Travel Calendar

Being a female solo traveler has its advantages: You set your own agenda, eat wherever you like, take luxurious baths without interruption. Of course, there are disadvantages, too, such as unwanted advances or simply the fear of them.

I once spent a sleepless night alone in an Aberdeen, Scotland, hotel room with a flimsy lock and no security chain. I groggily checked out the next day.

The travel industry is increasingly taking steps to ease women’s concerns.

At the start of this year, Czech Railways introduced women-only compartments. The Austrian railway has long offered the same.

Among a growing number of hotels that offer women-only floors is the Crowne Plaza in Bloomington, where the concept debuted five years ago. Its popularity is growing, despite the $20 premium the hotel charges, according to general manager Charlie LaMont. “Women who stay here do our marketing. They go back to work and tell their colleagues about us,” he said. A card key is required to access the floor, where guests find women’s magazines, upgraded bath amenities, snacks ranging from the healthful to Dove ice cream bars and other perks.

AAA, like many other travel organizations, hosts guided tours exclusively for women.

I recently attended a women’s travel meeting at the AAA Minnesota/Iowa office in Burnsville, where a roomful had gathered to learn about new tours. As participants chatted and laughed about past trips, I realized that other women can add not just to our sense of security, but also to our capacity for fun.

Send your questions or tips to travel editor Kerri Westenberg at travel@startribune.com, and follow her on Twitter @kerriwestenberg.

Joshua was apoplectic. Tanya was nonplussed. They simply wanted to understand
the logic. If her Turkish Airlines flight was to depart JFK two hours later than
scheduled, how could the Turkish Airlines personnel at JFK keep reassuring Tanya
she’d make her Friday afternoon flight to Tel Aviv when her original connecting
time had two hours? Some background is necessary for you to understand the
players.

Joshua and his family live in Israel, having made aliya some
time ago from the US. His daughter Tanya was studying abroad. Her fervent desire
and his simple request was that she comes back to Israel for Passover during her
spring break.

This was not a last-minute purchase. Joshua starting
checking out flights for Passover last December.

Sadly, all the nonstop
airlines, be it El Al or United Airlines or Delta cost several hundred dollars
more. More traditional airlines, like British Airways via London or Alitalia via
Rome, were also a few hundred more. Turkish Airlines though, was reasonably
priced. There had been some embarrassing encounters between Turkish security
personnel and Israeli passport holders, but these had thankfully faded into the
past.

Israelis were flying Turkish Airlines in record
numbers.

Turkish Airlines is now part of the Star Alliance, with a
sterling reputation for both safety and service and at $1,279 it was a great
fare to come here right before Passover.

The only snag was the dates…
Tanya could depart only on Thursday afternoon from JFK with a three-and-a-half
hour layover in Istanbul. She was never thrilled about Friday afternoon arrivals
in Tel Aviv so close to candle lighting time, but it was decided that it was
worth the risk.

In addition, she had flown Turkish Airlines just six
months earlier when she came in for Rosh Hashana. It was a bit distressing when
in mid-February Turkish Airlines advised her that the flight time from JFK had
been pushed back from 4:45 p.m. to 6:25 p.m. No matter, she thought, for if it
landed at 11:15 a.m. on Friday, she’d still have plenty of time to make the
12:40 p.m. connecting flight.

In fact, there were close to 50
passengers coming to Israel from New York on that connecting flight; surely it
would all work out if they arrived late in Istanbul. Misery does love
company…

Veteran readers of this column are well aware that when I
raise an issue it’s because there’s a lesson to be learned. So when Joshua
emailed his travel consultant at 3:30 in the morning and then followed up with a
phone call three hours later, it was clear to all that something was seriously
amiss.

Upon checking in at JFK, Turkish Airlines informed the passengers
that the plane would depart two hours later than scheduled. Tanya’s nonplussed
expression must have alerted the ground staff that even she could do the basic
math – there was no way she could make the connection. The Turkish Airlines
flight from Istanbul to Tel Aviv was operating a Boeing 737-800 equipped to seat
up to 138 passengers. Thus, over a third of their passengers for this flight
were not originating from Istanbul but connecting from a flight from the US; in
fact I’d hazard a guess that 90% of the passengers on the flight were from
connections via Istanbul.

There are many business travelers between
Israel and Turkey, contrary to the pithy, pathetic and patronizing remarks made
by the Turkish government. Turkish Airlines is an excellent conduit as a transit
point between both North America and Europe and the Far East flying to and from
Israel.

