© 2024 KRCU Public Radio
90.9 Cape Girardeau | 88.9-HD Ste. Genevieve | 88.7 Poplar Bluff
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Every week, join Sydney Waters as she helps you navigate life as a smart consumer. You'll cover everything in avoiding the latest scams, including phishing emails, medical equipment fraud, understanding layaway, hiring a reputable tax preparer, and even digital spring cleaning. Add to your toolbox and flip through your Consumer Handbook Thursdays during NPR’s Morning Edition at 6:42 a.m. and 8:42 a.m., only on KRCU.

Consumer Handbook: Traveling During The 2020 Holiday Season?

Better Business Bureau

Thinking about traveling by air this holiday season? According to data from Airlines for America, airlines in the United States were serving only about a third as many passengers as they did a year before, and although many of them are offering enticing deals to fly, it’s costing the carriers billions just to stay afloat.

As the holiday season starts, some may feel the need to visit families. When looking for the best fare available, read the details required by the carrier to travel safely and review CDC guidelines.

Before clicking the button to buy tickets, BBB recommends making sure that everyone who is traveling has the appropriate ID. The deadline for the TSA-required Real ID has been delayed to October 1, 2021; however, make sure parties traveling together have a current compliant ID as required by each state.

Read all cancellation policies carefully. Not all situations, including a pandemic, require a full refund of the ticket value and fees. Each online travel agency, airline and broker is different.

Book tickets only after reviewing travel restrictions. Save time and stress by reading the updated status of restrictions on the Centers for Disease Control website. Consider trip insurance, and have a complete understanding of what the policy does and does not cover.

Be an informed traveler. Refer to the Department of Transportation website for details on consumer issues, filing complaints and other aviation information.

During the holiday season or any time of year, find ways to travel safely and avoid scams.

Cape Girardeau native Whitney Quick is the former Regional Director of Better Business Bureau in Cape Girardeau, MO. She joined the Cape Chamber as Vice President of Programs and Leadership Development in May 2023. Quick is a graduate of Cape Girardeau Central High School and Southeast Missouri University where she majored in public relations.