Senior Travel Safety Tips

Summer is in full swing and many people are planning their seasonal vacations, whether it’s a short weekend getaway or a weeklong trip to an exotic locale. 

But before you book your trip, it’s important to be aware of your rights and responsibilities as a travel consumer. We hope your holiday is everything you want it to be. Here are a few steps to ensure you have a smooth journey:

Start with trust. Book your travel through a licensed B.C. travel agent, and make sure you check them out at vi.bbb.org first. When you book with a licensed B.C. travel agent and do not receive your contracted travel services, you may be eligible for compensation from the B.C. Travel Assurance Fund.

Read all the fine print. A deal may look great but there may be restrictions on when you can travel, what services are covered in your “all inclusive,” or what charges are included on the advertised airline price.

Know your cancellation rights and refund policy. Sometimes the unexpected happens and you may decide to cancel your trip. Know the terms and conditions for what refund you might be entitled to if you voluntarily cancel your trip.

Check your insurance. It’s always a good idea to check into travel insurance, whether it’s to cover medical emergencies, trip cancellation, or stolen valuables. But before buying any insurance, check your existing policies, like your home insurance and employment benefits - you may already be covered.

Be credit card smart. Many credit card companies monitor their clients’ transactions looking for irregular purchases, and may suspend their accounts to protect them. Let your credit card provider know when and where you’ll be travelling to avoid any inconvenient situations.

Protect your identity. If you’re travelling outside of the country, keep your passport, any other identification and valuables locked away in your hotel’s safety deposit box. Even if you’re vacationing close to home, it’s a good idea to keep important personal identification locked away, rather than carrying them around.   

Don’t be surprised when it comes to auto rental charges. Read the fine print of your car rental agreement carefully. Make sure you understand the additional fees: insurance (you may already be covered via your personal auto insurance, credit card coverage and home or life insurance policies), damages (closely inspect the automobile for any damage before leaving the lot), and fuel (it is more cost effective if you refill the car with gas yourself immediately before returning it).

Confirm your booking. If you make reservations online, whether for airline tickets, hotel rooms or car rentals, make sure your booking is complete by contacting the hotel or airline directly.

For more advice on safe travel, smart shopping and protecting yourself from scams and frauds visit vi.bbb.org (Vancouver Island) or mbc.bbb.org (Vancouver)

4 Common Air-Travel Snafus (And How to Beat Them)

YOU FACE A SURPRISE LAYOVER

Airlines can cancel your nonstop flight without much warning and rebook you on a flight with connections.

Why it matters: Nonstop flights usually cost top dollar, but an airline can make such a change without reimbursing you for the premium you paid. That means a financial loss—not to mention an inconvenience.

How to deal: When you learn about the change (usually via text or e-mail notification from the airline, see below), check online to see if there's another nonstop flight available. If there is, call the airline and politely ask to be put on that flight at no additional cost. If your airline has no nonstop flights (even though it sold you one), ask for a refund. Major airlines will comply without charging any change fees if you refuse to accept a new, multistop flight that arrives at your destination more than two hours later than originally scheduled, says Brett Snyder, former airline pricing analyst and current aviation blogger at the Cranky Flier.

Trick to avoid the problem: At the end of the month, many cancellations on U.S. carriers may be due to flight crews reaching caps on the number of hours they're allowed to work, or so we've heard anecdotically through airline employees. Logic holds that, by adding a layover to a flight, airlines can swap out a fresh crew to fly the final leg of a journey. The lesson: When possible, fly early in the month to reduce the chance of a nonstop switcheroo. Insider tip: Sign up to receive text or e-mail notifications about delays and other flight changes when you buy your ticket.

YOU'RE NOT FLYING THE AIRLINE YOU EXPECTED

Two airlines may sell seats on the same flight through a sales strategy called code sharing. This means that you may book your ticket with one airline, but you'll be flying one of its partners.

Why it matters: This sleight of hand can make it confusing to know which airline's customer-service office you should call for help when a problem crops up. For instance, one airline may allow you to check a bag for free, while the other may charge a fee. Whose rules apply on your code-share flight?

