How To Get The Best Air Fares:

Getting the Best Air Fare for your Money:

There is a wide variety of air fares available to travelers. This fact sheet will help you choose the one that’s best for you.

Be flexible in your travel plans in order to get the lowest fare. The best deals may be limited to travel on certain days of the week (often Tuesday through Thursday, or Friday night through Sunday morning) or particular hours of the day (e.g., late-night departures). This applies to each of your flights, not just the first flight in your itinerary. After you get a fare quote, ask the reservations agent if you could save even more by flying a day earlier or later, or by taking a different flight on the same day. Or simply ask the agent what the lowest fare is, and what you need to do to qualify for it.

Discount seats are usually “blacked out” during holiday periods. However, you might be able to get a discount fare if you fly on the holiday itself (e.g., New Year’s day).

Plan as far ahead as you can. Most airlines set aside only a few seats on many desirable flights at the lower rates. The real best bargains often sell out very quickly. On the other hand, if a particular flight is not selling as well as expected, air carriers sometimes make more discount seats available for a particular flight just before the advance-purchase deadline expires. For example, if the lowest fare has a 21-day advance-purchase requirement but is sold out for most dates, and you can go any time, ask about fare availability on flights 21 or 22 days from when you call.

While planning ahead is a good general rule, if you can bide your time you might encounter a “fare sale.” Many airlines put seats on sale for brief periods several times a year (although you usually can purchase tickets for flights weeks or months after the end of the sale period). It is difficult to predict when these sales will occur, although they often fall during times when people are less likely to buy airline tickets (e.g. early autumn or right immediately after New Years).

In a large metropolitan area, the fare could depend on which airport you use. For example, if you are going to Southeast Florida and plan to rent a car, it might not make much difference if you fly to Miami or Ft. Lauderdale, except for ticket price. Also, a connection (change of planes) or a one-stop flight is sometimes cheaper than a nonstop. Always check on alternate airports and routings when pricing a ticket.

Look into all airlines that serve the market you are interested in, including low-cost carriers that offer low fares. Many times the major carriers will match the fares of a low-cost airline between the same cities; but often this will only be for a certain limited number of seats on each flight. On a low-cost carrier, find out what you get for your money: baggage transfers from one carrier to another, meals, advance seat assignments, etc. Note that small airlines sometimes have only one flight per day in many markets, and they frequently will not reroute you on another airline if your flight is canceled or delayed. In such cases you may have to wait until the next day to fly.

Ask about all restrictions on your fare. Typical requirements for discount fares include purchasing a round-trip ticket, buying the ticket a certain number of days before departure (e.g., for many fares, at least 14 or 21 days before you leave), purchasing the ticket within 24 hours of making a reservation, staying over a Saturday night, traveling during a certain time of the year, staying no more than 30 days, and, as discussed below, refund/change restrictions.

Ask about your ability to change or cancel your flight if you need to. Even if you get sick, you cannot assume you will get a refund. In fact, most discount tickets now are non-refundable, but can be applied toward the purchase of other tickets on the same carrier. You must usually pay an administrative charge and any difference between the fares for the old and new flights when you do this.

Consider using a travel agent. Agents usually do not charge a fee  and they can tell you about “consolidators” and other sources of discounted seats that are not available directly from the airline. However, consolidator seats can have even more severe restrictions than the airlines’ own deep-discount fares, particularly if the flight is delayed or canceled. A few travel agents sometimes have access to special deals with a particular airline (either discounts or extra services). If you are flying to a popular foreign destination, or to Las Vegas or Hawaii, ask the travel agent about Public Charters. These charters sometimes offer lower fares, but again with significant restrictions that are spelled out in an operator/participant contract that you should review carefully.

Ask the travel agent if the city where you live or the city where you are going is an airline “hub.” If it is, fares may be higher than for flights to other nearby cities because of reduced competition. Someone who lives at a hub might save money by leaving from another nearby city, even if they end up connecting through the hub to get to their destination.

