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Midwest Travel Consultants, Inc.
207 E. High Street
Jefferson City, Missouri 65101
573-635-3995
info@midwesttravel.travel
Located in historic
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Q:
I need a passport - quick! How do I get one at
the last minute?
A: Call us if you need
your passport quickly. We can get a passport
back in
2 Business days from the day the documents and
information is sent out.
Q:
Do I need a visa to enter a certain country, if
so how do I obtain one?
A:
We have worked with a passport/visa service for
many years that is located in Washington D.C.
The cost depends on how quickly you need to
passport, or additional pages to your passport,
or the visa. Please call Midwest Travel
Consultants at 573-635-3995 for quotes.
Q:
How do I find out what shots I'll need?
A:
The inoculations you need before traveling
depend on the areas you visit and the length of
time you stay. In highly developed areas of the
world, you'll need the same shots as you would
need for traveling in the United States.
You'll
find the answer to many health questions and
learn how to protect yourself against diseases
by logging on to the national Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website:
www.cdc.gov/travel.
It will give you access to important
health-related travel information including
links on vaccinations, food and water-borne
illnesses. They also have a toll free line,
877-FYI-TRIP (877-394-8747) and you may receive
their information with regional recommendations
for illnesses such as malaria, dengue fever and
hepatitis, as well as cruise ship updates by
fax.
Q:
What is the best way to get over jet lag?
A:
Unfortunately, you can't eliminate all jet lag
fatigue; however, you can minimize the effects
by avoiding alcoholic or salty beverages during
the flight. Also drink a glass of water every
hour you travel, keep your feet elevated, walk
and stretch as much as possible, and try to get
some sleep on the plane.
If
you arrive at your destination during daylight
hours, take a walk in the sunlight. Daylight is
a powerful stimulant that helps regulate your
biological clock. Staying indoors, in
artificial light, worsens jet lag. If you must
take a nap the day of arrival, make it no longer
than two hours and set an alarm to be sure not
to oversleep. Then stay up until 9pm local
time. Always pack soft silicon earplugs and eye
shields to help black out noise and unwanted
light.
Q: How do you prevent and treat motion
sickness?
A:
Anti-nausea pills, such as dimenhydrinate (brand
name Dramamine), are the most common
over-the-counter medicine used by travelers.
However, it can have the side effect of making
you very drowsy and dry-mouthed. To be
effective, you must start taking it a day before
your departure.
Wearing pressure point bracelets on your wrists
helps other queasy travelers. Put them on
several hours before you take off.
If
you are going on a long trip, you may want to
get a prescription from your doctor for
scopolamine - a thumbnail size skin patch that
you wear behind your ear.
Another option that is available at health food
stores, are capsules of powdered ginger (940mg)
before a trip. Also pack candied ginger and
ginger snap cookies to munch for relief en
route.
Q:
What does traveler's insurance cover, and do I
need it?
A:
Yes, absolutely. The best policies cover trip
cancellation, trip interruption, baggage and
trip delay, accident medical expenses,
in-hospital indemnity, lost or stolen baggage,
rental car collision damage waiver and rental
car personal accident insurance. Call your
insurance company to verify that you have
medical coverage outside of the United States.
Remember, once you pull away from the port on a
cruise ship you are in international waters and
are no longer considered as being in the United
States.
If
you will be traveling on a budget,
independently, or to developing countries,
medical evacuation insurance is essential.
Verify that your evacuation insurance covers you
not just to the nearest hospital, but all the
way home.
Q:
What's the best way to deal with lost or
mishandled luggage?
A:
Examine your luggage carefully for damage as
soon as it comes off the baggage carousel.
If
your bags are damaged or missing, report the
problem to the airline before you leave the
airport. If the luggage is missing, the airline
will start a computerized trace and will be able
to tell you whether your bags are truly lost or
just delayed or misrouted to another
destination.
Once
the airline finds your bags, they will
eventually be brought to you at your new
location. If you're away from home, the airline
may compensate you for minor out-of-pocket
expenses, like toiletries or clothing.
It is
essential to keep in contact with the airline
while they search for your bags. Keep a copy of
all the forms you fill out, and be sure to write
down the phone number of the lost-luggage office
at the airport. In most cases the airlines are
quick to contact you once your bags are located,
and in most instances they'll deliver the found
luggage to you.
