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Surviving Airline Weather Cancellations
Some of our group in Ixtapan Spa were cancelled by Delta on Feb. 15 2015, due to high winds at JFK. The other women had no problem getting home same day. A few simple choices can help reduce the stress of a cancellation and any added costs.
Obviously travel insurance is the first preventative for both stress and $$. The second is to keep calm especially if you are solo.
On your airline profile (when you enter an airline website), put that you prefer notices by text message. …
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Snowed in
Well not exactly, but we thought we would be while listening to the news.If you were a solo traveler yesterday, you would have been nervous and thinking about cancelling your wonderful trip,right?
What do you do when you are abruptly cancelled from a trip departure? First have a list of all your reservations from the taxi, to pre-tour rooms, aiport lounges through the trip. Then speak with your tour operator and make sure they know you have an issue and ask for their imput.…
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Love your FF miles; hate the rules?
Try insuring them when you use ff miles! If you have to cancel a trip and redeposit your miles, you will need to pay a fee. Last time I paid it was $150 to Delta but that might be higher now.
Our insurance now covers the redeposit cost, any change fee on your flights and more.
Now if your airline changes the flight on you; you usually have the right to get miles back with NO fee. You might have to call them and ask for the supervisor, but you will avoid a fee.…
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Fear of Flying: Alone that is
You do not have to be afraid of flying to meet up with a Women’s Travel Group trip. We are happy to coordinate you with others. If you live in the West and we are going to Europe or you live in the East and are going to Asia, you might want this service even more. We have several alternatives:
Meet up in the city of departure. On our Cuba trip, we meet up in Miami the night before and have our orientation at an airport hotel.…
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New TSA Rules Need Close Attention
The TSA has announced that they are now requiring all electronic devices be opened at security. Phones, tablets, computers, kindles….. This means some time delay and it requires that your devices have a live battery. Cameras are not mentioned in the list, but beware if they are battery operated.
If you are on a long trip, you will need to re-juice your devices before you go through security, as it is possible that security overseas will match our new regulations. And when you board your direct flights to the US from overseas say like Catania from our Sicily trip, TSA regulations will apply.…
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Airline Fees: Yikes
Shortly The Transportation Dept will be requiring airlines and travel agents to list all fees on your ticket. These fees include the usual like security, agriculture etc but now the list is growing longer and longer. Services like checked bags, preferred seating. extra luggage (mainly on discount airlines in Europe) and other fees are involved. Spirit Airlines even charges for carry on bags!
Approximately 18% of the entire ticket is today only fees….. Airlines of course say that this new listing requirement would be expensive.…
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Airplane delays and cancellations
Today Joe Sharkey, my favorite airline journalist, announces the huge number of cancellations and delays caused earlier this month by weather. Here are some reasons you need insurance:
1-Plane severely delayed and you need a new transfer to Ixtapan Spa: $170 private transfer one way. (More than our group deal)
2- Weather prevents you from getting to your flight and you take another one.
3- You sprain your ankle (my husband did over Christmas on a trip), and you need to fly next day.…
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Airline Prices Have Fallen: it is Taxes which are the Culprit
Many travelers do not know that airline prices have fallen over the years. It is taxes which are the culprit for high prices. Today I got an email from a airline ticket consolidaror, giving out deals from Los Angeles.
Here is the shocker:
LAX to Europe was around $265, taxes were $650. So it is the taxes which are the big piece. Sites selling airline tickets are now required to add the taxes to the amount you see before you click.… -
Women only airplane bathrooms
This issue has come up in the past and as I recall one Austrian airline had segregated bathrooms for a short while. The pros and the cons:
Pro: Men leave bathrooms messy, toilet seats up and sinks full of soapy water ( thank heavens for the evidence they wash hands). We will not even talk about the floor situation.
Con: Women spend more time with make up and hair in the airplane bathroom. Women also use Purell more often than men.… -
Alitalia Fined $125,000 for Deceiving 2 US Passengers
Alitalia was fined for not compensating 2 US bound passengers for cancelled flights. Alitalia paid for cancellations within Europe but denied the two who were flying to the US.
The rules governing an airline are found on the Department of Transportation and other US Government websites; but the individual practices can be different and are only found on the Contract of Carriage of the airline itself. This will be hidden in their website somewhere….
Example: some discount airlines will not put you on a substitute airline if your flight is cancelled; you might get back your one way fare, but you will be hugely out of pocket on buying another one way fare on a non discounter. …
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ECPS Consulting-Phyllis Stoller
For Sita operated trips, call Ralf at 1 800 421 5643 x1503 or email ralf@sitatours.com