There are two types of ground personnel in the airline industry
when it comes to airline delays. There’s the type that tries to solve the
problem on the spot, exchanging a ticket to another airline, rebooking a
passenger who will miss his or her connection on a more convenient flight. Then
there’s the clerk who prefers not to make a decision, not to be forthcoming and
airily dismisses all concerns of a missed connection with a breezy comment:
“Don’t worry, someone from the airline will meet you upon arrival.” It’s the
second comment said with such aplomb that should rankle you.

In essence,
what Turkish Airlines did was pass on their problem from JFK airport to Istanbul
airport. Calm the passengers, check in their bags and get them on the plane. And
it worked.

Tanya’s a bright student; she knew enough to ask if she could
be transferred to the El Al or Delta flight from JFK, both departing around the
same time. “Sorry,” the Turkish Air representative said, “we can’t do that
unless we know you’re going to miss the connection.” She patiently explained to
them that as an observant Jew she would not fly on the Sabbath. They were quite
sympathetic and told her that all would work out. In fact they did go so far as
to contact the station manager whose quick retort was they would make the
connecting flight.

Now what she did not consider was asking Turkish
Airlines to put her on one of their Star Alliance partners.

Both
Lufthansa and Swiss depart from JFK and would have taken her ticket from Turkish
Airlines, which is also a fellow Star Alliance member. Off she went to board the
plane. Her father, wise enough not to wait for the 10-hour flight to land,
feverishly tried to find someone in Israel at Turkish Airlines on that Friday
morning. Its offices in Tel Aviv were closed; its Ben-Gurion Airport phone rang
incessantly off the hook but was not answered.

Unperturbed, Joshua
contacted Turkish Airlines in Istanbul, where he discovered that while there
were indeed close to 50 passengers scheduled for their 12:40 p.m. flight, their
policy was to move everyone to the midnight flight that Friday evening. When
asked why they simply didn’t hold that plane to accommodate these passengers, he
was told that the plane had to depart Tel Aviv with a full load and that it
wouldn’t be fair to have them delayed thus avoiding a chain reaction of delayed
flights.

Now Tanya could be accused of many things, but breaking Shabbat
by flying was not one of them. Upon arrival in Istanbul, she was herded to the
transit desk and continually told that she had been rebooked on the Friday night
flight. Keeping calm, it only took her another 30 minutes to find a supervisor
who understood she would not get on the plane. Between texting her father and
speaking to the passengers it slowly dawned on her that she was the only
religious person on the entire plane and that the rest of the passengers had
acquiesced to the Turkish Airlines news.

She was told then to go to
another desk, this time beyond passport control, where she had to arrange a visa
on her American passport. Passing by baggage claim she thought of locating her
checked bags, only to be told they were not to be found.

Turkish Airlines
ground staff in Istanbul, while trying to placate her, added one more caveat,
perhaps trying to persuade her to fly on Shabbat with every other delayed
passenger. Changing her ticket would incur a change fee.

Yes for only
$600 she could stay in Istanbul, without hotel accommodation, without food and
fly to Israel Saturday night.

Her father had already taken matters into
his own hands; he had put out an ardent request asking for a Jewish family in
Istanbul who could host his daughter for Shabbat. In a matter of minutes a
wonderful family came forward.

Tanya’s travel consultant had long ago
realized she’d miss the Friday morning flight, would not take the Friday evening
flight and had booked her on the Saturday night flight without asking anyone’s
permission.

Now emailing her travel consultant, she asked how the $600
fee could be waived. He calmly told her to have her ticket reissued prior to
leaving the airport and if they insisted upon taking the $600 to pay it and she
would receive complete reimbursement once she made it to Israel. Withdrawing
money from an ATM, she made her way through the byzantine corridors of the
airport until she found a Turkish Airlines supervisor who waived the change fee,
reissued her ticket and wished her a good time in Istanbul for the next 36
hours.

She took a taxi to the family, was welcomed warmly into their
homes, given clothes to wear and attended services. On Saturday night she made
her way back to Israel and the bosom of her family. Of course her luggage
remained in Istanbul another day… And when at Seder night, she read the
magical line, “Next year in Jerusalem” a smile could be seen on her
face.

Mark Feldman is the CEO of Ziontours Jerusalem. For
questions and comments, email him at mark.feldman@ ziontours.co.il

View full sizeNathan AndersonHaitian men splashing in a waterfall.Haitian men splashing in a waterfall was the subject of the Grand Prize-winning photograph in The Oregonian’s 2012 Travel Photo Contest.

Nathan Anderson, 36, of Portland took the photo in 2011 while visiting the Caribbean nation.

