Australia – G-20 Summit in Brisbane
The 2014 G-20 Leaders Summit will take place at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre Nov. 15-16. Security has already been increased in several parts of the city in anticipation of violent unrest. Thousands of security personnel, including at least 900 military troops, are being deployed throughout the city to ensure order. Security forces have already established checkpoints and are conducting vehicle searches.
Germany – Rallies Protests in Berlin, Hamburg, Hannover
Right-wing hooligan rallies may take place in near the Brandenberg Gate in Berlin, and in front of the Hauptbanhof (main train stations) in Hamburg and Hannover. The threat of violence prompted police to ban the demonstrations, but social media sources suggest that thousands of football hooligans, neo-Nazis, and other right-wing extremists could defy the bans and hold rallies again in cities across Germany. Clashes between HoGeSa supporters, counterprotesters, and German security forces are likely.
Belgium – Strike Affecting Eurostar
Due to a national strike in Belgium on December 8 and 15, Eurostar services on the Brussels route are likely to only be able to operate to and from Lille Europe on that day.
Turkey – Papal Visit
Pope Francis will visit Turkey at the end of November. The exact itinerary has not yet been announced, but the visit is expected to occur over an important Orthodox feast day on November 30th . Expect increased security during the visit.
Ukraine – Demonstrations
Large demonstrations in Kyiv city center are planned from November 29 to December 1, and possibly in other cities around Ukraine. Americans are urged to avoid these areas.
What is a validation fee?
Every airline ticket is “validated” on one carrier, regardless of how many carriers are included in the reservation. The validating carrier is the one who collects the money for the ticket and then portions it out to the other included carriers. Typically, the validating carrier is the first one on the itinerary, or the over-the-water carrier on an international ticket. Some months ago United, American, and Delta introduced a “validation fee”. This is a $100 fee added to the cost of the ticket if that airline is included in the itinerary, but the ticket is validated on another carrier. This is one of many reasons Travel-On has always compared the pricing if one ticket is issued for all carriers together or if each carrier is ticketed separately.
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- In Greece all citizens 18 or older are required by law to vote
- Approximately 98% of the people in Greece are ethnic Greeks
- An old Greek legend says that when God created the world, he sifted all the soil onto the earth through a strainer. After every country had good soil, he tossed the stones left in the strainer over his shoulder and created Greece
- Inhabited for more than 7,000 years, Athens is the birthplace of democracy, Western philosophy, the Olympic Games, political science, Western literature, historiography, major mathematical principles, and Western theories of tragedy and comedy
- Greek men must serve from one year to 18 months in any branch of the armed forces
- As many as 100,000 birds from northern Europe and Asia spend their winters in Greece’s wetlands
- Greek ships make up 70% of the European Union’s total merchant fleet
- In Greece it is considered an insult to show the palm of the hand with the fingers extended – wave with a closed hand
Throughout Travel-On, our employees are M.A.D ( Making A Difference) for our clients. Many of you have noticed and shared your thoughts. Recently, the following note was received from a client.
Terrie Chiong from Corporate Travel Team
“I would like to personally acknowledge Terrie Chiong at the Travel-On office located in Bethesda, Maryland.
We have been working with Terrie for over 8 months, and a large majority of these requests have not been simple reservations. Not only is her turn-around and constant communication beyond impressive, she also actively identifies risk areas and eliminates issues wherever she can. She goes above and beyond in both the reservation and travel periods. We trust her very much to provide the right options and make the correct judgments when it comes to travel related reservations. Essentially, she makes the ‘right call’ all of the time, as if she were one of our employees and not an outsourced service.
Additionally, despite even some of the most difficult requests, Terrie always maintains a positive attitude when communicating to us as well as the traveling employees.
It is not often that you come across someone with the competence and clarity that Terrie possesses in this field, and it is genuinely appreciated. I can honestly say that when it comes to travel, we will not be using any other agent.”
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