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.

Airline Coupons

Airlines are going where other online retailers have boldly gone before: coupons and promotional codes. Within the past six months, most of the major airlines have offered "coupons," or promotional codes, you type into their Webs sites to claim the cheapest fares. To get the codes, sign up for the airlines' frequent flier programs and e-mail newsletters. Or use Google to search on the phrase "promotion code" plus the name of your airline. Be sure to use only the most up-to-date results. Airfarewatchdog's blog is another source.

Air France is snipping $75 off of round-trip fares from the U.S. to several European countries for departures in March if you enter the promo code MARCH442 at airfrance.us. The discount must be redeemed by Feb. 17 and is only valid for March travel.

Airfarewatchdog, which has been tracking the coupon code trend, says this is the first time AirFrance has offered a code. According to the Web site, "researchers tested several routes covered by this coupon code discount to see if, even with the discount, the fares we found were lower than what other airlines were charging without the discount. And in most cases, we discovered that Air France had the best fares when the discount was applied, especially on nonstop routes to Paris, but also to other destinations such as Prague and Zurich."

As a rule, coupons (or "promo codes") can be used once per customer. (You can't keep buying different tickets using the same code. When you book your reservation, you won't see the discounted price until the very end. When you get to the page where you enter your personal information, there will be an option for "do you have a promotional code?" or "do you have a coupon code?" Enter your code then, and the discount will be applied to your transaction.

Airfares Spiral Downward, Temporarily

In the midst of so much dire economic news, there are some bright spots for travelers. An analysis by FareCompare.com, cited in USA Today, reveals some fares are down more than 50 percent from last winter and are much cheaper than they were in summer 2008, when airlines introduced hefty surcharges because of high fuel prices. Airlines are responding to the drop in passengers that has occurred as Americans have cut back on travel. They are hoping the price drop will entice travelers to take to the skies with renewed zest.

The USA Today story states that cheap airfares are currently available for travel through May and answers the eternal question of when to book a flight with a resounding "now." Aviation consultant Michael Boyd warns airlines will likely make successive flight cutbacks in reaction to the dwindling number of passengers over the next few months—his prediction is that the low fares available now will have disappeared by July.

Overseas Credit Card Charges

Many travelers now rely on credit cards to pay for overseas travel and purchases. For many consumers, credit cards are easier to keep up with than traveler's checks and they're almost universally accepted now.

Most credit card issuers charge fees for overseas transactions. American Express, for example, adds 2.7 percent to every overseas transaction (up from 2 percent last summer), while Bank of America, Chase, Citibank and HSBC tack on 3 percent, according to Curtis Arnold, who runs CardRatings.com, a Web site that tracks credit card fees.

Also, you may find surprising that purchases of products from Web sites that are based outside the United States may be subject to this fee.

Virtually every credit card assesses an international transaction fee for purchases done outside the 50 states, and that could even include U.S. territories like Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Visa and MasterCard charge a 1% processing fee and most card-issuing banks add additional fees as well (on top of the 1% fee levied by MasterCard/Visa).

This fee is generally a percentage of the U.S. dollar value of the transaction. So, even if you paid 100 Euros for a meal that was actually $125 (U.S. dollars), the foreign transaction fees will be assessed on the $125 amount.

There are ways around this. Discover, for example, charges no fees, but is not as widely accepted abroad as Visa, MasterCard and American Express. In December, Charles Schwab Bank, a corporate sibling of the brokerage house, introduced a credit card that charges no transaction fees and puts 2 percent cash back into a brokerage account. Capital One charges no fees of its own and even eats the Visa charge.

A January 2009 survey of credit card issuers revealed the following foreign transaction fees:

• American Express - 2.7%
• Bank of America - 3%
• Chase - 3%
• Citi Bank - 3%
• HSBC - 3%
• Washington Mutual - 1%
• Wells Fargo - 3%
• Capital One - No Foreign Transaction Fee
• Discover - No fees. Accepted in China, the Carribean, Central America, Mexico and certain parts of Europe. Note: Discover is adding a 2% fee on May 1, 2009.

Despite fee hikes in the past year or so, credit cards are often still the most cost effective payment method for overseas travel, but you should consider fees when planning your trip and budget accordingly. For all credit cards, be sure to call your company before you leave the country and tell them specifically where you will be traveling. Otherwise, they may tag your purchases as fradulent and stop your card.

Bank Reward Programs Not So Rewarding for Travel

Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported on an important side effect of the financial problems of Citigroup and other banks: Credit-card rewards programs are vanishing, especially for travel.

On March 1, Citibank will make a key change to its ThankYou Rewards program for its credit-card holders. You'll have to spend a certain amount each month on your card before you'll be able to earn points for travel.

And travel rewards will become more difficult to redeem, according to a story broken by the Frugal Travel Guy. For example, today you can redeem ThankYou Points for different types of tickets once you've reached a threshold, such as by redeeming 90,000 ThankYou Points for a business-class ticket worth up to $2,700. But under the system the company is about to set up, you'll need to have 100 points per every $1 of airfare. So a $2,700 business-class ticket will now require 270,000 points.

(Citibank defends its move by saying that it will now include the price of taxes and fees as part of its reward. Right now, members have to pay the airline taxes and fees for reward tickets.)

Other news items:
"Last month, American Express eliminated double miles for shopping in a broad range of categories on its Delta SkyMiles card." This may be partly driven by Delta's merger of its frequent flier program with Northwest's program.

"Chase scaled back the cash-back bonus opportunities on its Freedom card for new customers."

"Capital One's new No Hassle Rewards Card requires customers to spend at least $1,000 a month in order to earn double miles for each dollar above that threshold. (Customers earn one mile per dollar spent on all other, non-travel purchases.)"

Banks partly blame the airlines, some of which are hiking the mileage thresholds required to redeem free flights.

Banks are also getting more likely to revoke your points before you get a chance to use them. Says the Journal:

If you're late, not only will you likely see your interest rate jump, but you'll also probably forfeit reward points. Under American Express' Membership Rewards program, for example, members who pay late will forfeit their points for that month (although they can reinstate those points by paying a $29 fee).

The short take: Don't bank those points. If you have a stockpile of rewards points, consider redeeming them for rewards now before they are likely to be devalued.

Be Prepared When Bad Weather Strikes

Air travel can be dicey when the weather outside is frightful, so heed these tips from Fare Compare CEO Rick Seaney if you think you might be affected by bad weather:

* Before heading to the airport, check your flight status on the airline's or airport's Web site.

* Also, make sure you have your airline's phone number hand-programmed in your cell phone or written down somewhere handy with a stash of change for pay phones - so you can call the airline the minute your plans change.

* If you're already at the airport, you'll usually have better luck making alternative arrangements through the gate agent rather than the ticket agent, so head to the gate pronto.

* Anytime you're stuck waiting in line, maximize your chances of reaching someone by getting on the phone with the airline, too.

* If bad weather is going to cause you to get to the airport late and miss your flight, call the airline immediately to get put on the stand-by list. Ditto if you know you're going to miss your connecting flight.

Cruise Industry Posts Increase in 2008

In a surprise announcement, the Cruise Lines Industry Association is predicting that 13.5 million people will cruise North America this year, an increase of 2.3 percent over last year. If the forecast proves accurate, the cruise industry may be the only part of the travel industry to post a gain this year (assuming you don't count the national park system).

Some of that cruise passenger growth will come from non-American visitors to the Caribbean. All told, annual passenger volume has increased 79 percent in the past eight years.