Holiday Travel Guide

Holiday travel is known as a huge hassle. Everyone has the stories of waiting in the endless lines at the airport, lost luggage, delayed flights and backed up lines going through security due to the packages everyone is carrying on board. Well, I can’t do anything about that! However, I can give you some tips to make the booking process go slightly smoother and hopefully give you one less headache this holiday season!

Here are my tips:

·      Book Early

I generally suggest booking your holiday travel as far out as possible. The prices during the holidays are always going to be higher, but they will be a little bit higher 6 months out but MUCH higher 6 weeks out!

·      Try to Be Flexible with your dates

I realize this isn’t possible for everyone, but the more flexibility you have the greater your chance is of finding a flight that is reasonable. For example: the Wednesday before Thanksgiving is the WORST day of the year to travel. Traveling on Thanksgiving Day itself is generally more affordable and easier. There are fewer people, no lines and fewer delays.  Plus, if you get a morning flight you can make it to your destination in time for Thanksgiving Dinner! Plus, it gets you off the hook for helping prepare the meal ;-)

·      Be Careful with Connections

When booking flights during the holiday season be extra careful of your connections and make sure you have enough time between flights.  Flights during the Holidays are often delayed and you don’t want to arrive in your connecting city to find out that you’ve missed your connecting flight. Avoiding tight connections may save you the hassle of having to get moved to another flight or having 10 minutes to sprint through 4 terminals while carrying Christmas gifts for 30 people…. arriving at your connecting flight covered in sweat and so miserable that you make the Grinch seem like Santa.  My advice is no less than a 2 hour connection during holidays.

·      Arrive at the Airport Early

Most of us have navigated our home airports enough to know the minimum amount of time we need to be at the airport before a flight. During the holidays, these rules DO NOT apply. Example: If you generally get to the airport 1 hour before your flight plan 2 hours for holiday flights. If you generally get to the airport 1.5 hours prior to a flight plan 3 hours for Holiday flights…Catch my drift? The security lines are longer, more people are checking bags, more children are travelling, etc.

·      The Early Bird Catches the Worm

As a general rule of thumb not just for holiday travel, but anytime time of year is early morning flights tend to be on time more than flights later in the day. So if you can get out on the first flight of the day.

I hope these tips help make your holiday travel a little less stressful! If you have any questions about your holiday travel plans do not hesitate in contacting me!

Bon Voyage!

Why use a travel agent?

As the travel industry changes from brick and mortar to click and order the role of a travel agent has become unclear to many people. I wanted to clarify what it is we do and how we can be of value to you in today’s world of online travel.

Q: Does it cost a consumer more to use a travel agent?

A: NO! Vendors and suppliers pay travel agents. It doesn’t cost you any extra! There are some travel agents that charge a service fee; I am not one of them.

Q: Can’t I find better prices online?

A:  Probably not. Travel agents have access to a ton of deals and inventory that consumers do not. In some cases we have the ability to match and beat prices you find online, and we have access to net rates.

Q: Can’t I just find what I want myself?

A: Absolutely! However, it will take you a lot of time and energy that some people just don’t have. Travel Agents are trained and educated in their field. We’ve toured the cruise ships or sailed on them. We’ve received vendor and destination education. We serve as your trusted advisor to find out what it is you want and find the best hotel, cruise, tour, vacation that matches your specific needs. Many people these days are using site like Tripadvisor, but keep in mind that anyone can write anything on a website, and typically those who will take the time to write a review have either had a REALLY GOOD or a REALLY BAD experience. Often these sites don’t capture the average opinion. A travel agent will be educated and able to tell you about the property from a nonbiased perspective, and will be able to make sure it meets your personal needs so you have the best vacation possible.

Q:  Aren’t you a little biased, being a travel agent and all?

A: Probably! So don’t take it from me, take it from….

