Get Your Cuddle On

If you happen to be flying from Los Angeles to Auckland and need to cuddle with your honey to get some sleep, you’re in luck! Air New Zealand is now offering you this opportunity on the airline's new Boeing 777-300ER jets in seating being called “Cuddle Class.” While it’s not exactly the giant, cozy bed you might be accustomed to at home, the airline seeks to help you get your winks by also providing you with a seat covering, fleece blanket and two full-size pillows to make Cuddle Class as comfortable as possible.

So how exactly does this work? Couples purchase their two seats plus the third seat next to them (usually around half of the price the seat would cost if you bought it solo). You and your favorite cuddler then lay sideways (yes, with your feet hanging into the aisle). Since the airline also had to make the aisle smaller to accommodate the three-seat layout, those middle-of-the-night bathroom trips might be even more challenging as you wade through the sea of feet blocking your path.

Although the systems of most travel agents haven’t been adjusted to handle booking seats in Cuddle Class, you will be able to book your flight directly through the airline.

Not planning on traveling to New Zealand anytime soon, but still looking to make your airline snooze time more comfortable? Here are a few tips:

• If you’re willing and able to do your duties in an emergency, exit rows usually offer a little more leg room to stretch out and snooze. 


• Find a travel kit to meet your sleeping needs. We found a great one that holds a blanket, eye mask and inflatable pillow inside a soft zipped case that becomes the pillowcase.


• Some people find a “C” shaped travel pillow just what they need to support their necks while they slumber off.


• Keep your shades on to help block out the light a little so your body doesn’t think it’s time to be awake. 

Let us know your favorite tips and tricks for catching a few Z’s when you’re in the air.

Travel Insurance Select: New Benefits and Coverage

We are excited to introduce Security Evacuation as a new optional upgrade to Travel Insurance Select, our Trip Cancellation policy. For $99 per insured per trip, travelers will be covered for reasonable charges (up to the plan maximum of $100,000) to be evacuated from the host country due to an occurrence that results in the insured being placed in imminent physical danger.

In addition, Cancel for Any Reason coverage is now available to residents of New York. Residents of all states, including New York, may choose the Travel Insurance Select Elite option for higher coverage limits and purchase early to qualify for all Early Purchase Benefits, including Cancel for Any Reason.

(Cancel for Any Reason is no longer available as an optional Buy-up on the Basic and Plus options, and the reimbursement amount for prepaid non-refundable trip payments/deposits has changed from 75% to 70%.)

While we have made a few changes, travelers will continue to enjoy the same great benefits and services they enjoyed before with Travel Insurance Select®, including:

• Trip Cancellation - Travelers will be reimbursed the non-refundable prepaid trip payments/deposits, up to the amount insured, if they cancel prior to the scheduled departure date for reasons covered in the policy.
• 24-Hour Assistance - Travelers may call the Worldwide Assistance Center 24 hours a day from anywhere in the world for services including locating local physicians and medical facilities, arranging airfares, and more.
• Baggage Loss - Travelers will be reimbursed for lost, damaged, or stolen baggage, passports or visas up to the plan maximum.

See everything that Travel Insurance Select offers.

If you have questions, please don't hesitate to call us at 1-800-937-1387 or email select@travelinsure.com. 

Chilean Volcanic Ash Cloud Continues to Cause Travel Disruptions

Travel issues from Chile's Puyehue-Cordon Caulle’s volcanic eruption continue as an ash cloud moves over Argentina, Uruguay, South Africa and Australasia.

• Qantas Airways has canceled all New Zealand flights for today and postponed Buenos Aires flights until Friday. Domestic flights will operate as scheduled.
• Air New Zealand will continue to fly at a lower altitude to avoid the ash cloud, which requires about 10% more jet fuel.
• Turkish Airlines has cancelled flights to East Africa – including Istanbul-Addis Ababa, Istanbul-Khartoum, Istanbul-Entebbe, Istanbul-Nairobi, Dar Es Salaam-Nairobi, Nairobi-Istanbul.
• Kenya Airways has canceled all flights on the Ethiopia-Djibouti route.
• Dubai’s Emirates airline canceled flights to Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.

Experts from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology's volcanic ash unit say they expect the ash cloud to continue to cause travel disruptions for at least another 24 hours. If you are scheduled to travel in these areas, check with your travel agent or airline to see if you're affected.

Hundreds of Flights in Europe Canceled Due to Volcanic Ash

Iceland’s Grimsvotn volcano began to erupt on Saturday, sending clouds of ash into the air over Europe. European air traffic controllers say they expect about 700 flights to be canceled today, however the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation has said that the worst is over, and they expect flight schedules to return to normal by Thursday.  

