Baggage Blues? Here’s How to Handle Lost Bags Like a Pro 🧳

In terms of “worst nightmares” for travelers, losing your bag isn’t the absolute “worst,” but it’s close.

            Maybe you know the feeling. You’ve arrived at your destination, anticipating the fun that is to come on the ship or at the resort, the sights that you’ll see. You might be in a country you’ve never visited before, and that in itself could be a source of unease. Or maybe you’ve just arrived home, and you’re tired and looking forward to your own bed just a few hours from now. You find the proper baggage carousel at the airport, and you wait. Eventually, the belt starts moving, bags tumble down from the chute or come out from the wall. It was a full flight, so it might take a while for yours to appear…but they never do.

            Time to panic, right?

            Not quite, says Zach Wichter, travel writer for USA Today. In a recent column, Wichter talked about that dreaded feeling of realizing that your bag isn’t where it should be, on the carousel waiting for you to scoop it up. Your bag has been lost, or maybe just delayed. (There’s an important difference.) Wichter advises staying calm and taking action.

·         Don’t panic. Not seeing your bag is frustrating and maybe a little scary, especially if you kept valuables inside. (You shouldn’t, of course; that’s what carry-ons are for.) Don’t yell at any airline employees. None of the people you are about to interact with are directly at fault, so be polite.

·         Notify the airline. Every airport has a baggage-claim desk for this very purpose. They’ll advise you on what to do next. It might be possible for them to locate your bag right away. It might have been routed to the wrong carousel and be patiently cruising along the belt just a few yards away. Or, it might’ve been inadvertently left back at your departure airport, in which case it can be put on the next flight to where you are now.

·         Make sure your flight’s bags have been completely off-loaded and sent to the proper carousel. You’ll look more than a little foolish if the airline tells you that the bags from the plane are still being loaded onto the proper carousel, or that you were at the wrong one to begin with.

·         Start the claims process. If you’re sure that your bag didn’t make it, you’ll need to file a report. Make sure you keep all your paperwork with you. Have everything handy as the baggage claim person takes your information. The more info you can provide, the better.

·         Keep your receipts. The Department of Transportation requires airlines to reimburse passengers for “reasonable, verifiable and actual incidental expenses” that you incur as a result of an airline losing your bag. Typically, these are essentials like toiletries and basic clothing. This doesn’t mean you can go to the luxury shops in the airport and buy the latest designer outfit, but when the time comes to get reimbursed, you’ll need proper receipts for your purchases.

·         Make sure your baggage fees are refunded. If you spent extra money on your bags for this flight, that has to be paid back to you.

·         Stay in touch with the airline. You’ll receive updates from the airline as they search for your bag, and they’ll tell you what you’ll need for expense reimbursement once your bags are found and returned to you. Each airline has its own process for this, and while they’re similar to each other, they do vary somewhat by airline, so make sure you know what yours is.

·         Use technology to help. Many U.S. airlines now have “Apple Find My” capabilities integrated into their apps, allowing passengers to link AirTags with their reservations to help keep track of their bags. Delta, which serves most of our clients out of MSP, is one of them.

·         Reach out to your insurance company. Once your bags have been returned or officially declared lost, get in touch with your insurance company. Your belongings, if lost or damaged, could be covered by your policy. Travel insurance might also provide coverage. Most companies will only cover expenses over and above what the airline covers, so file all your expenses with the airline first.

Remember, there’s a difference between bags that are “lost” and those that are only “delayed.” The DOT and international regulations draw a clear line between the two. According to the DOT, airlines are allowed to set their own policies on when a bag can be considered lost, typically 5-14 days after the flight.

Once a bag is officially declared lost, airlines are required to reimburse passengers up to $4,700 for domestic flights and up to about $1,700 for international flights. The amount will depend on the value of the items lost, though carriers can reimburse at higher amounts.

It’s also possible that your bags were taken from the carousel by someone else who mistook them for their own bags. This happened to me and my husband once. The people who took the wrong bags reached out to the other party once they got home, opened the bags and said, “What’s all this stuff?” Now, I’m not going to say which of the parties we happened to be, but it had a happy ending!

