Travel Bargain or Travel Scam? How To Know The Difference

!±8± Travel Bargain or Travel Scam? How To Know The Difference

Congratulations! You have been selected to win an exciting luxury vacation to...

Where have you heard that one before? Although there are many genuine travel offers, there are also many travel scams that defraud innocent travelers out of millions of dollars each month. Travel is a big ticket item and most people would like to save some money or even travel for free. Unfortunately, it opens the door to some unscrupulous individuals and companies who try to take advantage of this.

Travel packages turn out to be very different from what was originally offered or what the "winner" expected. Sometimes, the company just takes the money and runs! So if you get a phone call or email offering a free or extremely low-priced vacation , keep these tips in mind:

The Most Common Travel Scams

- Emails, phone calls, or snail mail advising that you have been selected to "win" a free vacation, free airfare, or a hotel stay, especially when you haven't entered anything.

- Ads for great travel deals or discounts with the condition that you agree to a time share presentation. You will be subjected to a high pressure sales pitch that is really not worth your time - unless of course you really are interested in buying a timeshare!

- Travel clubs that charge a fee for their great travel discounts and offers. There are of course may legitimate travel clubs but there are just as many that are not. Do your research well to make sure it is worth it.

- Contests which do not post or provide rules or requirements or even any details about the company running it. A legitimate contest will provide rules to participants and if it does not, it is probably just a ploy to get information on you.

How to Spot the Red Flags

- Does the price seem too good to be true? If so, it probably is.

- Are you pressured to make a decision on the spot?

- Did you get the call after business hours. Legitimate businesses normally operate between regular business hours.

- Did they require you to pay before you receive any details about the trip, or ask you to pay for more information.

- Are you told you can't leave for two months? This should be cause for concern because the deadline for disputing a credit card charge is 60 days.

- Is the supplier simply identified as "a major airline," or a "popular hotel" without getting into specifics?

- If you have won a free vacation, you should not be asked to pay hundreds of dollars in order to "claim" your prize.

How to protect yourself from Travel Scams

- Determine the complete cost of the trip in dollars, including all service charges, taxes, processing fees, etc.

- Pay by credit card, if you don't get what you paid for, you may be able to dispute the charges with your credit card company.

- Don't be pressured into buying anything, legitimate businesses don't pressure you to make a purchase.

- Get a receipt in writing. If you make reservations online, print out the itinerary and receipt.

- Find out the exact names of the hotels, airports, airlines, and restaurants that your package includes; if they tell you a "major hotel chain" or "major airline" ask for specifics.

- Always ask for a copy of the cancellation and refund policies.

- If you are told that you've won a free vacation, ask if you have to pay any money in order to get it.

- Be aware of what "subject to availability" means may not get the accommodations you want when you want them.

- Be aware that if you have been "specially selected to receive our Super Duper Travel Deal offer" doesn't mean you'll get it free, it means you'll be offered an opportunity to pay for a travel deal!

And last but not least, be skeptical. Read or listen to carefully what is being said, not what you want to hear. We would all like to win that all expenses paid dream vacation to Hawaii, but like everything else, you get what you pay for if you don't pay attention first.

Travel Bargain or Travel Scam? How To Know The Difference

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Where Should I Travel?

!±8± Where Should I Travel?

A person's home country can get boring after a while, and traveling has been popular since the invention of cheap airfares. If you are looking to explore an exotic area like Hawaii, you might consider a Kauai vacation home, or if going further overseas sounds like your idea of a good time, you could find appropriate Poipu vacation rentals in the country of your choice. People are often hesitant to travel overseas due to worries about exorbitant costs, terrorism on the flight and dangers of an unknown country, but these fears are largely unfounded.

You might consider going to a disadvantaged country in Africa. Behind Antarctica it is probably the least popular continent for travelers to visit, yet a trip to this often-neglected continent can be extremely rewarding. While many countries in this region are incredibly dangerous, and virtually no African country can be considered a functional democracy, there are many nations that present natural and man-made wonders equal to anywhere in Europe. Despite what one may assume, the people are also often very kind to foreigners, as they treat them as their guests. The only issue may be one that can also be found in poorer countries such as India, where beggars line the streets and are unafraid to incessantly bother travelers for money. While seeing such levels of poverty can be troubling, it is a part of a wider experience, and will cause your perspective of the world to grow.

You should decide whether you want to travel in order to get this widening of your world view, or if you are just looking for a few weeks entertainment. If entertainment is the only thing you are after, you can travel interstate to somewhere like Vegas, or overseas to a country like Ibiza, known for its party lifestyle. These experiences, while rewarding, ultimately will not give you anything you cannot experience within your own area, and ultimately you will miss out on the unique joys that can be gained by taking on an experience that may be more challenging, but ultimately can greatly improve your state of mind.

You could plan to travel to another country and help others in some way. Developed countries such as China and Japan offer jobs for those willing to teach English, provided they have completed a short course on teaching English as a second language. The great thing is, you do not have to know the language of your host country in order to teach! If you are willing to volunteer your services, there are many places overseas where you can help teaching English, taking care of animals or feeding the poor. All you have to do is search Google for "volunteer" and the country of your choice, and you will find a whole host of people willing to take you into their lives and give you an experience you will never forget.

Whether you are planning on traveling interstate or overseas, to be entertained or to learn, make sure you properly plan your trip. Have all passports and travelers checks in order, and keep your passport and cash close to you at all times.

Where Should I Travel?

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Singapore's Chngai Airport - Asia's Most Friendly Airport

!±8± Singapore's Chngai Airport - Asia's Most Friendly Airport

From the customs agents, to the free internet, Singapore's Chngai is one of the best airports to transit through in Asia. I remember the first time that I was traveling to Singapore, I had visions of hardened customs officers complete with canes eagle eyeing me to catch me in the slightest of transgressions, so that they could bare my back and put permanent stripes in my tan. It turns out that this is exactly the opposite of what you will find when you transit through Singapore.

The Singapore airport experience, I feel, starts before you even get there; it is a great way to start a trip if you don't need to take a taxi or a bus, in to or out of the airport. Singapore has a great mass transit system that is inexpensive and very easy to navigate. No graffiti here, just good signage to help you get to where you are going. Great cities all have a great transit system and it is no surprise that Singapore's is world class. Look at Chicago's O'Hare with the El and compare it then to the mayhem of LAX in Los Angeles.

Flying into Singapore your first experience is customs, and I don't remember any airports where the customs agents put out hard candies for the travelers. What a neat treat to get when you are passing through passport control. The only real negative I found was the long walk to get your bags. But then you get a great surprise when getting to the baggage carousel and your bags have arrived just before you have, and are still chilled, not shaken, from the flight. As is true with everything in Singapore, the airport is spotless and neat, and everything works, and works well. The attention to detail is amazing.

After getting your luggage to leave the airport, you walk to an x-ray machine and then through some doors, where I figured you would have to clear some sort of customs again, but no you are done! The deterrent of Singapore tough laws makes this an unattractive place for smugglers, and a snap to process through. A short walk to the outside, or a short walk to catch a free shuttle to the other terminals, and then on to a train that takes you into the city. Even the money changers are nice, and compared to some airports that I been through, the foreign exchange rates were even fair.

The trip out of the airport is just as pleasant. They have free internet with computers in the departure area that you can use for 15 min and against the far wall in the budget terminal, they have tables that are set up with power for every type plug available in the world, as well as a network cord to their high-speed connection, which is all free! As you are using your own computer, there is no time limit, so you can spend some productive time online. Doing something like writing an article on Singapore being a friendly airport!

Singapore's Chngai Airport - Asia's Most Friendly Airport

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