Airlines require domestic travelers to check-in 1 hour prior to departure. International flights require a 2 hour check-in. If you do not arrive on time and if the flights are overbooked, the possibility exists that your seat will be given away. In addition, there will be a greater opportunity when you arrive early to have your name on the “top of the list” for an upgrade.

Be aware that some airlines have restricted carry on luggage policies. For example:

Northwest – Maximum check-in is two and carryon luggage is limited to one piece plus a purse/briefcase/laptop computer for all flights. First class international is allowed two carry on items.
American/TWA – Check one and carryon two or check two and carryon one.
Delta – Check one and carry-on two or check two and carry-on one.
Southwest – Check up to three and carryon two.
United – One carryon in economy and two in business/first class.
USAir – Carryon two
Continental – Carryon two

Store your carryon luggage in the compartment across from you so you can keep an eye on it.

Be sure to carry photo identification.

Be aware of Safe Harbors emergency service telephone number (International / domestic) This will help you with questions concerning your ticket or itinerary changes. The number is printed on all itineraries. Calling the airline directly can cause confusion and be costly.

Never make enemies or be abrasive with airline ticket agents or gate agents. Regardless of the situation, most people are more than accommodating when approached with respect.

Travel Reservations

Do not make a reservation with an airline directly. They will not have all of your company data accessible including your discounted rates, frequent flier numbers, travel preferences, travel policy information and payment procedures. They will only give you their information not competing information where the agency will.

When a travel reservation is made with Safe Harbors, your confirmation number for your flight, hotel room and car is your guarantee! If you arrive at any of these counters and they claim that you do not have a reservation, chance has it that they are trying to sell you a higher priced car, hotel room and airline reservation. This is a common practice for these vendors to recreate a reservation so that a commission will not have to be paid and that last minute availability is achieved, resulting in a higher fare/rate. If this should happen, be assertive and demand the guaranteed rate/fare is utilized on the confirmed itinerary from Safe Harbors.

In actual fact it makes little difference when you visit from the point of view of what weather to expect. The islands experience a fairly constant springtime climate all the year round. However, my Canary Island travel tip is to always bear in mind that all of the islands are cloudier and wetter on their north coasts or in their more northerly regions. This is where the moisture bearing trade winds make their initial contact with a land mass as they blow across the Atlantic ocean, often quite forcibly.

The best guarantee of constant sunshine and warm, dry weather is found on the south coasts of every island where even mid winter days provide plenty of sunbathing and swimming opportunities. It is also important to realise that fairly strong winds are prevalent all the year round, making what would otherwise be a sizzling African sun feel much less intense than otherwise would be the case.

One November in Gran Canaria, I experienced a dramatic variation of weather conditions. The Yahoo weather forecast predicted heavy showers, thunderstorms and lower than average temperatures for the following five days period. Official weather forecasts for Gran Canaria are based on Las Palmas, the island’s capital which right on the northern tip of the island. When I arrived, the airport area which is a few miles south of Las Palmas was certainly experiencing some gloomy weather, although it wasn’t actually raining there. Looking northwards, the sky suggested that it was indeed raining over Las Palmas itself. The wind felt chilly and I shivered in my tee shirt and shorts as I walked to the airport car park, where my hire car was waiting.

My destination was Maspalomos, on the south coast of Gran Canaria and less than 40 miles from Las Palmas. Here the weather was sunny, dry and warm, making me want to dive into the pool as soon as I had checked into my accommodation. For the full length of my ten day stay this weather pattern continued. Cooler, cloudy weather, producing several heavy showers and a chilly wind prevailed in the north, whilst I enjoyed warm, sunny days and balmy evenings in Maspalomas.

