How to breeze through airport security checks

originally published in GOTCHA By Jarius Bondoc The Philippine Star, July 24, 200

Airport security checks can be a hassle, but not if you know what to do. Dan Tardecilla of the Office of Transportation Security says they want passengers to cross the checkpoints easily, onto safe flights. Officers in the country’s 84 airports are trained to screen efficiently. But travelers too must help simplify the process by familiarizing themselves with it. Dan’s tips:

Pre-departure

• Know your terminal. NAIA has four. Terminal-1, the old MIA, serves all international airlines, except PAL and Cebu Pacific. Terminal-2, or Centennial, has only PAL, in separate wings for domestic and international flights. Cebu Pacific domestic and international fly out of Terminal-3, the newest, along with PAL Express and Air Philippines. Zest Air and Sea Air operate from the Domestic Terminal.

• Allow enough time before departure for security screening and check-in. For international, two to three hours before departure is best. All airports have two security checkpoints, at the terminal entrance and before the boarding gates. Airline check-in personnel also follow international standards in screening passengers and baggage.

• Have the airline ticket and acceptable ID (passport, driver’s license, etc.) ready before entering the terminal.

Baggage

• Before using, look inside all pockets and remove items prohibited in air travel (firearms, bladed weapons, etc.). Pack carryon and checked luggage yourself, so you know what’s inside in case of questions.

• Organizing a bag’s contents by layer facilitates visual checks. Screeners take more time checking and clearing cluttered bags. Pack smart; innocuous items can appear as threats in an X-ray image. Load your bags one foot apart on the X-ray conveyor belt.

• Do not wrap gifts; screeners may unwrap them for inspection. If flying to international destinations, follow the rules on duty-free items, like liquor and wine. Shop personnel will assist you on destinations that have restrictions on certain items.

• Security officers are on the lookout for liquid explosives. To avoid delays, pack all liquids in your checked luggage. If you must carry liquids, aerosols, creams or gels, the containers must not exceed 10 ml, packed inside a 20 x 20 cm transparent re-sealable plastic bag. Only one bag per passenger, this must be separately placed in the service tray for X-ray. Declare any exempted liquids (medicines, breast milk, etc.) to the screener.

• Screeners may request you to switch on laptops, digital cameras, and other electronic devices.

• Ask your airline customer service about items disallowed on board aircraft. When in doubt, leave it out. Bringing banned items not only may delay you and other passengers, but also require a police investigation.

Clothing

• Dress plainly. Screeners need to identify metals detected at checkpoints. If the metal detector alarms as you pass through, you will be required to undergo further screening, by hand wand or frisking.

• Before entering screening area, put loose change, keys, mobile phones, jewelry, and other metal objects inside the pocket of your jacket or carryon (that will pass through X-ray).

• At final checkpoint, travelers are required to remove shoes (aside from metal objects) and place these on the tray for X-ray. Slip-ons are easier to take off and put back on without having to sit down.

• Wearing bullets, dud or live, as amulet or lucky charm is barred.

• Avoid wearing bulky clothes, boots with laces, and other apparel that will make it difficult for the security officer to screen you properly.

• Think before you speak. Belligerent behavior, inappropriate bomb jokes, and threats will not be tolerated. You might miss your flight if taken in for questioning.

* * *

E-mail: jariusbondoc@workmail.com

Travel writing — a hidden gem

A friend once asked me if travel writers can get to travel for free.  I wasn’t sure of the answer, so I asked a few friends in media, and searched for some sources on the net.  And I realized how lucrative a business the travel industry could be.  My friend, a Public  Relations colleague from a decade or so ago, has since made a second career out of travel writing — about destinations, services, facilities, and countries, has traveled to and from 6 continents, and is now based in Singapore.  She has written about a river cruise in Vietnam, a cross-country train ride in Europe, backpacking in the Rockies, and many other adventurous experiences, including scouring the backstreets of Budapest for treasures. She freelances now, having decided to retire from the pressures of corporate PR, and preferring to leisurely earn her keep while traveling.