Ready to get your own bags in the air? Give us a call!

 

 Travel to Italy, Explore Sambuca’s €1 Homes, and Find Your Retirement Dream!

My husband and I were recently watching a Hallmark movie—yes, he indulges me occasionally—in which an American woman, visiting the Italian town where her parents met and married, decides to buy the abandoned villa the newlyweds had briefly lived in. The price: one euro.

            It just so happens that there’s a ruggedly handsome handyman who lives nearby, and who also happens to be an American (his grandmother runs the coffee shop in town), and he helps the overwhelmed new home buyer renovate the property. Romance, of course, ensues, and everybody lives happily ever after. (Except for the woman’s former fiancé, who shows up unannounced to reclaim his bride-to-be and is rebuffed, with the handyman lurking in the background.)

            This is a fictional story, but can the buy-a-home-for-a-euro thing possibly be true? One euro is worth $1.17US. The answer: yes.

            CNN Travel first reported the trend back in 2019. The small town of Sambuca, located on a hilltop on the island of Sicily, had put dozens of dwellings on the market for just one euro apiece. The idea was to lure Italians and foreign expats to the village in order to help reverse a depopulation trend, which was seeing young Italians leaving their small hometowns and moving to big cities. The city fathers of Sambuca were scrapping red tape to make sure anyone interested could make their purchase right away.

            There was a catch, of course: the new owners had to commit to refurbishing their new digs within three years, at a cost starting from about $17,000. They also had to pay a security deposit of 5,000 euros, which would be refunded when the work was done. The dwellings ranged from about 400 square feet up to 1,600, so they were on the small side, compared to typical American homes.

            Sambuca focused its marketing efforts on non-Italians, and it worked. Over a dozen homes were sold within a few weeks of the deal hitting the internet. New residents were drawn by the region’s natural beauty and Moorish culture. Soon, the one-euro-home trend spread throughout Italy. Sambuca, though, is still a hot spot, known as “Italy’s Little America.”

            Many Americans are choosing Italy as a retirement destination, even if the homes they buy aren’t that cheap. Tony and Francine Smarrelli, from Syracuse, N.Y., were visiting Venice for their 50^th wedding anniversary two summers ago when they decided to leave the States and move to a coastal town in the Calabria district of southern Italy. The retired elementary school teachers are both of Italian descent. They bought a 1,500-square-foot property in the village of Scalea for about $162,000 and wound up plowing half again as much into renovating the three-bedroom home. They lived in a nearby apartment during the four-month project. They say they enjoy the quality of life, views of the Mediterranean and slow-paced vibe, not to mention great restaurants. And, it’s cheaper; the Smarrellis have reduced their monthly expenses by about $3,000, to about $1,200 per month. Back in the U.S., their monthly mortgage alone was $1,500.

            What was the toughest thing about moving to Italy? Tony says it was giving up golf. He and Francine had moved from Syracuse to Pinehurst, N.C., in 2006 for the warmer weather, and Tony won the local country club’s senior championship 11 times. But in Scalea, he’s found other activities, such as painting and mosaic wall art. He and Francine start every morning with coffee on their balcony and enjoy evenings there with a glass of wine.

            Sounds tempting, doesn’t it? If you’re contemplating retirement abroad, it pays to check it out thoroughly first. That’s where we come in. Give us a call! 

Sue Tindell

✈️ Travel Confidently: Summer 2025 Tips & Insights with Travel Designers

  Depending on how you want to look at it, the summer of 2025 is already one-third gone. That’s if you think summer started on Memorial Day weekend. Or, if you go with the summer solstice viewpoint, it’s barely begun.

            Either way, people are traveling this summer, with weekend getaways, long road trips or flights around the country and abroad. A survey by Bankrate found that 46% of Americans plan to go somewhere this summer, an increase of only 1% from last year, signaling a possible slowdown in travel after the post-pandemic boom. Popular overseas destinations include Europe (the UK, Spain, France, Germany and Greece top the list), Mexico, and Canada. As always, we tell our clients to make sure they have a Real ID, required now for domestic air travel, and if going abroad, renew their passports if they’re less than 6 months away from expiration.

