General Travel

General Travel

  • Thank you for booking your vacation with TravelPerks Dream Vacations! It has been our pleasure to assist you.

    As your reservation contains flights we wanted to make sure that you are informed of the important information regarding Air Travel.

    Seat Assignment

    Some airlines will either allow you to pick your seats or change what they have auto-selected for you. Some airlines do not allow seat selection until 24 hours before the flight or at check-in. If the airline with which you are flying allows early seat selection***, you may do so by logging into the airline website using your air confirmation number. With some airlines an extra charge may be incurred for seat selection. There is no limit on the number of times that you can change or upgrade your seats as long as availability allows. Additionally, it is a good idea to provide your email and other contact information so that the airline may provide updates on your flights. You may also provide your mileage loyalty information, create a loyalty account, and provide any TSA Precheck or Global Entry numbers.

    **Some airlines do not have assigned seating, seating is done on a first arrive-first seated basis at the time of boarding; other airlines such as British Airlines and other budget airlines such as Spirit, Frontier, and Allegiant do not allow seat selection until 24 hours before the flight without an extra charge. If you are traveling with minor-children, the airlines will ensure at least one parent is seated with each child on the flight.

    Code Sharing. Code sharing occurs when one airline sells the flights in partnership with one of their partner brands i.e., “United Airlines operated by British Airlines” or “Alaska Airlines operated by Delta Airlines.” In these cases, early seat selection is more difficult. Seat selection is done through the airline with whom the flight is operated and any rules governing the availability of early seat selection is from the airline the for whom the flight is operated. For example, while United Airlines may allow early seat selection, if a segment of the flights is operated by British Airlines, seat selection will not be available until 24 hours before the fight or at check-in because British Airlines is operating the flight and United simply purchased space from British Airlines and this does not change the way British Airlines operates.

    Check In

    In most cases, airlines request that you check in 24 hours prior to your scheduled departure time via their website or through their mobile app. It is recommended that you download the airline mobile app, you will be able to check in, review and change seats, pay for bags and or meals at this time. Additionally, you may be able to either email the boarding pass electronically or access the boarding pass through the mobile app. Using electronic boarding passes through the mobile app is the best way to stay up-to-date on any flight time or gate changes.

    You still have the option to check in at the counter on the day of your flight. Some airports will have Self-Service Kiosks at the airport for check-in. You can use these to check in for your flight and pay any baggage fees, as well as print out the airline luggage tags and boarding passes.

    For international flights, particularly if you are not a frequent international traveler, once you complete online check-in, you may not able to print or access your boarding passes. This is because the airline needs to verify your passport at the airport before they can provide a boarding pass.

    Luggage

    Most airlines allow one “personal item” such as a purse, small backpack, or briefcase, and one slightly larger carry on item so long as one item fits under the seat in front of you and the other item in the overhead bin. In most cases these items can NOT exceed 18 x 14 x 8 inches.

    For domestic flights, you can pay to check one bag. These fees range from $15 to $50, with the average being $25/bag each way. In most cases the dimensions of the checked bag can be no more than 62 inches and weigh no more than 50 pounds. If your bag does not meet the airline requirements, extra fees will be added.

    For international flights, the carry-on allowance is the same. For checked luggage you are generally allowed one bag at no cost (same size and weight)** and additional bags will be subject to fees. Please note that airlines are very strict about the weight of the bags.

    *First class / Business Class ticket holders may be allowed up to three free checked bags at 70 pounds*

    **Please note that your end destination, time of year, and airline may impact your baggage allowance. It is imperative that you check with your airline to verify your airline’s baggage allowance. Additionally, if you will be taking any smaller regional flights during your trip, you may be subject to much more restrictive weight allowances which you should consider from the outset of your journey. For instance, most foreign regional airlines have a baggage weight limit of roughly 40 pounds. If your regional flight is attached to your flight that began in the U.S., the international weights apply. If, however, you land in a destination and later fly to another, the regional limits will apply to any flight not attached to an outgoing or returning flight to the U.S.

    Getting to the Airport

    For domestic travel, it is advised that you arrive at the airport two hours before your flight is scheduled to depart.

    For international travel, you should arrive three hours before your flight.

    Remember, unless you are a frequent traveler with priority boarding, it takes time to check bags, get through security, and make your way to the gate. Boarding generally begins 30 minutes before the scheduled departure time.

    If you are traveling with small children or those needing extra time to get through an airport consider allowing up to an additional hour.

    Please do not place your passports or other travel documents in any bag to which you will not have easy access as you may need to present it at the gate before boarding.

    Below are helpful links:
    TSA Travel Tips
    TSA - What Can You Bring?
    TSA Pre-check Application & Renewals
    American Airlines
    United Airlines
    Alaska / Horizon Airlines
    Southwest Airlines
    Delta Airlines
    Jet Blue Airlines
    Sprit Airlines

    Traveling to the Dominican Republic? Click Here!

