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Travel Tips
Selecting Your Tour Company
- Verify that the tour company you deal with, is fully licensed by the airlines, registered as Seller of Travel, and carries the all the required bonds.
- Deal only with a company that specializes in group travel and is familiar with your tour destination and your music performance objectives.
Planning your Trip
- Plan ahead. Start at least half a year before departure date for a domestic music tour. Start at least one year ahead for any international music tour.
- Get from your group travel company an initial information on suggested itineraries and sample prices range.
- Review suggested tour destination and dates with all group members and families.
- Verify that the length of the tour is accepted by all tour participants.
- Verify that the estimated prices per person for the tour are acceptable by all tour members.
- Get initial group commitment for the tour destination, tentative dates and expected price range.
Organizing Your Group
- Establish a Trip Committee with one or two other responsible decision makers, members of the group.
- Review with your tour company the tour packages that are offered, travel dates, airlines and hotels used, and tour package prices.
- Verify that the tour company can provide your group with all the music performance requirements, and venues.
- Share the information with your Trip Committee. Review and agree upon the most suitable tour package for your musical ensembles.
- Verify and assure that all tour participants can afford the tour. Do not impose an expensive tour package on families, that will not be able to afford it.
- Collect initial tour deposits. This is the best way, and the only way, to assure that the musical ensembles are really planning to go!
- Verify that you have a financial commitment from all members of your ensembles and the sponsoring organization to pursue the tour.
- Keep a ledger of all payments collected and name of participants for each deposit.
Preparing to Go
- Arrange an initial orientation meeting for all potential tour participants.
- Ask participants to bring their checkbook to the meeting. No deposit - No ticket.
- Start fundraising as early as possible. Aim at achieving your fundraising goals 90 days before departure.
- Prepare initial passenger list and rooming list for your tour members. Make sure to have correct spelling. For security reasons, airlines will match names for persons' IDs.
- Keep tour participants posted on a monthly basis on fundraising progress.
- Make sure to review with all tour participants all tour cancellation policy and give each participant a copy of the tour Terms & Conditions.
- Have final orientation meeting with all participants, before departure. Review all tour activities and flight itinerary.
- Review with tour participants a recommended packing checklist.
- If going overseas, review with all tour participants all the recommended safety guidelines for the country, customs, habits, tipping practices, etc'. Your experienced travel consultant can help you.
- Recommend a good travel book for the country you will be visiting. Your travel agent can help you.
- If you pack more than one suitcase and a small carry on - you packed too much.
- Be at airport at least 2 hours before departure.
- Know your "passenger rights". If flight is delayed more than 2 hours, and not for weather reasons, ask and insist that the airline feed the group.
- If the flight is delayed more than 6 hours, at evening/night hours, ask for hotel accommodations for all group members. Each airline has its own compensation policy. Ask to see it in writing.
- If the flight is delayed, insist of being advised the exact cause of the delay. By law, airline have to disclose this information to all passengers.
- If your luggage is lost, and you need to buy few essential clothing, keep all the receipts. The airline may reimburse you for these items. Each airline has its own policy for such situation.
- If your luggage is lost, and was not found after three months - you are entitled to monetary compensation by the airline. The amount is negotiable, do not settle for just future discount flight coupons.
- Do head-count before boarding the flight. Make sure you do not miss anyone.
- Keep a copy of your tour itinerary and hotel phone numbers at home or with a family member.
On Tour
- Upon arrival into your hotel, have an orientation meeting with all tour members. Review carefully all the House Rules of the property. Do the best to be a good guest.
- If a room or condo unit does not look clean or acceptable, request the front desk staff to see another unit, if available. If you are not happy with the unit, most hotels will try to change your room whenever possible.
- Check immediately your music event schedule. There may be last minute changes.
- Be aware of additional charges at hotels for local and long distance calls.
- Be aware of possible additional charges with car rentals.
- Car rental companies offer variety of optional "insurance" fees. Some may not be needed if your personal credit card covers them. Verify with your credit card company what travel/rental costs are automatically insured when the credit card is used for rental payment.
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