Long Flights

Long flights are rarely fun for anybody and oftentimes, people emerge from the aircraft looking rumpled and feeling extremely exhausted. Not the best way to arrive at your destination, but some people may just find it too difficult to cope with long traveling hours.

The next time you fly, try out some of these tips to keep yourself comfy on board.

Wear some comfortable clothes. You don’t have to look like a slob in a sweatsuit, but you don’t have to get dressed up for a flight either. Choose some clothes you can move normally in and which fit you well.

Freshen up from time to time. While airlines still restrict the amount of liquids you can carry on board, the 100 mL rule can still allow you to bring a good number of products to keep you looking fresh throughout the flight. It’s doesn’t have to be an elaborate ritual. Getting up and washing your face every couple of hours and brushing your teeth after each meal can do wonders for you.

Pop in a breath mint, chew some gum, or suck on some candy to help keep your breath fresher, plus this will also ease the way you feel if you tend to suffer from motion sickness.

Don’t just stay seated throughout your flight. Get up and walk around to work out the kinks in your body. Head to the back of the plane to do some exercises. You can even just stand still for a few minutes just to stretch out.

Leaning your seat back all the way may not seem like much, but this will keep you a lot more comfortable than if you keep your seat back upright.

Ask for a hot towel to perk yourself up.

Take off your shoes. Let your feet relax during the flight, and bring some comfortable socks to keep them warm.

Bring along some citrus or mint-based massage oil and rub them on your temples and the back of your neck. It will relax you, believe it or not, plus it will also be much more pleasant for you to smell this instead of breathing in the air inside the plane.

CONTEST FOR DISABILITY DIGEST MEMBERS

I will be giving away a 3 Day / 2 night hotel accommodations to a chosen city of your choice within the United States. Some restrictions apply. I will also be giving away a bar of Smells Good Soap - http://smellgoodspa.blogspot.com/2008/07/client-gift-giving.html.



To win;
- Go to my blog - http://www.gottitravel.blogspot.com and add a comment specifying the best vacation you have ever taken and WHY? Add your name and Disability username
and the blogged subscribed to


- Subscribe to any of my blogs;

- http://www.gottitravel.blogspot.com

- http://www.gottivegas.blogspot.com

- http://www.gottigives.blogspot.com

- http://www.gottiadvertise.blogspot.com

The contest will start today and end on 08/24/2008. A winner will be announced shortly after.

GOODLUCK!

WESTERN HEMISPHERE TRAVEL

Want ideas on end-of-summer family vacations? Take a look at ProfessionalTravelGuide.com's list of the best family vacation destinations that won't break your budget

So you need to go farther afield than your backyard or the local museum for a vacation, but the dollar's free fall squelched your plans for a Grand Tour of London, Paris and Rome? Instead of Western Europe, try traveling the Western hemisphere. "American" doesn't just mean apple pie and hot dogs – try exploring the exotic flavors of Central and South America. ProfessionalTravelGuide.com shares some of the places in this hemisphere where you can enjoy more buying power and less jet lag.


Costa Rica

Nicaragua

Ecuador

Panama

Belize

Honduras

Argentina

Mexico

Puerto Rico

Laura Laxton
Editor
ProfessionalTravelGuide.com

Home When Away From Home

By Anna Lynn Sibal

There are plenty of times when the kind of travel that a person needs to do will be in no way related to fun and leisure.

In today's worldwide economy, where the focus of a lot of companies is to expand their businesses globally, it is now considered normal to send people from the country where the home base of a particular expanding company away to countries where branch offices are located. The trip and the ensuing stay abroad can take a mere handful of days, but it could also take weeks and months. In some cases, it could take an expatriate some years before he or she could get home.

Being separated from one's loved ones by an ocean and a number of time zones for any extended duration of time is a situation that can get truly gut-wrenching and filled with anxiety. Sometimes, the wave of homesickness can be overwhelming.

Different people have different ways of coping with homesickness. Many of them deal with it by bringing with them items and keepsakes that will remind them of home. These items could be anything. It could be pictures of one's family, a CD containing the voice recordings of one's loved ones, a drawing made by one's child, an article of clothing of one's spouse, or a handkerchief sprayed with the spouse's perfume.

A lot of people handle homesickness by keeping in close touch with family members. Thanks to technology, staying in touch with family members is no longer that hard to do. A person is always just an email or an instant message away from his family. Most instant messaging software now allow people to communicate through voice and video over the Internet no matter where they are, so headphones and webcams are always handy gadgets for expatriates to have.

