As the frequency of your travels increase, you often find that you pick up some little nuggets of wisdom along the way. We summarized these nuggets in a way that may have you nodding your head or thinking “why haven’t I been doing this all along?” below:

• Don’t forget your travel voltage converter, and take a small extension box/power strip with you! If you’re travelling to a different continent you might run into the pesky problem of your phone charger not fitting into the sockets or worst case blowing up due to the wrong voltage! Taking along your own voltage converter will save you the headache of looking for a location-compatible charger or running off to the shops immediately after you arrive (not counting the cost of a new charger). A power strip will also come in handy when you’re sharing a crowed outlet in the airport, you’ll be a source of envy being able to charge all your devices from your one single plug.

• Pack smart for corporate travel. If you’re a business traveller, learn to pack your suit in a wrinkle-free way as shown in this YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_dwqicn5No&feature=youtu.be .

• We think a good scarf should be in the luggage of any smart and fashionable lady boss. A silk scarf can help you hide any coffee stains or cleavage if necessary. A chic scarf will also add an extra layer of class to any outfit when used as a neck-tie or on a handbag.

• Save a picture of your luggage and passport on your phone, so you can make a reference to them if necessary. You can show a picture of your luggage to the authorities if it gets lost and having a picture of your passport will enable you get a print-out of your data page from the picture if you need it for a police report or other emergencies.

• Also book ahead for cheap tickets, we’ve covered this at [url]blog.odarion.com[/url]. Avoid falling prey to seemingly good deals such as ridiculously (unbelievably) cheap fares. Such fares are usually super restrictive and a simple change could cost you up to 3x the paid fare. Sometimes you may be asked to pay more to make up the cost of such tickets if it’s a flash sale, as you may have made payment at the tail end. Of course, booking with us at [url]odarion.com[/url], you can be certain that you only pay your quoted fare and any future changes will only cost you the airline change fees.

• Food! When travelling, you might find foreign meals a challenge. If you’re the adventurous spirit you may find it exciting to try new food, and there’s none more diverse than breakfast. Try the local breakfast offerings or whatever meal time is most honoured as that will have the largest menu. For more cautious eaters, breakfast is also a good choice as the staple bread and other standard meals may be available. If you’re on a budget, try to avoid fast-foods or restaurants and embrace more street food. Yes, street food. At least you get to see how your food is being prepared and judge the hygiene quality, in comparison to restaurants where food is prepared in closed kitchens. Little wonder that many travellers report getting sick more from restaurant food than street food. Whatever you choose, remember to carry along sanitary wipes (to wipe cutlery) or your own portable chopsticks for a healthier experience. Food poisoning medication may also come in handy if you get tummy sick (please get a prescription from your doctor).

We hope you find these hacks useful next time you travel. Safe travels!

Culled from blog.odarion.com

9jaStar:


1. I booked direct through QA
2. My ticket was not promotional
3. I specifically requested the STPC service when I booked, a full two weeks before travel and received email confirmation/voucher
4. I appreciate your wanting to help and may consider your services in future. But I'm a frequent traveler with both Skymiles and Star Alliance cards, so I know my way around some. I just wanted to try out QA and they failed the test, unfortunately. Won't be flying them again anytime soon
5. What I did enjoy though, was the cabin service. The attendants were nice, polite, full of humor and very very friendly. If I ever fly QA again, it will be down to their cabin crew

Hi 9jaStar, your feedback and clarification are highly appreciated as they will guide other intending travelers. We are not directly affiliated with QA and used them in context. We're basically out to provide the best ticket booking experience (coupled with other great ticketing services) to our users no matter their preferred airline. Other airlines also offer STPC, but as in your experience, these airlines can regrettably withhold STPC at their own discretion even after initial confirmation. We hope you enjoy a better experience next time and hopefully try us out to enjoy our other services which you can check out at https://odarion.com/latestoffers.php

First time travel is often exciting, yet, daunting. We have put together a walk-through of some key tasks you need to carry out for a pleasant trip:

1. Make sure you have all the necessary travel documents. If you’re going to a different country either by road or air, you will be required to have ID and in many cases a visa for the country you are visiting. So check the visa requirements for your intended visit and make proper arrangements if needed.

2. Book your flight or bus tickets as soon as you are sure of your travel date (www.odarion.com can help ). This is to ensure that you get a ticket for your date at the cheapest possible price. At a later time the cheaper class options may be sold out for your date, or there might be no tickets available at all.