How to deal: First, it's important to understand that the flight rules that apply are the ones of the company whose logo is on the plane flying you. But when it comes to re-ticketing, you usually need to talk to the airline that took your money. For instance, if you miss your connecting flight and need to rebook, the gate agent is likely to refer you to the airline you originally bought the ticket from.

Trick to avoid the problem: Keep your eye out for code-share flights so you're prepared. Some travel websites, like Expedia, point out which airline you're truly flying on under the flight details section in their search results. In other cases, you have to call an airline to find out. Insider tip: If you're in need of help at the airport, ask to be pointed to the customer-service counter for the airline that took your money in the first place. If there isn't such a counter at the terminal, ask to speak on a phone to the "duty airport manager" for the airline that sold you the ticket, says David Rowell, publisher of The Travel Insider. This is the person who manages the day-to-day operations of the airline at that particular airport and who can usually help you resolve your issue.

YOUR FLIGHT GETS CANCELED

Your aircraft has to be taken out of service because it needs maintenance—or a snowstorm keeps it grounded.

Why it matters: If you need to cancel, an airline will usually allow you to use the value of your "nonrefundable" ticket on another flight within a year (while also charging you a change fee, of course). But when the airline is the one doing the canceling, it will most likely rebook you on a later one, which could leave you stranded at the airport for hours—or even days.

How to deal: In the U.S., if your flight is canceled for a cause that's within the airline's control, such as a mechanical failure on the aircraft, some airlines will provide modest compensation, like vouchers for meals. But when it comes to weather cancellation, and you're a coach-class passenger, you're on your own until they can rebook you on the next flight, which means you'll be paying for all of your meals and your hotel room. If you're flying from or within Europe, the airline may owe you compensation for cancellations (ask an agent about EU rule 261).

Trick to avoid the problem: Try to book early morning flights, when there's a full day ahead for airlines to recover from any weather or operational delays. Insider tip: Before you book, check to see a flight's statistical average for cancellations at flightstats.com (listed under the on-time performance rating). Consider that it may be worth peace of mind to book an alternate flight that has a lower historical average of cancellations, even if that option costs a bit more.

YOU'RE BUMPED FROM A FLIGHT

Last year, airlines bumped 681,105 passengers from flights in this country (8.7 percent of these individuals were bumped against their will). Overbooking is to blame.

Why it matters: If you volunteer to give up your seat, you'll be rebooked and usually rewarded with a free flight pass to use at another time. But if you're unlucky enough to be kicked off a domestic flight against your will, you're at the mercy of the airline's schedule. With planes often flying at capacity today, it could be a long while before you reach your destination.

How to deal: If you're bumped involuntarily, know your legal rights: Being placed on another flight within an hour scores you no compensation. Yet when it takes up to two hours on a domestic flight (or four hours for international travel), the airline must pay you double the value of your one-way fare, up to a maximum of $650. If you're more than two hours delayed, you'll be reimbursed four times the value of your one-way ticket, up to $1,300 max. Flying in Europe? Rules are similar, with possible compensation up to $874.

Trick for avoiding the problem: Check in via the airline's website as soon as you're allowed—usually 24 hours before departure. Early check-in may boost the chance that you'll make it onto a flight. Insider tip: When it comes to reimbursement, federal law entitles you to cash for being bumped against your will. The airline may try to give you a voucher for a free future flight instead. Insist on the cash, which is obviously less restrictive than a voucher. But if you're volunteering to give up your seat, don't be pushy about receiving cash. In that case, airlines aren't required to give you anything, so a gracious "thank you" is all that's called for.

Celebrating 75 Years: The BMW 328 Hommage Concept

Modern-day BMW owners may know the number 328 only because it’s branded in chrome on the back of modern-day 3 Series models to designate the smallest engine. True Bimmer fans, however, know that this number means something special for the German automaker, dating back to the original 1936 BMW 328 Roadster. To celebrate one of the finest models ever to leave their production line (only 464 were built from 1936 to 1940), the designers and engineers at BMW created a concept car for last month’s Villa d’Este event in northern Italy: the BMW 328 Hommage.