A number of airlines send e-mail messages every week to receive notification of last-minute fare specials for departures within the next few days. See the airlines’ World Wide Web sites for information about these programs, or call their reservations line. For a list of airline web sites, go to http://www.airlines.com (Do not assume that an airline reservation agent or travel agent will be aware of the fares offered to e-mail subscribers.)

Many airlines offer a seniors discount off any fare to travelers over a certain age. In addition, some carriers offer bereavement and emergency illness fares with varying documentation requirements and discounts.

If you are a member of an airline’s frequent-flyer program and you are considering buying a promotional or deep-discount fare, ask if that fare will earn frequent-flyer miles.

After you buy your ticket, you may wish to call the airline or travel agent once or twice before departure to confirm your reservations and check the fare. Fares change all the time, and if that same fare goes down before you fly, some airlines will refund the difference. But you have to ask.

Capt Bob

Carnival, Launch Facebook Cruise Planning App

Carnival Cruise Lines in its effort to broaden it reach into Social Media is impacting its business in a big way.   Earlier this month Delta Airlines, Inc. announced its Social Media “Ticket Window” on FaceBook and now Carnival Cruise Lines has just put the finishing touches on their on FaceBook application.  I see this as a good move in that it puts another media on the Internet for people who like to travel.  With a few key strokes to be able to share information about their travel plans, planning reunions with their family and friends. Both companies are expanding their reach to the computer savvy generation.  This trend is just the tip of  the iceberg and I forecast you will see more companies coming on board via FaceBook with their products and services.

Capt Bob

Carnival Cruise Lines announced the launch of a new Facebook application that allows users to view, compare, select and share Carnival cruises with their friends. The application allows users to engage their social network in their vacation planning through personalized news feed updates and invite friends to book the same trip.

The application, available on Carnival’s official Facebook fan page (www.facebook.com/carnival), enables users to explore all Carnival cruise options without leaving Facebook by providing the functionality to sort cruises by date, duration, port of call and accommodation type. Once users decide on a particular cruise, they can share the information with their Facebook friends by simply clicking a button. Users can also customize their newsfeed messages, which include a link to the cruise, to invite friends to book the trip as well.

“A Carnival cruise is a very social experience and this application is a natural extension of our efforts to engage our nearly 250,000 Facebook fans in a unique and exciting way,” said Jim Berra, Carnival’s chief marketing officer. “By allowing our customers to share their cruising plans with Facebook friends, we are making it easier for them to plan group trips and encourage others to join in the fun.”

Digital marketing agency Razorfish helped conceptualize, create and design the application. Once users have taken advantage of the Facebook application to choose and share their Carnival cruise plans, they will be directed to the appropriate shopping cart page on www.carnival.com to finalize the transaction. For additional information, call 800-CARNIVAL or visit www.GoCCL.com.

Delta Debuts First Airline Social Media “Ticket Window”

Delta Air Lines launched what it says is the airline industry’s first social media “Ticket Window” enabling bookings directly from Delta’s Face book page and other social media sites. The Delta Ticket Window, along with a newly designed home page at delta.com introduced earlier this week, offers the first visual cues of the airline’s planned transformation in customer-facing technology.

“Our customers are spending more time online and are looking for new ways to connect with us,” said Bob Kupbens, Delta’s vice president-E-Commerce. “We’re now delivering technology where our customers are — from our own website to our Face book page to Internet news sites and beyond, We already know Face book is the most used website by inflight -WiFi users on more than 2,000 Delta flights every day, giving us the natural launching point for a new online Ticket Window.”

Delta’s Ticket Window allows any of Face book’s 500 million users to complete a full travel booking using a dedicated “tab” at facebook.com/delta without navigating to delta.com. Delta plans to expand its Ticket Window to other sites, including online banner ads to allow full booking capabilities within the airline’s advertisements.

The redesign of Delta’s home page is the first step toward a larger redesign which will continue to improve the online experience on delta.com and its affiliated technology, including airport kiosks, to offer more functionality to customers. The immediate home page changes include easier access to flight booking, status updates, online check-in and SkyMiles account information.

