A few reminders to minimize stress if you are traveling during the holidays…

• Remember to check in for your flight 24 hours before departure
• Make sure you arrive at the airport in plenty of time – 2 hours for domestic travel and 3 hours for international this time of year
• Gifts should remain unwrapped as TSA may open them to check contents (regardless if in checked or carry-on bag)
• Wear shoes you can easily slip off, and minimal or no jewelry to go through security quicker
• Smile!  You never know who may smile back!

Using Traveler’s Checks has become nearly obsolete for travel today, as the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) has made it quick and easy to get foreign cash in MOST tourist areas abroad.  Of course, some areas you visit may not have an ATM or the network may be down, and they may not accept a credit card.  In this case, you will need cash – this is where a Traveler’s Check may come in handy.  Due to a lack of popularity, however, some businesses no longer accept them and younger clerks may not even know what they are, so be prepared to cash them at a bank if you decide to use them.

When purchasing items in Europe, you will be charged a Value Added Tax, which can be significant (up to 25%).  Foreign visitors can usually get reimbursed for this cost in several ways but you must request a form from the merchant where you purchased the item(s).

You will then need to complete it with your name, address and passport number and present it along with your receipt(s) to a Customs office at an international airport, port or border before departing Europe for the U.S.  If the country is not in the European Union, you must get it stamped when leaving that country before traveling to the next.  Otherwise, purchases made in the EU countries can be accumulated and stamped by one Customs officer in your country of departure.  They may ask to see the unused item(s) so make sure you don’t put it in check luggage first.  The Customs officer will stamp the form, which you then must take to a tax refund office at the airport, port or border OR mail it in the envelope provided.

If the amount of your purchase is large enough, this is worth taking the time – but be sure to allow some extra time at the airport.

I know many of you prefer to purchase your airline tickets directly.  With the stricter TSA (Transportation Security Administration) requirements, be aware that they should be purchased in the exact same name as on your photo identification (passport, driver’s license, etc.) that you are using for the trip.  They are currently more forgiving on domestic flights than international.

Your passport name may not be the same as your driver’s license, so be especially careful when you are purchasing international tickets.  It is costly to have the airlines change/correct your name.  You may even be denied boarding if they do not match.  Of course, making airline reservations is one of the many services provided by Gateway Destinations.

Perhaps you have tried to carry on a bag and been told by the flight attendant that your bag will have to be “checked” due to its size or lack of space? If this happens to you, make sure you insist on receiving a claim check showing your final destination and claim check number. My son just experienced this situation with Southwest Airlines and was not given a claim check number and he didn’t think to ask for one. Unfortunately, his luggage did not arrive with him at his final destination.

After completing a “Lost/Delayed” Report with Southwest, he was told that it is difficult to trace luggage without a proper claim tag. After numerous phone calls and elevating the problem to a supervisor, his luggage finally surfaced after four days and was delivered in time for a wedding he was attending. Don’t forget to ask for a claim check, make sure it indicates your final destination, and keep it with you until you retrieve your luggage.