Anderson, who works for a security company, used a Canon 5D Mark II.

Grand Prize is round-trip airfare for two on Delta Air Lines from Portland to Amsterdam, the Netherlands, plus five nights lodging.

Judging was done by Stephanie Yao, a picture editor for The Oregonian, and Oregonian staff photographers Beth Nakamura and Faith Cathcart. The contest drew nearly 3,000 entries in three categories: Faraway Places, Celebrating Oregon and Making Waves.

The top three finishers in each of the three categories win gift certificates from either Pro Photo Supply or Portland-area Shutterbug Stores, which joined Delta Air Lines as sponsors of the contest.

Contest winners are chosen in spring as an inducement for amateur photographers to get out in the field and begin shooting as the weather improves.

Check out these links to learn more about the 2012 contest.

• A gallery of 16 winning entries, which also includes two honorable mention photographs in each category.

• How Nathan Anderson made the winning photograph during his trip to Haiti.

• A gallery of 14 other photos that Nathan Anderson took while traveling in Haiti.

• Portland freelance photographer Hudson Henry shares secrets to great travel photography.

• A copy of the rules (this changes slightly year to year, but it’s a guideline for future contests).

• Results and photos from the 2011 contest.

• Pack picture tips in your travel bag for great trip photos.

• The types of cameras the staff photographers from The Oregonian take with them on their vacations and why.

– Terry Richard Follow @trichardpdx

The Bhoja Air flight from Karachi came down in fields near a village on the outskirts of the Pakistani capital on Friday evening, killing all 127 people onboard, in the city’s second major fatal air crash in less than two years.

Interior minister Rehman Malik said a committee had been set up to investigate the crash and the head of the airline Farooq Bhoja had been put on an “exit control list”, meaning he is banned from leaving Pakistan.

Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) officials said the second-hand Boeing 737-200 was nearly 30 years old, but an airline spokeswoman said the plane’s age had no bearing on the tragedy, which happened as a thunderstorm hit the city.

“The aircraft was old and second hand but it is not something unusual. The fleet of state-run Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) also runs old aircraft,” Bhoja Air official Masham Zafar told AFP.

“There was no technical issue and bad weather is to be blamed.”

She said the plane left Karachi with CAA approval and was given clearance to land at Islamabad.

CAA director general Nadeem Khan Yusufzai said the plane suddenly dropped from 2,900 feet to 2,000 feet as it made its final approach to land, and vanished from the airport radar.

He said another plane from the private Airblue airline landed safely from the same approach about 10 minutes afterwards and there was no indication from the Bhoja pilot that he was in distress.

The flight data recorder has been recovered and will be sent abroad for analysis, he said, and the overall investigation could take up to a year to complete its work.

Distraught relatives wept as they collected the remains of loved ones from Islamabad’s main hospital and some voiced anger at what they saw as official fecklessness.

“It’s sheer incompetence of the government. This is the second major accident here in less than two years but the president and the prime minister remain unmoved,” said a woman who identified herself as Mrs Hassan, whose cousin was killed.

“If the weather was bad why they did not warn the pilot. Why did they allow the plane to land?”

Abdul Raoof blamed the airport control tower for negligence over the crash, which killed his cousin.

“If the weather was bad, the plane should have been turned away,” he said. “It is also a mistake of the airline. They sacrificed 127 lives just to save some fuel.”

But CAA chief Yusufzai said the weather over the airport was not that severe and the final decision on whether to land or turn back lay with the pilot.

“The captain of the aircraft is the final authority. Nobody questions his decisions whether he wants to go around or to delay or divert flight, that is his discretion,” he said.

All 127 people on board — 121 passengers and six crew — were killed when the plane crashed and burst into flames at around 6:40 pm on Friday in the village of Hussain Abad. There were 11 children among the dead.

The crash came less than two years after the worst ever air disaster on Pakistani soil.

In July 2010 an Airbus A321 operated by Airblue crashed into the hills overlooking Islamabad while coming in to land in heavy rain and poor visibility, killing all 152 people on board.

Boeing offered “profound condolences” to the victims’ families and said it would provide technical assistance to the investigation into the Bhoja crash.

Military and aviation officials said bad weather was probably behind the crash, as there was a hail and thunderstorm over the city at the time.

A senior PIA engineer told AFP he thought an air pocket — a patch of low air pressure — could be to blame.

“Visibility was also low because it was raining and there was thunder and lightening. The pilot lost control and apparently failed to lift it out of the air pocket,” he said.

Friday’s flight was Bhoja’s first evening trip from Karachi to Islamabad since resuming operations last month after a 12-year suspension for not paying CAA dues.

