Month: May 2011

No-Fly List Monitoring to Increase

No-Fly List Monitoring to Increase

The goal is to prevent a repeat of what happened Monday when the suspect in the New York Times Square bombing attempt was permitted to board a plane at Kennedy Airport for Dubai even though his name was on the no-fly list.

Going forward, TSA (Transportation Security Administration) will require airlines to check the no-fly list within two hours of being electronically notified of additions or changes.  In the past airlines were given 24 hours to recheck the list. Maybe they should change it to the no-board the airplane list. It would seem as soon as a name is added to a ticket on any airline, the TSA would be notified immediately. The fact that the TSA is relying on the airlines to do this check rather than developing their own system which updates instantly, and prevents the suspect from passing thru security is difficult to understand. Then, as a back-up, beings the boarding process is the last possible time to stop someone, ask the airline to update thier list just prior to opening boarding.

It was because of the previous 24 hour window that Faisal Shahzad, the person charged with the attempted bombing in Times Square, was permitted to board an Emirates flight even through his name had been placed on a no-fly list earlier that same day.

The suspect made his airline reservation by phone as he drove to the airport just hours before to his flight.  At the time Shahzad paid for his ticket in cash at the ticket counter at the airport, the airline had not refreshed its information regarding the no-fly list so his name was not flagged.

While his plane was still at the gate, CBP (Customers and Border Protection) analysts found his name on a passenger manifest and notified CBP agents to board the plane to take Shahzad into custody. 

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China Custom Tour – The Sisters’S Meal Festival In Guizhou

China Custom Tour – The Sisters’S Meal Festival In Guizhou

If you are interested in Chinese ethnic culture and custom, do not missed visiting the Sisters’s Meal Festival in Guizhou and joining in the local people’s celebrating activities. The journey would be a great memory never fades away for you.
The Sisters’ Meal Festival is the oldest festival among the Miao minority which inhabited in Guizhou province. The festival takes in China lunar calendar and in 2009, the festival will be held from April 10 to 12. It is custom for the young boys and girls choose their lovers freely during the festival. The following itinerary is our trip to Guizhou and one of the top reasons for us to go there is to watch the Sister’ Meal Festival.
Day 01: Arrival in Guiyang
Upon arrival in Guiyang, our tour guide will meet you and transfer you to your hotel.
Day 02: Guiyang
Drive to Huangguoshu Waterfall, Dragon Palace Cave
Day 03 Guiyang / Kaili
You will be driven to the Kaili Museum, Shiqiao, Qingman Miao minority village famous for its folded felted.
Day 04 Kaili
Drive to Xijiang Miao village and other minority villages
Day 05 Kaili
Visit the Nanhua long-skirt Miao village and Datang short-skirt Miao village
Day 06: Kaili /Shidong/ Kaili
Drive to Shidong and join in the Sisters’ Meals Festival.
Day 07 Kaili /Guiyang/ Departure
Drive back to Guiyang and visit the symbol of the Guiyang-Jiaxiulou and fly to your next destination.

Should I Purchase Travel Insurance

Should I Purchase Travel Insurance? Travel Tips

This is one of those age-old questions with no definitive answer. It’s estimated that 30 percent of Americans purchase travel insurance, which is a drastic increase since 9/11, when less than 10 percent of travelers were insured.

If you’re flying on a $150 ticket to see Aunt Irma in Wisconsin, you probably don’t need travel insurance. But on a trip such as yours, travel insurance can come in handy if something unexpectedly disrupts your trip. Your first step is to compare the cost of the trip versus the cost of the policy.

The most common situations when travel insurance comes in handy are:

• Your flight is canceled

• Your passport and wallet are stolen

• You require medical treatment while abroad

• You need to cancel your trip due to illness

• An unexpected hurricane hits your destination

• Your airline/cruise line/tour company go bankrupt

Reasons NOT to purchase travel insurance are:

• You’re afraid of terrorism

• A hurricane is going to hit your destination (this applies if the storm has already been named by the National Weather Service)

• Your pet is ill

• Your flight is delayed for so long that you want to cancel

One major caveat: Never purchase travel insurance from the same tour operator or cruise line with which you’re traveling. If that company goes out of business, there may not be money to cover your claim. Use a third-party provider (that includes travel agents).

Also, don’t forget about medical insurance. Even if you are covered for basic emergency care overseas, in almost all cases, your current health insurance does NOT cover you to evacuate you and fly you back to the U.S. Something called “Medical Evacuation and Repatriation” insurance comes in handy here. You pay a yearly fee, and if you get sick or injured overseas, the policy will get you treated, stabilized and flown back to the U.S. to the hospital of your choice, not theirs. There are a number of good companies that provide this type of plan, such as MedJet Assist.