Travel Myths Busted

Is there any subject for which there are no myths floating around? The travel industry is no exception. Here are the top 10 myths. Read on and I will explain why they are Myths.

1. The lowest air fares are only available on the Internet.
2. If you use your cell phone, the plane will crash.
3. Cruise ships are all-inclusive.
4. If you rent a car with a credit card, you don’t need additional insurance.
5. Taking the train in Europe is cheaper than flying.
6. Re-circulated cabin air on planes will make you sick.
7. Your hotel card key can be used to steal your identity.
8. X-ray machines at airport security checkpoints can erase your computer’s hard drive.
9. My Hertz (or Avis) corporate discount gives me the best car rental rates.
10. Rule 240 is a secret airline code that will get you what you want.

Read on….

1. The lowest air fares are only available on the Internet.
   Since the advent of online airline booking sites, the airlines have done a great marketing job of perpetuating this myth. For a short time after the launch of their sites, they did have some fares that were less. However, these have mostly gone the way of free checked luggage. There are several things wrong with this statement.
   
   First, while there are many low fares available on the Internet, especially for domestic flights, they are not available only on the Internet. Travel agencies also have access to these low fares. By law, the airlines must make these fares also available through their booking sites to agencies and most are also available through the agency’s General Reservation System (GRS). The idea that you have to search the Internet yourself to get the lowest fares is a myth. Your travel planner can also access these fares.
   
   Further, the lowest fares may not be available on the Internet at all, or at least not where you are thinking. Travel agencies have access also to wholesalers and consolidators. These sources may have ticket prices that are less, and sometimes significantly less than buying the ticket online from the airline, or through any of the online sources, such as Expedia, Orbitz, and Travelocity. A good travel planner will know if you qualify for wholesale fares, or consolidator fares.
   
   This myth is particularly busted with international airfares. International air fare is more complicated than domestic air fares and this is where passengers can yield the most savings by working with an agency. Consolidators typically focus most of their efforts with international travel and can often offer the lowest fares. Consolidators sell only through travel agency. Many travel agencies, particularly if they do a lot of corporate travel may have contracts with airlines that give the client a discount on standard airfares. So, always consult a travel agent when planning international travel.
   
   So, use your travel agent and you will get the lowest fares at the time you book. Take advantage of all the services they offer and advise they can dispense. And, you have the comfort of knowing you have someone you know and trust to call when you need service regarding your flights. When was the last time you reached a person to help you at an Internet booking site, especially one you know and trust?
2. If you use your cell phone, the plane will crash.
   Geese, who thinks these things up? This is ridiculous. However, it has been known for a long time that electronic devices, such as cell phones, portable DVD players, radios, and laptop computers, emit radio signals; and these signals can interfere with the airplane navigation equipment. This is most critical during take offs and landings, which is why you are asked to turn them off. Once in the air, cell phones are worthless, simply because there are no cell towers at 30,000 feet. Please think these things out before you believe them.
3. Cruise ships are all-inclusive.
   Anyone who sells you a cruise on the notion that it is all-inclusive needs to go back to cruise training 101. Cruises are not all inclusive. There are, as I call it, mostly inclusive. They do include you room; all your ship-board meals; standard beverages of coffee, tea, milk, and water; entertainment; and most ship-board activities. However, on most ships, all liquor and pop are not included – the exception to this is some of the top-end luxury cruise lines may include all beverages, including liquor and pop. Also not included are specialized ship-board activities, such as Pilates classes. Any optional shore excursions are not included, but frankly these would not be included at an all-inclusive resort. So, cruise lines are mostly inclusive.
4. If you rent a car with a credit card, you don’t need additional insurance.
   Buzz. Wrong again. If you have a credit card that carries insurance with it, it may or may not include car rentals. Check with your credit card for details of what is covered. They may cover liability and the collision damage waiver, but only up to a fixed amount; and then again they may cover nothing. Know for sure before you jump into this one.
   
   Further, if you are a resident of Minnesota and have financed your car, you may have an inclusion on your car insurance policy that covers rental cars. Technically, it is the law in Minnesota. If you are not financing your car, it may be there anyway, since some insurance companies may just include it as default. Don’t assume on this one either. Check with your insurance agent to find out exactly what your personal car insurance policy covers in regard to rental cars. So, before you rent a car, know for sure if you are covered for the additional insurance by checking with your credit card company and your insurance agent. If not, we recommend that you take it, but it is your choice. Make it an intelligent choice.
5. Taking the train in Europe is cheaper than flying.
   The frequency of train service and the speed of the trains in Europe make this a much desired way to travel through Europe. You can conveniently connect between cities all over Europe via train. But, is it cheaper? Not necessarily and will depend a number of factors. If you are going from one city to another and it is over a long distance, for example London to Rome, you may find that the cost of air is less. On the other hand, if you are planning to go between multiple cities a rail pass may be the least expensive route. Check your options and know before you go. If you plan to travel by rail, purchase your ticket in the US prior to going to Europe. Your travel agent can get the best rail fares here.
6. Re-circulated cabin air on planes will make you sick.
   Ok, maybe it’s not the healthiest situation in the world, but what enclosed area is? Airplanes not only re-circulate air, they also bring in some fresh air. It’s not really likely to make you sick. However, sitting next to the dude that is sneezing and coughing the entire trip is likely to get you the same cold.
   