The deadliest civilian plane crash involving a Pakistani jet came in 1992 when a PIA flight crashed into a cloud-covered hillside on its approach to Kathmandu, killing 167 people.

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ANDERS MEANDERS

Tucked-away winery grows grapes, llamas

To my knowledge, there is no longer a single part of the U.S. where there are no wineries. So, anytime there’s a little spare time in my schedule, I like to check out the local wineries, if for no other reason than to explore the countryside.

A recent trip to North Carolina found me driving the undulating countryside of the Yadkin Valley west of Winston-Salem, where my friends and I stopped in at two wineries.

The first, Cellar 4201, has its tasting room in the owner’s garage, located at 4201 Apperson Road in the town of East Bend (which is pretty much a bend in the road). It’s a lovely little room and feels like a winery, not a garage. I favored the crisp chardonnay and also the earthy sangiovese, a glass of which I purchased to enjoy with a picnic lunch my friends had packed. In between rainstorms, we enjoyed our food and wine on the winery’s patio overlooking the vineyard.

Then we moved on to Divine Llama Vineyards, also in East Bend at 4126 Divine Llama Lane. (Both of these wineries are off North Carolina 67, which becomes Reynolda Road when it gets into Winston-Salem.) Divine Llama is so named because in addition to grapes, the owners – Michael and Patricia West and Tom and Julia Hughes – grow llamas. There are more than 50 llamas on the property, and the wines are named for them. So, we got to see llamas in addition to tasting wines. My favorite (wine, not llama) was Mustang Sally, a chardonel-traminette blend.

If you’d like to explore Yadkin Valley wines, consider the Yadkin Valley Wine Festival coming up May 19 in Elkin, about 20 miles west of East Bend on that same North Carolina 67. Admission is free (with $5 parking), and $20 will buy you a tasting ticket for 35 wineries. Who knew there were that many vineyards in this part of North Carolina? There’ll be music at the fest, too. Find out more at yakinvalley.org.

TOUR

Tour Bracken Cave and get a glimpse of world’s largest bat colony

Put this on your radar: For the first time, Bracken Cave north of San Antonio, which boasts that it has the world’s largest bat colony from March through October (Austin’s title is for largest urban bat colony), has opened for public tours. The cave is just outside the town of Garden Ridge north of San Antonio’s Loop 1604. It’s near Natural Bridge Caverns, and the two are teaming up with Bat Conservation International for this tour. You’ll start at Natural Bridge Caverns with a briefing on the Mexican free-tailed bat, then you’ll proceed in your car to the cave to see the colony fly out of the cave at dusk to hunt insects. It’s about a four-hour experience. The cost is $24.99. Find more information and buy tickets at brackenbatflight.com. You’ll check in at Natural Bridge Caverns (take exit 175 off Interstate 35) at 6 p.m. in April, 5:30 p.m. in May and 5 p.m. June through October.

THEME PARK

Spider-Man attraction reopens at Universal

What’s better than Spider-Man? New and improved Spider-Man. Universal Orlando Resort just reopened its Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man attraction with new high-definition animation, music and 3-D effects with “Spider-Vision” glasses. Spidey’s was already one of the most popular rides at the theme park, but now you’ll be able to see the characters’ muscles move in eye-popping 3D and enjoy state-of-the-art sound, lighting, graphics and scenic details, I’m told. Universal is at 1000 Universal Studios Plaza. One-day tickets online are $85 ($79 for a child). You get a discount if you book more days. Find out more at universalorlando.com.

HOTEL

Hot Springs hotel reopens ballroom

The Crystal Ballroom at Arlington Resort Hotel and Spa in Hot Springs, Ark., opened in 1924 when the hotel was rebuilt after being destroyed by a 1923 fire. The ballroom immediately became the scene of major parties attended by dignitaries, movie stars and more. So the hotel is justifiably proud that its ballroom just reopened after a major restoration-renovation, polishing up its maple floors, large mirrors and crystal chandeliers. Drop by if you’re at the hotel, which is probably most famous for its hot spring water pumped directly into the hotel. Best of all: It’s affordable. Rates for May start at $99 on arlingtonhotel.com . The hotel is at 239 Central Ave.

FOOD

Decadent waffles win breakfast recipe contest

Because I’m a travel writer and eat a lot of breakfast at bed-and-breakfasts, bedandbreakfast.com asked me to join Danielle Contray from Budget Travel to help judge its Breakfast Recipe Challenge this year. Along with website employees, we narrowed the list to 16, which competed for votes on the website’s Facebook page.

