These days, it’s easier than ever to find a cheap flight with all the comparison engines like Kayak, Orbitz, and Expedia that are available. You can even compare prices and amenities on lodging using Hotels.com, BedandBreakfast.com, and Vacation Rentals by Owner, but knowing the hidden fees – that’s a different story.

You may not know about all of these fees, but they can add significantly to your travel costs:

1. Peak travel costs – experts contend that every day in June, July, and August are considered high travel days, which means airline are less inclined to be competitive with ticket prices and many tack on additional surcharges for the summer travel season.  Spend some time researching flights and comparing them with the airline websites, which sometimes have specific low-cost days to fly that aren’t apparent to the flight comparison engines.
2. Baggage fees – with all the uproar over this issue, you’d think the airlines would relent, but most carriers still require passengers to fork over additional money for hauling their luggage to the same destination. To avoid baggage fees – pack light and carry your bag on board. See our Tips on Avoiding Airline Baggage Fees too.
3. Fuel surcharges – with the cost of fuel continuing to rise, each airline has taken a different road when handling fuel surcharges. Sometimes these fees are bundled with the federal taxes – to identify them as a generic fee increase. There’s not much you can do about the fuel prices, but you can stick to airlines that aren’t tacking on additional disguised charges.
4. High parking fees – many airports, even those with remote parking lots, have significantly increased their parking fees. To combat this problem (and generate business) some hotels near airports will let you park your vehicle up to 10 days for free if you stay overnight with them before flying. These airports often have a shuttle that can take you back and forth as well. This little trick can save you $8-$15 or more per day on parking fees.

Of course, having even a basic travel insurance plan can save you loads of money on unexpected medical expenses, trip delays, and more if something happens on your trip as well. See our Buying Guide for more information on the best travel insurance for you.

Many businesses routinely send their employees overseas without adequate travel insurance or rely on the employee’s credit card agreements to cover any unexpected travel-related expenses.

If you are injured, or become ill, or have a medical emergency in another country while on business, your company may or may not cover the unexpected expenses. If you are hospitalized, or worse, are killed, on a business trip, how will your family visit you or get your body home for burial? What about significant travel delays such as those experienced by travelers last year when the volcanic ash cloud halted air travel and forced travelers to extend their stays and/or try for alternative travel? Will your company pay for those unexpected costs?

If the company you work for won’t provide travel insurance protection, you still have a number of affordable options to protect yourself and your family from financial harm – even if the company won’t cover the bill.

There are many travel insurance plans focused on business travelers and their needs. These plans also often cover non medical emergency evacuations for reasons such as political uprisings and civil unrest. Often, these plans are very affordable and can be purchased on an annual basis, so if you are having to take a number of trips each year for business, your travel insurance plan remains the same. Plus, you’ll have business travel assistance services to call when issues crop up. One number to call when you need help.

With luck, you can show your management the value and expense the travel insurance plan later!

The trip of a lifetime – everyone has one in the back of their minds and most everyone with means regularly sets aside a little cash to save for it. These are the trips that take months or years to plan and/or coordinate. These are the trips that may be so exclusive only a few people every year have access to them.

These are the trips where Trip Cancellation coverage is a must.

For example, the Grand Canyon rafting outfitters commonly recommend trip cancellation insurance. Why? In this case, it’s because of a few facts:

• There are a limited number of authorized rafting companies allowed in the Grand Canyon.
• The National Park Service places limits on the total number of trips down the canyon every year – for safety and to protect the natural environment and our national treasure.
• Rafting trips through the Grand Canyon fill up years in advance.
• The average deposit is $400 per person and the balance can run into the thousands. Most payments are due 90 days prior to the trip and there are no refunds if you cancel within a certain time-frame (although you may get 30% back if your seat is later sold to someone else). Ouch!
• There’s only one Grand Canyon.

Combine the limitations above with a little ‘stuff happens’ and you could be facing a situation where you’ve spent years planning and paying for a trip-of-a-lifetime only to see it vanish into thin air. Check out the Travel Insurance Coverage Guide for a better understanding of how Trip Cancellation coverage works.

May 31st is World No Tobacco Day.

Started in 1987 by the World Health Assembly, the World No Tobacco Day is intended to draw attention around the globe to the dangers of smoking and its lethal history.

With tobacco use the second leading cause of death across the globe – beaten only by hypertension – smoking causes one in ten adults to die worldwide. The annual death toll from global tobacco use is predicted to rise to 8 million by 2030. Having killed 100 million people during the 20th century, tobacco use could kill 1 billion during the 21st century.