3. Arrive on time for bus trips so you get the best seat. For flights, you’ll need to check-in either online or at the airport. Check-in is better done online at least 24 hours before your travel time to help you choose your preferred seating and reduce the time you’ll spend at the airline counter when your arrive at the airport. odarion.com offers free check-in service for tickets booked through us

4. For flights, you may be subject to security checks when you head for boarding after checking in. This is mandatory for international flights. Be sure to check-in items not allowed in carry-on luggages such as large lotion bottles, perfumes etc. You can read through your boarding pass for information on items not permitted in the aircraft. Again, make sure you have the necessary documents for travel as you may not be allowed to board the aircraft without them.

5. If you’re safely in the bus, secure your carry-on luggage and pay attention to any instructions from the driver. If you’re flying, get seated at your designated seat; check your boarding pass for your seat number. Sometimes, a free seating arrangement may be provided by the airline so it’ll pay to get into the plane on time. The cabin crew usually carries out some safety demonstrations before takeoff once passengers are all seated so you can observe this.

6. After the safety demonstrations the fasten seat belt and no smoking signs will come on for takeoff, and once the aircraft is stable in flight the seat belt sign may be turned off. At no point is smoking allowed during a flight.

7. Now we are on to the relaxing part. Food is often served by the cabin crew for long-distance flights and magazines are provided for each passenger to pass the time. Most airlines also have in-flight entertainment in form of pre-recorded movies, shows and music, so enjoy.

8. If you’re in a bus, take bathroom break opportunities when offered by the driver, as the bus may be unable to stop when you feel ready to go. When you arrive at the bus terminal, get your bags as soon as you can and head off to meet your contact at arrivals. And you’re done with your first trip!

9. For first-time flyers, please wait till the plane is fully stopped after landing to take off your seat belt and head for the exit. The cabin crew will say when to do this. Head off to arrivals, get your checked-in luggage and you’re done!

We hope we’ve eased some of your travel worries with these short descriptions of what to expect on your first trip.

Culled from [url]blog.odarion.com[/url]

Abuleoshi:

Thanks for the Heads-up on Qatar Airways stopover flights. Will check check flight ticket on your site tommorow. I might just patronize you if your ticket to Dallas from Lagos is more pocket friendly.

Okay please do Abuleoshi and contact us on the live chat or call the customer care team at 07006327466 if you need a comparison of several fares or other help on the website

9jaStar:
Flew Qatar last month, with an 8-hour stopover. Was told there'd be accommodation at one of those hotels. Got there only to be told immigration denied me a visa even though I had an Immigrant Visa to my final destination.
QA staff now told me they had 'sleeping rooms' at the airport.
Those so-called sleeping rooms were just walled off spaces with airport-style sleeping seats.
I told them I wasn't sleeping there and made a big stink about it. Eventually, they got me to go to the Oryx lounge where I showered and barely managed to get a couple of hours sleep

Hi 9jaStar, that may be because Nigeria does not qualify for Qatari Visa on Arrival except through Qatar Airways, and Qatar Airways will only provide you a guaranteed visa for free if you booked a non-promotional ticket and requested STPC service at least 72 hours before your departure date (including other STPC requirements mentioned in the post). There could have been other extenuating factors which we may not know as they reserve the right to withhold STPC service at their discretion. We are really sorry for the experience, some other airlines like Emirates, Turkish, Etihad and Ethiopian Airlines also offer STPC service based on their own unique requirements. Of course, if you had booked through [url]odarion.com[/url] we would have tried our best to sort all this out for you to have a much better layover experience

silouette:
So Odarion is here! I have used them to book ticket before and although I had to wait some minutes for the ticket price every other thing was great. I like you guys service but abeg make una try for me make I win that Dubai trip lol.

Haha thanks for the kind words Silouette, we will continue to do our best to provide good value to our customers. Regarding the Dubai trip, you will have to be the customer with the highest number of tickets booked on the website (odarion.com) by 1st August next year to win the 2 flight tickets. So goodluck

Abuleoshi:
Great. But is it automatic a customer with 'N' class ticket on Qatar will enjoy STPC? What might lead to denial of STPC?

Hi Abuleoshi yes customers with 'N' class ticket automatically qualify for STPC if the other requirements mentioned in the post are met. Things that may lead to denial of STPC may include if the passenger bought the ticket using air miles from a codeshare airline (airlines that they sometimes partner with to lift passengers), or if the passenger did not request for STPC service at least 72 hours before the departure date.

Follow these tried and tested tips from www.odarion.com for smooth international travels.

1. Ensure that you pack and carry only your own bags so you’re certain of their content. Try to say a firm no to those distant relatives who bring padlocked Ghana Must Go bags for you to send to someone in the country you’re travelling to, you might unwittingly fall on the wrong side of the law due to something illegal packed in such luggage.

