Archive for June, 2011

Help in Finding the Best Travel Insurance Deals on the Internet

June 11th, 2011

The first thing you need to decide upon before buying any type of travel insurance is where you will be going on your holiday. There are several types of travel policies and some are specific to certain holidays, such as ski insurance which covers you on a skiing holiday and adventure insurance which covers you on any type of holiday that may involve adventure sports such as kayaking. If you are going abroad for a beach holiday then general travel cover will do.

Once you have got to this stage you now need to customize your policy by adding and taking away cover features. Most travel insurance providers include medical cover, personal baggage cover and personal liability cover as a standard set-up but you may want to add ‘loss of passport’ or take away ‘legal cover’. Remember this is going to be your tailor-made insurance policy so choose exactly what you need that best suits your requirements.

Finally, look for the deals! There is stiff competition out there for the likes of travel insurance and so many companies offer various discounts, deals and benefits to entice the customer in. Don’t be fooled by these, the best thing you can do is go to a price comparison website which will bring back a list of results according to the criteria you have entered previously. This will help you get the cheapest travel cover with everything you need added to it letting you have a relaxing or action packed holiday with complete piece of mind.

Dynamic Packaging for Travel and Hospitality Industry

June 11th, 2011

The concept of Dynamic Packaging is to bundle all the components chosen by the aspiring traveler and create one reservation. Regardless of where the inventory originates, the package that is created is handled seamlessly as one transaction, and requires only one payment from the consumer.

To a traveler, there is nothing better than a one stop shop for his traveling needs. The Dynamic Packaging Engine uses a travel component inventory and prices. Regardless of where the inventory originates, the package that is created is handled seamlessly as one transaction, and requires only one payment from the consumer. It automatically applies rules defined by the suppliers and the travel marketer to build and price travel packages. This package configuration process determines which components are used, what combinations of components are allowed or required, and handles inclusions such as taxes, fees or additional package features. Rules also determine how the final retail price is computed.

CAPABILITIES

A typical dynamic packaging application will need the following capabilities:

1. Search and Availability

2. Memberships

3. Shopping Cart

4. Booking and Reservations

5. Payments

6. Cancellations

SEARCH AND AVAILABILITY

A traveler always seeks a destination. Even though he may well be aware of where he needs to go to, he will search for the most appropriate place to stay and enjoy his visit. The search starts with a Transportation and Travel components, Hotel Property, Leisure Components. The search therefore has to be divided geographically to include destinations and neighboring destinations that meet the search criteria. An example search could be travel to New York City, stay at Stamford, Connecticut, Golf at upstate New York. Clearly the Dynamic Packaging engine needs to know the dates of travel, from and to destinations, closest airport to hotel, rental car or other desired ground transportation from selected airport to hotel and access to tee times at the neighboring golf courses. Like the traveler, businesses also seek travel related information.

Travel Agents, Call Centers, and Meeting Planners need packaged information on behalf of their clients. Such a search is riddled with rules and complexity. Besides, the customer needs to have choices that can vary from comfort to price and everything else in between.

1. Proximity: The search uses parameters that can narrow down possibilities yet offer extended possibilities. In our search example, Westchester Airport would have been the best choice. La Guardia airport would be an ideal choice. JFK and Newark and Teterboro are the next choices from a distance to Hotel point of view.

2. Fare and Rates: The traveler will look for the best fare. In our example though Westchester is close to the hotel, offers limited Airlines and perhaps not the best fares. Some fares maybe very attractive, however when it comes to flexibility and cancellation they are not the best. Flexibility of change, penalties associated with change and cancellation are important factors to include in the search results.

3. Travel Times: That’s another important factor for the business traveler. How many flights are there to the airport and at what intervals. Check in times and total time to travel also helps in determining his choice. Therefore non-connecting and connecting flights with layover times need to figure in the search.

4. Accessibility: Another key factor often not paid attention to is accessibility. Physically impaired travelers, people who need meals on a flight, wheelchair access, and quick access to rental cars or trains or ground transportation play a very important role in travel. Do the hotel(s) have wheelchair access? Is it possible to get ground transportation to destined hotel that has wheelchair access?

