travel advice Archives - A Million Lives

March 19, 2018 by Greg Underwood

How to Plan an Adventure Vacation

Adventure means something different to everyone, whether it’s traveling to a new country, hiking a woodland trail or climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. One thing’s for certain, however: adventure travel has many physical and psychological benefits, so if life is getting you down and you’re craving a natural high, it’s time to plan your next excursion.

The world’s most stunning natural environments make for ideal adventure playgrounds for travelers of all ages, but less traditional vacations require a fair amount of planning. Here are five handy tips to help you plan your next adventure.

Set a Goal

Before you set off on vacation, it’s a good idea to have a goal in mind for your trip. Decide what you want to get out of your time away. Do you want to learn to surf in Hawaii, are you keen to conquer the Great Himalayan Trail, or would you simply like to try as many new activities as possible? Set a loose itinerary for your trip and try to make your goal the primary focus of your stay.

Choose a Beautiful Location

An adventure vacation is only as good as the setting you choose. Whether you’re looking for steep mountains, calm canals or the biggest waves, you need to make sure you choose a spot with city amenities as well as natural beauty. St George Utah is perfect for action-packed holidays because of its small-city vibe offset against endless trails, stunning views and sprawling national parks. For more information, see the Visit St George website.

Pack Your Essentials

If you’ve never been on an adventure holiday before or you’re going to be trying a new sport, spend some time researching how to pack for travel so you know what to take. Forums dedicated to travelers are particularly useful, as you can gain insight from other people who’ve done your trip before. If you’re backpacking, you’ll need a map or compass, water bottles, snacks, repair kit, first aid kit and extra insulation for overnight camps. If you’re heading abroad for a particular sport or activity, you may need specialist kit to take part.

Get Outdoors

No one’s saying you can’t book that luxury hotel, but you’ll get more of an authentic experience if you camp outdoors. Whether you travel with kids, as a couple or on your own, there’s nothing more grounding than snuggling up in a sleeping bag in front of roaring campfire after a day of adventure sports. Just don’t forget to pack a portable stove and some basic camping equipment to keep you cozy.

Roam Free

While adventure vacation are all about thrill seeking, be careful not to overload your schedule. By all means sign up to do that hike or abseil down a cliff, but make sure you leave yourself or your family some time just to roam free. Being close to nature has all kinds of psychological benefits as well as physical ones, so don’t deny yourself the pleasure of getting lost for a while.

January 9, 2018 by Greg Underwood

5 Rights You Have as an Airline Passenger

If something goes wrong with your flight, you should know that you have rights as an airline passenger. Both the United States and the European Economic Community have specific rights for air travelers. This is in addition to the agreement outlined in the contract between the airline and the passenger.

Passengers should know with their rights just in case their flights are affected by delays, overbooking or cancellations among other uncertainties. Here are some of the common fundamental airline-passenger rights in the United States and Europe.

Honest fares

When making your flight reservation, the price you see should be the price you pay. Airlines are supposed to display a total cost of the ticket price taking into account all airline charges, user fees, and governmental taxes as a directive by the U.S. Department of Transport (DOT) and the EEC. This is true whether the prices are posted online or in any other advertisement. Failure to honor this price would result in penalties.

U.S. Air-Passenger Rights

Bumping

The DOT has clear guidelines to what a passenger is entitled to should they be bumped involuntarily. This should be covered in the contracts between the airline and the passenger. In case you are bumped as a result of overbooking, your carrier should ensure that you get to your destination within one hour of your planned landing, and if they don’t, the airline should compensate you.

The compensation can be up to 400 percent of the airfare depending on the type of flight, and the time it takes the airline to arrange for your scheduled travel.

Many involuntary bumping incidences are given various offers, such as confirmed booking on the next available flight, vouchers that can amount to hundreds of dollars for future trips, and meals, among others. However, the passenger must have met the gate-arrival and check-in deadlines as outlined by the airline.

Delays and cancellations

If for one reason or another your flight is rescheduled, delayed or canceled, you have the right to compensation. It can be in the form of a reroute at no extra charges, a full refund, or a nonrefundable ticket.

However, the justification of a delay varies from one airline to another depending on their policies. It is a federal requirement that all airlines flying into the U.S., domestic and international alike, outline how to get compensated for a flight delay.

Some airlines promise to secure you a seat in the next available flight or transfer you to another airline that would ensure your arrival at your destination. The final decision to compensate passengers lies with the airline.

Tarmac Delays

The DOT mandates that during a lengthy tarmac delay upon departure or arrival, the airline may not keep passenger on the plane for more than three hours for domestic or four hours for international flights respectively without allowing them to get off at their wish.

However, this is subject to safety and security considerations. After two hours of delay, you should get water and food from the airline, and get updates every 30 minutes. The airplane lavatories should be operable. Violation of this right would not lead to compensation, but the DOT will fine the airline.