Back Story By focusing on a small portfolio of cruise lines that includes Princess, Cunard, Norwegian, Carnival and Crystal, and by sailing several times a year, Mr. Coleman has come to know many of those ships intimately, sussing out everything from the must-do shore excursions to what the various cabins are like.

In college, Mr. Coleman trained for a job in theatrical production and stage management. Although his career took a very different path, he said there were many parallels between producing a show for the theater and advising travelers on their vacations. Travel consulting, he said, is just “producing an enjoyable and entertaining experience for the audience.

“For me, that means delivering a memorable and flawless vacation for my clients,” he said.

Mr. Coleman’s efforts have not been unrecognized: He was cited as one of the top 25 agents of 2010 by Travel Agent magazine; in the same year he was named the 2010 Young Professional of the Year by the American Society of Travel Agents; and last year he received the 2011 Industry Activist Trendsetter Award from TravelAge West magazine for notable achievements in support of travel agents.

On His Radar “The buzz I’m hearing for 2012 is longer, more exotic cruise itineraries, especially South America and Asia,” he said. “I’ve also seen a spike in interest for British Isles and London; lots of interest surrounding the Olympics this summer.” 

Travel Tip Some ships have tiered decks, like a wedding cake, with lower decks that stick out the farthest, he said. If you like the sun, choose an extended balcony on the lower decks.

JULIA P. DOUGLAS

Jet Set World Travel Inc.

Chicago

Age 31.

Specialty Honeymoons, babymoons and other special occasion trips.

Planning Fee $250 a couple or family, in addition to hourly fees for concierge services and additional research.

Back Story While working as a commercial property broker at Lloyd’s of London, Ms. Douglas earned the nickname Jet Set Julia for her weekend escapes to Berlin, the French Alps, Edinburgh and so on. After becoming the de facto travel adviser for her friends, family and colleagues, she decided to make it her career. In 2005, she moved from London to Chicago and established Jet Set World Travel, which she describes as a luxury travel consultancy and concierge service, often surprising clients with special touches like airport transfers in Bentleys, “triple-room upgrades” and bubble baths drawn upon arrival.

She has personally visited 46 countries and is on the road at least seven days out of every month, inspecting new hotels and destinations. Next month she is off for a nine-night trip to Botswana, where she will be staying at eight safari camps to make sure they are up to snuff for her guests. “We won’t unpack,” she said. “Between game drives, we’re moving every afternoon after lunch.”

Last year, she was recognized by the Virtuoso luxury travel network with a “rising star” award.

On Her Radar Bhutan, where a new domestic airport that opened in the Bumthang Valley offers better access to more of the country.

Travel Tip “Build loyalty with an airline or hotel group so you are well taken care of,” she said. “We have many Executive Platinum American Airlines clients, and the reservation agents have been with American for 20-plus years and know the traveler intimately, secure upgrades immediately, always find award availability and accommodate changes while in transit.”

BETH JENKINS

McCabe World Travel

McLean, Va.

Age 24.

Specialty Latin America and Western Europe.

Planning Fee $50 and up, depending on the trip’s length and complexity.

Back Story Ms. Jenkins, who studied international relations in college, has traveled throughout Mexico and South America and toured Europe while living and studying in Madrid. Though she is the youngest agent in her office by at least 10 years, she knows how to work her travel connections to gain special access for her clients, whether it is setting up an after-hours tour of the Sistine Chapel or getting someone into a sold-out hotel.

“Challenging situations are more easily overcome, and demanding clients more easily satisfied, when you have partners on your side,” she said, noting that she always calls a hotel the day before clients check in to confirm that everything is set for their arrival and to see if they can be upgraded.

“By touching base,” she said, “I never leave any added benefit on the table that my clients could be receiving.” She was listed among Travel Agent magazine’s top 35 travel agents under 30 in 2011, and is on the steering committee for the Young Leaders Conference at Luxury Travel Expo, an invitation-only event designed to bring high-end travel advisers together with premium hotels, cruises and tour operators.

On Her Radar Adventure trips like sky diving in New Zealand or hiking Machu Picchu. “So many of my contemporaries are really looking for experiential travel — to take bigger or more exotic trips before settling down,” she said. “Taking the ‘bucket list’ trips instead of saying we’ll wait until we are older to do it.”

Travel Tip When flying to Europe from the United States, book the hotel room a night early. That way, when you arrive at 6 a.m. and your body thinks it is 1 a.m., she said, you can have breakfast delivered to your room, then take a nap to avoid jet lag.

