10: Taking Care of the Remaining Details in VS .NET

Printer Data Matrix in VS .NET 10: Taking Care of the Remaining Details

services not received if you report the loss within 60 days after the charge is listed on a credit-card statement Many tour operators include insurance in the cost of the trip or can arrange insurance policies through a partnering provider, a convenient and often cost-effective way for you to get insurance However, we believe you should avoid this; you re better off buying from a third-party insurer if you decide to get insurance For domestic travel, buying medical insurance for your trip doesn t make sense for most travelers Most existing health policies cover you if you get sick away from home but check before you go, particularly if you re insured by an HMO Lost-luggage insurance is not necessary for most travelers On domestic flights, checked baggage is covered up to $2,500 per ticketed passenger On international flights (including US portions of international trips), baggage coverage is limited to approximately $907 per pound, up to approximately $635 per checked bag If you plan to check items more valuable than the standard liability, find out whether your valuables are covered by your homeowner s policy, get baggage insurance as part of your comprehensive travelinsurance package, or buy Travel Guard s BagTrak product Don t buy insurance at the airport it s usually overpriced Take any valuables or irreplaceable items with you in your carry-on luggage, as many valuables (including books, money, and electronics) aren t covered by airline policies If your luggage is lost, immediately file a lost-luggage claim at the airport, detailing the luggage contents For most airlines, you must report delayed, damaged, or lost baggage within four hours of arrival The airlines are required to deliver luggage, once found, directly to your house or destination free of charge For more information, contact one of the following recommended insurers: Access America (% 866-807-3982; wwwaccessamericacom), Travel Guard International (% 800-826-4919; wwwtravelguardcom), Travel Insured International (% 800-243-3174; wwwtravelinsured com), or Travelex Insurance Services (% 888-457-4602; wwwtravelexinsurancecom)

Getting sick will ruin your vacation, so we strongly advise against it (Of course, last time we checked, the bugs weren t listening to us any more than they probably listen to you) You don t have to worry about much in California, other than a bad sunburn, although if you plan on doing much hiking, beware of Lyme disease, and, probably increasingly, like everywhere else, West Nile Virus A little Off (or other bug juice of your choice) should handle the really minimal risk of either

For domestic trips, most reliable healthcare plans provide coverage if you get sick away from home For travel abroad, you may have to pay all medical costs upfront and be reimbursed later For more on getting additional medical insurance for your trip, see the preceding section Talk to your doctor before leaving on a trip if you have a serious and/or chronic illness For conditions such as epilepsy, diabetes, or heart problems, wear a MedicAlert identification tag (% 888-633-4298; www medicalertorg), which immediately alerts doctors to your condition and gives them access to your records through MedicAlert s 24-hour hot line

Just because your cellphone works at home doesn t mean it ll work elsewhere in the country (thanks to our nation s fragmented cellphone system) It s a good bet that your phone will work in major cities But take a look at your wireless company s coverage map on its Web site before heading out T-Mobile, Sprint, and Nextel are particularly weak in rural areas If you need to stay in touch at a destination where you know your phone won t work, rent a phone that does from InTouch USA (% 800-872-7626; wwwintouchglobalcom) or a rental-car location, but beware that you ll pay $1 a minute or more for airtime If you re venturing deep into national parks, you may want to consider renting a satellite phone (satphone), which is different from a cellphone in that it connects to satellites rather than ground-based towers A satphone is more costly than a cellphone but works where there s no cellular signal and no towers Unfortunately, you pay at least $2 per minute to use the phone, and it works only where you can see the horizon (that is, usually not indoors) In North America, you can rent Iridium satellite phones from RoadPost (% 888-290-1606 or 905-272-5665; wwwroadpostcom) InTouch USA offers a wider range of satphones but at higher rates If you re not from the United States, you ll be appalled at the poor reach of our GSM (Global System for Mobiles) wireless network, which is used by much of the rest of the world Your phone will probably work in most major US cities; it definitely won t work in many rural areas And you may or may not be able to send SMS (text messaging) home Assume nothing call your wireless provider and get the full scoop In a worst-case scenario, you can rent a phone; InTouch USA delivers to hotels