Travel Advice

Back in June we saw hope when the U.S. Department of Transportation released an early version of rules and regulations that will be put in place to protect stranded passengers. Topics discussed included a bunch of issues from how airline companies repay people that were sold tickets on oversold flights to how luggage fees are displayed on carrier websites. Now it is February, and according to an article in The Baltimore Sun, we are being told that April is when we can actually see a final version released or so they claim. Officials are still in talks over fines and penalties for passengers that are made to idle for 180 minutes or more on domestic flights in small/medium airport hubs. Come April more issues will magically pop up. Cynical? Maybe but lets wait until its actually released. Whatever the talks may be it seems passengers are left stranded once again…

Source: http://www.baltimoresun.com/topic/ct-biz-0214-tarmac-delays-20110214,0,686308.story?track=rss-topicgallery

As discussed in a previous blog post the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) is under a lot of pressure to implement a program to alleviate unnecessary screenings for trusted and respected travelers. As the TSA works tirelessly on finding a way to create an adequate and efficient traveler trust program, a few articles have already started hinting at some of the procedures and processes involved with the programs logistics. The concept that we have come to know is a 3-tier approach to security. Travelers are classified as either a Trusted Traveler, Regular or Risk.

According to an article posted on Flying with Fish (a blog about flying) the 3-tier program works like this:

The Trusted Travelers, would be those who submit to a complete background check, much like those under the previous Registered Traveler program, and similar to the current Global Entry program that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (US CBP)has in place at international airports. US CBP’s Global Entry program allows those who have undergone a background check to bypass the lines at passport control and use a kiosk to enter the country.   With the TSA’s projected Trusted Traveler program, a traveler who has been verified would receive a ‘lighter’ search,  use a walk-through-metal-detector instead of an Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) scanner and in theory be able to keep their shoes on and their laptop in the bag.”

A “Regular” traveler would undergo the standard security procedures in place today.

A “Risk” traveler would receive a more thorough search of their clothing, baggage and potentially be asked a series of questions.

However, many are skeptical of this approach and feel a lot of roads need to be crossed in order for it to be an adequate and safe system. The same article goes through multiple steps that need to be addressed before a new program is implemented:

• Being able to positively identify each traveler and matching them to their boarding pass
• “IT issues associated with having a live stream of data of all passenger information coming into each and every TSA checkpoint.”
• IT-Hardware needs – “hardware needs a budget of hundreds of millions of dollars … something the TSA does not presently have in its budget.”
• Logistics – “The physical altering of security checkpoints at airports to allow for the three-tier screening to be carried out.”

And of course, “Who would perform the passenger background checks for the Trusted Traveler system and who would determine a ‘Regular’ vs ‘Risk’ passenger?”  The “Who?” and “Where?” seem to be the biggest issues – government agency or independent contractors? How will the information be secured? How will it be payed for?

These questions and many more are on everyone’s minds considering the TSA has yet to answer any of these questions. It is only a matter of time before any of this becomes a “TSA just talks” game.

Be sure to keep reading the Sundance Vacations blog as we are going to update you as information is released.

Source: http://boardingarea.com/blogs/flyingwithfish/2011/02/10/can-the-tsa-create-a-viable-trusted-traveler-program/

Despite travel falling as the largest target for fraud, the industry still deals with it on a daily basis with thousands of people ending up being the victims of credit card fraud. In order to prevent fraud from happening to you while you are on vacation, we put together a researched list of tips that can help you avoid credit card fraud:

• Use only one credit card while traveling.
• Keep a second one close by but in a safe place just in case the credit card you are using gets stolen.
• Keep all receipts!
• Check your credit card statements daily (even when you get home too!)
• Verfiy every purchase or charge made on your credit card.
• If you become the victim of credit card fraud, call the credit card issuer immediately! You most likely will not be held responsible for the attack.

The most important thing is to know what is being charged at all times and to verify those purchases. The sooner you know that fraud was committed the faster you can prevent any more fraudulent charges from happening.

An article was recently published on USA Today Travel titled “Three reasons why airfares are likely to rise” about exactly that – rising airfares! David Grossman, author of the article, writes “According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the average domestic airfare (excluding checked luggage and other ancillary fees paid after ticketing) jumped 13% from $301 to $341 in the second quarter of 2010 vs. the previous year. That $341 fare was 3.8% more than the previous quarter and represented the fourth consecutive quarterly fare increase.” This fact alone is scary but the article goes on to discuss reasons why airfares are rising which include: capacity cuts and rising demand, prolonged period of higher oil prices and changing business models for low-cost airlines. It may be obvious that there are more reasons as well but for the sake of the article the author only discussed three. Anyway whatever the case may be it does not look like travelers have much of an option when controlling fees or at least getting fairly cheaper rates than before.