Business Insider

 http://www.businessinsider.com/6-reasons-it-pays-to-book-with-a-travel-agent-2012-5 - http://www.businessinsider.com/6-reasons-it-pays-to-book-with-a-travel-agent-2012-5

 Forbes (3 articles, they love us- what can I say…)

http://www.forbes.com/sites/larryolmsted/2012/10/30/hurricane-sandys-lesson-to-travelers-use-a-travel-agent/

http://www.forbes.com/sites/larryolmsted/2012/01/20/why-you-need-a-travel-agent-part-1/

http://www.forbes.com/sites/larryolmsted/2012/01/22/why-you-need-a-travel-agent-part-2/

Reuters

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/19/uk-travel-agents-comeback-idUSLNE86I00S20120719

Time

http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/04/23/travel-agents-make-a-return-trip/

The New York Times

http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/04/22/travel/are-travel-agents-back.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Technorati

http://technorati.com/lifestyle/travel/article/the-travel-agent-is-dead-long/

Gadling

http://www.gadling.com/2012/10/04/why-we-really-dont-want-travel-agents-to-die/?a_dgi=aolshare_twitter

And if I didn’t convince you of our worth, at least book your travel on my website: www.danasglobaltravel.com

Thank you for your continued support to those that book through me or another travel agent!

Bon Voyage!

The Low Down on Hurricane Season

As a travel agent one of my least favorite times of year is quickly approaching - Atlantic Hurricane Season. Right now most people are excited for the start of summer, but for your friendly travel agent hurricane season is a period of anxiety and stress. Any storm could be the one that messes with my clients perfectly planned dream vacation! I know how excited my clients are for their vacations because we’ve spent months together planning. Nothing makes me sadder than when something messes that up.  

I heard a report on NPR the other day that this hurricane season is supposed to be particularly bad. That statement coming the year after Super Storm Sandy doesn’t make me feel good at all.  Let’s start with the facts about hurricane season and what it means for travel:

Commonly asked questions

Q: When exactly is hurricane season?

A: Atlantic Hurricane Season is June 1 through November 30

Q: What Areas are affected?

A: Hurricanes can affect the coast of the United States, Caribbean Islands, Central America, Mexico and even the northern coast of South America.

Q: Is there a certain time in Hurricane Season that tends to be the worst?

A: Yes, September is the peak. However, August through October are all prime time.

Q: Are there any islands that tend to be off the path of the average hurricane?

A: Yes! There absolutely are - parts of the southernmost Caribbean such as Grenada, Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire, Barbados and Grand Cayman tend to be hit less by hurricanes than other parts of the Caribbean.  HOWEVER, they still can be hit. (I don’t want anyone booking a trip there during hurricane season and blaming me!)

Q: So I should avoid travel during hurricane season?

A: Au contraire! If you want a banging deal to Mexico or the Caribbean, be it by land or cruise ship, you will find them during the peak months of hurricane season. I do most of my personal travel during hurricane season when the deals are hot. I even got married in Playa del Carmen, Mexico during hurricane season. My advice is to be sure to book your trip to a hotel with a great hurricane cancelation policy and purchase travel insurance. If you are someone that suffers from anxiety or has consistently bad luck- I’d say visit the mountains during June 1-November 30 ;-)

Q: Well, what if I am on a cruise and a hurricane goes to the island we are headed to?

A: Cruise Lines frequently re-route the ships out of the danger zones. (Unless, you were on the Disney Fantasy with me last October…our captain thought riding through Sandy would be a good idea. If you like being on amusement park rides for 9 hours at a time, then you’d have no problem riding in a cruise ship through a hurricane!) Bottom line- you will be safe, they will re-route you. You might miss an island on your itinerary, but you will still have a great, safe vacation nonetheless!

Q: So what are they saying for Hurricane Season 2013?

A: Well, no one can know for sure, but experts make their predictions and this is what we are looking at. Several groups have predicted that 2013 will be a particularly active Hurricane Season.

Here are some links to articles about Hurricane Season 2013 Predictions:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/2013/04/16/four-groups-predict-very-active-hurricane-season/

http://www.wwaytv3.com/2013/04/15/nc-state-researchers-predict-active-hurricane-season-for-2013

http://miami.cbslocal.com/2013/04/11/climatologists-hurricane-season-2013-to-be-busy/

For fantastic deals by land or be sea during hurricane season or any time of year, contact me!

