Qantas' discount airline using Avalon Airport near
Werribee (Melbourne based flights)
cons as at 2005:
if you arrive later than 30min before boarding you
lose your ticket, no refund
there are no boarding passes - so 1st in boarding
queue gets the seats, this means a family is likely to
become separated resulting in a free-for-all struggle to
get the seats
very short leg room (seat pitch 76cm)
no in-flight entertainment; must pay for water,
drinks, food.
not eligible for frequent flyer points
baggage limits are strictly enforced - you pay
$5/kg over 20kg
booking surcharge - $2 via internet; $10 via phone
check availability of a loyalty award scheme with airline and
hotels - although usually only get
about 1c value for every mile travelled
railway passes:
consider rail passes such as Eurail pass as these discounted
passes can only be purchased outside of the region - book at least
several weeks in advance. High speed trains usually need to be
booked in advance and a booking fee applies in addition to the rail
pass cost.
$A900 limit per adult (but families can pool their limit)
and max. 2.25L alcohol and no limit on personal clothing
BUT if you exceed the limit, the duty tax will be applied
to the whole value not just the amount exceeding the limit!
if you fail to declare such items then you may have an
additional penalty imposed.
hence you must declare expensive non-duty-free personal belongings such as cameras, laptops
that you take & will bring back - see - form
here to ensure they don't get included
International visas:
not usually needed for tourist trips to many
places, but check with destination country embassy!
money:
credit cards:
are the most common method of paying for goods
& services overseas and in most places for getting cash from
ATMs BUT many retailers, especially in Europe will require ID
such as passport before they accept credit cards.
don't put them in your back pocket, even if it is zipped,
and not in a hand bag, otherwise you risk theft.
make sure you have enough money in your accounts and
remember your ATM/EFTPOS PIN to access them.
you may not be able to withdraw from Savings account
(called Debit overseas) from your Visa or Mastercard as you
may need to use a HandyCard or FlexiCard for this.
consider getting a Visa debit card that uses a PIN for
transactions for improved security and risk management:
lost
credit card - from overseas reverse charge: call
operator to dial 61 2 9374 7082; From Australia: 1300 651 089
Zurich travel insurance details if purchase
tickets using eligible credit card: see
pdf here
must take a copy of your credit card statement
as proof of ticket purchase AND copies of your
return overseas travel ticket AND proof that the
credit card paid for the tickets AND the above
pdf document.
items purchased in a business name or for
business purposes are not covered.
theft or loss of items left unattended may not
be covered.
you will need original receipts for items and
a police statement if they were stolen.
if you wish to get extra cover for
pre-existing conditions call 1800 812 994
Australian Zurich Assist: +61 2 9995 2021
reverse charge or call 1800 812 994
National lost
Visa card - see below under Visa or if in Australia,
call 1800 033 103
are declining in popularity but provide
some insurance against theft or loss - allow 1 - 2 weeks for
processing prior to trip!
keep your traveller’s cheques receipts separate from
your traveller’s cheques, just in case your cheques are
lost or stolen. You will need the receipt when making a
claim to get your cheques refunded or replaced.
you must declare if you take > $A10,000 out of Australia
(see Customs above)
immunisations:
check that immunisations are not required for your destination
as some need to be given a number of weeks prior
travel insurance:
investigate this early as you may need to get
your doctor to complete a form and then submit it for approval if
you need to cover pre-existing conditions or non-travelling
relatives.
luggage:
make sure you are the only person with access to contents of
your luggage and secure it adequately to prevent drugs, etc
being placed in the luggage for courier to destination.
most airlines allow max. 7kg cabin luggage and 20kg stowed
luggage - check with airline.
new requirements for cabin luggage fluids/liquids/gels (100ml
max. in a transparent 1L 20x20cm resealable zip log plastic
bag):
photograph or photocopy all important documents such as passport,
credit cards, travel tickets and itinerary/contacts, and leave a
copy at home as well as take a copy on your person to assist if loss
occurs - consider emailing it to your email service for storage,
although there may be security issues with this, so consider
password-protecting a zip file to store it.
passport
travel tickets
travel insurance documentation
driver's licence if planning to drive a vehicle
addresses of hotels booked
times of trains and names, locations of stations to catch them
webmail details so you can log into your email anywhere (ie.
web address, username, password)
medicines:
some countries require you to apply for a permit if
medicines contain "controlled substances" which
include many pain killers (eg. codeine), sedatives (eg.
valium), sleeping tablets, epilepsy medications, cough
medicines
you may not be allowed to take more than 3 months of any
medicine without approval
for other countries, it is advisable you have at least a
doctor's letter stating medications & conditions they
are used for, and preferably prescriptions
take a list of emergency phone numbers & carry separate to
credit cards, such as:
credit card travel assist
travel insurance
mobile phone provider's assist.
home contact numbers
hotel and airline contact numbers
manage your electrical needs:
international power adapter for region (see wikipedia)
North America, Japan, parts of Sth America, Saudi
Arabia, Madagascar use 100-127V AC (mainly 60Hz) with
type A/B plugs
the rest of the world mainly uses 220-240V AC (mainly
50Hz) with a variety of plugs:
Australia, NZ, Papua New Guinea, (Argentina with
reversed wiring) use type I
most of Europe and parts of Africa use non-earthed
type C " CEE 7/16 2 pin Europlug" (also
type E, F are used)
Italy also uses 3 pin type L but 10Amp sockets
accept the 2 pin Europlug
UK uses type G
India uses type D
Israel uses type H
consider a compact,
light, 4 plug power board to charge your phones, etc
simultaneously
consider a universal power charger for laptop/phones for use
on plane if travelling business class:
consider having a spare 8Gb CF card with memory card
reader to load your most important images on as a backup in
case laptop and cameras are stolen - obviously need to keep
this card separate so it is not stolen as well.
ideally you should have at least 2 copies of all your
important images on separate medium.
consider a laptop + power adapter or PDA +/- GPS
device with software loaded for destination
other things to do before you leave:
minimise your incoming email to avoid clogging your system:
if you subscribe to forums, etc such as Yahoo Groups, then
change your configuration so you don't get emails while you
are away.
avoid problems in your house:
ensure adequate security and all doors, windows are dead
locked
try to ensure your house still looks lived in
turn off taps such as to dishwashers, washing machines to
minimise risk of flooding if they burst
turn off all unnecessary power or gas devices
ensure all bills that need to be paid while you are away
get paid
ask your neighbours to watch your house:
newspapers, mail, etc.
mow lawns
get your work place sorted out:
don't forget to set your out-of-office message for your
work email
make sure you are still getting paid - put your leave
forms and time sheets in at pay office
reduce your stress and worry while on leave:
consider reducing your stock market exposure by selling
higher risk shares - don't spoil your holiday by having to
check on the stock market - your family will not be happy!
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