Some airlines are rebooking passengers on later flights or fully refunding their fare. Travel Insurance Select has coverage for Inclement Weather and Natural Disaster, so travelers who purchased the policy before 5/21/11 and are affected by the volcano can call us at 800-937-1387 for details.

For more information on finding travel insurance that can refund the cost of a trip, go to www.travelinsure.com/what/selecthigh.asp.

 

Riding the Rails in Europe? There’s an App for That.

Travel industry experts say most people are continuing with their summer travel plans despite high prices. For those heading overseas to Europe, traveling by train may not be cheap, but a new iPhone app may make it easier.

Rail Europe has released a new booking app that allows travelers to plan and book trips on their iPhone and iPod touch. The application uses geo-location technology that connects 35 railroads in 32 European countries. App users can choose their seat, buy their ticket, and plan their arrival with a calculated time and distance function.

The app is available at Rail Europe’s site at http://www.raileurope.com/mobile/index.html.

Cairo Evacuation Information from U.S. Embassy

U.S. Embassy Cairo
January 31, 2011 

The U.S. Embassy in Cairo informs U.S. citizens in Egypt who wish to depart that the Department of State is making arrangements to provide transportation to safehaven locations in Europe. This assistance will be provided on a reimbursable basis, as required by U.S. law. U.S. citizens who travel on US government – arranged transport will be expected to make their own onward travel plans from the safehaven location. Flights to evacuation points will begin departing Egypt on Monday, January 31. There will be a limited number of seats available on evacuation flights. Priority will be given to persons with medical emergencies or severe medical conditions. Persons interested in departing Egypt via USG-chartered transportation should contact the US Department of State and Embassy Cairo by sending an email to EgyptEmergencyUSC@state.gov or by calling 1-202-501-4444. Please provide the following information:
Name, age, place of birth, U.S. passport number and any special medical needs.

Immediate family members (spouses and children) who are not U.S. citizens must be documented for entry into the safehaven country and/or U.S., if that is your final destination. 

Frequently Asked Questions:

I’m ready to go. What do I do?
Documented U.S. citizens may proceed to Terminal 1 Hall 4 (Hajj or VIP Hall) of the Cairo airport as of Monday, January 31, 11:00 am. U.S. citizens are not advised to travel to the Cairo airport during curfew hours. 

NOTE: U.S. citizens located near Luxor, Alexandria or Aswan airports should secure a private commercial flight to depart Egypt. The U.S. government is not arranging transport from these locations at this time.  The airports are all OPEN and there are commercial flights available to U.S. citizens. If traveling to Luxor, Alexandria or Aswan airport please be sure to have a confirmed ticket and know the terminal you need to go to before heading to the airport. 

My child is a U.S. citizen. Can my whole family be evacuated? 
A U.S. citizen child may be escorted by one adult, preferably a parent, who has appropriate travel documents. If a family has more than one U.S. citizen child, the one-adult rule still applies.

Do I need a U.S. passport?
All U.S. citizen travelers and their spouses and children, are required to have valid travel documents. The U.S. Embassy in Cairo will assist U.S. citizens with travel documents. U.S. citizens who do not hold a valid U.S. passport or visa and are interested in departing Egypt via USG-chartered transportation should contact the US Department of State and Embassy Cairo by sending an email to EgyptEmergencyUSC@state.gov or by calling 1-202-501-4444.

What do I do if my passport is expired? If you are the holder of a U.S. passport that has expired within the last ten years please proceed directly to the Cairo airport. You will be able to board the U.S. chartered flight with your expired passport en route to the safe haven. It is important to note you will probably need to get an emergency passport upon arriving at your safe haven so that you can continue your travels en route to the United States. If you are the holder of a passport that has been expired for over ten years then you will need to get an emergency passport at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo. 

What do I do if my child is a U.S. citizen, but hasn’t yet been documented?
Contact the U.S. Embassy in Cairo.  U.S. citizens who do not hold a valid U.S. passport or visa interested in departing Egypt via USG-chartered transportation should contact the U.S. Department of State and Embassy Cairo by sending an email to EgyptEmergencyUSC@state.gov or by calling 1-202-501-4444. 

My family members aren’t U.S. citizens. Can they travel with me?
The scheduled evacuation flights will transport U.S. citizens and their immediate family members. Immediate family members – defined as spouses and children – who are not U.S. citizens will be required to have travel documentation that will permit their entry into the safe haven destinations. At this time, flights are expected to travel to Istanbul, Turkey, Athens, Greece, and Nicosia, Cyprus. Safe haven destinations may change. U.S. citizens requesting evacuation will not be able to select their safe haven destinations.

