LIRR Travel Advisory - The Republican National Convention
The LIRR has issued a travel advisory for the week of the Republican National Convention - Learn about the security and safety considerations of which you need to be aware
... S. Department of State Enter Keywords in field and click Go International Travel Home Passports Home ... S. Spring Break and International Travel Safety for Students Goals and ...
Search Our Site To Find Your Travel Specific Topic
Featured Travel Article:
Traveler's Advisory: Get
What You Pay For
Whether you're planning to sun on the shores of St. Croix or
ski the slopes of Zermatt, it's wise to be an informed travel shopper. To help
you avoid unpleasant and costly surprises, the Federal Trade Commission offers
these tips.
Try to buy your vacation travel package from a
business you know. If possible, deal with businesses that belong to
professional associations such as the American Society of Travel Agents, the
National Tour Association or the United States Tour Operators Association.
If you're not familiar with a company, get its complete name, address and
local telephone number.
Be cautious if the names of the seller and travel
provider differ. You may be dealing with a telemarketer who has no
responsibility to you after the sale. And be wary of ads in the newspaper,
on the Internet or that you receive by unsolicited fax that offer deeply
discounted vacations. These "deals" often contain hidden costs or
don't tell you that you may have to attend a sales presentation to qualify
for the discount or the travel. Avoid buying from a firm that wants to send
a courier for your payment or asks you to send your payment by overnight
delivery. The business may be trying to avoid detection and charges of mail
or wire fraud.
Verify arrangements with your travel agent before you
pay. Get the details of your vacation in writing and a copy of the
cancellation and refund policies. Ask if the business has insurance and
whether you should buy cancellation insurance. Get the names, addresses and
telephone numbers for the lodgings, airlines and cruise ships you'll be
using. Don't accept vague terms such as "major hotels" or
"luxury cruise ships" ships. Call to verify specific reservations,
too.
Use a credit card to make your purchase. If you
don't get what you paid for, you may be able to dispute the charges with
your credit card company. Some telemarketers may claim they need your
account information for identification or verification. They don't. Your
account number should be used only to bill you for goods and services.
Be wary of prepaying for long-term arrangements.
Timeshares, campgrounds or travel clubs may offer to sell membership
vacation accommodations for five years or more, or until you resell your
interest. Unless you're certain you'll stay healthy, both physically and
financially, and that the company selling the memberships will stay in
business, prepaid vacations may not be right for you. In addition, annual
membership and maintenance fees may rise. If the seller claims the fees will
stay the same, beware. Beautiful properties today may be run-down in five or
10 years without sufficient maintenance. If you decide to buy a timeshare or
membership in a vacation club, be aware that resales are difficult, if not
impossible, because there's no secondary market. As for timeshares as
investments: they rarely appreciate in value.
Learn the vocabulary. "You have been
specially selected to receive our SPECTACULAR LUXURY DREAM VACATION
offer" doesn't mean you'll get a free vacation. It means you'll be
offered an opportunity to pay for a trip that may fit your idea of luxury -
or not. "Subject to availability" means you may not get the
accommodations you want when you want them. "Blackout periods" are
blocks of dates, usually around holidays or peak season, when no discount
travel is available.
Watch out for "instant travel agent" offers.
Companies may offer to sell you identification that will
"guarantee" you discounted rates. These companies have no control
over discounts. Only suppliers of travel - cruise lines, hotel companies,
car rental companies, or airlines - can decide to extend professional
courtesies, and to whom.
The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent,
deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide
information to help consumers spot, stop and avoid them. To file a complaint or
to get free information on consumer issues, visit www.ftc.gov
or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC
enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft and other fraud-related
complaints into Consumer
Sentinel, a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and
criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.
DFA issues advisory for Filipinos traveling to China (Philstar.com) Filipinos traveling to China for the 2008 Beijing Olympics in August and September are advised to apply and acquire appropriate entry visas from the Chinese Embassy or consulate to avoid unnecessary delay and expense, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.
