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| See the USA . . . and Canada, too! |
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You're a foreign missionary planning your home assignment travels. You have six supporting churches and two sets of relatives to see in three months, or maybe in one year. Trouble is, they're spread out all over North America. How can you quickly and economically visit all these places-and still have a little time for rest? MTS TRAVEL suggests two possible answers, rent a Recreational Vehicle or purchase a Visit USA/Canada pass. Visit Your Supporters/See the Country Turn the stressful travel of visiting supporting churches into a vacation (and a great time of family bonding) by renting a recreational vehicle. By having your hotel on wheels and the ability to cook, this might be a feasible option for trips while on furlough. MTS TRAVEL has partnered with the leader in RV rentals to bring this opportunity right to your computer. Visit www.mtstravel.com or click here to begin booking online. Visit USA/Canada passes may only be purchased outside North America An airpass is valid on one-or in some cases more than one-carrier. You may save money versus buying the same flights once you reach the States. We checked the following major airlines for details regarding their Visit USA/Canada passes. Here is a brief summary. Eligibility and Overseas Purchase To be eligible for the airpass, you must: 1) Show proof of residence outside the USA, Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean. 2) Produce a scheduled international airline ticket. The Visit USA pass is usually issued with the international ticket cross-referenced to the VUSA/Canada. Purchase the pass at any reputable travel agency overseas, or at the issuing airline's foreign ticket office. What if a U.S. carrier doesn't have a ticket office in your country of residence? Some airlines told us to buy the pass at any airline who has an agreement with them. One resourceful Delta agent even raised the possibility of purchasing a Visit USA while connecting through Frankfurt-as the airport has a ticket counter within the Customs area! (Try this only as a last resort.) Which Airline Will Issue Your Pass? Some airlines insist the pass be validated on their own paper tickets-which may or may not be a problem, depending on where you're originating. Others say it doesn't matter-as long as that airline has an agreement with the carrier you'll use in North America. Northwest and KLM cooperate easily if you fly KLM from overseas. Some limit the carriers you can use transatlantic or transpacific. Reserving Your Flights Most say there is no advance-purchase rule. Some require ticket purchase at lease seven days before departure from your country of residence. All say you must reserve at least the first flight. For most, you can leave the remainder open with just origin and destination points. As with any lower fare, airlines set aside only a few seats on each flight, so you may want to reserve space just in case. There may be blackout dates around certain holidays on which you cannot use your pass. It's always a good idea to reconfirm your flights upon arrival in North America. Where Can You Fly? United, for instance, has different types of passes, depending upon where you originate: Western Hemisphere, Transpacific, Transatlantic, Worldwide and Japan. Most airlines say you can fly anywhere in their route system. Air Canada and Continental allow you to travel anywhere in the 48 states and Canada the carriers fly. Coupon Purchase and How They're Used The basic minimum number of coupons is three - although a few carriers say "two" or "four." Most require one coupon per flight. Check locally when you purchase the pass. Some carriers allow unlimited stopovers in any city, keeping in mind that you use one coupon every time you stop. However, many limit the number of transcontinental trips to two. United regards some airports the same for stopover purposes, and limits you to two stops. Places like San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose, for example, are considered the same city. Maximum number of coupons vary. Many airlines say ten maximum, but it depends on the type of pass purchased. Most permit "open jaws," where you travel surface for part of your itinerary. You then resume air travel in another city different from the last one into which you flew. Again, check with the airline when you purchase your pass. Validity Periods Some airlines stipulate the latest date you can begin travel. They measure this from the date of your arrival into the U.S. or Canada. Extra fees usually are not levied for a date and flight change if you must adjust your plans slightly. Nearly all charge at least $50 per change to alter the routing. If you want to refund unused portions, you'll most likely pay the full coach fare for the sectors you used. This will probably mean no refund is due. Planning Your Trip With all the above in mind, follow these steps to outline your air travel:
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