Is
there something I can do to protect my trip against hurricanes?
Are
BeachDestinations.com prices for real?
What
kind of documents do I need for leaving the country?
I want to go to Mexico with my children, but my wife cannot go.
Is there a problem?
Why
can’t I get a confirmation for the hotel right away?
Why
is my price different than the advertised price?
What
does all-inclusive mean?
Do I need travel insurance?
Why don’t you issue paper tickets anymore?
Do I need to confirm my flight?
How
do I book my vacation?
I
don’t understand the rankings of your hotels. Can you
explain?
Are
the prices on your site in US Dollars or Canadian Dollars?
Is
there something I can do to protect my trip against hurricanes?
YES, there is a way to protect your trip against
hurricanes. While no one can predict when and where a hurricane
will form, we would not lose too much sleep trying to guess
where the next tropical depression takes place. Millions of
travelers have visited the charming islands of the Caribbean
and the beautiful Mexican shores and enjoyed plenty of cloudless skies. However,
if you are travelling during hurricane season (officially, from June 1 to November
30), there is no need to panic. You will have plenty of warning (read
more from Frommer's). Financially, you can protect your trip by purchasing regular
travel insurance, which will protect you if a natural disaster
affects your hometown, your flights, or the destination city. As specified
in our Travel Insurance policy,
the insurer will pay benefits (according to the
schedule of benefits)
if a trip is cancelled or interrupted due to any of the following unforeseen
reasons:
(b)
Inclement Weather conditions causing delay or cancellation
of travel;
(c) the Insured’s principal residence being made uninhabitable
by fire, flood, vandalism, burglary or Natural Disaster;
Are
BeachDestinations.com prices for real?
We would probably ask the same question if we were looking for a
beach vacation package and found a site which constantly beats the
competition by an average of $200 per person. This is THE number
one concern people express when booking a vacation through BeachDestinations.com.
Understandable. We can explain the low prices through our excellent
relationship with our tour operator, Solar Tours, with the airlines,
and with the hotels. We understand there is nothing we can do though
to prevent you from asking the question: is this too good to be
true? However, we can guide you to our customer
feedback page, to our BBB
Online seal of recognition, to our VeriSign
certificate on our secure credit card form, to TravelZoo,
TripAdvisor,
Budget
Travel - all web sites where we advertise or publish
our deals. If you call them and ask - they will tell you that we
are indeed an honest online travel site. For the extra peace of
mind, remember that our credit card submission form is built with
the latest secure technologies any e-commerce sites can have. Your
information is secure with us.
What
kind of documents do I need for leaving the country?
We are not responsible for providing documentation information
for your trip. You can access the State department links on our
website. We recommend checking with the destination country's
consulate in advance before embarking on your trip. Please pay
special attention to children traveling with only one parent.
For example, Mexico requires a written power of attorney from
the absent spouse. Some destinations require that you have a US
passport. If you are a non-US citizen or a legal alien resident,
you might have additional restrictions, to include re-entry to
the United States.
I want to go to Mexico with my children,
but my wife cannot go. Is there a problem?
Parents of minor children (under 18 years old) should carefully
document legal custody prior to traveling to Mexico. If a minor
child is traveling with only one parent, the absent parent should
provide notarized consent. If only one parent has legal custody,
that parent should be prepared to provide such evidence to airlines
and Mexican authorities. In cases in which a minor child is traveling
to Mexico alone or in someone else's company, both parents (or the
sole, documented custodial parent) should provide notarized consent.
Please note that non-US citizens might face different requirements
when departing/entering the United States. Please check with INS
before committing to any travel plans. Also, you can check State
Department’s website for the latest visa requirements http://travel.state.gov/foreignentryreqs.html
Why
can’t I get a confirmation for the hotel right away?
Some of the hotels we display may not be available for your requested
travel dates. The system is not linked directly to the hotel's inventory.
We work with most hotels by reserving a number of rooms for our
company. If our room allotments have been exhausted, we have to
reconfirm with the hotel. This may cause us to delay a confirmation
to you for generally 48 hours. It is always wise to book well in
advance of your traveling date – especially during winter
peak season and other peak periods throughout the year – to
obtain faster confirmation for your room or to find available rooms
in the desired hotel.
Why
is my price different than the advertised price?
This could happen for a variety of reasons listed below:
• Travel Itinerary: rates quoted in the ad are valid for the
period when the lowest airfare price is available - which is generally
during weekdays. Different dates selected may result in higher prices
- especially when including a weekend day as a travel date. The
ad was selected to price from a specific departure city. If you
are departing from a different city, your price will vary.
