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 Travel & Outdoors | June 2007 
What You Have To Know Before You Go
 Jane Engle - LATimes
Knowledge is power for travel consumers, helping them save money and avoid hassles. If I were teaching a Travel 101 course this year, I'd draw up lesson plans for the following topics:
1. How to get a passport
On Jan. 23, the U.S. government began requiring that every air passenger crossing into the U.S. from Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean carry a passport. As early as next year, cruise passengers and those reentering by car or on foot will need passports (or an equivalent document) too. So it makes sense to get a passport now.
The process can take several weeks, and the document is good for 10 years. For details on applying, visit http://www.travel.state.gov and click on "Passports," or call (877) 487-2778.
2. What's new in airport security
If you haven't flown in a while, review restrictions on what items you can pack for your trip, which are posted on the Transportation Security Administration's website, http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel. (Click on "Prohibited Items.") New rules, imposed in August, require that all liquids, gels and aerosols that you carry onboard be in 3-ounce containers or smaller.
3. Learn to navigate the Internet
Even the casual vacationer can no longer ignore the Web. Travelers who don't sign on pay $20 service fees to book flights by phone. They're left out of fare sales that airlines advertise in emails. They don't see other customers' reviews of hotels. They languish in ticket lines because they didn't check in for their flight by computer. A few minutes online can save money and time.
4. When to use a travel agent
Because airlines don't pay commissions, travel agents typically charge service fees of $25 or more to research and book a ticket. It's rarely worth paying that for a domestic trip you could book for free online.
But if you're a novice traveler, or you need an international ticket or a complicated air itinerary, expert help can be worth the price. And because major hotels and cruise lines typically pay commissions, you shouldn't have to pay anything to book a room or a ship cabin through a travel agent.
Agents can also custom design itineraries, research destinations and help in a crisis.
5. When your miles expire
Many airlines cancel frequent-flier miles in accounts that have been "inactive" for a certain period — that is, if the holder has failed to earn more miles, redeem award travel or buy from the airline's retail partners.
In the past, three years has been a common expiration deadline. But some carriers, such as United Airlines and US Airways, recently reduced that to 18 months. |
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