Dealing with Travel Frustrations

Looking for cheaptravel deals such as cheapfares, cheap deals, cheap airplane tickets, discount hotel rooms, cheap auto rentals, discounttravel deals, and cheap vacation packages is alot more fun that dealing with travel snafus.

It is a major downer to arrive at the airport only todiscover that your flight has been unexpectedly delayed. Or to arrive at you hotel to be informed thatit is overbooked and your room is not available. Even more disconcerting is to return to yourhotel in a foreign city only to find that your passport is missing.

The following are common travel woes with proposed actionsfrom US News Travel:

• Flightdelays and cancellations occurred at a rate of over 1 in 4 flights in July oflast year in the U.S. Before heading tothe airport check the Federal Aviation Administration map for informationregarding delays at airports. If your flight is delayed an extended periodof time, contact your airlines reservation center to see if you can berebooked on the next available flight. Be ready to ask about whether another airline has space and whetherthere is an alternative route to reach your final destination.

  If your flight is delayed, you should askyour airline nicely for food vouchers. Be aware that the airlines provide such vouchers at their discretion.

  If you miss your flight and are in transitto your airport, call your airline. Ifat the airport, proceed to an airline desk. Usually if the reason for you missing your flight was traffic or sometype of other obstacle and you arrive at the airport within two hours of yourflights schedule departure time, you can be rebooked on standby for free orfor a nominal fee. Remember no matterhow frustrated you may be, always be polite to airline representatives.

• Hotelssometimes get overbooked because, similar to airlines, they tend to oversellrooms in anticipation of no-shows and cancellations. When possible, try to check in at your hotelearly. The later you arrive, the morelikely it is to be overbooked. If norooms are available, most hotels will direct guests to a nearby hotel ofsimilar or better quality and many will cover the expense of the first nightsstay.

• Tominimize the chances of your checked luggage being lost, make certain yourcontact information is legible and visible on the outside of your bag. Also place an identification tag or businesscard inside your bag. Tie a wide,brightly colored or uniquely patterned ribbon around the handle of your bag todistinguish it from others. If you knowthat you will be checking a bag, consider selecting an airline that has thefewest reports of mishandled luggage such as Frontier Airlines, JetBlueAirways, or Virgin America.

  Bags are usually lost for one of thefollowing reasons: your airline routinglabel was damaged, your bag was accidentally placed on the wrong plane, or itmissed a timely transfer to your connecting flight. Your first step should be to speak to arepresentative at your airlines luggage counter.

  Airlines typically track and deliver lostluggage within 24 to 48 hours. If yourbag is lost, you will have to file a bag claim detailing everything in yoursuitcase and its approximate cost. Airlines are supposed to reimburse passengers up to $3,300 per baglost. The most effective way to avoidlost luggage is to pack lightly and only take a carry-on.

• Americansface health risks while abroad because many U.S. based health insurance planswill not cover trips to foreign doctors or hospitals. Often you have to pay up front beforereceiving treatment or pay in cash before departing the country you arevisiting. Your best alternative is tolook into purchasing a short term health insurance plan (such as from IMG orTravel Guard) that will cover you while overseas.

  If you do become sick or injured, contactthe nearest U.S. embassy or consulate so that you can be directed to theclosest medical facility and have your family notified.

• If youdiscover that your passport has been lost or stolen, contact the nearest U.S.embassy or consulate. You will want toact quickly since the only way you can return to the U.S. is to have a validpassport. To minimize the chances of youlosing your passport, leave your passport in a hotel safe and only carry aphotocopy of your passport on you.

• Americansare usually arrested or detained in a foreign country for drug violations,unauthorized photography, buying antiques, or possessing firearms. To avoid any accidental violations,familiarize yourself with the laws of the countries you will be visiting bychecking out the U.S. State Departments website.

  If you are arrested, make certain youcontact the U.S. State Department which works with prison officials to ensureAmericans are treated fairly and will provide any legal aid possible. Consider signing up for the free SmartTraveler Enrollment Program before departing for a foreign country. This program enables U.S. officials to betterassist members with any emergency situation.