• Seats for lowest fare no longer available: By the time your
price your vacation, the flights for your itinerary may no longer
have any low-priced seats available.
• Air Taxes: Advertised prices do not include taxes associated
with flights such as:
| International
departure and arrival tax: |
$27.40
|
| Immigration
/ Customs fees: |
$15.10
|
| Federal
excise fee per leg (assuming 4 stops): |
$3.10X4=$12.40
|
| Security
fee every time you board a plane: |
$2.50X4=$10.00
|
| TOTAL
so far per person on the average trip: |
$64.90 |
This
amount does not include taxes charged by each country, which vary
and can change without notice. Typically, they will be collected
at the airport upon your departure. For example, Mexico charges
a Foreign Departure Taxes and Tourism Fee - up to $80.00 USD per
passenger, depending on your destination.
• Ads generally do not include transfers. If you select transfers,
the price will increase.
• Ad rates do not include insurance and shipping options. If
you select these, your price will increase.
What
does all-inclusive mean?
All Inclusive hotels provide accommodation, all meals, drinks, and
entertainment. Not everyone is cut out for all-inclusive travel.
Independent travelers may find all-inclusive resorts too isolated,
and their planned activities and entertainment too orchestrated.
However, if you are you looking for a vacation in which you can
put your wallet aside and enjoy surf, sun, and sports – not
to mention endless snacking and drinking – an all-inclusive
resort may be just what you need for a relaxing holiday. Ideally,
you should be able to lock your wallet in the safe all week and
not have a bill to settle when you leave. However, since all-inclusive
resorts have become stratified – much like cruises –
there are differences between all-inclusive resorts. Depending on
the price you pay, you might find that some resorts provide buffets
while others give the traveler the choice of several a la carte
restaurants and 24-hour room service. As far as drinks are concerned,
some resorts have unlimited renowned drinks, whereas others give
out only local brands. It is a good idea to check out the description
of those hotels. Our website provides all-inclusive details for
the resorts listed.
Do I need travel insurance?
You don’t have to purchase travel insurance, yet we highly
recommend it. For example, if an unforeseen event occurs before
your departure and you have to cancel the trip, you will be reimbursed
for all or some of the costs. Otherwise, chances are you will pay
cancellation fees and lose money. Please read our insurance information
before deciding either way.
Why don’t you issue paper tickets anymore?
To reduce costs and save time most airlines prefer to issue e-tickets.
It is as safe to purchase e-tickets, as it is to purchase paper
ones. Most airlines will charge you extra if you prefer paper tickets.
Some airlines or some combinations of airlines require us to issue
you paper tickets. In this case, you will not be charged an extra
fee.
Do I need to confirm my flight?
It is always a good idea to call the airline 72 hours in advance
to confirm your reservation, especially if you booked your vacation
months in advance. Once you book a vacation package on our site,
you will receive a booking number and you will be able to check
the status of your booking on our website.
How do I book my vacation?
We tried to make it as easy as possible for you to price and book
your vacations online with us. If you know where you are going,
the fast way to book is to go to our homepage and use the booking
engine there. Enter your departure city, destination city, travel
dates, as well as the number of people traveling. Please note that
for each additional room you need to make a separate reservation.
Once you entered all the information, you will click ‘Search’
and proceed to the next page. The booking engine will now display
the cheapest flight first (although you will not be able to see
the air fare) and our default hotel. Please feel free to customize
your vacation by selecting your most convenient flight and your
hotel of choice. The following screens will give you the option
to book a transfer to and from the airport (recommended), book sightseeing
tours (if available), and purchase travel insurance. Once you are
satisfied with your itinerary, you will then enter your payment
information. Then you will be displayed the full itinerary and you
will be sent an email confirming your booking. You will then be
able to use our site to print electronic tickets receipts and your
vouchers.
I don’t understand the rankings of
your hotels. Can you explain?
There are many ways to categorize hotels, but the most popular ones
are either the categories we use or the stars. If you are not familiar
with our system, think of the following: deluxe=five stars; superior
first = four stars, superior=three stars plus, moderate=three stars.
The description of each hotel gives you a pretty good idea of the
amenities offered on site.
Are the prices on your site in US Dollars or Canadian Dollars?
All the prices on our site are in US dollars. We apologize for any inconvenience.
|
