Ruben at Travel Masters

I have truly enjoyed the transition of working from my office to working at home....its quite liberating I must say. If anyone requires a home consultation to plan a complex trip, let me know and we can set up an appropriate time convenient for you. I will bring my computer and will organize your trip from the comfort of your home

Effective May 1st, 2017 Ruben can be found at Travel Masters in Vancouver

Are Travel Agents worth their money? My client stuck in Tel Aviv with her Lufthansa flight delayed 2 and half hours thus missing her connection home. Forced Overnight in Frankfurt or coach seat on BA home (Client has a Premium Ticket). I get the call at 10:30pm and book the last AC Premium seat for flight to Toronto connecting to Vancouver. Lufthansa refuses to reissue her ticket in spite of the fact that AC and LH are partners who share the same Joint Venture contracts, so we reissue her ticket to get her home. I quote my clients words "Thanks for your help, not sure where in the world I would have been without you" kind words for sure....as we got her home on the day she was supposed to come home. Its midnight now so its time to go to sleep....yes, we work at all times on behalf of our clients.

Dear Friends and Clients.
I would like to officially announce the closure of Altec Travel Ltd effective April 28th, 2017. My 39 year journey running this office is coming to an end. It has been an honor and privilege to serve my clients because much of what I do is based on trust. You have trusted me with your travel arrangements from the day I started in my office in West Vancouver. My travel arrangement skills will not go to waste as I will continue doing that part of the job from my home office. My email will remain the same [email protected] and my phone number 604 683 8450 will continue to be my client's private line. Thank you for your continued support, loyalty and encouragement. Ruben Grubner

Dear Friends,
If you are not a Canadian Citizen and are arriving into Canada, you may require a VISA or a ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) please go to http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/eta.asp to see if you require an ETA to enter Canada. All the instructions are there if you require one.

Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) The Government of Canada's official website to apply for an eTA. It only costs $7 CAD. Help guides available in many languages.

16 Mexicans have been abducted in a local restaurant in Puerto Vallarta!!!
Will this terrible event stop me from booking my clients there??
Absolutely not. Its a great destination which has always been very safe for Canadians

A reminder to all travelers.
Always go on line 24 hours prior to your flight and check that everything is in order. Sometimes, schedule changes occur, flights get cancelled, seat selections get misplaced, e ticket numbers get lost, and by going to the airline website in advance, you can avoid what we call "check inn shock" when something that should be there is not, and nothing can be done to fix it, because the flight is leaving in an hour. So, be aware of your flights, your reference numbers, your passport validity and you will save yourself lots of problems when all you should be doing is enjoying yourself

A reminder to all travelers going abroad. You Canadian Passport needs to be checked, to make sure its valid beyond your dates of travel. Some countries require for the document to be valid, others require for the passport to be valid for 3 month beyond the trip duration. Finally, some countries require the passport to be valid for up to 6 month beyond your trip duration. Make sure you ask the question before departure, because in some cases you will be denied boarding your flight, waving your holiday goodbye for ever. This rule also applies to US nationals so its worth being aware of this to avoid a disaster.,

The best cruise company in the world bar none!! this is the time to book this amazing product at the best price!

Best Available Fares on ALL 2016 Voyages Book your 2016 Crystal voyage by April 29, 2016 and enjoy the best available Book Now fares from $1,965 per person!

Special Business Class seat sale for Summer on AF,KL, AC,LH....must be booked by February 4th..
Vancouver -Tel Aviv under 2K plus taxes would be an example fare. act before February 4th to get these deals to many European Destinations as well.

Check out NewLeaf bypassing travel community. Not that the trend of unbundling services is anything new but interesting to see how they keep costs down by making passengers pay with additional fees. I guess you pay for what you get!!

NewLeaf bypassing travel community Canadian budget carrier NewLeaf Travel does not intend to use booking sites or travel agents to sell flight tickets in an effort to “keep costs down,” according to the start-up airline’s website. During media events at NewLeaf's headquarters at Winnipeg's Richardson International Airport, as well as…

Everything you do is just a step in making the next step easier!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wt99b5ccwqk

At Singapore Airlines, No Detail Is Too Small As the first airline to fly the A380, we've turned the most comfortable and spacious aircraft ever to grace the skies into a unique experience with the world...

Today CTV News needed a travel agent for an interview. I guess we passed the test here at Altec Travel. It was fun.

Come and book your private deluxe safari your way *priced for thousands less than Tauck, Abercrombie, and Kent.
-exclusive to Altec Travel Ltd. give us a call today at 604-683-8450 and Like our page!