  • We recommend Travel Protection because of common travel problems such as flight delays, injuries/illness, unpredictable weather and/or lost/stolen luggage. Our Travel Insurance Plan provides protection designed just for travelers and can provide coverage for many things that can go wrong before, and during your trip.

    Top Ten Reasons to Use Travel Insurance


    • You have to cancel your trip due to an unexpected event such as bad weather or the financial default of your airline, cruise line or tour operator. 
    • You have to return home early due to an unexpected emergency such as an illness or death in the family. 
    • Your luggage is lost or delayed, forcing you to purchase necessary essentials, or prescription medications. 
    • Your luggage or personal effects are damaged or stolen. 
    • You need an emergency medical evacuation due to an accident or sudden illness. 
    • You run into flight delays and miss a portion of your trip or cruise. 
    • Your trip is interrupted due to an unexpected hurricane or storm. 
    • You lose your passport, leaving you stranded abroad. 
    • You need assistance with replacing a prescription or an emergency cash transfer.

    Read more about our Travel Protection Plans.

  • Credit Cards

    We recommend using a credit card wherever possible because you will get a better exchange rate than at an ATM or exchange bureau. A lot of credit cards still charge a foreign-transaction fee, so make sure to find a credit card that has no fees. Most hotels, restaurants and retailers will accept major credit cards in large cities. 

    Cash

    When you need pocket money, use your debit card at a bank. You will get a much more favorable exchange rate than those offered by foreign-exchange bureaus.

    It is also a good idea to have a little cash on you when you arrive to an airport in a foreign country in case you need to pay for a visa or taxi. Unfortunately, ATMs are not always reliable! Try to exchange as little cash as possible at the airport currency exchange bureau, as they often charge hefty fees for foreign travelers.

  • TravelPerks Does Not Provide Visas.

    Check with your supplier and the consulate of the
    countries you're visiting for what visas you may need.

    Here's a link to a recommended visa service.

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    From Our Clients...

    Assistance every step of the way.

    "Although I'm in Florida, Michael Teague assisted us every step of the way. From the beginning of the planning, through the coordinating with family members, getting excursions to fit different family members and even last minute changes to get the best out of this vacation, Michael has been key to us enjoying an amazing family (12) vacation. I will definitely seek him out again!"

    – L.F. - March 2023

    Daughter's First Disney Magic

    "We had an absolute magical vacation thanks to Montika, it was our daughter's first trip to Disney and had such a great time, we already started booking for next year with TravelPerks and Montika."

    – Travis S. - May 2023

    Booking a Vacation is FUN!

    "In today’s environment, booking vacations is hard. Why? There are a million and one websites out there that all have information on them. You can look at peer reviews until you are blue in the face. Is this ship really that bad? Is it the best thing ever? Is the resort awesome? Was it an isolated incident? Who knows. And sorting through all of them and figuring out what is real and what is somebody making a mountain out of a molehill takes time.

    Which is where Theresa comes in. We love working with her for our vacations. It generally involves a quick phone call giving her a budget and the vibe we are looking for. And then go on an awesome vacation. No pecking through reviews and pricing that should be written in hieroglyphics. Just straight-up advice and no-nonsense planning.

    Prior to using Theresa’s team, I would spend hours planning and routing and reading. Now? I pick the phone up or I email the awesome team and they take care of me and we get to enjoy our vacation. If you are booking a large group or an intimate vacation, I highly recommend Theresa and her team. Awesome to do business with and they make vacations FUN!"

    – Ben - Atlanta, GA

    Ready to go again!

    "Words can not explain the marvelous time we had on our very first cruise. Theresa is the best travel agent!! There was not a time when I called with questions that my questions went unanswered. Great customer service, very caring travel agents, always there to help, great prices, and last but not least, I'm ready to go again!!!! If anybody ever needs a travel agent this company will be the only one that I would recommend."

    – Shanda - Essex, MD

    Once In A Lifetime Trip

    I was talking about TravelPerks during our state presentation, and a member commented that they had booked cruises through TravelPerks and had a fabulous experience! They both said that you guys were super easy to work with and explained everything well and they felt cared for. It's not often we get members interrupting a presentation to put it out there that they had a great experience!

    – FOP - Proud Partner

    Last-minute Caribbean Christmas Cruise

    "We spontaneously decided our family wanted to go on a Caribbean cruise for the Christmas holidays, and with little/no time, turned to TravelPerks Dream Vacations to help select, book and make it happen. We have cruised two times before, with TravelPerks, both times, have been exceptional experiences and this was no different. Matt Kim, my Travel Advisor, was attentive, quickly understood what I was looking for, my parameters, cruise type, our preferences, likes/dislikes and we were able to find and secure the right cruise for us (7 day Norweggian cruise). He gave great suggestions in regard to rooms, room location, meals, excursions, add-on packages and also where we could save money. Leading up to cruise day, we had many questions that came up and Matt answered them all, quickly and expertly. Matt - thank you for making this a wonderful and unforgetable experience for our family!"

    – Grace T. - January 2023