A not so positive experience occurred a couple of years later on the island of Lanzarote. It was the last week of March and we were taking a one week vacation at a Charco de Palo. This remote and very beautiful, naturist resort is situated on the east coast of Lanzarote, only ten or so miles from the northern tip of the island. The weather remained dry for the whole week, even though rain clouds frequently swirled around us in the incessantly strong wind. This meant that every time some cloud blocked the sun, we were immediately chilled to an uncomfortable level. The locals told us that they were unused to such a strong wind chill and they demonstrated this by wrapping themselves up in thick pullovers or even fleeces. Despite this, it was actually warm enough for us to sunbathe whenever the clouds kept out of the way of the sun’s rays. It was the evenings that were really chilly. Without the sun, the wind blew from the north between force five and force seven, leaving us no option but to eat dinner inside every night.

Although a constant cold, northerly wind of this strength is an unusual phenomenon in the Canary islands, February and March are often more likely to experience cooler weather than December or January. When this happens, exposed areas on or near to the northern coasts are best avoided. Throughout most of our wind blasted week in Charco De Palo, the southern Lanzarote resort of Playa Blanca was enjoying much calmer and sunnier conditions. Despite this we loved Charco De Palo and will return there one day, keeping in mind our own travel tip and going later in the year.

There are many factors that you should take into account when deciding on when to book for maximum financial gain:

Are you flexible in terms of dates that you are prepared to travel?

Are you flexible in terms of destinations that you are prepared to travel to?

Will you be buying a package deal or will you be building your own package?

Are you considering a popular destination where many tour operators or flight companies travel?

Flexibility Is A Plus

Firstly, if you are flexible in terms of location and dates then you will almost certainly benefit from waiting until the last minute to book your holiday. Last minute deals are, of course, something that you cannot rely upon and if you are set on going to a certain destination at a certain date then last minute is far too risky. If you are planning on creating your own package then youneed to be aware that you are taking multiple gambles. For example, you need to consider your airfare, hotels and transport. Whilst you may get an excellent last minute flight, you may not be so lucky when it comes to the hotel or car hire. In fact, you may find that paying a premium for other parts of your holiday will end up out-weighing any last minute savings you have made.

If you are looking to travel to Europe, this is the time to do it! Flights are a lot cheaper during the spring months when temperatures are still relatively low.

Mexican beaches and the Caribbean islands start to see their prices drop from mid April as the weather becomes hotter. However, during the spring months, the water and air temperatures are still pleasant and the resorts less crowded

Seasonal Travel Plans

During later spring, for example May, the traditionally hot and dry countries are not in their peak seasons but have not yet become intolerably hot. So if you want to visit Morocco, Jordan or Egypt, plan a spring vacation.

Summer

Finding a bargain in summer is tricky. Americans, Japanese and Europeans are all on the move and this is also the time of year that most weddings take place, so honeymoon destinations are in a great deal of demand.

During the early part of summer, through June and July, Caribbean destinations are still good to get a deal, provided you try to book before the Europeans start to flood in during their school holidays at the end of July.

Safari holidays are a good option between June and September. High season ends in May, but the weather is still relatively dry.

Flights and hotels are still quite reasonable in Southeast Asia during the summer months, but temperatures can be quite hot, so if you can’t stand the heat, avoid this destination during the summer months.

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One thing to plan is something to do when you return so everyone can look forward to that activity and not on the absence. Plan for a trip to the zoo or some other age appropriate activity for your children.

Also it is a good idea to not let your suitcase sit near the front door. This way children do not associate that with you leaving. Seeing a suitcase near the door can trigger negative moods in children, so leave it in your bedroom until just before leaving.

This also goes for when you come back from a trip. Put your suitcase away right away and try to get back into your regular family routine as quickly as possible.

Help your spouse do any chores before you leave, like grocery shopping or laundry. Being a single parent for a couple of days can be challenging, especially when you are not used to going it alone.

Play with your kids before you leave as well. Before trips we are usually just focused on preparing for the trip itself and not on preparing the family.

Call often while you are gone. When on the road don’t forget to check in even more often then when you are in town. This helps maintain a constant reassurance that things are okay.

