Are You On Board?

Posted on July 25, 2010
Filed Under Health, Medjet, Safety, Travel, Travel Products, Videos | Comments Off

Are you on board with what to do if a medical emergency interrupts your next trip? If you are a Medjet member then the answer is yes. As a Medjet member there are various ways you can utilize your member benefits including medical evacuation to the hospital of your choice. Take a moment to familiarize yourself with this first installment of Medjet’s Safety On Board video series.

But Why?

Posted on May 25, 2010
Filed Under General, Medjet, Safety, Travel | 2 Comments

tsa-quart-bag

By John Gobbels, Medjet VP/COO

Have you ever wondered why you have to take your laptop out of your bag, or why you can only bring 3 ounces of liquid on board your flight? I’ve often wondered about these questions as well so I decided to try and find some answers to these and other “WHY” questions.

Why 3 Ounces or less?

Liquids still pose a threat to aviation security. TSA and their partners have conducted extensive explosives testing since August 2006 and determined that these items, in limited quantities, are safe to bring aboard an aircraft. The TSA determined that the maximum amount of liquid a person can carry is 3.4 ounces without causing damage to the aircraft.

Why do I have to remove my laptop from my bag?

The TSA screens laptops to see if the electronics have been tampered with. Transportation Security Officers know what the inside of a computer should look like, and they can recognize irregularities. This is why they need an unobstructed view as the item moves through the X-ray machine.

Why do I have to place my shoes on the x-ray belt?

In May of 2009, the TSA began advising passengers going through security screening to place their shoes on the X-ray belt as opposed to placing them in a bin. It is TSA’s intent to de-clutter bins and provide Transportation Security Officers with the clearest image possible and provide a better look at all items going through the X-ray.

By placing their shoes directly on the belt, passengers can assist officers expediting them through screening. This simple task cuts time by reducing the number of items re-run (presumably from cluttered bins) through the X-ray, therefore reducing the time it takes for additional screening. This simple step will streamline passage through checkpoints and passengers benefit from a quicker experience.

Why Secure Flight?

The TSA must ensure known or suspected terrorists are unable to obtain a boarding pass. To mitigate this risk, the TSA is implementing its Secure Flight program – a behind-the-scenes watch list matching process that vets passengers against government watch lists before a boarding pass is ever issued.

Hopefully this helped answer some of the “WHY” questions you might have as it relates to the screening process. Remember to travel smart, travel safe and always travel with your Medjet card….

http://www.tsa.gov

Preparing for Summer Travel – Letter from the President

Posted on May 18, 2010
Filed Under General, Medjet, Safety, Travel | Comments Off

alert button web232 x 220Spring gets ready to roll into summer. Security lines at the airport are bracing to become very busy and as any regular business traveler will tell you, very slow as well.~
Moms, Dads, Grandmas and Grandpops begin to prepare the kids for summer travel. Some are going off to camp; others are traveling the globe for the first time on their own, or perhaps with organized tour groups. Then there is the mainstream staying in the States but visiting family and friends from the East Coast to the West Coast. And with the travel world in seemingly a daily state of flux, it’s more important than ever that people travel with a ‘protection’ plan.

As the bags are being packed we have seen, in increasing demand, parents and grandparents not wanting to send the kids away without a MedjetAssist card with them. And with that demand we always see a spike in short-term memberships during the summer months.

As a Medjet member you know you are protected wherever and whenever you travel 150 miles or more from home. However, it’s certain you will know someone that is getting ready to take a holiday journey in the upcoming months or preparing to send the kids off for a jaunt.

Recommend that they too carry the Medjet card!  Our short-term memberships of 7, 14, 21 and 30 days are perfect for those perhaps only taking one trip this year. With the travel economy in the condition it is, we are seeing more folks whose travel patterns have changed and perhaps they are now only taking a trip or two in a given year. And with that we have seen an uptick in our short-term membership sales.

Our short-term memberships start at $95 for seven days and then incrementally increase to 14, 21 and 30 days. A very small price to pay for your peace of mind, not to mention the doubled peace of mind when you are sending that son, daughter or grandchild away for a summer fun trip and visit.

For complete information on the Medjet Short-Term Membership please visit www.medjet.com, or call any of our membership services representatives at 1-800-527-7478 and they will be glad to help with the membership option best for you or your loved ones.

