The rest of Q&A

Q –  OK, we are now “fans” but one or two of your revelations about the travel industry seem to be so “first time I have ever heard that” off-the-charts. I just read a piece you had published suggesting that because I fly to Europe and Australia on business, I should be smearing my face with protective suntan lotion for up to fifteen hours at a time in the air. I do always prefer a window seat whether I am flying Economy Plus or Business. But I have never, ever seen a fellow passenger lather up. Not asking for a scientific treatise but wondering what led you to suggest this strategy. Wouldn’t I scare my fellow passengers if I get up covered with lotion, to use the restroom?  

A – You might – but on a long flight with the sun streaming in through the windows mid-day, sun exposure is a credible risk that has been affecting pilots for years. The New York Times has reported on some of the abnormally high cancer rates  pilots on longer routes have experienced.

We know that airplane windows are typically made of polycarbonate plastic or layered composite glass.While there is negligible transmission of UVB rays through plastic and glass windshields, UVA transmission through these windows is significant.”

It is thought that the heavy amount of light transmitting through airplane windows contain potentially-harmful UVA rays.

Why should you care? Well, though you won’t necessarily get a sunburn since that’s caused primarily by UVB radiation, UVA rays penetrate the deeper layers of skin and are known to cause photoaging (sun spots and wrinkling).

When you are flying at 33,000 feet one of the most remarkable characteristics of your flight is that you are, quite literally, flying above the atmosphere. But you are closer to the ozone layer by about six miles. You are that much closer to the sun so we can hopefully agree that the sun’s rays are, at that altitude, considerably more powerful. Added to that, is the fact thatyou are flying above weather- above clouds, that serve to filter some of the harmful rays from the sun .

The bottom line appears to be that flying long distances, particularly in an aisle seat with the shades left open, your exposure to UVA rays can contribute to the development of skin cancer. 

And since you’re closer to the ozone layer — almost six miles closer to be more exact — the sun’s rays are simply more powerful. Plus, extended exposure to UVA rays can contribute to the development of skin cancers.

The Journal of the American Medical Association reported that the plane’s windows stopped about 99% of UVB rays, but only about half of UVA rays. That means about an hour of exposure on a plane is the equivalent of 20 minutes in a tanning bed. And, according to SkinCancer.org, there is no safe amount of time you should spend in a tanning bed.

We will continue to suggest that clients flying in a window seat on any flight of three hours or longer, apply protective amounts of high-quality suinscreen while keeping the window shades down as much as possible. It just makes sense. Family and friends in adjoining seats may want to do the same as UVA rays penetrate the aircraft’s structure. 

We are not suggesting a full face two-inch lather of protective cream – just the same amount you might apply for a few hours At the beach. If you ever run into any professional pilots you may want to see what they have to say on the subject and the steps they take,m with so much window exposure, to protect themselves. 

We will know we are making progress when Business and First Class Amenity Kits start containing small tubes of sunscreen.

Q – We are taking the family to see family in Denver for Thanksgiving, including a particular branch of the family that buys into every conspiracy theory on God’s earth. They actually believe that high Holiday airfares are controlled by a cabal designed to keep families from connecting with one another. I won’t bore you with some of the other stuff they believe today. But here’s my point: I am going to be paying $723 Per Person for the four of us to fly out to see them. That’s a coach fare. Unfortunately, due to the fact that I truly love my wife, I am doomed to repeat the trip again next year. How can I save on these fares next year? 

A – We’re not at all conspiratorial but a “cabal” managing extraordinarily high airfares over the Holidays when families need to travel, is really not anything we would rhetorically rule out. This is a case where you want to be among the first 20% to book your seats. Book them at 12:20 am. on the morning eleven months prior to the date of your planned return flight. The flights for that day will be loaded at midnight so do what the air nerds do and set the alarm. On average, it takes about 20 minutes for the servers to load the new flights. This may save you some money but it is a procedure most often used by frequent flyers who will be planning to use miles and who are guessing that two or three mileage seats will be available on any Holiday flight. Good luck. 

Q – 11.19.22  – As a true Southerner, I do share the belief of most of my neighbors that when we pass we will have to go through a Delta security gate to enter the promised land. That said, the hold times lately have been driving me crazy, especially when I have last-minute questions, changes, or confirmations. The prompt e-mail responses just don’t seem to be arriving. I could care less about UA or AA, they barely know where the South is. But is there any way to get through to Delta that might be a back-door secret? These hold times are turning my beard grey. 

A – It is a growing problem but we would have thought that a grey beard might be a plus in your neighborhood. Delta does have a number that should get you right through but it only works within 48 hours of your departure time. Dial 1-855-548-2505. And don’t worry – we won’t let any other Delta fliers know about this trick. 

