|
May Greetings!
Welcome to the 5th edition of MTS TRAVEL'S electronic
newsletter targeted
to the needs of the church, mission, and non-profit
traveler. We hope you
will find the information and articles useful. Please feel
free to forward
this enewsletter to others who may also benefit from
the information. To
view back issues, visit our website at
www.mtstravel.com/newsletter
| Helpful Tips for Claiming Your Baggage at Airports |
 |
Picking up your baggage at airports can often take
longer than anticipated, and there are several helpful
tips travelers can keep in mind when traveling with
extra bags.
Delays
If your bags are delayed upon
arrival, the airline traditionally has a means of tracking
them, and 98 percent of baggage is usually returned. If
the luggage is sent on the next flight, you could wait a
couple hours for return or have the airline company
bring the luggage when it is found. However, if the
bags are sent to another airport for any reason, it
could take a number of days to have them
returned. Additionally, many airline carriers will
reimburse you for unexpected expenses caused by the
delay.
Lost Baggage
In the case of baggage lost
by the airline company, be certain you get a written
claim for any possible damages, which can be picked up
at the airport or by mail. The claim will be different,
however, from the missing luggage forms you will be
required to fill out at the airport.
Traditionally, domestic flights rate airline baggage
liability at $2,500 per person. For international flights,
the airline baggage limit is $9.07 per pound for checked
baggage, $400 per person for carry-on bags.
Stolen Bags
Visit the baggage claim area
immediately upon departing your flight. The airlines will
scan bags as they are loaded onto the carousel and
keep records. However, once you leave the baggage
claim area, you are required to file a report with the
police.
Damaged Baggage
Check your bags
immediately for damage or other signs of tampering
during or after the flight. In the case of damaged
baggage, additionally, airline customer service will often
want to inspect the bag. It is likely you will be required
to produce a receipt for any repairs, so be sure to ask
the baggage-claim attendant at the airport for
further information about this procedure.
Helpful Tips ...
More »
|
Spotlight on... MTS TRAVEL Offices
Claremont, California |
|
Opened in 1981, our Claremont, California, office
boasts an international staff, with a few U.S. natives in
the mix. The staff speaks or understands at least
seven languages other than English! Whether you need
a
complicated roundtrip or one-way international
itinerary, a visa for foreign travel - or a trip from point
to point in the U.S.- our staff is ready to help you.
Office manager, Yeshoda Kader, born and raised in New
Delhi, India, officially joined MTS TRAVEL in 1983. Her
father is a retired airline pilot, which is why she chose a
career in the travel industry. Yeshoda visited
Europe, Iran, Nepal and Afghanistan prior to moving to
the United States.
Mary Jo Isusquiza hails from
Argentina. She lived in Costa Rica and Australia before
joining MTS TRAVEL in 1987.
Rupal Shikari, from Bombay, India, worked with Diners
Club International and for Raj Travel and Tours prior
to her employment with MTS TRAVEL in 1990.
George Sidawi was born in Nazareth, Israel. His
house in now part of the Nazareth tour! Go to
http://www.nazareth.muni.il.
Click on the picture of the gate.
Under "site contents," click on Nazareth
2000. Then click on "Houses on the hill." You will see a
colored picture of George's bedroom ceiling!
Lorraine Miles and Sally Mosqueda were born and raised
in the U.S.A. They have been with MTS TRAVEL since
the 1980's.
The office's list of clients include: World Vision
International, the English Language Institute and
Bible Study Fellowship. If you're in the Los
Angeles/Ontario area, do visit our multi-lingual,
multi-talented staff in Claremont, California! Or for a
virtual visit, go to
www.mtstravel.com
,
under "Links" click on 'MTS TRAVEL Offices'.
You'll see a link to 'California' which produces a staff
photo.
More »
|
| Cruise Fund Raiser Match Program |
|
It's a fact. Giving is down around the country.
Looking
for a new way to help your organization meet
it's operating budget? Tired of competing with two
hundred other charity golf tournaments every summer?
Many
organizations are finding that travel is a wonderful way
to build relationships with key donors. Not even golf
can provide as much "one on one time" as spending
several days or weeks on a trip with a supporter.
MTS TRAVEL has been helping organizations save
money for years with our deeply discounted airfares.
Did
you know we can also help you bring in developmental
funds by customizing a trip to meet the unique needs of
your donors? Examples include Vision Tours to allow
donors to see their money at work on the field; trips to
areas of religious significance, like following the
Footsteps of Paul in Greece, or Reformation Europe; or
staying closer to home to view the natural beauty God
created here in North America.