The World Health Organization celebrates No Tobacco Day to highlight the health risks of smoking and to advocate for effective policies that help reduce cigarette use for everyone.

This year’s theme is “The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control” and it’s designed to demonstrate the importance of the world’s foremost tobacco control instrument – the first treaty ever negotiated by WHO. In force only since 2005, the WHO FCTC is already one of the most widely embraced and rapidly moving treaties with more than 170 participants. It reaffirms the right of all people to the highest standard of health and provides legal cooperation around worldwide tobacco control.

 

 

Cruise travel offers a variety of opportunities for getting really sick. Staying on top of potential hazards, however, can help you – and everyone in your group – stay healthy and enjoy the cruise.

1. Update any necessary vaccines before you leave. Regardless of your itinerary, you should be up-to-date on your vaccines. With a recent rise in the number of measles cases across Europe, it’s ever more apparent that keeping routine vaccinations up to date is crucial for the body’s health.
2. Stay informed. Use the Centers for Disease Control web pages to check for recent information on specific destinations. Review the updated destination-based health information so you understand what to watch for on your cruise.
3. Seasick? Don’t suffer. A number of easy solutions are available if you’re prone to seasickness, which is actually quite common even on larger cruise ships. Some medications, including anti-depressants, pain killers, and birth control, can make seasickness worse too. Pick up a motion sickness remedy that works for you before you go to have it on hand.
4. Nausea, Vomiting and other thrills may not be related to the ocean motion – it could be a norovirus. Cruise ship outbreaks of norovirus have been reported recently, but the best way to avoid this disaster is by washing your hands frequently and thoroughly. Follow common precautions with food – eating only that which is cooked to a proper temperature. Avoid ice made from impure tap water and avoid fresh fruit until you have washed it carefully with clean water. Remove the peel as well.

Of course, avoiding other stresses that are common to cruises can help as well. Wild changes in diet or alcohol consumption or long periods of sun exposure can only make things worse.

A rain-soaked American South means a rain-bloated Mississippi River, but water levels in Europe’s Rhine River have dropped to 18-month lows. As the rivers around the globe rise and fall, destinations are working hard to re-assure tourists and regain ground while tourists are looking to protect their travel dollars.

Some good news: according to the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau, New Orleans is safe from flooding related to the overflowing Mississippi due to an extensive water diversion system. When there is flooding on the Mississippi, it’s actually safer to be in Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

In the meantime, however, cruise lines along the Rhine River would be happy with a little of the Mississippi overflow. According to a Bloomberg news report, river cruise companies are working to develop contingency plans as a backup in case the water doesn’t rise soon. Tourism isn’t the only industry affected either. Falling water levels have cut barge traffic, which is largely responsible for delivering diesel, jet fuel, and oil. The canal system, runs into Poland, the Czech Republic, and Austria.

When environmental situations like this occur, basic trip cancellation coverage can’t help you. It’s best to have ‘cancel for any reason’ coverage with your travel insurance policy to keep your travel costs secure. With this coverage, you can cancel a trip ruined by the lack of water and get up to 100% of your insured trip costs back.

As airlines have hoisted higher and higher fees on passengers, passengers have become quite inventive. Here are some recent tips to help you avoid airline baggage fees.

1. Often, the scales at the airport are not calibrated correctly. Purchase an electronic hanging scale for around $20 (e.g. American Weigh Scale American Weigh H-110 Digital Hanging Scale) and weigh-in at home. This way, you’ll leave home knowing what your bag weighs and you may be able to avoid extra fees.
2. Pack special items to evade extra fees. Cyclists have been doing this for years – packing their bicycle frame in one unmarked box and putting the wheels in another, then sending it all through the scanners. Airlines like to charge excessive fees for sporting equipment, so pack it so it’s not obvious. If you can pack the equipment in a normal-looking bag without fear of it being damaged, even better.
3. Spread out the load by packing heavier items in different bags to avoid excessive weight charges.
4. Use the free options with abandon. Strollers, car seats, and certain medical equipment flies free. If you put the car seat in an overlarge duffel (for easier carrying, of course), you can usually pack other items in with it without attracting notice.

You can also check into the luggage shipping services offered by UPS and other pack-and-ship service providers.

At last resort? Try an upgrade. First-class passengers rarely pay bag fees, and if you can upgrade for a decent price, you’ll also be more comfortable. Just make sure the airline offers free baggage checking with the upgrade.