Attention U.S. citizens (or permanent residents) traveling abroad this year: now you can skip the federal agents and zip through customs. That is, if you’ll be flying out of JFK, Dulles, or Houston. And, if you don’t mind paying for this service. And, if you don’t mind letting the government get a little personal. Keep reading for the details.

(more…)

I thought I’d turn tables a bit, and instead of presenting you with some good advice, I’d tell you about some of the bad advice I see floating around the internet. So, I’ve come up with this: 6-Pieces of Air Travel Advice to Ignore…and what you should pay attention to. I talk about cell phones, passports, First Class and plenty of other things. Just click “more” for…THE LIST.

(more…)

Here’s some of my best international air travel purchasing tips, in Top-12 List form, for those of you who are thinking about, or actively planning a vacation abroad. Look out for #9 (WARNING: Sticker Shock Ahead!)   THE FARECOMPARE.COM LIST Top 12 INTERNATIONAL Travel Tips (Trans-Atlantic Focus)

(more…)

Recent changes in passport laws made a mess of the system while creating an incredible backlog. The U.S. Passport Office responded by giving travelers flying in from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and Caribbean a pass of sorts: as long as they had the paperwork showing their application was underway, they would be waved through. No more.

Starting October 1st, if you fly into the U.S. from the places listed above, YOU MUST HAVE A PASSPORT.

If you haven’t started the process, do so now, and read this carefully:

• Expect to wait at least three months for your passport. If you pay the governments $60 expediting fee, plan to wait at least six weeks (yeah, the website may say just a couple of weeks, but do not believe that!).
• You can speed things up if you apply in person at one of the Regional Passport Agencies. But please note: you MUST have an appointment, so call ahead, but even then, BE PREPARED TO WAIT IN LINE.

Bottom line: if you’re flying to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean this year, make sure you have a passport!

Already have a passport? Make sure it hasn’t expired! BUT EVEN IF YOUR PASSPORT HASN’T EXPIRED, MAKE SURE IT WON’T EXPIRE SOON! That’s because there are MANY countries that won’t let you in if your passport is due to expire anywhere from 3-months to 6-months upon arrival. You can check with the State Department to see the different rules for various countries, or you can check with the country’s consulate, your airline, or a travel agent.

One of my colleagues spoke to a very nice woman at Nelson Travel in Valley Village, CA who said EVERYONE should check their passports, no matter where they’re going, adding, “Most of the countries I’ve been booking travel to, do have some kind of passport restrictions in terms of expiration.” So, check. Better to be safe than very, very sorry.