This one-off concept car was designed and constructed to reflect the core values and principles used to create the original 328—the first characteristic being its light weight. While the original utilized magnesium and aluminum to keep the weight down, the Hommage (hitting the scales at a svelte 1,720 pounds) was constructed with carbon fiber reinforced plastics. The new concept’s design, which somehow manages to incorporate both retro and futuristic styling cues, also is inspired by the original car. Stare at both models head-on (ignoring the concept’s bizarre headlamps) and you will see a slight similarity in the kidney-shaped grilles—a BMW design signature that started with the original 328.

The probability of the 328 Hommage actually reaching the production line is virtually zero, but it does show that the German brand is looking to new designs. With models like the X6 and 5 Series GT, it is odd that BMW does not have a halo car in the lineup to compete with the Audi R8 or Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG—even Lexus has the LFA. Maybe we will see some of the better parts of the 328 Hommage’s design in a future supercar from BMW. Here’s hoping for a successor to the formidable M1 or the jaw-dropping Z8. (www.bmwusa.com)

Photo Contest!

Hello Friends, we’d like to invite you all to be part of our Photo Contest!!  Here is a chance to show us how much you enjoyed your stay at our hotel!  Just give us a picture of you at our hotel or some creative way of how much you loved our hotel and we will judge the photos and determine a winner! 

We will be posting our candidates shots via our blog and Facebook and at the end of summer we will choose our winner.  The winner will get a $25 dollar gift card to Starbucks!!  Ok shutterbugs show us what you got!!!

Send your submissions to alexandriahunt01@gmail.com to qualify.  Contest ends Aug 31st so get pictures in before then.  We look forward to seeing your photos!

Travel Managers Travel Technology

As companies grow the travel budget needs to grow to reflect those changes.  It’s not only more trips but more people need to get there, where ever that there is.  With just a handful of people are moving across the States to do business one person can handle all those plans while multi-tasking to get regular business done and stay afloat. 

But as some point the demand on the multi-tasking person has to develop so much time to everyone’s travel that something give.  I looked around to some of our clients and asked them what technology they use to help them streamline their travel information.  Here’s a couple that were recommended:

Egencia

Why should making business travel plans online be difficult? Egencia simplifies the entire travel planning process so your travelers can focus on moving your business, not moving themselves. Maybe that’s why Egencia has the highest online adoption rate in the industry – over 80 percent.

Efficient Air Travel

Each Egencia flight search returns up to 2,500 flight options in seconds, and intelligent options and filters make it easy to narrow search results. Relevant flights are sorted and clearly marked to guide travelers toward your negotiated rates and away from out-of-policy options, resulting in lower cost itineraries. 

Efficient Hotel 

Travelers can search for hotels by city location or specific address, and filter results by business-focused amenities. Our innovative technology allows them to view hotel properties on an interactive map, take virtual property tours, and review photos, Egencia ratings and other travelers' experiences, prior to making their reservations.

Efficient Rental Car 

Rental car reservations can be completed in a matter of seconds, with results displayed from major vendors, or limited to your preferred suppliers. 

Your Travel Plans, All in One Place

Each traveler has a convenient summary of all upcoming purchased, reserved and saved trips. Managing expenses is easy; travelers can store up to 40 upcoming purchased and reserved trips. And Egencia stores all completed trips for one year, making managing expenses easier and more efficient.

Trip Alerts 

Egencia on the Go™ trip alerts allows employees to receive alerts notifying them of events impacting flights on their day of travel via email or text message. Your travelers are in the know wherever they go.

Avani Cimcon Techonolgies

Avani Cimcon Techonolgies was established in 1992, as a software technology company offering next generation Travel Technology Solutions in Travel Domain. We have a distinguishing combination of technology experience, proficiency and cost effectiveness. We have offices and representation in the United States, India, Australia, Middle-East, Caribbean, Oceanic Countries and Europe. We are contributing member for OTA (OpenTravel Alliance) schemas and have all-embracing domain knowledge. We were also chosen as one of the Top 100 IT Innovators by NASSCOM (www.nasscom.in/100itinnovators) in the year 2007.