However, as a wholesale travel provider Sundance Vacations offers bulk vacation packages that make saving on vacations similar to the way people save when they buy a case of soda instead of a can. Because of this increase in airfares, budget conscious travelers are seeking cheaper travel alternatives to help them save. In fact, last summer when prices originally spiked we saw a considerable jump in demand for drive to destinations and we predict the same for this summer as well.

Sundance Vacations has a lot of destinations on the east coast in areas such as the Jersey shore, Ocean City, Virginia, Maryland, South Carolina and Hilton Head – all of which are within a days drive from any one of our east coast sales offices. When it costs double to fly anymore, consider driving to a Sundance Vacations destination – where you not only save on getting there but you save on the overall vacation as well.

Jayne Clark from the USAToday recently authored a story “How to get the most out of a Disney/Universal park visit”.  This is a topic of great importance among the tens of thousands of Sundance Vacations travelers.  The article recommends the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World written by Bob Sehlinger.   Some of Sehlinger’s money saving tips include:

1. Staying in a non Disney branded hotel.  We couldn’t agree more.  Sundance Vacations travelers can stay in Kissimmee (within a few minutes of the park) for just $198 for the entire week.  Dates are available through October.
2. Buy a cooler to stock breakfast items.  Travelers who stay in a typical hotel room may be forced to live out of a cooler as Sehlinger suggests but our travelers are offered accommodations that have a full kitchen which is definitely a popular benefit to traveling with Sundance Vacations.

“I have to admit that when we travel I don’t often use the kitchen in our unit.  The Disney World area is definitely among the exceptions,” advises Sundance Vacations founder, Tina Dowd.  “There is so much to do that we don’t want to waste time with a sit down breakfast; a bowl of cereal or a bagel while we get ready for the day is perfect.  We also appreciate the refrigerator for storing our own cold drinks.”

Travelers who are looking for money saving tips should visit Sundance Vacations before they book their next hotel room.

Surrounded by lush, green golf courses, the beautiful GreenLinks property lies within Lely Resort Golf and Country Club, and is conveniently close to the beaches of Naples, shopping, and exquisite dining.

Perfect for an avid golfer, Naples is a wonderful setting for a vacation. Named after the illustrious Italian city, Naples offers 17 miles of beach along the Gulf of Mexico and beautiful blue water, making it the perfect for water sports, sunbathing, and playing in the sand. Naples Municipal Pier gives way to 10 miles of charming white sand beaches. While in Naples, you may also want to take a trip to the Everglades National Park, or the Naples Botanical Garden.

As for amenities onsite, GreenLinks Resort has a conference center, heated pool, jacuzzi, two golf courses, two tennis courts, a fitness room, a clubhouse with a pro shop, fishing, chartered tours, the Flamingo Island Restaurant, barbecue grills, shelling, water sports, and a spa.

GreenLinks Resort condos feature a full kitchen including microwave, living room, dining area, two cable televisions with free HBO, DVD, high speed internet, telephone, a washer & dryer, iron & ironing board, a hair dryer in the bathroom, and a private screened balcony. Both the bedrooms and the balcony have ceiling fans. The condos are approximately 10 miles from the beach with taxi service.

Eagle’s Nest at Indian Point

Eagle’s Nest Resort is located in beautiful Branson, Missouri, on Lake of the Ozarks. Lake of the Ozarks is a part of Lake of the Ozarks State Park, the largest state park in Missouri. Located right on the lake, the resort provides many fun outdoor activities, and of course, picturesque views of the lake and surrounding area.

Known as the “Live Music Show Capital of the World,” Branson will always keep you occupied during your stay. There are plenty of outdoor activities such as golf, horseback riding, boat rides, hunting, and fishing. Branson’s Dinosaur Museum, Splash Country Indoor Water Park, Ripley’s Believe It Or Not museum, and Silver Dollar City are also places that you will want to visit during your stay. To enjoy all of the natural wonders that Branson has to offer, make sure to visit the caves and caverns in the area. You may also want to visit the numerous theatres and entertainment venues that have made Branson famous.

