•	Travel Documents - What to Take When You Travel Abroad
•	10 Airline Safety Tips
•	Before You Make That Trip – Make Sure Everything’s Covered
•	The Most Common Illness That Affects Travelers
•	Planning a Trip? – Check Out WTA's Travel Tools

Featured Links:

•	WTA Website www.worldtravelers.org
•	WTA Travel Safety Advisory Information
•	WTA Travel Insurance Program
•	WTA Travel Health Program

Travel Documents - What to Take When You Travel Abroad
Whether you travel abroad for pleasure or business, the best starting point is a good travel plan. A key part of such a plan is a file of specific documents. And, travel documents in the post-9/11 world have become even more important.

Here is a list of what you’ll need. You should take them with you as well as leave a copy of them at home with a relative, close friend, or business associate. By keeping copies of your travel documents with you and at home, you will have averted much of the hassle if your documents are lost or stolen.

* Copy of your itinerary

* Copy of your airline tickets

* Copy of your passport (with visas included) – Often, the most valuable target for a thief is your passport. If you are not in a place that requires you to carry it on your person, carry the photocopy in its place and, if you have one, use an International Drivers Permit as your identity document. Leave your passport in a secure place such as the hotel safe. If you carry the original, put it in a security or flip-away wallet hidden under your clothes or in an internal pocket, which can be buttoned or zipped shut. If you are going to have passport pictures taken, get four so you can carry the extra two for use in replacing a lost or stolen passport. Lost passports are more complicated to replace if you are on your trip. They require two passport photos, identification, which may have to be established by cable to the U.S., payment of a replacement fee and an open embassy or consulate. For further information about replacing a lost/stolen passport while you're abroad, visit the State Department website, http://travel.state.gov/passport/lost_us.html

* Record of your blood type and RH factor

* Notation of special health conditions - If you have an ongoing health condition such as a heart problem that might be important for an airline or hotel to know about, carry a notification card written in English and in the language of the country(ies) you plan to visit

* Copy of your International Vaccination Certificate with a record of vaccinations

* Copy of any needed medications you are taking with you

* Copy of your eyeglass prescription (be sure to take an extra pair of glasses with you)

* Copy of your traveler’s checks’ numbers

* Copy of both sides of your credit cards, ATM, and telephone calling cards

* Your medical emergency assistance insurance information.

As you put these documents together, you should also be thinking about who will be able (both practically and legally) to care for your dependants and handle your affairs if you become incapacitated. Also, who will take care of you and any unexpected medical expenses if you or your fellow travelers face an emergency? Plan your trip and organize your documents with these issues in mind.

10 Airline Safety Tips
by Peter Savage, Director of Security for Passport Health
Author of The Safe Travel Book

1. In crowded terminals or flights, try to find a buddy in line or in the seat next to you if traveling alone, so that you are watching his or her bags at the counter or on board and he or she is watching yours.

2. When putting your carry on baggage through the x-ray belt, put your laptop last so that it comes out behind your other luggage, and with luck, about the same time you are cleared to pick it up—or, better yet, have a buddy that has cleared security keep an eye on your laptop until you have cleared security.

3. Put your luggage in the overhead bin across the aisle from you so that you can see that no one is opening your luggage during the flight. Overhead storage bins may not be able to hold very heavy objects during turbulence, so if you or another passenger is having trouble lifting an article into the bin, have it stored elsewhere.

4. Dress for comfort and safety—best protection from heat and fire is natural fiber (cotton, denim, leather, wool) so avoid synthetics and bear in mind that the safety slide is pretty rough material and the end has strips of Velcro. Women should wear natural fiber slacks.

5. The safest seating is on the exit aisle in the back of the airplane—usually farthest from impact and farthest from explosive fuel.

6. The time for greatest concern is during take-off and landing so nonstop flights reduce exposure to these most accident-prone phases of flight. Have an evacuation plan in mind—memorize how many rows to each exit point. Choose larger aircraft whenever possible, as they provide a better opportunity for passenger survival. Planes with more than 30 passenger seats are designed and certified under the strictest regulations.

7. Always carry a penlight flashlight for use in an emergency when no other source of light may be available. Follow directions from the flight crew and exit the aircraft as quickly as possible.

8. If you are traveling over water, make sure you know how to locate and don your life jacket or floatation device. The primary reason flight attendants are on an aircraft is for safety, so if one of them asks you to do something like fasten your seat belts, do it—ask questions later.

9. Carry your passport even on domestic flights. During a crisis, U.S. flights may be diverted to Mexican or Canadian airports and having a passport will facilitate the border crossing.

10. Don’t drink too much alcohol! The atmosphere in an airliner cabin is pressurized to about the same altitude as Denver, so any alcohol you consume will affect you more than at sea level. Moderation is a good policy at any altitude. Drinking non-caffeinated products is a good practice as well.

