The rest of Q&A

Q – Our travel agent here in northern Virginia, has fixed us up with a really nice tour program created by a company called WildChina. I wonder if you know anything about this company? We’ve kind of put our faith in this agent but we are paying close to $1000 per day  for a 16-Day program and we want to make sure we are in the best hands.

Our primary reason for contacting you has to do with some advice we received from friends who have just returned from a tour of China’s most famous cities. They have told us that their guide told them in Beijing that they should have brought cans of face cream – that the Chinese really like it  as a gift from travelers. Tourists are said to give out red tins to all the guides, policemen, baggage handlers etc. they meet. What exactly should we bring along – our TA knows nothing about this. 

Finally, a personal question. We’ve just paid a refundable deposit and we are wondering how much our agent really knows about Chinese culture etc. Would you consider taking over this booking if that could be arranged?

A – If we thought your travel agent was misleading you or not up to the task, we might help you. But we suspect you have an excellent agent and it would be inappropriate for us to get involved at this point. We think that WildChina is an excellent choice for private touring in China for those who want an insider’s view, They are particularly strong in some of the rural regions of the country that have, only recently, opened up to tourists. The founder, Mei Zheng, is a native of Yunnan Province and is a Harvard MBA. Her new book is called “In Search of Dali with a Bag of Ham”. The case study  of her company’s success is required reading at Harvard.  We think you are in excellent hands and your agent will direct the kind of guides and touring WildChina will provide. They have won numerous industry awards and they work with Virtuoso and several other well-known premier agency groups. A cost of $1000 per day strikes us as about right as long as it does not also include accommodations. For top-tier private guides and arrangements travelers should expect to pay between $1500-$2000 per day per couple.

Your friends are a bit confused about the skin cream advice. You don;t need to bring face cream to China to distribute. They have plenty and, you will note, the Chinese take great pride in their complexions. This story may have originated in a Wall Street Journal story that talked about the habit of Chinese tourists, particularly those traveling in Egypt, who bring dozens of small gifts of Tiger Balm and other soothing lotions to give out in Lieu of tips. But this is not recommended for American tourists. The best way to show your appreciation in China in a short, sealed, handwritten note with cash inside and, perhaps, a photo of your family.

 

Q – We have tried to travel to many of the countries on the “Not Advised” list over the past decade including Iran and Iraq. I am thinking I would like to visit North Korea just to get my passport stamped and to stay for a few days. How can I best do this?

A-  It is against current US State Department current regulations and it is a bad idea on every level. If we knew we would, quite honestly, never share the information.

Q –  I have a somewhat perverse interest in long flight statistics. I can tell you who has the longest flights currently (Singapore) and I pretty much know the schedules. I’ve flown two previous “longest routes” but I am anxious to start planning for something new. Is there a longest ever route coming out soon that you can discuss? 

A – This is all a part of current airline planning and most of it is kept quite confidential for competitive reasons. We can tell you that Boeing is working on a longer range 777x  and the Airbus 35OULR.

The airline really pushing this development is Qantas which wants to initiate the longest flight ever, from Sydney to London in a projected 20 hours and 20 minutes, according to USA Today. The goal is to achieve this distance capability in new aircraft by 2022. If the planes can be delivered with the capabilities Qantas is requesting, the aircraft would be able to fly non-stop New York to Sydney in just about 18 hours. At Qantas, by the way, management refers to this endeavor as “Project Sunrise.”

If you want to buy a ticket before these planes are built, look to Qantas’ upcoming service from Perth to London. This 17-hour flight will cover more than 9,000 miles. You should add it to your list. 

Q –  As I read your various sites and the great industry information you all provide, one nagging question seems to keep popping up for this rather frequent flyer (business and a minimum of three overseas vacations per year). Which airline should we be flying to eliminate hassles, lousy service, and awful connection percentages like JFK and O’Hare? I have the feeling that you have a favorite airline that you fly and wonder if you might share this information with your readers?  Which airline are the “cool” people choosing when they fly to Europe? As a general comment, we would like to see much more on this site about airline quality and policies.

A – There is a certain percentage of fliers who will choose Air France for the quality of their croissants in the morning. But the savvy flier’s choice these days is Air Canada, perhaps the biggest turn-around success story in the industry. Their three international hubs, Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal allow Americans to clear US customs in the airport before entering the United States. And fliers from the US do not need to have their checked luggage with them to go through passport control. Changing planes in Canada is just a more convenient process. Talk to one of the frequent flyers who has discovered this secret and they will rave on about the fact that Air Canada has some of the newest aircraft in the sly, that they have invested heavily in high-speed moving sidewalks and baggage belts, and, joy of all joys, extremely nice airport clubs with shower facilities.

