Ministry Travel is very excited to announce our latest airline with discounted international humanitarian/missionary airfares. This new contract will enhance our ability to provide additional discounts and ticketing flexibility to more destinations to Europe, Asia and Africa.

London Heathrow Airport may have gotten through the worst of the volcanic eruption in Iceland, but the airport is now subject to an eruption amongst employees.

After 75% of British Airways union members voted for a walkout due to low wages, London’s Heathrow Airport could be in danger of having to close. Europe’s busiest airport could be without a majority of its firefighters, engineers, and security staff due to the possible strike.

According to the Unite Union, British Airways employees are due for a pay raise after accepting a freeze in their pay last year. The raise has yet to come and on 22 separate occasions flights already been grounded at Heathrow due to British Airways cabin crew strikes.

The possible strike could also close terminals in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, and Southhampton and could put a major dent in the economy.

British Airways has offered a 1.5% increase in salary, but the Union is not satisfied with the meager raise. British Airways defends its position based upon the decrease in travel activity during the recession.

The impending strike is not yet certain. If the official strike does occur, then the Union would have to give British Airways seven days notice.

We will keep you up to date with the latest information.

Your plane pulls into the gate an hour late, causing you to miss your connecting flight. So you head to the nearest airline gate agent to resolve your problem.

Now gate agents basically come in two types. There are those who want to solve your problems and get you to your destination as quickly and smoothly as possible, and then there are those who just want to get you away from their desk. Fortunately, most fall into the first category but there are those want to kick the can down the road for someone else to deal with. Regardless of which type of agent you get, here are some tips to help your interaction and bring resolution to your problem.

Be polite but firm

Always be calm and polite when dealing with gate agents. Yelling at the agent because your plane was late won’t solve anything. Remember, they are people too and are dealing with the stress of trying to re-accommodate a lot of passengers. If you have an issue, state it clearly and ask for the agent’s help. If the agent tries to shuffle you along without resolving your problem, then politely but firmly insist that she help you.

Review all of your options

Often the agent will only give you one solution to your problem and expect you to take it. Don’t hesitate to ask if there are other options, including putting you on a different airline so that you land closer to your original arrival time.

Get a confirmed reservation

If you are dealing with a missed flight, never leave the counter without a confirmed reservation to get you to your final destination. Often the agent will say, “You can fly standby for this other flight,” and send you away. Your response should be, “Okay, I’ll try to fly standby, but I still need a confirmed reservation in case that flight is full.”

Ask for accommodations

If you are delayed significantly, be sure to ask for meal vouchers. Also, if you have to spend the night, ask for the airline to provide a hotel and meals. Many times if you don’t ask for it the agent won’t offer it.

Locate your bags

Be sure to discuss your bags with the agent before leaving the counter. If the agent rebooks you, ask that your bags be pulled and retagged to be on the same flight with you. Once you get to your new gate, check with the agent there to be sure this was done. By doing this you reduce the chance of a baggage delay.

Ask for a Supervisor

If you feel that you are not getting anywhere with the agent, ask to speak to a supervisor. Again, remain calm and polite but firmly state your situation and ask for resolution.

Most flights run smoothly, but if you do run into problems remember these six tips. Hopefully they will help you resolve your problem quicker and with less stress.

Frank Banfill

The flight from Munich, Germany to Washington D.C. was starting to board. As passengers lined up to enter the plane, they could overhear a conversation taking place between an American passenger and the German gate agent. There was some sort of miscommunication, and the American walked away visibly upset.

 “Why don’t people learn English,” the American said in a loud voice.

 The gate agent actually spoke very good English, although with an accent. The problem wasn’t her ability to communicate but rather the American’s ability to listen—and to remember he was a guest in another country. The airline worker crossed a cultural barrier by learning and speaking a language that was foreign to her. One wonders what, if any, cultural barriers the passenger tried to cross during his trip abroad.

In our last three blogs we have looked at the issue of culture. We’ve seen that even though the world in many ways is shrinking, there are still vast cultural differences. That’s a good thing! It is what makes international travel so interesting and exciting.

Today, we give 10 more questions to consider when you travel to another country.

1. Are there different ethnic groups and even different cultures within the area where I am going?
2. What are the religious traditions of the area?
3. What is the attitude toward outsiders, particularly foreign nationals? If you are an American, how are Americans viewed? Do you need to keep a low profile?
4. What is the political situation there? Is it stable? Is there a strong central government or is power vested in local tribes or communities?
5. What is the host government sensitive about? Foreigners should always be careful about making remarks about the host government.
6. How are decisions made? Are they made by a group? By the community or family elders?
7. How should disagreements be handled? Is it important to save face?
8. What is considered taboo?
9. Is it appropriate to express emotions in public?
10. 10.  Should you take off your shoes when entering a home?

