{"id":38732,"date":"2017-08-04T06:11:59","date_gmt":"2017-08-04T06:11:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/?p=38732"},"modified":"2017-08-04T06:11:59","modified_gmt":"2017-08-04T06:11:59","slug":"when-good-trips-go-bad-expert-tips-to-prepare-and-respond","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/travel\/when-good-trips-go-bad-expert-tips-to-prepare-and-respond.html","title":{"rendered":"When good trips go bad: Expert tips to prepare and respond"},"content":{"rendered":"

When good trips go bad: Expert tips to prepare and respond<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

When good trips go bad: Expert tips to prepare and respond:-As part of USA TODAY\u2019s new travel research portal Embark, we\u2019ve assembled an expert panel of travel bloggers to share their best advice to help you travel smarter, safer and more economically. This month\u2019s query: Something’s going to go wrong on a trip this summer. What should you do to prepare in advance, and how should you respond in the moment to get the best resolution?<\/span><\/p>\n

DUPLICATE IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

If you’re traveling internationally this summer, make sure to make copies of everything \u2014 passport, credit cards, travel insurance, itinerary \u2014 and save it in iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive or similar. Or, if you want to go old school, print everything out and leave it with a friend or family member for safekeeping. This way, if something goes missing or is stolen, you’ll have a backup record for easier replacement.<\/span><\/p>\n

Also, be wary of storing important documents or items such as jewelry in hotel safes. Often times, multiple hotel employees have duplicate keys and there have been reports of theft \u2014 even at luxury properties. The safest place for valuables is at home. The second safest is often on your person.<\/span><\/p>\n

If your flight is canceled or delayed, or you’re given a studio when you asked for a suite, your best outlet is often social media. All major airline and hotel brands maintain large teams to quickly reply to issues raised via Facebook or Twitter and can often solve issues quicker than staff on the ground. In all situations, remember to be respectful no matter how frustrated you might be \u2014 a little smile can be the difference between getting that upgrade or not.<\/span><\/p>\n

TRAVEL AGENTS CAN SAVE THE DAY<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

In today’s digital age, it’s much easier to be prepared when traveling. Scan your passport, IDs and backs of bank cards and email it to yourself so you’ll always have that information. Numbers are important, so always note the customer service number of the airline you’re flying, so if you’re flight is delayed and you watch the customer service line triple in seconds, you can still get it handled quickly. Over half of the time I end up stepping out of the line after being re-booked with a representative over the phone. It’s also advantageous to be polite and keep your calm as that will prove more valuable in getting what you need. A “please” and “thank you” will stand out from the complaining others will inevitably be doing.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, the best advice is to work with a travel adviser who has dedicated phone numbers and personal relationships to expedite any resolutions. While some hotels and tour providers do not want to jeopardize that repeat business opportunity, it’s more about helping an industry colleague or friend shine in these moments. Numbers are important, but being just a number in some online booking system will not get you very far in times of chaos.<\/span><\/p>\n

PRELOAD YOUR PHONE<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

A loaded and properly \u201capped\u201d smartphone is your best friend when things go wrong during travel. Download a good guidebook onto it so you can have access to smart, journalistically sourced travel info and contact numbers even when you\u2019re offline. Your smartphone can also be extremely useful for documentation, which you\u2019ll often need if things go wrong. For example, always photograph your rental car before driving off the lot so you won\u2019t get blamed for dings that weren\u2019t your doing. If there\u2019s a problem with a hotel room, like mildew in the shower or a broken window curtain, take a photo of it before going down to the desk, so that staff can understand the scope of the problem.<\/span><\/p>\n

Photograph your passport info page and both sides of your credit cards, and if possible, store them in the cloud so that you can have access to the data on them if, heaven forbid, your wallet is stolen or lost (or you misplace your passport). You should also download the State Department\u2019s Smart Traveler app, which will give you quick access to the addresses of embassies, shoot you travel alerts, and supply you with frequently updated travel information on the area you\u2019re visiting. It\u2019s also a good idea to register your trip with the State Department (easily done at state.gov) so that it knows how to reach out to you should something serious happen in the area being visited.<\/span><\/p>\n

