Think beyond airfare for summer travel

Summer travel? Think beyond airfare | Business & Technology | The ...
If you want to drill down for recent data about such factors as on-time rates, lost baggage and consumer complaints among U.S. carriers, see the U.S. Department of Transportation's Air Travel Consumer Report at http://tinyurl.com/dot-air.
The Seattle Times

I'm The Sucker Who Still Likes Travel Brochures | Gadling.com
By Dave Seminara
I'm a sucker for brochures. It makes no sense to plan one's vacation itinerary, even in part, based on what you see in the flyers.
Gadling

Ballooning over Cappadocia | Rick Steves European Travel Blog
By Rick Steves
Ballooning over Cappadocia. I've never been big on ballooning. It's expensive, you need to get up really early, and I'm a little bit afraid of the whole thing. Ballooning is popular in France's Loire Valley and in Egypt's Luxor on the Nile, but it's ...
Rick Steves Travel Blog: Blog...

Travel Luminaries Converge at GBTA Convention 2013 | News ...
By Breaking Travel News
The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), the voice of the global business travelindustry, today announced the speakers for the 'Luminaries of Travel CEO Panel' to be held on Tuesday, August 6, 2013, during the GBTA Convention ...

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International Cruise Line Passenger Bill of Rights

CRUISE INDUSTRY ADOPTS PASSENGER BILL OF RIGHTS | Cruise Lines International Association: "Washington, DC — May 22, 2013 — Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) today announced that its Board of Directors approved the adoption of a “Cruise Industry Passenger Bill of Rights” detailing CLIA members’ commitment to the safety, comfort and care of guests in a number of important areas.

Following is the full text of the Passenger Bill of Rights, as adopted by CLIA’s members unanimously.

INTERNATIONAL CRUISE LINE PASSENGER BILL OF RIGHTS

The Members of the Cruise Lines International Association are dedicated to the comfort and care of all passengers on oceangoing cruises throughout the world. To fulfill this commitment, our Members have agreed to adopt the following set of passenger rights:

1. The right to disembark a docked ship if essential provisions such as food, water, restroom facilities and access to medical care cannot adequately be provided onboard, subject only to the Master’s concern for passenger safety and security and customs and immigration requirements of the port.
2. The right to a full refund for a trip that is canceled due to mechanical failures, or a partial refund for voyages that are terminated early due to those failures.
3. The right to have available on board ships operating beyond rivers or coastal waters full-time, professional emergency medical attention, as needed until shore side medical care becomes available.
4. The right to timely information updates as to any adjustments in the itinerary of the ship in the event of a mechanical failure or emergency, as well as timely updates of the status of efforts to address mechanical failures.
5. The right to a ship crew that is properly trained in emergency and evacuation procedures.
6. The right to an emergency power source in the case of a main generator failure.
7. The right to transportation to the ship’s scheduled port of disembarkation or the passenger’s home city in the event a cruise is terminated early due to mechanical failures.
8. The right to lodging if disembarkation and an overnight stay in an unscheduled port are required when a cruise is terminated early due to mechanical failures.
9. The right to have included on each cruise line’s website a toll-free phone line that can be used for questions or information concerning any aspect of shipboard operations.
10. The right to have this Cruise Line Passenger Bill of Rights published on each line’s website."

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Best Travel Booking Tip

Call before booking online--

5 budget travel tips you don't know- MSN Money: ""It's a myth that all the available inventory is available on the Internet," says Peter Greenberg, travel editor at CBS News. "We go online because it's easy, but we do so at our own peril if we're looking for a deal.""

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Luxury Island Musha Cay video

AskMen counts down the top 10 luxury islands on the planet, our choice for number 1 is David Copperfield's private islands Musha Cay.

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Tips for Saving Money on Cruises

Spending wisely - The Banner: " . . . . 4. LOOK FOR REPOSITIONING CRUISES Cruise lines move their ships from their rotation in one region to another every few months, usually as the high season in one region cools off and before the next destination heats up. For example, a ship will shift from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean for the winter, or vice versa. Or from the Caribbean to Alaska for the summer. . . ."

