- Tech experts warn against using anonymous sites to book flights
- It also urged travelers to check their smartphone plans before making calls.
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A quick travel checklist: Have an extra cell phone charger, leave your boarding pass on your phone, and bring more snacks than you think you'll need.
I wish technical advice was this easy. But the effects are also far worse.
From booking to departure, here are 5 mistakes that can ruin your vacation and some sage advice to ensure smooth sailing.
1. Buy airline tickets with killer deals on popular sites
Search for flights online or reply to emails. Overwhelmed by the number of sites and apps, choose the cheapest option.
This site promises cheap rates, so you pay for your tickets. Once you have reserved a seat that you think is confirmed, you will receive an email indicating that it is ready.
Visit the airline's main site, enter your information, and your reserved seats will be displayed.
Reserved reservations will run out after two weeks and seats will evaporate. You find out about this and try to ask the airline for help. They usually can't do anything for you because it's actually just booked.
Scammers are good at creating fake apps and sites to trick users. Fortunately, there are signs to look out for that can help you avoid them.
● Check official resources: The Better Business Bureau can be very helpful in determining whether a business is legitimate. This agency lists real companies. If you can't find someone to work with, it's best to run away.
● Online reviews and ratings: Read online reviews and ratings on sites like TripAdvisor, Yelp, and Google. Very positive or negative reviews may be fake. Pay attention to balance and consistent themes in your reviews.
● Certifications and licenses: Many legitimate travel agents are members of recognized industry associations such as the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) or are accredited by IATA (International Air Transport Association). Please check the site for your credentials.
● Transparent pricing: Genuine sites clearly and openly display all costs. Be wary of sites that display hidden fees or don't clearly explain their costs.
● Secure payment options: Reputable travel sites offer secure and well-known payment options. Be wary of sites that only allow bank transfers or money orders.
2. Charge at public chargers at the airport
Public charging stations can feel like a godsend when your battery is about to die and you don't have a place to plug it in, but they're surprisingly easy to tamper with.
With just a USB cord, cybercriminals can install malware or siphon data from any device connected for charging.
If you really need juice, you can safely use a USB connection with the appropriate cable. Please prepare a dedicated charging cable for your trip. It is cheap and compact, but cannot transfer data.
Also, if your phone is a few years old or newer, you'll be asked to “Trust this device” or “Share data” when you connect. Always say no when traveling.
These options allow data communication between your phone and the charging hardware, which may be infected with malware.
Select the “Charging Only Option”. If that option is not available, keep walking.
3. Leave AirDrop public
Keyloggers track everything you type, and criminals love to send them using Apple's AirDrop feature.
Do not accept falls from strangers during flight.
For iPhone:
●[設定]>[一般]>[AirDrop]Go to.
You can set your phone to deny all AirDrop requests, only allow requests from your contacts, or allow requests from everyone. (That last one is not the best idea for traveling.)
For Mac:
● In the menu bar[コントロール センター]Click (this is the icon with two toggles).
● Click “AirDrop”. From here you can select who can send items by turning it on or off.
4. Give your phone to a stranger to take a photo
My friend Mary was on vacation in Rome with her 14 year old daughter.
When they stopped to take a selfie, a seemingly friendly stranger (in his 30s) offered to take the photo.
Mary punched in her PIN and handed over her phone, and a man who appeared to be a good Samaritan snatched it and fled.
Your phone is worth much more than the amount someone can sell it for. (However, if you have a new phone, this is a pretty attractive amount.)
Think about all the accounts connected to it. Private text messages, including banking and other financial apps, email inboxes, and who knows what.
There are some simple ways to protect yourself.
● Protect your PIN when you go out in public. If you need to open your phone in public, use Face ID or your fingerprint.
● Do not use an easy-to-understand PIN number. There are no 4 digits! Make it as long as you remember.
● If you don't want to use Face ID, use a passcode that includes numbers and letters if your phone allows it.
5. Forgetting to check roaming charges and services
Oh, my wallet hurts. Before you hit the road, sea or air, log on to your mobile phone provider's website or call your mobile phone provider to find out exactly what rights you have while traveling. Services may only be available in certain countries, at certain times, or within certain limits.
Know in advance of the bill rather than waiting until it arrives. Depending on what you find, you may be better off getting a travel SIM or eSIM card.