That was a little more than 2 years ago, before I pursued an online business as a travel agent.

One of the resources my friend followed up on was a 150-page ebook with by a real travel writer Mel McIntyre, entitled Travel Writing Secrets.  Mel says:

“Travel writing is a true hidden gem.

Travel to the most exotic locations for free.  Stay at the world’s finest hotels.  Enjoy the best food available.

And on your flight on the way home, knock out a couple of articles – and get paid big money to wit about your experiences.

Travel writing is definitely THE most exciting writing job around.”

And perhaps the next best job to being a travel agent.

Learn more about Travel Writing Secrets

More resources for writers and authors

ONLY from My Dream Travels
Get the full CD Course at 21% discount via PayPal

Isla Shekhina: An island in a lake on a mountain

Location: Cavinti, Laguna Province, Philippines

Just discovered a unique and  little-known retreat from families and groups– an island in a lake on a mountain.

Isla Shekhina is a pearl on Lake Lumot, nestled in Cavinti, Laguna, in the Sierra Madre Mountain Range.

“Your paradise for the moment is just three hours away from the city.

Think of it – your own 3,000 square meter island for the weekend in the clear waters of Lake Lumot, Cavinti, Laguna.

Go boating, fishing, wading, strolling, bird-watching, star-gazing, isle-hopping or just meditating and counting your breath slowly while viewing blessed Mt. Banahaw in the distance. If you are a certified swimmer, you will enjoy doing laps on the eastern side of the island.”

I did check the website at http://islashekhina.angelfire.com and fell in love with the place immediately.  Isla Shekhina is like no other regular resort.  It’s very private, and allows for great communing with nature. Amenities are sparse, but then that’s the beauty of the experience, right. One can sleep in the 4-person cabin, or sleep under the stars, in tents or in the gazebo. Electricity is available 4 hours in the night, enough to charge your cellphone, or check mail on your laptop. Torches light your way the rest of the night.

What to do on Isla Shekhina? Swim in the freshwater lake, catch fresh fish for your lunch in the open lake, run around with the2  resident pet dogs, count the stars and constellations, practice your yoga or taichi exercises, watch the grass grow, contemplate on your life achievements,  “stare in amazement as the rising moon’s reflection becomes a pillar of light that breaks nto a million shards across the lake.” Of course work-a-holics will also surely have fun conducting mini-workshops on the island.

Suggest you bring you own pillows and beddings, sweater or jacket, flashlight, fishing rod, swim wear and towels, food supplies, a bible or your spirituality book.

Visit Isla Shekhina website to whet your appetite for a simple outdoors retreat, which is only a 4-hour ride from Metro Manila, via the zigzag road of Rizal Province through Pelilia and Paete, or via the SLEX through Los Banos and Pagsanjan in Laguna Province.  A motorized banca provides round trip transfers from docking to house,which is just 3 min.away from the barangay.

Dictionary of colloquial Filipino

The Philippines boasts of a highly literate population, and one that actually speaks English.  No less than 96% of Filipinos anywhere around the 7100+ islands can understand and speak English, a result of the Education Department’s stress on English as a medium of instruction.

Yet because of the predominant use of the national language, Filipino, one can expect Filipinos to understand and speak at least 2 languages plus one, two  or more of the 100+ regional dialects. Expectedly, over the decades of migration to the cities, several sub-languages are evolving, which leave even some locales wondering how best to use the words.

Yet, the sub-languages seem to be the colloquial Filipino, a creative, sometimes funny, fusion of English, Filipino, Tagalog, Ilocano, Kapampanga, Ilongo, and several other dialects.

Surely passing travelers can safely survive the tour with English spoken clearly and slightly slower than normal.

For natural and alien residents, a working knowledge of the colloquial language can work wonders, especially when trying to negotiate a bargain.

