Airline loyalty programs

Frequent-flyer programs are loyalty programs offered by the majority of airlines. 
There are many advantages to joining these programs but please be aware that each program has its own set of rules and partners. These programs allows you to earn miles that you can redeem in certain ways.
It may also allow you to earn tier/status miles that are used to determine your membership status. The higher your status, the more benefits you are eligible for.  How you earn miles and in what way you can redeem these miles depends on the program you join and it may be different for each program.

Membership benefits could include some of the following:

Redeeming your miles to upgrade to a higher class e.g. from Economy to Business.
Redeeming your miles to purchase flight tickets.
Using your miles for in-flight shopping.
Redeeming your miles with airline partners e.g. car hire and hotels.
Priority boarding.
Lounge access.
Priority on waiting lists when on standby.
Access to preferred or pre-reserved seating.
Additional luggage allowances.

Earning miles - Depending on the program, miles can be earned in any the folowing ways:

Flying with the airline and its partner airlines.
Making use of the program's non-flight partners e.g. car hire or retail outlets.
Making purchases with affiliated credit cards.
Promotional offers e.g. bonus miles or referring friends.

Keep the following in mind

• Only certain types of airline tickets e.g. full fare (Y) can be upgraded by using miles, this depends entirely on the program rules.
• When you redeem miles to purchase an airline ticket, you may still need to pay the airport taxes and any other relevant taxes. Some programs allow you to use your miles to additonally pay for these taxes.
• Lounge access is usually only available to higher status members.
• Tier miles cannot be redeemed and they expire at the end of the mileage cycle.
• Tier miles are usually only earned when flying with the airline self and not with their partners
• The amount of  miles you earn on a flight ticket will depend on the type of ticket, the distance travelled as well as your membership status.
• Redeemable miles may expire if not used within a specified time frame.
• You can belong to more than one membership program.
• Remember to quote /enter your membership number when making a booking or using a program partner.
• Keep up to date with the rules and regulations of the program.

My wallet is gone!

I mainly write about air travel but today’s blog is about what to do when your wallet, passport or phone is stolen. Imagine having no means to travel back to your hotel, no phone to make a call, or no way to prove your identity.
These are just some suggestions that may be helpful

Prepare for worst case scenarios

Make paper or electronic copies of important documentation

This should include:

• Passport and any relevant visas
• Itinerary and flight/train tickets
• Medicine prescriptions
• Travel and medical insurance

Leave paper or electronic copies with a trusted acquaintance whom you can contact in an emergency.

Keep paper copies on your person and leave your original passport in a safe and trusted place e.g.in a locker at the hotel reception, in your room safe, etc.

 

Keep forms of identification separated

Keep your passport and drivers license in different places.

 

Take along only what you need

Take only one or two bank cards, plus just enough cash with you when you go out. Leave the rest in the room safe or other secure place.

Know what is inside your wallet.

Keep your cards in a separate card holder.

Never keep your pin code in your wallet or together with your cards.

 

Speak to your bank

Ask what they can provide to safeguard your money while abroad, e.g. pre-paid foreign currency debit cards or travelers cheques.

 

Keep emergency cash with you

Keep some emergency cash in a safe place, e.g. in another pocket, money belt, something around your neck etc. It should be enough to pay for a meal and a taxi or bus ticket.

Never leave your wallet inside clothing you may remove, such as a jacket.

 

Know who to call

Know your bank’s emergency telephone numbers. Save them on your phone and write them on a separate piece of paper (in case your phone is stolen too).

Leave these numbers with an acquaintance whom you can contact in an emergency.

 

Take out travel insurance

Take out travel insurance before you travel that cover you for medical emergencies, stolen property and travel tickets that needs to be changed due to unforeseen circumstances.

 

Remember the following

Consider handing in your room keys at reception before you leave the hotel.

Keep your house keys in a safe place or leave them with an acquaintance.

Download your photos regularly from your digital camera.

 

Take action

Contact your bank

When you are certain that your wallet was in fact stolen and is not just misplaced, contact your banks immediately and report the credit and cash cards as stolen.
The bank will ask you what your last transaction were, keep in mind that there might be legitimate pending transactions that you need to inform your bank about.
Monitor your accounts and report any fraudulent/suspicious transactions to your bank.

Report the crime

Report the theft at the nearest police station and obtain a reference number, which you will need when applying for a new passport or making insurance claims.