RYAN MCGREDY

Moraga Travel

Moraga, Calif.

Age 35.

Specialty Family travel.

Planning Fees $75 to $300, depending on trip complexity.

Back Story For Mr. McGredy, vacation planning is not just about sending people to great places, but also imagining the most mundane details of his clients’ trips and planning around them. “That means we look at the little things that you don’t tend to think of as a traveler, like the added taxi cost of staying in this place versus that, depending on your itinerary,” he said.

With a background in Web development for Fortune 500 companies, Mr. McGredy said he, like many in his generation, believed that “things are faster, easier and a better value when you do all of the work yourself online.” But after trading some Web development work for a stake in a travel agency, he learned that there were advantages to using an agent. “Not only was I saving myself hours of searching and frustration as I tried to find travel that suited my needs and fit within my budget, but I found that all of a sudden I was being treated like a high-value customer wherever I went, with special treatment — like free breakfast or a room upgrade when I checked in. I feel like this is something that my generation is missing out on, and so I want to focus on ways to show this world to them.”

Last year, Mr. McGredy was named the Young Professional of the Year by the American Society of Travel Agents.

On His Radar Family adventure travel. “We’re seeing a lot more of the family trip to Costa Rica or Peru,” he said. “We’re also finding with high airfares that people are seeing the value in spending a little more to take their vacation someplace exotic. Since going to Hawaii or Cancun can run you anywhere from $800 to $1,000 per person for airfare, many clients are opting to spend an extra $200 to $500 per person and go to Australia, Europe or even Africa.”

Travel Tip Buy travel insurance. “I know it makes me sound like the guy at the electronics store trying to push the extended warranty, but I have so many examples where it has saved clients so much money,” he said.

EMILY MEREDITH PRENTISS

Valerie Wilson Travel Inc.

New York

Age 23.

Specialty Family travel and exotic destinations.

Planning Fee $150 a person, depending on the trip’s complexity.

Back Story Under the wing of her mentor, Kimberly Wilson-Wetty, a co-president of Valerie Wilson Travel, a well-established luxury agency in New York, Ms. Prentiss plans custom vacations for well-heeled clients looking for V.I.P. attention. Through the company’s deep-rooted connections with airlines, resorts and tour guides, she secures exclusive rates and special treatment for her clients whether it is an overwater bungalow in Bora Bora for less, a private dinner for two in an ancient temple in Cambodia or getting a family of five into a sold-out resort two weeks before Christmas.

“It is imperative to keep in touch and maintain good relationships with our representatives because they do so much to assist me and ultimately my clients,” she said.

Last year she was named one of the top 35 travel agents under 30 by Travel Agent magazine.

On Her Radar Myanmar, as a newer destination that has opened its arms to travelers. “It offers an element of mystery and romance whether visiting sacred sites, river cruising or walking through bustling markets,” she said.

Travel Tip Plan ahead for greater flexibility and better rates. “This advice seems very simple but believe it or not, sometimes even my clients think they can get a better deal by booking last minute,” Ms. Prentiss said.

LETTING SOMEBODY ELSE DO THE WORK

How to Find an Agent

Word of mouth is often best. If that fails, a number of online matchmaking services connect vacationers with experts in the place they are going or in the kind of trip they want. At Tripology.com, travelers describe their interests through online forms and then receive e-mail alerts with up to three itinerary proposals from competing agents.

Additionally, agency groups such as Travel Leaders and Travel Savers offer online databases to help you find an agent. And AmexTravelResources.com allows users to search by destination and interest for American Express agents with corresponding expertise.

Travel magazines are another place to look. Travel + Leisure and Condé Nast Traveler each identify top travel agents annually in print and online.

What to Look For

In short: someone who has been where you want to go. Agents flash various credentials around — C.T.C. (certified travel counselor), L.C.S. (luxury cruise specialist), C.L.S. (certified lifestyle specialist) — but, as Tony Gonchar, chief executive of the American Society of Travel Agents, put it, “The three-letter acronym has less influence over the reason why you’d go to one professional over another than their reputation and experience.”

It also doesn’t hurt if the agent is a member of a major travel consortium, which often has access to special negotiated rates from partner hotels, airlines or cruises. (Virtuoso, for example, offers guaranteed amenities ranging from free cocktails upon arrival to spa services at more than 900 luxury hotels.)

Keep in mind that the relationship between agents and hotels, cruise lines and other travel suppliers is a two-way street. The suppliers benefit from agent referrals and often pass those benefits on to customers. But the agents can benefit, too, with kickbacks or discounts. Nevertheless, good agents won’t risk a client’s experience on one hotel or cruise line just because of some kickback. Feel free to ask whether and how your agent is benefiting from your itinerary.

