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* Have you ever sat in a terminal — or worse, on a plane — and been assured by a bored voice on the public address system that your flight will leave “any minute”? Then, half an hour later, there’s another announcement promising “just ten more minutes”. Followed by an update half an hour later that you’ll depart in a few moments? It’s called a creeping delay. With each update, another party is blamed for the delay: air traffic controllers, the weather, lack of available gates… By the time the flight actually departs, passengers are so confused that they don’t know where to direct their wrath. You can avoid a creeping delay by refusing to play along. If you’re waiting for a flight to board, be aware of the rules about delays — which is to say, at some point during a mechanical delay, the airline owes you a meal and hotel — and don’t be shy about calling an airline’s bluff. The airline rules can be found on your carrier’s website.

* Imagine the worst possible room at a hotel. You know the one between the elevator, under the disco and above the kitchen. Anyone stuck in such undesirable accommodations have two options: either accept the room or check out — and lose the money you prepaid for the room. Also, never forget to ask for a total price for your accommodation, so that you won’t be shocked when the bill is given before you check out.

* Surprise surcharges are as common in the car rental business as they are at hotels. Make things clear before you get into the car.

* Nothing ruins a restaurant meal like an unpleasant server or an undecipherable menu card. What do you do about the server? Walk out or take up the matter with the manager. If you want to know about your kind of dishes, talk to the server or manager.

* When you put a lot of people into the same place, like a hospital, school or cruise ship, there’s the fear of a gastrointestinal virus outbreak. To get an idea of how infection-prone your cruise ship is, check out the cruise line’s inspection reports. A gastrointestinal illness is probably the worst thing that can happen to you on a cruise. Wash your hands frequently while onboard.

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