Travel

Whether—and how—travel insurance covers pre-existing medical conditions remains a source of uncertainty among many travelers. This recent question is a case in point:”My husband and I will fly to Venice on October 6, where we will stay two weeks. I bought our airline tickets last February 8. My husband is diabetic, managing it with medication, and he just had surgery on his carotid artery, after which he is doing well. Can we still purchase trip-cancelation insurance including medical evacuation?”The short answer is you can buy medical evacuation (medevac) insurance that will cover an evacuation required by your husband’s diabetes—as long as you can show it was totally controlled up to the time of departure—but probably not for potential complications following the surgery. It would cover both of you for any other health problems that arise during your trip. Here are the pertinent details. What Is a “Pre-Existing Condition?”Most travel insurance, including
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Today, as of 11:50 a.m. ET, the price of oil sits at $99.27 a barrel, down 32 percent from July’s high of $147. That’s good news for the airlines, whose single largest operating expense is fuel. And since it’s good for the airlines’ bottom lines, it’s good for those who own the airlines’ stock. What’s in it for consumers? So far, almost nothing. In fact, United had the temerity to announce they were doubling the fee for the second checked bag on a day that oil prices were dipping below $100 and appeared headed even lower over the long term. So much for the airlines’ oft-repeated claim that the slew of fees they’ve unleashed on consumers was linked to the soaring price of jet fuel. But there is one exception to the airlines’ refusal to roll back the supposedly fuel-related fees. Air Canada announced yesterday that, effective from September 23, passengers traveling on Tango and Tango Plus fares will no longer be charged $25 to check a second bag. Here’s how Air Canada explained the
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"My life now is, if I'm not stripping or at the pool, I'm sleeping," McClain said of the new partnership between the Rio and Sapphire that keeps her busy day and night. The partnership also flirts with a longstanding separation between sex and gambling in Las Vegas. The desert city was built on gambling and has never shied away from sex, but Nevada laws have long kept the two vices strictly separate. This reflects a new trend in Vegas, where casinos like the Rio, owned by Harrah's Entertainment Inc, are always looking for new ways to make money, especially in the current downturn. "It brings the sexy angle to the casino business and that is what Vegas is all about right now," said Sapphire Senior Vice President John Lee. "All of the casinos are trying to get gentlemen's club-type entertainment without actually crossing that line." Caesar's Palace, Mandalay Bay, the Mirage, the Venetian and the Wynn have also opened topless pools,
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Planning a fall trip that includes a hotel stay? Make it a lucrative one! In a recent column, I highlighted no fewer than 10 major hotel promotions offering travelers bonus points and free nights for hotel stays through the end of the year. Now, with the addition of two more hotel offers, travelers have an even dozen options when it comes to getting more value for their hotel dollars. Starwood Promo Offers a Choice of Awards With Starwood’s newly announced “You Choose” promotion, Preferred Guest members have their choice of awards for qualifying stays between October 1 and December 31. Options range from double points, to 2,000 bonus points for two stays, to 25,000 bonus points for 10 stays or 20 nights, and so on. Registration is required, and must be completed by November 15. Note that registration is for one specific award option, and that the choice cannot be changed once made. It’s important, therefore, that program members realistically assess their expected hotel activity
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Ang Hagdan-hagdang Palayan ng Banaue My friends & I wanted a different adventure.  Instead of heading to the beach, which is what we usually do during holidays/breaks, we decided to try the mountains for a change.  With SirNoel on wheels, Len, Bjorn, Chie & me headed to Banaue!!! Leaving chaotic Manila at around 1 A.M., we arrived at Banaue a little before lunch, stopping somewhere along the Mountain Province for some breakfast.  We then checked in @ Banaue View Inn where we had our reservations.  With cozy and reasonably-priced rooms, friendly and accommodating staff, plus a great view of the rice terraces, we totally loved the place.  After snoozing after a heavy lunch, we wandered around this little & charming town, appreciating nature – this century-old rice terraces that have survived & weathered mother nature & time — as well as the ancestors of the Batad indigenous people who made this man-made
