Frequently Asked Questions

Table of Contents

1. What kind of research should I do before traveling?
2. What are some discounts that are available?
3. What is the best way to choose an airline?
4. How do I pick the best hotel for me?
5. Should I use travel insurance?
6. What do I think is the best vacation?

What kind of research should I do before traveling ?

Learn as much as you can about your destination. Know what kind of average weather conditions you will encounter. See if you need any special documents to travel in that area. You may want to check if there are any local celebrations that may interfere with your plans or complicate reservations.

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What kind of discounts are available?

• Check for special deals with your membership in associations or clubs.
• Memberships in premium or loyalty clubs and frequent flyer programs can offer discounts.
• Some credit cards have special discount agreements with certain Airlines.
• Package discounts can be found when booking your Airline ticket along with a certain hotel, cruise line, or rental car company.
• Discounts are available for some age groups, young and old, as well as, students.
• Discounts are often available for large groups traveling together.
• Discounts are often available for government, military or corporate employees. Some Airlines will even extend these discounts during leisure travel.

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What is the best way to choose an airline?

• Find out which airlines travel to your destination?
• Consider ticket prices.
• See if you belong to any groups that entitle you a special deal with a particular Airline.
• Investigate the Airline’s on-time, safety and customer service record.
• Evaluate frequent flyer programs to see which will allow you to earn free tickets or upgrades the quickest.
• You might want the Airline with the more lenient luggage policy.
• Pick an Airline that has strong routes and flight options available for the area where you’ll be doing most of your traveling.
• Find out what Airline partnerships they have to see if they will provide you further flight options.
• Find out what other partnerships they have that could save you money in other areas. Many Airlines have agreements with hotel chains, rental cars or credit card companies.
• Find out which Airline is most willing to help with your special requests.

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How do I pick the best hotel for me?

• Ask around and consider their customer service record. What ratings have they received from independent rating organizations?
• Evaluate their franchise for consistency. Many Hotel’s are franchised so you’ll want to see how the particular location fits into the Hotel’s chain. Find out how the chain rates this particular property within their organization.
• Consider their Hotel policies, are they favorable to you or do they penalize you in some way.
• Find out what partnerships they have that could save you money in other areas. Many Hotels have agreements with airlines, rental car or credit card companies.
• See if they credit your frequent flyer or frequent guest programs with points.
• Check the Hotel Chain's locations. Does their Hotel chain have locations where you travel? Do they have international locations?
• Check the individual hotel's location.  Is their airport hotel really close to the airport?
• Evaluate their facility. When were the rooms last remodeled? Does it have the types of features you need? How well does it suit your need for the quick overnight stay or the weeklong resort vacation? Do they have business suites or meeting rooms available if you need them? Does the particular Hotel you want to stay in located in a safe part of town? Is any major construction going on in the area around your Hotel’s location? Will there be any large groups staying at the Hotel that could negatively impact your stay?
• Do they offer the types of extra services you need? Do they have a concierge, shuttle or laundry service?
• Can they honor your special requests?
• See if they offer a Premium or Loyalty Club that feature the services you need.
• Check to see if you belong to any groups that entitle you to a special deal with a particular Hotel.
• Consider their rates and the availability of any coupons or discounts. See who offers the best overall deal for your budget.

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Should I use travel insurance?

Travel insurance is a way to buy off the considerable financial risks of traveling. These risks include accidents, illness, missed flights, canceled tours, lost baggage, emergency evacuation, and getting your body home if you die. Each traveler's risk and potential loss varies, depending on how much of the trip is prepaid, the kind of air ticket purchased, your state of health or the health of your travel partner or family members, value of your luggage, where you're traveling, what health coverage you already have, and the financial health of the tour company or airline. For some, insurance is a good deal; for others, it's not. What are the chances of needing it, how able are you to take the risks, and what's the peace of mind worth to you?

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What do I think is the best vacation?

Definitely a cruise. There's fun for every family member: kids and teens have special events; adults have a huge range of activities, day and night. So the whole family has a great time at each member's level of interest.

There is nothing to decide except whether you want to get off the ship, what to eat for meals or what event you should participate in. There is so much to do you you can choose do some of it or none of it. It's your option to pick and choose exactly what's most appealing. It's all laid out for you, so there's no need to study travel books and planning guides before you leave home - the cruise line has already selected the best options for your choice. All you have to do is choose.

Expenses are controlled. Because everything is included, basically you know your budget. You can see so many beautiful sites and experience luxury that is not commonplace. It really is the best all-around vacation choice in my opinion.
 

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