For people who have the some tech-savvy in their bones, blogging is the way to go. Many people use blogs as a way of communicating to their family and friends how they are doing when they are far away from home. Blogs are very nifty. With blogs, people can use not just words in telling their stories. They could accompany the text of their stories with scans of photographs they have taken, as well as upload audio and video files. Blogging is a neat way to keep connected to home.

For expatriates who are truly in for the long haul, meaning they have to stay where they were sent to for the good part of a year, or even a number of years, the best way to deal with homesickness is to lease a house or an apartment where he could bring his family to for visits whenever possible. Being forced by virtue of employment to a strange country far away from home is not a reason for him not to have his family with him. If he cannot come to his family, then his family can come to him.

Traveling away from home can be a part of the life of some people, and for these people, homesickness is something they have to deal with every time they leave. Fortunately, homesickness is not an illness without remedy, but rather a condition with a cure.

SAVE MONEY ON FOOD WHILE TRAVELING

By Anna Lynn Sibal

If you are traveling on a somewhat tight budget, there are definitely some times that you will find yourself scrimping and cutting corners just to make sure that your money does not run out on you while you are away from home. It is hard to be caught penniless when you need something and you are just driving along the streets of your own hometown; what more if you are in a different state or a different country?

Traveling on a budget, however, does not mean that you have to deprive yourself. If you are on this trip with limited financial means, you can stretch your funds by making wise decisions on how to spend your money. This includes money spent on your meals.

You can actually save some money while you are on your journey by making simple mealtime decisions. How well you make these decisions, in turn, depends on how well you did your homework before you went on this trip.

Here are a few tips on how to save money on food while you are on your trip.

1. When you make your hotel reservation, check if the amenities you will be paying for include breakfast. If breakfast is among the list of amenities, then eat as much as you can. Once you have eaten a heavy breakfast, your body would not really want to consume a lot when lunchtime comes.

2. If breakfast is not covered by your hotel, you can scout for a bakery in the area. Not only will this be a means for you to save some cash, but it will also serve as an opportunity to look around and sample some local food.

3. On lunch time, you can always pack yourself a picnic lunch for a mere fraction of the cost of eating at a restaurant. If you do want to get your food from a restaurant, you may be able to cut corners by ordering takeout instead of dining in.

4. If you are American, stay away from American fast food joints whenever you are traveling abroad. More often than not, you will only be headed for disappointment if you expect your American fare abroad to be the same as the meals you get at home. It is pretty expensive, too.

5. If your hotel room has a kitchen, you can try cooking for yourself. That way, you get to have your meals the way you want them without spending too much. Besides, shopping at the local markets can be fun.

6. Do not hesitate to ask around for recommendations on the best places to eat locally.

7. If you do not feel like cooking for yourself or eating out, go ahead and order pizza.

While following the abovementioned tips will allow you to save some money on food, it will also allow you to indulge yourself on some lavish meals every once in a while. After all, too much scrimping can make you miss out on the experience of tasting the local fare in the country you are visiting.

Goodbye, Baggage Woes!

By Anna Lynn Sibal



What can probably be considered as the most common of any traveler’s woes most likely has something to do with his baggage. We always hear stories of people getting hit on the head by luggage falling out of overhead compartments on a particularly turbulent flight, or of the security line being held up by airline passengers who insist that the gigantic suitcase they have brought with them should pass as carry-on luggage instead of just checking them in. And then we have stories of lost luggage, wherein the hapless passenger finds that his suitcases have flown to Taiwan instead of coming with him to Thailand.

Losing luggage, among other baggage problems, is a fact in the life of a traveler. Thankfully, such problems can be avoided with a few simple precautions to be taken before the flight. Here is how:


1. If you can get away with traveling with only carry-on luggage with you, go for it. Airlines generally allow their passengers to bring two pieces of carry-on luggage with them, so bringing your bags with you to the cabin will save you the worry of losing your bags or having them stolen.

2. If your bags are heavy, do not put them in the overhead bin. Luggage, even the lightweight ones, can cause serious injuries if they get loose and fall on someone’s head.

3. Before you check in your bags, make sure that every piece of luggage you are checking in has a label that has your name and address on it. Better yet, put another label on the inside of the bag, as well as a copy of your itinerary. Do the same for your carry-on bags in the event that you need to check them in after all.

