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Press Release: Fodor's Travel Publications
October 17, 2002
NEW YORK, NY -- In light of the recent bombing in Bali, the U.S. government is advising that all Americans postpone
travel to Indonesia. With this advisory, there are growing concerns among travelers who have plans to visit Indonesia
and elsewhere in the near future. Although there are no formal policies in situations like this and airlines and
hotels aren't required to refund your money should you decide to cancel, they might be willing to work with you.
Fodor's suggests the following for those who want to cancel or postpone their trips:
1. Stay calm. Travel policies have changed considerably in the past year.
Have all of your information at hand and use your best negotiating
voice.
2. If you booked your trip through a travel agent or with a tour group,
be sure to be in touch with them as soon as possible. They can review
the terms of the package and will likely be able to offer you
assistance or help you make alternative arrangements.
3. Call the airline if you booked the trip directly. See if they will
change your reservation (there may be a charge) or issue you a credit
to be used within a certain time period. Call at off-peak hours when
the agent or supervisor will have more time to address your specific
requests. Get the name of the agent who helped you and make a note of
all of the changes you agreed to. Call the next day to confirm that
these changes have been entered into your record.
4. Check with your hotel. On the same premise, they are likely to allow
you to cancel or reschedule your stay. Some may give you a full or
partial refund of any down payment.
5. If you have a comprehensive travel insurance plan you are probably in
good shape as these typically cover trip cancellation, interruption,
default, and delay. If you don't have this sort of plan but are
thinking about a trip abroad it may be smart to look into one of these
plans.
If you are planning a trip abroad and have concerns about the safety of the destination, go to http://www.state.gov/travel/ for information about current travel warnings. Also, remember these tips from Fodor's on how you can protect yourself as an American abroad:
1. Know where the U.S. Embassy is in your destination. Even if you aren't
going to a far-flung or potentially dangerous destination, always have
with you a list of local embassies, with their phone numbers and
dialing codes. Let the embassy know you're there and give them a copy
of your itinerary, and leave the list of embassy numbers with friends
or family at home.
2. Don't make your American identity especially obvious and do your best
to blend in with the locals.
3. Be as inconspicuous as possible. This includes never looking at maps
in public. Study them in advance, or look at them in a cafe or your
hotel room.
4. Check in regularly with someone at home. Tell friends when they can
expect your calls and give them a copy of your itinerary. And don't
forget to call.
5. Keep your passport with you at all times. Many hotels ask for it upon
check-in however all they really need is a copy. In addition to a copy
for them, give another to your family at home and keep an additional
copy on you separate from the original.
6. Make sure you will have access to your money. Take some of the local
currency with you before you go.
7. Find out if your cell phone plan will work in the country you are
going to. If not, you can rent one in many foreign countries or get a
prepaid phone card to make calls home.
8. Pay attention to travelers' advisories and always check with the state
department for updates before departing.
And above all, be smart. By doing a little homework, and having important information handy, you'll have more time
to enjoy your trip.
Source: Fodor's Travel Publications