Summer Trips You Need to Start Planning for Now

Travelers are charged when they reserve a hotel room and don't show up. Same thing with flights, of course. For car rentals, though, there's usually no fee for being a no-show. But could the system change? For years, car rental operations have complained that they're the only major segment of the travel industry that accepts reservations and imposes no penalty when the customer doesn't follow through on their reservation. In many cases, a rental car can be reserved without even submitting a credit card. It's basically an honors system. Cancelling a reservation is encouraged, but there is generally no fee for the being a no-show without giving the rental agency a head's up. As things stand, the absence of such a fee gives rental agencies justification for accepting more reservations than they have cars. The assumption is that some of those making reservations won't actually pick up their vehicles. When the amount of customers at the rental counter outnumbers the cars on the lot, though, the car rental company must scramble, and sometimes customers who have dutifully made reservations wind up out of luck without a car. Increasingly, rental car agencies seem to want to change the system and start collecting fees on no-shows, just like their hotel and airline brethren. In a long guest column in Auto Rental News, Craig Parmerlee, director of business development for ACE Rent a Car argues that the time has come for "guaranteed reservations" in the rental car world. In a recent program, ACE and CarRentals.com teamed up to offer guaranteed reservations, in which the agency would guarantee that the reserved car would be ready for the customer, and the customer would be obliged to pay in full in the case of a no-show. The scenario is similar to the "prepay option" many rental agencies now offer. At this stage, about 20 percent of ACE's reservations are now guaranteed. After studying six months of "guaranteed reservation" data, ACE has concluded that the vast majority of customers who book this way are happy with the system. They understand the risks (losing money for being a no-show) and the upsides as well (cheaper rental rates). Parmerlee estimates that only 1 in 10,000 reservations results in an unhappy customer. As for that one individual, Parmerlee writes: While we hate to see even one unhappy customer, we know that we are able to provide better service and a better value to the other customers because guaranteed reservations give us a more reliable basis for planning the daily operation. Parts of the guaranteed reservation system make sense for rental agency and consumer alike. But it seems unfair for an agency to collect the rental fee in full from a person who never uses the car, and then the agency turns around and rents that car to another customer. In this situation, the rental agency is essentially doubling its revenues. Some compromise and limitations on fees seem more appropriate and fair. The hotel business seems like the most appropriate model: Perhaps there could be a fee assessed only for customers who fail to cancel within 24 or 72 hours of arrival, and the fee would only relate to a single day's usage, rather than the entirety of the reservation. That would seem much fairer. Interestingly enough, just as rental car agencies are pushing to become more like hotels or airlines in terms of fees, at least one hotel company is changing its reservation system to become more like car rental agencies. The La Quinta chain recently announced that it would begin accepting reservations without requiring a credit card number. The "LQ-Instant Hold" feature allows travelers to reserve a room on the day of arrival with the use of a smartphone (and a smartphone number). The reservation will be held for four hours, by which time the traveler is expected to arrive at the hotel and check in. And if the traveler doesn't show up, no harm, no fee. No charge is assessed, and the hotel is free to offer the room to another guest. MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL: Rental Cars May Soon Be Safer Thanks to One Angry Mom Rental Cars: Are 'No Show' Fees in the Works? 6 Foreign Car Rental Fees to Watch Out for on Vacation

Spring break season is upon us again, a time when hordes of high school and college students flock to popular fun-and-sun destinations to blow off some studying steam. Just in advance of spring break, the U.S. Department of State updated its Mexico travel warning, highlighting destinations throughout the country for which it does not have a travel advisory or travel warning in place, including such popular tourist destinations as Cabo San Lucas, Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, the Riviera Maya and Tulum. The new warning notes that "millions of U.S. citizens safely visit Mexico each year for study, tourism, and business, including more than 150,000 who cross the border every day." The State Deparment noted that "resort areas and tourist destinations in Mexico generally do not see the levels of drug-related violence and crime reported in the border region and in areas along major trafficking routes." But the U.S. government reminds travelers to be vigilant nonetheless. "Travelers should be mindful that even if no advisories are in effect for a given state, crime and violence can occur anywhere," the warning states. Despite the clarification, and Mexico's ongoing attempts to educate travelers as to where ongoing drug cartel-related violence has been occurring and its distance from popular resort towns, the destination continues to struggle with a reputation of being unsafe as endless reports of deadly violence continue to emerge. It didn’t help, for instance, that Carnival Cruise Lines earlier this week said it is suspending on-shore nature excursions in Puerto Vallarta after 22 cruise passengers were robbed on their bus during a tour near the coastal city, the Seattle Times reported. What about you? Do you have spring breakers at home? Do you feel it’s safe for them to travel to Mexico? Let us know by commenting below. More from Budget Travel: Mexico’s New Tourism Campaign: Are You Convinced? One of Mexico's strongest assets: Value To Go or Not to Go: 11 Places With a Bad Rap

