Travel Bits: August 2018

Travel Hassles.......

We all love traveling. However, like all things in life, the unexpected can happen. And when unexpected and unpleasant incidents happen, they can totally ruined that dream vacation.

Here are what I associate as the top five travel hassles:

1. Missed Flight or Missed Flight Connections - This is probably one of the travel hassles that is most likely to happen to anyone. Most of us have experienced this hassle or at least know of someone who had. I remembered some years back when I was traveling home after a very stressful working trip when I got stranded at Heathrow Airport due to a strike by the Ground Crew. As I was on transit and on my way home, most of my daily necessities were already packed into my check-in luggage. Thus, there I was at the airport, with only my office laptop in a small haversack and no flight home. The earliest I could get on a flight was 4 days later and I had to spend 4 days in London with no change of clothing and no toiletries. I had to go to the nearest store to buy a set of toiletries and a change of clothing and spent 4 days wandering around the city wondering when I can get on that flight home. Remedy - Always make sure you have enough cash with you when you travel. Cash is king. With cash, you can easily buy whatever daily necessities that you need, find a place to stay and get to eat. If you are the type who like to go cashless, make sure you have sufficient credit left on your credit cards. And always make sure you bring along at least 2 different credit cards issued by different banks, just in case.......

The sky's the limit when travel is hassle-free, the view at 34000 ft over the Malacca Strait on a flight from Phuket to Singapore (2016)

2. Lost or Missed Luggage - This is another common occurrence and is most likely to happen if you are travelling from one city to another which includes connecting flights between different airlines and with very short connecting time. I have personally witnessed travelers screaming at Airlines' Ground Staff over lost or missed luggages. Absolutely no point doing that because it is not their fault and is something totally beyond their control. Instead, be nice and politely enquire how you can track or get back that lost or missed luggage. Remedy - If your flight route is going to involve connecting flights, especially between different airlines during peak travel periods, always make sure you have at least a change of clothing in your hand carry bag. In addition, never check in any valuables or important items like travel documents, cash, credit cards, keys, laptops or anything important to you. Yes, travel insurance may cover your loss from a monetary perspective but some personal items if lost, are gone forever.

3. Falling Sick - Falling sick during a trip or getting food poisoning is always a bad way to spend your vacation, especially when you are overseas. While I have not personally fell sick during any trips so far, touch wood, my traveling partners had. And we had to go to pharmacies looking for that medication to ease the symptoms or even to a clinic to get treatment. Remedy - If you are sensitive to different types of food or are prone to allergies, do not eat food from the streets no matter how tempting it is to do so. Seeing the locals dine at the street stalls is no indication that you will go away not getting into a bout of food poisoning. We are all individuals and react differently to different food and different conditions. Be mindful of your own health needs and always make sure you carry a written list of all your known drug and food allergies with you when you travel. And do not forget to buy that travel insurance before you travel. 

4. Losing Money - Losing all your cash and credit cards to theft or simply dropping or misplacing them is another common travel hassle. Nothing is worse than being overseas in a place where you have no family or friends and no money! Remedy - I always keep stashes of small amounts of cash and credit cards in different places such as my wallet, pockets and backpacks when I travel. This way, even if I am to lose my cash or credit cards, it will not be a case of losing all that I have. I will still have some cash kept in another location and another one or two credit cards kept somewhere else to fall back on. And always remember to keep your bank's emergency contact number and credit card details written somewhere. During an emergency, you can always call your bank and see what they can do to assist you. I had personally had the experience of my bank helping me with an air ticket home as well as providing some cash and a replacement credit card when I really needed it during an emergency when I was traveling in Sydney many years back. I have stayed with that same bank and used that same credit card ever since. :-)

5. Losing Your Passport - This is undoubtedly one of the worst thing that can happen to any traveler. Make sure you keep and guard your important travel documents, especially your passport. And if you still manage to lose that passport, the only alternative is to head to the nearest diplomatic office or official representation that your country has in the country or city that you have traveled to. Remedy - No remedy as you will definitely need a replacement passport or travel authorisation to return to your home country. A mitigating measure is to have a printed photocopy or a digital copy of your passport with you at all times when you travel. At least, that will provide some proof of your identity when you turn up at the embassy or diplomatic office seeking assistance. 

Always plan ahead, protect your personal belongings and have a backup plan. At least when that travel hassle strikes, you will have Plan B ready. :-)