5. Amenities: Does the hotel offer standard amenities like restaurants, swimming pool, health parlors, spa, fax and printing, broadband Internet access etc? Similarly does the rental car come with GPS, insurance, inter state travel? Does the Golf Course allow only cart access? Are ski rentals available near the resort? The inclusion of amenities in a search result ensures the traveler is not in for surprises at the first lap of travel.

6. Prepackaged: You want to travel, stay in a semi luxury hotel, play golf, why search for each individually. A prepackaged deal would also be more attractive than customizing the travel. Perhaps cheaper.

Travel should be far from being hostile. It is after all a home away from home. A home is a pivotal source for living and entertainment. One uses the home and its peripheral surroundings to make the best of living. The travel destinations and the mode of travel should be as non hostile and as hospitable as is possible. A dynamic packaging should offer a wealth of choices to the traveler yet not inundate the traveler with so much information that he/she is nervous wreck at the end of an itinerary creation.

ACTORS

From the above description one can determine who the obvious actors are in this case.

1. The Traveler

2. GDS (Airlines and Hotels Rate Distribution)

3. Airlines

4. Car Rental Companies

5. Hotel Central Reservation

6. Tour Operators (Buses, Ground Transportation)

7. Proprietary Aggregators (like Golf, Ski etc.)

MORE ACTORS

The Dynamic Packaging should be capable of extending the services for business-to business operations. Which would imply that our actors now are?

8. Travel Agents and Meeting Planners

9. Call Center Agents.

SHOPPING CART

The key item in dynamic packaging is the Shopping Cart. The results of search can be selected and added as line items in the shopping cart. It bundles all the components chosen by the traveler to create one reservation. This shopping cart based vacation builder allows comparison shopping of packages that can include plane tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, insurance, attraction tickets and other features. Regardless of where the inventory originates, the package that is created is handled seamlessly as one transaction, and requires only one payment from the consumer. It automatically applies rules defined by the suppliers and the travel marketer to build and price travel packages.

Airfare Weekend Specials and Deals – 5 Ways to Get Them All the Time

June 11th, 2011

The way airlines price their airfare is one of the great mysteries of our time. One day you will price a round trip airfare and then the next day the same trip will invariably be a different price. Generally, airlines run airfare weekend specials that are cheaper than travel during the week, but you have to stay over on a Saturday. But are there ways to make sure you are getting the best possible price and can you get the same weekend special prices or better during the week?

There are a lot of little know tricks and techniques you can do to get the same airfare weekend specials any time during the week. Here are 5 of those techniques to obtain cheaper airfare.

  1. If you are business traveler and are going to the same place two weeks in a row, say from Dallas to LaGuardia (NYC), try this. Book one round trip ticket from Dallas to LaGuardia for the Monday (or whatever day you will be flying) of the first week, and then back to Dallas the Friday of the second week. Then book another round trip ticket from Dallas to LaGuardia the first Friday and back to Dallas on the second Monday. This way you have two round trip tickets where your stay is over the weekend and you get your weekend special airfare.
  2. Most large cities have at least two airports and invariable you can find a cheaper flight into one or the other. New York City has LaGuardia and JFK. Even cities like Orlando have two airports in the vicinity. There is Orlando International and Orlando Sanford International Airport, which I know from personal experience often has much cheaper flights. So always consider alternative airports.
  3. If you are a student, teacher or on the staff at an educational institution, there is a website, Student Universe, that allows you to book flights at a reduced cost.
  4. The best time to purchase a ticket is at 6 PM on Tuesday. This is when airlines update their fare schedule and the best fares usually have a limited number of seat available.
  5. There is a website, Bidding For Travel, that allows you to check what some of the latest prices that were accepted by Priceline. Once you have that information, you know where to start bidding.

These are only the tip of the iceberg on how to save money on airfares. There are many, many more techniques that anyone can use to save a lot of money on airfare.

Do You Wish You Could Travel and Make Money?

June 11th, 2011

The more home business owners I talk with tell me that besides the money they can make the second reason they started their own home business was the freedom it gives to travel and enjoy life.

That is no surprise to me, we all desire a work life balance and a home business gives you that ability. It’s also why the travel industry is an 8 trillion dollar industry and expected to double in the next 5 years.

OK, so I do listen to the news and I do fill up my car periodically with gas, so I hear about the high cost of gas and how that is affecting the airline industry, travel and resort destinations. But I also heard, at least here in the West, National Parks, lake resorts and hotels in prime resort areas were full over the past two holidays. So what’s my point, people will find a way to get away and enjoy their free time no matter what the economic situation.

