Long Trips
Trip Sign-Up Night
Our third Trip Sign-Up Night
(TSUN) happens this week on Thursday, October 24 starting at exactly 8:00 PM. Eight
overnight bus trips go on sale for the first time. Login, go to the page of the
trip you want and scroll down to the “Register” button. Don’t look for the
button now; the “Register” button will appear only after 8:00 PM. Registration
will continue 24 hours a day until each trip is sold out.
Getting on a Trip
The procedures for registering
on TSUN are on the webpage, TRIP
SIGN UP PROCESS. If you haven’t renewed your membership yet, do it
right away because only those who have paid the membership fee for 2019-2020
are able to register.
Important about Wait Lists
If you see a “Join Waitlist”
button instead of the “Register” button, do not think that you have missed out.
Go ahead and add your name to the waitlist; there is no cost to do so. You will
likely get on the trip in the coming weeks. This is why. Two seats are automatically
held back so the Trip Leader can match roommates and deal with single room
requests. Some people who have registered change their minds and bail. Some
people have to cancel for a variety of reasons. If your name is on the
waitlist, you will be contacted in the order you signed up.
Registered Attendees
When you register for a trip you can decide if you want
your name added to the list of attendees. The list is not public and can only
be seen by members after they login. If you don’t want your name shown, click
on the flag and you will show up as “Anonymous”. If you are already registered and want a
change, contact the TL.
Charter Trips
TSUN for charter trips on
October 10 was a frenetic evening. We had an overwhelming response as soon as
the trips opened at 8:00 o’clock. Several trips sold out immediately and by the
end of the evening almost every available seat was taken. The Long Trips Committee
began working that same night to get our tour operators finding additional
space for those on the waitlists. This was not something that could be done
easily or quickly. Airlines had to be contacted, hotels contacted, new
contracts prepared and then signed, website updated, etc. Our hope was to get a
space for everybody on a waitlist. The rub is that the airlines will charge a higher
price for a new block of seats. And the hotel may not have available rooms
necessitating a different hotel. This will increase the price of the trip for
any new registrants. While we will hold the same price wherever possible, the good
deals we originally negotiated are going to be hard to repeat for additional
participants.
Trip Leaders
Trip Leader names and contact
information are now posted on a webpage. The page is open just to members so
you must login to see it. If you have a question that isn’t answered in the
detailed description, contact the TL.
Cancellation Insurance
HPSC strongly recommends that you have trip insurance for
any long trip. If you are injured or get sick either beforehand or while on the
trip you will want to have insurance so you can recover the cost of the trip.
And here is an important reminder. Put a photocopy of your insurance information
in your ski jacket! If something happens on the hill, you will want to have
your OHIP card and insurance information at hand and not back in a hotel someplace.
Parking for Overnight Trips
We are still searching for a new parking lot for
our 2020 overnight bus trips. We need the help of our 1,100 members to locate a
new lot. The lot would accommodate approximately 25 cars for the duration of
each trip. If you know of a possible location or can assist us, please contact
Kevin Chabot, Parking Coordinator, kchabot@ican.net .
Bill Bates, Director