Our Travel technology solutions allow companies to increase sales & distribution opportunities through XML integration, lower technology costs & augment marketing communication with clients and prospects. The ready to deploy technology solutions offers management and marketing teams with real-time analytics and dashboards to better help compete in the current aggressive market.

Our solutions cater to the IT needs of

• Travel Suppliers
• Associations (Travel, Tourism, Hotels)
• Travel Aggregators & Consolidators
• Travel Agents & Tour Operators
• Online Travel Portals
• Destination Agents

Travel Suppliers include Hotels, Airlines, Car-Rentals, Restaurants and Excursions leveraging our 15 years of experience in software development and our domain expertise in the Travel Industry offering customizable travel technology solutions for Online Travel Distribution, which includes:

• Booking Engine
• Hotel Booking Engine
• Airline Booking Engine
• Car-Rental Booking Engine
• Bus Booking Engine
• Excursion Booking Engine
• Restaurant Booking Engine
• Package Booking Engine
• Central Reservation System (CRS)
• Hotel Reservation System
• Car-Rental Reservation System
• Bus Reservation System
• Restaurant Reservation System
• Excursion Reservation System
• Package Reservation System
• XML Web Services Gateway
• OpenTravel Alliance compliant XML web services Gateway
• Travel Supplier Integration (Aggregation / Consolidation)
• Travel Distribution Platform
• Content Management System (CMS)
• Online Travel Portal
• Destination Portal
• Hotel Website
• CARMA
• Marketing Automation
• E-Campaigns & Analytics
• Social Networking
• Blogs, Templates Driven Sites & Online Activity updates
• Send mails & Updates to contacts
• Online Discussions & Events
• Share Photo Albums & Slide Shows
• Sharing & Integration with other Social Networking Sites
• User Generated Content

Green is in

Our hotel is making a conscious effort to provide a ‘green’ stay and how we can limit the carbon footprint for each of our guests.  It’s nice to see what other industries are doing to increase technology AND be more environmentally friendly.

Commuting:

Here in Alexandria the VRE takes care of our commuting needs but in San Diego, more than a hundred thousand people travel aboard trains every day, cutting commute times and carbon emissions for the entire city.  In fact, one in three light rail vehicles in North America is built by Siemens.  Beyond the city limits, their high-speed trains could make the trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco in just 2.5 Hours.

A city or conurbation without trams, undergrounds and rapid transit systems in inconceivable.  It is only these powerful mass transit systems which enable thousands of passengers to get from one place to another reliably and safely, with the advantages of high cost-effectiveness and low environmental impact.  The new low-floor tram from Siemens, for example, offers increased passenger comfort as lateral stability elements reduce the track forces that act on the vehicle during movement through curves.  It also is not only the longest low-floor train in the world but also one of the quietest. 

Fast connections are guaranteed by their fully automated metro systems, which feature high seat capacities, increased energy efficiency, improved flexibility and at the same time reduced implementation and operating costs.  Commuters can enjoy a comfortable journey to their workplace thanks to the trains in their Desiro family.  These regional trains offer generous multipurpose departments providing plenty of space for passengers and their belongings.  Also these trains usually offer some sort of WIFI also.

High speed travel

Traveling at high speed and comfortably from A to B, undisturbed by traffic jams and impatient motorist – that’s what some of the new high-speed and intercity trains offer.  The key to success in passenger transport is to cover ever greater distances in even shorter times.  At the same time, passenger expectations increase in terms of safety, comfort, reliability and service. 

The technically mature trains have speeds of upwards of 200 miles per hour.  These are the trains that could make the trip from L.A. to San Fransico in 2.5 hours.  And they’re environmentally friendly, too: The train’s brake system feeds surplus braking energy back into the power grid.  The result is a 10% saving in energy and a similar reduction in mechanical wear.  All in all, this is the equivalent to a gas consumption of 0.14 gallons per seat and 100 miles. And that’s impressive!