Saturday 7th January

5 Easy Steps to Giving the Perfect BackCountry Gift

Does the thought of buying a gift for a friend or relative make you smile or does it stress you out? Is there a hiker or camper on your gift giving list? What can you give to the someone who already has everything? The secret of gift giving is not always the “what.” Many times the “why, when and how” make an ordinary gift the Perfect Gift. Continue reading to discover 5 sure-fire steps to giving the perfect gift to the outdoor enthusiasts in your life.

Step 1: Do Your Homework. This is the toughest of the 5 steps. Doing your homework means thinking about your outdoor enthusiast and what he or she likes about being in the backcountry. Are there any current or past outdoor interests? Perhaps he likes to fish or she likes to climb. Maybe you overheard the comment “I remember when I used to go camping every long weekend. I miss those days.” Our personal shopper service receives hints like this all the time. Chances are you already know their interests, so take a few minutes to think prior to shopping. There are loads of great outdoor gifts available.

Another part of your homework is to understand the relationship between you and your gift recipient’s outdoor hobbies. Last year I was camping with a dear friend who got mildly lost. After about an hour, he showed up in camp a little embarrassed – but safe. So the perfect gift for him before our next trip was a GPS unit. I also included a hand written coupon good for one free lesson and an extra set of batteries. The relationship we had allowed me to have a little fun with the gift giving. I did provide him with a quality gift and he uses it all the time.

Step 2: Speaking of High Quality. The best way to get the most enjoyment out of our backcountry experiences is to have good gear. When giving a backcountry gift, be sure it’s high quality. There are two gear buying rules to live by. First, only give gear you would use. And secondly, buy the best gear you can afford. Nothing derails good times in the great outdoors like bad gear.

Step 3: The Right Way to Give Certificates. Gift certificates can be an excellent choice for a gift. Here’s a great use of a gift certificate – I was fortunate enough to be on the receiving end of this story. A friend living across the country knew I loved to hike. He also knew from his own experience that you can’t just buy a backpack for someone else. Backpacks are a very subjective purchase. Instead of buying a me a pack and giving me the task of returning it in order to get the right one, he sent me a gift certificate AND he told me what to buy with it. So now I get the backpack I want and my friend has proven once again how well he knows me. I loved the gift. When giving gift certificates, tell the recipient what to buy with it.

Step 4: Seek Out Customer Friendly Retailers. This is especially important when purchasing a gift on-line. Make sure you are purchasing from a store with visible customer satisfaction and return policies. If your gift recipient needs to exchange or return a piece of gear, the process needs to be hassle-free. If the return procedure is clunky, the perfect gift just became imperfect.

Step 5: Timing is Everything. The best time to get “the birding binoculars I always wanted,” is not on your birthday or at Christmas time. The best time to get them is just before you go birding. The new backpack is a more thoughtful gift just prior to hiking the Grand Canyon than it is for graduation. The value of a gift is greatly increased when given at the right time. Surprise someone with a perfectly timed present.

Giving the Perfect BackCountry Gift is easy to do. Determining “what” to give is important, but so is knowing “why, when and how” to give. Make your next gift giving experience a good one. The outdoor enthusiast in your life is counting on it.

Use this information and you’ll Get It Right The First Time. Get Outdoors!

In Outdoors on Saturday 7th January by admin : , , , , Leave a comment
Monday 2nd January

A Look Inside Frequent Flyer Programs

Airlines know the price of getting a new customer. And they know that it’s a whole lot easier and less expensive to keep the customers that they already have. For this reason, airlines started frequent flyer programs. These programs reward you the more you fly.

Frequent flyer programs let you to receive certain travel benefits based on the number of miles (or sporadically the number of trips) you fly on a specific airline. Standard awards include a free ticket or a free upgrade from coach to first class.

Some airlines also offer “elite” programs that provide check-in and boarding priorities, and “affinity” credit cards which earn mileage credits when you use them for purchases.
In order to earn these benefits you must become a member of that airline’s program; this can often be done through a travel agency.

There isn’t a how many programs you can join. But before you decide which program to join, you should compare different programs carefully.

Every airline program carries conditions and limitations. So you should be careful to read the promotional material and the all the fine print. Here are a few things you should take a look at:

- The rate at which credits are earned, minimum credits earned per flight

- If you are more interested in free tickets for yourself, or companion tickets, or upgrades

- How much credit you need for the awards you’re interested in

- What are the deadlines for accumulated credits?

- Does the airline serve the cities you’re traveling to, and if it has tie-ins or other airlines and to car rental companies and hotels you would use.

- If awards can be transferred to someone else or just members only

Also, airlines reserve the right to make changes at any time. More often than not, without notice. This can include changes to the conditions and limits on the awards earned.

You should also be keeping track of the mileage you’ve earned and check it against the statement the airline mails to you.

It’s not uncommon that airlines add new routes after you join the program.You might be able credits on that route but not use awards there.

Another important not that you should be aware of is that airlines usually restrict the transfer of mileage earnings. Most often being the sail or attempted sale of credits or awards you’ve earned and want to sell. You should never try this as the airlines have caught on to these schemes and actively persue it.

In Aviation on Monday 2nd January by admin : , Leave a comment
Thursday 29th December

Renting a Party Bus – Toronto Limousine Party Bus

A party bus comes in handy for many who want to go out at night and party. A party bus is mainly used for personalized trips, drop offs, weddings, proms, bachelorette and bachelor parties, city tours, birthday parties and picks ups from various nightclubs and bars. A variety of party bus rentals have party limos such as exotic limousines, antique limousines, exotic limos, standard limousines, party buses and L Series cars that one can rent out.

The advantage of renting a party bus is that one can move from one place to another easily without worrying about driving and safety issues. This is because most of these come with chauffeur services. Most party limos have limousine features that are reliable hallmarks of success such as AM/FM stereos, a CD player, upgraded seats, luggage partitions, laser lights, on-board restroom and power window locks Whether one needs a party bus for a corporate trip, bachelor or bachelorette party, they can always rent out a party bus which comes in different shapes and styles and let the professional drivers do their job. Renting a party limo saves one the headache of arranging for transportation later on in the night.

A party bus can be rented for a day, week or month. A party bus that is hired for more than a day is charged a daily rate or mileage rate. Chauffeur tips and overnight sleeping arrangements are not included in the price. Reservations for a party bus need to be made as quickly as possible especially during the summer. Sometimes a deposit is necessary to make a reservation and is usually applied to one’s overall charge.

When hiring a party bus from party bus rentals, one should ask a number of questions and make sure they fully comprehend all deposits and costs. Research should be carried out about party bus rentals and their policies incase a breakdown or accident occurs. Evidence for liability insurance must be obtained and one should ensure that the party bus has an operating license. Tour bus and party limo operators must have their licenses registered and displayed on their vehicles. It is important to know the number of passengers the party bus can hold. Having completed one’s research on party bus rentals and the services they offer one can easily pick a party bus that meets his or her needs.

It is necessary for anyone who experiences problems when trying to obtain the best party bus to do earlier planning and seek out help from executives of party bus rentals. These executives will ensure that the party bus rentals offer efficient and quality services. Their profound experience and knowledge in handling party transport will ensure that a party bus travel goes smoothly.

It is very important to correctly estimate how long one will use the party bus for billing purposes. Most Party bus rentals will require this information to bill upfront. Others may require that the bill be paid at the end of the night. In both cases, time must be properly managed to avoid additional penalties for late returns. It is essential to note that most party bus rentals have party buses and limos for every occasion and therefore they come in handy.

In Car Rentals on Thursday 29th December by admin : , , Leave a comment