Personal Bag Tags

A staggering 42 million bags are misplaced by airlines globally each year. To help travelers, three companies—i-Trak, ImHonest.com, and Trace Me—have introduced luggage-tracking devices that are more durable than the airlines' labels and more private than personal tags with your home information. Here's how it works. Travelers order tags on the company Web site to attach to their luggage. If the bags are lost, the tags are printed with instructions for finders to call a toll-free number or file a report online. The service then contacts the bag's owner, and he or she pays to have the bag shipped home. IMHonest rewards the finder with two packs of tracking stickers. This system, of course, depends on the honesty of others. Budget Travel tested the effectiveness of the tags. Read more to find out what they learned.

Tracking Luggage with Microchips

There is no greater travel hassle than lost luggage. It can ruin a much anticipated trip if you have to spend the first few days buying clothes and personal items to replace the contents of a lost bag. About eight of every 1,000 passengers in the United States arrives at their travel destination without their luggage. But a new "smart" luggage tag embedded with a microchip may reduce the incidence of lost baggage. Currently, about a dozen airports around the world are testing the technology. To read more about how it works, visit Budget Travel's Web site.

Internet Influence on Travel

At the 2009 Educational Travel Conference, travel and marketing experts told attendees that 8 of 10 Americans purchase their airline tickets via the Internet. Likewise, 1 of 2 lodging sales is made electronically. When it comes to comparison shopping, 88 percent of us use the Web to find the lowest prices. And Americans have very little travel loyalty. When choosing an air carrier, 56 percent of us have no preferences for one carrier over another. Similarly, 51 percent of Americans don't care whether we stay with Hilton or Marriott.

One out of five Americans has visited a blog to read what others have to say about their travel experience. And one out of three members of the younger generation write about their travel experience on the Web. We're more interested than ever in family travel with 38 percent of Americans saying they have traveled with their children or grandchildren. We also like to celebrate special occasions by packing a bag. Almost 70 percent of us have planned a vacation to celebrate a milestone such as an anniversary or birthday (anything divisible by five). More than 2 million Americans have visited the Disney Web site since the January launch of free birthday entrance to its theme parks.

Cruises Offer Great Value

During these "budget challenging" times, cruises represent outstanding value for the travel dollar; in fact, consumer and travel agent surveys consistently cite value for money spent as the number one reason to take a cruise. Value begins with inclusive pricing that typically covers accommodations, meals, entertainment, use of the ship’s recreational facilities and travel from destination to destination.

To offer our NC State alumni several value-cruising options, Wolf Treks is offering three Oceania cruises through our tour operator, Go Next. Our Mediterranean and Greek Isles cruise, slated for Oct. 21 to Nov. 3, 2009, will take travelers from Venice to Athens during a 13-day cruise that includes Italy, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, Turkey and Greece. Prices start at $2,599 per person and includes free airfare from select cities, including Atlanta, New York and Washington, D.C. A Raleigh-Durham or Charlotte departure costs an additional $199 per person. Book before March 25, 2009, to redeem the special savings.

Passage to Panama, slated for Feb. 9 to 25, 2010, embarks from Los Angeles, visiting ports in Mexico (Cabo San Lucas, Acapulco, Huatulco and Puerto Chiapas), Costa Rica and Columbia before returning stateside to Key West and finally Miami. Prices for this trip start at $2,799 per person for 16 days and includes free airfare from select cities, including Raleigh-Durham, and $500 of shipboard credit to use for shore excursions, drinks or spa treatments. Book before April 14, 2009 to receive the special pricing.

Asian Explorations, slate for Mar. 24 to Apr. 9, 2010, visits the faraway shores of China, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan. Discover Seoul's magnificent 14th century palace, stroll Shanghai's famous Bund, visit ancient shrines and historic memorials in Hiroshima, Kyoto and Okinawa; explore colorful markets in Taipei; and see Hong Kong's towering skyscrapers. Prices for this trip start at $4,299 per person for 17 days and includes free airfare from select cities, including Raleigh-Durham, and $500 of shipboard credit for use for shore excursion, drinks or spa treatments. Book before June 26, 2009 to receive the special pricing.

Recession Promotions

At least one travel company is having some fun with the recession. JetBlue recently ran full-page ads in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal trying to entice business executives whose travel budgets have all but evaporated. The "Welcome Bigwigs" promotion encourages "muckety-mucks, private jetters, big cheeses, head honchos, CFOs, and C Whatever Os" to check out JetBlue amenities.

