Hi there,
Here I am again with some insightful information for you travellers out there. This is summer season and this means a lot of people are either boarding a flight or alighting from one. Summer is virtually every one's choice season of travelling especially with the children since they have a longer holiday during this season.
This breakdown however means that more people are travelling and it becomes more difficult to get choice seats, choice in the area of fare, preferred airlines and route, remember we discussed this some posts previously tagged YOUR MONEY OR YOUR LIFE. For a lot of people, travelling during summer is stressful and I can tell you as a travel consultant it is also stressful for your consultant. It increases my process lines and time spent on these processes. For you as a client, you get to pay more than probably budgeted for initially.
The reality of this season that you must know also is that airlines all over the world overbook their flights, it is almost like a norm that is allowed and there is no rule against it. They will not do more than to compensate you in whatever form they deem fit should they not allow you to fly.
Let me inform you that it is better you do things right rather than having to argue for your right, this is why this write up is very important to you as a traveller at this time.
MY POINT OF VIEW:
1) To have a relatively easy travel always especially during summer, I'll advise that you book your ticket(s) early enough, before all the 11th hour travellers will join the queue, this will ensure you not only have perhaps the cheapest fare available, you also have a long allowance in term of time to pay. The rule is the nearer your travel date, the lesser time you are given to pay especially when there are a lot more people trying to get the seat(s) you are holding.
2) When you book early, you have the opportunity to have the peace of mind that you really need. Now I've heard a lot of clients say things like if they book early, the ticket might be cancelled, well nothing like that will happen as soon as the ticket has been properly issued.
3) I also will advise that if possible, you should always check in online before you leave for the airport. Having done this you are 90% assured that you will not be disallowed flying
4) Having checked in online though, this does not give you the right to get to the airport late. Let me give you an insight into what the airlines do, the moment they realise that the craft is almost full and there are still a lot of travellers trying to check-in, they will then probably put in the issue check in time. By this you will not stand a chance on any argument with them since on the rule, you are late. I am therefore advising you to check in online so you can jump the queue when you get to the airport and be sure you'll fly.
5) Ensure that your travel consultant lets you into information like, check in tme, opening and closing. boarding time and especially flight time. A lot of travellers though frequent travellers cannot read their tickets for information like time, some even think that when the flight is 10am, it means they can get to the airport by 9:45 am. Please ensure you get all this information in readable and understandable format and never guess on anything, IN DOUBT, ASK QUESTIONS
6) Also, ensure that you board on time, these steps will get you to wherever you're billed to travel to on the day reserved. However should you still be disallowed to fly after doing all these, then the airline will have to compensate you as you have abided by all their rules.
These steps highlighted above are just my POINT OF VIEW.
We are a one stop travel company. Our main target is to give our clients peace of mind all through their journey with our use of high professionalism and experience in solving all their travel logjams.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Thursday, August 19, 2010
UNACCOMPANIED MINOR: WHO ARE THEY?
I read a very interesting story on the Internet a couple of days ago that has informed my writing this piece. Two teenagers and a 10 year old were allowed to fly by an airline in USA without an ID. In the first place one would probably never have heard about this if the kids didn't end up in a wrong destination. These children will probably have gone and come back without even their parents noticing their absence.
A lot of explanations has been given by the airline and all concerned as to why their was no negligence on the part of the airline, "two of the children were over 12 and the 11yr old was obviously been accompanied" says Bridget Brown, TSA also has this to say "no need for ID".
After reading through the story, I suddenly realised that the rules as we presently have it are all targeted towards parent ensuring that their children, between the ages of 12 and18 do not decide to make any journey on their, if they chose to, then there wont be any law against the airline allowing them to. Many airlines all over the world allow children to fly alone though they all have different rules guiding them.
MY POINT OF VIEW: As a travel consultant, I'll say putting your children on any flight unaccompanied should not be your first option if you can avoid it, but should you not be able to, I have some tips listed that can help you and the child in having a stress and anxiety free travel;
1) All airlines have their age limit for unaccompanied minor but I would suggest you do not put a child under the age of 8 on any flight unaccompanied as this child might be too young to attend to the issues that might arise during the journey.