Thank you to everyone that has liked our page, we have now hit 100 likes on the page!!!! Safe Travels!!

Taste and Try Before They Buy Six ways to have your clients experience a destination before they leave your office.

Flight Hub, Expedia, Kayak, Cheapo Air...all worthy on line booking engines. So what does someone do while they are abroad and an airline goes on STRIKE (Lufthansa November 6 to 13)?... well, these sites do very little. They either don't protect their clients. or don't know how to do it. My clients were at a seminar in Israel, when this strike took effect. Their tickets were changed as soon as allowed without the clients ever knowing that they had a problem. The client that booked with Flight Hub....the night before travel, contacted me to see what he could do. I called Flight Hub on his behalf and asked them to protect him...but they declined, stating that the passenger had to contact them directly. After obtaining a local phone number (because the 800 does not work abroad) the client called and was told that he had to deal with Lufthansa directly. After 5 hours, he was finally protected after suffering from stress and anxiety that he would not be able to continue his trip. Did he actually pay less to get this stellar service? Nope... he paid 100 dollars more that others that were on a similar routing. The moral of the story.... deal with someone you know and trust, because at the end of the day, they will be there for you when you need them.

Must See!!

http://www.businessinsider.com/halong-bay-is-beautiful-2015-11?utm_content=bufferee1a8&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

See why Vietnam's Halong Bay is one of the most beautiful places on the planet VIDEO: Halong Bay is one of Vietnam's must-see destinations.

Travel in a way that makes you comfortable, here are some ideas!!

http://www.thiswaynorth.net/20-ways-travel-better

20 Ways to Travel Even Better - This Way North Seriously ya’ll? Seriously! Weeeeeee! I knew that my readership was growing bit by bit here and there. But wow! What a nice surprise to wake up and see the blog has reached 20,000 views this month alone. 20,000 travel lovers from all over the world have taken time out of their busy days to hop over…

As New Years approaches here are the TOP travel destinations of 2016!!

http://www.today.com/money/lonely-planets-top-travel-destinations-2016-include-transylvania-kotor-t53016

Transylvania, Kotor and more: Where you should be traveling in 2016 As 2015 is nearing its end, the world's leading travel media company, Lonely Planet, has released its "Best in Travel 2016" annual list.

http://video.gq.com/watch/the-easiest-way-to-save-space-when-packing-2015-07-17-a?mbid=social_cp_facebook_gd

The Easiest Way To Save Space When Packing Use this simple packing trick to save a whole lot of room in your suitcase. If it's good enough for the army, it's good enough for your vacation.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/how-to-travel-to-cuba-before-it-gets-mobbed-by-americans-2015-07-20

Now is the time Canada, travel to Cuba before its changed!

How to travel to Cuba before it gets mobbed by Americans Americans who want to travel to Cuba legally from the U.S. still have to jump through some hoops. Here’s how to do it.

look at what is landing in Vancouver.

9 photos of the Star Wars R2-D2 jet arriving at Vancouver Airport On Sunday afternoon, R2D2 got a ride from Tokyo to Vancouver on an All Nippon Airlines (ANA) Boeing 787-900 aircraft.

here is a new definition of swimming with the fishes!!

http://watchnowstories.com/manta-resort-underwater-room-tour-review/

This Water Cabin Doesn’t Look Like Much. Then You Go Inside And It Blows Your Mind! For the tourists who think they’ve seen it all, the remote Island of Pemba off the coast of Tanzania offers a very unique experience for any vacationer.

We think all travel is educational.. give it a try and let us know!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/leon-logothetis/educational-travel-why-you-should-try-it_b_8287668.html

Educational Travel: Why You Should Try It To learn, live and see all that life has to offer. The following points are just a few more reasons you should consider educational travel -- or a trip where you learn something instead of simply being entertained -- on your next adventure.

This is also very applicable to Canadians!!!

http://www.businessinsider.com/what-to-do-if-you-lose-your-passport-abroad-2015-10

What to do if you lose your passport while traveling abroad You're not stuck in the country forever.

If you have ever used our services here at Altec Travel please leave us a comment, post or review. We would love to here about your travel experiences or any feedback on how we at Altec could serve you better!! Have a great week!

-your travel expert

http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/02/travel/marseille-bourdain-journal-parts-unknown/index.html?sr=fb100415bourdainmarseille4pVODtopVideo

What do you think is Anthony Bourdain's most underrated destination? do you agree?

Bourdain: Most under-rated destination is... - CNN.com Anthony Bourdain visits Marseille, France, with chef Eric Ripert in "Parts Unknown."