rental counter in Boston.

Traveling internationally this summer? 9 things to do now!

From Lydie over at the wonderful travel is more fun with kids blog comes some useful tips for those planning a summer vacation. Lydie has crafted 9 points to start considering now, in preparation for this summer's big voyage.

It is always exciting to book tickets to visit another country. My family is always looking forward to discovering new monuments, new food, new parks, new people, etc. But there are some not-so-much fun paperwork that has sometimes to be taken care of. So if you have booked your tickets, here are 9 things that you need to do right now.

Tip 1

Check the expiration date of all your passports. Some countries, like Thailand and Singapore, ask that you not only have a passport that is valid during your trip, but that you have at least 3-6 months of validity after you leave their country. If you need to renew your passport, pay extra for the expedited shipping: you do not want to be left behind!

Tip 2

Make a copy of your passports and give a copy to a family member who won’t be on the road with you. If your passports get stolen or lost, it will be easier to have them replaced if you have a copy of your information. You can also email yourself the passport numbers and date of issuance so you can easily retrieve the information, just in case.

Tip 3

Inquire for visas. Do not assume you do not need a visa even if you are visiting for a day. Check that information with the appropriate consulate. If you booked your travel through a travel agent, he or she should take care of the paperwork for you.

Tip 4

Check the immunization records of the whole family and make sure that no specific immunizations are needed. The CDC www.cdc.gov/travel has an extensive list of recommended vaccinations and shots on a country by country basis. Be sure to consult your doctor as well.

Tip 5

Call your medical insurance company to understand how you are covered abroad. Check if your credit card provides any travel health insurance. If not, you might consider buying travel medical insurance.

Tip 6

If you are planning on driving, make sure you do not need an international driving license and if you need one, apply for one. If you are renting a car abroad, be aware that you will most likely get a stick shift car, so be prepared!

Tip 7

Be aware of the difference in electrical plugs and voltage in some countries like England and Australia. You can buy plug adapters at your local hardware store or online, click here.

Tip 8

Ideally, have some cash from the country you are visiting with you in case you need to take the taxi when you arrive or buy something right away. It will make your life simpler instead of looking for an ATM or currency exchange kiosks just after landing with tired and jet-lagged kids in tow.

Tip 9

Call your credit card company to let them know that you will be traveling abroad. If they see activities on your bank account abroad, they may deny the charges and cancel your credit card if they can not confirm the purchases with you. Always bring several cards with you when traveling in case one does not work. Be aware, that if you are using your ATM card, certain countries like France only have a 4-digit PIN number system. If you are trying to withdraw some cash and you have a 5-digit PIN number, you will not be able to withdraw money. Visit your local branch to inquire about this.

Bon Voyage!

Tips to Make Air Travel Easy

By Kelly Kilpatrick
Guest Contributor

Taking to the air is often the shortest route between two places, especially if they’re far away. But not many people are comfortable
flying – some are plain scared while others don’t like being cooped in a seat that’s too small for them in a small area that could get claustrophobic. Frequent air travelers resort to certain tricks to make their journey more comfortable, so if you’re apprehensive about air travel, you’d benefit too by implementing these tips:

·Plan your journey well in advance.
·If you’re travelling far, choose a flight plan that allows you to stop over at airports that are known to be comfort havens for travelers.
·If you’re traveling long distances and expect to be jet lagged, book flights that get in at night so you can rest overnight and begin your work refreshed the day after.
·Plan for traffic jams and other impediments when you leave for the airport.
·If you like to be undisturbed during the flight, book a window seat, but if you’d like to get up and move around, ask for an aisle location.
·If you have the option of checking in over the Internet from home, use it to save you some time.
·If you’re travelling with children and/or the elderly, allow enough time for emergencies and delays.
·Aircraft cabins are pressurized, and this tends to dehydrate you. So, as tempting as those in-flight drinks are, avoid them because they only tend to make you thirstier.
·If you’re prone to stiff legs or hate long journeys, walk around the aisles of your plane when it’s safe to.
·Read up on security instructions for carryon and other luggage before you travel.
·Tag your bags with bright colors so that they’re easily identified on the conveyor.
·Wear comfortable clothes and loose shoes so that you’re able to fit your legs into them even if they’re swollen because of the long journey.
·Keep your travel documents carefully.
·Make sure you know enough about the country/place you’re travelling to.
·Talk to others who have been there before, especially about cab fares to and from the airport.
Most drivers tend to rook foreigners and take them for a ride, both literally and figuratively.
·Follow security rules at the airport to avoid unnecessary hassles.

Travelling is a fun experience, and if you have planned your trip well enough, you should come out of it longing for the next one.

This post was contributed by Kelly Kilpatrick, who writes on the subject of Visa airline card offers. She invites your feedback at kellykilpatrick24 at gmail dot com

ATA's 3 'Be's' for smooth airline travel this week

The busiest travel week of the year is in progress. Here are some great travel tips from the American Travelers Association:

Be Early
- Be Early Rule #1 - you can never be too early for your flight.
- Be Early Rule #2 - Allowing extra time is often the only thing that gives you the ability to solve many airline delay problems.
- Be Early Rule #4 - Arrive early at the departure gate and board the aircraft as early as possible to help to avoid being bumped from your flight (unless you want to be! =) )
Be Informed
- Be Informed About Your Flight and Use Advance, Online Check-in to Obtain your Boarding Pass
- Confirm all of your flights well before departure day either online or through the airline's toll-free telephone numbers.
- Check-in and print boarding passes online at least 24 hours before departure.
- Confirm the actual departure time of all of your flights: before leaving for the airport; when you get to the airport; and when you are waiting at the airport. Things change.
- Know the TSA 3-3-1 Rule for liquids and gels in carry-on bags
- 3-ounce containers in 1 quart-sized zip-top bag with only 1 zip-top bag per passenger.
Be Prepared to
- Use Self service check-in kiosks to obtain boarding passes, obtain or change seats,
and at some airports to check bags.
- Go directly to the security checkpoint if you have a boarding pass and no bags to check.
- Confirm that all checked bags have bag tags on the outside and inside that contain your name, address, e-mail address, home phone number, cell phone number, destination phone number, and flight information.
- Be Prepared for the Security Check Point w/ ID and boarding pass in hand
- Be Prepared for Long Lines and Delays from the Time you Arrive at the Airport Until You Get on the Plane.
- Be prepared for: lines on the roads into the airport; lines to get into the parking lots; lines at the check-in counter; lines at the security checkpoint; lines to get food and drinks; lines at the
Starbucks; and lines at the gate.
- Be prepared to be self sufficient during flight delays on the aircraft, by bringing food and snacks with you from home and buying drinks after passing through the security checkpoint.
- Be prepared to call the toll-free number of your airline if your flight is cancelled or delayed, to re-accommodate yourself on an earlier or later flight. Do this in addition to standing in line with
passengers waiting to be accommodated, until you are re-accommodated
on the phone or at the desk.
-Be Ready to Have a Good Flight and a Happy Holiday!