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Frequent-Flier Miles - Best Airlines for Cashing In

Availability of award tickets at the basic mileage level on United Airlines is twice as good, for example, as on Delta Air Lines or US Airways, according to the Switchfly Reward Seat Availability Survey. (source infra)

Frequent-Flier Miles: Best Airlines for Cashing In - WSJ.com: "Cashing in miles has been a source of long-standing frustration. Some fliers set clocks to request free tickets at midnight 331 days, or about 11 months, before departure—traditionally the moment airlines open a flight for booking—only to find no seats available on popular flights. And airlines have raised the price of award tickets by introducing higher-cost award tiers, reducing availability at the lowest award level."

 for more information and detailed chart go to link above and here

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Book Travel Online for Less and Photo tips

How to Book Travel Online for Less: " . . . Airline ticket pricing is a fickle mistress. While prices overall have steadily risen over the last two years—and showing no signs of stopping any time soon—the cost of an individual ticket depends on a myriad of factors, the largest of which being when you buy it and when you want to leave. . . ." (read more at link above)

Trey Ratcliff - Japan Photography Tips - YouTube: I did a little behind-the-scenes in Japan recently - this shows how I got a few different shots - more info at http://www.StuckInCustoms.com

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Many Air Passengers Never Turn Off Electronics

To add to the confusion, the F.A.A. permits passengers to use electric razors and audio recorders during all phases of flight, even though those give off more electronic emissions than tablets. (source infra)

Many Air Passengers Never Turn Off Electronics, Survey Finds - NYTimes.com: "In a study released on Thursday by two industry groups, the Airline Passenger Experience Association and the Consumer Electronics Association, as many as 30 percent of all passengers said they had accidentally left a device on during takeoff or landing. About 67 percent said they had never done this, always ensuring that their electronics were turned off. Four percent were unsure."

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Cook Islands paradise

Cook Islands paradise isn't plain sailing for all - The Japan Times: " . . . the Saturday-morning market on Rarotonga, which is home to all but about 4,000 of the nation’s population. Just at it teems with sarongs, ukuleles, pearls, masks and handwoven hats and mats, the islands have resorts a-plenty, with many set up to marry star-crossed lovers in a Christian church — in the traditional Maori way. The main island, Rarotonga, a volcano rising 4,500 meters from the ocean floor — or to 658 meters above sea level at the summit of Te Manga — has the cooling breezes of Hawaii, spectacular scenery to rival Bora Bora in Tahiti and a technicolored lagoon reminiscent of Guam or the Marshall Islands. Here, coconuts quite literally fall from the trees (beware!), and wherever the gaze falls it seems to happen on a cornucopia of avocados, papayas, mangoes, breadfruits, pineapples, starfruits and passionfruits. . . ." read more at link above

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Sailing the Fiji Islands with Captain Cook Cruises

Sailing the Fiji Islands with Captain Cook Cruises | Travel News from Fodor's Travel Guides: "The islands of Fiji are a slice of South Pacific paradise: a dramatic montage of lush volcanic isles fringed by palm-studded beaches; uninhabited sandy cays seemingly lost at sea; seeped-in-tradition villages; and sparkling blue lagoons teeming with colorful coral reefs. A cruise delivers an effortless and cost-effective means of sampling some of the vast island nation's 300-plus diverse isles. The folks behind Australian-owned Captain Cook Cruises offer expertly crafted itineraries to the popular Yasawa Islands archipelago, set northwest of Fiji's main island, Viti Levu (site of the international airport at Nadi), where sailings embark from the Port Denarau Marina. . . ." read more at link above

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Northern Lights Best Viewed At Sea On A Yacht

Northern Lights Best Viewed At Sea, On A Yacht, French Style | Gadling.com: "Common tips for viewing the Northern Lights say to go North, inside the Arctic circle, bring along a good guide and get away from light produced by cities and towns. That's exactly what Compagnie du Ponant, a little French-flagged cruise line is doing this autumn for one of the best aurora borealis viewing opportunities possible. Specializing in expedition sailings to the poles, Compagnie du Ponant sails small ships that feature custom technology designed to preserve fragile marine ecosystems."  read more at link above

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Sea, Romance, Mont-St.-Michel

Restoring the Sea and the Romance to Mont-St.-Michel - NYTimes.com: " . . . Built “for war as well as worship,” the writer noted, the Mont “seems to float on the sea as gracefully as a ship under full sail, catching all the changing colors of the clouds.”. . . ."

Mont Saint-Michel is a rocky tidal island 247 acres in size, and is a commune in Normandy, France. It is located approximately one kilometre off the country's northwestern coast, at the mouth of the Couesnon River near Avranches. Wikipedia

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Tips on Avoiding Baggage Problems

Plane Talk: Tips on Avoiding Baggage Problems | Department of Transportation: "Avoid putting the following in checked baggage: Valuables (cash, jewelry). Don't rely on suitcase locks; they are easily defeated. Critical items (medicine, keys, passport, tour vouchers, business papers). Irreplaceable items (manuscript, heirlooms). Fragile items (camera, eyeglasses, glass containers). If these must be checked, wrap them carefully in padding. Perishables."

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