As for activities at Eagle’s Nest Resort, you can go tubing, golfing, fishing, swimming (in the lake or the pool), boating, waterskiing, caving, go karting, and parasailing. Your accommodations at Eagle’s Nest Resort feature a full kitchen with a dishwasher, a microwave, TV, VCR, telephone, decks with barbecue grills, and air conditioning. Also, laundry facilities are provided onsite for your convenience.

Branson is a beautiful and fun-filled city, with something to offer everyone.

Because of the major gulf oil leak, some travelers may be leery of traveling these days down near the gulf coast. For fear that the beaches are covered in oil, tourism has been down. Along with the tourism being down, a lot of the fishing businesses in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama are currently not in operation as well.  How can they fish in oil? Obviously this is effecting the economy in certain spots, but is it all over the gulf like some think?

In an article published on June 14 on ABCNews.com,  Miami Beach Rep. Richard Steinberg is quoted saying “People outside of the U.S. look at Florida as one (beach) and don’t understand if there’s a little bit of oil in the Panhandle, they think it’s all over the state.” Despite fears, Sundance Vacations contacted a few of our customers who have been traveling near the Panhandle during this oil leak crisis. Pat Gerdeman, who traveled to one of our locations in Destin, FL ( located on the Panhandle just east of Pensacola, FL) during June 6-10, said that she ran into no problems while vacationing, the beaches were beautiful and tourism didn’t seem to be down. Asked if people were fearful in Destin, Pat felt that the media makes it out to be worse than it really is. Another customer who traveled near the coast said they also experienced a great time without being effected by the oil spill.

Here is a video update from last week about the beaches from Destin, FL:

Even though the Panhandle has had some oil creep onto the beaches, most of the beaches are still clear and clean. In the same article, we learn that “South Florida tourism officials are pushing for [a] campaign to clarify that the vast majority of Florida’s 825 miles of beaches are oil-free.” The article concludes with Steinberg worrying that all the media attention and recent presidential visit will put the wrong image in the heads of tourists. For now most of the beaches in Florida are clear, even in the Panhandle. Pensacola has been the only area to close portions of the beach.

As Florida battles the bad perception the oil spill may be giving it’s beaches and tourist areas, other areas such as Mississippi beaches remain open despite seeing oil on some of their beaches. The Mississippi Gulf Coast Official Website states that “With large amounts of oil and tar balls washing up on South Mississippi beaches Monday, state officials have issued advisories for two areas along the beach in Harrison and Jackson Counties.  These beaches are not closed and beach goers may continue to use these beaches, but the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources and the Mississippi State Department of Health advise people to be aware of their surroundings while recreating.” Many other areas can not say the same such as in Louisiana, whose beaches have been devastated by the oil.

As the gulf oil leak crisis continues to leak oil without an end in site, gulf officials are doing everything they can to contain the spill and keep our beaches clean. Tourists can also help out by volunteering. Check out the following sites for more information on volunteering for the four northern gulf states:

http://www.volunteerlouisiana.gov/- Louisiana

http://www.volunteerflorida.org/ – Florida

http://211connectsalabama.org/ – Alabama

http://www.mcvs.org/ – Mississippi

Source: http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/wireStory?id=10914401

Out with the old, in the new – this is our motto as spring arrives and we gear up for beach season. In the spirit of spring cleaning, we have launched a set of new social media communities designed specifically with our valued customers and supporters in mind. Our goal is to provide a place where you can swap tips with fellow travelers, get your questions answered, show-off your photos, and tell us what made your trip special.

We are excited to announce our official social media profiles and we look forward to connecting with you on a daily basis!

·         Our official Facebook Fan page is the ultimate platform to share your vacation experiences and memories. Post photos and videos from your trips, connect with other vacationers to exchange recommendations, and receive travel tips to ensure a smooth journey.  Become a fan to stay connected and be the first to receive Sundance Vacations updates. 

·         Our official Flickr page is also a great hub to share vacation photos and see all the incredible vacation destinations Sundance Vacations can take you.

·         For your viewing pleasure, Sundance has a new official YouTube channel! Check out our vacation videos and become a subscriber.  You can also watch videos of our sweepstakes winners and see what you can win by entering a Sundance Vacations’ contest.

·         You can also connect with us on Twitter @TravelSundance to receive vacation tips, travel promotions, and more. Traveling? Tweet us a picture of your trip and let us know what you are doing.

We will no longer be updating our other social media sites, so be sure to join our new official communities to keep up with the latest news and promotions. We have some exciting announcements in the works you won’t want to miss!

We encourage you to log on to our new official sites and share your own vacation memories today!