4. Make your luggage as unique as you can make them so the other passengers will not confuse your luggage with their own and pick them up. You can do this by putting colorful tags or stickers.

5. Never check in your valuable items such as money, jewelry, laptop and electronic files. Put them in your carry-on luggage.

6. Make sure that airline tag on your checked-in luggage is correct. The airline tag should match the airport where you are flying to.

7. If you have lost your bags, report the loss immediately. Approach the baggage agents on duty as soon as you discover that your bags did not turn up at the airport you flew in.

8. Do not throw away the stub from your checked-in bags. In case you do lose your bag, the stub will help airline authorities to trace your bags.

9. Always anticipate the fact that you may lose your luggage on your flight. It’s a simple application of Murphy’s Law. Thus, pack your bags in such a way that the loss of one bag will not cripple you. Pack at least one set of clothing in your carry-on bag.

10. Bear in mind the security regulations of the airline you are flying in when packing your bags. Leave prohibited items behind, such as knives, cutters and other hazardous objects. If you must bring such items, see if your airline can let you check them in.

How to Keep the Kids Entertained on a Long Trip

How to Keep the Kids Entertained on a Long Trip

By Anna Lynn Sibal



We have seen it all before, one way or the other. Some of us have even experienced it ourselves. There is nothing more dangerous than a bored child on a long trip.
Or so some movies would have us think. But those of us who are parents or who have experienced traveling with children, keeping the children entertained for the duration of the journey does a lot for the peace and sanity of their adult companions, not to mention the other passengers of the car, train or airplane they are traveling in. Sudden shrieks and screams, not to mention the repeated chants of Are we there yet? are totally annoying and embarrassing.

The key to keeping your children from irritating their adult companions and their fellow travelers is to keep them entertained. A sure-fire way to keep them entertained is to keep their attention focused on books and toys. Every parent or every person who has worked closely with a child before knows that there different types of toys suited for every age group.

Babies, for instance, are contented with playing with any object that is shiny, full of colors and makes nice sounds. Rattles, music-makers, blocks that stick together magnetically and pop-up toys are perfect for keeping babies from shrieking with boredom while traveling.

If you are traveling with a toddler, the nice toys that will keep your toddler’s attention are probably things that he or she can squish, stuff or pull apart. Nested boxes and things that can fit into containers are great for entertaining toddlers on the road. Other toys that can work just as well are blankets, stuffed animals and wind-up toys.

Pre-schoolers and grade-school kids can focus on toys that will feed their minds. They are old enough to work on coloring books with stickers and crayons, wipe-off easels, picture books and pop-up books. They will also have a fun time playing with finger puppets, plastic action figures, micro-machines, putty, puzzles or Pokémon cards. Older grade-schoolers can also keep occupied with audio books playing on walkmans.

Older kids are much, much easier to handle because they can keep themselves occupied on their own. They can bring with them real books or comic books, as well as toys like travel-size Monopoly, Snakes-n’-Ladders, Mastermind, Lego or Mastermind. Cards like a regular deck of cards or playing cards like Magic: The Gathering are also great things to pass the time with while traveling. Simple paper games like Hangman and tic-tac-toe are also great. And then, there is the ever-popular GameBoy. It seems like you can keep a child entertained for hours on end with GameBoy alone.

Kids are always a handful and traveling with children can be a real hassle. Thus, it is not really surprising that a great many parents opt not to travel with their kids or to just take them along on trips when they are a little older. Keeping them from getting bored on the journey, however, helps a lot in lessening whatever grievances you may have to face as parents while you are on a trip with your children.

Tips for a Woman Traveling Alone

A Woman Traveling Alone

By Anna Lynn Sibal



It is tough to be a woman traveling alone. Not only do you have to deal with the usual hassle that a tourist has to face, like getting around the place, getting over the language barrier and all that, but women traveling are also vulnerable to being on the receiving end of unwanted attention, especially if she is traveling alone. This is particularly true in countries where women do not enjoy as much freedom as women in, say, the United States do.
Safety is a special concern for a woman traveling alone. A lot of enterprising people find a woman traveling alone to be an easy target for whatever heinous heist they may have in mind, so it is very important for her to take care of herself.

The first thing that a woman traveling alone should do is to secure her lodgings. As much as possible, her lodgings should be something she should not cut corners with. She should check in a reputable place and make sure that her room is not on the first floor, where many people come and go all too easily.

