BCT Travel Blog

Natural Disasters and Manmade Local and Worldwide Conditions

Any disruption in air travel affects the price of airfare whether that be
manmade like a union strike or war or whether it a natural disaster like a
volcano or earthquake to name just a few reasons. Of course the swings in
the economy also affects airfare prices domestically and internationally so
it’s little wonder then  what airfare prices are so up and down in these
uncertain times!

Computers Set Airfares

Like stocks, airfares are the sums of very complex equations. Computers
weigh the variables of those equations and adjust accordingly. Is Airline B
offering a fare so much lower on this route that it is stealing customers?
Adjustment. Are there too many empty seats on this plane to make the flight
profitable? Is it time to cut the losses and sell those seats at a reduced
rate? Adjustment again. What are fuel prices looking like at this hour? You
get the idea.

Most of us understand at least one thing about computers – we have a love
and hate relationship with them especially when they are the culprits in why
airfare is so tumultuous! Now more than ever!

The merger between Continental and United will really have an effect on air
prices and here is why:

Airlines closely monitor each other’s fares and are quick to react anytime
another airline introduces a low fare to poach on its “cash cow” routes. The
usual technique is to plop a low fare into the middle of a “cash cow” route
of the offending airline. Just recently Delta and United slugged it out on
the Honolulu routes out of Atlanta, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Detroit,
Miami, Minneapolis and St Louis. Sometimes it is an introductory fare, or a
fare intended to “test” a particular market. Generally speaking competition
is what drives airfare bargains but with the Continental and United merger
that will certainly change things for many flight segment airfares!

Your Entry Visa To Israel

To all nationalities: Anyone entering Israel needs a passport valid at least six months from the intended date of entering Israel.

Please Note: Anyone traveling to Israel as a tourist must travel with a round-trip ticket.

Following is the list of countries (you will find the complete list on the website) whose citizens do not need to obtain a visa prior to traveling to Israel as long as they are traveling as a tourist and plan on staying in Israel for up to 3-month (the United States is on the list for those not needing a travel visa.)  Citizens of any country not listed below must apply for a visa (including Legal residents of the U.S. holding a valid American Re-Entry Permit or a Refugee travel document.

http://www.israelemb.org/consular_Visa.html

Your Entry Visa To Egypt

Most tourists and visitors to Egypt can obtain an entry visa at any of the major airports or ports of entry. All foreigners arriving in Egypt should have a valid passport (with at least 6 months left before expiry) to get an entry visa. The visa can also be obtained from Egyptian Diplomatic and Consular Missions abroad.

How to obtain your visa at the airport:
The visa is simply a stamp (like a mail or postage stamp) that you buy from the visa office, which you arrive at, just before the immigration booth; you can’t miss it! The visa will cost you around $15 and after buying it; you just stick in any empty page on your passport. Don’t worry; it’s so easy! Once you have bought your visa you then stand in line to get your passport stamped by the immigration officer.

http://www.ask-aladdin.com/visas_and_passports.htm

Your Entry Visa To Turkey

If you are a U.S. citizen, you may get a tourist visa at the entry port, upon arrival in Turkey. If you prefer to obtain your visa before your arrival, please contact Turkish Consulate or Embassy in your area.
The cost of tourist visa for U.S. citizens is 20 USD  for single entry visa. The visa is good for one year from the date of issue and allows you to stay in Turkey up to 90 days for each entry.

It is easy to get a tourist visa at the airport or point of entry.  It is simply a matter of preference as to how you want to get it (upon entry/beforehand).  If obtaining a visa upon arrival in Turkey, make sure you have 20$ US cash per person for the visa fee and original and valid US passports with you.

http://www.touringturkey.com/information/visa.htm#uscitizen

Now that the Watchtower Tour Desk is no longer organizing tours of the Stanley Theatre (Jersey City Assembly Hall) and the 117 Adams and Bethel Home tour has been discontinued time has permitted BCT to include a Bible Tour of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The tour is conducted by Oasis Tour Group of NYC. BCT owners and management have personally taken the tour and are confident you will not only enjoy the tour and the Brothers who conduct the tour, but you will come away from the tour with a new appreciation for Bible history and Jehovah’s promise to restore what Adam lost!

Metropolitan Museum of Art provided through Oasis Group Tours of NY:

The Met Bible Tours (given at the Metropolitan Museum of Art at 82nd Street and 5th Ave) started about three years ago and is organized by Oasis Group Tours owned and operated by a local NY brother. The tours take about three hours (there is a half-an-hour break about half way through the tour.) The tour is entitled: “The Woman and the Seed” (Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia). The tour is becoming more and more popular and you will see why as you enjoy the tour. Very insightful and encouraging! The local Tour Guides assisting Oasis Group Tours do a very professional presentation.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Dress is casual and please wear comfortable shoes!
• Photographs without flash are allowed.  Video or recording is not permitted in the museum.
• It is good to bring a pen & notebook, but a Bible is not necessary.
• The tour program will last about 3 hours (not including time for a break in the cafeteria).

Tips: All the guides are brothers (mostly pioneers) who are non-paid volunteers serving you.

The group really should tip the guide in view of his considerable time & expense to give the tour.

Your BCT Guide will assist you so that your appreciation can be handled in a dignified manner.

We are printing the 2010 tour line-up and will be sending it soon!
However, what you’ll notice about our new ‘catalog’ is that it’s not
actually a catalog at all, but in fact, a postcard with an overview of
our tours. Why this change? Like so many businesses in today’s
economy, we’ve found that making full use of our website is a better
way to keep our Brothers and Sisters fully informed of the latest
changes and additions to our tour lineup (and without the cost of
sending paper documents)! This will be our final paper delivery of our
tour catalog and  we will, from here on out, deliver updates and
information via the internet (email). Therefore, to make sure you keep
up-to-date with our tours, please make sure we have a current and
reliable email address to give you new information*, and make sure
your friends and family know of this change as well. We appreciate
your choosing us as your tour company to enjoy a Bethel vacation and
apologize for any inconvenience this may possibly cause.

* You can help us by adding email@bethelcoachtours.com into your email
services trusted senders list. That will help keep BCT on your email
providers ‘approved’ list for email domains. Never will we send you spam or
give/sell your email address to other businesses!

1) You get to travel to visit the coolest places in the whole world (Branch Facilities) with the best people in the world (Jehovah’s Witnesses).

2) With trips that include NYC the BCT tour guides are usually local Pioneers who really know the city well. The know where to go, what to do and where not to go and what not to do.

3) BCT Europe trips also use local Tour Guides, when possible, or the owners of BCT or BCT employees opt to go as tour guides. Most have been tour guides on the trip of their choice many times and every one benefits from their experience.

4) BCT tries to us hotels they’ve had good success with before, if at all possible. When not possible, they do their best to checkout the hotel in advance to make sure it’s clean and safe.

5) When transportation is provided, all efforts are made to use a experienced and, if possible, professional drivers. The driver is expected to make the trip about the passengers NOT about themselves. Drivers are expected to be accommodating and friendly. Over the many years, several drivers driving for BCT have either studied with Jehovah’s Witnesses or have even progressed to Baptism because of the good witness given to them on the trips.