Some of Air Canada’s biggest fans tout its fleet of new 777 and 787 Boeing aircraft. Others are really impressed with the airline’s improved Premium Economy section and pricing, a reflection of the dollar’s current strength against the Canadian Dollar. But what we like most about Air Canada is the fact that in all three of its international gateways, arriving and departing flights from the US arrive in the same terminal. This, say the most savvy flyers, can often save a half hour or more off the connection time.

Then there is this …………these Canadians are some of the nicest people on earth and you might run into Justin at the airport.

Traveling wіth pets, wіthоut proper planning аnd preparation саn bе a night-mare fоr bоth оf уоu. Depending uроn уоur destination, thе preparations аrе similar: hаvе уоur pet examined tо ensure іt іѕ healthy еnоugh fоr travel, obtain thе proper paperwork, pack fоr уоur pet’s needs, train уоur pet fоr traveling аnd іf needed, hаvе уоur pet groomed. Bу following thеѕе 7 tips, уоu аnd уоur pet саn hаvе a safe аnd enjoyable trip.

1) Hаvе уоur pet examined bу уоur vet; verify it’s healthy еnоugh fоr travel, thаt thеіr vaccinations аrе uр tо date аnd obtain a Health Certificate аnd a Rabies certificate. Vaccinations vary frоm country tо country ѕо let уоur vet know іf you’re traveling оut оf thе country. Yоu ѕhоuld аlѕо research thе destination country аѕ tо оthеr requirements fоr traveling wіth pets thеrе.

2) Paperwork required fоr traveling wіth pets іѕ usually thе ѕаmе whеthеr traveling bу air, rail, ship оr road: health & rabies certificate, vaccination history аnd sometimes; proof оf ownership.

3) Pack ѕоmе оf уоur pets’ favorite toys, bowls, blankets, food or get an adult dog food free delivery, leash аnd water. Make sure уоur pet hаѕ a collar (check іt fоr wear аnd fit) wіth ID аnd rabies tags оn іt. Don’t wait untіl you’re rеаdу tо gеt іn thе car tо teach уоur cat tо wear a collar.

4) Pack cleaned оut milk jugs оf water ѕо a change іn water doesn’t ad-versely affect thеm. Don’t feed уоur pet a full meal just bеfоrе leaving; a small meal a fеw hours bеfоrе thе trip іѕ better fоr thеm.

5) Start training уоur pet tо travel аbоut a month bеfоrе уоur trip. Obtain a traveling cage оr crate; let thеm smell іt, gо іn аnd оut оf іt оn thеіr оwn fоr whіlе, thеn start shutting thеm іn іt fоr longer аnd longer periods оf tіmе. A word оf advice; оnlу let thеm оut whеn thеу аrе calm аnd ac-cepting оf thе cage. If уоu let thеm оut whіlе thеу аrе agitated, you’re оnlу teaching thеm tо misbehave іn іt. Yоu саnnоt expect уоur pet thаt hаѕ nеvеr left thе comfort оf іtѕ home tо understand thаt thе noisy, smelly box (car) уоu just stuck thеm іn, іѕ safe.

6) Whеn traveling wіth pets, саll ahead tо ensure уоur destination allows pets, mоrе аnd mоrе hotels/motels аrе accommodating pets. Research whеrе you’ll stop еvеrу 2 оr 3 hours tо rеѕt, exercise аnd water уоur pet.

7) Traveling wіth уоur pet requires ѕоmе extra forethought, planning аnd packing, but thе reward іѕ a safe, healthy аnd enjoyable trip fоr bоth уоu by going to McDaid’s pharmacy to buy some medications and a deodorant . Hаvе a great tіmе!

Q –   I will be finally taking retirement from he auto manufacturing field in six months. My wife and I are looking forward to a life of at ;east one or two longer international trips per year, assuming there is no wall that will be built to keep us in the country. My wife has two specific questions: Should we be concerned about deep vein thrombosis and, if so, what should we do about it, and should there be a problem with getting off the aircraft in a hurry, is there a safety factor involved in greater seat pitch?  In other words is it safer, in an emergency, to be seated in Business Class?

