With the climate of uncertainty caused by the lingering military intervention in Iraq, a slowly recovering world economy, and ongoing terrorist attacks such as the recent bombings in London, Egypt, Thailand and Syria, we suggest a few ideas the anxious family travel planner should do:

1.  Regarding world events and global health issues, we urge caution and common sense. 

2.  Regarding the volatile economy, we urge protecting your vacation investment.

3.  Regarding concerns about new terrorist acts, we urge flexibility in planning.

Why Vacation Prices & Airfares Vary So Widely

Do you recall when the so-called "perfect storm" (war, SARS, terrorism) of spring 2003 forced travel companies to use cheap packages to Europe, Asia and several Caribbean islands to lure reluctant families? Those days are over and air fares (squeezed by smaller planes, fewer route yet more traffic) and hotel rates (demand is up) are higher than ever.

Although all indicators say that the average cost of leisure travel is rising more than 10% this year, regional events such as the recent year's devastating hurricanes striking several Caribbean islands, New Orleans and Mexico, or the and other disasters may force certain regions to again post travel specials and "we're back in business" sales.

Smart Planning in Tough Times

What's a parent to do?  Are you going to let a recent hurricane get in the way of your summer time tropical vacation?  But before making any plans, you should discuss the above issues with your fellow travelers (as age-appropriate) and decide how much "excitement" your family has the appetite for. Once your family has reached a comfortable consensus, take precautions, protect your investment and maximize the flexibility of your plans.

Taking Precautions: Stay Informed

The first precaution is to stay informed -- avoid the hotspots where civil unrest, anti-American sentiment or terrorist sympathizers are likely to cause trouble. While industry experts used to feel exotic destinations like China and Botswana were safe, a nuclear showdown with North Korea or another airport incident in Africa may make families afraid of the whole region.

Most recently on April 10, 2007, the U.S. Department of State issued a Worldwide Caution Public Announcement in effect until October 9, 2007 warning Americans to remain vigilant for more anticipated terrorist threats, wherever their destination.

Despite past accusations that the State Department uses a politically motivated system of classifying threats to Americans going abroad, it makes sense for citizens of any country to check in at their website for the latest destination safety news. The State Department encourages all travelers to be aware of local events and take the appropriate steps to bolster their personal security in their brochure "A Safe Trip Abroad" found online at http://travel.state.gov. In addition, U.S. travelers may obtain up-to-date information on security conditions by calling 888/407-4747 in the U.S. or 202/501-4444 from anywhere outside the country.

Great Britain's Foreign and Commonwealth Office also offers current travel advice, and it's the Wall Street Journal's pick for the most straightforward security information regarding Middle East events and the current world crisis.  

Taking Precautions: Protect Your Investment

The second precaution is to protect your investment. Travel insurance ensures reimbursement for costs incurred by the cancellation or early termination of your planned itinerary, due to illness, world events, local occurrences or many other reasons. We recommend purchasing a comprehensive plan including trip cancellation, trip interruption and the standard coverage for lost baggage, medical evacuation, etc. from an independent insurer, perhaps the company that carries your homeowner or auto insurance policies.  Avoid buying policies offered by a self-insured cruise or tour operator:  if they go out of business, there may not be any money to reimburse you!

Note that many insurance companies have very fine print limiting their liability in case of terrorism or war, which may exclude you from the coverage you need. Although most travel insurance policies carry medical evacuation coverage (flying the sick traveler and family to a place with better medical care), this won't help you if an illness such as SARS is the suspected cause. During that crisis, airlines refused to carry patients diagnosed with SARS, and many countries quarantined suspected carriers upon arrival.  Before purchasing your travel package, call an insurance agent directly and ask specific "What if?" questions to determine the best choice for your needs.

Taking Precautions: Travel Prepared

As a general safety precaution, before hitting the road, families should make several photocopies of their passports, ID and credit cards so they can leave a set behind and carry an extra one. Parents should have copies of their children's birth certificates and a photo of each child; custodial adults should have Emergency Medical Treatment Authorization in writing from the children's parents, including all health insurance policy information. Be sure each child in your party carries contact information for an adult, as well as the hotel or residence address where you are staying, written in the child's and the local language.

In regions where safety, civil unrest or anti-American sentiment are a concern, travelers should register with their country's Embassy or consulate at the destination and avoid large public gatherings. Some survival experts even recommend travelers carry their own water supply, dry or non-perishable foods and First Aid kit in case of emergency.

Remain Flexible

Despite precautions, many parents are concerned about making a vacation commitment in a knowledge vacuum. 

This is why maintaining flexible options is so important. As an easy first step, all elements of your vacation should be booked with a credit card, so that you can cancel the charges in the event the service you paid for is not delivered. Despite the inconvenience, booking separate airfare, hotel and rental car (the latter two being easy to cancel, even at the last minute) will protect you from further costs if you decide to cancel your trip for any reason whatsoever.

This doesn't mean you should avoid travel agents.  A good travel specialist can quickly manage several rebookings and provide a comforting support system, for a nominal fee. Most travel industry vendors have tightened their change and cancellation penalties, making travel insurance a "must" purchase for families. If you don't have it, chances are only a percentage of your trip deposit will be applied to another trip with same company, within a 12-month time period.

For example, many FTF families were stuck with flights to Cancun in 2006 when resorts they booked had not yet recovered from the damage done by Hurricane Wilma.  Though the tour operators refunded all lodging costs, the airlines refused to refund air fare, instead applying tickets toward the fare to other destinations regardless of the prohibitive cost of booking new resorts.

Refunds are hard to come by in general. At many lodging and resort properties, cancellation penalties have been tightened to require at least one night's fee for rooms cancelled less than 48-72 hours in advance of arrival.  Many international and US air carriers now issue non-refundable and non-transferable tickets, and $100 change fees are the norm for economy class tickets. Check with your travel agent or the airlines' websites for the latest policies.
 

We welcome your feedback (ftf@familytravelforum.com). Tell us what you'd like travel and tour operators to do for you to make family travels feel more secure.