|
The following are some tips that you want to be aware of when making your honeymoon plans.
(1) It is always a good idea to check with a travel agent before making your honeymoon plans.
Rules within the travel industry are always changing and the travel agent knows those changes first hand. Hopefully, everybody
today knows they need a passport to travel to the Caribbean by Air. Back in the Spring of 2007 tere were thousands of passengers
who booked on their own and arrived at the airport without their passports and were denied by the airlines to board.
The government eased the rules for a short period of time to allow and just show proof that your application was in progress.
Now that they are back on track (6 weeks processing time), the rules have been fully reintated and a valid passport is required
for all airline travel. For cruise travel (to the Caribbean), a passport will be required as early as the summer of
2008.
(2) Trip Insurance and why it is a good idea. Did you know that you can purchase trip insurance
for your honeymoon? A good travel agent must inform you of this option. The trip cancellation insurance covers the cost of
your trip if you need to cancel for a medical emergency, accident, sickness, even jury duty. Even more than that, the insurance
also covers for lost luggage, trip delay, trip interruption, and if you get sick when you are out of the country. While this
feature is optional, always be sure and ask for a quote when making your arrangements.
(3) Airport Check In. Now a days, the airlines require you to check in at the airport twohours
for Caribbean travel from the United States. While this is most probably written somewhere in your documentation, a good travel
agent will always highlight this requirement. We as travel agents read so many reports of those who booked direct and just
happened to miss their flight. What a mess it must be for those passengers. Hopefully, the airline will have another available
flight that day (many times an airline will only have one flight a day to a particular island), so you will only get stuck
paying the change fee. Otherwise, it’s a long drive home (repay the airport parking, gas travelled to the airport, first
nights stay at the hotel is now lost – unless you can work it out with the hotel). Not a fun way to start!!
(4) New Airline Rules – will it affect you. It doesn’t take much for a company to
change their interface on a website and guess what, it also doesn't take much for an airline to change their rules. Liquids
on an airline are reduced to 4.0 ounces allowable for carry on. As I approach the gate, I see so many passengers have liquids
just thrown away by airport security (and that includes that expensive perfume as well). So your on the island, and you decide
to buy a nice bottle of rum for your best friend back at home. It’s duty free – and it’s a good deal - not
really when you arrive at the airport and discover (even though concealed) – that’s a liquid also. The airport
always has duty free liquors shops for purchase after you pass through customs. This way you can buy it and make sure it arrives
home safely too!!
(5) Most importantly, make sure your travel plans are secure. With the complexity of travel today,
again we suggest the use of a travel agent. When booking travel, how about the transfers from the airport to the resort, are
their any surcharges at the hotel (most hotels in Hawaii have a hotel resort fee – find out what this is – your
travel agent will automatically tell you), What about if you rent a car, does the hotel charge for parking at the hotel. How
about the departure tax from the island back home (is this included in the cost of your airline ticket), what about your resort
location – make sure your flight arrives on the island where you are booked or better yet, the airport where your transfers
are arranged. Imagine one’s surprise when booking the Resort Our Lucaya and Sheraton on Grand Bahama Island and when
going to make your air arrangements – you book yourself a flight to Nassau in the Bahamas. The only way to transport
from one island to the other is the mailboat (not a good strategy). How about Sandals Resorts in Jamaica. You booked yourself
at Sandals Grande Ocho Rios. You also read online that transfers are included with the honeymoon package. Great – that
was easy. Now it’s time to book your flight arrangements – so you check Air Jamaica – and you book yourself
into the Kingston airport in Jamaica (the tickets were cheaper in this case rather than flying into Montego Bay). You arrive
at the airport, collect your luggage and now seek out the transfers to get you to your resort – only to find out –
Sandals only provides complimentary transfers from the Montego Bay Airport. Now you have to fork out about $130 for a cab
ride. What fun!!
(6) New - Airlines today are constantly either rescheduling their flight
times to save on fuel. It is extremely important that you reconfirm all of your flights 24 hours in advance. Also,
the norm is now to charge for checked luggage, so either check on the website of the air carrier or else ask your travel agent
to check for you. Some carriers offer a discount if you check your luggage online before arriving at the airport.
Remember, it doesn’t hurt to check with a travel agency before making your arrangements
and if you find one that specializes in Honeymoons – even better. Here at My Honeymoon Specialist, we keep up with all
of the new rules and regulations of the airlines and travel industry in general. We are experienced in the travel arena and
our knowledge is your gain to insure a smooth, hasslefree as well as absolutely wonderful honeymoon. In addition, we always
keep up with new amenities and programs being offered at the resorts and for our honeymoon couples, we do not charge a fee
for our services, so you get the best of both worlds – direct resort pricing and our world of experience!!