Europe Air-passenger Rights: Enforcement

Studies conducted by the EEC have revealed that most airlines do not inform their passengers of their rights in case of any inconvenience caused either regarding delayed flights, cancellations or bumping. To address this issue, several online agencies offer legal assistance to passengers seeking compensation from reluctant airlines.

How to Complain to the Airlines to get Compensated

Regardless of the compensation that you are entitled to, you need to understand how to get the airline to honor them. Here are ways to complain the right way.

Be clear and courteous

There is no point in yelling your complaints to any airline official you meet. It is best to be courteous and precisely outline the issues that you have. Define your rights and clearly explain why you think you deserve to be compensated for the inconveniences caused by the airline.

Contact customer care

Sometimes the agent at the gate is not as cooperative as you would expect them to be or is just too overwhelmed by the increasing number of stranded passengers seeking compensation. The best thing to do in these circumstances is get in touch with customer service on the phone using their hotline. It will save you stress and time.

Use social media

When it is taking longer than expect to get the attention you want, it is best to use the airline’s social media platforms. Most of them respond promptly to concerns on their social media platforms since it is a public platform. Once you get their attention, be sure to define what you are concerned about clearly.

Seek further assistance

Filing and following up with complaints is not an easy thing, and if you think that your case was not well determined, you may want to seek additional help from organizations and online startups that support complainants.

In conclusion, you need to realize that as a traveler, you have rights, but unfortunately, the only person that will really fight for these rights is you. Make sure you know what you are entitled to.

How have you handled your flight compensation claims? Did you have any issues with filing the claim or receiving compensation? Tell us in the comments below.

January 9, 2018 by Greg Underwood

Traveling and Your Security

No matter what the reason you are traveling, whether it is for a vacation or for business, you need to be mindful of a number of things. No matter what your destination, whether that is in Australia or an International one, and why you are visiting somewhere else, taking into account your personal security and that of your possessions is a vital part of your trip planning.

Security and privacy are much different than they used to be, with the devices we carry and how open we are about where we are, and how public we are about what we are doing. This is especially true when traveling. To keep you and your possessions safe, follow these guidelines.

Get Travel Insurance

To safeguard your finances when you travel, having insurance for traveling is always a good idea, especially if you are traveling outside of Australia. This kind of insurance covers both if you have to cancel your trip, or if you should need medical assistance when you are away from home, especially overseas.

While having issues come up that cause you to have to cancel your trip or getting ill while on your trip are not pleasant, at least you can feel secure in knowing that your insurance will mitigate the financial impact.

Be Careful What You Share on Social Media

Sharing your location on social media, checking in, and other activities can reveal that your hotel room is empty and leave you susceptible to thieves. Be sure your privacy settings are up to date, and that you don’t necessarily share those updates real time. This will ensure both your privacy and security are preserved.

Don’t Use Debit Cards

Instead of using debit cards, use credit cards. While fraud can be reported on both, a person who gets your debit card has access to your personal finances, while your credit card has a limit and can be shut down quickly. Also, you will not be out money while the fraud charges are resolved.

This is an important distinction. Using cards linked to your bank account, whether personal or business when you travel puts your financial security at risk. A better option is to purchase prepaid credit cards and use those instead.

Convert Your Currency

If you are traveling from Australia to the United States because you are part of a digital marketing agency and visiting clients, you should convert your currency to US Dollars before you travel. The reason is simple: if you use your credit card, there may be fees for every transaction done in another country’s currency. If you convert your currency first, or talk to your bank, you can save yourself these fees.

Secondly, if you convert your currency and put it on prepaid travellers cards it will not only be more secure and mean a thief will have access to less money, but it also means that you will be better able to stay in budget if you only spend what you have converted.

Secure Your Possessions

On any trip, you have to take some things with you. If you are a part of a digital marketing agency and traveling to client meetings, you will need computers or tablets, your phone, and other technology. When you have to leave these somewhere, be sure that they are secured.

This not only means physical security. This means privacy settings, using a VPN, being careful about connecting to public WiFi, and using Bluetooth sparingly. Your device should not only be password protected, but so should your client files and any other personal information. That way if someone does manage to steal the device, your data is secured and your personal information is not at risk.

Only Take What You Need

It’s tempting when you travel to over pack in order to be prepared, however only taking what you need means there is less risk of loss. If you don’t have it with you, it can’t be stolen. That means that not only should you use prepaid cards or credit cards instead of your debit card, but you should leave your debit card at home.

This goes for anything else you want to keep secure as well. You should not take electronics you don’t need, jewelry you won’t wear, and other valuables. The safest place for them is not with you.

Take Advantage of Safes and Lockers

Most hotels, even those that are not extremely high end will have lockers and safes available for those who are staying there. Take advantage of these. Lock your possessions you do have with you in these safes or lockers if you don’t have to take them with you to a meeting or where you are going.

Also, take advantage of these places to lock up valuables, extra travel cards, and any cash you don’t need. While these safes are often not perfect, they are better than keeping all of your cash or money for the trip with you.