You
may not know that your luggage is truly lost for
several days, but once you're sure, you'll need
to file a claim. Depending upon the airline,
you'll have three to five weeks to file, and the
claim process is not easy.
In
the United States, reimbursement is up to $1,250
per person, no matter how many bags are lost.
The airlines' luggage liability on international
flights comes to about $9.07 per pound.
Be
forewarned that electronic equipment, cameras,
laptops, jewelry, business documents and money
fall outside the airlines' liability.
Don't let a lost or damaged suitcase ruin your
trip. These five tips will help you deal
with unexpected luggage hassles:
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Always pack your electronics, jewelry,
documents, medicine or any necessary
valuables in your carry-on bag.
-
If you're traveling with a companion, split
your clothes between bags. That way if one
bag is lost, you'll still have some clean
items to wear.
-
A nametag on the outside of your luggage is
not sufficient. Leave identification on the
inside, with your name, phone number and
business address. Do not put your home
address on any luggage tag; it could let
potential thieves know that your house is
empty.
-
If you'll be traveling to numerous
locations, leave a copy of your trip
itinerary inside your luggage so you can be
located more easily; also give a copy to the
agent at the airport that is helping you
with your lost luggage.
-
Never leave home without duct tape! Roll a
foot of duct tape around a pencil and toss
it in your suitcase. Then if your baggage
is damaged, your can make simple repairs and
won't be forced to find a luggage repair
shop in an unfamiliar place.
Q:
How do you survive air travel with kids?
A:
Pack a carry-on bag filled with crayons, colored
markers, a notebook or paper, toys, kids'
magazines, books and puzzles. If you can, buy
brand new reading materials, dot-to-dot books or
fun arts and crafts items. Wrap them up as if
they are birthday presents. When your kinds put
on their seatbelts, bring out the goodies.
Pack
bags of goldfish crackers, fruit, sandwiches and
water, since kinds usually don't like airplane
fare. You can also call (at least 24 hours in
advance) for a special kids' meal on flights
that still serve a meal.
When
traveling with an infant or small child, help
lessen the discomfort of pressure changes by
clearing their ears upon take-off and landing.
Give them a bottle, breast-feed, or use an
eyedropper to put drops of sugar water in their
mouth to make them swallow. Constant swallowing
helps clear the ears. For older children, give
them gum to chew at take off and landing.
They'll love you for it!
Allow
time for things to go wrong. A twenty-minute
flight connection with kids in tow is asking for
chaos - an emergency potty stop could make you
miss a connection. Avoid layovers whenever
possible.
Get
your seat assignments when you make your plane
reservations, then call a week in advance to
confirm them. Occasionally airlines switch
planes for flights and seating configurations
can change or be cancelled. Never wait until
you get to the check-in counter at the airport
to make sure you'll be sitting with your kinds.
Take
your kids to the bathroom before you board the
plane and again thirty minutes before landing,
and - last but not least - pack your patience.
Q. When is the cheapest time to fly?
A:
The lowest fares are usually offered on domestic
flights departing on Tuesday, Wednesday and
Saturday. Most low fares also require you to
stay over at least one Saturday night, so choose
your travel days wisely. Most low fare tickets
must be purchased at least 14 days before
travel.
Q:
How do name-your-price travel websites work, and
are they a good deal?
A: To
get these airfare deals, you simply type in your
travel dates, your destination and how much you
are willing to pay per ticket. Most of the
sites promise to let you know within an hour if
they have succeeded in finding your requested
fare and will then automatically make the
reservation for you at the price you've accepted
to pay. They will immediately charge your ticket(s) to the credit card you provided.
What
are the pros and cons of using name-your price
travel websites? You can get a great deal, if
you can be very flexible. Just keep in mind
that you give up all control of your flight
itinerary and schedule. You won't know what
airline you're flying on until after a booking
has been made. You may have to make several
stops to reach your final destination and you
may end up with a flight leaving at 6am or at
10pm on the date you requested. This means you
could fly all night, or need to be at the
airport at 4 or 5am to catch your early morning
flight.
These
airline tickets cannot be canceled, refunded or
transferred to another person, so if you miss
your flight or need to make ay changes
whatsoever, your tickets may be worthless.
Compare these prices to what Midwest Travel
Consultants can offer. Remember
"Without a Travel
Agent you're on your own."
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