Return to your hotel / accommodation

Contact your hotel / host if you do not have any means to return. They may be able to assist you with a shuttle service.
It is important that you know the street address as there might be two hotels in the same town under the same name.

Apply for an emergency passport

Contact the local embassy or consulate if your passport was stolen to apply for an emergency passport.
The copies of your passport or any other form of identification will help in this process.

Change travel arrangements if necessary

Make the necessary itinerary changes or contact your travel agent (if you used one) and ask them to assist you.
Contact the travel insurance company to assist with any claims. Be informed on what you can claim.

Travel agent vs. making your own booking

Making an airline booking online has become so easy these days that anyone can do it. So why would you want to use a travel agent? To get more insight into this I asked a friend of mine who works at a travel agency.
Her response was as follows:
"It is not the plan, but sometimes it happens that you have to change your travel arrangements and the hassles to do that without an agent to do it for you is just too much. (My brother had to change his flight once and couldn't do it through us because he booked directly with the airline and the airline wouldn't allow him). So it's just easier to do it through an agency from the beginning.
It is the same with land arrangements. The chances are that the agency has an agreement with the supplier which makes it easier.
We have had clients phoning when they are on their way to the airport wanting a ticket leaving within an hour. Then it is easier to just let the agent book the ticket because then all you need is the reference number or your form of ID and you can check in.
The internet does not have all the seats available to the public. It is only about 30% of the world's availability. Travel Agencies use a system where they see ALL the seats and availability ALL the airlines have. And then there is also a price difference."

I am a frequent traveler and as such I usually make my bookings online on the airline's website. But sometimes I do use a travel agent, especially for those last minute tickets or when the route is complicated and I need to travel on different airlines.
When you book on different airlines without an agent you might end up having to collect your luggage and check in again for the connecting flight, a stress I prefer to avoid.
Making use of a travel agent does give you piece of mind, there is someone you can phone when things go wrong. Imagine being stuck at the airport during an industrial airline strike, or you missed your flight.
All of these things you can handle yourself but it's just so much nicer to have someone else worry about that.
Travel agents are not always cheaper but they might have a great package to your destination.
Another service I often use is websites that compare prices from different airlines, but be careful of hidden costs, and only use a trusted company.
If you are not sure which airlines fly to your destination, check the airports website for information
As always, make informed choices

Tummy Troubles

My first blog! Scary to say the least.  I am a frequent traveller and have my share of frustrations when it comes to boarding a plane. But I believe with a little advice, a bit of planning and loads of patience flying can once again be the adventure it is supposed to be.
My most recent flight was from Munich Germany to the beautiful island of Malta. It was a small plane, Airbus 319-100.  Flying within the EU really is a breeze nowadays. It is handled as a local flight so no passport control and if you checked in online you just drop your bags, and go through security.  Yesterday's travel went as smooth as can be up till take-off time.  It was raining cats and dogs at Munich airport and our friendly Captain told us that we have to either wait the storm out or re route to avoid the worst clouds.
Air Traffic control decided we must re route
In the row in front of me there was a family with a little boy around 8 years old. He was super excited to fly, and made it very clear that this was his second time and that the last time he could not handle his upset tummy. He even got the little paper bag out just in case. 
Take off was smooth but the next 15 minutes was as bumpy as can be and with such a small plane you feel every air pocket.
I even held hubby's hand a bit tighter :-)

Anyone who ever travelled in a plane during a storm will know what that kind of turbulence can do to your general well being
I felt so sorry for the little boy, but if his parents where a little more prepared they would know there is a lot you can do to help tummy troubles when flying. Most of it is due to suffering from motion sickness.  There is a lot of medication available to treat motion sickness and as a sufferer myself, I know it works. Before travelling visit your doctor or pharmacists and ask advice on what products to use
Some other tips

• Don't read while there is turbulence
• Don't look outside when the clouds are brilliant white
• If you want to look outside, wear sunglasses
• Don't board the plane with a full tummy, try to stay away from greasy, fatty or spicy food and avoid dairy products
• Suck on a mint, or eat something minty
• It helps to close your eyes and keep still
• Where you sit in the plane will also have an effect as well as the size of the plane.  Try to sit close to the middle (over the wing) or more to the front of the plane.  
• Open the air vents above you if there are any, and turn is so that it blows onto your face
• Ginger does wonders for nausea, try drinking Ginger Ale
• Try motion sickness wristbands, I have not used them myself but friends who have swears by them