Qantas evacuation charter to Egypt

[Jack B]

Just heard on Channel 10 the Government is chartering a Qantas aircraft to evacuate Australians from Egypt.

Any word on the type? I assume a 2 class 744

[Jason H]

Most likely the a/c operating QF5, as they said it will return to Frankfurt with the people from Egypt.

[Jack B]

If that's the case, how would it work

I assume if it is QF5 it will be SYD-SIN-CAI-FRA

How would they ensure there's enough room for the Egyptian evacuees if it's an already scheduled flight with an added stop?

[Sarah C]

Having those stored 747's at VCV would have been handy if they didn't destroy the interior. There would have to be a stop but VCV/CAI has a shorter distance than SYD/CAI. Lucky the A380's are back in the area and the 747 capacity is available.

[Steve Jones]

I would guess it's simply a matter of using the aircraft that sits all day on the ground at FRA or LHR. I think the flight they're offering is to LHR/FRA only, after that, it's up to the individual punter where to go from there.

[Paul f.]

Having those stored 747's at VCV would have been handy if they didn't destroy the interior. There would have to be a stop but VCV/CAI has a shorter distance than SYD/CAI. Lucky the A380's are back in the area and the 747 capacity is available.Do you know how long it takes to return a aircraft to service after being stored,cant be done overnight also why would you do it for one flight,it would cost big $$$$$$.

[Andrew P]

agree with Steve, just a shuttle up to LHR and/or FRA, you are on your own thereafter

[Anthony T]

The media in Australia will have a field day if the 747 goes tech in CAI. :p

[Brock Little]

I hope that doesn't happen...:eek:

[Mick B]

The aircraft is operating LHR-CAI-LHR on Wed 2nd Feb. No idea of rego I'm afraid.

And Anthony, if only Virgin could step up and come to the party...awfully long way in a 737 though. :rolleyes:

[Brock Little]

An additional leg on the MEL-JNB VA flight? If schedules can let it be done, albeit with a small delay?

[Wayne Bee]

Brock
While I am checking the maps, just in case Egypt has moved since I went to school, as Egypt used to be a long way from MEL or JNB, can you tell me-
What do you call a small delay?
Where do the crew come from to fly the extra legs?

[Jason H]

VH-OJH and VH-OJT will be arriving in LHR on Feb02, quite possibly it will be operated by one of those aircraft.

[Brock Little]

Brock
While I am checking the maps, just in case Egypt has moved since I went to school, as Egypt used to be a long way from MEL or JNB, can you tell me-
What do you call a small delay?
Where do the crew come from to fly the extra legs?

I'm just saying if it is feasible schedule-wise, they could do it...I thought if VA leave their a/c sitting around in JNB all day (like in LAX), then maybe (now reading your post, I guess they don't). And yes I am well aware of where Egypt is, but JNB would be the closest VA destination to CAI, wouldn't it? As for crews to fly the extra legs, they could bring in some extra crew if they have them available. Just don't bite my head off when I'm putting forward a suggestion that is asking if it is feasible schedule-wise. I didn't think about the crews though, but I'm sure there could be a solution somewhere for that.

Cheers

Brock

[Arthur T]

A CHARTERED Qantas 747 will be sent to Egypt to rescue Australians trapped by street protests in Cairo.

Top dissident Mohamed ElBaradei has forecast a new era for Egypt as protests continue in Cairo.

Announcing the special flight this evening, Prime Minister Julia Gillard said there was disruption of commercial flights preventing some Australians from getting out of the country, which is heading into a possibly violent revolution.

It follows reports earlier today from terrified Australian travellers stuck at the airport, who reported difficulty getting through to Australian authorities.


"They realise we are in a bad situation here but they say it's not serious enough to do anything yet," Melbourne tourist, Cassandra, 22, told The Australian.

"We keep ringing them and getting put on hold. They say they'll call back and they don't.

"We can hear gunfire ... There is 5000 prisoners from three different prisons who are loose on the streets with guns."

Six days of nationwide protest against Mubarak's three-decade rule have shaken Egypt and left at least 125 people dead as the veteran leader clings to power.

Ms Gillard said the charter of a Europe-based jet by the Government would begin on Wednesday and would be free for those evacuated. It will take them to Frankfurt and London.