Conclusion

Security is a vital concern when you travel. Keeping yourself and your possessions safe is vital, and should be taken seriously. Follow these security steps and your travel will be more pleasant and secure.

How do you keep your possessions safe when you travel? Leave us a comment in the section below.

November 27, 2017 by Greg Underwood

Senior Travelers! Here’s Everything You Need to Know Before Your Trip

The popular adage, “Age is just a number” applies to a lot of things: doing art, publishing a book, taking up a new hobby, and most especially in traveling. Often times, a lot of people worry about seniors traveling the world, and the intentions behind are understandable. Getting old might mean they will get tired easily, might need to follow a strict medication schedule, and so on.

However, it is in our old age that traveling becomes more than just a need to experience the world; it becomes a force that makes us understand it. So there really is not better time to pick up the love for traveling than in our golden age. Before we get on with our travels, though, we need to be fully prepared for lots of unforeseen occurrences. For this reason, we have prepared a small guide for seniors who are planning to travel the world.

Pick shoulder or off-peak seasons

The worst enemy of every traveler is a crowd, more so if you are of a certain age already. To avoid long lines and big groups people, make sure to schedule your travels during shoulder or off-peak seasons. A shoulder seasons is a travel period between peak and off-peak seasons — this is perfect so that your destinations are not totally rid of other travelers.

Learn about what is included in the insurance

The first thing you need to know is seniors need to get a travel insurance. Pay particular attention to medical coverage and how it works abroad. For instance, if there are accidents or if you need to be given treatment, how will your insurance cover the expenses?

You also need to look at evacuation insurance, or the coverage for when you need to be transferred to another medical facility for better treatment. You should know now that if you have pre-existing conditions, you might experience difficulties securing an insurance plan, but there are plans available that will readily waive those exclusions.

Pack light

You should not be lugging around heavy and bulky bags during your trip. So consider taking fewer clothes and just have them laundered if you have run out of items to wear. Important things to have are a jacket that can protect you from the cold or the rain, a hat that can shield you from the heat of the sun, rubber shoes so that your feet will not hurt as much when walking, and comfortable clothes so that you will not have problems moving around. Traveling is a strenuous activity, make it less tedious by packing only what you need.

Important reminders when flying

As much as possible, a direct flight is better to have than a connecting flight. This helps you avoid walking from one terminal to another, which is incredibly difficult if the airport is huge and always busy. However, if it cannot be helped, always ask to ride on the airport’s electric cart so you will not have problems getting to your terminal on time.

Here are a couple of other reminders for your flight:

Book early so you can choose aisle seats. If you can splurge a bit, upgrade your seats to either an economy plus or first class.
Take a short walk every hour to help your blood circulation
Stay hydrated
Bring a travel pillow with you or ask the flight attendant if they have one so you can be comfortable during a long flight

Traveling is truly a rewarding experience, and your age should not hinder you from it. Keep these tips in mind when you plan for your travel abroad, and it will certainly go off without a hitch.

November 16, 2017 by Greg Underwood

5 Awesome Travel Hacks for Your Next Vacation

There’s no question that travelling is an enjoyable, rewarding experience that millions of people worldwide love to do, but it’s difficult to deny that it can quite stressful too. Whether it’s dealing with flights, paperwork, visas, lost luggage or holiday illnesses, there any many potential stressors than can take the shine of your trip.

To make life a little easier, however, we’ve put together our 5 favourite holiday hacks to make sure your trip is as stress-free as possible:

Roll your clothes

Nobody particularly enjoys packing, and trying to fit everything into one suitcase can be an extremely frustrating experience. Did you know, however, that by rolling your clothes instead of folding them, you can fit far more into a single suitcase? It also takes the hassle out of making sure everything is neatly folded, and speeds up the entire packing process.

Scan your documents

There are numerous important documents you might need when travelling, from passports to insurance papers. Scan each one before you go and save them to your phone (and/or email them to yourself), so you have a digital copy of each one on-hand. Then, if you lose a document you need, you’ll know you have a backup. This recently came in particularly handy for me when I lost my Ray-Ban glasses during a trip – I had my prescription scanned into my phone, and was able to get them replaced quickly and easily.

Mark your luggage as fragile

Sure, this isn’t strictly true, but putting a fragile sticker on your luggage comes with a couple of handy benefits. Firstly, you know it will be handled with a little more care than others, but it also means your luggage will be kept on top of the other bags in the hold, meaning it’s one of the first bags to be released when you land!

Use ATMs for local currency

This is a much cheaper way to get local currency, as money converters (particularly those at the airport) will offer poor exchange rates and will charge a fee for the service. You’ll get much better value using your debit or credit card at an ATM, which will always dispense the local currency (just make sure you’ve told your card provider you’re travelling, otherwise they may see the withdrawal and put a block on your card).

Take a ‘fanny pack’

Yes, they’re embarrassing and hideously out-of-date, but they make life so much easier at airports. Not only are your important documents close to hand, but you’re far less likely to be pickpocketed and they expedite your trip through security and check-in. In my eyes, worth the fashion faux pas!