Earlier this month Delta enhanced its smart phone site and will continue to deliver other popular consumer applications. In the coming weeks, Delta plans to launch a new IPhone application to offer customers the ability to check in for flights, check flight status, review flight schedules, set a parking reminder, review SkyMiles account balance and use E-Boarding passes (in select cities) directly from their mobile devices. Future releases of the app will enable customers to book flights, select their seats and track their Medallion status and other features that will streamline customer real-time travel experiences.

Delta has continued to expand its interaction with customers on social sites, including facebook.com/delta, twitter.com/delta, blog.delta.com and is now providing real-time travel assistance at twitter.com/deltaassist. For more information on Delta, visit www.delta.com.via Delta Debuts First Airline Social Media “Ticket Window”.

PassPort Renewals Fees

New Passport Fees – Effective July 13

New passport fees for the U.S. Passport Book, the U.S. Passport Card, and other passport services will be in effect on Tuesday, July 13, 2010.

The schedule of new fees for passport application services is as follows:

U.S. Passport Book
			Passport Fee Payable to Department of State	Acceptance Fee Payable to Acceptance Facility	Total Applicant Fee
Adults: First-Time (Age 16 and older)			$110	$25	$135
Adults: Renewal (Applying with DS-82)			$110	$0	$110
Minors (Under age 16)			$80	$25	$105
U.S. Passport Card
			Passport Fee Payable to Department of State	Acceptance Fee Payable to Acceptance Facility	Total Applicant Fee
Adults: First-Time (Age 16 and older)			$30	$25	$55
Adults: Renewal (Applying with DS-82)			$30	$0	$30
Minors (Under age 16)			$15	$25	$40
Other Service Fees
Additional Visa Pages					$82
File Search Fee					$150
Expedite Processing					$6

TSA International Air Security Measures

TSA Institutes More-Focused Air Security Measures

Published on: April 5, 2010

The Transportation Security Administration will begin using new security measures this month for all air carriers with international flights to the United States, replacing the emergency measures put into place after the attempted Christmas 2009 terrorist attack. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said that the new protocols reflect the most current information available to the U.S. government and will apply to all passengers traveling to the United States.

The new TSA procedures will replace the requirement of extra security screening for all passengers traveling to the U.S. from or through 14 countries that have been home to known terrorists — Afghanistan, Algeria, Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. The new procedures will require additional screening only for those passengers who match a specific description of a known or suspected terrorist, including physical descriptions or travel patterns.

The new screening will be in addition to the screening of passengers whose names appear on terrorist watch lists. The U.S. government’s “no fly” list of suspected terrorists, who are banned from all flights to or within U.S. territory, currently includes about 6,000 names. The additional screening includes the use of explosives trace detection, advanced imaging technology, canine teams or full-body pat-downs, among other measures.

The country-specific procedures went into place after the attempted bombing of a Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Detroit on Dec. 25, 2009. A Nigerian man, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, has been charged with boarding the plane with a bomb hidden in his underwear. One of the reasons the alleged bomber was able to board the flight in Amsterdam was that his name was not on the U.S. terror watch list. However, officials failed to even share a description of the suspected terrorist.

The new policy should significantly decrease the number of innocent travelers from the 14 countries who have been inconvenienced or delayed by the extra screening due to their travel route or home country.

Although the U.S. does not have the authority to screen passengers in foreign airports, if air carriers do not agree to follow the U.S. guidelines for international aviation security, they could be fined and potentially banned from operating flights to the U.S.

Janet Napolitano commended many partners around the world “who have taken steps to increase their own security measures through deployment of new technology, enhanced information sharing and stronger standards to keep air travel safe.”

Napolitano also commended the release of the Surface Transportation Security Priority Assessment, calling it another important step in efforts to protect the nation’s traveling public from acts of terrorism. The assessment was developed through engagement with federal, state, local and tribal government partners as well as the private sector, provides a comprehensive framework of recommendations to enhance surface transportation security. For more information, visit www.dhs.gov.