There are 1100 Australians who have registered as being in Egypt but diplomats believe many more are there, with some estimates up to 2000 and 3000.

"It is very easy to imagine people could be caught up in violence," Ms Gillard said.

She said Cairo airport was still operating but that there was "pressure on commercial flights" causing disruption to services and delays.

Ms Gillard said Australians with commercial bookings would not be denied a seat on the charter. Demand will be monitored and a further flight ordered if necessary.

"We are very concerned and we would not be taking these steps if we weren't concerned," she said.

"The highest travel advice we can give Australians is the plain and simple words: Do not travel."

Australians in Egypt can telephone the Australian embassy on 202 2575 0444. Or they could call the consular emergency number in Australia, 61 2 6261 3305. In Australia calls can be made to that same emergency service on 02 6261 3305.

Source: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/world/egyptian-police-clash-with-opposition-protesters-in-cairo/story-e6frev00-1225997627558

Hope all Australians in Egypt are now safe.
Just wondering where will the Qantas flight goes to and the number/aircraft of the service? Any chance for B747ER deployed concerning the range?
However concerning 1100+ Australians are currently stranded, think an Airbus A380 or multiple charters will be required?
Hopefully they'll be home soon and safe.

[James K]

Oh they all love to whine about QF if the FA doesn't smile, but boy don't they love to see the flying kangaroo lob over the fence when the **** has hit the fan :rolleyes:

[Justin L]

This quote from the above Daily Telegraph article:

Ms Gillard said the charter of a Europe-based jet by the Government would begin on Wednesday and would be free for those evacuated. It will take them to Frankfurt and London.

But this from the Wall Street Journal:

Egypt's state media announced that the country's airspace would be closed as of Tuesday. All train service was canceled across the country.

This could cause massive problems in getting people out. The article also noted that many European based businesses have already evacuated expatriate staff with private jets.

[Sarah C]

Oh they all love to whine about QF if the FA doesn't smile, but boy don't they love to see the flying kangaroo lob over the fence when the **** has hit the fan :rolleyes:

Funny that........

So there are more people than what is available on the charter. They have to register for it so it will be interesting to see the numbers. How are other flights going? There might be a lot of Australians already booked on other carriers via Europe/Middle East to get out so they might not need the charter.

[Ryan K]

Oh they all love to whine about QF if the FA doesn't smile, but boy don't they love to see the flying kangaroo lob over the fence when the **** has hit the fan :rolleyes:

Haha, love it! :D

[David Inskip]

SO after reading the last few posts do we know if the flight is still going ahead to get Australian out?

[Martin Buzzell]

Having those stored 747's at VCV would have been handy if they didn't destroy the interior. There would have to be a stop but VCV/CAI has a shorter distance than SYD/CAI. Lucky the A380's are back in the area and the 747 capacity is available.

There needs to be a "like" button for this. I suppose I'm just a 744 die hard.

[Peter Agatsiotis]

There is talk of more charters if required (I think they will be!!).

Watching the late news last night i saw a few interviews with stranded pax who are obviously traumatised by all the events. One chap from Alexandria was really giving out about the Australian Governments approach to evacuation. He had somehow confirmed a seat on the first charter but his problem is getting to Cairo, no buses, no flights, no trains and a taxi is frought with possible danger from vigilante checkpoints along the way.

His main complaints were:

most other countries had arranged flights from Cairo and other ports to take them home.

Australia was going to just 'dump' people at Frankfurt or London and then it's up to them to get home.

Fair comment but it seems our capacity is somewhat limited for this type of emergency.

[Philip Argy]

I'm not sure it's fair to expect Australia to rescue you from anywhere on the planet. Once you leave our shores I think you really can't expect much more than reasonable diplomatic assistance in a limited number of circumstances.

Having said that, some kind of resource-pooling by a number of nations should enable evacs of each others' citizens to be achieved more efficiently than appears to be happening. Would it be so hard to say that UK, US, NZ and Australian citizens, for example, can each get on any plane organised by any of those four countries?

And to complain about being taken to Frankfurt is a bit rough - why should you get a free flight back to Australia once you've been removed from danger?

Am I being too harsh? What do others think?

