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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