Hotel Bookings - You Have Reservations but They're Overbooked!

Sometimes it happens, you show up to your hotel, you've got your confirmation in hand but the hotel doesn't have the room that you reserved, or worse yet, they don't have a room for you period! If this happens to you, the first thing to do is relax! There are many solutions and so long as you can keep your wits about you, you won't even have to feel any pain!

If you arrive at your hotel and they don't have a room for you period, there's really only one thing that can happen and this is what it is. You should expect the hotel to find you a comparable room at another hotel and pay for all the expenses that this would incur you, including your transportation there and of course, your room for the night. If they don't do this, there's a good chance that they're breaking a contract and they're not about to do that.

Now, what if you get to the hotel and they've got a room but they don't have the type that you reserved? This is when you hone in on your negotiating skills! Most hotels want to make you happy and will try their best to do that so if you're inconvenienced, tell them that! You can ask for for an upgrade, for free meals or a discount of some sort. If the agent isn't being co-operative with you, don't be shy and just ask to speak with the manager. This actually just happened to Jason and I on our recent trip to Berlin. We made the reservation online and when we booked, we decided that we were going to upgrade to a river-front view. We were so excited, this was our first time to Berlin and it was going to be so great having a glorious view of the River Spree. Well so we thought!

We arrived at the hotel, got checked in and off we went to the room. I run over to the window and look outside to find...a busy street...not my glorious river view. Well if I strained my head and looked to the far right, I could see a sliver of the river but that was hardly what I thought we were paying for. I went downstairs to talk to the staff and they told me that all their river views were booked for the night but if I liked, they could move us the next night. I asked if there was any difference in the rooms themselves, or if it was just the view that you payed for and there were no differences just the view. I told them no that's ok, we'll stay where we are. By the end of the night though I thought, well that just isn't right, we really should get something, I mean we payed for it after all. When it came time to check out, I told the agent again what had happened. We also were traveling with our small dog, and we were going to have to pay an extra 10 Euro per night for her. When I told the agent our plight, they instantly removed the other incurring charges that we had for the dog. Although we didn't end up saving anything, we did end up completely balancing out and because they were so good about it, we'll absolutely consider staying there again.

The moral of the story? Don't be afraid to speak up and tell the hotel what you want or need, if they're a reputable company, they'll generally always do their best to make and keep you happy. They want you to come back and to tell all your friends about your fantastic stay! Hotels pride themselves on their ability to give great customer service, so let them do that for you!

Do you have any hotel stories that you'd like to share here? Go on and make a post, let us hear it!

Until the next time,
Happy travels!

Booking Flights Online - What Happens When Your Airline Overbooks?

It's a frequent phenomena, airlines are always overbooking their flights. Why do they this? They are trying to compensate for the no-shows but many times their 'compensating' can lead to denied boardings as there just aren't any seat left.

Listen to this!

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, last year there were 47 774 bumped from their flights and there were 588 266 people who volunteered to give up their seats on 18 of the largest airlines in the US. That's a lot of people and that's just in the US! That's 12 people in 10 000 who are being denied boarding and that was the lowest rate in 15 years!! Now this year, that rate is increasing.

So what can you do if you happen to be one of those passengers denied boarding, or you're the nice soul who volunteers to give up their seat?

Well the good news is that by law, the airline has to either offer you a refund, or put you on another flight and could even owe you up to $400 or more, depending on how long you're delayed. Now here's the really good thing...

You can actually benefit from this and cash in on some free for all if you're smart about it!

Before anyone can get bumped from a flight, the gate agents always have to see if there are any volunteers for giving up their seats and if you've got the time, you can use it to your benefit!

You could be entitled to free upgrades, free tickets discounts and vouchers. The key is to be one of the first to be at the gate and letting the agents know that you're willing. When are you more likely to run into these instances? While the airlines themselves won't say that there are days or times that are more frequent, some insiders do say that it tends to be more prevalent during non-stop flights between big cities and during peak travel periods. These can include weekends, special events and before and after holidays.

You can learn more about airlines and your rights by going to http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/pubs.htm
There's all kinds of information there, make sure to look for 'other publications' and click on Fly Rights to find more information about this particular subject.

That's my food for thought for today and tomorrow, we'll tackle the hotels :)

Happy travels!

All-Inclusive Resort Travel - Are You Getting What You Payed For?