            It seems that Americans who plan to travel this summer are worried. USA Today travel writer Christopher Elliott noted recently that they’re worried about a lot of things. A survey by Aon Affinity Travel Practice found more than a quarter of travelers (28%) are concerned about illness preventing a trip, and almost as many (26%) are worried about cancellations or delays due to bad weather or a natural disaster. Nineteen percent say they’re fearful of global conflicts. Half of respondents have purchased travel insurance to protect their trips.

            It’s not unreasonable to be concerned about problems impacting your travel plans. AXA Partners found that 7 in 10 Americans experienced travel mishaps in the past year. Some of these undoubtedly were caused by the travelers themselves, through unavoidable situations like sudden medical problems or simply poor planning. Others were out of their control, like bad weather, flight cancellations or delays, or issues at their destination.

            It’s possible to worry too much, though. Elliott cites the case of a woman from Spokane, Washington, who months ago had booked a cruise on the Danube for this summer. She grew concerned that water levels on the European river might be too low to accommodate the cruise ship. When river levels are low, cruise lines sometimes substitute bus tours for that part of the itinerary impacted by low water. I just checked, and the Danube is currently experiencing fluctuations in its water levels, showing lower than normal levels due to a dry spring and warm temperatures. Particularly impacted are the upper regions of the river near Passau, Germany, where most upriver cruises disembark, and along the Hungarian section; our cruise back in 2012 departed from Budapest. We also went in October, when river levels are more stable and robust, rather than in summertime.

            The Spokane woman dealt with her anxieties by booking everything herself through her credit card, which offered cancellation insurance, and she also made sure her US-based health insurance would cover her in Europe. Just to be on the super-safe side, she purchased a medical evacuation policy through Medjet. (Undoubtedly, this was a lot of work for her. We do that work on behalf of our clients, saving them the trouble and making sure all their bases are covered.)

            Elliott advises his readers to do exactly what we tell our clients:

• Book tickets that offer flexible change policies, along with travel insurance that covers long delays and cancellations.
• Work with your travel advisor (that’s us) to avoid the most disaster-prone areas, like the Caribbean during hurricane season.
• Many US travelers are concerned about the political climate they’ll encounter overseas. Some who spoke with Elliott said they’ll pretend to be Canadians, just to avoid any issues. We always advise our clients to just be themselves, be polite and respectful of local customs, and express an interest in learning about the culture of the places they’re visiting.
• Health concerns can certainly be valid, but if your doctor clears you to travel, there’s no reason not to. Just take sensible precautions and make sure you have medical insurance that will cover you outside the country.

Elliott says that what travelers should really worry about is lack of preparation. Buying non-refundable tickets, ignoring insurance, or booking online through a third-party site without checking their policies are common mistakes. One of his strongest recommendations: “Book through a reliable agent.”

That sounds like pretty good advice to us. Give us a call, and we’ll help you get where you’re going, as worry-free as possible!

  Sue Tindell

 

✈️ Best Airlines + Best Eats = Unforgettable Journeys

If you’d like to eat a meal at the best restaurant in the world, you might as well fly there on the world’s best airline. But if you’re thinking of flying on Delta or American or United to dine in Paris or Rome or New York, think again.

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy, made up of more than 1,100 international restaurant industry experts, including food writers and chefs, recently announced its annual list of the world’s top 50 restaurants. Here are the top five:

* Maido, Lima, Peru. Moving up from 5th a year ago, Maido is owned and run by chef Mitsuharu Tsumura, and serves Nikkei cuisine, “blending meticulous Japanese techniques with vibrant Peruvian ingredients to create a dining experience that is both culturally rich and innovatively modern,” according to the 50 Best organization.

* Asador Extebarri, Atxondo, Spain

* Quintonil, Mexico City, Mexico

* Diverxo, Madrid, Spain

* Alchemist, Copenhagen, Denmark

Paris has been known as the home of fine cuisine for centuries, but the French capital’s best showing is 8th place for Bruno Verjus. Lima actually has two restaurants in the top 10, with Kjolle at number nine, giving Lima more restaurants in the top 10 than Paris. What city had the most dining establishments on the list? That would be Bangkok, capital of Thailand, with six, led by Gaggan in 6th place.

