A Few Important Tips

I was trying to think today about some of the important things people need to consider when they are traveling. There are so many depending on where you are going, but here are a few I thought of that apply to pretty much everywhere.

Lock your bags! I can't emphasize this enough! There are TSA approved locks you can get from pretty much anywhere that sells luggage. If the TSA needs to search your bag, they have a key, but it will keep out other airline personnel, and anyone else that may get access to your bags. I can't tell you how many times I have heard of people having the most random stuff taken - one of my clients had all her honeymoon lingerie stolen from her bags on the way to their honeymoon destination. A friend of mine had her CD player and other things taken from her bags. So, the lesson here is LOCK IT UP!

Another thing I offer all my clients and recommend is travel insurance. You NEVER know what will happen before you take your trip that would cause you to not be able to go. A death in the family, serious illness or injury, or even loss of your job can occur unexpectedly. Most travel insurance will also cover you while you're on the trip for things like travel delays, lost/stolen/damaged luggage, medical expense, and emergency medical transportation. A friend of a client of mine was touring some Mayan Ruins in Mexico and fell. She broke her hip and had to take an ambulance back to the US because she couldn't fly. She did not have travel insurance and had a HUGE bill! A new thing with travel insurance if booked with certain companies is they will cover the price difference in the event your package rate drops after you book. Certain restrictions apply, but I've had many clients be very happy they opted for that kind of policy when the rate went down by a very large amount of money. Most insurance is not very expensive, around 50-100 per person, but it can save you big in the event something happens.

One last important tip is to arrive at the airport early! We no longer live in the days when you could arrive at the airport 30 mins before your flight. With the luggage scanning, security, and other airport hurdles we have to go through, most airlines cut off check in at 45 mins to a hour before your flight. I had a client call me at about 6am one day because the airline wouldn't let them check in for her 625am flight - she said her taxi was 5 mins late causing them to miss. 5 minutes should NOT cause you to miss your flight - plan to arrive at least 90 mins before the flight so if some sort of unforeseen delay happens on the way to the airport, you'll be OK arriving a little late.

I hope these tips have been helpful to you! More to come!