Today with advanced electronics you could even send videos and pictures of yourself to your family. In today’s world there is no reason you cannot stay in touch on a regular basis.

Often frequent flyer families tend to fall into a rut about travel and it may appear that all in the family accept the situation as is. But talk to your spouse and kids every once in a while to see how they are handling your absences and to see if there is anything that you could do to make it easier on them.

In some cases you might be able to even bring the family with you on your trips. If you have a late week trip you could stay and turn it into a long weekend with our family. This is a great way to break up the routine for them and you as well.

You won’t be able to do this very often, but see if you can do it every once in a while. It will take much more planning on your part, but in the end it is worth it.

Families are often the forgotten factor when talking about business travel tips. There is a whole industry focused on the traveler but not on the family. If you are a frequent flyer, take some time to focus on your family.

The walk starts at the pub which is unsurprisingly named, “The Smugglers Inn”. You will find it by driving westwards, along the A353, towards Weymouth. About six miles before Weymouth, and after passing a left hand turning, signposted Ringstead Bay, take the next left which is signposted Osmington Mills. There is also a helpful secondary signpost labeled “Smugglers Inn”. Continue along the lane as it meanders fairly steeply downhill for about three quarters of a mile. You will see the Smugglers Inn at the foot of the hillside on your left and the car park on higher ground to the right. You park here. At the time of writing it is a free car park but please understand that it is intended for pub patrons, so remember to have a drink or meal in the inn when you return later.

Walk down the steps from the car park to the inn and look for a narrow path that leads along the left side of the building and goes to the rear where it becomes the start of the walk. When the walk opens up into a hilly field, head for the lower of the two styles and follow the footpath down to the cove. Here there is a very rocky and pebbly beach with a small waterfall that is fun to cross and makes an excellent backdrop for photographs.

After spending some time exploring the smugglers cove, go back to the field and head for the other style, signposted Coastal Path and Ringstead. This path takes you to the cliff top and provides some superb views across the bay towards Portland and Weymouth Harbor. Look out for the wreck of a small ship that pokes through the surface at low tide but can also be seen under the waves at other times in the crystal clear, turquoise shallows at the foot of the cliff. Continue along the footpath until it descends to nearly sea level with a turn off right to the beach. This will bring you out onto the shingle and pebble, west end of Ringstead Bay. At this end you will find some interesting rock pools and an offshore reef that is uncovered by the tide. The bay stretches for about half a mile to where it ends at White Nothe, a dramatic, white cliff headland. It’s worth the walk to the far end of the beach because the further you go the less pebbly the beach gets and there is quite a bit of sand to be found once the tide goes out. About midway along the bay there are a few holiday homes, some permanent residences, a shop and a café about fifty yards inland and up a path from the beach. Swimming is safe for adults and children in the usually tranquil waters of the bay and there is plenty of grass above the beach for the kids to run around on. The beach is a great place to look for fossils, being part of the World Heritage site, aptly nicknamed, “The Jurassic Coast”.

When you have had enough time sunbathing, exploring the beach or swimming in the turquoise sea, return the same way as you came, remembering to stop off at the Smugglers Inn for drinks or a bite to eat. The locals call the inn, “Smugs” and it dates back to the 13th century. Its situation in the ravine between sheer cliffs has always made it a perfect retreat and landing spot for smugglers. When you go inside to order your drinks or food, you will find plenty of information to read up on about the famous smugglers who once frequented the place. Watch your head under the low roof beams and try to imagine the atmosphere in the days that a gang of notorious smugglers huddled around the huge fireplaces and secret alcoves, plotting their next run across the channel.

As you sit back to enjoy a meal, you might pick up one of the many tourist leaflets that provide further travel tips and information about the Dorset coast and countryside. There is so much to see and do in this area that you’ll find it difficult to make your mind up what to do next. Travel tip articles about Dorset can be found on several web sites, including this one. The weather is usually the fairest you will find in the U.K. but if you do strike it unlucky, Dorset also offers plenty of indoor attractions too.