Welcome to Hurricane Season!!

Coming up on June 1st is the beginning of the hurricane season which runs until December 1^st. Since the National Oceanic Atmospheric Association (NOAA) has predicted an active hurricane season for 2013, it is important to make sure that you are ready, whether you are in a location frequented by hurricanes or if you are traveling to one.

If you’re planning on traveling to the Caribbean or United States East Coast, Gulf Coast, Pacific Coast or Hawaii, it’s best to keep informed of what is happening weather-wise in those regions.

                

Some great sites for information are the Weather Channel and National Hurricane Center sites:

Weather Channel Hurricane Update – CLICK HERE!

National Hurricane Center – CLICK HERE!

Please note that most cruise lines will alter their itineraries to avoid hurricanes. For example, if you are booked on an Eastern Caribbean cruise and St. Thomas is in a hurricane’s sights, your cruise line may alter the cruise to a Western Caribbean itinerary.

Tour operators are making travel planning easier at this time of year and are offering insurance where you can cancel for any reason. If you take this insurance and feel uncomfortable about traveling, you can just cancel and get a refund!

Keep in mind however, if it’s the airline, cruise line, tour operator, resort, etc. that does the canceling; they typically will offer you some options. Some examples of options are that they will offer to change your travel dates without penalty, change the destination or receive a refund. As every hurricane is different, your options may be different as well.

A little knowledge and planning prior to your vacation can go a long way. If you need to change your plans, rebook them or if you’re stranded in an airport somewhere, your travel agent is your advocate and can help you. If you book your own travel, you are on your own!

Contact me today to plan your next getaway at lisa@traveldivalisa.com or call 330-329-9178!!

What you don't know about booking online

Ever wonder if you are truly getting a good deal or if it's a good idea to book your vacation online?

Make sure to read this article, 13 Things You Didn't Know About Booking Your Vacation Online. You may want to consider using a professional travel agent like me!

Email me at lisa@traveldivalisa.com or call (330) 329-9178.

The Internet Vs. Your Local Travel Agency

While it can be easy to book travel with one of the online travel agencies such as Orbitz, Expedia or Travelocty, you might be surprised to learn the value of having a travel agent. I wrote an article discussing just that for Associated Content in October 2007 that detailed the reasons why you should use a local travel agent over booking on your own online.


Take a look at my article for other reasons why you should use a travel agent for your next trip. Click here to go to the article!


The reason why I am bringing up an old article that I wrote is that the topic is still relevant now. Additionally, I wanted to point out another potential problem you may run into when booking with an online travel agency.


Expedia has aired advertisements touting that you can book round trip flights using more than one airline, i.e. outbound flight on Continental and the return flight on Delta, for example. While this may be convenient and get you a great fare up front, it has the potential to cost you MORE in the long run if you need to cancel or change your plans.


Each airline has its own cancel/change fees, so if you have a flight itinerary with 2 or more air carriers, you will have 2 or more cancel/change fees. If you read the fare rules and restrictions on Expedia for a multi air carrier itinerary, it only states that there is a single fee, naming the outbound airline ONLY in the description. At the top of the page, it states "Please note that the most restrictive set of rules below applies to your entire itinerary." These statements would lead anyone to believe that they would only be charged 1 fee, but however it is unlikely. Expedia could be absorbing the second fee, however that does not seem practical or likely. You may have a leg to stand on due to the statement "Please note that the most restrictive set of rules below applies to your entire itinerary." if you argued your case to Expedia. Do you really want to waste spend your time arguing about fees?


Keep in mind that if you book any type of itinerary with Expedia or any other online travel agency and you need to make a change or cancel, you could be in for a not so great surprise when it comes down to fees.


As always, I would be glad to assist you with any travel plans! You can contact me via email at lisa@traveldivalisa.com or call 330-329-9178. Thank you!!  ~  Lisa  :)

Dates announced for the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights

Check out my latest article on Walt Disney World's Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights! CLICK HERE FOR THE STORY!

For any assistance with your Disney travel planning needs, please contact me at lisa@traveldivalisa.com or call (330) 329-9178. :)