   If you want to be health conscious on airplanes, beware the lavatories. We hear much in the news about the Norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships. However, this virus has a 24-36 hour incubation period after contact before someone gets sick. Many of the outbreaks are traced back to lavatories on airplanes, or other public places where multiple people touch the same surfaces (public restrooms, escalators, arm rests). Be sure to always wash your hands after using the lavatory. Use a paper towel in your hand when unlocking the door and open it before tossing the towel. And, carry a small bottle of hand sanitizer with you. Use it, especially if you are sitting next to that dude with a cold. Viruses are transmitted mostly through contact, and our hands are the biggest culprits. Ewwww.
7. Your hotel card key can be used to steal your identity.
   Before you believe myths like this check a Web site, such as truthorfiction.com. I have no idea how this one got started and is a total myth. There is absolutely no personal information recorded on those room keys. What is recorded is a code for the room along with the dates the code is effective. You’re at no risk of identity theft if your room key falls into the hands of someone else and they try to read the magnetic strip. However, if you lose your key, notify the hotel immediately so that they can deactivate the code, thus preventing someone from accessing your room and possibly stealing your possessions or your identity through what is in your room.
8. X-ray machines at airport security checkpoints can erase your computer’s hard drive.
   No way, no how, no damage from X-ray machines. Do not mix technology. Disk drives record information through magnetizing the surface of the disk. X-rays do not contain magnetic fields.
9. My Hertz (or Avis) corporate discount gives me the best car rental rates.
   I wish I had the folks at Hertz doing the marketing for me. Hertz and Avis typically have the highest rates for car rentals, yet they have convinced corporations that the 5 percent discount they give with those corporate discount cards gives them great savings. They dish out these discount cards like water. Five percent is a savings, but when looking for the lowest rental rates check with other rental companies, such as Thrifty, Alamo, Budget, Dollar, and even National. Their every day rates are often lower than any Hertz or Avis discount. By the way, some travel agencies (AWA Travel for one) has discounts with the other companies. That’s where the real saving lies.
   
   Oh, don’t forget about those free rental days Hertz and Avis dish out. Believe me; you have already paid for those days in the higher rental rates you’ve been paying with these companies. Take them, you deserve them. But next time, have your travel agent check the rates of all the companies. We can pull up a display of all the companies on one screen. It is the same make car, but at lower rates.
10. Rule 240 is a secret airline code that will get you what you want.
    I’ve saved the best for last. Even a noted TV travel advisor still believes this one. However, this rule changed significantly when the Regan administration deregulated the airlines in the 1970’s.
    
    To understand this one, we have to understand the rules before and after deregulation. If you are under 33 years of age, you have never known a regulated airline system. When the airlines were regulated, Rule 240 basically said that any airline had to accept a ticket that was ticketed on another carrier. For example, if you wanted to fly from Chicago to New York and you had a ticket on American Airlines, you could walk over to the United Airlines counter, present the ticket, and if they had a seat on the next flight to New York, they had to accept the AA ticket. This was particularly convenient in the case of cancelled flights, or delays because of weather or mechanical problems. No hassle, no problem, you simply presented your ticket and you were on you way. It was the regulations enforced by the Federal Government.
    
    After deregulation, this whole scenario changed. Today, if you have a ticket to New York on American Airlines and there is a delay or cancellation, an American Airlines agent must endorse the ticket over to another carrier before that carrier will accept it. It all has to do with how and if the second carrier is paid. If the first carrier does not endorse the ticket over, the second carrier might not be paid for the flight.
    
    Rule 240 still exists with the legacy airline, but it has been rewritten to define how another carrier will be paid for an endorsed ticket. The newer low-cost carriers, such as Sun Country and Air Tran, do not have a Rule240. They have another rule in their Contract of Carriage that defines this function.
    
    Why then have people been successful in evoking Rule 240? I’ve read advise columns that say that if your flight is cancelled and you know there is another flight to simply walk up to the agent and say “Rule 240” as if it is some magic wand. Under today’s rules if an airline has a cancellation they are not in any way required to endorse your ticket over to a second carrier, even if their next flight is not until the next day. However, if you walk up to their counter knowing that another carrier has an open seat on their flight, the agent will most likely endorse over the ticket. Think of the hassle that agent is dealing with. They just cancelled a flight and the agent has over 200 people standing in line to re-accommodate on other flights. If you walk up to that agent with knowledge that will help them deal with one or more less people, the agent will reciprocate and endorse the ticket. You have helped out the agent, and the agent is helping you in return. It is no rule; it is convenience, possibly even customer service.