Welcome to the Winter edition of Cellhire USA ’s
newsletter. Cellhire is the world leader in mobile
communications rental, providing clients and partners with innovative
and competitive phone and data rental solutions.
This edition includes updates on tips for travelling abroad this winter and some great offers on Cellhire's BlackBerry, data card and call bundle offerings.
While traveling during winter can yield significant discounts, the trend toward higher prices for air, hotel and rental car (during the first
half of the year) will most likely continue and then peak. But Expedia Travel’s Trendwatch gives examples on how to find attractive discounts.
Europe
A summer of extremely high transatlantic airfares and a weak dollar made Europe cost-prohibitive to many travelers. However, demand for air
travel to Europe typically slows during the winter months, and airfares are often discounted heavily compared to summer, putting those big
sleeper seats in a price range more palatable to leisure travelers – with some fares around 50 percent less at $2,000 to $3,000 round trip
instead of the standard $6,000 to $8,000 range.
Dead weeks
For the lowest prices of the year, bargain hunters with schedule flexibility should consider trips during so-called “dead weeks” Jan. 5 to Jan. 17.
Caribbean
Fares to Caribbean destinations are at a low point due to recent entry by discount carriers. Smart travelers have taken note of this, and at
Expedia.com, the most popular Caribbean destinations for flight+hotel packages are Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, the U.S.
Virgin Islands and Aruba.
While there are those who regard winter’s arrival with excitement, others regard it with all the enthusiasm of an IRS audit. These people get
on the phone to their agents and book nice, long holidays somewhere else. But this year, they’ll have to endure a record number of holiday travelers.
Here are some tips to handle the crowds and the weather:
Whenever possible, travelers should use alternate airports, which typically experience shorter and fewer delays.
For air passengers flying into chiller climes between Nov. 15 and March 15, booking flights that are scheduled to arrive between
11:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M. local time, when the sun is out, will minimize delays caused by severe weather conditions.
The Transportation Security Administration suggests that you not check your laptop, but keep it in your carry-on bag. Follow these
tips at security checkpoint:
Place laptops in a bin by itself. Do not place any other items on top of it. This ensures the screener can see that the
bin contains a laptop.
Remember, the X-ray belts move both forward and backward. Try to avoid placing your laptop on the belt with other items
that may dislodge it.
Reclaim and secure your laptop as quickly as possible once through the screening process.
Even the best planned vacations can be interrupted by glitches and emergencies. You lose your luggage. You slip,
or catch a bug, and need medical treatment. These not only disrupt your itinerary, but can cost you a lot of money.
That’s where travel insurance (also called travel protection) comes in. Specially designed to address
the situations and risks involved in travel, it provides coverage from the moment you leave, to the moment you return to your home.
For example, travel insurance can reimburse you for any baggage or items that you may lose during your trip. This is particularly important if you
plan to buy anything of high value, such as local antiques, or are carrying very expensive jewelry or electronic equipment.
Your standard medical insurance also tends to be limited to a network area, so without travel insurance, you will have to pay for any hospitalization
or medical treatments you receive while abroad. If you are visiting a place where doctor’s bills and other emergency procedures are expensive, or
where there are very real health risks, travel insurance is absolutely crucial.
Travel insurance can also provide protection against emergencies that are so specific to going abroad that they cannot be covered by your standard
insurance policy such as trip interruption. Any fees or down payments that you may have made that would otherwise have been forfeited if you had
suddenly cancelled your trip will be returned to you.
Travel protection plans can also provide assistance services like an emergency hotline and medical transportation services. This is very valuable when
a crisis hits in a foreign country. When you are distraught or distressed, or when time is of the essence and you need to get help right away, travel
protection plans can be your safety net. You may be a stranger in a strange land, but you are not alone.
Get a passport. Starting Jan. 8, 2007, if returning to the U.S. by air from the Caribbean, Mexico or Canada (or anywhere else in the world),
you must have a passport to re-enter the country. Please visit www.getapassportnow.com.
Free shipping on all BlackBerry and data card orders through March 31, 2007.
Order online and use promo code: shipfree
Traveling in the US? Expecting relatives from overseas? Order any of the One Month 500 minute domestic call bundles with or without SMS and receive a discount of $20.
Order online and use promo code: bundleme
Data Solutions