People & Technology - Issue 02/2011

People & Technology - Issue 02/2011

As the summer holidays draw nearer, the peak travel period is nearly upon us. This issue of People & Technology Newsletter therefore focuses on travel. It's packed with information from the experts at TÜV SÜD on essential medical supplies for travellers, tips on secure booking for online travel and what to watch out for when using online booking services, and how to plan your travel for various methods of transport.

Topics in this newsletter

  •  Travel first-aid kits
  • Booking online travel - safely and securely
  • Planning your travel

Travel first-aid kits

Even during the best weeks of the year, the need for medication or first aid may arise. Travellers abroad may find it harder to buy the pharmaceutical products they need in foreign countries, given the language barrier and potential differences in the composition of pharmaceuticals from country to country. For this reason they should always pack a compact but well-equipped first-aid kit to enable them to treat minor problems quickly and easily. A basic first-aid kit should contain medication for fever and pain relief, dressing material such as sticking-plasters, gauze bandages and sterile compresses, adhesive tape, scissors, tweezers and disinfectant. Other useful items are medication for travel sickness, diarrhoea, colds and sore throats. Depending on the season and your destination, sun cream and gel for insect bites or stings may also be necessary. Medication that must be taken regularly should be packed in hand luggage, not checked baggage, on flights; the risk that a suitcase may be lost in transit is too great. In principle this also applies to the other items in a first-aid kit; however, since security restrictions only permit limited quantities of liquids to be carried in hand luggage, part of the first-aid kit will have to be packed in the suitcase. In addition to any medication needed daily, other essentials for a first-aid kit are drugs for occasional use such as anti-migraine tablets, anti-allergics or digestive support medication. Where possible, all pharmaceuticals for travelling should already be proven effective and well tolerated. Don't forget to check the use-by date, as expired pharmaceuticals may be useless or even harmful. When travelling it is important to protect your luggage containing the medication from direct sunlight, as pharmaceuticals are sensitive to heat.

Globetrotters heading for Africa, South America or Asia should find out well in advance about any vaccinations and special medication required. Travel advice for all holiday destinations is offered by organizations including TÜV SÜD.

Find out more at: http://www.tuev-sued.de/gesundheit_arbeitsplatz_urlaub/rund_um_den_urlaub/1._vorab_informieren (only german version available)

Booking online travel - safely and securely

Online booking is an increasingly popular method of arranging holiday trips. After all, the Internet offers a wealth of possibilities to research and compare prices and destinations. But travellers booking online need to be particularly watchful in order to avoid falling for fraud or scams. Your first glance at the Home page of a travel website should give a clear impression of the site operator's quality standards, with features including clear, easy-to-follow design and user-friendly navigation. All services and product features should be described in detail and clear information must be given on any additional costs such as service charges. The conditions of the purchase agreement between the online travel operator and the customer are usually set forth in the General Terms and Conditions; they should be easy to locate on the site, written in clear and understandable language and available in downloadable and printable versions. The identity of the online travel operator should also be easy to find, and ideally includes not only the address and telephone number, but also the name of a personal customer care officer. Trustworthy operators allow their customers to decide for themselves whether to give personal information not strictly related to booking. If a site requires such personal details in order to complete the booking, it is better to change to a different site.

If the site operator does not offer secure data transmission, on no account enter personal details and do not book a holiday there. Look out for two features which show whether data transmission is encrypted, and thus secure: the address line should give 'https' instead of 'http', and a padlock symbol should appear in the bottom bar of the browser window. If the padlock is shown closed, any data you enter is encrypted for transmission; an open padlock indicates that data is transmitted unencrypted. Once you select an online travel site, be particularly careful when entering data; any typing errors in names or numbers may invalidate air tickets or other bookings, block acceptance of your order or prevent documents from arriving at your address. Print out the Web page containing the booking and the travel operator's confirmation to serve as proof of the services offered by the site and actually booked by you. To be absolutely sure, check whether the website displays any quality marks awarded by independent testing organizations.

For example, only travel sites offering secure data transmission, clear, comprehensible descriptions of services and smooth booking transactions transactions at the destination are entitled to display TÜV SÜD's "s@fer-shopping" mark. In addition, the assessment procedures for this quality mark include investigation of the site's customer enquiry processing and rates the clarity of the website design.

Further information on certification with the s@fer-shopping mark and a list of online providers with this mark can be found at http://www.safer-shopping.de/

Planning your travel

Whatever means of transport you choose when planning a holiday - car, coach, train or air - certain aspects must be carefully planned and taken into consideration. However you travel, be sure to leave your home in a fit state by turning off water mains, turning heating down or off altogether, and closing all doors and windows. Ideally, ask a friend, neighbour or relative to check up regularly, water plants and take in the post. If you plan to travel by coach or train to your destination, book a seat reservation well in advance and leave plenty of time to get to the coach or railway station. This naturally applies to air travel too, not forgetting to add time for checking in and passing through security. The security directives for airlines state that all liquids packed in hand luggage must be in containers with a maximum capacity of 100ml, stowed in a transparent and fully closable plastic bag with a maximum size of one litre. Anyone failing to comply with this rule must hand in liquids such as bottles of water at the security check. Travellers to destinations outside Europe frequently need visas, or at least passports. To avoid having to retrace your steps just arrival, it is vital to check in good time before setting off whether all your documents are at hand and up-to-date. But even car journeys involve considerable planning. The first task is to check that the car is working perfectly, the radiator is topped up and the tyre pressure has been checked.

When you plan a holiday route, the Internet is a useful tool to find out about roadworks or potential traffic jams on specific routes. Wherever possible, consider travelling 'against the flow', avoiding times when routes are crowded. By driving at night or setting off a few days before or after the official beginning of the school holiday period, you should find roads are far less congested. In addition, plan your route plus an alternative before setting off - even if you have an on-board navigation system. Travellers heading for destinations abroad should also find out whether they need to apply for an international driving licence or whether their own will suffice. It is also helpful to investigate traffic rules and potential traffic penalties in the country you are heading for; for example, Swiss motorways have a maximum speed limit of 120 km/h.

With these tips, you will be well on the way to having an enjoyable and relaxed holiday. The TÜV SÜD experts wish you a good trip!

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