Lost Luggage - You Can Reduce The Risk On A Vacation Flight
Posted by Dorothy Yamich | Filed under 1
Whether you have flown on flights for business, or holidays and vacations, you may have lost luggage or know of people that have. Here are some travel tips that can help you reduce this risk.
It is estimated that more than a million bags are lost by commercial airlines each year in the United States alone. How much luggage that get lost in the whole world is anybody’s guess. Here are some tips that may help you recover your bags if they are ever lost.
Attach two or three tags with your name, home address, and phone number to the handle and the zipper-pulls of each bag that you are checking. There is less of a chance that all of the tags could get torn off during transit. You should make sure that you have removed any old airline tags that are still attached to the luggage you’re checking as they could confuse the baggage handlers.
Be sure to place the same contact information, including a copy of your itinerary and your destination address inside each piece luggage. That way, if they do get lost and are found in time, they could be forwarded to your hotel.
If you can, pick luggage with preferably a bright or odd color that will stand out from all of the black and brown bags. Know the brand name of the luggage that you own and attach a colorful scarf or ribbon to the handle to make identification easier. Stick a few decals or a contrasting colored tape to all of the sides of the bags so they can be easier to see as it goes around the carousel. Remember these details, or even better, take a digital picture of your luggage just before you leave and bring it with you. This will also help the lost luggage airport staff in finding your bags if they become lost in transit and turn up at their office. It will also help if you have to make a claim.
It will help if you make a list of what you are carrying in your luggage and put that list in you carry-on bag. The chance of your luggage going astray in transit increases when you are on connecting, or delayed flights. You should pack all of your valuables, including your laptop, Blackberry, travel documents, prescriptions, etc., in your carry-on bag. It is best to pack only the things you can afford to lose in your checked baggage. Many analysts believe that the airline industry’s problem of lost luggage is not going to be resolved anytime soon.
What can you do your luggage gets lost?
Go right away to the baggage claim office and file a claim. Many airlines have a twenty-four hour window of time that starts from when your flight arrives to file and be eligible for compensation. You will get a claim receipt to check the tracking of your luggage with your airline by phone, or on the airline’s website. Make sure you keep your flight documents until the lost luggage mix up has been resolved.
How can you guarantee that the airlines will not lose your luggage?
There are a number of companies that will send your luggage in the U.S., such as UPS, FedEx, or DHL, directly to your hotel or destination address for a reasonable cost. If you are staying in a hotel, your luggage will be brought to your room. When you consider that in the U.S. alone, well over a million bags are lost by the airlines every year, this service may be well worth considering. If you are traveling by air through Europe, FirstLuggage.com, has a similar service.
To quickly find and book cheap flights and luxury cruises at really great discounts, whenever you want to enjoy a romantic vacation, visit Travel Tips Guide for more information.
Tags: air flights, air travel, airline flights, airlines, business travel, charter flights, flights, flying, holiday, holidays, luggage, Travel, vacation, vacations
Get Kulula
Posted by Susan Renolds | Filed under Travel
Kulula Air, the recently re-branded kulula.com, is a highly popular low-fare domestic air travel provider in South Africa thanks, in part, to its edgy and humorous marketing message.
In business since 2001, Kulula is owned by Conair Limited. It was named the best domestic airline by the Airport Company of South Africa in 2003 and operates a fleet of Boeing 737s with the following routes: Johannesburg to:
Cape Town Durbs George PE Lusaka Harare Windhoek Ndola Cape Town to: Johannesburg Durbs PE Lanseria Durbs to: Johannesburg Cape Town PE George to Johannesburg PE to: Johannesburg Cape Town Durbs Lusaka to Johannesburg Harare to Johannesburg Windhoek to Johannesburg Lanseria to Cape Town Ndola to Johannesburg.
Travelers receive seat assignments at check-in.
They began by offering flights between Johannesburg and Cape Town. Over the next few years, its route map incorporated destinations in Durban and Port Elizabeth while its number of flights in operation increased. International destinations now include, Blomfontein, Windhoek, Harare, Ndlola, Lusaka and Mauritius.