2. Never leave your bag unattended and never offer to carry or hold anything for people you meet at the airport while waiting for boarding, no matter how friendly or innocent they seem.

3. Get an idea of the quarantine laws and banned substances for your country of travel. It wasn’t so long ago an Igbo High Chief was arrested in Kenya for sporting a genuine ivory bracelet. Yes, it may have been handed down several generations of ancestors, but in Kenya and many other countries, ivory is a big no-no due to the poaching (read: killing) of elephant populations for their ivory tusks.

4. We know you must bring some African goodies (dry fish anyone?) when visiting your loved ones in diaspora, just make sure they are well wrapped and packaged to ensure they do not get thrown out by Border Control. A tip for dry fish is to microwave a bit to remove moisture, then wrap in foil paper and polyethylene bags (a little perfume lightly sprayed on the poly bags won’t hurt either).

5. It’s no news that we like to pack heavy! It’s good practice to try to cut down though as less luggage means less stress. Having fewer luggages makes it easier to move around and pay attention to all your stuff. Try to stay within the baggage allowance by splitting all items between the luggages of all the travelling party. A family can pack within each others’ boxes to reduce the number of bags needed.

Culled from [url]blog.odarion.com[/url]

Long connecting times/stopovers/layovers can be a mighty hassle or a blessing in disguise depending on how prepared you are for them. We’ve put together some pretty helpful information in the context of flying with Qatar Airways which is based out of Doha Hamad International Airport and always has a Doha stopover for international flights.

Have you ever spent 5 or more hours sitting around while waiting for your connecting flight? Coupled with how tired you feel and how much you need a shut-eye but can’t get a nap on the semi-uncomfortable airport seats, it’s pretty much hell. International flights on Qatar Airways can have up to 24 hours layover at Doha, so it’s a definite advantage to get some place to rest while you wait. The secret to this and more amazing bonuses depends on how well you plan before you even book your ticket.

It turns out that Qatar Airways (and even other airlines) offer Stopover Paid by Carrier (STPC) service which includes free transit hotel accommodation, as well as entry visa, airport transfers and meals for long layover passengers if the following conditions are met:

1. The layover is over 8 hours and there isn’t another available flight option with a less layover/connection time in Doha;
2. The booking does not originate from a Gulf country;
3. The booking was made more than 3 days before departure date;
4. The ticket class is not a promo fare.

Most times we ask for the cheapest possible fares and end up denying ourselves the possibility of accessing some amazing features such as the STPC service. For Qatar Airways non-promotional Economy tickets (marked ‘N’ or above) up to First Class tickets are eligible for free STPC service.

The STPC service is also available for promo tickets (marked T, O or W), although this is at a price of about $130 for a single trip or $260 (double the fee) for a return trip. In most cases, the cost of the STPC fee for a return promo ticket will equal the cost difference between the promo fare and the next cheapest economy ticket which is eligible for free STPC. Therefore, it might be more economical to choose the cheapest STPC-eligible Economy ticket rather than the promo ticket when booking.

If you book an STPC eligible ticket, you will need to contact the Qatar Airways office to request this service at least 3 days before your trip. Also note that Qatar Airways provides transit accommodation at their discretion, so in rare cases transit accommodation privileges may be denied even though the passenger meets all requirements.

The transit hotels used by Qatar Airways include Oryx Rotana which is 5-star and reserved for business class ticket holders, Retaj Al Reyan (4 star), Safir Hotel (4 star), Movenpick Hotel (4 star) and Grand Doha (3 star average). They are all decent and you may be assigned to either of the last four as transit accommodation at the hotels is assigned randomly.

If you’ve already booked a promo ticket (or you insist on getting one regardless of the above) and you do not wish to pay for STPC service, another option for a stress-free layover is to use the Oryx Lounge at the Doha Airport. It costs about $50 for every 6 hours spent and includes food and shower facilities. Flat beds for sleeping are not provided in the lounge. You could also stay at the Airport Hotel (4 star) which is located within the terminal and has hours-based packages. You will not require a visa for either of these options, although this means you will be unable to leave the airport for a bit of tourist action.

A final option if you’d book promo ticket (no SPTC) and wish to explore Doha is to look for good hotels and book directly. This means you will have to secure a visa from the Qatari Embassy before your trip as Nigeria does not qualify for Qatari Visa on Arrival, except through booking with Qatar Airways.

We hope the above information guides you next time you’re facing a long connecting time in Doha. Don’t forget to book with us at www.odarion.com to help you choose the best ticket option for the most stress-free connections when flying international.

Culled from [url]blog.odarion.com[/url]