| When planning your travels or buying your airline | | | | condition exists in a country that is not severe |
| tickets, you have probably come across definitions | | | | enough to warrant a Travel Warning, a description of |
| and terms that might have seemed strange to you. | | | | the condition(s) may be included under an optional |
| Granted, many of the definitions and terms become | | | | section entitled Safety/Security. |
| more understandable as you become familiar with the | | | | Travel Documents: |
| industry as a frequent flier. While there are many | | | | * Passport: An official government document |
| terms for hotel room types, car types, and travel | | | | certifying identity and citizenship and granting |
| amenities, the area that we shall attempt to define | | | | permission to travel abroad (overseas). |
| would be tours. | | | | * Visa: An official authorization appended to a |
| Tour operators try to make their brochures and | | | | passport permitting travel to and within a particular |
| websites as attractive, informative and | | | | country. |
| understandable as possible; however, in reading this | | | | Escorted Tours: |
| information you will undoubtedly encounter some | | | | The most traditional tour product is also the most |
| terminology that is new and unfamiliar. To assist you, | | | | misunderstood. The options are so varied that it's |
| here's a glossary covering some of the terminology | | | | easiest to identify the few elements they share: |
| you will most most frequently find in brochures, fliers, | | | | Group travel, usually by motor coach but sometimes |
| and on websites. | | | | by ship, or train; a set itinerary, with lodging, |
| Hotels & Accommodations: | | | | activities, and most meals included and a tour director |
| * Single Room: A room with one bed for one person. | | | | to coordinate, guide, and manage the trip. Traveling |
| * Twin Room: A room with two beds for two | | | | on an escorted tour provides a measure of security |
| people. | | | | and peace of mind. And today, more tour operators |
| * Double Room: A room for two persons with a | | | | build in free time on group tours, giving travelers the |
| double bed. | | | | best of both worlds. |
| * Triple Room: A room for three persons, usually | | | | Independent Travel: |
| consisting of twin beds (or double beds, plus a | | | | There's no group on these trips, no guide and no |
| rollaway bed. | | | | fixed itinerary, unless the client wants one. The sole |
| * Ocean Front: A room directly facing the ocean. | | | | difference between this and fully independent travel |
| Usually it is on the first floor with a door that exists | | | | is that by booking through a tour operator from its |
| onto the beach. | | | | available inventory, your clients get the advantage of |
| * Ocean View: A room from which it is possible to | | | | group buying power, without the group. |
| view the ocean, whether the room is on the first | | | | Package Travel: |
| floor, the 12th floor, or on a hillside. | | | | Like group tours, packages tend to have fixed |
| * Service Charges/Taxes: Service charges are a | | | | itineraries, with ground transportation and hotels |
| fixed percentage automatically added to room and | | | | booked in advance. But like independent travel, |
| meal charges. The city, state or federal government | | | | there's no organized group; clients are on their own, |
| sets taxes. | | | | free to do as they please at each destination, but |
| Air Transportation: | | | | they still have the convenience and reliability that |
| * Add-on Fare: The cost of air travel from a | | | | come with booking through a tour operator. |
| domestic city to another domestic city from which | | | | Public Announcements: |
| the tour/vacation package originates and vice versa. | | | | Public announcements (PAs) are a means to |
| * Baggage Allowance: The weight or volume of | | | | disseminate information about terrorist threats and |
| baggage that may be carried by a passenger without | | | | other relatively short-term and/or trans-national |
| additional charge. | | | | conditions posing significant risks to the security of |
| * Connecting Flight: A segment of an ongoing trip, | | | | American travelers. The PAs are made when there is |
| which requires a change of aircraft, but necessarily a | | | | a specific threat that cannot be countered. In the |
| change of airline. | | | | past, Public Announcements have been issued to deal |
| * Direct Flight: A flight on which passengers do not | | | | with short-term coups, violence by terrorists and |
| have to change planes, but may involve one more | | | | anniversary dates of specific terrorist events. |
| stops enroute. | | | | Tours: |
| * Non-stop Flight: Service between two points with | | | | A group of people traveling together who follow a |
| no scheduled stop enroute. | | | | pre-planned itinerary. Most tours include |
| Car Rental: | | | | accommodations, a number of meals, sightseeing, |
| * Drop-off Charge: Fee charged by a car rental | | | | land transportation, and/or other transportation, plus |
| company to defray the cost of returning the vehicle | | | | the services of a professional tour manager or escort |
| to its original location. | | | | who accompanies the group. |
| * Value Added Tax (VAT): Tax imposed by | | | | Travel Warnings: |
| governmental authority. | | | | Travel warnings are issued when the State |
| Charter Travel: | | | | Department decides, based on all relevant |
| Thanks to improved Federal regulations and a new | | | | information, to recommend that Americans avoid |
| generation of operators, air charters have become | | | | travel to a certain country. Countries where |
| the preferred way to reach many of the world's | | | | avoidance of travel is recommended will have Travel |
| most popular vacation destinations for reasons of | | | | Warnings as well as Consular Information Sheets. You |
| value and convenience. Here's how they work: The | | | | may also want to review specific country |
| tour operator rents an airplane and sells the seats, | | | | Background Notes. |
| often in combination with a hotel package and | | | | |
| perhaps other ground components. The result is a | | | | Vacation Packages: |
| substantial savings. | | | | Vacation packages are designed for those traveling |
| Conditions: | | | | independently. They include a combination of two or |
| * Force Majeure: An event or effect that cannot be | | | | more travel services (e.g. hotel accommodations, car |
| reasonably anticipated or controlled (such as storms | | | | rental, air transportation) that are offered at a |
| or war). | | | | package price. Many vacation packages offer a |
| Consular Information Sheets: Governments issue | | | | choice of components and options, thereby enabling |
| Consular Information Sheets for every country of | | | | you to customize the package to your tastes, |
| the world. They include such information as location | | | | interests and/or budget. |
| of the U.S. embassy or consulate in the subject | | | | |
| country, unusual immigration practices, health | | | | Vouchers: |
| conditions, minor political disturbances, unusual | | | | Documents issued by tour operators to be |
| currency and entry regulations, crime and security | | | | exchanged for accommodations, sightseeing and |
| information, and drug penalties. If an unstable | | | | other services. |