However, in these economically challenged times people are searching out more deals than they ever have in the past. Timeshares are out of reach for the average household so the next best option is travel memberships to all those same four and five star communities. And with the drastically reduced costs that people can obtain with these memberships makes taking a vacation affordable even in today’s economy.

The Global Resorts Network membership allows their members to travel anywhere in the world, stay at four and five star resorts for eight days and seven nights for less than most people would pay for a week’s groceries. This lifetime membership also offers values on cruises with all the top cruise liners.

If that product wasn’t enough the business opportunity is so lucrative it has many people wondering just how they can do what they are. As a home business opportunity it is the ability to pay well and give the business owner something they are telling me they are looking for; freedom to travel…Cheap!

So if travel is something you love to do or are looking to do in the future Global Resorts membership and business opportunity is a great value.

Business Travel and Time Buffers to Ensure Connecting Flights

June 10th, 2011

Consider if you will all the new challenges that the TSA is presenting to travelers at airports. They are causing time delays, airport congestion, and people to miss their connecting flights. Yes, protecting the American People is paramount, and that’s their job but let’s talk about how this effects us business travelers shall we. Why you ask? Because as a business traveler, you can’t afford to miss an appointment, so what you need to do is to have a buffer between connecting flights, and in case there is a flight delay due to extra screening, or some incident caused by TSA personnel, you will not have your travel plans ruined.

Yes, many business travelers have merely had enough of this nonsense, but it’s still something that must be dealt with. Indeed, these issues can also play havoc on trying to get to your Rent-A-Car on time, as if you don’t show up when scheduled they may run out of cars to rent, or if you get to the hotel too late they may have already rented the room out, assuming you are a no-show.

Business travelers are having a heck of a time on the airlines, due to all these new rules and regulations to prevent holiday underwear bombers or something? There are ways to expedite through security by getting a special pass, along with a background check. Although it is a hassle because business people don’t have time to go get all that done, it will save time during travel, and it’s perfect for the seasoned business traveler who spends more time on airplanes and they do it their children’s soccer games.

Additionally, because global warming is such a big deal, the temperatures have been dropping world-wide, and therefore cold weather and the coming Ice Age are causing even more flight delays. And if an airliner is on the runway or ramp longer than three hours waiting for the weather to clear it has to go back to the terminal, as per new FAA laws. This means the flight might be canceled, and then you’ll be stuck in the airport terminal until you can get on another flight, if one is even available.

It is for all these reasons that a time buffer is about the only current solution, rather than buying a corporate jet to shuttle yourself around. Therefore having time buffers to ensure connecting flights to get to your destination and accommodations is serious. Please consider all this and think on it.

Travel and Leisure Magazines

June 10th, 2011

Where should I go on my next vacation? How much will a 7-day cruise cost? What are the latest vacation hot spots around the world? What place has the most beautiful beaches? The most delicious foods are found in what country? The most interesting culture can be seen in what part of the world? What is happening in the travel industry today? These and many more questions can be answered if you had magazine travel and leisure literature to browse.

Magazine travel and leisure articles will put you in the know about hot travel destinations throughout the entire world. It would answer all the questions you may have about where to go on the next vacation, the cost of a 7-day cruise, or where the world’s top beaches are at. It essence, magazine travel and leisure information would enlighten and educate you about the travel and leisure industry as a whole. The magazine travel and leisure discounts offered are usually a tremendous savings opportunity that will have you traveling more each year, as you save money on all your trips. It doesn’t matter if you travel for business or pleasure, or whether you travel alone, with family or with groups, travel discounts make sense for the travel savvy. The better informed you are about the places you wish to travel to, the more likely it is that you will have a satisfying and rewarding experience when traveling.

Valuable and informative cultural awareness can also be obtained from magazine travel and leisure articles. What are the dos and don’t of visiting certain countries? Is it acceptable to always shake hands when meeting someone in a foreign country? Or do some cultures frown upon the traditional western greeting of a handshake. Do you need to take off your shoes when entering someone’s house in Asian countries? How much of a tip is it appropriate to give when dining in a fancy restaurant in Paris? Knowledge about such issues can be found in magazine travel and leisure articles. You will be pleasantly surprised at the kinds of tidbits you can pick up in these types of articles.

