First Time Visiting Jamaica? 4 Things You’ll Want to Know

There is nothing like the incredible sunsets in Negril, Jamaica!

While it may seem strange to be thinking about winter/spring break travel when fall has literally just begun, the truth is that this is the perfect time to start planning that warm-weather-getaway. Because once the cold winds start to blow, and you’re surrounded by mounds of snow and ice, you’ll want that getaway – and so will everyone else! Planning ahead now will give you the most choices, and best prices – so while you’re drinking that pumpkin spice latter, let’s chat today about one of the most popular destinations to visit in the Caribbean, Jamaica!

Jamaica is a beautiful island to visit, with everything from miles of white sand beach to lush jungles and waterfalls, as well as many great resorts suitable to a variety of budgets. It’s the perfect destination for a winter/spring break getaway, and with many well-priced flights, it’s also one of the most affordable Caribbean islands.

If you’re thinking of making a visit to this lovely island (and you really should), here are a few things you may not know about Jamaica if you’re visiting for the first time! Read more

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What You Need to Know if You’re Traveling During Hurricane Season

Photo via https://flic.kr/p/MK8Hym

Destinations such as the southern U.S., Mexico, and the Caribbean can be popular year-round, but every year as summer progresses into the peak hurricane season of August and September, those with trips planned during this time often wonder if their vacation could be affected by tropical weather. While many guests travel during hurricane season with no issues, there is the possibility that severe weather can occur and affect airports, resorts, theme park operations, cruise ports of call, and more.

With this in mind, it’s best to be prepared if you’ll be traveling during this time of year. Let’s take a look at how hurricanes can affect 3 common travel scenarios. Read more

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Surviving the Crazy Air Travel Summer of 2022

When we experienced 3 flight cancellations in 3 days during last October’s Southwest debacle, I wrote about our experiences and offered some thoughts about what to do if your flight gets cancelled. While that situation seemed unique, cancellations *can* occur for all kinds of reasons – severe weather conditions, technical glitches being the most common reasons.

However, as we’ve come to see over the past several months – as the number of passengers increase with pandemic-weary travelers setting out on those long-awaited vacations – the aviation industry has just not been able to keep up with the volume of travelers that are now headed to the airports. Airline and airport staffing, drastically cut during the pandemic, has not recovered enough to handle the crowds of air travelers.

And so, long wait times, lengthy lines, flight delays and cancellations – and frustrated travelers – have become more common over the past few months and are likely to get a lot worse as the busy summer travel season begins.

So, what’s an eager – but concerned – air traveler to do? Here are the top ways to survive a crazy air travel season.

Stay in Contact with Your Airline – Make sure you are getting your airline’s text messages and you have your airline’s app downloaded on your phone. Keep checking the status there, especially in the last 24 hours before your trip. Even if you have text alerts, check the app. Know the phone number for your airline (or where to get it).

Fly From Major Cities – As a number of airlines are still facing pandemic staffing challenges, chances are that service at the smaller regional airports are likely to face more operational challenges than the major urban hub airports will. Which means, among other things, that if your airline has to reduce flight schedules, these smaller airports will be hit first – and if your flight gets cancelled, there may be fewer alternate flights. If you have the option to fly from a major city, you’ll have more choices, and less chance of being cancelled without any options.

Go. Early. – Travel professionals have always recommended arriving to the airport at least 2 hours before domestic flights (and 3 for international), but now it’s critical that travelers allow more than that in order to make it onto your flight. Lines for security, bag check, and pretty much everything are long – and more than a few people have found themselves missing flights because the security line was short-staffed and it took longer to get through than they were expecting. Don’t cut it too close and give yourself plenty of time – no one wants to be the “Home Alone” family racing through the airport to catch their flight (or worse, miss the flight completely). And if you can avoid checking a bag, that’s one less line to worry about!

Get Travel Insurance – If you haven’t already done so, purchase travel insurance. Having protection for your trip is not a luxury but is now really an essential. Things can change in a minute and the right insurance policy can protect your vacation investment, as well as potentially cover any losses if your flight gets delayed or cancelled.

Have a Back-Up Plan – You know how the motto of the Boy Scouts is “be prepared”? Make that your motto as well and have at least a rough idea of what your options are if your flight is cancelled, delayed, or you miss a connection. While you don’t need an elaborate spreadsheet of options you can still quickly check if there are any other flights that could get you to your destination in time. Look at nearby airports as well as other airlines and also see if driving or the train might be reasonable options. You may not need any of this information, but if your flight is cancelled, you’ll be less likely to panic if you know what your Plan B (or C or D) is!

Bonus Tip – Whatever happens, keep your sense of humor, practice patience, stay calm, and enjoy the fact that – despite the challenges – you’re traveling again!

Learn how the FREE services of a travel agent can make planning your vacation simple and STRESS FREE! 

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Top 10 Tips for Summer Air Travel

While the calendar says we still have a few weeks before summer officially starts, the fact is that once Memorial Day arrives, the “summer travel season” begins. And what a season it is going to be! After two pandemic summers, those who have had limited/no travel since 2019 are raring to go: a Washington Post-Schar School poll found that 72 percent of Americans say they will “definitely” or “probably” go on a summer trip this year.

If you’ll be one of those happy travelers – especially if you’ll be flying – things may be different from the last time you boarded a plane. Here are 10 ways to be prepared for air travel before you even leave for the airport. Read more

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Five Things NOT to do on Your Caribbean Vacation

So you’re thinking about planning a vacation to a tropical Caribbean paradise, and everyone you know who has been to the Caribbean has all kinds of advice about what you should do.

But do you know what kinds of things you *shouldn’t* do?

Just as important as knowing what you should do, knowing what not to do is part of planning for a wonderful tropical vacation!

Here are 5 of my favorite “don’ts” when it comes to visiting the Caribbean. Read more

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