Will you fly me to the United States? 
Our goal is to get people to a safe place, where they can make their own onward travel arrangements. Travelers will be responsible for their own onward travel arrangements and accommodations in the safe haven city. Consular officers will provide travelers with information on airlines and hotels.

What should I bring?
Travelers should bring valid travel documents and any necessary medications.
Each traveler may bring one suitcase and a small personal carry-on item.
U.S. citizens seeking evacuation should be prepared for a substantial wait at the airport. Travelers are advised to bring food, water, diapers and other necessary toiletries with them to the airport.

What about my pets?
Evacuation flights will not be able to accommodate pets. 

Do I have to pay for the flight?
U.S. citizens requesting evacuation will be asked to sign paperwork promising to reimburse the U.S. Government for flight costs at a later date. Exact flight costs are not yet available, but should be comparable to a one-way commercial flight from Egypt to the safe haven location.

How do I get to the airport?
At this time, public transport to include taxis is still operating in Egypt.

Record Winter Weather Paralyzes Much of Europe

Heading to Europe? Well, Ol' Man Winter seems to have beaten you there, and he's causing quite a ruckus.

Most of Paris has been paralyzed by icy roads after the region's heaviest snowfall in 25 years hit earlier this week. The Eiffel Tower was closed Wednesday, and flight delays and cancellations at Charles de Gaulle Airport halted travel in and out of the country.

Germany suffered the same fate when heavy snow storms forced hundreds of flights cancellations and train delays. The Frankfurt International Airport was shut down on Wednesday and Thursday, and almost 200 flights were cancelled in Berlin.

Britain is also experiencing the wrath of winter, as streets and airports are shut down. The region continues to see record snowfall after November brought more snow than it had seen in 65 years.

Why Riding Horseback to Grandma's Might Be Your Best Bet This Thanksgiving

Flying home this Thanksgiving? You might want to leave for the airport now. Seriously, forget your luggage and the kids - there's no time. Flying the friendly skies is about to get even crazier.

A loosely organized, but possibly highly effective boycott of full body scans is scheduled for this Wednesday, the busiest travel day of the year. Experts are saying that even if only a small percentage of passengers participate in National Opt-Out Day, it could cause big delays.

Participants are being asked to decline the full body scan in protest of what some are calling overly-invasive security measures. The average body scan takes about 10 seconds. If a passenger declines they are submitted to a full pat down, which can take up to four minutes. A process that would take 100 passengers 15 minutes  might take at least 6 hours if all of those passengers decline the body scan. If 20 percent of holiday fliers are selected for body scans as expected, tens of thousands of fliers could be in the position to protest.

So, what do you think about full body scans - a necessary precaution or a violation of our rights?

Cruise Ship Nightmare Finally Ended, but a Fair Warning to Others

Stuck on a cruise ship with 4,500 other cranky passengers, no air conditioning and nothing but spam on the menu. Talk about a travel disaster.

The Carnival Cruise Ship Splendor finally returned to port Thursday, three days after an engine room fire cut power throughout the ship, leaving it adrift in the Pacific Ocean.

Although Carnival is reimbursing passengers for the cost of their trip and transportation home, nightmare-cruise passengers are not always so lucky.

This past October, two days into a 12-day voyage, the crew of the Celebrity Century discovered the ship's rudder was damaged. The cruise was cancelled, stranding passengers in a small port in southern France during a country-wide transportation strike.

Many of the passengers complained that the crew of the Century were very little help, and had to rely on travel agents and their travel insurance concierge service to help them find their way around France and back home.

With USI Travel Insurance Select Elite, you can receive reimbursement if your trip is cancelled and our concierge service can help you make transportation arrangements to get back home in an emergency.

Planning a cruise? Learn a lesson from these ill-fated trips. For more information on cruise insurance, visit www.travelinsure.com/who/tourcruise.asp.

State Department Releases Travel Advisory. What Steps Should You Take?

Many travelers are feeling a little confused over how to interpret the generally vague travel advisory released by The State Department on Friday.

The advisory, a level below "warning" on the threat advisory system,  stated "al-Qa’ida and affiliated organizations continue to plan terrorist attacks." Although it did not advise against traveling to Europe altogether, it did suggest travelers stay on their guard, especially in and around travel hubs like subways and airports.

The instructions have left some asking what other measures should be taken.

The State Department recommends registering travel plans with the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy through the State Department's travel registration Web site.  You can also get up-to-date information on security conditions by calling 1-888-407-4747 in the U.S. and Canada, or on a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444 from elsewhere in the world.

Don't want to take any chances? If  you have USI Affinity's travel insurance with the "Cancel for Any Reason" feature, call 800-937-1387 to discuss your options.