Another precaution that a woman traveling alone ought to take is to keep her room number to herself. Keeping her hotel room door locked at all times is also logical. She should never let anyone inside her hotel room without first identifying who that person is. When she is ordering room service, she should ask room service to call her when the waiter is coming up to her room with her order. While the waiter is laying out her food on the table, she should stay by the door.

Whenever she eats at one of the restaurants at the hotel she is staying in, a woman traveling alone should sign her bills with her initials instead of her full name. After signing these bills, she should give them directly to the server and should take care that no one else sees them. Whenever a stranger approaches her, she should feel free to say that she is busy and does not feel up to entertaining casual conversation with people she does not know. But if she feels inclined to it, she should be careful of the things she says to the person she is talking to. Never at any time should she reveal her itinerary for her trip. Also, a little white lie can also keep her safe.

If she is going out, a woman traveling alone should leave a note at the reception, notifying the hotel of her destination and the time she left. She should also check in regularly with someone at home. When she is going about the hotel, she should steer clear of the stairs and instead use the elevator; in this case, safety comes first before burning calories. Upon returning to the hotel after going out, she should not hesitate to ask the concierge to escort her to her room if she thinks she is being followed or spied upon.

Most of all, a woman traveling alone should wear sedate outfits and do her best to blend in. She should leave her provocative clothes at home, and she should not stash her cash and valuables in one place alone.

These safety precautions may seem paranoid, but it is better to be safe than sorry. A woman should have fun and peace of mind during her trip, even when she is traveling alone.

How do I qualify for the YTB Leadership bonus?

Qualifying for the YTB leadership bonus?

Once you qualify to start your PowerTeam, you have unlimited time to earn your $1,000Leadership Bonuses. The first is earned when the total active On-Line Travel Agencies sold by your PowerTeam reaches 6 or more at the end of any weekly pay cycle (12 Midnight Thursday Eastern Time Zone). LeaderShip Bonuses will be paid WEEKLY on Friday of the following week for any Pay Cycle where the Active PowerTeam Enrolled RTA total reaches 6, 12, 18, 24 or 30.

Example: If on midnight (EST) May 6, 2004 (end of Pay Cycle) you have 5 Active PowerTeam Enrolled RTAs, then on the following Friday (May 14, 2004) you would receive a PowerTeam Commission of $250 (but no Bonus). If in the following Pay Cycle that begins Friday, May 7, 2004 and ends at midnight (EST) on May 13, 2004, you add 7sales which brings your Active PowerTeam Enrolled RTA total to 12, then the
following Friday (May 21, 2004) you would receive a PowerTeam Commission of $350 plus TWO $1,000 LeaderShip Bonuses for a total of $2,350 just from your PowerTeam!(One for each six RTAs)

There is NO TIME LIMIT to receive these bonuses. Once you accumulate 30 Active PowerTeam Enrolled RTAs you start back at zero and receive the bonuses when your Active PowerTeam Enrolled RTAs again reaches 6, 12, 18, 24 and 30.

How Do I Earn the $10,000 Dream Bonus?
When there are a total of 100 active PowerTeam enrolled RTAs, you earn the $10,000 bonus. You can earn multiple $10,000 Dream bonuses with subsequent increases of 100 active PowerTeam enrolled RTAs.

Note: On-Line Travel Agencies are considered active for the Dream Bonus if the $49.95YTBNet subscription fee was paid in the pre-qualifying and/or qualifying month(s).

Qualifying for YTB Override

How do I qualify for YTB override?

You qualify to earn override compensation by making 4 personal On-line travel Agency sales and your own purchase can be counted as one. You will continue to be qualified as long as you maintain at least 4 personally sold YTBnet Subscribers. A YTBnet Subscriber is an RTA who is paying the $49.95 monthly fee for their On-line Travel Agency.

Once you are qualified to override, you will earn a 50% Match of the commissions earned by the personally sponsored Reps in your 1st Team.

YTB 1st Team, Power Team and Dream Team

1st Team
Is made up of personally sponsored Reps plus the Reps they sponsor and so on. When you are qualified to override by having 4 active personally enrolled On-Line
Travel Agencies (RTAs) [your own On-Line Travel Agency can count as one], you will earn a 50% match of the commissions earned by all personally sponsored 1st Team Reps.