Also, don’t be shy about asking for references from past clients.

What Should You Pay?

Fees vary widely based on everything from the agent’s experience to the complexity of the trip. But how much travelers pay should generally correspond to the services provided — say, $100 or so to plan a basic weeklong vacation to $500 or more for a major multiweek group trip with detailed custom itineraries, not including the actual cost of the trip.

There are exceptions to this rule. Bill Fischer, the New York travel agent with a famously unlisted phone number, charges a $100,000 membership fee for his services and a $25,000 annual retainer. Jacyln Sienna India, 30, commands a $12,000 annual retainer for her personalized travel services, planning every detail of her clients’ trips down to creating a custom soundtrack for their flight.

This story, “Are Travel Agents Back?,” originally appeared on The New York Times.

Copyright © 2012 The New York Times

BERLIN – Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu called German Author Gunter
Grass’ poem sharply criticizing Israel “an absolute scandal,” speaking
in an interview slated to be published Sunday in German paper Die Welt am Sonntag.  Netanyahu ratcheted up his criticism of the Nobel laureate in the interview
with the German paper, as well as defending Interior Minister Eli
Yishai’s decision to ban Grass from entering Israel.

Netanyahu
termed the poem “shameful” and a “collapse of moral judgment,” in
excerpts of the interview published Saturday on the Die Welt online
website.

The prime minister’s comments highlight that
the international row surrounding Grass’ perceived anti-Semitic attacks
on the Jewish state will not fizzle away in the short-term.

The
84-year-old German author, who served as a member of the Nazi Waffen SS
as a teenager, published a poem “What must be said” in early April in
the left-leaning, Munich-based Süddeutsche Zeitung.

Critics
in Germany and the United States, as well as Israeli politicians, asserted that the poem demonstrates hate against Jews and Israel. Grass
accused Israel of warmongering and planning a first nuclear strike
against the Islamic Republic to “extinguish the Iranian people.” He
blamed Israel as a main impediment to world peace.

In the Die Welt am Sonntag
interview, Netanyahu said the fact that “this comes from a German Nobel
prize winner and not from some teenager in a neo-Nazi party, makes it
still more shocking, “

Netanyahu defended the travel ban against
Grass in the interview, saying, “Sometimes there are things that are so
shocking that one has to react in other ways. He went too far in the
direction of untruth and defamation. Our reaction expressed that.”

He continued in the Welt am Sonntag
interview that Grass ”created a perfect moral misrepresentation, in
that the aggressor becomes a victim and the victim becomes an
aggressor. “According to Netanyahu, Israel’s efforts to defend itself
against extermination become a threat to world peace in Grass’ poem.
“The firefighter and not the arsonist becomes the true danger,” said
the prime minister.

Netanyahu made comparisons between the
defamation of Jews in the Nazi period and the defamation of Israel today
through the poetry of Grass. He noted that today the attacks against
Israel are comparable to the perfidy and defamation of the attacks
launched against Jews during the period of Nazi Germany, which resulted
in the Holocaust.

“The question which people should pose reads: 
What if I had back then believed in this perfidy and defamation against
Jews? Because defamation is always the precursor to complicity,” said
Netanyahu.

The prime minister added that  it was “important and
positive” that  leading German politicians condemned Grass’ statements.
He, however, had hoped for more support from the German population.
According to some surveys, 70 to 80 percent of responses from Germans on
online blogs, newspaper comment sections and television polls showed
that Germans nonetheless support Grass’ attacks against Israel.

One
leading German politician, however, has shown solidarity with Grass.
The head of the German Social Democratic party, Sigmar Gabriel,
defended Grass last week. Gabriel termed Israel to be  an “Apartheid
regime” in March and has gone to great lengths to support Grass, who is a
longstanding activist in the Social Democratic party.

(UKPA)
–
3 hours ago 

Pakistan blocked the head of an airline whose jet crashed near the capital from leaving the country as it began an investigation into the country’s second major air disaster in less then two years.

The Bhoja Air passenger jet crashed on Friday as it tried to land in a thunderstorm at Islamabad’s main airport, killing all 127 people on board.

The airline, which resumed operations in March after an 11-year pause, has said the weather was the cause.

Speaking at the scene of the crash, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said on Saturday that Farooq Bhoja, head of Bhoja Air, had been put on the “exit control list”, meaning he can not leave Pakistan. Such a ban is often put on someone suspected or implicated in a criminal case.

