THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, November 5, 1995 TAG: 9511030058
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STEPHEN HARRIMAN
LENGTH: Long : 112 lines
YOU'RE OFF to the airport in a bit of a rush. Quick last-minute check: Got all your luggage . . . your plane ticket . . . your photo ID?
Huh?
If you haven't been to the airport recently, prepare for longer-than-usual check-in lines. And be prepared to show a government-issued photo identification, such as a driver's license, along with your ticket.
The ID checks, for adults 18 and over, are among the regulations adopted last month by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
This is supposed to prohibit bad guys from getting on planes, etc.
What it also does is play into the hands of the airlines.
Federal regulations require people to fly under their own name. As a practical matter, though, it's not unusual for someone to fly domestically on a ticket issued in the name of a friend or colleague, or purchased at a good price from a stranger. Have you checked the classified ads in this paper lately?
The airlines try to prevent such use, but enforcement has usually been spotty. Airlines wear a customer-friendly face. They have to. Demanding ID seemed somewhat unfriendly, especially if competing airlines weren't doing it. The new ID enforcement, though, is uniform in a way matched only by international check-ins, for which passports or other documents are required.
Get used to it. And remember, it's for your security and safety. CARIBBEAN RECOVERY
The Caribbean Islands - hard hit by one of the worst hurricane seasons this century - are recovering, and may be an excellent winter getaway afterward.
Hard-hit St. Thomas welcomed its first post-hurricane cruise ship back to the island last Tuesday; Antigua received its first Thursday. St. Maarten lifted its travel restrictions Wednesday, two weeks earlier than originally planned, and also began welcoming cruise-ship passengers to its shops and beaches.
Many islands were unaffected or only grazed by the hurricanes and are ready to receive visitors at any time. This includes such important destinations as the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Barbados, Guadeloupe, Martinique, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Grenada, Curacao and Aruba.
Antigua and St. Barts reported that the hurricanes actually enlarged some beaches, and the heavy rains brought on by Hurricane Marilyn hastened the recovery of hard-hit vegetation on all the islands.
For more details, check Travel News Now's segment on the Caribbean Islands, which airs on The Travel Channel this week. WHERE WE'RE GOING
The top states on consumers' ``wish lists'' for fall travel destinations, according to a Travel Industry Association of America survey, remain Florida, California and Hawaii. For the first time, South Carolina made the fall top 10.
The states, ranked in order, were Florida, California, Hawaii, Nevada, New York, Colorado, Arizona, Texas, South Carolina and Washington.
Myrtle Beach, S.C., has been promoting itself heavily in recent years as a family destination, and the state's reputation as a golfing capital has also served it well as the sport flourishes. FOR BASEBALL NUTS
Now that the World Series is over, what are you going to do until spring training begins? Get a life? Or. . . .
Consider the Sports Afloat Baseball Cruise aboard Norwegian Cruise Line's SS Norway. Departing Saturday from Miami, the one-week excursion offers baseball junkies the opportunity to interact with current and former stars of the sport, including Roberto Alomar, Pat Kelly, Dave Parker, Manny Sanguillen and Herb Score.
Pitching and hitting clinics, autograph-signing sessions and an NCL Olympics competition are among the scheduled activities. Ports of call are St. Maarten, St. Croix and Great Stirrup Cay. Cabin fares begin at $599, per person, double. A round-trip airfare add-on is also available. Info: your travel agent or (800) 327-7030. ONCE ISN'T ENOUGH
``Trial of the Century Cruise II,'' featuring more debate and panel discussions by legal experts about the O.J. Simpson trial (which you may have heard something about), is set for Dec. 15-21 aboard the Radisson Diamond, with stops at Barbados and San Juan. The first ``trial'' cruise, a month or so before a verdict was reached, was aboard the Carnival ship Holiday. FREEBIES
A free, 55-page brochure, ``Three Seasons of Vacation Savings,'' has information on one-, two- and three-night value plans available at Williamsburg area hotels, motels, B&Bs and campgrounds. Discount coupons for area attractions, restaurants and retail stores are included. Cal (800) 368-6511.
For a copy of Student Travels, the magazine for the railpass and backpacker set, call (800) 358-5971. The fall issue of the twice-yearly magazine has a travel planner plus features on the adventures of young travelers, along with profiles of students' international work and study experiences. The Council on International Exchange is publisher.
Armchair travelers can get a free catalog listing hundreds of travel videos that sell for $7 each (five for the price of four). For a copy call Publisher's Video Group, (800) 822-4604. PLANNING AHEAD
What are going to be the top events for '96? The American Bus Association, which annually lists the ``Top 100 Events in North America,'' has named the Olympics in Atlanta and Klondike Days in Edmonton, Canada, as the top ones for the United States and Canada, respectively. For a free brochure describing the events, write to ABA's 1996 Top 100 Events, 1100 New York Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005; or fax a request to (202) 842-0850. Additional copies are $3 prepaid. MEMO: Travel-wise is compiled from wire-service reports, news releases, trade
journals, books, magazines and the deepest recesses of the writer's
mind. Send comments and questions to Travel-wise, The Virginian-Pilot,
Norfolk, Va. 23501-0449; phone (804) 446-2904. by CNB