Fortunately,  there’s an online reference (and a book) to refer to, for those oft-intriguing bastardized words, phrases and idioms that local Filipinos use — the better for our immigrant and foreign-based Pinoys to understand our language and culture, and for foreigners in the country to finally learn to speak some colloquial Filipino.

Ano ba ‘yon? Ano ba ‘yan? http://www.anoyon.com is authored by Cynch Sta. Maria-Baron, and enriched by contributions of family, friends, and the general public. The site is a great reference for conversational Filipino, at least for use of some phrases, though it is a continuing work in progress. As I went through the long list, I actually learned a word or two, perhaps less commonly used, but nonetheless a part of colloquial Tagalog. I see the site evolving with thousands of additional words and phrases, corrections and adjustments, as well as a section on sample usage of these words, phrases and idioms.

The book version of the website was  launched November 15, 2008, and available at all major bookstores.

Remember to bring name cards

No matter how meticulous we are at planning and packing our luggage for a trip, we can still use a few more tips from other travelers.  Try to remember to bring name cards along.

We meet a lot of people on trips unless we decide on a solitary trek in the woods.  And how often do we hit our head in the thought that we had forgotten to bring name cards along.  Name cards, some call them calling cards, save us from having to write our contact information on a table napkin with a felt pen, or shout our phone number to a long-lost friend, only to realize that the whole town also heard it.

At a seminar I attended in October, I had brought along 100 cards, and gave away 75 to new acquaintances who would at least remember me when they went back home to their regular routine.   Whenever I receive name cards from new acquaintances, I often jot down a note to remind me where and when we met.  So, I had  my cards made precisely for the seminar, adding a line at the back that included the seminar title, date and venue. And that means, 75 friends who would hopefully remember that we ever met.

If you forget to order your cards ahead, or bring them along, you can always order online from VistaPrint from anywhere in the US. I do that soon as I remember, and I get my cards the next day wherever I ask them to deliver it.

Check out your exclusive 25% discount on custom printed products at VistaPrint. Order today!

I have also used some smaller-size photo minicards from Moo.com (in the U.K.) on a previous trip which turned out to be very popular even among my younger relatives.

Be ready to submit as many as 100 different photos per box of 100. Thus each card is totally unique.  You can have Moo.com print 6 lines of text at the back of the photo card.

Anyone can be a travel agent

That’s true! Anyone can be a travel agent! One’s own travel agent, and also for friends, family and strangers.  All one needs to do these days is to affiliate with an online travel provider or consolidator, and voila, you’re in BUSINESS.

Let’s face it. The world is changing. Practically anyone who can read and write has access to computer and the internet.  Anyone can book his own flight.

Forget what the veterans in the industry are saying — years of education in a tourism-related college course, long on-the job training hours packaging travel, a more than casual familiarity with the terms and standards of the travel industry.

Well, if that is so, then how come there are no less than 20 travel consolidators online that offer travel search and booking to travelers directly, offering hundreds of thousands of direct links to airlines, hotels and resorts, cruise and tour operators, car rental companies, travel insurance providers, and other related industries. Once you search and make a choice, you get details of your actual flight (or hotel room) detailed rate, time details,  seat selection, payment options, and processing.

Arranging your own travel vacation has never been so easy for the ordinary person.  Anyone can now book one’s own travel arrangements for anywhere in the world whether you are a

• stay-at-home mom and homemaker, like me, and my friends
• retired office worker, or one who wishes to retire early (retirement is not in the age, but in the ability to support oneself)
• contractual worker who’s sick and tired of looking for jobs
• new graduate who wishes to get into business immediately
• student who can wishes to spare mom and dad of college expenses
• business person who wants another business
• senior citizen, professional, full-time employee
• travel agent employed with storefront agencies (you can now own your own travel agency, and have a great advantage with your experience)

Organizations too have the opportunity to generate huge operating funds, by setting up their own simple online travel agency operations, catering mainly to their members, clients, students, colleagues, and corporate travel requirements.

