Check with your airline for specific baggage regulations:

• Air Canada
• Air France
• Austrian Airlines
• KLM/Northwest Airlines (see KLM services, then Luggage)
• Lufthansa/United Airlines
• Swiss International/American Airlines

• Be sure that each of your bags is clearly and completely labeled. For each piece, place one permanent address label on the outside and another on the inside. For reasons of security, never label baggage with your home address. Business cards make good permanent labels.

• In addition, attach to the handle of each bag a temporary label showing your name, destination city, and hotel.

• At your departure airport, your bags should be checked all the way to your final destination airport in Europe or Canada.

• Our advice: travel light. Most people pack far too much. Bags have a way of getting bigger and heavier by the minute, and porters and baggage carts never seem to be around when you need them. Some seasoned travelers recommend that you lay everything out within view then pack only half. Others advise packing trial bags, then carrying them for a while. It’s also a good idea to pack a collapsible nylon bag, in case your acquisitions outgrow your suitcase.

• Most travel packages ask on your registration if you’ll be traveling with ski equipment. Airlines must be advised in advance so they can reserve sufficient space in the baggage area.

• It is always a good idea to bring along your own comfortable ski boots, even if you intend to use rental equipment. A whole vacation can be spoiled by one day of wearing poorly fitted boots. If you do bring your own equipment, get good-sized boot and ski bags. Stuff your soft clothing and skiwear around the skis and boots to protect the equipment and save valuable suitcase space.

• Don’t even consider taking a carry-on bag that doesn’t fit in the airline’s overhead bin. If you are on a long transatlantic flight, a bag underfoot becomes intolerable – you need every cubic inch of space for yourself. In your carry-on, pack a change of clothes and other essentials to tide you over in case your checked bags are delayed (a rare possibility).

• Do not pack anything that is fragile, valuable, or perishable in checked baggage.

• Money, jewelry, important documents and medicine should always be hand carried.

For specific information on baggage regulations for travelers in Canada:
http://www.tc.gc.ca/vigilance/sep/tips/carry_on.htm

Always arrive in good time for your flight departure on an international trip – much earlier than for a domestic flight. Ninety minutes in advance is adequate to ensure check-in and a good seat assignment. At the departure airport, your bags must be checked all the way to your final European or Canadian airport, and they are subject to a special international security inspection. You will usually receive boarding passes for all flight segments.

If you have flight-related questions, be sure to contact the correct source for help. For example, if you are part of a group but contact the public airline reservation numbers, you may receive incorrect information because these general agents do not have full access to all the details of your travel arrangements. Instead, check with your travel agent, sales rep or group coordinator to make sure you receive correct information from the right source.

When you check in, verify that the airline has your frequent flyer number and that it has been correctly recorded.

Here are some relevant frequent flyer programs:

Land-only arrangements, which include everything except air travel, are available with frequent flyer tickets or free travel arrangements.

For transfers to and from Innsbruck, travelers with land-only group packages need to be at the European arrival airport at the same time as their club group. Otherwise, they may need to make their own ground transfer arrangements. There is no refund for unused transfers.

Please note that land-only packages count toward lodging frequent flyer allowances but not toward airfare frequent flyer allowances.

Baby and Child Travel
Arrangements vary according to age. For infants under two years old, the typical charge for air travel is ten percent of the adult fare, but it depends on the airline. Hotels do not usually charge unless a special crib is needed. Again, charges vary by hotel and are paid locally.

Children up to twelve years old are usually eligible for reduced rates. At special group travel rates, there is usually no reduced airfare for children.

Wear loose, comfortable clothes and shoes, since feet tend to swell during long flights. Drink lots of water and non-alcoholic beverages. Since the air on planes is dry, you might want to pack some moisturizing cream in your carry-on bag.

There are as many ways to avoid the effects of international traveling as there are breakfast cereals. Here is a simple two-step plan that works:

• Sleep during the flight. It’s hard to deny yourself the drinks, food and entertainment offered on a transatlantic flight. But once you’re at your destination, you’ll be grateful for every hour of in-flight sleep you packed in. So, as soon as you’re in the air, reset your watch to European time. Aim for five to six hours of sleep, using an over-the-counter or prescription sleeping aid if necessary.
• When you get to Europe, by all means keep moving. Apparently, our bodies reset our internal clocks according to our exposure to natural light. While sleeping when it’s not nighttime may be tempting, it might also be your undoing. So, psyche yourself up! Remember – mind over body. Tell yourself it’s the beginning of a great new day and to get going. Go outdoors, check out the neighborhood, do some window shopping. Then eat a light dinner and go to bed at, or a little before, your normal time. The good news? You’ll be refreshed and ready to go when you awaken the next morning.