In magazine travel and leisure articles, you will visit far away exotic destinations, without ever leaving your own home. The newest travel trends will be at your fingertips. All the necessary information about the best hotel and resort deals, the most economical transportation options, and other important travel and leisure information will be within reach. Receive all the info you require from one source of information; magazine travel and leisure articles.

An informed traveler is a happy traveler. With magazine travel and leisure information at your disposal, you will know what hotel or resort to stay at, what city spot is a must-see and which restaurants to eat at in the top cities in the world. You’ll be up to date on the latest travel and leisure trends in the travel industry. Don’t make those travel plans until you are fully informed with the latest data from every destination hot spot.

Travel and Nursing – A Great Combination

June 9th, 2011

With a desire to travel and a nursing degree in your pocket why not consider the exciting world of a travel nurse? As a licensed nurse in an often demanding, fast paced and ever changing profession, being a travel nurse offers the opportunity to live and work where ever the travel bug takes you. Take short term or long term assignments in locations of your choice. Your willingness to travel demonstrates your commitment to the nursing profession as well as flexibility in your clinical practice, always a favorable twinkle in the eye of an employer.

Traveling nurses must be a graduate of an accredited nursing program and provide a valid license for the state that they reside and proof of the right to work in the United States. Each state has their own licensing regulations and your license may not comply in another state. Most, if not all, states will grant temporary license status to a nurse for up to a year, in some cases. Most travel nurse agencies will work with you to get the proper state licensing or a temporary license before you begin your assignment.

A travel nurse must be flexible, have a positive outlook, excellent clinical and communication skills and an eagerness to enjoy a new adventure. A travel nurse must be a quick learner and open to change as well as adaptable to new settings. Being a travel nurse will provide unique clinical opportunities not found at all medical facilities. That opportunity will certainly expand a nurses’ resume to be more in demand for those top nursing jobs. An experienced travel nurse will strengthened their ability to learn quickly and adapt to new environments. A traveling nurse deals with different approaches and styles to nursing which means they can hit the ground running and need only a minimum of orientation before becoming a key contributor to a nursing team.

There are agencies that offer opportunities and usually offer a complete employment package. Each agency is different in regards to the benefits they offer. A typical package of benefits might include above average pay, medical and dental coverage, 401(k) plans, paid time off, guaranteed work hours, housing or a housing stipend, continuing education programs, a sign on bonus or assignment completion bonus, airfare and rental car or moving expenses when appropriate, child care when necessary and 24 hour support for whatever your needs may be. Before deciding on which travel nurse agency to sign on with, decide what benefits are most important to you and make sure your agency of choice fits your criteria. One thing to keep in mind is some medical facilities require a minimum amount of work experience before considering a travel nurse candidate. That time frame may vary depending on the type of clinical area of work.

For whatever reason you choose to be a travel nurse, it will prove to be a career of a lifetime and bring you a wealth of experiences you might not otherwise acquire.

Indian Travel and Tourism – Explore New Destinations

June 9th, 2011

Travel and tourism is not a new thing to people. Everybody is aware of it and also knows how big the entire industry is. Travel and tourism can be defined in different forms depending on the point of view of various sections of society. For instance if we talk of tourists’ point of view then it can be referred as the practice of traveling for leisure and pleasure, on the other hand if we talk from the point of view of the people involved into this business then travel and tourism would be considered as the business that provides tours & services to the tourists.

Travel and tourism are often used interchangeably as both have similar meanings. For last few decades, this industry has experienced an up market. There are several reasons for this development one of which is surely the better economic conditions of people. The developments in technology like transportation and other areas too have contributed to the development of this industry.

Travel and tourism has developed as a huge business industry in almost all parts of the world but as far as India is concerned the country has seen tremendous changes in recent years in this regard. India has always been one travel destination that people wanted to explore the most. People not only from country within but also from overseas have always been very fond of India and its travel attractions.

India has a rich cultural heritage that has always been a major tourist attraction for overseas people. There are some very beautiful places to visit in India like Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Goa, himachal Pradesh, Uttrakhand, Kerala, and many more. There are several tourists’ attractions like historic monuments, nature tourism, wildlife, hill stations, beaches and lots more to explore.