[Montague S]

I'm not sure it's fair to expect Australia to rescue you from anywhere on the planet. Once you leave our shores I think you really can't expect much more than reasonable diplomatic assistance in a limited number of circumstances.


Am I being too harsh? What do others think?

spot on, it is not our country and our government can only do so much, people should stop expecting the government to bail them out of every mess that arises in a foreign country.

[Montague S]

This quote from the above Daily Telegraph article:



But this from the Wall Street Journal:



This could cause massive problems in getting people out. The article also noted that many European based businesses have already evacuated expatriate staff with private jets.


both are News Ltd rags, you can't expect the truth from them, can you? FYI flights were still operating into Egypt yesterday.

[Philip Argy]

Watching the late news last night i saw a ... chap from Alexandria ... really giving out about the Australian Government's approach to evacuation

From Alexandria it's about 500 km to Haifa in Israel so if it's impossible to get the 260 km by road to Cairo, there are other options worth exploring!

[Daniel F]

Qantas are now offering passengers who are evacuated from Cairo free onwards travel to Australia.

http://www.qantas.com.au/regions/dyn/au/publicaffairs/details?ArticleID=2011/feb11/5067

[Mark Grima]

I'm not sure it's fair to expect Australia to rescue you from anywhere on the planet. Once you leave our shores I think you really can't expect much more than reasonable diplomatic assistance in a limited number of circumstances.

Having said that, some kind of resource-pooling by a number of nations should enable evacs of each others' citizens to be achieved more efficiently than appears to be happening. Would it be so hard to say that UK, US, NZ and Australian citizens, for example, can each get on any plane organised by any of those four countries?


The general gist of this post I totally disagree with. These people that have chosen to travel to a destination, that until recently has been a safe desitination. They are not persons that have been caught up with legal issues, they are not persons who have travelled to a destination that the Government had already been warning not to travel to, thus, why should the Government not help them. They have been caught up in a situation that is no fault of their own. The cost of a charter or two from a European port to CAI and back is really not going to be that much and I would be very surprised if there is not some type of ongoing contract between QF (and other airlines) which allow for discounts on this type of charter.

To the point of Governments assisting each other I understand some Australians have been offered flights on Air Canada aircraft that have left in the past couple days. Heard this on one of the TV stations this morning but dunno which channel I had it on.

As for the persons having a whinge about where they are being taken too, then that is ungreatful. From the reports in the media they are not just being dumped in Frankfurt. DFAT officals will be there to help people with their needs. People should not expect to be given a blank cheque though and should investiagte their travel insurance policies to see what they can and can not claim. Should other organisations wish to help, as it appears QANTAS have then good luck to them.

In short, Aussies over seas should be offered this kind of assistance when they have not been at fault, however they should not bite the hands that feeds them also.

Back on the specfic topic, I hear reports of a second charter, apperently 600 Aussies have signed up, thus a 747 can not take in one load.

Cheers

M

[Krzysztof M]

2GB news just said Qantas confirmed they will fly them all the way home for free.

[Anthony T]

The 2nd 747 was just in case the 1st one died in Cairo, It didn't, so the 2nd one will also carry people out of Egypt.

All in jest :D

2GB news just said Qantas confirmed they will fly them all the way home for free.


Yeah right, QANTAS or any airline doesn't do anything for nothing, the positive publicity gained from the media stunt will more than pay for the fares.

[Jason H]

The first aircraft has just left FRA, VH-OJC.

[D Chan]

Yeah right, QANTAS or any airline doesn't do anything for nothing, the positive publicity gained from the media stunt will more than pay for the fares.

Sure I agree with you this will generate positive publicity but I wouldn't call this a media stunt, it's a genuine offer where the Australian government failed (by dumping Aussies in Europe during winter - people who go to Egypt and the mideast for holidays most certainly won't pack winter clothing). Throughout the years Qantas have been in the forefront of getting Australians out of trouble e.g. Cyclone Tracey 1974, Bali Bombings 2002, Bangkok political unrest 2008, and possibly Cyclone Yasi to come. With such a proven record this should not be considered a stunt.

