Rush in Toronto

Sitting at Starbucks and listening to Rush! Love it! Oh Canada ....

 

:)

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StressFree Travel Tip #3

Talk To A Human

Your new travel mantra: human being. While it may seem cheaper and easier to book your flight on the Internet, remember that many Web sites pose as informational when they are, in fact, transactional—trying to push the sale. I’m not saying not to use the Internet; I’m just saying not to book your flight there first. Instead, quickly go online and find out which airlines service the route you want to take, then type in gethuman.com, which will tell you how to maneuver quickly through the customer-service tree of your chosen airlines. Now, pick up the phone

 

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StressFree Travel Tip#2

Never Call Toll-Free Numbers

The same thing applies to making a reservation for a hotel room. Never call the 800 toll-free number to find a hotel room from a large chain. You’ll only be connected to a third-party clearinghouse with a mandate to sell rooms at a designated price—no room to negotiate. Instead, call the hotel directly. But don’t ask for reservations—they’ll just reroute you back to that 800 number. Instead, ask to speak to the manager on duty or the director of sales. They are the best arbiters of their room inventory. If the Schmidlap wedding party canceled last night and they suddenly have 60 rooms to sell, that 800 number (or the chain’s Web site) may not have that information. You’re now in the best negotiating position. And an even better reason to talk to a human being at the hotel: You’ve established a relationship. Look for that person when you check in and you stand a much better chance for an upgrade.

 

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StressFree Travel Tip #1

Stay Flexible

If all the flights to your destination city are booked, think alternate airports (Providence instead of Boston, Oakland instead of San Francisco, Milwaukee instead of Chicago, to mention just a few) or routings that get you to Hawaii, for example, through Denver, Phoenix, or Las Vegas. You’ll almost always save money and in many cases have less stress (and fewer delays) because you’ll avoid the giant airports. For example, Midway has fewer delays than O’Hare, and Long Beach has a better record than LAX.

 

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Bed Bugs and Travelling

 

In any race, there’s a loser as well as a winner, and Philadelphia tops this year’s list of the most bed bug-infested cities in the U.S. Terminix, the world’s largest pest control company, annually ranks major cities based on the number of infestations confirmed by their staff. This year’s rankings have Cincinnati coming in second and New York City — the most-infested city for the past two years — coming in third. Cleveland, Miami, Houston, Indianapolis and New Haven joined the top 15 this year.

Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius L.) are parasites that feed on human blood and prefer to live in beds or other household furniture. Victims are often attacked in their sleep, unaware that they are being bitten.

Symptoms of bed bug attacks include itchy red welts on the skin and, for some patients, allergic reactions triggered by the insects’ saliva. Because the bites remove some of the victim’s blood, prolonged exposure can in rare cases lead to anemic conditions.

Terminix warns that the national bed bug epidemic, which began a few years ago, will likely spread to more cities as pests hitch rides with unknowing summer travelers. To be on guard against the pests, the company advises travelers to check hotel mattresses, headboards and box springs for bugs, bug exoskeletons and dark blood spots. To avoid picking up the parasites, you should hang all your clothing — don’t store any items in drawers or lay them out on the bed or furniture. Luggage should be kept on the luggage rack or as far away from the floor as possible.

To avoid spreading the bugs after a possible exposure, travelers should immediately vacuum their suitcases and wash their clothing in hot water upon returning home. In neighborhoods already known to be infested, it might be advisable to take even more defensive measures, such as covering mattresses and box springs with a bug-proof plastic cover.

 

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Rules for Stress Free Air Travel

# 11 Undress For Success

 

Before you leave for the airport, put everything metallic you’re taking with you—watch, keys, coins, jewelry, pens, chains, et al—in ziplock plastic bags and pack them in your carry-on. Dress on the other side of security, please! This will save five minutes per passenger. Do the math: It makes so much sense.