The rest of Q&A

Q – I have been reading this material religiously but I keep coming back to one piece of advice you gave some time ago. Wondering if you are still suggesting that it is really dangerous to drink coffee aboard an aircraft. If there was an issue – it would seem like the airlines would have fixed it by now. Are you really suggesting that I bring a cup of Starbucks aboard my future morning flights? 

A – Dangerous may be too strong a term. Let’s just say that those savvy travelers who do their research, stay away from coffee and tea cooked aboard aircraft using tank storage water that has not been properly brought to the boiling point. That makes it possible for storage tank well-documented bacterial content to exist in the water. Our own investigations into this subject have never uncovered a single aircraft where care was taken to boil the water being served to passengers. We have never, for example, encountered an airline that used sealed bottled water to brew coffee in coach.  You drink their coffee and you take your chances! This is very much a budgetary issue. The cost of using bottled water versus the storage tank water filled by airport maintenance crews would be significant. This is a bottom-line issue. So, yes, absolutely board with your own Starbucks.

Q – Great site – thinking about renting a Ferrari for a slow drive from the Bay area down to LA. Can this be easily done and any advice?  This is a definite bucket list item I want to complete before my 40th birthday. 

A –  You are breaking the “Bucket List” rule. Bucket lists are not supposed to begin until you are at least fifty years of age. You can certainly rent from a number of companies. The Ferrari California is, of course, the model everyone wants. The standard rental is just around $1,500 plus delivery fees and taxes. But the cars are rarely rented for less than a week. The costs of transportation are just too high. The real cost is when they have to fly out a techie to show you how to use the car. If you can avoid that, the cost is much less. This is one of those situations where you need to know exactly what you want and then call the top three companies in the market for price quotes. And make one of those calls to the exotic car department at Hertz or Avis. We believe that you will find that costs vary tremendously. Make sure to verify that your current auto insurance policy offers coverage for “exotics.”

For starters, try Menlo Park Exotic Car Rentals, Gotham Dream Cars, Italia Rental, or San Francisco Exotic Car Rental by Enterprise. 

Q – My husband and I were scheduled to fly our favorite airline, Alaska Air, to Cuba in March. We live in Pasadena and the non-stop flight from LAX was perfect. Now, we have been notified that they are operating their last flight in January. We’re making other plans, but we’re wondering why they would pull out when the flights appeared to be going out full?

A – Actually, business to Cuba is down significantly, Alaska Air says by 80% since the November 9th U.S. government decision to end the people-to-people program. Given the sharp reduction in business, Alaska, along with several other operators, have canceled or reduced their operations to Cuba. 

There are several intertwined issues here one of which is the fact that laws in Cuba currently require heavy percentages of Cuban hotel and tourism industry ownership. This basically means that if you construct a new hotel, there is a likelihood that your partners will be Cuban military and government officials. We have been advising that travel to Cuba should be postponed for 24 months. We now think that a more realistic timetable is five or six years assuming new construction plans with ownership adjustments can be implemented by the current administration. (wasn’t that said nicely?)  

Q –  We are doing a Caribbean cruise that includes several days in Cuba. The information about spending money in their country is a bit contradictory. Do we just bring a bunch of singles, do we use local currency for best results? What is the best strategy? As Cuba is opening up, we think you should increase your coverage of questions related to this destination.

A – Actually, Cuba is closing up last we looked. If you found anyone willing to accept US dollars you would be totally ripped off. Cuba hosts many European tourists. The strategy that is the simplest is bringing in Euros for your shopping and incidentals. They are readily accepted and the exchange rate is quite fair. Leave your dollars in the room safe aboard your ship. Bitcoins seem to have been heralded by most as the currency of tomorrow, but there are only a handful of sites that agree to accept them. Luckily for us, transforming bitcoins to a workable currency like dollars is simple and plain. If you desire to be aware of just how much bitcoin is worth, run a simple net search. If you want to essentially convert bitcoin to dollars, transfer them in an internet market and sell them to an interested consumer. The online marketplace might promptly and easily convert your bitcoins to dollars and transmit them to a debit card, bank account, or digital wallet of your determination. You can latest news found here for more about the bitcoin.