My opinion of those people who had been airlifted (after paying a fee on Air Canda flights) is that they have no right to complain about cost at all - especially when they decided to take a seat on the flight when others around them miss out.
No one forced them to fly on those flights. If they are so concerned about their out of pocket expense maybe they shouldve stayed behind. You have to ask whether some of these individuals were really *that* desparate to fly out of Egypt :rolleyes:

[Grahame Hutchison]

2244L VH-OJC QF6020 is tracking over the Mediteranean at FL350 towards Egypt and Cairo. Looks like they have a great tail wind with an air speed of 607kts. An aircraft heading in the opposite direction is only managing 354kts.

http://www.16right.com/MessageBoard/VH-OJC QF6020 Cairo.jpg

This is the cockpit view as VH-OJC descends through FL240 with Cairo in the distance. The PlanePlotter coverage terminated just after this point.

http://www.16right.com/MessageBoard/VH-OJC QF6020 Cairo 02.jpg

Cairo International Airport

http://www.16right.com/MessageBoard/VH-OJC QF6020 Cairo 03.jpg

[Gareth Forwood]

According to BBC News (taken from the iPhone app so no link, sorry):
Both the USA and Canada said evacuated citizens would be asked to reimburse them for the cost of the flights and would have to make their own arrangements to return home from airports in Cyprus, Germany, Greece, London and Paris

So it sounds like Australians are somewhat better off than others...

Prior to Qantas offering free passage home to Australians, I have to agree with Phil and others that the Australian Government's responsibility would be to evacuate (and nothing more) citizens to a safe location. Anyone travelling should have travel insurance organised - that should cover the costs of returning to Australia, or travel to your next destination in the holiday. I understand, though, that some policies may not cover civil unrest.

As a bit of a side note, I had a look at the MBF Travel Insurance Ts & Cs, and found that the policy will cover costs of "additional transport and accomodation expenses necessarily incurred after the disruption of the journey" in the event that the journey cannot be completed. Such cover is provided (among other circumstances) in the event of unforseen riot, civil commotion and government action. Cover is also provided to people who are yet to begin their journey.

[Ash W]

I think that the expectation of what the government can do are a tad too high. People traveling must at some point take some kind of responsibility for their own actions and not always rely on governments warning them about places or doing anything above what could be considered reasonable if problems arise.

[Sarah C]

The first flight left half empty according to the SMH:

"A government-chartered evacuation flight carrying Australians who have fled strife-torn Egypt has arrived in Germany half-empty.

The Qantas 747 jumbo, with a capacity to carry 412 passengers, left Cairo at 5.40pm (local time) and has touched down at Frankfurt about 8.40pm (local time - 0640 AEDT), carrying 191 people, "mostly Australian but also three New Zealanders," a consular statement issued at the airport said."

[Ryan Hothersall]

Reminds me of the lifeboats on the Titanic, many were only half full.

[Montague S]

Reminds me of the lifeboats on the Titanic, many were only half full.


didn't know you were there personally...:eek:

[Jamie D]

a friend of mine is in Cairo waiting for the second flight to come and they have just been told that the aircraft has gone tech in Frankfurt and has been cancelled???????

[Anthony T]

Re above

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/qantas-engine-fault-leaves-aussies-stranded-in-cairo/story-e6frf7l6-1225999883751

It was always going to happen. :o

[Justin L]

I consider it extremely acceptable that especially considering Qantas' recent woes (and even that aside) that a relief flight to Cairo being delayed due to an unserviceable aircraft would make headlines.

Particularly after this article (http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-news/we-need-to-rebuild-the-qantas-brand-joyce-20110203-1af7f.html) from the SMH where Alan Joyce said the relief flights and subsequent free passage to Australia were part of Qantas' attempt to rebuild its brand.

[Montague S]

Particularly after this article (http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-news/we-need-to-rebuild-the-qantas-brand-joyce-20110203-1af7f.html) from the SMH where Alan Joyce said the relief flights and subsequent free passage to Australia were part of Qantas' attempt to rebuild its brand.

Good place to start is to quit with all this ambassador bs, are Qantas an airline or a celebrity outlet?

[Matt_L]

also a good article this one:

http://www.ausbt.com.au/qantas-international-slowly-dying-alan-joyce

I read that and thought- did he just say that?

[Dave Dale]

I read that and thought- did he just say that?