Your 1st Team is considered complete when you;

1. Personally sponsor 3 or more Reps and
2. Have 6 active RTAs enrolled (On-line Travel Agencies paying $49.95 monthly fee)
by you and/or your 1st Team Reps

PowerTeam?
Once your 1st Team is complete, you qualify to start your Power Team with
additional personally sponsored Reps. Your Power Team includes the 1st Team of every Rep in your Power Team through infinity.

Example: Toni qualifies to start her Power Team and personally sponsors Ann. Ann's personally sponsored 1st Team members are Josh, Sarah, and Amy who personally sponsor at least 3 Reps each (9 total). If those 9 each personally sponsor 3 Reps, there would be 27 additional reps in Toni's Power Team. All 40 of
these Reps, and ALL additional Reps sponsored into subsequent 1st Teams, are in Tony's Power Team (this continues through Infinity).

Remember, the 1st Team of every Rep in your Power Team is not complete until there are 3 or more personally sponsored Reps and a total of 6 active On-Line Travel Agencies (RTAs paying the $49.95 monthly fee) sold by them and their 1st Team Reps. Every sale that is made by any of these 1st Team Reps is considered a Power Team sale for you and commissionable to you.

Dream Team?
When one of your Power Team Reps (regardless of depth) starts a Power Team,
that Power Team becomes a 1st Generation Dream Team to you. When a 1st Generation Dream Team Rep starts a Power Team(regardless of depth), that Power Team becomes a 2nd Generation Dream Team to you. This continues through six (6) generations of Power Teams and comprises your Dream Team.

Getting Started with YTB - Home Based Travel Biz

Welcome to YTB!



Congratulations on taking the first step. I say congratulations because so many people say "I hate my job" or " I want more" but don't do anything about it. They just keep offering lip service. Something that I have realized lately is that if you do nothing in life, you will get exactly that - NOTHING!

I want you to know that I am committed to this business and to my YTB team. This will not be something that is all work and no play. I do believe that we will have fun while we are working towards our goals. I want you to do this business one day at a time. Some people feel they have to "recruit" the entire world. I believe we should just focus on one person a day and take it from there. It is important to spend time training your team members so that they can train others and so on. This will help you have a healthy and lasting team.

I do not use the terminology "downline". You are part of my team and I will not rest until you receive your goals.

Speaking of goals, I will need you to write down your goals for me (financial, personal, etc.). Start thinking about where you want to buy your house, what type of house, how much money you want to earn each month…stuff like that. Determining your goals will determine how fast you need or want to take off with this business.

Establish your WHY - Make a list of reasons WHY you have decided to have your own home-based business. Keep your list in a visible place as a daily reminder. This is a business of intent and you will want to keep focused on those reasons to carry you through the ups and downs of your business. Some reasons may be tangible and some intangible. What are yours? Want to be home with your family, escape the corporate rat race, get out of debt; personal development?

Determine what you want - Do you intend to make YTB a primary income stream or a supplemental income stream? How much do you want to earn? How quickly do you need to make that income? Other than financial, what else is it you want to derive from your business?

Design your plan and commit - Most people spend more time planning their vacation than planning their life! Once you have designed your plan of action you will need to decide what you will be willing to do to get what you want. The support of others is important so that is why I urge you to share your goals with supportive friends and/or family members and myself.

Plug into the training – YTB offers a great amount of training. From conference calls to meetings – there is an unlimited amount of information available to you to get you “in the know” on YTB.

Take Action! - Launch your business! Invite your friends and family to your home to introduce them to your new business. Begin making change today! Your enthusiasm is the biggest asset you have in getting started.

I also recommend journaling on a daily basis (if you don’t do so already). Journaling is helpful and it’s good to jot things down on paper.

Important Info -
Conference Calls are weekly and great training. They are archived in your back office if you miss them.

Business Cards - you will need those for networking and for tax purposes. You can get cheap ones on vistaprint.com. When getting cards, you should put a testimonial on the back of it…it is a great tool and people will ask more about what you do.

Remember keep a folder of all your receipts, trips, meals, miles and so on that relates to YTB. You can put them on your taxes. Remember employees pay taxes first then expenses; businesses pay expenses, THEN taxes.

Tips on Rental Cars

Tips on Rental Cars

By Anna Lynn Sibal



If you are planning to visit another city or another country, it may be more practical to rent a car rather than brave the public transportation system of the place you are going to. Just relying on the public transportation system can limit your mobility, especially when there are places where you want to go that are not covered by the public transport. Depending on the public transport so you can get around can also put undue time pressure on your gallivanting and eats away a little at the element of fun that you are supposed to have when exploring an unfamiliar place.

