Holidays are a big commitment for everyone. You are about to spend a large sum of money on a once in a lifetime trip and you will want to ensure that everything goes to plan. That is why it is essential that when booking a holiday you pay attention to the details that can really make or break a trip abroad. Luckily we are here to help you with this, and here is our list of the top 5 things to watch out for when booking your next holiday!
Ensure that the company you are booking with has all of the correct certification in place!
99 times out of 100 holidays go to plan. You’ll fly to your destination, enjoy your stay and then fly home to tell your friends all about your latest travelling experience. However, things can on occasion go wrong and that is when you will want to know that you have a form of protection in place. In the travel industry that protection comes in the shape of varying certificates, all of which ensure that your money is safe when you book a holiday. The certificates you may be used to seeing include ABTA and ABTOT, both of which can be found on The Great Projects website, and the thing to look out for with these is that there is a membership number. This number shows you that the companies certificates, and as a result your cover, is up to date and will be there to help you should it be needed!
For peace of mind, you should know that the company is contactable 24/7
Accidents happen. It is a fact of life and something that is rarely avoidable, but when travelling you need to ensure that help is at hand, no matter where you are in the world and at what time you need it. That is where a 24/7 emergency line comes in handy and if a company doesn’t have one of these you should seriously reconsider your trip options. It is very reassuring to know that there will be a voice at the end of the phone if you need it.
You should look for a frequently updated website
If a company’s website has not had an update for weeks or even longer, this should begin to ring alarm bells in your head. If they are unable to gather news and updates then you should begin to wonder whether or not they are the company for you. If there is no sign of activity on their website, how easily would you be able to get in contact if you needed to? Things to look out for are frequent blog posts and other indications that the company is still active!
Make sure that the website you are booking on is secure
Everybody takes the small padlock icon next to a website URL for granted, but what does it actually mean? It turns out that this small icon is very important in keeping all of your data safe. When you see the padlock it means that the website has used HTTPS, a form of connection security, and this proves the websites identity to the various browsers that are used to access the internet. To cut a long story short, if the padlock is missing from the webpage, be very wary of putting any payments through or uploading your personal details! You never know who could have access to them if you don’t see that padlock!
Last but not least, make sure the website provides you with all of the information you need from it!
Information is key when doing research of any kind, and none more so than when you are researching a holiday or trip abroad! You should be able to find out everything you need when booking a trip, from what will happen when you arrive at the airport right through to what you will be getting for dinner. There should be an air of mystery when travelling, but minimal uncertainty!
Something else to look out for is reviews. If there are no reviews of the trips anywhere in sight or the only ones you can see are from years ago, it is worth finding out why this is as the holiday you are planning to go on could have gone downhill since it was reviewed in 2002!
Hopefully these tips have been of use to you, and of course you can rest easy knowing that all of these different things are provided should you book with us. We can help you plan your dream volunteering trip from the idea inception right through to the execution, so get in touch today and find out more about your next holiday!