As far as the kinds of tourism in India are concerned then there are several available. Given below are a few of the examples:

o Adventure tourism
o Wildlife tourism
o Medical tourism
o Pilgrimage tourism
o Eco tourism
o Cultural tourism

All these types of tourism have marked great growth in last few decades. Now the Indian Government too is paying extreme attention in this direction and is trying to develop India as one of the most explored travel destinations.

There are several sources available now that help one know about the best travel destinations not only in India but also in all other parts of the world. There are whole lots of travel websites ready to help the tourists and there are also various other things like the travel publications and others to help the people. People can seek help out of all these sources and then there are also other people like travel agents who are also very beneficial.

All these sources together help people get the best deal as they also offer various attractive packages and people may chose out of them as per their choice & convenience. All one needs to do is to be aware of all the possible sources and the personal requirements & affordability.

How to Get Late Bus Travel Tour Deals

June 8th, 2011

Many families today find it hard to dedicate quality time for each other. This is the reason many times people find themselves making late travel plans. If you have decided that a bus travel tour is the ideal way to spend some time enjoying your time off but you decided at the last minute, then keep reading.

Tour buses are convenient for school trips, staff excursions and any kind of event you can think of. There are many reasons that people choose bus tours. First, they are great for sight seeing and exploring whether it’s a city or town. In addition, they can be entertaining and very affordable. Bus tours often give the experience of recapping the history of locations interesting facts and stops at various locations whether to eat, shop, etc. Depending on the individual tour, they can run for hours and even days. The time may seem long but they are so much fun that the time flies.

To book a last minute bus tour can be difficult especially if you are looking for a deal. Bus tours are very popular and are generally sold out very fast. To find that late deal for bus travel tours demands determination and a lot of luck. The good thing though is that bargains do exist and so you just have to know how to find them.

The first step to getting that last minute bus tour deal is to prioritize. You may have to give up something in return for getting what you want. You have to be able to be flexible and you must decide if everyone traveling with you will be able to come after all. You may have to let the little ones stay with their Grandparents.

After deciding what is and is not important, you can begin searching. You can search the internet for companies which specialize in bus tour late deals. Ensure to factor in taxes and fees and if you aren’t sure if these costs are included in quoted prices, then call the company to confirm. Additionally, at times tickets are posted that may not have been snatched up or that were canceled. The bus tour company will appreciate filling the empty seats and will offer major discounts.

Since some bus travel tours last for days, they can prove to be expensive. Accommodation, food, shopping – they can all cost a pretty penny. Many bus tour companies offer bundled packages which can save you money. But something else that can save money is planning your trip for the off-season. Tourist destinations are generally expensive during tourist season. This is because this is the time of year when they have the opportunity to make money. Therefore, the cost of everything goes up. Discounts and low prices are usually offered when things are slow.

Sign up to receive e-mail alerts. This is one way bus tour companies promote their discounts and deals. You may not make use of the alerts at first, but they will come in handy when you decide to take advantage of them.

Where Can You Find the Best Travel Holiday Deals?

June 7th, 2011

Booking your holiday is one of the biggest decisions you will make all year, so you should consider carefully where the best place is to book travel holiday deals, as this can save you a lot of money!

Most people are now booking their package holidays online, as the bigger tour operators such as Thomas Cook, Direct Holidays, and Virgin holidays all offer exclusive, extra discounts when you book online. This makes commercial sense for tour operators as they cut out the staff costs as their websites can offer prices and availability as well as reviews and even videos of selected hotels.

However, there are still some advantages if you are booking with your local travel agent. Firstly, you have that personal touch that websites can’t offer and your travel agent may also be an expert as they have visited many destinations and can offer advice based on your needs.

Travel agents are often sent on educational visits so they can get a feel for holiday resorts and hotels and can pass on their feedback to customers to help inform them before booking their holiday.

Another advantage when booking with your travel agent locally is that you can pop in and make regular payments to your holiday. Many older people still don’t use their credit cards online so they prefer this option.

However, despite these plus points there is one big factor when you are deciding on the best holiday deal and that’s the price! Booking your package holiday online can save you up to 10% and if we assume the average holiday spend is about £2000 then you are saving £200!

Booking holidays online is becoming more popular and the main reason is simply the lower prices available.