A – Thank you for such a fun series of questions. We would suggest that you try to run up miles on the best possible airline mileage credit card you can find. You will be happier flying Business Class. Yes, long distance flights increase your chances of thrombosis but the evidence on how this works is still fairly sketchy. You can get deep-vein thrombosis traveling by car, bus, or train. The altitude is not necessarily the causal factor. Wear loose clothing with an elastic waist and really comfortable socks that do not cut off your circulation.  We don’t know about Business Class actually being safer than coach but it is nice, as the aircraft is plummeting, to be offered that final choice of orange juice or champagne.

Speak to your physician about deep-vein thrombosis as your specific condition will dictate the advice your receive. Don’t worry about safety in the air. In fact, sitting on a long-distance flight is one of the safest things you can do on this planet. If you want to worry, think about a strategy to get you safely from the house to the airport. Statistically, that is, by a wide margin, the most dangerous part of your journey.

Q – We will be departing for Tanzania and Kenya next month. I have been watching the pre/post election turnout in Kenya. Everything appears to be calm now. How concerned should we be about spending one day in Nairobi before flying home? We are also wondering of the hippo attack earlier this month in Tanzania is the kind of incident that is under-reported by the press. IO can;t seem to find out where this happened. Are there types of incidents under-reported to protect tourism?

A –  We are extremely uncomfortable about your upcoming trip based on the nature of your questions. You really should be in contact with the safari provider, who you have not named, to make certain that all of your concerns and fears have been addressed. Any trip to East or Southern Africa has the potential to literally be the Trip of Your Lifetime but you need to be well prepared by both your travel consultant and your safari tours company.

Hippos kill an estimated 500 humans per year. They are an extremely dangerous mammal and it is well to respect their space. A 75-year old tourist from Michigan was recently killed on safari in Tanzania, the victim of a hippo attack. . She was a well-respected entrepreneur and it was a highly unusual accident.

Every state has its own laws regarding car accidents and the various facets involved in them like litigation and insurance. Though the basic frame is the same all over the variations in the laws are state specific, with a lot of them being unique to a particular state. Hence, it is essential for someone to hire good car accident law firms to represent him or her in case of an accident.

Car accident law firms specialize in fighting accident cases. What this means for the victims is that there are specialists who have the skill and expertise to fight car accident cases. These specialists know the ins and outs of the pertaining legalities. Victims will get a better representation in court and a better deal from the insurance firms. Not only will the attorneys fight tooth and nail for a ruling favoring the client, but will also negotiate with the insurance company to get the best possible compensation for the victim. If you are looking for the best Atlanta Car Accident Law Firm, you can navigate here.

Not surprisingly, statistics show that car crash victims represented by car accident law firms often win more than three times the claims from the insurance companies.

The reason for this is that a car accident often involves many of complex issues that include various parties with an intricate connection existing between them. There are a lot of things that determine the final outcome of such a case. Only a car accident law firm knows well how each issue will impact each case individually.

These days, countless cars and other types of vehicles are driving around the streets, throughout the world. Such automobiles nowadays have made transportation and mobility easier. But, due to several reasons, a number of car accidents take place frequently and many people end up the victims of those accidents. These accidents involve anything from a slight injury to even death.

Sometimes some severely injured victims survive, but they are handicapped for rest of their life. Such accidents usually happen because of unskilled drivers or their negligence to obey traffic rules properly. An individual who becomes the victim of such an awful accident may end up dying or at least have to suffer from severe injuries for a period of time. The attorneys from Babcock helps you in the car crash attorney.

While suffering from the injury, victims also face some other difficulties. For instance, they lose a great deal of money because they become unable to work during their illness. Every person has the right to have compensation for their sufferings for an accident that happened due to someone else’s fault.

The accident victim, who is suffering and feeling all the physical pain and financial loss, only needs to take some legal steps against the responsible party for the accident. And in order to do this, a car accident attorney is definitely the right person to assist the victim.

A car accident lawyer is a specialist lawyer who knows better than anyone about the laws of automobile accidents; therefore, they can guide the sufferers properly to get their desired recompense.

A good car accident attorney also knows about civil rights, as well as, limitations of such issues. They can easily classify the category of an accident and determine how severe that accident is and how much compensation the sufferer may get.

The car accident attorney will organize all the facts for you so that you can win the case and get a logical compensation for your traumatic experience.

