Section B·Page 4
The University Daily Kansan
Wednesday, March 3, 1999
Students can find out information about hotels, airplane tickets and vacation areas by using the Internet. Photo illustration by Christina Neff/KANSAN
Agencies and Internet offer travel information
By Paula Spreitzer
Special to the Kansar
Whether students are in the mood to take a tropical getaway to Jamaica or to hit the slopes of the Colorado Rockies, local travel agencies can help plan the ideal spring break vacation.
1risha Boeken, travel consultant at Destinations Unlimited, 7 W. 11th St., said her goal was to get customers where they wanted to go within their budget.
The cost of a vacation depends on several factors, including destination, the number of people going and the length of the trip, said Boeken.
One of the cheapest places to go is Jamaica, said Liz Wilson, travel agent at Sunflower Carlson Wagonlit, 800 Massachusetts St.
A trip to Jamaica can cost between $450 and $750, she said.
Students can save money when they go to Jamaica if they stay in a hotel downtown rather than on the beach. Wilson said staying at the beach was more expensive because everyone wanted to be there.
An alternative to planning a vacation through a travel agent is making reservations online. Carlson Wagonlit is one agency that offers the com
venience of making travel arrangements on the Web.
at the Carlson Wagonlit Web site, http://www.enquest.com. net surfers can make airline, hotel and car rental reservations from their home computers. Once the reservations are made, vacationers can arrange to pick up their tickets at the nearest Carlson Wagonlit location.
Wilson said that the packages available on the Internet didn't differ much from other offers.
"I've seen a lot of fliers on campus, such as Student Travel Service, and they offer similar pricing to what you can get online," Wilson said.
One advantage of making reservations online is the added convenience of being able to make reservations at any time of the day.
"You can do it late at night if you feel like it," said Carolyn Yang, Overland Park freshman.
Yang also found it helpful to look at the selection of options available.
"You can just type in a keyword, like Disney World, and look through all of the packages and find the better deal," she said.
Carlson Wagonlit isn't the only Web site where students can make vacation plans.
Microsoft Expedia Travel Services
http://expedia.msn.com, has photographs of hotel options and information about special rates and ways to save on trips.
Another site, Travellers.
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http://www.copilot.com/travellers, sells luggage online as well as offering information about booking a trip.
Whether students decide to call a travel agent or explore their vacation options on the Web, it's not too late to plan a spring break getaway, Boeken said. But she said space was limited.
"We're still getting last-minute calls," she said. "There are some spots available on charters, but space is very limited."
To have a full range of options, Boeken suggested planning ahead.
"A lot of people start planning before Christmas, some even in September or October," she said.
When calling, clients need to know where they want to go, how many people are going with them and how much they want to spend.
"If you don't know where you want to go, know what you like to do." Boeen said.
Edited by Kelli Raybern
Expert reminds KU students to take precautions abroad
By Kate Williams Special to the Kansan
Everyone has heard the spring break horror stories.
Wandering the streets at midnight in a country where a different language is spoken, getting a hotel room that comes complete with cockoaches and a local street gang outside or returning home to find hundreds of dollars in cash missing.
For college students, a week off in March provides an opportunity for sun, fun and travel. But it also can lead to a variety of disasters.
1. Start with a company or travel agent that is legitimate and that has plenty of experience with planning student trips.
To ensure that spring break is everything that it promises to be, and not the worst vacation ever, John Novotny, vice-president of operations for Travelers, Inc., 831 Massachusetts, offered the following advice:
Matt Jameson, Dallas sophomore, said he planned to travel to Jamaica with a group of 15 friends during spring break. He said he relied on his friend's mother, who is a travel agent, to make all of the necessary arrangements.
someone else or trying to plan everything oursels," Jameson said. "It's her job, so we knew that she knew what she was doing and that we could trust her."
"I felt a lot more comfortable having her do it rather than hiring
2. Verify that the transportation to and from the destination and the airport is reliable — especially if it is not already included in a packaged deal.
"I knew some people who went to Cancun one year and ended up having to pool money to buy gas so that their plane could make it back to the States," said Brian Hagenhoff, St. Louis junior.