Among the perks: all-leather seats (just like bigwigs have in first class), myriad alternatives to cable business news channels on the seatback monitors, and service to important business centers located in Bermuda, the Bahamas, Aruba and West Palm Beach. The best part, though, are its low fares, which put your budget in the red.

JetBlue also has a more serious promotion for people worried about traveling in the current economy. If you book a trip before June 1 and then get laid off from your job, you'll be eligible for a full refund of your ticket. Norwegian Cruise Lines has instituted a similar policy, but it charges a $29 fee for it. To qualify for the JetBlue refund, you must cancel your trip at least 14 days before your departure date by sending a notarized letter by fax and certified mail.

Mardi Gras in New Orleans

I had the pleasure of being in New Orleans during the week leading to Mardi Gras. I left before the big day, but I had the opportunity to watch numerous parades and catch pounds of beads. The night parades are beautiful as the floats are more extravagantly decorated and ablaze with lights. However, the evening parades are more crowded and populated with more watchers who are intoxicated. The alcohol tends to make people more aggressive when it comes to catching the beads, cups, doubloons and other items that are thrown from the floats. The day parades are shorter and less crowded, making them more suitable for younger children. I met lots of friendly folks from Louisiana who shared parade history and information. With names such as Muses, Thor, Bachus, Orpheus and Thoth, each uptown parade has a theme and a 3+-mile route that ultimately brings in down St. Charles to Canal Street. The parades vary in length, with the day parades being shorter. The evening parades can include more than 28 floats, and each float is interspersed with a high school marching band or dance academy. I do believe that I saw every high school marching band in Louisiana. The floats sport a "krewe" of 10 to 50+ masked men or women. Each float rider has applied to be member of the krewe and paid a fee, which pays for the pounds of beads and other trinkets thrown during the parade. Some of the krewes, such as Bachus and Orpheus, have waiting list to join. The floats, pulled by tractors, can be one-level or two-levels in height. They double-decker floats have to carefully navigate beneath low-hanging power lines, which can slow the parade's progress and create gaps. Krewes imbibe along the parade route and by the parade's end they are often throwing quart-sized plastic bags filled with brightly colored beads. Parade watchers often bring large canvas bags to carry home their loot. I was amazed at the amount of beads and other trinkets thrown. People covet the beads and doubloons that carry the parade name (Isis, Thoth, Chaos). Do women flash for beads? I saw a few flash krewe members for beads, but only at the later night parades. For the most part, people held out their hands to catch whatever was thrown their way.

Free Airfare from NYC! Bike and Barge Through Holland & Belgium

April 24 – May 2, 2009

We invite you on a spring journey that offers a balance of action and leisure, a close-up experience of the Flemish countryside in springtime, and the camaraderie of biking and small-ship cruising. Board the 24-passenger intimate barge Merlijn in Amsterdam for a journey through the waterways of Holland and Belgium. Cycle about 25 miles a day on a 7-speed hybrid bike through the region's gentle landscape, accompanied by an experienced cycling expert. Then rejoin the ship for a three-course dinner and a relaxing evening.

Your route takes you into several cities rich in artistic and architectural heritage: canal-laced Amsterdam, dynamic Antwerp, the university town of Ghent and beautiful medieval Bruges. The Merlijn will spend a night in each of these cities, allowing time for evening walks and some morning tours.

If you'd like a different balance of biking and leisure, spend some days on board where you can watch the passing landscape from the sundeck.

Trip Price: From $3,395 per person.

Discount: FREE AIR is valid only on new bookings and can not be combined with other offers. Reservations must be paid in full at the time of booking. FREE AIRFARE offer is valid for U.S. departures from New York City, and passengers must pay all applicable air taxes and fuel surcharges, which will be determined at the time of booking. Offer is based on availability.

Trip Includes: Small group of no more than 22 alumni, roundtrip international airfare from NYC to Amsterdam and from Brussels to NYC, private airport/ship transfers, accommondations for seven nights on the board the deluxe passenger barge Merlijn, 14 meals (7 breakfasts and 7 three-course dinners), cocktail reception, use of 7-speed bicycle, services of bike guide, guided biking and walking tours of cities and towns en route, luggage handling for one bag per person and gratuities for local guides and cabin crew.

More Information: To learn more and download a full-color brochure, visit our Wolf Treks Web site.

Trip Registration: Space is limited on this trip to 22 participants. To make a reservation using a credit card or check, contact Wolf Treks Coordinator Kathy Hart at 919-515-3375 or 800-627-2586.