While I'm certainly not immune to a little in–flight anxiety now and then, over the years I've become a pretty cool customer when it comes to air travel. (I'm not going to stop flying, after all, so what's the point in freaking out about the what ifs?) But a recent puddle–jumper flight in the Caribbean had me in completely unfamiliar territory—specifically, in the copilot seat of the nine–passenger plane. I don't mean I was merely close to the pilot, I was actually right next to him. We could have held hands. I could have easily grabbed the second steering wheel that was inches from my knees (see photo). I was borderline terrified. Even the seat belt style was foreign to me—a five–strap number with a between–the–legs harness—and I wasn't entirely sure I'd know how to open it if I needed to open my door (the handle was right there!) and bail out into the sea in the event of an emergency. But seating assignments were seating assignments—based, I believe, on balancing the weights of various passengers and their luggage—so I sucked it up. And mid–way through the flight, I actually started to enjoy it. (It helped that my traveling companion two rows back was clearly jealous of my "luck.") Small planes, of course, are in a league of their own, but even on big commercial flights, plenty of folks can get a little panicky, in spite of the fact that the odds are in our favor as passengers: Studies estimate driving a car to be 65 times riskier than riding in an airplane*. If you fall into that anxiety–prone camp, you've got company—roughly one in six Americans experiences some fear of flying—and you might want to pick up a copy of clinical psychologist (and former flight attendant) Sandra M. Pollino's new book, Flying Fear Free: 7 Steps to Relieving Air Travel Anxiety ($14.95, New Horizon Press). In it, Pollino takes a holistic approach to soothing in–air anxiety, starting with pinpointing where your fear comes from (for many, it's not just fear of crashes, but a nerve–racking stew of claustrophobia, social phobias, and other stressors. Then Pollino systematically addresses common worries (bird strikes, thunderstorms, turbulence), answering them with detailed nuts–and–bolts explanations of the actual dangers and how pilots and ground crew work to avoid them; she also breaks down all the disconcerting noises, shakes, and changes in pressure you might encounter in an average flight. It all gets a little nerdy at times, but Pollino believes that demystifying the experience can make a big difference. (When you learn that one kind of turbulence is caused by warm air rising from the earth on a sunny day, doesn't it seem a little less scary?) In other chapters, Pollino outlines real–world advice for choosing the right flight time, seat—even the right snacks—for a less stressful flight, and gives strategies for using breathing exercises, guided imagery, stretches, music therapy, and many more techniques (ranging from the very logical to the fairly out–there) to calm your nerves. There's pretty much a tactic for every type of traveler under the (turbulence–producing) sun. How do you calm your nerves when you're in the air (or before you take off)? Leave your best tips in the comments section! *based on the mileage for an average domestic flight; the results vary when measured on a per-hour or per-trip basis MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL 6 Places Germs Breed In A Plane Are Airlines Cracking Down On "Airplane Mode"? Green Day Incident Spurs Question: Should Airlines Enforce Dress Codes?

Budget Travel received a lot of smart and unexpected responses when we recently posted "Avoid Being Pickpocketed with These Tips." Richard G. shared his sad story of how he was pickpocketed in Paris: I was at a Paris Metro station some six years ago, and when the train door opened, I entered, and an elderly man standing inside had just dropped his ticket. Naturally, I stooped to help him retrieve the ticket, and when I arose, he had run out the door I entered in by. I called out, "Monsieur! Monsieur!" and I noticed a black wallet fall to the floor of the car as he departed. I called "Your Wallet!!" I looked again, disbelieving. It was MY wallet! The 500 Euros I had just gotten from the ATM had been swiftly removed. All else was in place. The man had disappeared. Standees next to me looked away into the air when I pleaded with them to tell be what just happened. My front pocket must have bulged enough to advertise what it was, but thye thief was obviously trained in a ploy that was polished to an acrobatic act. It was my first day in Paris, and I was so discouraged, that if I hadn't booked for 5 days, I would have left. I was miserable the whole time. It's terrible how pickpocketing can ruin a traveler's experience. But if we all share our strategies for avoiding pickpocketing, we can help each other out. We're calling some of advice from readers that struck as as particularly smart and helpful. I highly recommend PacSafe and Travelon bags. Zippers clip or lock shut, making it harder to get inside, and they have steel mesh under the fabric and steel cables in the straps. The purses are stylish and have locks that allow the purse strap to be locked to a chair arm or table leg so they can't be snatched. The straps can be adjusted long enough to be worn cross-body. I also use a money belt. If you're carrying a small day pack, you can use small locks on the zippers.