But a phone is useless if it isn\u2019t charged, so remember to always keep it full of juice and consider investing in a case that can charge it, or a one of those lipstick-sized chargers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Insurance can make things right if you get the right policy. But it\u2019s not worthwhile for every type of trip, and is a downright waste of money if most parts of your trip are refundable. But medical insurance can come in handy when you travel abroad as most American medical plans don\u2019t cover recipients who get sick abroad. And you will save tens of thousands of dollars if you have evacuation insurance, and need to be medi-vacced out should your destination have sub-par medical facilities. In addition, insurance companies can help you on vacations with many moving parts (so on a cruise that requires flights to get to, the insurance company can be your ally in making sure the vacation goes forward should your flight be delayed and you miss the boat). To find the right insurance, try these marketplace websites: SquareMouth.com, InsureMyTrip.com and TravelInsurance.com. With each, you input the details of your trip and your age, and they provide a list of potential policies with what\u2019s included listed. I\u2019ve found that the most expensive policies aren\u2019t always the most complete ones. It\u2019s important to buy insurance directly from an insurance company rather than from your travel provider, because if your travel company goes belly-up, you\u2019ll likely lose your insurance, too.<\/span><\/p>\n

GET IN LINE, BUT USE YOUR PHONE<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Sign up for flight notifications and be sure to load your phone with your airline(s)\u2019s toll-free phone number(s) and apps just in case there is a major delay or cancellation. If your flight is canceled, then get in line as soon as possible and at the same time, also get on the phone and call the airline directly. Usually the airline representative at the call center can re-book you on a flight faster than the line moves and you have the chance to speak to customer service or the gate agent. Time is of the essence since there aren\u2019t a lot of flights these days with empty seats and you want to get one before they are all gone. You can also try re-booking by using your smartphone or laptop but most airlines aren\u2019t that advanced yet.<\/span><\/p>\n

Before leaving home take out your wallet and scan all of your credit\/bank cards front and back. Then send it to an email you rarely use; that way if your wallet\/purse is stolen you know exactly what was in there and the numbers to call. Also sign up for text alerts any time a charge is made so you know when your wallet is stolen and to call and cancel cards right away.<\/span><\/p>\n

DOCUMENT YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE CALLS<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

You hope for the best, but if you\u2019re smart, you plan for the worst. First, make sure you have copies of all of your relevant documents, credit cards and itineraries. Losing your wallet, luggage or phone could mean you\u2019re flying blind. Even if you\u2019re not traveling internationally, having hard copies of this information (yes, on paper), in a location different from your originals can save the day. <\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re traveling with kids, try securely storing the information on one of their electronic devices using a password vault like LastPass or 1Password. You may forget your phone somewhere, but losing the built-in entertainment that a tablet or smartphone provides for your child is probably less likely.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you experience a flight delay, an overbooking at your hotel or your reserved rental car isn\u2019t available, don\u2019t freak out. Hopefully, you\u2019ve booked your travel using a credit card that offers some form of trip or baggage delay protection. Top cards like the Citi Prestige card provide protection that\u2019ll help you cover expenses for delays as short as three hours. If you\u2019re not able to use such a benefit, you may be entitled to some form of compensation whether it be in the form of vouchers, cash, an upgraded hotel room, bonus points or a free car rental. The key is to know your rights and why something has gone wrong.<\/span><\/p>\n

Our best recommendation is always to be courteous whenever you\u2019re looking to resolve the issue. Remember, your No. 1 goal is to fix the situation; if you\u2019re angry or frustrated, taking it out on the person helping you just isn\u2019t the way to go. If you\u2019re looking for something and the representative helping you simply can\u2019t do it, don\u2019t be afraid to ask for help from a supervisor. Sometimes things just don\u2019t go right, and you need to follow up after the fact. Always document who you spoke with, when you talked to that person and keep track of the facts of the event \u2014 contacting customer support after the fact can often lead to refunds, complimentary nights or future rentals at no cost to you. If you don\u2019t ask, you\u2019ll likely never receive a thing.<\/span><\/p>\n

KEEP YOUR PASSPORT PROTECTED<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The best offense is a good defense \u2014 even in travel. Prepare before the trip by taking photos of things like your luggage, passport, visas, credit cards (front and back) and any other important documents. I store these images in a Dropbox folder or in the cloud so I can access from anywhere. This way if my luggage is stolen and I have to describe what my luggage looks like, I just show the agent the picture. I also leave the images of my passport and visas with a family member back home so I have ways to get copies if all else fails. Make sure you have the phone numbers of your credit card company somewhere in the file in case you need to contact them about a stolen card. Make sure you have a security lock\/pin\/fingerprint on your phone. And finally, I always tell people to leave your passport back at the hotel. Sure \u2014 it may be vulnerable at the hotel, however it will be much more vulnerable in public. It comes in contact with fewer people in the hotel room than walking around a piazza in Rome where there are clever pickpockets lurking. And of course \u2014 always get travel insurance in case your defense fails!<\/span><\/p>\n

Source:-https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/travel\/roadwarriorvoices\/2017\/07\/22\/expert-tips\/500105001\/<\/span><\/p>\n

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