So you're so excited getting ready to go on a trip of a lifetime, you're reading all the brosures you can get your hands on, you're searching the net and you've finally found the resort of your dreams! It looks absolutely breathtaking as you fantasize about your picture perfect resort and your beautiful room with the most spectacular view of the ocean...you think this is the ONE! You're looking forward to the vacation of a lifetime, I mean what could possibly go wrong?

Unfortunately these days, it's hard to know what you're really going to be getting yourself into. We live in the age of digitally enhanced pictures and the world of the internet. Which, who could live without but at the same time, how can you tell what you're really getting yourself into? So what do you need to keep in mind when doing your searches?

Remember that advertisements for hotels and resorts obviously aren't going to tell you their faults, they're trying to sell you! They're going to put their best pictures on the website or brosures; they're not going to tell you about the construction that may be going on, or that this time of the year brings in a ton of mosquitos, or that your view of the beach isn't quite totally "unobstructed" and that the beach isn't really right on the resort but down the street instead. So now the question becomes how do I make sure that I'm getting the whole truth?

Well here are a couple suggestions that I have for you that should help to put your mind at ease and help to make sure that you get exactly what you were expecting.

1. You want to make sure that you get all of your guarantees in writing be it via mail, fax or email - get it and make sure that you bring all of it with you. This way if you don't get what you were promised, you have the right to demand being put into a room of equal or even greater value and never let management tell you that you have to pay more! If there aren't any good rooms left, here are 2 options that you can take; the first is asking to be moved to a different resort. If that's just too much for you, the second thing that you can do is ask for discounts and credits. These can be towards your room, your meals, activies or anything that there are fees for.

2. Always pay with a credit card! Just as we discussed in an earlier blog about airline rights, the same rule applies here. If you don't get what you payed for, you can dispute the charges with your credit card company. Credit card companies have a policy which entitles you to a complete reund if you don't get the service or product that you payed for. After you've made the purchase, you've generally got 60 days where you can challenge your purchase.

So next time you're looking for your perfect resort getaway, remember to keep these things in mind and do your homework! By doing some research and a little bit of proactive steps to help protect your investment, you're sure to get that ocean front view you've been dreaming about!

Happy travels!

Best Island Vacation Destinations - Just What Are the World's Best?

Every year, there is a survey taken of over 23 000 travelers who contribute evaluations for almost 500 000 destinations, hotels, airlines and more. This survey is put on by Travel + Leisure for the "World's Best" travel awards.

I thought that it would be fun to share with you the world's top 10 islands and also the top 5 for the Caribbean, Bermuda and Bahamas.

So here we go...and the Top 10 islands in the world are...

10. Phuket, Thailand
9. Santorini, Greece
8. Galapagos Islands (off the coast of Ecuador)
7. Hawaii
6. Tasmania, Australia
5. Mount Desert Island, Maine
4. Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia
3. Maui, Hawaii
2. Kauai, Hawaii
1. Bali, Indonesia

and your Top 5 for the Caribbean, Bermuda and Bahamas are...

5. Anguilla
4. Bermuda
3. St. John, US Virgin Islands
2. Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands
1. Saba (located in the Northeastern Caribbean, 28 miles south of St. Maarten)

I thought that those were rather interesting because I wouldn't have guessed many of those listed as the top islands and thought that you might feel the same!
Take a visit to http://www.travelandleisure.com/worldsbest/ to check out the rest of the "World's Best" results for 2006!

Until next time!

Legal Rights and Terms - What To Do if Your Airline Leaves you Stranded (Part 2)

In the last blog post, we determined that overall, we as consumer's don't really have many rights when it comes to the airlines. So just what are the top 3 ways that you can protect yourself, your investment and feel totally rest assured?

You know now to do your research and one of the best websites to do it from, and here are the 3 things that you should always do when booking your trip.

1) Buy travel insurance - There are actually 2 reasons for this.

A. Most insurer's won't cover airlines that are financially unstable, so you know right off the bat if the airline you are thinking about is ok to fly on.

B. The best policies will reimburse you for unused tickets and related expenses, even if the carrier hasn't gone bankrupt but has just stopped flying.

Tip: When you're buying a policy, always ask if your airline is covered for bankruptcy, financial default, and cessation of services.

2) You should always pay with a credit card! Why is this a smart strategy?

By law, credit card companies have to offer you a refund if you don't get the service or product that you payed for. Generally you've got 60 days after a purchase to dispute the charge in writing.

3) Brush up on your negotiating skills!

The above 2 suggestions are great pre-emptive moves but you need to know what to do if it actually happens to you and you're stuck in the airport! Your most important need then, is to get where you're going!