• corporations and cooperatives
• foundations, professional associations, and other non-profit organizations
• churches
• trade unions
• storefront travel agencies (imagine having a shop which is open 24/7)

You can always add to this basic list.  Anyone, aged 18 and above, or a registered organization, may actually engage in business (this is not a job) anywhere in the world.

How simple can it be? Just follow these few steps, and you’re off on your way as your own travel agent.

1. Watch the GTTrends free travel movie.
2. Get more details of the GTTrends travel business online.
3. Optionally, and in addition, you can attend a 45-minute presentation at the GTTrends Asia-Pacific Headquarters at the 2503-B West Tower, Philippine Stock Exchange Building, Exchange Road, Ortigas Center, Pasig City. Please call Vikky 632 4559230 or 0928 6148600.
4. Proceed to the GTTrends online member application form, and fill in your membership details. Choose the $299 package which provides you with the opportunity to earn from everyone who joins the team through your website.
5. Enter your payment option (debit card/credit card).  If you prefer to pay cash, please print out your application form, and bring it to the GTTrends office.  Please call Vikky at 632 4559230.

Welcome to your new business.  You can now start promoting your two websites — the search engine and marketing promotions website to everyone you know.

Make sure though to study your new Travel Agent Training Manual, and take and pass your travel agent accreditation exam.  Email me for any other questions.

Top 10 Easy Eco-Effective Travel Tips

By IdealBite

1. Go Before You Go.
If you wanna avert a little CO2, use the airport lavatory, not the one on the plane, since, believe it or not, the fuel used for every mile-high flush could run a car for 6 mi. Plus, who doesn’t want to avoid the cramped, nasty-smelling airplane bathroom?

2. Do Not Disturb (the Earth, That Is).
Four-star green hotels show that eco-friendly doesn’t mean cockroach-friendly. You’ll get efficient lighting and water fixtures, alternative fuel vehicles, and recycling. If 10,000 people stay at hotels with efficient toilets, faucets and shower heads, each night we’ll save enough water to fill 11,263 whirlpool bathtubs.

3. Lighten Your Eco-baggage.
Most luggage contains eco-unfriendly materials (like the plastic PVC, which lets off cancer-causing chems during production) that make us wanna avoid the baggage carousel at all costs. We’ve got just as durable, just as attractive options in the bag, made from materials like veggie-tanned leather and hemp.

4. Your Hybrid, Sir.
Wanna get chauffeured around in eco-style? Even airport car services are going green, with hybrid or alternative fuel vehicles available in many cities across the country. If 10,000 people opt for a Prius car service for a 20 mi trip, we’ll keep the weight of 76 Priuses in CO2 from entering the atmosphere.

5. An Appointment with the Eco-Shrink.
If skyscrapers and concrete are driving you crazy, maybe it’s time to take a trip outside. One study found that post-op patients who had a view of trees needed fewer painkillers and had shorter hospital stays, so a little dose of the great outdoors could be nature’s Rx. Plus, trips like hiking and camping tend to be less expensive and more relaxing… ahhh.

6. White Powder, Green Resorts.
It’s ski season, and greener winter wonderlands exist in the form of eco-ski resorts. Realizing that global warming could cause shorter seasons, resorts are teaming up to go green, providing alternative fuel shuttles, introducing recycling programs, and installing solar panels. Check our list for the greenest of them all.

7. Skip the Plastic Bottled Water.
Americans use 4 million plastic bottles every hour – but only 1 in 4 is recycled. When on the go or in-flight, make sure to fill up a reusable bottle at the airport or in your hotel room, because believe it or not, bottled water isn’t always cleaner, and the production, shipment, and disposal of plastic water bottles are taking an enormous toll on the environment. The Bite’s team members use non-leaching, stainless steel SIGG bottles.

8. When Nature Calls.
Want to go wild on your next getaway? Choose from a huge variety of eco-adventures that get you off the beaten path, are sustainable, and support local economies. Not just for campers, you have the option of staying at boutique green hotels.