The Bitcoin market is worldwide and the citizens of China and Japan have been particularly active in its purchase along with other Asian countries. However, recently in Bitcoin news the Chinese government has tried to suppress its activity in that country. That action drove the value of Bitcoin down for a short time but it soon surged back and is now close to its previous value. The Bitcoin history chart is very interesting. Its creator was an anonymous group of brilliant mathematicians (using the pseudonym Satoski Nakamoto) who designed it in 2008 to be “virtual gold” and released the first Bitcoin software in early 2009 during the height of the USA economic crisis. They knew that to have lasting value, it like gold had to have a finite supply. So in creating it they capped the supply at 21 million Bitcoin. To get your feet a little wetter, you can go panning for gold. There are a number of services and websites out there that will pay you in bitcoin to do things like go to certain websites, fill out online surveys, or watch sponsored videos. These are harmless, and you can earn a few extra bitcoins this way, but it is important to remember that these are businesses that get paid when people click on the links on their sites. They are essentially kicking back a portion of what they get paid to you. There is nothing illegal, or even immoral about this (you might like what you see and make a purchase!), but they are frequently flashy and may not be completely straightforward. All the ones that I have tried (particularly bitvisitor.com) have paid out as advertised. It is interesting to experiment with these, but even with the likely rise in the value of bitcoin, you won’t become a millionaire doing this. So, unless you are an advertisement junkie, I would recommend you move on. If you would like to try, simply Google “free bitcoins” or something along those lines and you will find numerous sites. Bitcoin mining refers to the process by which new Bitcoin is created. With conventional currency, government decides when and where to print and distribute it. With Bitcoin, “miners” use special software to solve complex mathematical problems and are issued a certain number of Bitcoin in return.

Q – This is a bit out of your normal range of questions but wondering if  you might help me with a recommendation on an issue of personal security. As I write this it looks like the US is moving the Israeli capital to Jerusalem and I am headed to visit several parts of the middle east, including Iran, where protests could be an issue. I also have to meet with manufacturers in India and China, not always in the best of locations. Any hotels you might avoid and any recommendation as to whether or not I should plan on purchasing a satellite phone just in case internet is disrupted. I worry about that more than anything as I imagine CNN will not always be available. I’m not afraid, and I’m fairly well read on these countries, with some travel experience in India and China, but just wondering what you all would advise. Thanking you in advance.

A – There are several questions here so let us break them down as clearly as possible, point by point:

• We recommend that you stay in a non-US luxury hotel, preferably one that is locally-owned. Try to ascertain in advance if you will be able to get CNN in your room – in an emergency that could be extremely useful. Avoid hotels that cater to American guests. In times of duress you might actually find that having Wolf Blitzer in your room is comforting – although we can;t really see why. 
• Start practicing used text messages on your phone. In fact, China and India have outlawed satellite phones so that is not a good option. 
• Figure out where the safest neighborhood is in each of your scheduled stops and try to choose a hotel located within that area.
• In all cases – do not make these arrangements on your own. Have your agent use a locally-based on-site office with whom they have a close relationship. That will provide a valuable source of comfort and protection should any situation get out of hand. 
• As you are no doubt aware, India and China are significantly safer than we are here in the US. Gun violence is extremely rare. Iran does, of course, have parts  of town that are not kosher. Travel safe 

Q –  How do we get in and back out of Canada without a passport. My fiance and I had no idea you needed one and it appears that for certain trips you do, if you want to do travel as road trips using used cars ottawa, Canada for this purpose. This is just a vacation at a nice hotel we booked using points. Our agent never mentioned that we needed a passport. What should we, could we, do at this point?

A – First, initiate legal proceedings against your travel agent. You are going through a lot of hassle for no reason. Secondly – don;t worry – spring into action. Use one of the better passport and Visa Processing firms like A. Briggs and ask for a 48-hour expedited passport. They will tell you what to do or you can use their web site. Unless you have committed multiple felonies, you should, at a rather steep cost, be able to get passports within eight days on an expedited basis. Tell your fiance we suggested she “reconsider”.

Q – My girlfriend and I are vegetarians, world travelers I suppose, fans of modern art, foodies to a degree, and, of late, folks who enjoy nudist activities. We are in our mid- 60’s and keen to take a day or two of our upcoming Parisian vacation to get naked in public without upsetting the gendarmes. Any suggestions would be most appreciated.

A –  Actually, nudists in Paris  have been in a snit over the lack of availability of  proper facilities and gathering places for naturalists. The government has now set aside a reserved space, a grassy space, in a nudist “zone” opened in the city’s Bois de Vincennes park. The government tourist board has been promoting holidays for naturalists and they hope to ensure naked tranquility by placing several warning signs about the designated area so the unsuspecting family might not just wander in to their skin wrinkled encampment. We think you will have a lovely time and the people you will meet in the park will advise of other areas of the city where nudism has the blessings of the authorities.  There are a reported 2.6 million naturism practitioners in France.

Q –  As a rather frequent business traveler who is not, admittedly, tuned in to the latest apps and services, I was surprised when a colleague described her  extremely positive experiences with Uber. Wondering what you think of the service generally and whether or not it is true, as she has told me, that they are half the price of normal taxis to and from the airport? Really enjoy this site but wish there was much more information that would be helpful to business travelers.Are you planning on increasing your business travel coverage?

A – There are a few variables here that make your question difficult to answer with any degree of precision. Some of these have to do with the specific airport, whether or not you are using regular Uber or Uber Black, and the time of day you will be traveling. (Uber gets really expensive about 1:00am.)  Money Magazine did a survey of comparative fares and found that taxis are actually less expensive than Uber at Boston’s Logan, and New York’s JFK and LaGuardia airports. But in all other cases, silver service taxi beats taxi fares and you have a 17% better chance that your driver showered that morning. The knowledgeable drivers show you all that the city of Heraklion has to offer with a heraklion airport taxi.

