Surprising Items That Could Get You a Pat-Down from the TSA

You have enough aggravation to deal with when you’re trying to board a flight – the last thing you need is to sabotage yourself by accidentally setting off metal detectors or catching the eye of a TSA agent. But there are a few surprising items you may have packed in your carry-on that could send up a red flag at security.

FOX Business News suggests you check these items or leave them behind:

• Aluminum Foil Wrappers. Even those tiny wrappers on gum, candy and cigarette packs can set off metal detectors. So, empty your pockets of any foil before passing through one.
• Headbands. Hidden under the fancy fabric and ribbons of many headbands is a metal frame. Put your headband on the x-ray belt. And don't worry -  you get a free pass for bad hair at the airport.
• “Airplane bottles” of alcohol. A long flight may seem like the perfect occasion to pull out those little bottles of vodka, but the TSA is looking for potential explosives. If you pack for a few cocktails, make sure the bottles contain less than 3.4 ounces, are the original container, and are contained in a one-quart sized, zip-top bag.
• Snow globes. They are a great souvenir, but you may want to opt for a t-shirt instead. The liquid contents of most snow globes surpass the 3.4-ounce limit and aren't allowed in carry-ons. If you just have to have that snow globe, it needs to be checked.

For more information on what you should leave at home, visit http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/prohibited/permitted-prohibited-items.shtm.

Three Great Smartphone Apps That Will Take the Stress Out of Travel

Not many people travel without a smartphone these days, and many frequent travelers are using phone apps to keep them on schedule and less stressed. Going on a trip soon? Try these three popular smartphone apps to keep it on track:

• FlightTrack. With frequent travel updates and a user-friendly layout, FlightTrack gives detailed information on flights from over 4,000 airports and 1,400 airlines. FlightTrack, also available on iTunes, offers alternative routes, real-time updates on departure and arrival times, and flight route maps. Travelers can also sync the app with their calendar.

• Boingo. This app, available at boingo.com, enables unlimited Wi-Fi at selected airports, hotels, restaurants, coffee shops and other venues in more than 200,000 hotspots worldwide.The app is great for frequent business travelers, allowing them to stay connected to the Web without roaming fees.
  
  
• AllSubway HD. In a strange city and need to find the fastest way to your next meeting? This app has 115 subway maps from city hubs all over the world. AllSubway HD, available on iTunes, gives travelers access to a detailed map of the subway system with user friendly zooming abilities.

And don't forget the number one way to lower your stress while traveling: Travel Insurance from USI Affinity.

Getting Sick on Vacation Could Cost You an Extra $100,000

Many travelers underestimate just how many vacations are cut short by medical emergencies - some almost before they start.

A passenger on board a recent cruise to the Bahamas only made it as far as the Chesapeake Bay before getting ill. He was medevaced from the ship to awaiting EMS just hours after departure.

This was an unfortunate (and costly) end to a vacation, especially if the ill passenger did not have medical evacuation coverage. Many travel and health care policies provide little or no coverage for an emergency medevac, which can cost $100,000 or more.

That's why it's so important to consider medical evacuation insurance before you travel. Check out MedEvacU, a low cost annual plan for travelers and their families, to make sure your next vacation doesn't end up costing $100,000 more than you planned.

3 Easy Tips for Stress-Free Pet Travel

 
Don't want to leave your beloved pet behind next time you travel? Here are some tips to traveling with pets from The Frugal Traveler:

1. Research your destination's pet-friendliness first.  For example, England will let you bring your pet if it is properly documented and from a list of approved countries. Otherwise, Spot is in for a six-month quarantine. And check out your hotel before you book a room. Pettravel.com lists pet-friendly hotels across the world. Go to Petsonthego.com for more information on international pet travel.

2. Send them separately. Sites like Petrelocation.com are like doggie travel agents, setting up travel arrangements for pets to anywhere in the world. They will handle paperwork, deal with customs officials, make pet hotel reservations, and arrange pickup for your animal's departure flight.

3. Bring your pet's medical records. Some countries require pets to be current on vaccinations, while pet daycare centers often require medical records.

