Travel Tips

Whenever you go on Visit, on Job or on holidays,  it’s a good idea to be as prepared as you can be. This page are designed to make sure your travel runs as smoothly as it can, from booking to setting off. With advice on passports and visas, health, travel money, what to pack and amendments, you can spend a few minutes looking for all the information that you may need.
   Travel Lounge would like to help you by giving few tips which will be helpful for your travel at any time but passengers are responsible for obtaining all necessary travel documents and for complying with Customs and Immigration requirements.
Something in the Air:
  • The air in the cabin of an airplane is exceedingly dry. The lack of moisture in the air can create a number of problems including headaches, itching, and sore eyes. Here are a few tips that will keep you in better shape when you fly and feeling better once you have arrived.
  • Drink water every hour. Yes, the colas and mixed drinks look good, but they contribute to dehydration. You will arrive more tired and more dehydrated if you consume  caffeine or alcohol during your flight.
  • If possible, wear your glasses instead of contacts. As the air is dryer, so are your eyes, and contacts can become very uncomfortable.
  • Use a moisturizer before you travel, and during the flight if more than five hours.
  • If you have a cold, try to avoid the trip as the dry air will make your sinuses feel worse. If you are taking medications, carry them with you in the cabin. Also, your fellow  passengers will appreciate it because everyone is more susceptible to catching a cold in dry air than in moist due to the effect on nasal membranes.
  • Finally, consume more water on your arrival. These few simple steps will at least ease some of the discomfort associated.
 We recommend you to:    
  • Keep your passport, tickets and money separately.
  • Put a photocopy of your passport in each your luggage.
  • Travel with mosquito repellents and other essential medicines.
  • Label your entire luggage with name and address.
  • In place of cash Travelers’ cheques or Visa Travel Card are best.
  • Carry some empty plastic zip-lock bags.
  • For your journey ticket Confirm, reconfirm, confirm once again.
  • Make a list of all your personal medicines that you are carrying with you and carry the ist with you.
  • Make a list of all the things you forgot while traveling and use the list before your next trip
 Lost Luggage: 
  • You have arrived! Unfortunately, your luggage did not. Now what? Most luggage that is lost is found quickly. But not always. Here are a few tips to help you keep track your luggage. Make sure your luggage has a name tag on it. Also, place some kind of distinctive marker on the bag to distinguish it from the other look-alike bags.
  • Watch your bag as the porter or gate attendant tags it. Make sure that it is tagged for your destination. The attendant will give you a claim slip, typically stapled to your ticket jacket.
  • Place a piece of paper with your name and address on the inside of the bag as well. It is also advisable to place information on your destination as well, so that if someone gets your bag by accident, they can reach you directly.
  • For starters, don’t panic. Most luggage is only delayed, not lost permanently.
  • File a missing-luggage form–even if the airline agent insists that your bags will turn up on the next flight. And take a copy of that with you.
  • Ask about the airline’s immediate reimbursement policy.
  • Cash for major purchase immediately.
  • Daily stipend
  • The best way to lessen the chances your valuables will be lost is to carry them with you.
  • Be sure to check in as early as possible to make sure both you and your luggage make the flight. Try to schedule a reasonable amount of time–at least 45 minutes–between connecting flights.
  • Consider buying additional insurance.
Travel Insurance:

Travel insurance is essential – you should buy this as soon as you have booked your holiday. Good travel insurance will cover you if for some reason you need to cancel as well as cover you for any sporting activities you want to take part in. Make sure you check the small print for exclusions and be scrupulous about declaring any pre-existing medical conditions. If you’re planning to take a number of trips, annual travel insurance is better value than one-off cover.