9. Globetrotting Gift Ideas.
Need a birthday or holiday gift for a jetsetting friend? We’ve got the perfect rundown of green gifts for people who just can’t seem to stay in one place…travel kits, travel guides, and goods to make travel just a little more comfy.

10. Chill Out; Get Eco-Pampered.
Rejuvenating, organic-oil aromatherapy and purifying enzyme baths sound like your thing? Check out an eco-spa. Eco-spas use non-toxic and biodegradable products on your bod, and some spas are even built using sustainable materials. The best eco-spas pay their workers fair wages and use non-toxic chems to clean their facilities.

5 Tips to Avoid Jet-Lag

By Eversave Travelers

Traveling should be fun and relaxing and you shouldn’t have to worry about not feeling well while on vacation or when you come home. Here are some tips to help you avoid feeling the effects of jet-lag.

1. Get up and stretch often during your flight to encourage blood flow and circulation.

2. Breathe deeply and completely during the flight.

3. Try to follow your new time zone’s schedule for a few days before you leave.

4. Drink plenty of water and eat well.

5. Avoid caffeine and alcohol before and during your flight.

6. Relax and avoid imagining that you will have jet-lag.

Global Guide to Tipping

I have often been asked the question: “How much tip should I leave?”  Not that I’m an expert on tipping. But I do believe in rewarding people for excellent service. The question often leaves me in a quandary, because I do have to admit I do not know of any guide to to such.

Fortunately, Forbes.com has written an article on the topic. Perhaps this can provide us a better understanding of this sometimes controversial practice.  Here are some excerpts from the original article on Global Guide to Tipping.  Follow the links for a more detailed country/regional guide or check out the  In Pictures: Global Guide To Tipping

“Take a taxi anywhere in South America, and rounding the fare up to the next dollar amount is sufficient as a tip. If you’re in an African city such as Cape Town or Nairobi, however, you need to tip 10% for a cab ride.

Going to India? Taking a taxi here means there is no need for gratuity at all.

While even the savviest globetrotter might know the best places to dine and the hippest hotels to stay at, knowing what to tip and when can be downright confounding. Those lucky enough to have the time–and money–for a trip abroad this holiday would be smart to heed local custom.

“Gratuity etiquette perplexes even the most experienced travelers,” says Misty Ewing, director of public relations at Virtuoso, a luxury travel network that has travel consultants and ground operators in more than 70 countries. “Everyone has a different interpretation of what’s expected and acceptable when showing your gratitude; too much or too little can offend.”

At a luxury hotel in Japan, for example, if you try to tip anyone from the wait staff at a top restaurant to the hotel concierge, your gesture will be perceived as a rude and flagrant show of wealth. On the other hand, if you skimp on tipping at any restaurant in the United States or to a concierge who has helped fulfill multiple requests, you probably won’t be welcome again.

Top Tips
While these conventions can leave travelers scratching their heads, experts say that there are a few basic rules of thumb to following about tipping.

“In most places around the world, it’s better to give something than nothing–so if you’re ever in doubt, tip,” says Erica Duecy, editor of restaurants and hotels at Fodor’s travel publications. “And in many cases, tipping customs can be broken down by area of the world, so what you’re supposed to tip isn’t going to vary too much from country to country in that region.”

In most countries in Europe, for instance, the service charge is included in the meal; it’s customary to add another 5% to 10% for gratuity, especially in high-end restaurants. If no service charge is included, add 15% to the total bill. For taxis, 10% is the right amount to tip, and for hotel porters, give the equivalent of $2 per bag.

Experts agree that when it comes to the concierge at your hotel anywhere in the world, you don’t need to tip for advice such as what sights to see; but you should always acknowledge service. In Europe, $2 is enough for each simple request the concierge fulfills, such as arranging airport pickup or making restaurant reservations.

If your concierge is performing special tasks, such as arranging an after-hours tour of the Louvre, it’s appropriate to tip $30 or more, depending on the difficulty of your request.