2) Only put them on non stop flights so as to reduce the risk this child will be exposed to, risk of missed flight or wrong connection for instance. Should you however need to put a child on a connecting flight, make it an older teenager.
3) Ensure there is adequate identification on this child apart from the Identification given out to the airline, that is if any has been required by the airline for the flight in question.
4) Do not allow your travel manager put the unaccompanied minor on the last flight of the day for the destination as this could be very dangerous should the child miss his or her reserved flight.
5) Ensure your child is not only old enough to be alone for the number of hours this flight will be for, he or she must also be seen to be psychologically fit to be alone and be in charge of his or her affairs for that lenght of time on issues like baggage and immigration especially if the airline will not be giving any flight assistance.
6) Ensure you check the child in early enough and stay with the child till you cannot be allowed to any longer, however ensure the child boards in your presence and also wait till the flight takes off before you leave the airport.
7) At the destination however, it is very necessary that the person asked to meet with this child is a responsible adult who will be available by the time the child gets through immigration at the airport, this is to avoid unnecessary anxiety for the child.
8) Please ensure you lecture the child on the safety of all travel documents that might be in the child's custody throughout the duration of the journey.
9) Ensure the child has a copy of all contact information you have supplied the airline even if he or she is an older teenager.If the child is old enough to make a call, ensure you provide the child with the means to make phone calls.
As you do all the above listed things however, still remember that you only take all these steps when your child has not decided to take off on his or her own without your consent, this is only MY POINT OF VIEW.
A lot of explanations has been given by the airline and all concerned as to why their was no negligence on the part of the airline, "two of the children were over 12 and the 11yr old was obviously been accompanied" says Bridget Brown, TSA also has this to say "no need for ID".
After reading through the story, I suddenly realised that the rules as we presently have it are all targeted towards parent ensuring that their children, between the ages of 12 and18 do not decide to make any journey on their, if they chose to, then there wont be any law against the airline allowing them to. Many airlines all over the world allow children to fly alone though they all have different rules guiding them.
MY POINT OF VIEW: As a travel consultant, I'll say putting your children on any flight unaccompanied should not be your first option if you can avoid it, but should you not be able to, I have some tips listed that can help you and the child in having a stress and anxiety free travel;
1) All airlines have their age limit for unaccompanied minor but I would suggest you do not put a child under the age of 8 on any flight unaccompanied as this child might be too young to attend to the issues that might arise during the journey.
2) Only put them on non stop flights so as to reduce the risk this child will be exposed to, risk of missed flight or wrong connection for instance. Should you however need to put a child on a connecting flight, make it an older teenager.
3) Ensure there is adequate identification on this child apart from the Identification given out to the airline, that is if any has been required by the airline for the flight in question.
4) Do not allow your travel manager put the unaccompanied minor on the last flight of the day for the destination as this could be very dangerous should the child miss his or her reserved flight.
5) Ensure your child is not only old enough to be alone for the number of hours this flight will be for, he or she must also be seen to be psychologically fit to be alone and be in charge of his or her affairs for that lenght of time on issues like baggage and immigration especially if the airline will not be giving any flight assistance.
6) Ensure you check the child in early enough and stay with the child till you cannot be allowed to any longer, however ensure the child boards in your presence and also wait till the flight takes off before you leave the airport.
7) At the destination however, it is very necessary that the person asked to meet with this child is a responsible adult who will be available by the time the child gets through immigration at the airport, this is to avoid unnecessary anxiety for the child.
8) Please ensure you lecture the child on the safety of all travel documents that might be in the child's custody throughout the duration of the journey.
9) Ensure the child has a copy of all contact information you have supplied the airline even if he or she is an older teenager.If the child is old enough to make a call, ensure you provide the child with the means to make phone calls.
As you do all the above listed things however, still remember that you only take all these steps when your child has not decided to take off on his or her own without your consent, this is only MY POINT OF VIEW.
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