Reproduced from an article from Travel Pulse Newsletter:  Capt Bob

TSA Prohibited Carry On Items List:

Prohibited Items

For: All Air Travelers

• Sharp Objects
• Sporting Goods
• Guns & Firearms
• Tools
• Martial Arts & Self Defense Items
• Explosive & Flammable Materials, Disabling Chemicals & Other Dangerous Items
• Other Items

Notify me when there are updates to this page!

Make Your Trip Better Using 3-1-1

TSA and our security partners conducted extensive explosives testing since August 10, 2006 and determined that liquids, aerosols and gels, in limited quantities, are safe to bring aboard an aircraft. The one bag limit per traveler limits the total amount each traveler can bring. Consolidating the bottles into one bag and X-raying them separately from the carry-on bag enables security officers to quickly clear the items.

3-1-1 for carry-ons = 3.4 ounce (100ml) bottle or less (by volume) ; 1 quart-sized, clear, plastic, zip-top bag; 1 bag per passenger placed in screening bin. One-quart bag per person limits the total liquid volume each traveler can bring. 3.4 ounce (100ml) container size is a security measure.

Be prepared. Each time TSA searches a carry-on it slows down the line. Practicing 3-1-1 will ensure a faster and easier checkpoint experience.

3-1-1 is for short trips. If in doubt, put your liquids in checked luggage.

Declare larger liquids. Medications, baby formula and food, and breast milk are allowed in reasonable quantities exceeding three ounces and are not required to be in the zip-top bag. Declare these items for inspection at the checkpoint.

Sharp Objects

Item	Carry-on	Checked
Box Cutters	No	Yes
Ice Axes/Ice Picks	No	Yes
Knives – except for plastic or round bladed butter knives	No	Yes
Meat Cleavers	No	Yes
Razor-Type Blades – such as box cutters, utility knives, razor blades not in a cartridge, but excluding safety razors.	No	Yes
Sabers	No	Yes
Scissors – metal with pointed tips and blades shorter than four inches	Yes	Yes
Swords	No	Yes
NOTE: Any sharp objects in checked baggage should be sheathed or securely wrapped to prevent injury to baggage handlers and inspectors. Explosive & Flammable Materials, Disabling Chemicals & Other Dangerous Items Explosive Materials Carry-on Checked Blasting Caps No No Dynamite No No Fireworks No No Flares (in any form) No No Hand Grenades No No Plastic Explosives No No Realistic Replicas of Explosives No No Flammable Items Carry-on Checked Aerosol (any except for personal care or toiletries in limited quantities) No No Fuels (including cooking fuels and any flammable liquid fuel) No No Gasoline No No Gas Torches No No Lighter Fluid No No Common Lighters – Lighters without fuel are permitted in checked baggage. Lighters with fuel are prohibited in checked baggage, unless they adhere to the Department of Transportation (DOT) exemption, which allows up to two fueled lighters if properly enclosed in a DOT approved case. If you are uncertain as to whether your lighter is prohibited, please leave it at home. Yes No Torch Lighters – Torch lighters create a thin, needle-like flame that is hotter (reaching 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit) and more intense than those from common lighters. Torch lighters are often used for pipes and cigars, and maintain a consistent stream of air-propelled fire regardless of the angle at which it is held. Torch lighters continue to be banned. No No Strike-anywhere Matches – One book of safety (non-strike anywhere) matches are permitted as carry-on items, but all matches are prohibited in checked baggage. No No Flammable Paints (See Other Items below for non-flammable paints) No No Turpentine and Paint Thinner No No Realistic Replicas of Incendiaries No No NOTE: There are other hazardous materials that are regulated by the FAA. This information is summarized at www.faa.gov, click on Passengers, then Preparing to Fly. Disabling Chemicals & Other Dangerous Items Carry-on Checked Chlorine for Pools and Spas No No Small compressed gas cartridges (Up to 2 in life vests and 2 spares. The spares must accompany the life vests and presented as one unit) Yes Yes Fire extinguishers and other compressed gas cylinders No No Liquid Bleach No No Spillable Batteries – except those in wheelchairs No No Spray Paint No No Tear Gas – Self Defense Sprays containing more than 2% by mass of Tear Gas (CS or CN). No No NOTE: There are other hazardous materials that are regulated by the FAA. This information is summarized at www.faa.gov. Other Items Item Carry-on Checked Gel-type candles No Yes Gel shoe inserts – Gel shoe inserts are not permitted, but shoes constructed with gel heels are allowed and must be removed and screened. No Yes Non-flammable liquid, gel, or aerosol paint Yes – 3.4 ounces (100ml) or smaller container Yes Flammable liquid, gel, or aerosol paint No No Snow globes and like decorations regardless of size or amount of liquid inside, even with documentation. No Yes Download Plug-in Some of the links on this page require a plug-in to view them, which are available below. Adobe Acrobat (PDF) Windows Media Player This article was reproduced from the TSA WEB site at: http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/prohibited/permitted-prohibited-items.shtm#11

