Look before you leap for the sun and sand

This is the season when everyone starts to fantasize about a visit to the Caribbean and some folks can actually afford the airfare and the all-inclusive.

Holidays and the dead of winter are always when people want to travel. But don't the stories of being delayed at airports due to fog and snow leave many of us wondering why we'd ever climb aboard airlines that get delayed, lose luggage and appear to be staffed by arch crouches.

I sat down last week with Deborah Chapman, who has been a travel agent for close to three decades, and picked her brain. Seems to me even seasoned travelers can learn to reduce the misery. For example, if my husband ever comes down with Montezuma's revenge a second time in the middle of the Andes, I’ll ask for a wheelchair on the return flight.

Associated Press says Atlanta is the busiest U.S. airport for the third year in a row. Atlanta logged close to 100,000 flights last year, up 1.8 percent from 976, 447 flights in 2006. That was where I remember being herded like cattle into customs lines stretching back for hours while U.S. passengers waltzed right through. We missed our connecting flight and waited all day after being up all night.



Avoid U.S. stops altogether?

Deborah tells me I’m not the only traveler these days who would aim to avoid United States stops altogether. She says air travel has changed hugely in the last decade and especially since 9/11. Courtesy is sometimes hard to find given the onslaught of metal detectors, X-ray machines and personal searches.

Travel nightmares often include lost luggage. According to a 2007 report by the U.S. Transportation Department, complaints of lost and mishandled luggage jumped 39 per cent in 2006; a number equivalent to 10,000 bags per day, fueled in large part by an increase in checked bags following a ban on carry-on liquids.

Many frequent fliers recommend taking one carry-on bag and packing a collapsible bag in case you want to bring stuff back from the trip. Then it can be checked on the return trip.

U.S. airlines are trimming baggage weight limits. Some will allow you to pay for extra weight and others force travelers to offload right at the airport. Remember, three-ounce containers of liquids or gels get packed in a clear plastic, zip-top bag.

Clothing can be an issue when trying to clear security. Occasionally you have to remove your shoes and some places even restrict underwire bras, as they can set off alarms. Comfortable shoes and clothes are a good idea.

I've experienced disparity in carry-on items internationally. Going through Heathrow Airport in London to a connecting flight can be a real nightmare if you don't know that only one carry-on is allowed. Fortunately, I could stuff my purse into my other bag or I'd have been screwed.



Agents can find the deals

This is the kind of information that an experienced travel agent can warn you about. A lot of people who are savvy about the Internet figure they can book flights and go on adventures with impunity, but Deborah says agents are still better at finding the deals and knowing the ropes. She told me that not all airlines have stopped paying a commission, so there are times she doesn't have to charge a fee. Her favourite airlines are West Jet and a new one called Porter.

"Mine is not a high-paying profession," Deborah said, but she genuinely enjoys the challenge of getting people where they want to go.

Booking flights to Africa, for example, are tricky. "I worry sometimes as if I was going myself. I want to find the cheapest fare and make sure you don't have to wait eight hours in an airport."

She adds, you have to look farther than just price, particularly at all-inclusive resorts. Just last year Deborah and her husband got bumped to a four-and-a-half star hotel in Mexico that had no hot water, no glasses in the restaurant and its rooms flooded.

Fifteen years ago Florida was the most frequent winter holiday choice; now the Dominican Republic, followed by Cuba and Mexico are the most economical. She always recommends insurance. Twenty-five years ago 95 per cent of travelers didn't require it, but today fully 50 per cent do.

It might not be as much fun to fly anymore what with the line-ups, searches and the dearth of refreshment, but most folks are willing to take the chance just to find blue water and a warm beach. Pack light, get there early, be self-sufficient and smile anyway.