When planning your travels or buying your airline tickets, you
have probably come across definitions and terms that might have
seemed strange to you. Granted, many of the definitions and terms
become more understandable as you become familiar with the industry
as a frequent flier. While there are many terms for hotel room
types, car types, and travel amenities, the area that we shall
attempt to define would be tours.
Tour operators try to make their brochures and websites as
attractive, informative and understandable as possible; however, in
reading this information you will undoubtedly encounter some
terminology that is new and unfamiliar. To assist you, here's a
glossary covering some of the terminology you will most most
frequently find in brochures, fliers, and on websites.
Accommodations:
* Single Room: A room with one bed for one person.
* Twin Room: A room with two beds for two people.
* Double Room: A room for two persons with a double bed.
* Triple Room: A room for three persons, usually consisting of twin
beds (or double beds, plus a rollaway bed.
* Ocean Front: A room directly facing the ocean. Usually it is on
the first floor with a door that exists onto the beach.
* Ocean View: A room from which it is possible to view the ocean,
whether the room is on the first floor, the 12th floor, or on a
hillside.
* Service Charges/Taxes: Service charges are a fixed percentage
automatically added to room and meal charges. The city, state or
federal government sets taxes.
Air Transportation:
* Add-on Fare: The cost of air travel from a domestic city to
another domestic city from which the tour/vacation package
originates and vice versa.
* Baggage Allowance: The weight or volume of baggage that may be
carried by a passenger without additional charge.
* Connecting Flight: A segment of an ongoing trip, which requires a
change of aircraft, but necessarily a change of airline.
* Direct Flight: A flight on which passengers do not have to change
planes, but may involve one more stops enroute.
* Non-stop Flight: Service between two points with no scheduled stop
enroute.
Car Rental:
* Drop-off Charge: Fee charged by a car rental company to defray the
cost of returning the vehicle to its original location.
* Value Added Tax (VAT): Tax imposed by governmental authority.
Charter Travel:
Thanks to improved Federal regulations and a new generation of
operators, air charters have become the preferred way to reach many
of the world's most popular vacation destinations for reasons of
value and convenience. Here's how they work: The tour operator rents
an airplane and sells the seats, often in combination with a hotel
package and perhaps other ground components. The result is a
substantial savings.
Conditions:
* Force Majeure: An event or effect that cannot be reasonably
anticipated or controlled (such as storms or war).
Consular Information Sheets:
*Governments issue Consular Information Sheets for every country
of the world. They include such information as location of the U.S.
embassy or consulate in the subject country, unusual immigration
practices, health conditions, minor political disturbances, unusual
currency and entry regulations, crime and security information, and
drug penalties. If an unstable condition exists in a country that is
not severe enough to warrant a Travel Warning, a description of the
condition(s) may be included under an optional section entitled
Safety/Security.
Documents:
* Passport: An official government document certifying identity and
citizenship and granting permission to travel abroad (overseas).
* Visa: An official authorization appended to a passport permitting
travel to and within a particular country.
Escorted Tours:
The most traditional tour product is also the most misunderstood.
The options are so varied that it's easiest to identify the few
elements they share: Group travel, usually by motor coach but
sometimes by ship, or train; a set itinerary, with lodging,
activities, and most meals included and a tour director to
coordinate, guide, and manage the trip. Traveling on an escorted
tour provides a measure of security and peace of mind. And today,
more tour operators build in free time on group tours, giving
travelers the best of both worlds.
Independent Travel:
There's no group on these trips, no guide and no fixed itinerary,
unless the client wants one. The sole difference between this and
fully independent travel is that by booking through a tour operator
from its available inventory, your clients get the advantage of
group buying power, without the group.
Package Travel:
Like group tours, packages tend to have fixed itineraries, with
ground transportation and hotels booked in advance. But like
independent travel, there's no organized group; clients are on their
own, free to do as they please at each destination, but they still
have the convenience and reliability that come with booking through
a tour operator.
Public Announcements:
Public announcements (PA's) are a means to disseminate information
about terrorist threats and other relatively short-term and/or
trans-national conditions posing significant risks to the security
of American travelers. The PA's are made when there is a specific
threat that cannot be countered. In the past, Public Announcements
have been issued to deal with short-term coups, violence by
terrorists and anniversary dates of specific terrorist events.
Tours:
A group of people traveling together who follow a pre-planned
itinerary. Most tours include accommodations, a number of meals,
sightseeing, land transportation, and/or other transportation, plus
the services of a professional tour manager or escort who
accompanies the group.
Travel Warnings:
Travel warnings are issued when the State Department decides, based
on all relevant information, to recommend that Americans avoid
travel to a certain country. Countries where avoidance of travel is
recommended will have Travel Warnings as well as Consular
Information Sheets. You may also want to review specific country
Background Notes.
Vacation Packages:
Vacation packages are designed for those traveling independently.
They include a combination of two or more travel services (e.g.
hotel accommodations, car rental, air transportation) that are
offered at a package price. Many vacation packages offer a choice of
components and options, thereby enabling you to customize the
package to your tastes, interests and/or budget.
Vouchers:
Documents issued by tour operators to be exchanged for
accommodations, sightseeing and other services. |