Moreover, when you are traveling with a group and that group includes children, herding the group around through the public transport system can become a nightmare. It is possible to arrange for rental cars before you actually leave for your journey. You can do this through telephone or the Internet. But before you make your reservation with a rental car company, there may be a few things that you will need to consider before you actually reserve a car for your trip.

Here are a tips for renting a car:

Transmission. Do you go manual or automatic? In some countries, manual transmission is the norm, and if you are someone who relies on automatic transmission, you may need to make an early reservation.

Fuel efficiency. While most rental car companies hire out fuel-efficient cars, it is best to make sure that the car you will be using is indeed fuel efficient. Otherwise, you may find your travel budget being sucked dry by fuel prices.

Interior space. The interior space, the size of the seats and the legroom of some cars are not always what you think they are. In Europe, for instance, the inside of the car is often smaller than what Americans are probably used to. Therefore, always check out the size of the car you are thinking of renting before actually booking it.

Storage space. What goes for interior space also goes for storage space. If you are going to bring stuff with you while you drive around the place you are visiting, choose a car with ample trunk space suitable to your needs.

Extras. Never assume that the car you are renting automatically has air conditioning or stereo or GPS tracker, or whatever accessories and features you would expect from a car. Specify what features you would need if you have to.

Smoking or non-smoking. Always ask for a non-smoking car. It is highly likely that the non-smoking car hired out by rental car companies are a lot newer and cleaner than smoking cars.

If you travel frequently, you may want to become more loyal to one particular rental car company, although it is always best to patronize another company as backup. Just like with airlines and hotels, rental car companies always have something special to offer exclusively to their loyal customers, whether in the form of discounts or other perks.

*For all your travel and rental car needs go to http://www.gottitravel.com

Airline Baggage Policies & Pricing

Airline Baggage Policies




The following carriers have made changes to their checked baggage policies;

Air Canada
AirTran Airways
American Airlines
Continental Airlines
Delta
Frontier
JetBlue
Northwest Airlines
United
US Airways

Air Canada:
Air Canada has announced a new checked baggage policy for tickets issued on or after May 15 for travel on or after July 15, 2008. For those traveling before July 15, 2008or have booked before May 15, 2008, the baggage allowance of 2 bags per person would still apply.

Under the new policy, customers who purchase tickets on Air Canada which carry a cancellation penalty, may check one bag at no charge and a second bag for a $25 service fee. The fees are assessed each way and may be higher depending on weight and dimensions of the baggage.

This policy applies for travel within Canada and between Canada and continental U.S. including Hawaii.

Click here for complete details regarding the new baggage policy posted on carrier's Web site.

AirTran Airways:
AirTran Airways has announced a new checked baggage policy effective May 15, 2008.

Customers may check one bag for free and a second bag for a $10 USD fee if paid through AirTran Airways' Online Check-in or $20 if paid at the airport, then $50 USD per bag thereafter. The fees are assessed each way and may be higher depending on weight and dimensions of the baggage.

Click here for complete details regarding the new baggage policy posted on carrier's Web site.

Note: Military personnel may check one duffel/sea bag in place of a 61-inch bag.


American Airlines:
American Airlines has announced a new checked baggage policy effective for tickets purchased on or after June 15.

This policy applies for travel within the U.S. the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Canada.

Customers may check one bag for a $15 USD fee ($30 USD round-trip) and a second bag for a $25 USD fee ($50 USD round-trip). The fee may be higher depending on weight and dimensions of the baggage.

Click here for complete details regarding the new baggage policy, including exceptions, posted on the carrier's Web site.
Back to Top

Continental Airlines:
Continental Airlines has announced a new checked baggage policy for certain Economy fare tickets that were purchased on or after April 5 for travel on or after May 5, 2008.

This policy applies to travel within the United States, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and Canada.

Customers may check one bag for free and a second bag for a $25 USD fee ($50 USD round-trip). The fee may be higher depending on weight and dimensions of the baggage.

Click here for complete details regarding the new baggage policy posted on the carrier's Web site.

Note: OnePass Elite members, SkyTeam Elite and Elite Plus members, Tickets issued on Y class of service, Continental Airlines Presidential Plus credit card holders, active military traveling on orders are not impacted by this policy change.

Delta:
Delta has announced a new checked baggage policy for domestic tickets traveling on or after May 1, 2008.