The following are some tips that you want to be aware of when making your honeymoon plans.
(1) It is always a good idea to check with a travel agent before making your honeymoon plans. Rules within the travel industry
are always changing and the travel agent knows those changes first hand. Hopefully, everybody today knows they need a passport
to travel to the Caribbean by Air. There were thousands of passengers who booked on their own and arrived at the airport without
their passports and were denied by the airlines to board. This resulted in thousands of dollars lost on travel. The government
finally eased the passport requirements on June 8th, 2007 because they were so backed up that all that was necessary
until Sept. of 2007, was proof that the passport application was in progress. As of January 1st, 2008, all cruiselines will
be requiring a passport as well.
(2) Trip Insurance and why it is a good idea. Did you know that you can purchase trip insurance for your honeymoon? A good
travel agent must inform you of this option. The trip cancellation insurance covers the cost of your trip if you need to cancel
for a medical emergency, accident, sickness, even jury duty. Even more than that, the insurance also covers for lost luggage,
trip delay, trip interruption, and if you get sick when you are out of the country. While this feature is optional, always
be sure and ask for a quote when making your arrangements.
(3) Airport Check In. Now a days, the airlines require you to check in at the airport twohours for Caribbean travel from
the United States. While this is most probably written somewhere in your documentation, a good travel agent will always highlight
this requirement. We as travel agents read so many reports of those who booked direct and just happened to miss their flight.
What a mess it must be for those passengers. Hopefully, the airline will have another available f flight that day (many times
an airline will only have one flight a day to a particular island), so you will only get stuck paying the change fee. Otherwise,
it’s a long drive home (repay the airport parking, gas travelled to the airport, first nights stay at the hotel is now
lost – unless you can work it out with the hotel). Not a fun way to start!!
(4) New Airline Rules – will it affect you. It doesn’t take much for a company to change their interface on
a website and guess what, it also doesn’t take much for an airline to change their rules. Liquids on an airline are
reduced to 4.0 ounces allowable for carry on. As I approach gate, I see so many passengers have liquids just thrown away by
airport security (and that includes that expensive perfume as well). So your on the island, and you decide to buy a nice bottle
of rum for your best friend back at home. It’s duty free – and it’s a good deal - not really when you arrive
at the airport and discover (even though concealed) – that’s a liquid also. The airport always has duty free liquors
shops for purchase after you pass through customs. This way you can buy it and make sure it arrives home safely too!!
(5) Most importantly, make sure your travel plans are secure. With the complexity of travel today, again we suggest the
use of a travel agent. When booking travel, how about the transfers from the airport to the resort, are their any surcharges
at the hotel (most hotels in Hawaii have a hotel resort fee – find out what this is – your travel agent will automatically
tell you), What about if you rent a car, does the hotel charge for parking at the hotel. How about the departure tax from
the island back home (is this included in the cost of your airline ticket), what about your resort location – make sure
your flight arrives on the island where you are booked or better yet, the airport where your transfers are arranged. Imagine
one’s surprise when booking the Resort Our Lucaya and Sheraton on Grand Bahama Island and when going to make your air
arrangements – you book yourself a flight to Nassau in the Bahamas. The only way to transport from one island to the
other is the mailboat (not a good strategy). How about Sandals Resorts in Jamaica. You booked yourself at Sandals Grande Ocho
Rios. You also read online that transfers are included with the honeymoon package. Great – that was easy. Now it’s
time to book your flight arrangements – so you check Air Jamaica – and you book yourself into the Kingston airport
in Jamaica (the tickets were cheaper in this case rather than flying into Montego Bay). You arrive at the airport, collect
your luggage and now seek out the transfers to get you to your resort – only to find out – Sandals only provides
complimentary transfers from the Montego Bay Airport. Now you have to fork out about $130 for a cab ride. What fun!!
Remember, it doesn’t hurt to check with a travel agency before making your arrangements and if you find one that
specializes in Honeymoons – even better. Here at My Honeymoon Specialist, we keep up with all of the new rules and regulations
of the airlines and travel industry in general. We are experienced in the travel arena and our knowledge is your gain to insure
a smooth, hasslefree as well as absolutely wonderful honeymoon. In addition, we always keep up with new amenities and programs
being offered at the resorts and for our honeymoon couples, we do not charge a fee for our services, so you get the best of
both worlds – direct resort pricing and our world of experience!!
|