Recently, South African online shoppers bought some 55,000 airline tickets for R27 million as part of Kulula’s ‘garage sale.” Kulula’s mega-website (kulula.com is the country’s largest online retailer, handling more than R1.6 billion annually) processed up to 150 flight quotes per second during the shopping frenzy’s peak hours. Nearly–5,000 visitors viewed more than one million web pages, shopping for travel specials from October 2008 through January 2009.
Even though they takes a laid back approach, the company has a strong commitment to customer satisfaction. It has imposed a 90% on-time take-off rate goal. According to the company’s own records, it has not reached that 90% goal, but is making every effort to eliminate “avoidable delays,” those which the company has control over. They do often manage an on-time take-off rate in the high 80s.
With an eye toward simplification and living up to its name (Kulula comes from the Zulu word for “easy”), Kulula Air also offers services to hire a car, book a room or cab easily and affordably. Its website offers even more options, as the brand has branched out into other lines such as cell phones and internet access.
In an effort to provide a full travel experience, It offers easy self-booking on its website. Purchases on a its credit card earns “Kulula Moola” which can be redeemed to purchase flights, and they also offers a Jetsetter rewards program for frequent flyers.
It strives to set itself apart from other airlines. It’s unlikely you will forget the Kulula flight during which you heard the flight attendant say, “There may be 50 ways to leave your lover, but there are only 4 ways off this airplane.” Or, how about your captain saying “Whoa, boy!” as the plane comes in for a landing? It’s planes also sport unique paint schemes such as “cow” and “camo.” This airline also promotes environmental issues. One reason it changed its fleet to Boeing 737s is that they consume less fuel than their original fleet of MD82s.
Susan is the marketing director for Saflights.co.za. South Arica’s leading Flight comparison portal which includes all major airlines including Kulula
Tags: air travel, Domestic, Kulula, Travel, travel and leisure, Travel And Leisure Aviation
Pod Hotels Can Save You Money When On Vacations Or Holidays
Posted by Dorothy Yamich | Filed under Travel
Whenever you book air flights and travel through airports on vacations or holidays, look around. You may just see pod hotels. Here is the low-down on these unique airport and city accommodations.
Pod hotels are not a new concept. These type of hotels have been around for a number of years, but most travelers have never even heard of them. They had their beginnings in Japan as “capsule hotels”, that were, and are still being used mainly by business people on stopovers. Today pod hotels are becoming very popular with vacation travelers as well, because they are convenient and are cheaper than regular hotels. They are located in the U.S., Britain, Europe, and Asia, usually in, or near airports.
The pod hotel concept is in its infancy in the U.S. and Europe, but it is growing by leaps and bounds as more and more holiday travelers demand this unique service. A number of entrepreneurs are building small, pod-like hotel rooms that are usually rented by the hour, or number of hours.
Most pod hotel rooms are small, but comfortable and convenient, and they can have all the amenities of a regular hotel room at a fraction of the cost. They can be a good choice for budget-conscious business travelers and vacationers.
Some pod hotels are situated in airports such as the ones at Yotel.com, located in London, England’s Heathrow and Gatwick Airports.
EasyHotels.com have pod hotels located in Zurich, London, Basal, and Budapest. QBICHotels.com have pod hotels in the cities of Amsterdam and Antwerp. A New York pod hotel is called the PickwickArms.com.
There is a new evolution in pod hotels called Metronap Sleep Pods. These space age style pods are starting to spring up not only on airport concourses, but in prominent locations in office buildings. They are excellent for tourists and business travelers, as well as tired people and executives that just want to have a nap. Even though these sleep pods sit out in the open, they partially enclose for privacy, but will not feel claustrophobic. They also are equipped with noise canceling headphones. The rental is by the hour and is reasonably priced.
To quickly get cheap flights and luxury cruises at really great discounts, whenever you want to enjoy a relaxing
Tags: air flights, air travel, airline flights, airports, flights, holidays, hotels, pod hotels, resorts, tourists, Travel, traveling, trips, vacations
Reduce Jet Lag When You Fly On Vacations
Posted by Dorothy Yamich | Filed under Health & Fitness
Numerous medical experts have found that passengers on commercial flights usually experience a worse bout of jet lag when flying to their holiday destinations from east to west. Usually, the more time zones their air flights cross when they travel from east to west, the more severe the symptoms of jet lag will be. But, airline passengers will only experience a milder bout of jet lag when their air flight is going from west to east.
