We wish you and your families the happiest holidays this season and a very happy and prosperous 2012.

Reno Reservations

 

 

Merry Christmas – Comments and Glitter Graphics!

 

TSA – What Passengers Need

We encourage each adult traveler to keep his/her airline boarding pass and government-issued photo ID available until exiting the security checkpoint (children are not required to show identification). The absence of proper identification will result in additional screening.

TSA encourages travels to remember 3 simple steps to security:

• Have ID out
• Coats & Shoes off
• Laptop and 3-1-1 bag out

The absence of proper identification will result in additional screening. Children under 18 are not required to show identification.

Individuals who are accompanying passengers, such as a child or traveler with medical conditions, through the security checkpoint but are not flying should check with the airline for required documentation.

tsa.gov

TSA – Dress the Part

There is no particular style or type of clothing that passengers should wear from a security point of view. Passengers are permitted to wear head coverings and religious garmentsduring the screening process. Passengers may be directed to additional screening if their clothing (religious or otherwise) is loose fitting or large enough to hide prohibited items. For more information, click here.

In addition, certain clothing and accessories can set off an alarm during metal detector detector or advanced imaging technology screening and slow passengers down. Avoid wearing clothing, jewelry or other accessories that contain metal when traveling through the security checkpoints:

• Heavy jewelry (including pins, necklaces, bracelets, rings, watches, earrings, body piercings, cuff links, lanyards or bolo ties)
• Clothing with metal buttons, snaps or studs
• Metal hair barrettes or other hair decoration
• Belt buckles
• Under-wire bras
• Hidden items such as body piercings may result in additional screening, including a pat-down. If selected for additional screening, passengers may ask to remove their body piercing in private.
• Take metal items such as keys, loose change, mobile phones, pagers, and personal data assistants (PDAs) out of pockets and place in your carry-on baggage before going through security.
• Pack all coats and jackets in baggage when possible. All coats and jackets must go through the X-ray machine for inspection. These include, but are not limited to, trench coats, heavy winter coats, suit jackets, sport coats and blazers. Passengers who choose to wear an outer coat or jacket to the checkpointwill need to either place it in carry-on baggage or put it in the bin.

Individuals are permitted to wear disposable footwear during the screening process. The disposable footwear may be removed and placed into the individual’s accessible property prior to exiting the screening checkpoint. . In addition, TSA recently implemented modified screening procedures for certain eligible frequent flyers and for passengers 12 and under. Click here to learn more.

Gel-filled bras are permitted through security screening and aboard aircraft.

TSA Security Officers have to resolve any alarms that are detected at the checkpoint. Passengers who alarm during security screening will need additional screening, which could include a thorough pat-down.

Passengers can reduce the chance that they will need additional screening by removing all items from pockets – including metallic and non-metallic items such as keys, wallets, and jewelry –and placing in bins prior to being screened.

tsa.gov

Thank You to our Community

Yes, Reno had a bad fire last Friday.  We want to thank our first responders and the several hotels that offered free or reduced rates to the victims who lost their homes.

Women Traveling Solo Tips

Research:  Wherever you decide to go, make sure you do your research — customs, languages, and religions differ around the world, and you definitely do not want to offend anyone or land yourself in any trouble. (Check the US Department of State website to get the latest information on health and safety alerts abroad, while the CDC offers updates on vaccinations you might need.)

Carry Enough Cash:  Do not assume that everywhere accepts credit or debit cards. Cash is king and can often get you out of a tough bind. That said, carrying too much money can be problematic, too. Consider taking a couple hundred dollars in cash, and then using your ATM card to withdraw currency as needed.

Leave the Plastic (credit cards) at Home:  Only bring one or two credit cards with you. Credit cards and bank cards can be a hassle if stolen abroad because it can be difficult getting in touch with your bank to stop any charges. Leave all your other wallet clutter — shopping club cards, gift cards, membership cards — at home.

Make Copies  Keep photocopies of your passport, driver’s license and credit cards. Always keep the originals with you, but tuck away copies in case anything is lost or stolen. (You might even want to leave a set of copies with a trusted friend or relative back home, in case you’re left with nothing at all.)

Pack Accordingly  Do yourself a favor and check the customs of the country you are visiting before you pack — this will help you pack appropriately. Some cultures have different views on what is appropriate dress for women. To stay safe and out of trouble, this is something you must look in to.

Keep In Touch:  Whether you are traveling abroad or taking a cross-country road trip, keep in touch. Let someone at home know when you’re leaving and when to expect you back — and if you decide to change your travel plans at the last minute, let them know

Leave a Trail:  Leave a copy of your itinerary with a family member or friend back home. This way if something happens, they know where you can be found. (This is especially important if you are going somewhere with bad weather conditions or political problems.)

Get Travel Insurance:  Hopefully nothing happens to you on your vacation, but you must be prepared. If for some reason you need to go the hospital or for a doctor’s visit, make sure you have insurance — otherwise you can expect a large bill or inadequate medical attention.

Don’t Wear Flashy Jewelry:  If you are wearing eye-catching jewels, all you are doing is attracting attention… from the wrong type of people. You may as well wear a shirt that says, “Steal from me, I have money.”

Dress Casually:  Dressing too flashy in brand names will draw unwanted attention, which can lead to being followed and attacked or robbed. Remember, you are on vacation in an unfamiliar place, and your goal should be to blend in.

Don’t Accept Drinks from Strangers:  This sounds obvious and something you already know not to do, but sometimes while on vacation, we sometimes let all cares go to the wind. However, in an unfamiliar place that is the last thing you want to do.

Steer Clear of Unmarked Taxi Cabs:  Getting into an unmarked car is extremely dangerous. You don’t want your family back home to be informed that you have gone missing while on vacation. So do yourself a favor and stick to public transportation and marked taxis

sheknowstravel.com

Pack in Plastic

Pack everything in clear plastic bags (preferably zip lock), divided into items e.g. underwear, t-shirts, shorts etc. before packing in your suitcase or backpack. One plastic bag for each type of clothing. This is extremely useful in various ways. When you unpack your bag you just take out a series of bags and you can see immediately what you want. So an overnight stay somewhere just means taking 1 item out of a bag – no rummaging!! In addition, if you have to unpack at customs etc, instead of having to disgorge all your clothing etc out in front of everybody, you can calmly take maybe 5/6 bags out, the contents of which can be clearly seen by the officials. To repack then is also dead easy. Just be sure not to leave your plastic bags lying around if you are travelling in nature! (Tip from a member)

travellerspoint.com

Serenity

If there is a bottom line, it’s that travelling light is simply a better, more hassle-free way to go. You have more time, because packing takes little. You waste less energy hauling stuff. You know what you have, where everything is, and that it’s sufficient. We’ve all seen those hapless folks at the airport, with too much baggage and anxious expressions, worried that they have lost track of something, or left it behind. Foreign travel in particular can be challenging because it is unfamiliar and unpredictable, but the one-bag traveller copes by operating from a solid, familiar, well-considered foundation, with fewer unnecessary things to worry about.

onebag.com