Payless

Because the situation with the H1N1 virus, commonly called swine flu, is fluid, travelers need as much information as possible before making travel decisions. Here's what you need to consider as you make or rearrange travel plans.

Keep current. Go to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Web page at www.cdc.gov/swineflu for basic information on symptoms, updates and breaking news.

Check with your travel agent, or airline: Policies, dates and change fees vary widely by airline in the best of times, but they vary even more widely now. JetBlue travelers, for instance, who are traveling to Cancún, Mexico, may postpone or rebook without penalty if their travel is through May 15 and the ticket was purchased before April 25. United will allow you to rebook without penalty if you bought your Mexico ticket before April 26 and your travel is through May 15.

As the flu spreads, airlines may extend their "rebook without penalty" dates, so keep checking.

Be prepared for changes in cruise itineraries that include Mexico. Carnival, Holland America and Princess last week altered itineraries that included Mexico ports of call. Remember that the contract for carriage gives cruise lines great latitude to change an itinerary as the captain deems necessary or conditions warrant. Don't expect a refund or credit for ports missed, although some lines will provide on-board credits as a gesture of goodwill.

Read the fine print in insurance policies. It's almost as boring as reading an airline's contract of carriage, but it's never been more imperative. If you have insurance, you may be covered if you want to cancel -- or you may not. The "cancel-for-any-reason" policy, often an add-on to trip insurance, is just what it says it is. If you are afraid to go and have that add-on, you generally can cancel and get a refund -- but not all of your money; reimbursement generally ranges from 35% to 75%.

If you have regular travel insurance, it probably will not cover travel after April 24 (and it may not have covered flu outbreaks anyway). Just as you can't buy hurricane insurance to protect your home if a hurricane is coming, you can't buy insurance to protect against the flu because it is no longer an unforeseen circumstance.

Consider your overall health. The CDC Travelers' Health website urges people heading to Mexico from the U.S. who are at high risk of severe illness from influenza (those with chronic conditions such as diabetes or lung or heart disease, or the elderly) to take antiviral medications for prevention of swine flu during travel. Read the CDC’s travel health precautions page (see above) for more information about antiviral chemoprophylaxis and when its use is recommended.

Keep these sources close at hand.

World Health Organization: www.who.int/en.

The State Department's pandemic flu fact sheet: www.travel.state.gov.

A swine flu health map: www.healthmap.org/ensf

Tags: swine,