Travel-On Travel Industry News
This newsletter is published weekly. Please click to subscribe to this newsletter.

Travel-On / Travel Place offices will be closed on Monday, December 24 and Tuesday, December 25 in observance of Christmas Holiday.

During this time, please call our after hours emergency travel helpline number listed on your itinerary for assistance with your travel plans.

Travel-On is proud to sponsor the Giving Quilt, through Operation Homefront. We're collecting gift cards, in any denomination, to local grocery stores, Walmart or Target, gas stations, Visa/American Express, or chain/fast food restaurants. The gift cards are then used to help military families during the holidays and throughout the new year. If you'd like to make a gift-card contribution, please contact Colleen Dunn, pictured here getting us started with her donation, at colleend@tvlon.com or stop by any of our Travel Place vacation offices.

Friday, December 14, 2012
Events We're Watching

REAL ID Act Set to Go Into Effect Jan 15, 2013
States have until Jan 15, 2013 to comply with new standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and ID cards acceptable by federal agencies for official purposes - including by the TSA for travelers. DHS has advised that starting in Dec. 2014 residents of non-compliant states may be required to present a passport as identification at the airport for travel, rather than a state-issued driver’s license. Implementation of REAL ID has been repeatedly delayed to provide additional time for states to comply and it is possible that another extension could be granted. Currently, as many as 24 states have been deemed by DHS to be non-compliant. Check your state's DMV website to see if your license complies with these new guidelines. More information

American Samoa, Fiji and Samoa - Tropical Storm Evan
Evan has intensified to tropical cyclone strength and is forecast to continue strengthening as it moves through the southern Pacific Ocean. The storm made landfall on Upolu Island in Samoa on the morning of Dec. 13. Meteorologists predict that Evan will approach, and may make landfall, on American Samoa Dec. 14 before circling back around and traveling west toward Fiji. Landfall is possible on Fiji's Vanua Levu Dec. 16 and Vitu Levu Dec. 17. Authorities are reporting significant damage in Samoa following Evan's first hit. Most residents have been evacuated into shelters. The Disaster Management Office has declared a state of disaster after the storm washed away homes and crops, downed trees and power lines, and damaged offices, restaurants, and hotels. Evan will bring torrential rains, strong winds, and high storm surge to Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga's northern Niuafo'ou and Niuatoputapu islands, and Fiji. Significant infrastructure and transportation disruptions are likely in the storm's path. Destruction similar to that seen on Samoa is possible in American Samoa. Landslides and flooding are likely. Expect flight cancelations at Pago Pago International Airport, a prolonged suspension of ferry services, and lengthy power outages.

Philippines - Security Tightens to Thwart Crime During Holidays
The Philippine National Police (PNP) is boosting security for the holiday season, which includes Christmas (Dec. 25), Rizal Day (Dec. 30), and New Year's Day (Jan. 1). Crimes against persons and property typically increase during this period. Regional police offices will step up patrols, deploy additional personnel, and coordinate with malls, banks, hotels, restaurants, and entertainment centers to boost security in major cities throughout the country. The PNP is also deploying additional patrol teams to help provide security in residential areas and around churches during the nine-day Simbang Gabi observance Dec. 16-24, when Catholics attend pre-dawn masses. Safety will remain a significant concern on major highways through the New Year. Pickpocketing, snatch theft, and robbery rates normally increase ahead of the holidays. Caution is necessary at shopping centers, transport hubs, and other crowded commercial areas. Police could establish checkpoints along major highways to thwart armed robberies, especially attacks on buses.

Spain - Most Public Transport Workers to Launch Partial Strikes
Unions representing Metro workers in Madrid announced plans to launch 12 days of partial strikes Dec. 13, 14, 21-24, 26-31. The workers will also stage a protest march on Dec. 27 beginning at 1800 on Plaza de la Villa and ending at Puerta del Sol. Most workers in the public transportation sector, including bus and tram workers, said they would join the protest. Expect significant transportation disruptions.

JFK - Potential Strike Dec. 20
Private security guards at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) have threatened to go on strike for 24 hours Dec. 20. Flight delays are possible, with lengthy security screening times likely. About 300 security guards will take part in the labor action. Allow additional time for check-in and security screening. Confirm all flights. Do not check out of hotels until flights are confirmed.

Portugal - Mass Protest March in Lisbon
Portugal's largest trade union federation will stage a demonstration and march in Lisbon Dec. 15 to protest Portugal's recently passed 2013 austerity budget. Union members and activists are planning to gather at 1500 on Largo de Alcantara, and will march to the Belem neighborhood, likely to Belem Tower, a distance of approximately 4 km (2.5 miles). Expect commercial, public service, and mass transit disruptions along the march route in Lisbon; roadblocks and traffic delays are likely around the demonstration site and march route.

What happens if I miss my flight because of traffic or weather on the way to the airport?

It is incumbent upon you, the passenger, to allow plenty of time to get to the airport, check in, transit security, and be at the gate in time for the flight. If you miss a flight and it is not the airline’s fault, the carrier isn’t required to help. So whether you missed your flight due to traffic hold-ups, bad weather, or oversleeping, the airline has no obligation to put you on the next available flight or offer any other form of assistance. Even if the reason for missing your flight is a ridiculously slow and long line at check-in or security, the carrier is not legally responsible, though many times airlines are good about fast-tracking passengers stuck in line with no time to spare. If the airline does offer to schedule you on to the next available flight you will likely incur a penalty charge. Remember that if you miss the outbound flight, the return leg will automatically be cancelled, so don’t book a one-way flight and then expect to board the original return flight.

  • There are more horses than people in Mongolia
  • Mongolians have no inherited surname; like Icelanders, they attach their father's name to their given name: Chuluuny Bat, 'Bat (son) of Chuluun'
  • You can fit the Netherlands inside Mongolia 37 times, but the entire Mongolian road system is smaller than the Dutch road system
  • Ulan Baator used to move 3 times a year - a nomadic city
  • Mongolia is home to the world's oldest national park, dating from 1778
  • In Mongolian the verb comes at the end of the sentence
  • Mongolian currency is printed in the U.K.
  • Eagles are commonly kept as pets while gerbils run wild

Don't be caught with a valid passport

Should budget negotiations fail and the government move towards sequestration, it is unclear how the US Passport Office will be impacted. To avoid unnecessary stress and potential disruption to travel plans, CIBT recommends that you inspect your passport and take action before the year's end on any renewal, additional pages, first time applications, or name change requests.

As a reminder, most countries require a minimum of 6 months of validity on the passport and a minimum of two blank "visa" pages. The "Amendments and Endorsement" pages do not apply. Passports must be in good condition; torn, frayed, or separating covers and pages are not acceptable.

HertzTriple Points Promotion Extended to Jan 31

Earn free days 3X faster. You must be a Hertz Gold Plus Rewards member and a resident of the U.S. or Canada to earn triple bonus points. Offer valid on paid rentals picked up by January 31, 2013. All Hertz Gold Plus Rewards rules apply. *Only rentals made after the date of registration will qualify for the promotion. Only your base rental points and President’s Circle® 25% bonus or Five Star® 10% bonus will be tripled. Go to HertzTriplePoints.com for the full offer Terms and Conditions.