?
Make sure that the hotel is in a good neighborhood with rooms and a staff that make students feel comfortable. Inquire about security features at check in or preferably when making reservations.
Michelle Brown, Salina senior,
followed Novotny's advice when
she decided where she would stay
for spring break.
"Our hotel won't let anyone who isn't a registered guest past the lobby, and all guests must wear bracelets that identify them as guests," she said.
4. Don't take large amounts of cash, use traveler's checks or credit cards whenever possible and check any valuable items into the hotel
safe. Also, keep all citizenship papers in order and in a secure place.
takes in order and in a secure price.
"Having your passport in you
back pocket at all times is not
a good idea," Novotny said.
5. Be wary of purchasing tickets for any activities that aren't sponsored by a hotel or a reputable company. This includes everything from guided tours and adventure sports to "booze" cruises and beach parties.
"I went on a booze cruise once in Cancun where everyone ended up getting food poisoning." Hagenhoff said.
6. Finally and most importantly, use common sense. Make sure that everyone has contacts that can be reached in case of an emergency. Have a basic knowledge of the area and its laws and ordinances. Traveling in groups and keeping track of friends can eliminate many dangerous situations.
"My friends and I have already talked about making sure that we all stick together and not let anyone go off alone," Brown said.
Novotny said, "All of these are things that would be important for a weekend in Kansas City, but for college students on spring break, they are a must."
- Edited by Julie Sachs
Working: another option for break
Special to the Kansan
For University of Kansas students, spring break could have many definitions including extra work hours, relaxation or a vacation from campus life.
By Kerry Curtis
Some students must save or ask for money from their parents to go on vacations while others may enjoy the break from classes at home.
A large number of students use spring break to pad their banking account by working extra hours at their jobs.
Ryan Benlon, Shawnee sophomore, said he normally worked one day a week for 15 hours at Applebee's Neighborhood Bar and Grill in Lenexa but planned to work between 50 and 70 hours during spring break.
Nathan Herron, Hesston sophomore, and Amber Summert, Larned senior, both said they hoped to spend time with their significant others.
Smith, who normally works 15 hours a week, will be planning her wedding during spring break.
wedding
She said taking time off from work usually did not create problems with her employer because there were many full-time, non-student employees.
Herron, who normally works eight to 10 hours a week, hopes to travel home for the break. He said that 50 percent of the employees at the Prairie Room restaurant in the Kansas Union were part-time employees and KU students.
"I When the students aren't there, there is a noticeable difference," he said.
Stuart Peck, Derby junior, said he planned to work the first half of the week and then take a break.
Jennifer Hitz, assistant manager at The Buckle, 805 Massachusetts St., said all of the student employees at the store were scheduled to work. She said that some may ask to receive half the week off or one of the weekends.
Chuck Mager, manager at Free State Brewery, said the restaurant employed about 35 KU students. He said the only problem with allowing student employees to take a vacation was scheduling new shifts for those who stay.
Mageri said that he would try to make sure employees realize that
Many area restaurants, such as Free State Brewery, 636 Massachusetts St., and Applebee's Neighborhood Grill and Bar, 2520 Iowa St. give students the option of working or taking the week off.
when the KU schedule changes, their work schedules may not change.
Jennifer Moon, manager at Applebee's, said about 98 percent of its employees were KU students. Veteran workers are able to go on vacation, but newer workers usually are asked to stay and work, doubling their hours.
Steven Dale, manager of Gumby's Pizza, 1445 W.23rd St., has four KU students working and said that they probably would not work during the break. Although the schedule hasn't been made, Dale said he was not worried about the possible shortage of staff because Gumby's did not receive very much business during spring break.
dents.
Arizona Trading Company, 734
Massachusetts St., employs four
students as well. Manager Jenn McKn-
night said that probably all of the
four students would be working during
break.
She said that business at the store increases during spring break because some people stay in Lawrence.
Although the four student employees deliver pizzas, the full-time workers will be able to cover for the students.
Edited by Melody Ard
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