Commercial airline passengers can fly north and south, or south to north, for thousands and thousands of miles without experiencing any jet lag. However, as soon as the pilot of the airplane starts flying in an east to west direction and crosses more than one time zone, they can experience jet lag.
Passengers will not generally experience the symptoms of jet lag until they exit the plane at their holiday destination. That is the time when their biological clocks will start to make internal adjustments inside their bodies to coincide more closely with the local time at their destination. If they travel across one, or even two time zones, their bodies can usually adjust very quickly. However, if an airline passenger is in poor health or not feeling well before the flight, jet lag can compound the problem. Generally, you should allow one day to recover for every time zone your airline flight crosses.
The following information may lessen the effects of jet lag when you fly.
Try to catch a flight that arrives at your vacation destination in daylight hours. Immediately fit in with the new time zone and do not go to bed. If you feel tired and want to take a short snooze, do it in a well lighted place.
In the evening, sleep in a darkened room as the darkness will help prepare your brain for sleep.
If you can, avoid looking at television or computer screens as they are bright and have high frequencies that can easily over-stimulate your brain.
Do not consume alcohol or any drinks such as coffee and soda that contain caffeine until your symptoms of jet lag wear off, as it can disrupt your sleep.
It maybe helpful to take a melatonin tablet or capsule (as many air travelers do) in the early evening (your time) to help you adjust to the time zone at your destination. You still may have to take a melatonin pill for the next three or four evenings in a row before going to bed in this new location to help you readjust your biological clock. If you have never taken melatonin before, you should consult with your doctor or local pharmacist for more information in regards to the suggested dosage.
To quickly locate and book cheap flights and luxury cruises at really great discounts, whenever you want to enjoy a fantastic, fun-filled holiday, visit Travel Tips Guide for more information.
Tags: air flights, air travel, airline flights, airlines, business travel, charter flights, flights, flying, Health & Fitness, holiday, holidays, jet lag, Travel, vacation, vacations
Air Travel During Pregnant - First, Second and Third Trimester
Posted by Julie Xillion | Filed under Home & Family
As you move through pregnancy, the challenge of flying when pregnant becomes greater and greater. In the first trimester, remaining motionless in an airline seat is much more comfortable. Traveling in the second trimester of pregnancy is in fact a bit safer than traveling all through the first or third trimester. Your risk is a bit lower, and depending how many weeks pregnant you are, your degree of comfort can be okay. The larger challenge comes when you are traveling during the third trimester of pregnancy. If you are flying when pregnant during your third trimester, not only do you carry a higher risk of premature birth, but just squeezing into the seat may very well be a challenge. Flying When Pregnant
The risks and challenges of air travel during pregnancy, but both can be managed with a little consideration and preparation. The air travel rules vary from airline to airline, but most have a particular cutoff after which you must not fly. The restrictions on flying while may appear like a hassle, especially if you have somewhere to go, but the travel restrictions are there to safeguard the health of you and your baby as well as protect the airline from increased liability.
Flying During the First Trimester
In looking at the statistics, travel all through the first trimester of pregnancy is more risky than other trimesters. Although you may not be far along, variations in pressure, stillness for long periods, turbulence, and other factors may provide challenges to a pregnant mother.
Traveling During The Second Trimester
Statistically speaking, air travel during the second trimester is the safest. Even though you are required to get up and walk around, both to keep good circulation in your legs as well as get to the bathroom, traveling when pregnant in the second trimester should not be a problem.
Third Trimester
In traveling while pregnant, air travel during the third trimester is a challenge that increases as you approach your due date. In addition to the discomfort of fitting into your chair and having to sit for an extended period, your risk of birth is at the forefront of your risks. In fact, most airlines will not let you travel after you reach so many weeks of pregnancy. Unless it is absolutely mandatory, you should adhere to the airlines pregnant travelers’ policy and not fly when they tell you that you shouldn’t.
Visit our pregnancy website to learn more about maternity and nutrition.
Tags: air travel, airlines, baby, first trimester, flying, Home & Family, maternity, parenting, pregnancy, pregnant, prenatal, second trimester, third trimester, women
