Travel Tips Blog and Statistics
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Boo Hoo for Frequent Travelers
We all thought that PreCheck was for us special people who did not need as much TSA security at airports. PreCheck people do not have to take off their shoes, remove laptops or light outer garments. Ha, it is of course it is not going to be free for much longer. Here is the bad news: PreCheck has been marketing us so we get used to preferential treatment.
Beginning soon, you will be asked to pay for PreCheck or go back to the end of the line.…
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Group Trip Deadlines & Discounts
The Women’s Travel Group has strict deadlines for bookings on most of its trips. The reason is that most resorts / airlines etc. impose these dates to control discounts. For instance, Canyon Ranch gives us a 35% discount on our group booking for Columbus Day Weekend, but the resort takes away unsold rooms in mid August– months before our arrival. This rule guarantees them that unsold rooms can be given to the general public at a higher rate, and it puts pressure on us to fill them.…
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What is a non Plastic Visa?
Since we had this question from some women going to India with us in October,:here is a primer on visas.
To enter foreign countries, (or for non citizens to enter the US), travelers need a visa. If you look at your passport, you will see pages called Visa Pages. For many countries, US Citizens only need to have their passports stamped when they arrive overseas-that stamp is a visa.For Morocco for Thanksgiving, US citizens get their visa stamp on arrival easily.…
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Women Do not Treat Themselves to Travel
Why is it that most women do not treat themselves to travel, but will splurge the same money on clothes? weekly hair? insane shoes? or on their grandchildren????
It is time to treat yourself and if looking for a special item, try one of the nation’s most famous resorts: Canyon Ranch Health Resort, during the peak week for changing leaves in New England.
Three decisions you need to make:
1- Will this kind of trip last longer in changing my lifestyle?…
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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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Boomer Women Beware: Surviving the Heat while Traveling
Boomers Beware: Surviving the Heat of a Summer European Trip Takes Knowledge, Planning
By Phyllis Stoller NABBW’s Group Travel AssociateWhy so many of us go to Europe in the heat of the Summer is a puzzle.
Northern cities like Paris and London have temperatures above 90-degrees F. And Southern favorites like Rome, Barcelona, Madrid, and Athens frequently scorch in the Summer with days in the 100’s.Here
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Five Biggest Travel Fears of Women
This article first appeared in The Three Tomatoes Website. Phyllis Stoller of The Women’s Travel Group is their Travel Guru and many readers have gone on The Women’s Travel Group tours.
Five Biggest Travel Fears for Women
The greatest angst situations that women encounter when traveling might not be the first ones you think of. In the 22 years of participating in group travel for women, we have listed from top to bottom, the five biggest “fears”.
Number One: Fear of being separated from the group because of airline delays or cancellations.…
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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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Top Five Hotel Complaints from Women
Cool Sicilian Gelato. Join us to Sicily for Christmas Markets, Archaeology, Farm Food and More.
Joe Sharkey wrote about Hotel Peeves the other day. He mentioned two top hotel complaints: bulky internet or expensive internet service and hard to reach power outlets. Well if you get to women’s complaints. We agree that paying egregiously for internet is annoying and definitely we are tired of moving furniture to recharge our phones.
Here is my list as a rep of The Women’s Travel Group of hotel horrors:
Dirty floors: many women either stretch or do yoga in the morning.…