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On September 17, Spirit Airlines announced it will launch an onboard advertising program, featuring ads on overhead compartments, tray tables, and bulkheads. The airline’s first client, the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, will also have seat-back inserts with special Spirit Vacations deals to the Bahamas. The campaign is set to begin this week. From a financial standpoint, the move makes an incredible amount of sense. As Spirit writes in its press release, “Where else can you find … a targeted captive audience that will be actively engaged by your ad for an average of three hours?” The move also falls in line with Spirit’s ultra-low-cost-carrier identity, modeled more or less after Ryanair, which also sells onboard ad space. What’s more difficult to judge is how customers will respond to the, shall we say, change in ambiance onboard Spirit’s planes. While this is a far cry from the Skybus experience, which coupled onboard ads with flight attendants selling jewelry and other items
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. Port Campbell nestles at the head of a tiny horseshoe-shaped bay with a creek sweeping in from one corner and a soft, sandy beach out front. Just off the Great Ocean Road between Princetown and Peterborough, Port Campbell is often overshadowed by its famous neighbours, the Twelve Apostles and Loch Ard Gorge. But the picturesque little township is a destination in its own right, and anyone who drives past it is missing out on a little slice of seaside history. Cliffs on one side and towering Norfolk pines on the other offer little protection to this tiny bay. A blustery wind churns up a chop on the ocean and covers the beach with mounds of kelp. Fishermen cast lines from the small but sturdy jetty that juts defiantly into the bay. The wind adds a dramatic air to the coastal village - this is part of the Shipwreck Coast, after all. After the modernised feel of Apollo Bay and Lorne, Port Campbell is like a sleepy 1950s holiday hamlet, albeit with many accommodation and dining
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The Cairns esplanade and veiwing platform to watch the birdlife from. Exploring Cooktown Australia. The Journey there. We had only been in our lovely new home when Erle got the travel bug itch, we had just had the worst rain storm in decades that had kept us locked in-doors for several days, so he just asked the travel agent to get us plane tickets for Cairns as soon as possible; three days later at 7am, we were on the ferry from Picton to Wellington to catch the plane to Cairns! I can’t say I really wanted to go, I was just starting to relax and enjoy the new house, but once we got started ofcause I enjoyed the travelling, how could anyone not? It did take a very long time before we arrived in Cairns late at night just before midnight. The esplanade Cairns Before we left home I had emailed Leo’s backpackers, where we have stayed before in Cairns, asking to reserve a room, but had received no reply so we thought maybe Leo’s was no longer operating, but I
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Although I’ve written extensively about foreign credit card charges, some travelers are still unclear about key details. Here’s a question I received last week, which I’m including at greater length than usual because of the remaining uncertainties it reveals.”I booked a reservation and bought a ticket on Air Canada’s website, using my regular Visa card. The ticket was priced in U.S. dollars, so when I got my card statement, I was surprised to find a “foreign transaction fee” of 3 percent tacked on to my charge. This happened even though the flight was codeshared and actually operated by United and even though Air Canada labeled the site I used as its ‘U.S. site.’ I couldn’t find anything on Air Canada’s website or the Visa site which makes any of this clear. When I contacted Visa, the representative said this fee is applied even if the purchase is paid in U.S. dollars with no currency conversion involved. I can understand a fee for Internet purchase for goods shipped into the U.S.
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In Latin America and Europe combined, approximately 250,000 bulls die each year. Do these bulls fall prey to a deadly virus, perhaps? Far from it. The bulls are tortured and killed for the sake of entertainment. Have we evolved at all since the Roman times? Latest polls show that over 72% of Spanish citizens have no interest in bullfighting, yet, because of a small group of influential people in Spain, this inhumane tradition is being kept alive. Fortunately, in Europe and Latin America a growing segment of the population is standing up against bullfighting and calling for an end to this cruel spectacle. Here to talk about bullfighting and what we can do to help is Alyx Dow, Programmes Officer (Anti-Bullfighting) for the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA). Thank you for this interview, Alyx. Could you start by giving us some historical information on how bullfighting began? What is its origin? There is not much specific information on how or where bullfighting began,
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