Safe Travels

A Peter Greenberg Travel Safety Tip

Posted on April 30, 2010
Filed Under General, Guest Contributors, Medjet, Peter Greenberg Travel Safety Tips, Safety, Travel, Website Tips | Comments Off

Be Prepared

Whether it’s a natural disaster, pandemic or civil unrest, travel catastrophes happen and it’s important to be prepared before you hit the road. Your first step is to get out the laminator: that’s right, bring laminated copies of your travel itinerary, the photo page of your passport, all your  emergency contacts, and medical prescriptions (include generic as well as brand names). It’s also important to leave that information behind with a friend or family, and if you purchase travel insurance or medical evacuation coverage, [such as Medjet] share that information with friends and family as well.

It’s also important to prepare by brushing up on the political and social climate of your destination. Don’t just read the U.S. State Department’s warnings. Read government travel alerts from UK (http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country), Canada (http://www.voyage.gc.ca/countries_pays/menu-eng.asp) and Australia (http://www.smartraveller.gov.au),  and read the local newspapers online. (This is a great resource for English-language papers around the world: http://www.thebigproject.co.uk/news).

For all electronic devices, don’t just pack an additional battery – make sure it’s charged. Pack a small flashlight. And lastly, check with your phone company to make sure you have international coverage, or rent a local phone in your destination. Make sure that includes a text messaging plan, as text messages usually go through when phone calls can’t. Last but not least (and I’m not kidding) pack duct tape. It’s been my experience that when all else fails, duct tape tends to fix anything.

Passengers With Disabilities- the TSA Screening Process

Posted on April 30, 2010
Filed Under Medjet, Safety, Travel | Comments Off

By John Gobbels, Medjet VP/COO

During some of my recent travels I continued to notice passengers entering the screening checkpoint with medical devices that required their own screening process. I thought it would be educational to see what the TSA has established to assist those persons with disabilities during that process.

It’s important to note that one of the goals of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is to provide the highest level of security and customer service to everyone who passes through their screening checkpoints. The current policies and procedures focus on ensuring that all passengers, regardless of their personal situations and needs, are treated equally and with the dignity, respect, and courtesy they deserve. Although every person and item must be screened before entering each secure boarding area, it is the manner in which the screening is conducted that is most important.

In order to achieve that goal, the TSA has established a program for screening persons with disabilities and their associated equipment, mobility aids and devices. The program covers all categories of disabilities including mobility, hearing, visual, and hidden. As part of that program, the TSA established a coalition of over 70 disability-related groups and organizations to help them understand the concerns of persons with disabilities and medical conditions. These groups have assisted the TSA with integrating the unique needs of persons with disabilities into the screening process.

The TSA’s checkpoint security screening procedures for persons with disabilities and medical conditions have not changed as a result of the current threat situation. All disability-related equipment, aids and devices continue to be allowed through security checkpoints once cleared through screening.

Additionally, the TSA is continuing to permit prescription liquid medications and other liquids needed by persons with disabilities and medical conditions.
This includes:
•    All prescription and over-the-counter medications (liquids, gels and aerosols) including petroleum jelly, eye drops and saline solution for medical purposes
•    Liquids including water, juice or liquid nutrition, or gels for passengers with a disability or medical condition
•    Life-support and life-sustaining liquids such as bone marrow, blood products and transplant organs
•    Items used to augment the body for medical or cosmetic reasons such as mastectomy products, prosthetic breasts, bras or shells containing gels, saline solution or other liquids
•    Frozen items are allowed as long as they are frozen solid when presented for screening. If frozen items are partially melted, slushy or have any liquid at the bottom of the container, they must meet 3-1-1 requirements; however, if the liquid medications are in volumes larger than 3.4 ounces (100ml) each, they may not be placed in the quart-size bag and must be declared to the Transportation Security Officer.

Declared liquid medications and other liquids for disabilities and medical conditions must be kept separate from all other property submitted for x-ray screening.
If you have more questions relating to a disability or screening procedure I suggest you contact the TSA Call Center at 1-866-289-9673 or by e-mail at tsa-contactcenter@dhs.gov.

www.tsa.gov

Photo credit: www.whitehouse.gov

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