Happy Trails to you and your pets!

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.

Going Home for the Holidays? Start Planning Now

You may not be ready to think about the holidays, but now is the time to start planning if you want to travel by airplane.

Airfare demand and fares have increased dramatically in 2010 and are expected to continue to rise according to American Express Business Travel Group.

Unfortunately, capacity isn't keeping up with the increase in demand, rising less than two percent over the year.

All this might mean a struggle to find affordable seats for those who wait to book their trip.

Here are some tips if you don't want to pay an arm and a leg for holiday travel, or miss out on booking a flight altogether:

• Don't book a flight for the Wednesday before Thanksgiving - the busiest travel day of the year. Book a seat on the first flight on Thanksgiving morning to avoid the crowds and what airlines call "peak travel day fees."
• Consider taking a bus if your destination is less than 400 miles away. Tickets are as little as one to thirty dollars  each way, and these days buses are more rider-friendly.
• Use your frequent flyer miles for your hotel instead of your ticket. It could be harder to use them for airfare, and hotels have made it much easier to redeem your miles.

And don't forget to protect your holiday travel plans with travel insurance!

Labor Day Road Trip? Don't Leave Home Without Reading This

According to AAA, almost 35 million Americans will hit the road this Labor Day. Vacationers will gas up their sedans, minivans, mopeds and station wagons and hopefully get to their destination without having their automobile sputter out on the side of the road. 

Want to avoid spending the last celebration of the summer in a repair shop? Then be prepared!

Follow these road rules before heading out on your trip:

• Check your battery and replace it if needed. Your battery may not make it through your trip if:
  • Your vehicle starts slower than normal
  • Your inside lights dim or flicker
  • Equipment doesn't function properly
• Check the coolant. If where you're going is a lot warmer or cooler than where you're coming from,  have a mechanic check the coolant's mixture of antifreeze and water to make sure the car is properly protected.
• Check the tires. Tires that are not inflated properly can cause extra heat buildup that can lead to a blowout at high speeds. Follow the instructions for checking tire pressure in your owner's manual.

Then, have a safe and happy Labor Day!

It's Not Too Late: You Can Still Go On Your Dream Summer Vacation!

 

Summer's not over yet! There's still time to find a few last minute summer travel bargains, if you know where to look.

CNNMoney listed the following tips on how to book a cheap, last-minute getaway:

• Try booking a Wednesday flight. It's one of the three cheapest days to fly, along with Tuesday and Saturday. And when you're booking your flight, Tuesday at
  3 p.m. is the time to find the best deals.

• If you don't mind hitting the road, try a bus line like Megabus.com or BoltBus.com. They offer very low prices, free onboard Wi-Fi and the seats are pretty comfy.

• Call a hotel directly to book a room so you can negotiate price. Most people don't think it's worth trying to get a better deal on a hotel if they can't score one online. Only 35% of people asked tried to negotiate a better deal on a room, but the ones that tried were successful 80% of the time. CNNMoney also suggests checking out a site like HotelChatter.com for new hotels that are trying to attract customers with low rates during the peak season.

• Don't miss out on the savings that an attraction card or a city pass can offer. Most cities in the U.S. and abroad offer passes and get you into museums, bus tours and other events. Some even let you butt in line, politely of course!

7 Simple Tips to Protecting Your Identity While Traveling

Stay worry free during your next trip. Follow these seven tips to protecting yourself from identity theft while your away from home:

1. Have your mail collected or held at the Post Office. Don't let it pile up on your porch
2. Avoid checking your e-mail or entering passwords to financial accounts on wireless connections on your laptop and always use encryption
3. Don't advertise your vacation plans on your blog, Facebook, or Twitter. Thieves scan the internet for information on empty homes
4. If you bring your laptop on vacation, install anti-virus and anti-spyware software on it to protect yourself from key loggers, hackers, spammers, and botnets
5. If you receive a call from the "hotel reception desk" asking you to confirm a credit card number, do it in person. Do not provide the information over the phone. This could be a scam
6. If you're leaving for an extended period, consider using a credit monitoring service that alerts you to potentially suspicious activity