December 2008

Head back to the luggage store. Continental Airlines on Nov. 1 changed the size restriction for passenger carry-on bags from 51 linear inches down to 45 (22"x14"x9") on flights from virtually all locations. New “sizing” bins have been installed at domestic check-in counters.

This brings Continental in line with American Airlines, Delta and Northwest, which recently also reduced the accepted size of carry-on baggage. The 45-inch size is also the current standard size for most European airlines.

Travelers to Colombia now can request a refund of the VAT (Value Added Tax) added to purchases of the following items: clothing, shoes, leather goods, toys, CDs, food for human consumption, liquor, perfumes, crafts, jewelry and handmade Colombian emerald jewelry.

A visitor needs proof of his nationality and receipts in hand to process the application at a National Directorate of Taxes & Customs (DIAN) office in an international airport. Refunds are paid to the credit card used for purchase and should be posted within 90 days.

On Jan. 1, 2009, Argentina will begin collecting a reciprocity tourist fee from visitors of all (22) countries that charge Argentineans for visas. For Americans, the fee will be about $134. It will cover the visitor’s reentry for a 10-year period. 

The fee is in addition to any required visa. For Americans, a tourist visa currently costs $30 for processing and is good for 90 days.

The Department of Homeland Security has announced the upcoming Secure Flight program, which will require airlines to collect each passenger’s full name, date of birth and gender when taking a reservation request. Prior to the flight, this information will be provided to the Transportation Security Administration to be checked against the terrorist watch list maintained by the US government. The DHS and TSA assert this is being done to reduce the number of misidentification issues.

As ITN went to press, the State Department had travel warnings on 27 destinations: Somalia, Sudan, Pakistan, Israel/West Bank/Gaza, Yemen, Iran, Georgia, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Algeria, Kenya, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, Chad, Sri Lanka, Iraq, Eritrea, Côte d’Ivoire, Nepal, Haiti, Burundi, Syria, Central African Republic, Philippines and Nigeria.  

For details, call the State Department at 202/647-5225 or visit http://travel.state.gov/travel/warnings.html.

In Bolivia, Congress has agreed to hold a referendum in January 2009 on the controversial new constitution that the president proposed. It is hoped this will quell recent widespread protests, which occasionally turned violent, especially in the lowland eastern provinces.

On Roatan, one of Honduras’ Bay Islands, residents protesting increases in the price of electricity blocked roads and demonstrated widely in October. The US Embassy advises not trying to pass through roadblocks.

Although a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas went into effect June 19, 2008, the Gaza Strip continues to be a potential center of violence between Israeli security forces and Palestinian terrorist groups.

The Department of State continues to warn US citizens against all travel to Sudan, particularly in the Darfur area, where violence between government forces and various armed militias continues. Westerners have been victims of carjacking and armed robbery. Land travel at night should be avoided.

On Jan. 1, 2008, two American Embassy employees were assassinated while traveling in their vehicle in Khartoum. In May 2008, the city of Omdurman, adjacent to Khartoum, was attacked by armed militias. 

Rebel fighters in the Democratic Republic of Congo overran a major army camp in late October, killing a number of government soldiers and civilians. They also took over the headquarters of Virunga National Park, sending more than 50 park rangers fleeing into the forests, home to about 200 of the world’s 700 remaining mountain gorillas.