June 2004

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See the dazzling sights, taste the delicious cuisine and experience the fascinating cultural events of one of the world’s most ancient civilizations on the Alumni Association’s China’s Cultural Triangle trip. You’ll start with three days in Beijing, visiting the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square, before heading to a full-day excursion to the Great Wall of China. Other highlights of your adventure will include a Yangtze River cruise, a visit to an important archaeological site that is home to second century BC terra cotta warriors, and festive Chinese parties and special event dinners.

For details on this great trip and the rest of our 2004 itinerary, check out our travel catalog, call 800.847.4764 or visit us online at www.umalumni.com.

If you’re headed to London this summer, make sure you weigh your bags carefully. Starting this month, London’s Heathrow Airport will only allow passengers to check bags that weigh 70 pounds or less. The rule applies only to single items of luggage and aims to reduce injuries among baggage-handling staff. The airport will place scales inside each terminal for passengers to check the weight of their luggage. If you need to bring items that weigh more than 70 pounds, make special arrangements with your airline before your trip.

In three years, the paper airplane ticket will likely go the way of the dodo. Seven hundred airline executives decided this month at the International Air Transport Association and the World Air Transport Summit to switch fully to electronic airline tickets by 2007. The airlines also agreed to create an industry standard for check-in terminals worldwide. The airline industry has faced $3 billion in losses this year due to soaring fuel prices.

The takeoff and landing portions of a flight are often the most uncomfortable for passengers, and that is in no small part thanks to the change in air pressure. Everyone from babies to adults tend to experience pain or clogging of the ears, which is almost always exacerbated if the passenger is suffering from allergies or a cold. USA Today travel writer David Grossman offers these tips for alleviating the discomfort:

• Swallow or yawn. These movements equalize the pressure inside the tube in your ear by causing it to contract and open.
• Take a nasal decongestant spray a few hours before the flight.
• Try the “Valsalva maneuver”—pinch your nose, close your mouth and force yourself to exhale through your nostrils. You’ll hear a popping noise in your ear which helps equalize the pressure.
• Use earplugs. Just remember to put them in before takeoff and don’t take them out until the plane has landed.

The last thing you want is to get sick on a vacation, but airplane and airport bathrooms can be breeding grounds for germs and illnesses. Make your journey germ free by checking out ViroFree Disinfectant, a hard-surface spray that kills more than 100 viruses and bacteria, including cold and flu germs, strep, staph and salmonella. Best of all, it’s non-toxic and is even used in hospital nurseries. Spray it on airplane lavatory surfaces or on your tray table to make sure you aren’t infected with another traveler’s germs. Purchase ViroFree from Magellan’s.

Before you head out on your summer vacation, make sure you check out the Alumni Association’s travel Web site for useful Web links and information that are sure to make your journey more smooth. We have information on currency conversion, exchange rates, taking good pictures, packing lists, security and more. You’ll save time and get important tips that will help make your trip a success.

If you want to know what it’s like to ride the fastest and tallest roller coaster in the universe, just head to Sandusky, Ohio, to ride the stunning Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point. This new coaster, which debuted in 2003, is 420 feet tall and reaches an unheard of speed of 120 mph as it thrusts riders into the sky. But be careful—this ride is not for the meek. The Alumni Association offers discounted tickets to Cedar Point—visit our Web site for more information.