Another type of travel that is quickly growing in
popularity is cruising. A cruise allows a good mix of
time for privacy and time for the group to spend
together. MTS TRAVEL can arrange for meeting space
on the ship so that you can make best use of days at
sea with your "captive audience." We are happy to
announce a program with a major cruise line partner
that will match funds raised for non-profit
organizations. For more information on this exciting
program, please contact Cindi Brodhecker
cindib@mtstravel.com
or Pam Mumma
pamm@mtstravel.com
in the MTS TRAVEL Tour
Department at (800)874-9330. Happy sailing!
More »
|
| Featured Link: Foreign Entry Requirements |
|
In this month's featured link
we introduce you to "Foreign
Entry Requirements." This link is part of the U.S.
Department of State
website. It provides information on passport/visa
requirements for U.S. citizens traveling on
tourism/business to other
countries. This site is available at
www.mtstravel.com
by clicking on 'Travel Links' and
'Crossing Borders'.
|
|
|
| Visas! |
 |
|
To gain entry into their countries, many foreign nations
require a U.S. citizen to have a visa--a document
or stamp entered into a passport's pages. It allows a
traveler entry into a foreign country for a specified
time for a specified purpose. If a traveler plans to stay
three months or less in a country, a tourist
visa is usually sufficient. (This varies, however.) For
longer stays--or for work permits-the application
process is normally lengthy and more complicated.
Where Do I Get A Visa?
Obtain a visa at an Embassy or Consulate-an official
government office where travelers wishing to enter a
particular country can obtain visa forms and visas. In
the U.S., foreign embassies are in Washington, DC.
The foreign consulates perform similar functions, but
they are located in major U.S. cities, such as
New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. Some embassies
or consulates are "jurisdictional". This means you
must apply for your visa at the one nearest your
state of residence.
Some visa applications also require submission of a
WHO Card with valid vaccinations. This is a World
Health Organization booklet in which you must have
recorded all vaccinations required for international
travel. Some vaccination entries require a raised seal
to make them valid. Traveler's health clinics
where you obtain these vaccinations will give you a
booklet.
How Do I Know if I Need a Visa?
When you know the country(ies) to which you will
travel, here are a few ways to determine if you need a
visa:
- Consult your mission-sending agency.
- Call your MTS TRAVEL branch. We have visa forms
and complete instructions for every country in the
world. We can tell you how long a tourist visa is valid
for your country-and the procedure for obtaining
a work permit if this is needed.
- Call the country's embassy (in Washington, DC) or
consulate (in a large U.S. city, like New York,
Chicago or Los Angeles).
We offer this option 3 as a last resort. It can be
difficult to get through to the person who knows the
correct answer to your question. Also, you may need
to be careful how you express what you'll be doing
in the country once you get there. Some nations
aren't very hospitable to missionary activity, although
they may have freedom-of-speech laws. You could
jeopardize your opportunity to obtain a visa by offering
too many details that they do not want to know. It's
best to rely on your mission-sending organization
for counsel regarding the proper wording to use on the
form's blank "Purpose of Visit".
We at MTS TRAVEL can tell you if you need a visa for
travel. We can then detail the documentation required
for your visa. We will also send you visa application
forms. These are the documents that are usually
required:
- Passport. (Almost always, the visa is stamped into
your passport's pages.)
- Passport-sized photos. These are in addition to the
two needed for your passport application.
- Application forms for visa.
- WHO Card, with any necessary vaccinations. (The
WHO card is not always needed.)
- Any other documentation a particular country may
request.
How Long Does Visa Issuance Take?
Once we have all the completed paperwork and
documents, they will go to the appropriate consulate or
embassy. Time for issuance varies by country. Tourist
visas generally take less than a week. Residence
visas can take several months. Your MTS TRAVEL
agent can tell you about how long the visa issuance will
take when we receive your documents for processing.
Each embassy or consulate charges a different fee for
their visas. We pass on this direct cost to you.
For those who book their trip with us, the MTS TRAVEL
visa processing fee is minimal. A higher charge applies
if you do not purchase your tickets from us.
Hints and Suggestions
- When you know to which country(ies) you'll be
traveling, check regarding visa requirements. If you
need to get certain vaccinations, you may need two
shots some weeks apart.
- New passport issuance can take up to six weeks.
Be sure to leave enough time to gather all your
documents and have them to the consulate or embassy.
- You do not want to get the visa entered into your
passport too early, however. The validity of some
only extends to three months from date of issue.
Check with your MTS TRAVEL agent regarding the
stipulations for your country's visa.
- Some countries require that a passport be valid for
six months after departure from the country.
Check if yours is one of them. If so, make sure your
passport is valid for at least six months after
your return to the United States.
More »
|
|