Hopefully our blog series on cultures has encouraged you to do your homework and ask good questions before your next trip abroad. While you certainly want to be as informed and sensitive to the culture as possible, you don’t have to be paranoid about making cultural mistakes. Most people understand when foreigners miss cultural cues. They just appreciate you making an effort to get to know them and enter into their “world.”

Hundreds of thousands of people travel the globe each year doing volunteer work. Most of these servants have great experiences and do not encounter situations where they are harmed or their safety is at risk. We do, however, live in a volatile world where anything can happen. We have seen in recent years that even places once considered safe have had security incidents.

When you lead a team abroad, you not only are responsible to make sure the team’s mission is successful, but also that they are kept as safe and secure as possible. Three things that can help with this is to get good information before you go, remember that bigger is usually not better, and develop a plan to stay connected.

Know Before You Go

Always do background checks on the country you are traveling to even if you have been there many times before, as circumstances can quickly change. Four places to turn to for security information are governments, media outlets, local contacts, and blogging sites such as Twitter. 

There are four government sites that I recommend. First is the U.S. State Department at www.travel.state.gov. There you can select your destination country to get general information and see any travel advisories. You can drill down beyond the first page of your country and get security reports by clicking on “Recent Embassy Notices for American Citizens.” Here you will see warden messages from the U.S. embassy in the country you plan to visit. These are timely updates on issues happening in that country.

Two additional government sites similar to the State Department but offering different perspectives are the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office at http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/ and their Australian counterpart at www.smarttraveller.gov.au.

Another excellent government site is the Overseas Security Advisory Council (www.osac.gov) where you can search security related news by region or country. They also have an extensive online library of reports covering topics such as food security, evacuation planning, financial scams, and much more.

You also will want to monitor media reports from the country or region. Many countries have English newspapers or English versions of local newspapers that you can read online.

Your local contacts are usually some of your best sources of information. Remember, however, that they are looking at things through the lens of a national. What may not pose a security issue for them may be an issue for foreigners.

The micro-blogging site Twitter (www.Twitter.com) can also be helpful in getting real time information on a country. After the Haiti earthquake, for example, Twitter updates by teams working there gave a fuller picture of the situation on the ground. Twitter also is helpful in times of crisis. During the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India, eyewitnesses used Twitter to relay information as it happened. While some of the information was erroneous, there was information that proved helpful to those trapped in some of the affected locations.

When assessing the current situation, it is important to consider what events will happen when your team is actually there. For example, will there be national elections held during your stay? Many countries see large protests and even violence in the days leading up to elections.

Will there be a large sporting match—like an international soccer game—near where you will be staying? I once was in Moscow with a volunteer team while a big international soccer tournament took place. A number of fans from the different soccer teams stayed at our hotel. One night the “action” on the field spilled over into the hotel as rival fans got into altercations with each other. Fortunately security was nearby, but it was a little scary for some of our team who were walking in the area.

Having good background information can help you plan the timing of your trips, find the safest places to stay, and be better prepared for potential risks.

Bigger is Usually Not Better

Big train stations, big entertainment areas, big markets, even big hotels can pose safety risks. If these places can’t be avoided, then special precautions should be taken. The most common safety issue in crowded places is pick-pocketing. It is important to be alert in these places, keep valuables out of site, wallets in front pockets, and handbags close and in front of you.

Back packs are easy targets for thieves working crowds. They either get their hands inside the back pack through a zipper or use a razor blade to slit the bottom. I know one person visiting a Romanian market who had her back pack slit open. In that case, the thief got away with some Bibles and gospel tracts. Imagine the look on his face when he realized what he had stolen!

A special concern is anytime crowds gather for political or protest purposes. These can quickly become violent and should be avoided. If your hotel is near where crowds like this gather, consider moving. We had a team in Panama staying at a hotel where protests were occurring outside. The word was that the protests would happen daily for the next week and the crowds were expected to grow. The team leader smartly secured another hotel across town and quickly moved his team. They were able to continue their work without interruption or concern for their safety.

Stay Connected

Make sure you have a plan to communicate back home in the event of an emergency. There should be a designated point person in the States who can disseminate information to team member families.

Also be sure your team knows where to meet or what to do if something causes them to get separated. For starters, make sure every team member carries the address of where you are staying and a local contact number to call if needed. 

Finally, it is important to register with the U.S. embassy in your destination country so that they can reach you in case of trouble. You can register in advance of your trip at https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ui/.

By doing good background research, educating your team about crowds and developing communication plans, you can better protect your international volunteer teams. A little forethought on your part could go a long way in keeping your team out of harm’s way and preparing them in case the unexpected happens.

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Frank Banfill is president of MaxPoint Ministries (maxpoint.org) and is a former missions executive and pastor. He writes on behalf of Ministry Travel (ministrytravel.com).