Knowledge is Power... planning your vacation

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How do you plan for your vacation?

While booking a last minute may seem like saving a lot and getting a good deal you may learn that is not always the case....last minute deals are generally done on things that did not sale....and you should ask yourself Why?

Learning the basics and doing a bit of homework may be the difference between a vacation that you will always remember and a nightmare you will never wanna remember. A good travel agent can provide you with all the information and guidance you need, but there are thing that you should decide on your own.

Choosing your destination...

The most important step to any vacation....this will determine the quality of hotels available, the food, things to do, and things to see.
Keep in mind that not the entire world speaks English, if you choose a non-English speaking country you should be aware that for the people you will encounter English will be a second language and they may communicate between themselves in the countries official language...if you are one of those people that get easily annoyed by this ( I never understood why someone would be) then stick to countries where English is the official language. Learning a few polite words in the countries official language is always a good idea.

Know that you know where you wanna go lets decide how to get there....

If you decide on a flight you have 2 options: scheduled airlines or charter airlines. There are pros an cons to both and usually price is the biggest factor in a lot of peoples decision.
A charter airline is usually a lot more economical which is a huge attraction...however there are a few things you should know about a charter airline...They may not flight year round to all the destinations they advertise, they may have limited number of flights a day/week, but the biggest things to keep in mind is that a charter airline may change the time or routing of your time at any time. In Ontario they my make as many changes as they want as long as they keep them within 24 hours and not offer any compensation...so do not book them if you have to arrive at a certain time...and never book a charter airline if you are planning to make a flight connection. With the above in mind charter airlines never sell NON-Stop flight only Direct flight...the difference you may ask?....a Direct flight may have 1 or more stops, but you are not required to change planes... so even if you initially payed for a flight going from point A to B you may notice later that it changed to go from point A to B via C ...and no, you will not receive a compensation....

A scheduled airline is the opposite...it is scheduled to depart and arrive at a scheduled time and if a schedule change occurs the airline will compensate you...they are generally more expensive but they are flight that you can rely on if you are not very flexible.

An important fact to remember is that no matter what kind of flight you take delays may always happen due to weather (acts of God) or mechanical...in these situations you will not receive any type of compensation. If you need the airline may provide you with a written explanation of why your flight was delayed....if such a letter is needed a polite and short letter may get you a better response from any customer service agent then one filled with improper language....remember you catch more flies with honey.



Now where will you stay?....

Star rating may give you an indication to how the hotel you pick is in comparison with the rest of the hotels in the area....however 2 different hotels with the same star rating in 2 different countries may not have the same quality standard...While star rating may be a good place to start do not stop there....this is where a good travel agent may come in handy....if you decide to read other peoples opinion on sites like Trip advisor take everything with a grain of salt...

Now you are ready to book your vacation....oh wait...when should you book it?

When you are decided where to do where to stay and when to depart....there is no guarantee of secret formula to predict if the price will drop or raise....there is point to ask such a question as no one will be able to answer...the only thing that is a well known fact is that the price are always subject to change and you are stuck at whatever price you paid....it is best to stop checking prices once you paid for your vacation and never ask other passengers what they payed, as one of the two things may happen they paid less and you will get aggravated or they paid more and they will get aggravated.....if you are in that situation where you are asked a simple white lie may do the trick..."sorry, no idea, the trip was a present"

There are things that can affect the price...the product is not selling..and then you should ask why...and the prices are dropped so the Tour Operator or the Airline does not take a loss...or something major happens, like a company going bankrupt which will increase the demand on all the other companies and the price will skyrocket....if that happens a good travel agent may suggest changing destination to a less demanded place or delaying the vacation until the storm is past.

So to answer your question? you have the money?...book it know and do not look back.



Happy Travels

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