The only American restaurant to make the top 50 was New York City’s Atomix, at number 12. Atomix did get the award for “Outstanding Hospitality” at the recent James Beard Awards. A London restaurant, Ikoyi, was the highest climber from last year, moving up 27 spots to number 15, featuring what 50 Best calls “category free cuisine.”

Speaking of the Beard Awards, which are reserved for American restaurants and chefs, a Minneapolis restaurant that serves French and American cuisine, Bûcheron, was named best new restaurant. You can see its simple but elegant dining room above. The Beard Award for best restaurant in the country went to Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder, Colorado, specializing in flavors from northeastern Italy through a Colorado lens. The outstanding chef award went to Jungsik Yim, whose New York City restaurant, Jungsik, also holds three Michelin stars for his “New Korean” cuisine.

How to get to Lima? Many airlines fly there; my husband and I flew Delta when we visited the country in 2017 to hike the Salkantay Trail to the ancient Inca city of Machu Picchu. We only had a pair of short layovers in Lima, without an opportunity to sample the city’s dining scene. But if we were to go again, we might just fly with the best airline in the world.

At the Paris Air Show last week, the Skyfax World Airline Awards were announced, and the top spot goes to Qatar Airways. In the 26-year history of the award, the Middle Eastern airline has now won the top spot nine times. It was also named World’s Best Business Class and Best Business Class Airline Lounge. Here are the top five, with the cities in which they’re based:

* Qatar Airways, Doha, Qatar

* Singapore Airlines, Singapore

* Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong, China

* Emirates, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

* ANA All-Nippon Airways, Tokyo, Japan

Singapore Airlines, a five-time winner of the Best Airline award, consoled itself with its runner-up finish by snagging the awards for World’s Best Cabin Crew and World’s Best First Class.

The best North American airline in the competition was Air Canada, finishing 19th overall. No U.S.-based airline landed in the top 20. Other categories included World’s Best Low-Cost Airline (AirAsia, based in Malaysia), Best Regional Airline (Bangkok Airways, Thailand) and Cleanest Airline (EVA Air, Taiwan).

Wherever you want to go, there will be an airline to get you there, and quite likely more than one or two nice restaurants at your destination. Give us a call!

Sue Tindell

 

 🌟 Women on the Move: Celebrating All-Female Travel Adventures!

During my years in the travel business, I’ve met a lot of people and formed close friendships with many of my female colleagues. In fact, there’s a group of us who regularly meet up at conferences and retreats. Although I certainly enjoy traveling with my husband, being with my friends is very special.

            Women are traveling more and more in groups these days, even into space. On April 14, the first space flight with an all-female crew went up aboard a Blue Origin spacecraft, the New Shephard, The ten-minute flight to the edge of space marked the first time a spacecraft crewed entirely by women had launched since the Soviets sent cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova on a solo orbital mission in 1963. Among the six women on board the Blue Origin flight were singer Katy Perry and journalists Gayle King and Lauren Sanchez.

            Trips to space are beyond the reach of most women—at least for now—but many of them are still venturing out in groups that deliberately exclude men. Well, men go on trips together all the time, after all, to fishing camps and football games, and so an all-female trip is just fine, too. But these trips are much more than just overnight excursions. USA Today writer Kathleen Wong recently wrote about her recent all-women trip, hiking the trails near Moab, Utah.

            Wong contracted with Wildland Trekking to join two other women on the trek through the magnificent “red rocks” of Arches National Park. (Having hiked there myself, I could relate!) It was her first time for several things: camping in a tent, exploring the grandeur of Utah and doing it with three women she’d never met, including the guide.

            How did it go? Wong said being with like-minded women made it feel “comfortable, easy and supportive, even if we hadn’t crossed paths before.” Just as men enjoy the camaraderie of their trips, women do, too, says Viviana McGovern, CEO of Full Vida Therapy, who specializes in women’s mental health. “Women-only travel can create a uniquely safe and affirming space for those who join. Confidence often builds naturally when women are surrounded by others who encourage growth, risk-taking and self-trust. It can be quite a transformative experience.”

