Knowing International Regulations When You Fly

ARRIVALS: Information for Passengers Travelling to Canada

• Duty-Free: Passengers flying to Canada from an international destination and who have a connecting flight may have to pass through the security checkpoint at the connecting airport. Duty-free liquids, gels and aerosols bought abroad or on the airplane, even if they are in security tamper-evident bags (STEBs), WILL NOT be permitted through the security checkpoint. Passengers taking a connecting flight should pack liquid duty-free purchases in their checked baggage. Most arriving passengers will be reclaiming their checked baggage prior to passing through Canadian customs; duty-free liquids, aerosols and gels can be placed in checked baggage before boarding the connecting flight. Passengers flying to Canada without a connecting flight in Canada will not be passing through security again and can keep their duty-free liquids, gels and aerosols in their carry-on baggage.

Exceptions: As of April 30, 2010, duty-free purchases from any of the European Union nations packaged in a security tamper-evident bag will be accepted for screening at Toronto Pearson International and Montreal Pierre Elliott Trudeau International airports.

• Customs: Canada Border Services Agency
• Canada's Permitted and Non-Permitted Items List

DEPARTURES: Information for Passengers Travelling to the US and Abroad

• Duty-Free: Passengers travelling to an international destination may purchase duty-free liquids, gels and aerosols beyond the security checkpoint and bring them in their carry-on baggage. If duty-free shops are located before the security checkpoint, they will often deliver goods to the gate. If this service is not available, duty-free purchases must be put in checked baggage before passing through pre-board security screening, even if they are in security tamper-evident bags (STEBs), or they will be intercepted.
• Passports: Passport Canada
• Documents for Entry into the United States: Canada Border Services Agency

• US Pre-Board Screening Procedures: Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
• US Permitted and Non-Permitted Items List: Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
• Travel Advisories: Public Health Agency of Canada

 

10 Tips for Business Travellers

• 1. Avoid setting meetings around the holidays
  Whether it's March Break, Reading Week, Christmas or Thanksgiving (Canadian and American), avoid having to travel for business around these holidays as airline seats and hotels are at a premium.
  
  2. Avoid travelling when everyone else is
  The best airfare deals often happen for travel on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. Also look at the time of day you are travelling; a late-night or early-morning departure/arrival might save you some money.
  
  3. Pack light
  Packing lightly for your travels can save you money. Many airlines charge fees for overweight bags, oversized bags, and for checking more than the allowed number of bags per passenger.
  
  For shorter business trips, try to pack everything you need in your carry-on. Not only will you avoid the possibility of lost luggage, but you won't be spending time waiting around the luggage carousel looking for your bags. Confirm with your airline what exactly you're allowed to bring in your carry-on, as well as to see if a laptop bag counts (it often doesn't.) If it doesn't count as a carry-on then not only can you bring it with you on the plane but you can also bring along another small bag with your personal effects.
  
  4. Keep your airport options open
  In large cities, your airfare could depend on which airport you fly out of, or into. If it makes sense, look into nearby airports to see how it affects the cost of your ticket.
   
  5. Reuse unused tickets
  While most discounted airfares are non-refundable and non-transferrable, did you know that if you are unable to make your trip you can use the money you paid for your airfare towards another ticket with the same carrier? If available, there is often an administrative fee.
  
  6. Book the smallest car you need
  Not only will it cost you less than a mid-sized or full-sized car, but often if your compact isn't ready for you they'll upgrade you for free to a roomier vehicle.
  
  7. Avoid renting a car at the airport
  It's often cheaper to rent from an off-site office. Some rental companies will pick you up and drop you off at no charge.
  
  8. Return the car on time
  If you return the rental after the scheduled return time, you could get dinged for a whole extra day's fee.
  
  9. Learn how to share
  If you're travelling with a colleague, you might consider sharing a room. If not, at minimum you could share a rental car. It's likely not necessary that you will both need one.
  
  10. Get travel insurance
  Emergency medical travel insurance is a must-have for all travelling Canadians. Even Canada's Consular Affairs don't mince words when they say on their website "DO NOT leave Canada without supplementary medical insurance." Even for the smallest of accidents, or the most common illnesses, emergency medical travel insurance offers you protection by ensuring you get the attention you need, when you need it while not having to worry about how your emergency treatment will get paid.

  Before you leave, get emergency medical travel insurance from UNIGLOBE Travel and get the coverage you need. And don't forget to pack it with your other must-have documentation!

Blackberry Hot Tips
Amaze

TeleNav GPS Navigator has long been the de facto standard for turn-by-turn navigation on BlackBerry devices, but at $10 a month, it’s a lot pricier to keep around than a dog-eared atlas in the back seat. For those who just need the occasional prod in the right direction, amAze offers completely free turn-by-turn navigation with advanced features like local search, built-in weather, and even a library of speed traps to steer you clear of Johnny Law.

http://www.amazegps.com/

iPhone Hot Tips
iPhone Maps can help you figure out where you are or get directions

The GPS on the Maps app that comes default with the iPhone is your best friend, especially if you’re directionally-challenged. It can tell you where you are, give you a route to get to your destination (by car, transit, or by foot), it can tell you if a cabbie is trying to extort more money from you, or help you find local, popular sites.

Alternatively, there are other city maps/guides that are downloadable and provides full maps of your destination city, including hotels, restaurants, attractions and etc., without requiring a network to load.

Free mobile printing in Maple Leaf Lounges

Customers stopping off at Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges in select cities across Canada now have the option to print documents directly from their BlackBerry smartphones.

If you’re a Blackberry user, the ePrint solution - available at the domestic Maple Leaf Lounges in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary, as well as the transborder lounge in Toronto - allows you to send print documents such as emails and attachments to a specific Lounge, then retrieve and print them using a secure numeric release code.

Here’s how:

1.        Download the ePrint app to your BlackBerry smartphone.
2.        Select the email, with or without attachment, which you’d like to print.
3.        Choose ‘Print’ from the BlackBerry menu and select the printer in the appropriate Maple Leaf        Lounge.
4.        You will receive an immediate email reply with a secure numeric release code.
5.        Enter this secure code on the printer keypad at the Maple Leaf Lounge to activate your print job.

Multitasking on the run has never been easier!

We invite you to discover all of the Maple Leaf Lounge features and privileges.

WestJet expands self-service options with baggage tagging tool
Self-serve baggage tagging expands to other Canadian airports

WestJet announced that it is expanding its self-service options to include self-serve baggage tagging, the latest in the airline’s suite of self-service products, to other airports across Canada. The move follows overwhelmingly positive feedback from guests in Vancouver, Montréal and Edmonton, where the feature was launched earlier this year.
Self-serve baggage tagging allows WestJet guests to use mobile, web or kiosk check-in to check in for their flight and print their own baggage tags when they arrive at the airport. Guests checking in via kiosk may print their boarding passes and baggage tags at the same time. Once the tags have been attached, guests drop baggage off at the appropriate location.

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This hot offer is valid for travel until December 23, 2010 at select Secrets and Dreams Resorts & Spas located in Mexico and the Dominican Republic.

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