With the weather turning colder and winter right around the corner, some of us have to get into a different mindset when it comes to making travel plans. While the winter weather makes it the perfect time to escape to warmer climates, it can also mean snags in your travel arrangements. So while you can’t do anything to change the weather heading your way, here are some suggestions on how to best be prepared for your travels during winter months:

Leave Early
Allow extra time to get to the airport during the winter. That extra cushion of time can mean the difference between arriving on time or getting there late (or not arriving at all if you miss your flight).

Connect in the South
If you need to have a connecting flight, try to choose a southern city to make your connection. Weather will be less likely to be an issue during the winter months.

Check Out the Airport Lounge
Severe weather events can be the best times to purchase a one-day airline lounge pass. It’ll be more comfortable to wait out the weather in the lounge and often rebooking lines are shorter than in the terminals.

Follow on Social Media
Often the easiest way for airlines and airports to get the word out about major travel delays and important information is via social media.

Check the Weather Early and Often
Don’t wait until a winter storm hits to make other travel plans. Keep your eye on the weather to stay ahead of Mother Nature and prevent your trip from being derailed. Watch the weather in all cities where your travel plans could be affected – your departure city, any connections and your destination. To check for inclement weather before you depart, visit the National Weather Service for up-to-date weather information and alerts.

Invest in Travel Protection
On all trips, we highly recommend purchasing a travel protection plan.  A travel protection policy can help when rebooking cancelled flights, making hotel arrangements and other emergency travel assistance. It can also provide coverage for medical expenses and emergency medical evacuations, as well as reimbursement for your pre-paid, non-refundable trip costs in the event that inclement weather causes the cancellation or interruption of your travel.

Wherever you decide to travel in the winter months, we wish you easy flights, cooperative weather, safe travels and amazing journeys!

Edited from AIG

Here at Amazing Journeys we have been company to truly amazing experiences in all parts of the world.  In 19 years of leading Jewish singles to places on all 7 continents, the thousands of travelers we have hosted will attest to remarkable experiences: from zip lining above the clouds in Costa Rica, to dog sledding on a glacier in Alaska…from witnessing the Sumba Parade in Rio during Carnival, to celebrating New Year’s in Hawaii…from riding an elephant in Thailand to marching with the penguins in Chile.

But imagine for a moment if these wonderful experiences in waiting, never happened because of one simple faux pas…one simple misjudgement, one simple moment of carelessness or one simple moment in time that could have and should been avoided.  

These five simple rules of engagement can help you maintain peace of mind in your preparations for that long awaited/long earned vacation.  Don’t let Murphy’s Law rule.  Live by the Vacationer’s Rule where thou art due leisure time away on vacation; to live carefree, to have fun, to leave your worries behind and to “vacate” your life of responsibility for a life of bliss:

1. Mind Your Passport:  Really…..don’t just assume that its where you “usually” put it, and make sure that its on your person BEFORE checking your luggage onto a cruise ship or under a motor coach (thank goodness the airlines ask for it before you check your luggage).  Case in point:  Barbara (names are being changed to protect the innocent) was sure she had her passport in her pocketbook as she checked in onto a recent cruise with Amazing Journeys. After the porters took her luggage for boarding, she realized she packed in her suitcase.  The luggage was somewhere amongst 3000 other pieces of baggage in process of being delivered to staterooms and she was denied boarding until her luggage appeared again. Lucky for her, it was before the ship set sail.

2. Lighten Up, Francis: For so many reasons, travelers need to lighten their load while traveling.  It can cost you more in checked baggage fees…the more you pack, the more you can lose if your bag gets lost….lighter luggage is greener on the planet as it uses less fuel, less manpower to haul, and less materials to wear & tear, etc.  And, it’s easier on you! Even if you have luggage assistance on your tour, somewhere along your way you will have to handle your own belongings and if its too heavy for even you to move, its too heavy!  Case in point:  Sharon was on her way to meet her Amazing Journeys group at JFK for a flight overseas and the start of a tour of Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands.  While unloading her suitcase from the taxi, she lost her balance and trying to right herself, tweaked her lower back.  She couldn’t right herself and let alone move her luggage into the airport, she couldn’t even stand upright.  She never made it to Ecuador.

3. Make Things Right, At Home:  Have a checklist of things you need to do to get yourself ready for the trip, that not only includes actual trip preparations (buy sunscreen, pack camera, have enough underwear, etc), but preparations for your leaving and returning to home.  Buy an automatic light timer that will randomly turn a lamp on in your home throughout the days and nights, giving the impression that your home is occupied.   This is a deterrent for would-be thiefs.  Clean all your dirty dishes. Imagine the stench or mold left to grow if your kitchen has perishable food hanging around for a week. Make your bed!  Its just nice to come home to an orderly home after a long time away. The last thing you want to do is organize, clean or fix something.  And finally, if your home is going to be empty, make sure your main water supply is turned off. Case in point: Sam left for his 10 night Amazing Journey to the Med.  One of the pipes leading to his washing machine cracked while he was away causing the water to flow onto his basement floor. And flow and flow it did, flooding his basement and beyond. Because the water flowed continuously for days (he really wasn’t sure when it broke) he had so much water damage in his basement that he needed to gut it all out and basically rebuild it. NOT a fun way to come home from vacation.