Most times, it's a situation that you're going to need to handle yourself, as maybe you can't get through to your travel agent, you've booked online, or through the airline itself. So...

Be nice to the airport staff! Most airlines will help you out when another carrier has cancelled its flight.

You can take complete charge of the situation itself and make some phone calls, or go online to look for other carriers that can get you to where you need to go. The best thing that you can do is make it as easy as possible for the airline agents! Tell them what flight you'd like to be put on and ask that they honour your ticket.

These tips will help you a ton and can save you from some not nice situations! Always remember that being informed is the best defense and that being genuinely nice to the people who can really help you is the best way to get you what you need.

I really hope that this 2 part series has been really helpful to you and as always, I wish you...

Happy travels!
Sarah

Legal Rights and Terms - What To Do if Your Airline Leaves you Stranded (Part 1)

Technorati Profile

As traveller's, many of our concerns tend to lie with finding the best deals and tickets available for our trips but do we really know anything about the carrier's that we're choosing to fly with? Not really, no.

Would you know what to do if your carrier all of a sudden started cancelling flights or even stopped flying entirely, yet here you are holding their tickets?

Many times when an airline is in trouble, they show no signs of it and of course, we as consumers are none the wiser. Many can operate very well under bankruptcy protection for months and even years, and then successfully reorganize but there are some who just can't. This is also not something that you just find with low cost, smaller airline companies. It happens to the major airlines as well. Look at what happened to Air Canada and very recently we've watched South America's largest carrier, Varig, go through it as well and the situation mentioned above was very real for many of their customer's (Varig now has new investor's and is in the process of being reorganized).

You may or may not be surprised to know that you don't have many legal rights when it comes to being a ticket holder. If you're flying with a US carrier, there is more protection offered in this area than you may find with a non-US carrier. The best way to avoid these situations always comes down to research.

If you want to be proactive, research the airline you are going to be flying with and know your legal rights.

Why do you find more protection with US carriers vs non-US carriers? There is a law in the US commonly known as Section 145, that requires other carriers to honour the tickets of passengers who were bumped from a failed US carrier but this law doesn't apply to foreign carriers. Although the EU doesn't have a law for this, they are looking into the situation and do however, have another law that the US does not currently have; the EU requires that airlines compensate passengers when it comes to delays and cancellations for most situations.

So if most airlines are only offering very limited protection, just where do rights lay?

They lie within the Warsaw Convention, which is an international agreement last amended in 1999. Under Article 19, you will find that it states in general, an airline is "liable for damage occasioned by delay" unless it can prove it took "all measures that could reasonably be required" to avoid the problem. The issue within this, is that it doesn't address bankruptcy and it also doesn't specify what exactly the "damage" or conpensation is, although most courts have limited it to economic loss.

So if you are unsure of the carrier you want to fly with, the best thing to do is research what you can about it. A great website that you can refer to is http://www.airlinequality.com/
You will find a ton of great information and reviews regarding everything to do with air travel.

In tomorrow's blog, I'm going to show you the top 3 things that you can do to protect yourself from this kind of a situation. So until then,

Happy Travels,
Sarah

Couch Surfing - A New Way to Travel?

Well today, I found a site that got me so excited, I had to write this blog about it right away! I've been traveling for years and somehow, didn't know that this site existed. It's been around for a few years now and faced almost a total loss yet members of this community wouldn't stand for it and rallied it back for a complete re-emergence online!

Just what is this awesome site you ask? Well it's called couch surfing and you can find it here.
http://www.couchsurfing.com

Just what is couch surfing? It's a community site designed to help members find a free place to sleep no matter where they may be in the world! It's really easy to use, all you need to do is register and then start your "couch surf." Once you've found a place that you like, you contact the person who owns the "couch" to see if they'd like to have you come and stay with them!

Do you have a couch to offer? Add it to the list and wait for the flock of travellers who'd like to stay on your couch!

Couch surfing has over 105 000 members, over 38 000 successful surfers, 44 000+ friendships created with 207 countries being represented! Now this is something!

What I really love about this site is the attitude coming from the creators of this new phenomenon. It's so much more than just finding a "free" place to stay. The mantra of couchsurfing.com is this: "Participate in Creating a Better World, One Couch at a Time."

What else do they have to say?

"We help to create a better world by opening our homes, our hearts and our lives. We open our minds and welcome the knowledge cultural exchange makes available. We create deep and meaningful connections that cross oceans, continents and cultures. CouchSurfing changes not only the way we travel, but how we relate to the world!"

