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Originally Posted by Steve McGinley
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Originally Posted by Ash W
I think that the expectation of what the government can do are a tad too high. People traveling must at some point take some kind of responsibility for their own actions and not always rely on governments warning them about places or doing anything above what could be considered reasonable if problems arise.
Totally agree, sure put on the flights, charge for them, and then insurance claims can be made. First sign of this type of trouble, people should be already organising to leave, and not leave it until someone else organises and pays for it for them.
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I'm bringing back an old thread, but reading this article on the US Government's responses in crises in the WSJ was interesting. Particularly this sentence.
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U.S. embassies encourage citizens to evacuate on commercial airline flights, but when airlines shut down, as they do anytime they believe they can't get planes and crews into and out of an area safely, the government does try to arrange charter flights.
Evacuees, regardless whether they're tourists or Americans living abroad, pay for the transportation. U.S. citizens sign promissory notes saying they will reimburse the government for a commercial airline full-coach fare.
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Quote:
Crisis Abroad: Tips for International Travelers
U.S. Program Sends Detailed Alerts on Civil Unrest, Health Hazards and Natural Disasters; Knowing When to Evacuate
Going abroad this summer? Prepare yourself, and plan on packing more than your cargo shorts and money belt. Civil uprisings, earthquakes, ash clouds, terrorism warnings and violence have all disrupted travel in the past year.
"There seem to be a lot more events than I remember in the past," says Chris Russo, president of the American Society of Travel Agents.
In response to rising threats, the U.S. State Department has revamped its program to better inform Americans traveling aboard of potential dangers. Under the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), travelers enter their itinerary, with hotel and contact information, using the STEP registration link at http://travel.state.gov. STEP enrollments averaged 4,000 a day in May, an all-time high for the seven-year-old program. Information is subject to Privacy Act protections, so the government says it won't be disclosed without your permission and will be destroyed after your trip ends.
The program sends out relevant "warden messages"—local email alerts for U.S. citizens abroad. These are more detailed and timely than the travel advisories issued by the State Department. Messages include updates on the time and location of protests in a country, for example, whether commercial flights are still running in a crisis or updates on flooding after a disaster, says John Echard, public affairs officer for the Bureau of Consular Affairs.
Enrollment in STEP can also help embassy officials track down travelers if there's a family emergency back home or if the government is arranging chartered evacuation flights from a hot spot. "It also helps us if you lose a passport because we know your information already," Mr. Echard says.
U.S. embassies encourage citizens to evacuate on commercial airline flights, but when airlines shut down, as they do anytime they believe they can't get planes and crews into and out of an area safely, the government does try to arrange charter flights. However, the State Department says it's "almost impossible" for the government to provide ground transportation, such as to and from the airport, during a foreign crisis.
This year, the government evacuated 2,350 people from Egypt, Mr. Echard says. Seventeen were evacuated from Tunisia and 200 from Libya. In Japan, buses were sent to Sendai for U.S. citizens. Evacuees, regardless whether they're tourists or Americans living abroad, pay for the transportation. U.S. citizens sign promissory notes saying they will reimburse the government for a commercial airline full-coach fare.
If email services shut down during a crisis, text messages are sent to phones. In many crises around the world, text messaging has worked even when email, Internet and cellular voice service didn't.
The top three sources of trouble for travelers are the weather, health and petty crime, says Bruce McIndoe, president of iJET Intelligent Risk Systems, which provides security services for business travelers.
Mr. McIndoe says leisure travelers often don't plan properly for extreme heat or cold, or rapid temperature shifts from changes in altitude.
Food and water safety often contribute to health problems in underdeveloped countries. Vacationers tend to be more exposed to street vendors with weak food preparation practices than business travelers. Vacationers are also more prone to accidents, such as walking or biking injuries amid unfamiliar traffic patterns.
A key preparation these days: Call your health-insurance provider and see what coverage you have overseas, including for evacuation back home. Also, get telephone numbers for support overseas. If you don't have good coverage, consider purchasing a travel medical-insurance policy. It is relatively inexpensive protection, but check policies carefully for clauses on pre-existing conditions, sports-related injuries and other exclusions.
Vacationers can easily stumble into high-crime areas in any city—consult with locals and hotel concierges before heading out. Pickpockets often focus on tourist areas. Mr. McIndoe says he now carries a credit card solely used for overseas trips, leaving his regular personal and business cards at home. That way if the card is stolen or compromised, none of his automatic billings to regular cards need to be reset when the card gets replaced.
Separate credit cards for travel make sense, too, if you get one that doesn't charge currency exchange fees on top of the usually weak exchange rate you get. Extra fees can add up quickly.
Far down on the list of dangers is terrorism, Mr. McIndoe says. Statistically, the chance of dying in a terrorist attack is slightly less than the likelihood of dying on a commercial airliner, he says. "There's effectively nothing you can do about it, so go about your life," he says.
Civil uprisings, however, have grown more common and aren't limited to Arab countries. The important rule to remember: Don't gawk and get caught up in it. Get back to your hotel, Mr. McIndoe says. He also suggests avoiding the temptation to head to the U.S. embassy or consulate—that could be exactly where an anti-American mob is protesting.
"These issues do propagate into communities in other cities, including London or Paris," he says. "Just be sensitive to it. As much as you want to tune out when you're on travel, keep one eye abreast of events."
Dan Johnson, senior chief of special projects and consulting at Air Security International Group, which specializes in travel security for corporations and wealthy individuals, says travelers need to pack a small "go bag" with essentials like your passport, or a copy of your passport, plus necessary medications, energy bars, a first-aid kit and a flashlight.
"That's a lesson we learned from folks debriefed from Mumbai," says Mr. Johnson. In 2008, Islamic terrorists attacked 10 locations in India's largest city, including two five-star hotels, killing at least 163 people.
Having someone track your trip from home also helps. Check in regularly, Mr. Johnson suggests. Mr. Echard of the State Department says in many recent uprisings, friends and family in the U.S. were able to send important information to Americans abroad faster than they got it through local media or hotels.
Natural disasters present very difficult challenges to travelers, especially with major catastrophes such as earthquakes in Haiti, Chile, New Zealand and Japan.
Some basic first-aid skills are important to deal with cuts, broken bones and shock when medical professionals may not be available. But the most crucial issue for many travelers often is safe drinking water—far more critical to the human body than food.
Mr. McIndoe suggests carrying small water-purification tablets in your luggage. After a hurricane, for example, water may not be safe, and facilities to boil water may not be an option for tourists. Drop the proper amount of tablets in a water bottle and shake it up—you're good to go.
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11-12MAY LAS-DEN/CYS-DEN-LAS UA
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25-27MAY LAS-GEG/MSO-LAS WN/G4
31MAY-03JUN LAS-JFK-LAS DL/B6
08-09JUN LAS-PDX-LAS AS
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04-08JUL LAS-SEA-ANC-ADQ-ANC-SEA-LAS AS
17-18AUG LAS-SEA-KTN-SEA-LAS AS
29AUG-03SEP LAS-MSP-TVC-DFW-LAS SY/AA
28-29SEP LAS-DEN-LAS UA
08-11NOV LAS-EWR/BTV-ORD-LAS UA
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5th February 2011, 08:20 AM
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