Bon Voyage!

The View from my balcony while crusin' through Hurricane Sandy...

The Answers to Commonly asked Questions

(A photo from my window at Sandal's Royal Bahamian) 

There are certain questions that, as a travel agent, I get asked frequently. They are excellent questions and cover information that I wish all of my people knew! Most of them are regarding the ways to get the best deals when traveling, so I’m going to outline the questions and answers here for everyone to benefit!

Let’s start with the most commonly asked question:

Q: What is the best day of the week to buy plane tickets?

A: Tuesdays and Wednesdays are often the best days to find a good deal. This is because that’s the day when the airlines post their new inventory and lower the prices of flights that aren’t selling, as they would like.  

Next most commonly asked question:

Q: What are the cheapest days of the week to fly?

A: Coincidentally Tuesdays and Wednesdays are also generally the cheapest days to fly as well, since you are avoiding both the weekend and business traffic

Q: How far in advance should I purchase my airline tickets?

A: The best time to book is 60-90 days out. As a general rule of thumb, the further out you are flying, the sooner you should get your airline tickets.  If you are inflexible with you dates you should also book further out when there is more availability.  If you are using air miles book as far in advance as you can since mile seats sell out fast - ESPECIALLY if you are traveling using miles during the Holidays.

Q: What’s the best time of year to save money on travel?

A:  If you want to save money and avoid crowds there are certain times of year to save on different places. You can get cruises and land vacations to the Caribbean very cheaply during hurricane season, which runs June-November. (Although I’d recommend getting good travel insurance if you chose to go then!) Europe tends to be less expensive in the winter, because it’s colder. It’s cheaper to go to Asia during the rainy season, just be sure to bring your umbrella and read up on Monsoons!

Q: How can I get my dream vacation for a discounted rate?

A: Consider focusing on the type of vacation you would like to create, rather than a specific location. For example, you want a relaxing tropical beach vacation and search several destinations rather than having your sights set only on St. Lucia. Maybe a flight to Jamaica or Cancun, Mexico will give you the same type of experience for a fraction of the cost.

Q: The best place to book flights?

A: Why my website of course! www.danasglobaltravel.com

For more information or if you have any further questions do not hesitate to contact me at danasglobaltravel@gmail.com.

Cruising

 

(A photo of The Disney Fantasy and Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the  Seas)

With the endless delicious buffets, cruising can seem like a dieter’s nightmare. However, there are ways to stay fit and still have fun on a cruise. There are 12-14 floors on the average cruise ship and most people take the elevators. Much to my Mother’s dismay on our last cruise, we took the stairs about 90% of the time. I can tell you, after walking up 6 or 7 flights of stairs I felt a lot less guilty about drinking a mojito or getting a fro-yo!Cruise ships are also equipped with state of the art workout facilities. Most of them are in the front of the ship looking out over the ocean! It makes your jog much nicer. Cruiseline’s also offer a variety of fitness classes as well which can be a lot of fun. I attended an amazing sunrise stretch class on my last cruise and it was definitely a great way to start the day and stretch after all the flights of stairs I walked to get there! There are also dance classes on cruises. They are a fun way to stay active and out of the sun for an hour or so. Also, learning a new dance can provide not only some great exercise but also learning a routine is great for your brain and helps prevent Alzheimer’s- that is what I call a win-win!

Most cruise line's offer Lighter Fare for the diet conscious cruiser! Let your Travel Agent know of your dietary needs and they will notify the cruise line and make sure that the Chef meets with you and you will have plenty of healthy good food during your cruise! This is a photo I took of one of the Menu's on the Disney Fantasy!

This is a photo of the Rainforest in the Spa on the Disney Fantasy! If you are going on a Disney Cruise a visit to the rainforest room at the Spa is a must. It is the ultimate relaxation. 

Disney Cruise Line currently has a promotion for sailings out of Galvaston, Texas and Miami, Florida where kids 17 and under sail FREE!!! Now that is what I call Disney Magic! Contact me for details! 

Happy Cruising!