            All-women group travel is on the rise. A recent industry survey noted that 40% of women travelers “seek a sense of belonging” on their trips, and 71% aren’t afraid to go about it on their own, without waiting for anyone else. Wong writes that she was a little nervous at the start, having no previous experience with camping—she worried about being without a real bed, or running water—but said she found “an immediate and unspoken understanding among us where we didn’t have to be ‘on.’” Over dinner, the conversation ranged from relationships to families to talk about what being feminine meant to them. Wong considers the Moab trip to be one of her best, right up there with her first all-woman vacation, a surf retreat in Costa Rica two years earlier.

            The cruise industry has taken notice of the trend. Many cruise lines offer special packages for all-women groups, focusing on relaxation, activities and customized tours. Online groups like SheSetsSail and the Mermaid Society on Facebook offer safe and inclusive spaces for sharing tips, stories and planning adventures.

            Ready to get your galpals together for a trip? Give us a call, and we’ll get you out there!

 🌞 Top U.S. Beaches to "Beach It" Summer '25: Dr. Beach's Picks!

Memorial Day Weekend kicked off summertime in the U.S., and many of our clients will be planning to hit the beach somewhere. Whereas Caribbean and Mexican beaches are top the list during our winter months, in summertime folks will generally stay domestic. So, where to “beach it” in the summer of ’25? Let’s check with Dr. Beach!

                Stephen Leatherman is a coastal scientist at Florida International University in Miami, and he’s gained the nickname Dr. Beach for his annual rankings of American beaches. He has a 50-factor checklist, including the presence of algae, prevalence of rip tides and cleanliness of the beach, plus air and water temperatures. As usual, beaches in Hawaii, Florida and New York (New York?) rule his list. Here are Dr. Beach’s top 10 for this year:

·         Cooper’s Beach, Southampton, N.Y. On the eastern end of Long Island, Cooper’s has large sand dunes and a pristine location. The only problem is its popularity, along with the high cost of parking. There’s a free shuttle running from downtown Southampton to help with that. “It’s a big, beautiful beach,” Dr. Beach says.

·         Wailea Beach, Maui, Hawaii. “The white coral sand beach gently slopes offshore and is great for snorkeling when the ocean is calm.”

·         Poipu Beach, Kauai, Hawaii. “Actually, two beaches in one; a tombolo, which is a narrow sand spit that extends from the shore to an island, separates the two pocket beaches.”

·         Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park, Naples, Fla. “White sand beaches and crystal-clear Gulf waters,” says Dr. Beach, who also cites the park’s abundant wildlife, including manatees.

·         Main Beach, East Hampton, N.Y. Also on Long Island, this beach offers many of the same great qualities as Cooper’s Beach. “The perfect blend of nature and built environment…towering sand dunes and beautiful, clean and clear blue water.”

·         Beachwalker Park, Kiawah Island, S.C. “A nature-lovers coast, so visitors can bring their canoes and kayaks to paddle through the tidal inlets.”

·         St. Andrews State Park, Panama City, Fla. “A strikingly white sandy beach is great for shelling and bird watching. Swimming and snorkeling are popular in both the Gulf and St. Andrews Bay on the other side.”

·         Kaunaoa, Hawaii. “A quarter mile-long pocket beach that features clear, turquoise water and white coral sand that contrasts with the black lava rock.”

·         Lanikai Beach, Oahu, Hawaii. “Quite small, but arguably the most beautiful beach in Hawaii. The water is perfectly clear and shallow and usually calm with two offshore islands acting as a pictorial backdrop.”

·         Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Mass. “The picturesque old Coast Guard station still sits atop the glacial bluffs, allowing for a spectacular view of the Nauset Spit barrier system and bay.”

Ready to check out Dr. Beach’s beaches—or any other great US location this summer? Give us a call and get that sunscreen ready!