Q – We have become addicted, if I can use that word, to Aman Resorts, We have thoroughly enjoyed their properties throughout Asia believing that there really is nothing better on this planet in terms of accommodations and service. Last Tuesday, we came home from a stay at the new Aman property in Manhattan. Our entry-level suite was $3200 a night, which was more, but not that much more than we have paid for past stays. There was something so special about this property – my wife and I loved that it was a true oasis of calm. Looking out the windows to the crowded streets below, we heard no traffic, no sirens, and no honking horns. 

So two quick questions: Do you have any idea if Aman is planning on opening any more properties in urban areas of the US? Also noticed a lovely corner suite. Can you give us a rough idea of what that would cost us if we decide to upgrade next time? Thanks very much. Keep up the good work. 

A – The corner suite is running $15,000 per night this week. The news about Aman’s plans to open additional city properties based on their “urban oasis” long-term goals is good. There is currently a four-year plan to open new Aman properties in central Bangkok, Miami Beach, and, need you ask, Beverly Hills. On the day it opens its doors, the Aman property will become the chicest of all Hollywood haunt. The “influencers” will be falling over one another at the front entrance.

Q -We are leaving on an Avalon River Cruise on the Rhine. Given what we are reading about the airline situation in Europe, we are confused about how to arrange our air. Our agent has come up with an hour connection through Toronto or an hour-and-a-half connecting time in Zurich. Do we go with the Canadians? Zurich is one of several “secret” airports that have unusually high “connections made” statistics. The others include Vienna and Munich. 

A – No. One hour is just cutting it too close and you might not have clean clothes until the fourth day of your cruise. Toronto’s airport is understaffed. In this scenario, Zurich is the safer bet. In fact, Swiss nonstops from the States into Zurich with onward connections is a secret used by many air pros. And even if you miss your connection – you will be in Switzerland. We trust that your agent has built in at least one hotel night on arrival prior to your joining the Avalon riverboat. It is not widely known that the major Canadian airports have been encountering serious operational problems that have resulted in delay issues that are among the worst of major airports worldwide. Staffing shortages are the primary reason for the chaos that is particularly bad in  Toronto and Montreal 

Q – I am thinking of joining the travel industry. Are there college classes I will need to take to get certified to offer travel counseling and handle people’s vacations?

A- The short answer is that the only requirement is that you must have spent an hour in an International House of Pancakes at least once in your life. The vast majority of travel agents are unlicensed and not, in any way certified. The more professional agents will take courses and seek product certification as they spend time in the industry.

The best path to a worthy entry into travel is to decide what kind of agency might come closest to meeting your interests and then find the very best one. See if the owner will hire you as an intern in your area of interest. Don’t expect to handle clients for six months. Oh, one other thing. Please don’t even consider entering this industry unless you have lived and traveled abroad for at least six months. That’s how you get a “Real Life License”. 

Q – This is one of those annoying questions about cost issues. We want to plan a trip to Spain and Portugal in the next few months but we are reading that hotel rates and airfares are going up significantly compared to where they were pre-Covid. Should we cancel the trip for a year or two in the hope that prices will come down?

A – No not at all. Your average air and hotel costs are going to rise in the range of 25-40%. That is likely a permanent change with prices likely going even higher based on projected demand in 2025-26. The side of the price story often missed is that the dollar has almost achieved parity with the value of the Euro. This means that your dollar gets you more Euros than it has at any time since Spain and other European countries adopted the Euro as their common currency. Food and shopping costs have never been better for Americans traveling to Euro nations. This will more than compensate for initial, air, hotel, and tour costs. We would not recommend delaying your trip for reasons related to pricing. The dollar is stronger against the Euro than it has been in many years and prices are only going up given the debt loads of many companies that had to shut down for two years due to Covid. It would be a mistake to delay this trip. 

Q – We are thinking of bringing our family of fourteen on a cruise or land tour. The group would have five kids between the ages of five and seventeen. We have looked at a Globus tour as well as a cruise on Royal Caribbean – both in Europe. We will travel in the summer when schools are out. Love to have any advice you might offer in terms of our options. We are concerned that Royal Caribbean does not appear in your ratings at all.

A – Given the major age differences in the family, we feel strongly that Royal Caribbean, with its wide assortment of kids’ activities and facilities, would be the best option in this case. It would also provide the adults with some time away from the kids. On the right itinerary, the kids can get a wonderful European overview.

We don’t know what your travel style is so please note that Royal Caribbean is not among the world’s top-ten rated cruise lines. (Source Cruisetruth.com) But not a single one of the cruise lines that cater to kids/families would be on that list nor would any line with several thousand passengers and low per-guest space ratios. The kids, any kids, will love Royal Caribbean. And if they are happy – we suspect you will be as well.

Q – What do you think of the idea of bringing our 18-and-a-half-year-old extraordinary daughter on a Tauck Family Bridges Tour to Italy this coming August before she is off to Boston to start college?

A – Strong opinion on this one – we would not book the family on a Tauck Bridges tour because you could have twenty or more younger children in the group. You should take your college-bound daughter on one of the excellent Italy tour programs operated by Tauck for adults. We think your daughter will appreciate the adult conversations along the way.