—Judi Daunell Great idea, Judi! The respected editor of the Practical Travel Gear blog, Tim Leffel, has recommended PacSafe bags for years. Some months ago, Leffel praised the Venturesafe 200, from $35 on Amazon. Another fine luggage maker with decades of experience is Travelon. As always, be sure to comparison-shop online for the best prices at major travel shops, such as Magellan's, Orvis, and TravelSmith. I agree with Judi's advice to use small locks on the zippers of your day pack. I know someone who had her wallet stolen out of her leather pack while touring in Beijing. You may not look as fashionable with locks on your pack, but it is better to make yourself a more difficult target for thieves. When I first met one of the Canadian government counsular staff in Berne, Switzerland for lunch, the first thing she asked me, Where is your passport? After I reassured her my passport was in my money belt under my pants, she told me even in "safe" Berne, Switzerland many Canadians were often surprised to find their passports and wallets pick pocketed.—Mika Good advice, Mika! By the way, we seem to keep talking about bags, but for people who prefer not to carry bags there are other options. In 2011, Clothing Arts began selling cargo pants called "P^cubed Pick-Pocket Proof Pants." It's loaded with covered zippers and a hidden passport/money pocket, and pockets large enough to store smart phones and digital cameras. The twill fabric is coated in Teflon to resist stains, which may explain the high price of $110, plus tax and shipping. The pants' designer Adam Rapp says he has sold about 2,000 pairs since last autumn, with positive feedback so far. I recently visited Barcelona, which is supposed to be full of pickpockets. I had no trouble as I bought a cheap zippered wallet and attached one end of a pocket watch chain (about 8 inches long) to the zipper pull of the wallet and the other end to a belt keeper on my trousers. I kept the wallet in my front pocket, and the chain was long enough to permit the withdrawal of the wallet when needed. Local shop keepers said this was a great idea.—Alan M. Thanks, Alan! It's important to underline that you don't need to buy expensive products to travel safely and happily. All it takes is a bit of cleverness. For people who prefer to buy something ready-made, there's the Civilian Lab Duo Lossless Wallet, from $38. Having lots of little locks on your day pack can make it rather heavy. Instead, use the tiny screw-gate carabiners that are sold as key holders. The screw gate makes them difficult to open quickly or without notice, yet have almost no weight. Be sure locked bags left in your rooms do NOT have the self-healing nylon zippers... A thief can can simply pry open the teeth on the bag, take whatever they want, then by sliding the zipper back and forth, 'heal' the break-in. You'll never know there was a theft until you open the bag and check. PacSafe makes a small lockable pouch that you can use for your extra cash, traveler's checks, and passport when locking them in the hotel/guest house safe. Hotel employees may have access to the inside of the safe, but not to your personal belongings. I happen to prefer to carry my wallet in my back pocket so I made some changes to my clothes; I added a velcro closure to that pocket, and a chain to the wallet. I also sewed in a 'second' front pocket, inside the first, with a Vecro closure. I keep my 'walk around' cash (pocket money?) in that pocket so I don't have to go to my wallet as often. Despite 20+ years of wandering the streets of S.E. Asia, I have never lost a thing! —Steve Clever! Thanks, Steve! I put a medium sized safety pin over the zipper of my handbags to make pickpocketing less easy. You can use the a bigger safety pin on the backpack too. My husband and I travel a lot to S.E. Asia and Europe. The only time I got pickpocketed was inside a bank at the ATM line in Frankfurt, Germany 3 years ago. I had the safety pin removed so that I could get to my card easier.—Erin It's ironic that Erin was robbed where she least expected it. But it's often precisely when we feel we can let our guard down that we're at our most vulnerable. The best plan is to have one or two simple habits and use them at all destinations routinely, don't you think? Only place for wallets & passports is in neck pouch tucked inside your shirt. I've also had no trouble with zippered pockets on the inside of a jacket. The only safe way to carry a ladies handbag is to have one with a THICK leather strap. Sling it over one shoulder and under the armpit of the opposite arm with the clasp side against your body. Have some fun with pickpockets. Get a cheap wallet at a thrift store, stuff it with newspaper cut to bill size, and put in your hip pocket, or do what I did on St Petersburg Metro. I left the padlocks off the zipper on my backpack that has 4 zippered compartments. Zipped them all up. Back pack was empty. Everything was in the neck pouch. Rode up an escalator in a metro station & at the top, every zipper was open.—Keith Baker Hilarious, Keith. And fantastic advice, too. Thanks for sharing. We really appreciate hearing from you, because the art of traveling trouble-free, like the games Sudoku and Angry Birds, takes time and expertise to master. Thanks for your comments! SEE MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL Avoid Being Pickpocketed with These Tips (17 comments) Video: How Safe Is Your Hotel Room Safe? (50 Facebook likes) Luggage Theft: A Couple May Have Stolen Nearly 1,000 Bags from an Airport (9 comments)