Sue Tindell

 Memorial Day Weekend Travel Tips: Your Guide to Smooth Adventures

Don’t look now, but Memorial Day Weekend is almost here. That’s the traditional start of the summer travel season, and industry experts are predicting it will be the busiest yet. Maybe, says one, the busiest ever.

            Travel writer Christopher Elliott is one of those anticipating heavy travel for the summer of 2025, starting with this weekend: AAA predicts a record 45.1 million Americans will take to the highways, up 3.4% over 2024. The roads, rail terminals and airports will be packed, all the way to autumn. Air travel alone is expected to show a 12.3% increase over the period of 2019-25. How to deal with it? Elliott has some recommendations about taking trips this holiday weekend:

·         Time of day is important. Some will say that you should avoid travel on the day before the holiday and the day after, but Elliott says the time of day you travel is what matters. It’s worth getting up earlier if there’s less traffic in the early morning.

·         Stay within a 50-mile radius. While AAA considers anything longer than 50 miles from home to be a “trip,” you don’t have to drive that far to enjoy the holiday. There are undoubtedly many things to see and do within an hour’s drive of your home.

·         If you do want to go far, go really far. International travel over a U.S. holiday might mean more crowded airports at home, but a better experience abroad. Canada and Mexico get a lot of American visitors over our holidays, but Europe and Asia don’t see much of an increase. There will be deals to be had overseas.

Some of our fondest memories are from the times when Mom and Dad loaded us kids into the family Oldsmobile and headed somewhere for a long weekend or maybe more. The last Olds rolled off the assembly line in 2004, but families now can pack up their SUV with even more stuff and ride in greater safety and comfort. Here are some other tips to have a safe, fun driving vacation:

·         Get your car serviced. You don’t want to be in the middle of Nebraska when that “change oil” light goes on.

·         Stock an emergency kit in the car. Not just medical supplies like bandages and ointment, but things like extra water, blankets, a flashlight, a fully charged cell phone, flares and jumper cables.

·         Maps. We all remember them: the multi-folded state maps Dad always kept in the glove compartment, or even a comprehensive road atlas. Everybody uses GPS today, on their phones or the car’s computer screen, but what if you’re in an area where you can’t get service, and you want to make sure you’re on the right road? At the very least, a paper map or road atlas will provide the kids with some off-the-device entertainment.

·         Emergency phone numbers. Not just for friends and family and your dog’s kennel, but for roadside services like AAA and your insurance carrier.

·         Sunscreen. This is vital for summer travel, but it’s often overlooked, and you wind up searching the shelves at convenience stores. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends water-resistant sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher. Also, make sure to wear sunglasses. Proper headgear, especially at the beach, is essential.

·         Medications. It goes without saying that if you or anyone in the family take prescription medications, take along enough to last the trip. Don’t forget the dog’s meds, either! Also, if there are over-the-counter meds that you frequently use, stock up.

·         Watch for ticks and mosquitoes. If you’re visiting a national park, and especially if you’re camping or hiking, bring a good insect repellant. Your medical kit should contain a tweezers; check yourself and the kids for ticks whenever you come in from a wilderness outing.

·         If there’s three, let it be. When hiking in the woods, be on the lookout for poison ivy and poison oak. Avoid leaves that are clustered in sets of three. If you happen to touch them and get their oils on your skin, wash in warm, soapy water as soon as possible. Wash your clothes, too. Rubbing alcohol will also provide relief. If you do get a rash, don’t rub or scratch it; use oral antihistamines and topical ointments to reduce the itch.

·         Beach and pool safety. Kids tend to get a little carried away around the water (and sometimes adults do, too), so be mindful of warning signs, especially at the beach. Even if you’re an Olympic-level swimmer, you don’t want to challenge a riptide.

·         Think ahead. You never know what you’ll encounter on the road. Bad weather could force a detour. An accident could close a road and force you to wait in the car for an hour or more until things get moving again. Be generous with snacks and water, and take more bathroom breaks than you might think necessary. Take advantage of the breaks not only to use the facilities, but to stretch, walk around, and switch drivers.

Ready to get out there? Whether you’re going by car, train, ship, or airplane, or a combination, we can help. Give us a call!

Sue Tindell