Mr Malik said that “it is being said that the aircraft was pretty old, so it has been ordered to investigate thoroughly the airworthiness of the Bhoja Air aircraft.

“The causes will be investigated, whether it was any fault in the aircraft, it was lightning, the bad weather or any other factor that caused loss of precious lives.”

Copyright © 2012 The Press Association. All rights reserved.

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OAKLAND, Calif. — Ubaldo Jimenez and the walking Indians just might decide to stay on the road for a long time.

Jimenez won his second straight start and the Indians drew nine more walks Friday night in a 4-3 victory over Oakland at the Coliseum.

The Indians are 6-1 on this nine-game trip through Kansas City, Seattle and Oakland.

“The locker room has a good vibe to it,” said second baseman Jason Kipnis, who scored what proved to be the deciding run. “We’re getting used to winning. That’s what you need to do. You need to have a winning environment around here so when you lose you know it was a mistake or something went wrong.”

What Indians victory of late would be complete without a contribution from Jack Hannahan? He drove in their first three runs with a sacrifice fly and two-run double against yet another of his former clubs. On Thursday, Hannahan’s two-run single in the ninth beat his former club in Seattle, 2-1.

“Jack is a very confident hitter right now,” said manager Manny Acta. “Lefty, righty, it doesn’t matter who’s out there.”

Jimenez (2-0, 4.00) made it through six innings and had his usual best-of-three falls with the strike zone.

“Tonight I didn’t have anything,” Jimenez said. “I threw my split, they hit a home run off a hanging split. The change-up was my best pitch. I threw it two times for a strike. I didn’t have my slider. I didn’t have my curve. I didn’t have anything.”

How did he make it through six innings?

“I wasn’t pitching good, but I was able to fight,” Jimenez said. “The guys made it real easy for me. They scored some runs and played really good defense.

“I definitely have to find a way to get better.”

Jimenez allowed two runs on six hits in six innings. He walked five and struck out three in 107 pitches.

The Indians, who lead the American League with 66 walks, drew five against rookie right-hander Graham Godfrey (0-3, 5.06), but could only turn two of them into runs. The extra pitches Godfrey threw, however, limited him to five innings.

For the game the Indians put 18 runners on base, but only four scored.

“We had a lot of traffic on the bases, a lot of quality bats,” Acta said. “We just couldn’t find the big hit to do more damage.”

Oakland, the lowest-scoring team in the American League, pushed the Tribe in the late innings. A triple by Jemile Weeks — left fielder Shelley Duncan saved it from being a home run — and Yoenis Cespedes’ single made it 4-3 in the seventh. That’s when the Indians bullpen took over.

Joe Smith, with the bases loaded, retired Kila Ka’aihue on a grounder to third to end the seventh. Vinnie Pestano gave up a two-out double to Weeks in the eighth, but left him stranded. Chris Perez followed in the ninth, retiring the heart of the order, for his fifth save.

Four of Perez’s saves have come on this trip.

“Joe Smith, Vinnie Pestano and Chris Perez slammed the door,” Acta said.

The Indians took a 1-0 lead in second on Hannahan’s sacrifice fly after Godfrey loaded the bases on walks to Carlos Santana, Travis Hafner and Casey Kotchman.

Hannahan made it 3-1 with a two-run double in the fourth following a single by Hafner and a walk by Duncan.

The biggest run of the game came in the fifth and involved a head-first slide into the plate by Kipnis. It was the kind of slide that gives manager’s nightmares.

Godfrey hit Kipnis with one out. Kipnis, hitting just .167, couldn’t believe he was actually on base.

“I had a lot of adrenaline going,” he said. “I didn’t even feel it. I was so happy to be going to first base than back to the dugout.”

Kipnis stole second, beating Godrey’s pickoff attempt to first. When Shin-Soo Choo singled to right, Kipnis put his head down and headed home.

Right fielder Josh Reddick made a strong throw home, but Kipnis dove around catcher Anthony Recker’s legs and slapped the plate with his hand as he skidded past for what proved to be the inning run.

“We don’t encourage anyone to do that,” Acta said. “It’s not something we teach because it’s very dangerous.

“It’s just something that happens in the heat of the moment because guys just want to score. That was a very nice slide. A great throw by Reddick, but the slide was fantastic.”

Said Kipnis, “It was closer than I thought.”

Reddick hit a two-out homer off Jimenez’s hanging split-finger fastball in the third to make it 3-1. The A’s made it 4-2 in the fifth on Cespedes single.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: phoynes@plaind.com, 216-999-5158

On Twitter: @hoynsie