A professional vehicle wrap agency will have the ability to design your wrap as well as install it. If they do not, many advertising agencies will be happy to design a wrap for you. Most vehicle wrap designers will have access to vehicle outline templates. Vehicle outline templates are detailed architectural renderings of the body of the vehicle you wish to wrap. If they do not have access to vehicle outline templates, keep looking until you find a wrap company who does.

Ask to see the portfolio of your vehicle wrap provider. Many vehicle wrap shops have a portfolio on their website. This way you can determine if they adhere to the KISS principle. Be careful if you find yourself considering price above quality. The more you look the more apt you will be to find a firm willing to do your wrap for less than market rates. Ultimately, you get what you pay for, with a wrap that may start to peel off around wheel wells or fades within a year of application. If you are looking for the commercial vehicle wrap company houston texas, visit us today.

The best wrap shops will warranty their wraps for 2-3 years when using genuine 3M Scotchprint wrap material. By staying out of fender-benders and regular maintaince of your wrap, a quality vehicle wrap can last the life of your car for 4-5 years.

So now you know that when investing money to promote your business and bring back a strong financial return vehicle wraps (vehicle graphics and vehicle advertising) is the most cost-effective way to spend your advertising dollars. Compared to other advertising mediums, vehicle advertising garners more exposures over a longer period of time resulting in the lowest cost per exposure than any other ad media available today. Invest wisely.

Uber, and their competitor Lyft, are fine if saving money is your goal. We think that people who use these services do so because they are unaware of just how dangerous a ride tot he airport is statistically. It is considerably more likely to cause your death than a terrorist attack abroad. Placing your life in the hands of a driver who has “online likes” is ridiculous and only those who don;t understand how much online likes and reviews can be manipulated would place any faith in them. The Uber Black program is more expensive but it has the better vehicles and the more professional drivers. Because they are using their own vehicles, we place more faith in Uber than the average big-city taxi driver, although they use newer and safer cars, and also use cheap uber insurance quotes online to make sure the trip is covered. That would be our last choice. You will find some comparative pricing in the chart above. If the travel industry and the travel press really wanted to save lives we would shout this from the highest rooftop “Driving in some strangers car or taxi, here or overseas,  is the most dangerous thing you do when you travel”. Choose carefully.Meanwhile there are many of incidents where passenger or any other resources also try to make some false claims on driving agencies that is why they also use to prepare with protection of Insurance for Driving Agencies.

Similarly, Car insurance comparisons can be a big help if you need to make sure your car is taken care of. After all, the prices and quotes you get from the various insurers can be all over the board. That’s why it’s such a good idea to collect several quotes and make good car insurance comparisons before you sign up for anything. While insurance agents don’t like you to know it, shopping around is the smartest thing you can do when you’re looking for a new policy. It gives you the ability to see what’s being offered and choose from a multitude of options – the educated way. Remember that you need to pay attention not just to price, but to what you’re comparing, as well. If the quotes you’ve gotten don’t have all the same liability limits and other conditions, you won’t get any good out of your car insurance comparisons. Check over the policy carefully to make sure that your potential insurer hasn’t “helpfully” offered you a plan with lower coverage than you originally requested. These plans look like a great deal at first, but a careful car insurance comparison will show that they’re not what you wanted to buy. No one should be tricked into buying the wrong insurance. Look carefully, and make sure that what you’ve been quoted for is really what you were interested in buying. You can see this post here if you want to know more about car insurance camparisons.

Remember to check deductibles, special rules, and the requirements for where you live. Most quotes are just fine, and will turn up with what you requested. It’s just important to keep an eye out for the ones that don’t. Get at least five quotes for your car insurance comparisons. Fewer than that will lower your chances of being able to make a smart decision. The more quotes you get, the better your options are of getting a good deal. Of course, too many could leave you with more choices than you’re comfortable with. Don’t overwhelm yourself. Keep it reasonable, but give yourself plenty of options. Online services make this process much easier than it used to be – you don’t even have to leave your chair in most cases. Remember to consider your credit rating. It may not seem like it’s fair, but your insurer is doing a few car insurance comparisons of their own. They’re looking at your driving record and your financial history, and deciding how risky it is to offer you a good price. Your history of accidents and timely payment can have a big effect on your ability to get a nice deal on insurance.

Finally, I am afraid that we have little interest in business travelers. If you are late for your meeting in Omaha, you will survive. Warren will see you another time. But if someone screws up your vacation, the time of the year you worked those other fifty weeks to enjoy, well then we take that personally. There are some wonderful web sites dedicated to business flyers. Our favorite is “View from the Wing”. But we will continue to devote all of our attention in our media group and our travel planning consultancy  to the upscale and discriminating worldwide vacation traveler.