4. KISS Your Vacation (Keep It Simple, Stupid): You’re on vacation finally. You’re feeling relaxed, carefree, like a kid again. Just what you wanted!  Way to go, dude!  But….you forgot one thing.  You’re not a kid anymore.  The reality check here is make sure that you have your vacation, within your physical and emotional means.  Its ok to have a few more drinks than normal, but don’t pound ’em down like you’re at a college frat party.  Do you really want to lose a day or more of your precious vacation to a hangover?  Speaking of drinking, be careful where you are drinking the water.  There are places you want to go where you won’t want to drink the water.  Do your research and ask the questions.  Montezuma’s Revenge will hurt more than a hangover and ruin more than a day. Finally, its ok to take on new adventures but do so with care.  Wear a helmet if you go bike riding or wave-running, wear sturdy shoes if you go hiking and don’t go near any of the wildlife.  Also, don’t go where you’re not supposed to. Case in point:  Phil was in Alaska with Amazing Journeys and after a full day of Whale Watching and biking, he had 30 minutes before he needed to board our ship. Not wanting to miss a single minute of seeing something he took off for an unscheduled, unsupervised and rushed hike, just so he could say he did.  He was so careless in his rushed approach to this hike that he found a secluded rock formation to hike…and then slipped, falling 10 feet into a ditch where no one could see or hear him.  His broken rib causing pain and subsequently losing his wind, he had no choice but to muster up strength to get himself out of the ditch and to the ship. All this in 30 minutes!  The end result was two days in the ship’s infirmary and an early disembarkation so he could be hospitalized.

5. Buy Travel Insurance! For all the aformentioned reasons and so many more, you need to protect your vacation investment.  From lost luggage to a delayed flight or an unexpected need to cancel due to injury or illness to you or a family member…insurance can safeguard what is a significant investment of your time and money.  If there is one thing you do to prepare for your trip beyond packing, its this. Buy insurance. Let me say it again; BUY TRAVEL INSURANCE!  Its a nominal but extraordinarily valuable addition to your vacation planning and it gives you peace of mind should anything go wrong: Case in point:  Just last week, Ethan was booked on our Bermuda Cruise out of Bayonne, NJ.  He was scheduled to fly from Columbus to JFK early in the morning on the day of the cruise, but the airports shut down due to Hurricane Irene. He had not purchased travel insurance because he was “sure nothing could wrong..I’m a healthy guy”.  Sadly he didn’t get to go on the trip and he lost all his money.  Another case in point: Sarah’s luggage came off the belt in Sydney during one of our Australia tours, with a huge gash in the side making the piece unuseable.  The airlines shrugged it off as they do, but Sarah had insurance was able to be reimbursed for a new suitcase.

NOTICE OF EXPANDED COVERAGEIn addition to the benefit statement below, travelers will also be eligible for coverage with Travelex policies purchased on or after April 24, 2010 if their trip departs May 6, 2010 or thereafter and the resulting cancellation occurs after May 6, 2010.

This expanded coverage only applies to plans underwritten by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and affiliated companies and United States Fire Insurance Company.

Explanation of Benefits Update

Coverage for plans underwritten by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and affiliated companies or United States Fire Insurance Company

Ash clouds from the volcanic eruption in Iceland have caused flight delays in major European airports and beyond. While most airports have recovered from the event and are maintaining normal flight schedules, Travelex Insurance Services is pleased to provide our travelers with coverage should they experience an upcoming travel disruption.

Travelers are eligible for coverage with any future travel issues that occur due to the volcanic eruption over glacier Eyjafjallajokull. This will protect a traveler for any new eruptions to the same volcano or neighboring volcano, as well as any travel disruptions due to the current ash cloud produced by the volcano.

Travelers who purchased a Travelex policy according to these dates will be eligible for coverage:

• On or before April 14, 2010 or
• On or after May 5, 2010

Resulting volcanic ash clouds will be considered a covered reason due to weather and a loss due to the physical eruption of a volcano will be considered a covered reason under natural disaster. Coverage is subject to the terms and conditions of the policy and applies in the following areas:

Trip Cancellation / Trip Interruption Coverage

• Weather that causes complete cessation of services of the common carrier for at least 24 consecutive hours.*
• Delayed arrival due to a covered reason (defined under Trip Delay) causing 50% or more of the covered trip to be missed. (Does not apply to Travel Select for residents of NY or WA or Travel Basic).
• Natural disaster at the site of your destination that renders the destination accommodations uninhabitable.

Trip Delay Coverage

• Delay while en route to or from final destination for at least 5 hours or more due to a covered reason, such as delay of common carrier or due to a natural disaster.*

Extended Coverage

• Common carrier delay causes the covered trip to be prolonged beyond the scheduled return date.

24 Hour Travel Assistance Services

• Travelers stranded abroad can receive assistance ranging from emergency travel arrangements and money transfers to message relay services. Simply call the travel assistance phone number listed on your Confirmation of Coverage.

Travelers who purchased a Travelex policy on and between April 15, 2010 and April 23, 2010 are not eligible for coverage for known events due to the volcanic eruption and the resulting ash cloud.

For additional information please visit:

http://www.travelexinsurance.com/index.aspx?LOCATION=38-6099&go=bp

or call 800-228-9792