Recently I had the opportunity to travel to Portland, Oregon for business. Not unusual for me as most of my work involves traveling somewhere. As I checked into the hotel, a woman was standing at the front desk yelling at the Front Desk Manager. I tried to ignore the situation but she was quite loud and it was impossible not to hear what her issue was. It seems that when she checked into the hotel, they asked her for a credit card to cover her incidentals (phone, mini bar, etc.).
She handed them her debit card. A while later, when she went to purchase something using her debit card and there was not enough money in her account. You see, when you check into a hotel and give them your plastic, they immediately put a hold of $100-$150 for each day of your stay. Within a few days of your check-out, they remove that hold. As I stood there I thought to myself, doesn't everyone know that? Apparently not.
I realized that as a frequent traveler I take many things for granted. Here then is a list of travel tips that I have found helpful in my many years of traveling. I hope you find them useful.
o When you make your airline reservation, be sure you know your destination (one of my clients ended up in Portland, Maine).
o Reserve your seat in advance. Go on the airline website and look at what is open. Then go to one of my favorite travel websites, Seatguru.com. You choose your airline and the type of airplane listed on your ticket and it will show a seating chart of your plane and rate each seat for positives and negatives.
o Check to see if your flight is on time. You can use the airline's website or telephone number but I find Flighttracker.com by Orbitz to be the most up to date and user friendly. You can also download it on your PDA. (Note: Southwest Airlines does not report in to this site).
o Be sure that you carry some small bills with you. Tipping and traveling go hand-in-hand. And, if you're traveling internationally carry small bills, as when you exchange your money or pay for something using US Dollars, you will most often receive your change in the local currency. Also, if you're in a place bargaining for a price, it is difficult to say that you have no more money if you're paying with $100 bill and asking for change.
o If you drive yourself to the airport, write down your parking information. Upon your return, you will be glad you did.
o If you check your bags with a skycap, be nice. They decide where your bag is going.
o Before you check your luggage, be sure your name is on all bags. And putting a business card or piece of paper with your name and contact information inside is always a good idea.
o Once your bag is checked, be sure to look at your claim ticket to make sure the routing listed is the same as your itinerary. It is supposed to be foolproof, but one must take on quite a bit of personal responsibility when traveling. Also, be sure to remove old baggage tags from your luggage.
o If you are traveling internationally, make a copy of your passport and carry it in a different location than the original. If your passport is lost or stolen, this can expedite the process of obtaining a new one.
o Be kind to your fellow travelers and wear easy on/off shoes when traveling. You will have to remove them to go through security and, trust me, if you're struggling with your shoes there are people behind you rolling their eyes.
o Carry-on and liquids - you should know this by now. If not, go to tsa.gov.
o When boarding the plane, count the seats between yours and the emergency exit. I know what you're thinking; if we go down, there will be enough holes in this plane to get out of. Do it anyway. And make note of your hotel's emergency exits also.
o When you check into a hotel, use a credit card for incidental charges. DO NOT use a debit card. If you don't have a credit card, ask about a cash deposit.
o Now that you have your hotel room key, do not put it anywhere near other magnetic keys, credit cards, name badges with magnets or cell phones. Yes, that's right, cell phones. Or you will find yourself knowing the front desk staff quite well.
o Don't depend solely on hotel wake-up calls. Use an alarm clock or cell phone as a back-up.
o Respect your neighbors and close your door, don't let it slam.
o Check your hotel room safe prior to check-out. And don't forget your cell phone and computer chargers. On a related note, if you arrive at your destination without your cell phone charger, call the hotel lost and found. They generally have dozens left by previous guests that they will be happy to lend you.
These are some of my favorite travel tips. What are yours?
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