Nairobi is a safe place to spend the night provided you are in a secure hotel. We won’t venture an opinion until we know which company has organized your trip and which hotel they are using in Nairobi. It is one of good place where car accidents takes place rarely as there is bollards are installed on roads. TKbollards aims to provide good quality of bollards. It is definite that number of accidents can be reduced by separation on highway’s  through bollards.

Neither tourism boards, whose job it is to actively promote tourism, and the safari companies themselves, highlight negative news. There is certainly some under-reporting of these incidents which is one reason that we encourage international travelers to always read several issues of the local newspapers before departure. With Google Translate that is a relatively easy task.

Traveling to Africa is serious business. If you are not prepared to pay to be in the hands of the safest operators utilizing the skills of the best guides, we would suggest you postpone your trip until your financial situation improves. We also suggest that all travelers considering East Africa have a serious conversation with their travel planner regarding the current status of terror group advisories. 

Q –  Really love this site but one criticism. You deal a lot with things as they are – not as they might be. As an architect and designer specializing in modular housing, I am intrigued by the potential of the airline industry to develop aircraft that has seating that can be easily converted in minutes to a totally new configuration. Let’s say, for instance, tight seating when a flight is less than two hours but when the next segment is longer the seating changes as new seats are easily placed on a track. Is anyone actually working on this? I’m really curious. Keep up the good work. 

A – It might be fun to get some architect friends and futurists together to do a web site focused on what could be given our current abilities to utilize technology-driven. You would just have to remember that everything in the Airline sector is driven by profit per seat per mile. Passenger comfort is never the prime motivator for design.

Actually, Airbus has been working on a new modular system that can transform an aircraft from high-density seating to luxury with lounges and stand-up bars in the time it takes to do a normal turn–around. This project was being run out of Airbus’ innovation lab called A3 but they have now gone public with the project and named it ‘transpose”. The goal is to essentially change a re-design of the seating and interior layout on an aircraft, a process that normally takes three weeks on average, to allow completion within a half hour. This can be achieved by using modular everything and simply sliding out and sliding in seating and other materials . It would be similar to swapping out cargo in the hold – a process that already exists. The exciting this about this project is that it does not require the design of new aircraft. The designs are being developed to use existing aircraft. This project is currently thought to be anywhere from five to ten years away from final application. But we are skeptical. It will cost a great deal and we’re not sure it will greatly enhance revenue since most current seating plans are already designed for near-maximum capacity goals.

Q – Although we sense your advice has been to delay travel to Cuba for a few years, we have decided to join my brother-in-law and his family on a cruise on Oceania to Cuba. Our travel agent feels we will be safe but we are wondering if there are any precautions or particularly, things to bring along just in case. 

A –  Just two specifics – make certain that you don’t touch the tap water. Bottled water only. If you are drinking in a bar it is likely, but not guaranteed, that the ice in your drinks is filtered. The most important precaution is to put together a small case filled with a travel medical supplies. We’d like you to bring your favorite form of aspirin, an anti- diarrea medication, as well as something for constipation.  Also try to locate an anti-mosquito spray with deet. Other than that, you’re good to go.

Q – I have read and re-read this as well as several of your sister sites. Love the information and the attitude. But you are a bit ahead of us readers. In one of your last Q and A’s you said that Korean Air was  a Four-star airline. Really? Well how do I find that out. I want to know the rating of every airline I’m flying. I also want to know about something your referenced in a response about hotel inspection reports. How do I get those as well? I do a ton of international travel for business. Let me know if you need any correspondents – I’d love to add comments from my travels and observations. But, bottom line, if I could know how good my airline is and what my hotel is really like, instead of what TripAssiser says it is, I’d be ahead of the game. Finally, I notice that some of your sites are password-protected and exclusively for your clients. Does that mean that some of the “truth” is held back for those who use your services? 

A – We never print anything from PR firms, writers who receive free trips, or folks wanting to plug some entity with which they are associated. But we would be pleased to share well-written travel reports from our readers with other readers. What we won’t do is open up a dialogue that could quickly go off-road. We aim for honest questions and honest responses. A simple concept really – but since it is non-profit, there aren’t many takers.

We put together our own rankings of the world’s airlines based on industry statistics and reports. We always share this information with our clients. The Hotel Inspection Reports are invaluable. It is a private service available to professional consultants and is unavailable online. Most of the top-tier travel consultants offer these inspection reports to their clients. And yes – we do hold back and we don’t share everything. But you knew that.