Accepted in Asia
Asia is one part of the world that has slightly different tipping customs for each country.

In Japan, tipping is an insult in any situation; but in China, giving 3% is expected at restaurants, while in Hong Kong, 10% to 15% is the norm if the gratuity isn’t included in the bill. For taxis, you don’t need to tip in China, but in Hong Kong, you should round the fare up to the next dollar amount.

In both China and Hong Kong, you should give hotel porters $2 to $3 per bag, especially at luxury properties, while $3 to $5 is a good amount for basic requests you ask of the concierge. You should incrementally increase this amount based on the complexity of your request.

What to Do Stateside
It’s not always obvious what you need to tip in the U.S. While it’s standard to tip 15% at restaurants, if you’re enjoying a meal at an upscale spot such as the French Laundry in Napa Valley, it’s expected that you’ll tip at least 20%.

For taxis in cities such as New York City or Chicago, you should tip 15%, but in smaller cities or towns, you simply need to round up the fare to the next dollar amount. When you check into a hotel, you should give the porter $1 for each of your bags, but if you’re staying at an upscale property such as the Four Seasons or the Ritz-Carlton, $2 to $5 per bag is more appropriate. Give on the higher end for especially heavy bags.

When it comes to the hotel concierge, give $3 to $5 for a basic service, such as arranging airport transportation. If the concierge fulfills a more difficult request, like getting you a last-minute 8 p.m. table at a restaurant that is typically booked weeks in advance, it’s not uncommon to shell out $20 and up.

Follow these rules, and chances are you’ll be less likely to be tripped up while traipsing around.”

For those who think tips and gratuities are unnecessary, saying “But they’re all being paid a salary to do their jobs!”, just think that you are sharing some of your blessings of traveling with others.  For their service, we travelers are given the opportunity to thank others for life blessings, something we should do much more often than we normally do. Often, these sincere acts of gratitude are returned to us in many more loving ways.  May the blessings be.

How not to be charged for excess luggage

Even travel agents learn new things every time they travel.  In the travel industry, the best way to learn is to actually travel, and share the experience with others.

Recently, a girl friend and I travelled to LA on United Airlines.  She flew in from New York, and I flew in from Minneapolis.  We both had a stop at Denver.  As we got to talking about flight experiences, we discovered that I was charged $15 for my 17 kg. checked-in bag, while she was not charged a cent for her 21 kg bag.

Feeling sorry for myself, I soon learned that a lot has to do with what you tell the guy at the check-in counter.  I had assumed that I would be charged $15 because I was traveling within the US.  I was still too cool and calm following my 3-day spiritual retreat to request certain concessions as a travel agent, that I did not even think to ask if I could get an exception to the pocket-hurting charge.

My girl friend, on the other hand, was bubbly when she checked in for her flight, and started to make small talk with the guy at the counter.  She asked how he was doing, and smilingly told him that she had a most lovely and memorable stay in NYC.  She also mentioned that she was also starting to miss her children back in the Philippines, but that she would also be joining them soon.  “Oh, so you’re on your way back to the Philippines.” He noted her passport, and after a short while gave back her documents with her boarding pass.  “Have a safe flight back home, mam.”  She thanked him with a smile.

So what’s the lesson here? We can only surmise that that guy at the check-in counter thought my friend was taking a connecting flight to LAX, where she would take her flight back home to the Philippines, which in a way made her NYC-LAX flight part of her international flight. She was acually scheduled to fly out from San Francisco 2 weeks later. On the other hand, since I didn’t volunteer any clues or information, my counter guy assumed I was traveling local for a long while, which of course I was for the next week at least.

Now, this story by no means suggests that you provide should false information about your flight plans. No, no, no, that’s not how things work. Nor does it assure that my friend’s tactics will work 100% for you.  But,  being friendly especially to a counter guy who isn’t is he’s still gonna have a job the next day, can be a key to getting a few more travel savings. All things said, we are still human beings subject to emotions and moods.