GroupTravel Made Easy

How to Organize It:

A group is defined as collection a of people that have a common interest or goal.  I have written this guide to cover the main parts of how to organize group travel, including where to start, brainstorming, budgeting, raising money, organization and other useful ideas you may not have considered.  It does not matter what the purpose of the group maybe, organizing a group tour can be a fun and a profitable experience for all concerned.

This article is intended to help you organize a successful group travel program. Whether you are new to group travel planning or are simply looking to improve on your prior experiences. It is aimed at a variety of people with no experience to those you have arranged group travel but just need a refresher. You may be an allocated tour committee member, club secretary, club president; or you may be a manager having been asked to organize a corporate trip. You may also be a best person for organizing a to-do list or simply organizing a holiday for a large group of friends or family.

Where to Begin:
If you have not organized group travel before, you are probably thinking where do I start? If you have organized group travel before and it did not go so smoothly you should be asking – where should I have started last time?

The first thing you need to decide is who will be responsible for what duties.  Make sure these roles are clearly defined, and that each individual understand their responsibilities. The number of people who need to be involved in organizing group travel will vary depending on size of your group and destination. For small and informal groups you may decide that one person will take responsibility for all the tasks. For large and more formal groups it is often best to assign tasks to multiple people or a committee.

You should consider:

• Who will be responsible for collecting the necessary funds?
• For specialized groups – who will organize tours and individual activities?
• Who will sell the tour to your group and encourage them to go.
• Who will organize your group – make sure all parties have up-to-date passports and carry out any other administration requirements that need to be done.
• Fund raising- if required.

Brainstorming 101:
Once, it has been decided on who is responsible for what, you will need to come up with some general ideas of where your group should go and what they should do. In some cases this will be simple, as other factors will have already been pre-determined. If your group requires special needs or has a particular agenda it may require more pre-planning.  In this situation you should consider what other activities you may also want to do in order that you get the most enjoyment out of your trip.

In many cases brainstorming will be a much more involved process. If you are a group wishing to go on a special tour, then the options are almost endless with regards to destinations, activities and itineraries.

You will probably need to do some research into ideas for your group and the brainstorming process could take several weeks to a month. Why not get some help from the experts! There are a number of professional group travel organizers such as your professional travel agent, who will have many ideas and have probably done something similar before. Contacting a professional group organizer will not cost you anything and will enable you to pick their brains.  Professional tour operators also provide a large collection of pre-built itineraries for your consideration. You may be able to take one of these directly or adapt it to meet your group’s needs. You can also do research about different destinations and tours by using the internet to get ideas.  There are great web sites with lots of useful information.  Remember to consider your destination and itineraries.  These two items will determine your approximate date of travel, likely numbers, accommodation type, and extra excursions that you might want to do.

Budget Is Important:
A group’s budget is very important. If you create an overpriced trip then no one from your group will be able to come. Equally if you set the budget so low, then you will end up in accommodation that no one wants to stay in, which again may put them off from committing.

You need to agree upon a price range that your group can afford and create a trip based on that information. For example, if you want to go on a week’s tour to Europe but realize that your group can only realistically afford $1500 per person, then you will need to consider fund raising or making an adjustment to your tour in terms of time, length, destination or itinerary.