Most of us think that we can't change the world we live in, after all we're just one person right? In my mind, it's travel that allows us to be able to change the world and it is one person at a time. You never know who's life you're going to touch, or who will walk into your world. You will never know the true understanding of how people choose to live in different parts of the world until we experince it for ourselves.

This is why I am so very passionate about the world of travel. Each experience is individual but in the end, we all gain new perspectives, outlooks and broaden our minds. With this, we are then armed to spread what we have learned, this is how change takes place.

So let's help change the world! One traveler at a time. Go, learn about different cultures, make new friends, learn new things and help spread the peace and prosperity we are all looking for.

Go on and join the community of Couch Surfing!

As always, Happy Travels!

Sarah

Weather In the Caribbean - Best Places to Research

When you're thinking about planning a Caribbean getaway, one of the first things you want to know is how will the weather be at this time of the year? It's actually one of the most essential things you need to know, as weather can play a big factor when you are determining just how great your vacation turned out.

Or maybe you're trying to find the best deals on a vacation out there so you need to know if you want to book a Caribbean vacation in November, say, that you're not going to end up in the middle of a hurricane!

I've found 2 great websites for accurate weather in the Caribbean. When you need to know current conditions, future conditions and find out about weather warnings for particular destinations, try these:

http://www.weather.org/caribbean.htm
http://www.caribweather.net/

I hope that these sites will help you on your quest for the perfect Caribbean destination!

happy travels,
Sarah

Online Travel Booking Made Simple

Well recently I just discovered a great little site that I thought you should know about!

If you're someone who likes to book online, yet finds it sometimes frustrating because you're constantly having to go from site to site, enter all the same information, etc to find the best prices. I always book online and sometimes it just drives me crazy and can take up a significant amount of my time!

Well folks, I've found a site that offers you a solution! Next time you're looking for online travel deals, you need to check out www.bookingwiz.com

It's a site that lets you compare travel sites to find the best deal! You type in your information on their site and it comes up with say, 5 different options like Orbitz for example, you click and presto! There's your results! No more of this repitious searching. What a way to simplify your search results and save your precious time!

Happy Travels!
Sarah

Money Exchange for International Travel - Carrying Your Cash Tip

When traveling to a foriegn country one of the most frequently asked questions is,what is the best way to carry my money? What about the exchange rate?

Many people don't want to charge their credit card too much for fear of going over their budet but when you withdraw your cash from ATMs, you face heavy service charges, sometimes it's as much as $5 a shot!

Here's what works the best for us.

If you don't have internet banking, set it up. Internet cafe's are abundant almost everywhere and this way, you can transfer your funds from your bank account to your credit card anytime. This gives you many benefits such as;

• You are able to constantly moniter your spending
• You won't exceed your budget with this type of credit card use
• You save on ATM service charges
  
• And credit cards generally offer the best exchange rates!
  

Well, I hope that this little tip helps you out for the next time you're preparing to travel to a foreign country!

Happy travels!
Sarah

Berlin Germany, Travel to a Great Destination

Jason and I have just returned from our newest destination and that was Berlin, Germany! It was our first time there and I've got to say that I really wasn't sure what to expect from it. Turns out, it is just a fantastic city! For anyone who has not been, I highly recommend it.

From the instant we arrived, we had nothing but great experiences (except maybe getting lost trying to find our way to the hotel, but that's another story!). We found the people to be very friendly, the food was fantastic and they have one of the best public transportation systems in the world. You can literally go anywhere you want in a matter of minutes and with ease. Even the language barrier won't prevent you from getting to where you want to go. The other thing that was really great about there, is that it's not too expensive. I really feel that you can travel to Berlin and be able to stay within your means - whether you're on a very tight budget and of course, there's plenty there for you if you've got no limit!

We saw many great sites, including the zoo and aquarium, which the zoo is the largest in Europe! We spent lots of time walking and exploring and plan to go back very soon. We weren't able to take a ton of time, 4 days there and it's just not enough for this great city! Something that I was suprised about as well, is how much of the city is covered in water! The river spree runs through the entire city, including downtown! In fact, doing a boat tour is one of the most popular ways to see Berlin!

Here are a few facts about Berlin that I found to be quite interesting...