Traveling with Valuable Business Related Items:
  • Keep your laptop in a case that doesn’t immediately identify it as a computer. The same advice holds true for cameras, VCRs, etc.
  • Do not put your laptop on the conveyor belt to be x-rayed. Rather, ask the security guard to conduct a manual search of the computer and any other electronic equipment you may have with you.
  • Once on the airplane, keep your laptop nearby.
  • Keep your computer underneath the seat in front of you.
  • Always travel with extra batteries and call the hotel ahead of time to make sure it has modems and data ports.
  • Pack an extension cord so you can use the laptop from your preferred spot.
 Driving Abroad
  • Obtain an International Drivers Permit (IDP).
  • Have your Passport photographs ready.
  • Carry both your IDP and your State Driver’s License with you at all times.
Packing Tips for Airline Travel:
  • Some items that should never be put in the bag you plan to check into the cargo compartment of the aircraft:
  • Small valuables: cash, credit cards, jewelry, cameras.
  • Critical items: medicines, keys, Passport, tour vouchers, business papers.
  • Irreplaceable items:manuscripts, heirlooms.
  • Fragile items:eyeglasses, glass containers, liquids.
  • Remember that the only way to be sure your valuables are not damaged or lost is to keep them with you.
  • If you are traveling on more than one airline, check with the airline for its limits on the size, weight, or number of carry-on pieces. (There is no single standard applicable.)
  • If you plan to go shopping at your destination and bring your purchases aboard as carry-on, keep the limits in mind. Carry the receipts separately.
  • Don’t put anything into a carry-on bag that could be considered a weapon (e.g. scissors, penknife).
  • Ask the airlines about the limit for every segment of your international trip before you leave home, especially if you have a stopover of a day or two or if you are changing carriers.
  • The bags you check should be labeled – inside and out – with your name, address and phone number
 Health:
  • Before going on a trip and especially when traveling to third-world nations and to locales off-the-beaten-track, we advise you to check over your personal health insurance policy to see what you are covered for while on your trip.
  • If you plan to drive, you should check to see whether your driver’s insurance policy covers you when traveling outside your country. It is almost a certainty that if you intend to drive, you should obtain car insurance in the country you are visiting as your local insurance may not be recognized.
  • The possibility of tour company, cruise company, hotel and/or airline bankruptcy. You should be aware that bankruptcy insurance has many technicalities and loopholes. So ask detailed questions and read the coverage and exclusions carefully.
  • The possibility that you will get ill or injured and need emergency medical evacuation: Remember that if you need to be evacuated and don’t have insurance, you will have to pay for the evacuation. This can run into U.S. $10,000 and up.
  • The availability of call-in services such as emergency medical referral, emergency cash advance, emergency message relay, and medication replacement: Having one number that you can call to arrange emergency services can give tremendous peace of mind. If you are going off-the-beaten-track make sure that these services will be available in the particular country you are visiting.
 

Quick Tips if your traveling with kids to make your life easier:

  • Feed your child during the flight. If you are bottle-feeding, ask a flight attendant to warm the bottle, and always bring juice in an infant friendly container.
  • Change those diapers!! The more often, the better…For everyone
  • Bring a change of clothes for you and your child. Food spills, gets thrown, and usually ends up everywhere, so be prepared.
  • To help prevent earaches, get your infant to swallow during take-offs and landings. It is ok to nurse or bottle feed your infant during these times, and more importantly can help prevent your child from unnecessary pain.
  • These simple steps will help ease your anxieties about flying with your infant and make the trip more comfortable for everyone!
Air Travel for the Disabled:
  • Airlines are required by law to make air travel more convenient for passengers with special needs. If you or someone you are traveling with is disabled, here are a few things to keep in mind:
  • Airlines may require up to 48 hours advance notice and up to 1 hour advance check-in for accommodations that may require extra personnel or preparation.
  • No airline may refuse to accept a disabled passenger or limit the number of disabled passengers per flight. Carriers may only require that an attendant accompany the passengers if they would be necessary in an emergency situation.
  • Airlines are required to provide wheelchairs at the passenger’s request, as well as make other accommodations as is necessary, such assisting the passenger in making connecting flights.
  • If a passenger’s wheelchair is stored in the cargo bay, then per their request, they have the right to be met at the plane with their chair.
  • Additionally, airlines are required to provide assistance to the passengers while they are boarding and exiting, as well as helping them to move around the cabin and retrieve their carry-on luggage.
  • While airlines may limit the number of carry-ons per passenger, they may not count assistive devices against that limit.