(Reprinted with permission from Passport Health.)

Before You Make That Trip – Make Sure Everything’s Covered
With the vacation and travel season in full swing, make sure that your travels are covered through the WTA Travel Insurance Program. It offers a suite of travel insurance products designed to ease the hassles of travel – whether in the U.S. or abroad – because there are hundreds of circumstances that could cause you to cancel your trip, return home early or force you to seek emergency medical treatment while traveling.

Some of the coverage available includes:

* Comprehensive – can include insurance coverage for trip cancellation, delay or interruption, missed connections, baggage delay, medical expenses, emergency medical transportation, free access to our 24-hour emergency assistance services and more.

* Medical – can include insurance coverage to receive hotel overbooking services, collision damage protection for rental cars, emergency medical transportation and more.

* Specialized Coverage & Services – can include insurance coverage for missed connections, trip interruption, travel delay, medical expense, 24 hour assistance, concierge services, life and accident insurance while flying on commercial airlines, coverage against unexpected accidents that may occur while on, boarding or leaving an aircraft and more.

For more information, visit www.worldtravlers.org or call 800-826-1300 and refer to ARC80491.

The Most Common Illness That Affects Travelers
Travelers’ diarrhea is the most common illness affecting travelers with approximately 10 million people suffering from it annually. It accounts for 73 million physician consultations, 1.8 million hospitalizations and 3,100 deaths in the US annually. It can begin abruptly while traveling or shortly after returning home causing you to have frequent loose stools (4-5 each day for up to a week), abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, fever and/or bloating.

Mexico, Central and South America, Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia are among the most high-risk areas of the world for contracting travelers’ diarrhea. Southern Europe and a few Caribbean islands may also pose some risk. The primary source of infection is the ingestion of fecally contaminated food and less commonly, ingestion of contaminated beverages including water.

Follow these tips to try and avoid Travelers’ Diarrhea:

* Avoid eating foods or drinking beverages purchased from street vendors or other establishments where unhygienic conditions are present.
* Do not drink milk or eat dairy products that have not been pasteurized.
* Avoid drinking tap water or using it to brush your teeth.
* Avoid using ice that has been made from tap water.
* Do not drink bottled water if the seal has been broken.
* Drink soft drinks that are carbonated and hot drinks such as tea or coffee.
* Avoid eating raw or uncooked meat and seafood.
* Avoid eating raw fruits and vegetables unless you’ve peeled them yourself.
* Avoid eating cut-up fruit salad.
* Avoid eating lettuce or other leafy raw vegetables.
* Eat foods that are served hot and dry items such as bread.

There are known treatments for travelers’ diarrhea. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Xifaxan™ earlier this year for the treatment of travelers' diarrhea caused by noninvasive strains of E. coli in patients 12 years of age and older. Xifaxan is quite expensive though and covers only E-coli. Since Cipro has recently come off patent and is now available generically, it may still be the drug of choice for travelers’ diarrhea due to the lower price.

Planning a Trip? – Check Out WTA's Travel Tools
When planning for your next trip, be sure to check out the WTA Travel Tools section of our website. As a member, you have access to a variety of useful links to help plan your trip. Here’s just a sample of what you’ll find:

(1) Travel Alerts – If you’re planning a trip abroad, check WTA’s Travel Alerts section first to make sure that you’re aware of any potential travel security issues for your destination.

(2) U.S. and Foreign Tourism Info – This section offers links to most of the tourism offices in the U.S. and around the world.

(3) WTA Destinations – WTA offers first hand reports on a number of US and foreign destinations. In each report you’ll find everything you need to decide whether a particular destination will match your personal preferences for an experience that’s enjoyable, safe, and affordable.

(4) WTA Visa® Card Program – Join the thousands of cardholders who carry the WTA Platinum Visa Card from First USA Bank. Apply today by calling 1-800-FirstUSA and enjoy these benefits:

* a low rate with no annual fee
* ability to earn frequent flyer miles
* $500,000 in travel accident insurance
* automatic auto rental insurance coverage
* support WTA as it works to keep travel safe, affordable, and hassle-free at no cost to you

(5) Travel Products – WTA is pleased to offer our members the convenience of buying your travel products on-line through a premier travel product company.

(6) Maps/Directions – Print out maps and directions, plan a road trip, find attractions along the way, and more.

(7) Currency Converter – Find out how much your money is worth in other countries.

(8) Time Zones – Find out what time zone your destination lies in.

(9) Passports/Visas – Links to nationwide passport and visa services are provided for you.

(10) Travel Weather – View weather forecasts for cities around the world.

(11) Travel News – WTA has compiled, for your convenience, a number of current travel news resources by region of the world.

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Thank you and safe travels to you!

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