Remember any group can afford a tour; it just takes the right amount of planning, creativity and preparation. Some members may have a particularly difficult economic background. You may want to consider subsidizing these members from the clubs funds and fund raising. Some people may also be prepared to pay more in order to reduce the cost to others. You should also take into consideration a Tour Conductor slot for the leader of the group.  In most group bookings you should be able to get free accommodations for every 10 to 25 members in the group (this number depends on the tour operator) although airline seats are not normally affected.

Putting your Group Together:
Your first step is persuading people to go on your group trip. There are three main factors that decide this. Does the trip appeal to them is it at a price they can afford and how dynamic are you at selling them the idea! If you can get these three things right then you should have no problem in getting most of your group to go on the trip.

Organizing group travel can be time consuming and challenging. You can find yourself having to call people multiple times because they are not in. Following up with people up who have not done something you’ve asked them to do, dealing with people who have dropped out or adding new members on to the tour who now want to come. You must be prepared for a complex and time consuming operation if you’re doing everything yourself. You can significantly ease the burden by using a professional group organizer. They can help to deal with these problems on your behalf, depending on which company you go with and what you have agreed upon. If you want them to do everything then you should expect to pay extra for their service. By doing this it would free you up to do other tasks that might otherwise be more costly by ignoring them. One solution is to allow a professional travel tour company or a travel agent, who is trained in group travel to run your tour for you.  They can provide a series of online facilities to help you with collecting of money, organizing your trip and getting quotes from suppliers.

Financing or Fund raising:

Is your group is on a limited budget! No one is going to give charitably to support your group tour? If you’re a corporation organizing group travel, then the only way you are going to get someone else to pay, are by offering commercial benefits like free advertisement on brochures or banners during meetings.

With most groups though there is a multitude of ways to raise finances for your group travel. You can organize generic events, fun days or organize something based on what your group does. General events and fund raisers could include: – sponsored marathon/competition, car washing at a local supermarket or school, coffee morning for you local retirement homes, put on a disco, create a night out, or organize an auction. The list is really only limited by your imagination. Also you should try organizing something that relates to what your group does. If your group is a car club, for instant, then organizes a car rally for your local community to raise the necessary funds for your group. You can quite quickly raise the money you need for your trip; all it takes is a little enthusiasm and it can be lots of fun.

One of the things people are most reluctant to do is part with their money. At the early stages it is important that you collect a deposit from every group member who has confirmed they are going on the trip. Without this there is no commitment or incentive for them not to drop out at the last second and this put your group tour in jeopardy. By doing this, your trip will becomes more manageable. You should keep your members aware that the final amount due and may be liable to change slightly if group members drop out or new ones join.   You will normally find that quotes are given in price bands as group travel operators are aware the people may drop out or you may get additional travelers. You must also make people aware of cancellation cut off dates. Normally if you cancel with a hotel within 30 days prior to departure you will be liable to pay the full amount.

Travel Insurance:
As a group travel organizer or initiator for your group you will be viewed as responsible for everything that happens to your group members. Unfortunately from time to time things won’t go quite as planned. You must there for ensure you and your group members are protected against such instances. This is especially true with school, youth groups and family reunions. Often travel insurance is not that expensive and it can be a legal requirement in many situations. Ask your tour operator or your travel agent for information on the cost of Travel Insurance.

Raising Money for Charity:

Another reason to consider doing a group tour and getting people to participate is by raising money for a particular charity.  Most people will contribute their hard earned money to a charity they believe in.   Most tour operators have programs that will donate money to your favorite charity for every booking you make from your group.  There is a simple formula that can be used to figure how much money your group would like to raise.  Set a reasonable amount and divide it by the number of members in the group that are committed to going.  For example; if you would like to raise $1,000 for your charity and your group consist of 100 members you would have to add $10.00 for each ticket sold.  Depending on the tour operator, they will either match a percentage of extra money raised or give a set amount.  Either way everyone wins, the charity gets money from your group, your group members have a sense of helping a charity and the tour operator received your business.  Just make sure the charity you are raising money for is a legitimate charity.

Capt Bob

CruisesbyCaptBob.com