This policy applies to domestic travel.
Customers may check one bag for free and a second bag for a $25 USD fee ($50 USD round-trip). The fee may be higher depending on weight and dimensions of the baggage.

The fee will be charged to passengers if their itinerary includes segments after May 1 regardless of when the tickets were purchased.

Note: SkyMiles Elite, and First/Business Class passengers are not impacted by this policy change.

Frontier:
Please be advised of the following baggage fee changes that Frontier has implemented effective Jun 10.

Customers who purchase tickets for travel on or after June 10th will be charged a $25fee for a second checked bag.

Customers who have already purchased tickets before that date will not be affected. Our EarlyReturns® Summit and Ascent members and active duty military personnel will be exempt from this fee.

The policy for pets traveling in the aircraft cabin will be discontinued effective June 10, but all existing reservations will be honored.

Click here for complete details regarding the new baggage policy posted on the carrier's Web site.

JetBlue:
JetBlue has announced a new checked baggage policy that will take effect June 1, 2008.

This new policy applies to customers traveling on/after June 1, 2008.
Customers may check one bag for free and a second bag for a $20 USD fee ($40 USD round-trip). Subsequent bags will be assessed at $50 USD per bag. The fees may be higher depending on weight and dimensions of each baggage.


Northwest Airlines:
Northwest Airlines has announced a new checked baggage policy for those traveling within North America on or after May 5, 2008.

This policy applies to tickets issued on/after March 29 for travel within North America on/after May 5.

Customers may check one bag for free and a second bag for a $25 USD fee ($50 USD round-trip). For customers checking in three or more bags, the carrier will assess a fee of $100 per bag each-way. The fee may be higher depending on weight and dimensions of the baggage.

Click here for complete details regarding the new baggage policy posted on Northwest Airlines' Web site.

Note: Silver, Gold and Platinum WorldPerks® Elite customers, SkyTeam Elite customers, and those booked in first or full fare classes (Y or B) will not be impacted by this policy change.


United:
United has announced a new checked baggage policy for nonrefundable domestic economy tickets that were purchased on or after February 4 for travel on or after May 5, 2008.

This policy applies to travel within the United States, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and Canada.

Customers may check one bag for free and a second bag for a $25 USD fee ($50 USD round-trip). The fee may be higher depending on weight and dimensions of the baggage.

Click here for complete details regarding the new baggage policy posted on United's Web site.

Note: Customers with Mileage Plus Premier status or greater, Star Alliance Silver status or greater, government fares, military fares, standard Award Tickets, first and business class award tickets, or first and business class upgrades granted prior to check-in are not impacted by this policy change.

US Airways:
US Airways has announced a new baggage policy for tickets purchased on or after February 26 for travel on or after May 5, 2008.

The new policy applies to all flights within the United States, to/from Canada, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Europe.

Customers may check one bag for free and a second bag for a $25 USD fee ($50 USD round-trip). The fee may be higher depending on weight and dimensions of the baggage.

Click here for complete details regarding the baggage policy posted on US Airways' Web site.

Note: Dividend Miles Preferred members (Silver, Gold, Platinum and Chairman’s Preferred), confirmed First Class and Envoy passengers (at time of check-in), Star Alliance Silver and Gold status members, active military personnel in uniform with ID, unaccompanied minors, or passengers checking personal assistive devices are not impacted by this change.

Turn Vacation into Donation

Passport to Giving

Many non-profits today are looking for a new way to fundraise and we have the answer! Forget the candy or bake sales and clunker car programs; travel is the ultimate fundraiser! Our innovative program provides non-profit organizations a dramatically different way to raise funds for their organization.

By enrolling as a non-profit in this unique program, the organization will provide a "private label" YTB travel website customized with their organization name and logo. The website is then promoted to the organizations' supporters and members to use when booking their personal or business travel. (We can also assist the organization in organizing group travel events for their supporters). As supporters use the organization's travel website, the organization receives 60% of the travel commissions earned by YTB, paid as royalties.

Passport To Giving can raise thousands of dollars per year for an organization because they have a large number of supporters that will generate travel bookings! Examples of appropriate organizations include service, fraternal, health, alumni, political, environ-mental, charity, religious (including churches), and educational organizations.

Click here for a 3 minute video to learn more

Leave me a comment if you desire more information on raising funds for your non-profit organization.

Teresa Johnson
Funding Specialist
http://www.gottitravel.paradisenetwork.com