Culture in Berlin: More diverse than anywhere else

• 1,500 events daily
• 180 museums – for kids and connoisseurs
• 300 galleries – from classical to contemporary
• 150 theatres – from avantgarde to classical art
• 8 professional symphony orchestras
• 3 opera houses

Divine Routes: A major shopping experience

• Friedrichstrasse and Kurfuerstendamm: more than 3 miles of the world's best shopping
• 1,800 retail outlets
• a shopper's paradise, including KaDeWe, the largest department store on mainland Europe
• 30 antiques and flea markets in the city

An upward trend: Germany's most popular city to visit!

• 14,6 million overnight stays in 2005 – and once again number one in Germany
• Plus 10,3 % overnight stays compared to last year
• Average stay of 2,3 days – longer than in any other German city
• Berlin delivers what it promises – more than 92 % of all guests plan to return

My source for this is: http://www.berlin-tourist-information.de/english/

In my opinion, whatever you are looking for, Berlin can offer it to you. It has a piece of everything and is truly a charming and unique city whose history is an amazing thing in itself. It has come through a great deal.

I hope that you've enjoyed reading a little bit about our travels and as always,

Happy travels to you!
Sarah

Unique Hotels - A Taste for the Different

Traveling and the way we do it, is different for everyone. Some want to completely step outside of their comfort zone, while some are looking to expereince a little bit of home away from home. If you're looking for a really unique stay at your next destination...do I have an article for you!

Have you ever wondered where you could stay in an ice hotel, a jail turned hotel, a stay in the tree-tops, or maybe one in a cave house? If you're wondering just where in the world you find these very different stays, I did, that's for sure! Take a look at this article which details the top 10 'quirkiest' hotels. It's definitly worth a read! http://www.travelmole.com/stories/110065.php?news_cat=
&pagename=searchresult

Happy travels!

Finding Unique Travel Destinations

Are you the type of traveller who likes to travel off the beaten path? If you've ever wanted to travel to remote and unique destinations, I've got a great resource for you!

Check out http://www.uncommonadventures.com/

They specialize in dive and adventure travel that's off the beaten path. You can even create your own unique customized vacation!

Happy Travels!
Sarah

Frequent Flier Miles - A Great Resource

If you're a frequent flier, chances are you are enrolled in a frequent flier program or possibly multiple.

I recently found a website that covers everything you ever wanted to know about frequent flyer programs. Find information about any and all of them, talk on forums with other travelers and just keep up to date with any frequent flier information you want to know!

Check it out at www.flyertalk.com

Happy Travels!
Sarah

Airport Guide - Beating Airport Confusion

As we travel more and more these days, the more airports we find ourselves in. Sometimes we connect in tiny airports where everything can be located by having a glance around and then there are the monsters! The ones you step into and think, oh my goodness!

How am I going to find my way to the right terminal and my gate to reach my connecting flight on time?

or,

I have such a long connection what is there to do here? Do I maybe have enough time to explore a little bit of the city I'm in before boarding my connecting flight? Or just what is the quickest way out of here?!

The best way to prepare for your airport time, is to have it researched before you even leave. One of the best resources that I know of and personally use can be found here:
http://www.worldairportguide.com

Just type in the name of the airport you're looking for to find airport maps, city giudes, weather guides and more. Armed with this information, you're sure to have a smooth trip, even on those long layovers and connecting flights!

Happy travels!
Sarah

Passport Information - Critical Updates Being Made

ATTENTION:

If you are considering doing any traveling in the near future and you don't have a passport, run out and get one now!

As of Dec.31/07 a passport will be required for ALL international travel, even for destinations that in the past accepted driver's licenses and birth certificates for valid ID. This includes Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean, Bermuda, and Central and South America.

You will no longer be able to board a plane, cruise ship or even make land crossings without a passport.

Why are these changes being made?

The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative are taking these measures to strengthen border security.

With more and more people traveling every year, passport applications have already increased by 30 percent over the first six months of 2005.

Needless to say, this means that there is going to be an even bigger rush of people out to get their passports, so if you don't have one yet...

Get one now and do it soon!!

You want to beat the year-end masses of people who are all applying at once because they've finally realized that it's a necessity! It usually takes about 6 weeks as it is to get your passpot, so if you don't want to risk being stuck at home for your next vacation, be proactive. Get it done as soon as possible!

Happy travels!
Sarah

A Money Saving Tip

What is the best way to explore a city with fixed funds? Ask
the local hotel agent where they would go on a budget. There
are multiple benefits to this; you'll escape the tourist traps,
have a true authentic local experience and save money at the
same time!