I thought the same Matt. I cannot help to think that Qantas is becoming the child of Jetstar, perhaps a role reversal. Engine fault after engine fault, incident after incident, no matter how much we love Qantas, this is what is thrown up at all travellers in the news now and almost on a weekly basis. This cannot be good as Alan Joyce concedes. But if Qantas International is not working out now (as Alan Joyce alludes to), and even with an oversupply of capacity from carriers which isn't going to go away, I can't wait to see what Qantas will do to improve things, and it can't just be old planes that need replacing being the problem... there must be a lot more to be done.

[Bernie P]

Perhaps an A380, silver in colour and an Orange star on the tail, now THAT I'd like to see...

[Grahame Hutchison]

Looks like OJE has been fixed and is on it's way to Cairo.

ACARS mode: E Aircraft reg: VH-OJE [Boeing B744]
Message label: H1 Block id: 7 Msg no: C05C
Flight id: QF6020 [FRA-CAI] [Qantas]
Message content:-
#CFB8403FEB1121403242M00080 ICHA
----------------------------------------------------------[ 03/02/2011 22:43 ]-

[Steve McGinley]

Totally agree, sure put on the flights, charge for them, and then insurance claims can be made. First sign of this type of trouble, people should be already organising to leave, and not leave it until someone else organises and pays for it for them.


I think that the expectation of what the government can do are a tad too high. People traveling must at some point take some kind of responsibility for their own actions and not always rely on governments warning them about places or doing anything above what could be considered reasonable if problems arise.

[Garry Emanuel]

Can we please have some sanity prevail here ?

Joyce was transparent enough to share the driver behind the "free flights". When you've got something that's broken, you look for means to fix it - walk this way ! ! ! !

The "cost" is circa AUD 1 million but I dare say they are seats which would otherwise be empty - real cost to QF is limited. Really, who cares if they capitalise on an opportunity. I don't see people poring over other commercial entities capitalising on the misfortune of some part of the community. Why should Qantas be any differnt to the next ?

Consistent with the good old Aussie theme of "tall poppy", Qantas seems to be able to "do no right".

It's about time a few people moved on and found another topic to bellow from their soapbox about.

[D Chan]

wouldve been nice to let some Kiwis on board if the flights out weren't going to be full.... is there any coordination between the Australian and the New Zealand government? Also, if Rudd expects Egyptian government officials to provide safe passage for Australians to head to the airport through the mess in Cairo I think his expectation is a bit high :rolleyes:

[Nigel C]

Spot on Dickson. Rudd (and for that matter Gillard), in his capacity as PM and now as Foreign Minister, has been making 'feel-good' and 'hard-hitting' comments now for years. But the truth of the matter is, nobody except gullible Australians believe or act on a word he is saying.

How many times have we all heard the phrase "I/We call on the Iraqi/Fijian/Zimbabwean/Chinese etc Government to blah, blah, blah, blah....". Like they give a toss what Rudd has to say about their internal matters.:rolleyes:
Most of them just tell our Govt to mind their own business, but if we do something they don't like........:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

[Grahame Hutchison]

The swecond evacuation flight has been completed.

ACARS mode: G Aircraft reg: VH-OJE
Message label: 5U Block id: 7 Msg no: M53A
Flight id: [B]QF6031 [CAI-FRA] [Qantas]
Message content:-
WX REQUEST QFA6031/04 ATIS EDDF ---- ----
----------------------------------------------------------[ 04/02/2011 09:08 ]-

ACARS mode: E Aircraft reg: VH-OJE
Message label: H1 Block id: 7 Msg no: C05C
Flight id: [B]QF6020 [FRA-CAI] [Qantas]
Message content:-
#CFB8403FEB1121403242M00080 ICHA
----------------------------------------------------------[ 03/02/2011 22:43 ]-

[D Chan]

Spot on Dickson. Rudd (and for that matter Gillard), in his capacity as PM and now as Foreign Minister, has been making 'feel-good' and 'hard-hitting' comments now for years. But the truth of the matter is, nobody except gullible Australians believe or act on a word he is saying.

How many times have we all heard the phrase "I/We call on the Iraqi/Fijian/Zimbabwean/Chinese etc Government to blah, blah, blah, blah....". Like they give a toss what Rudd has to say about their internal matters.:rolleyes:
Most of them just tell our Govt to mind their own business, but if we do something they don't like........:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

Unfortunately I think the outcome will be - Rudd or the government would say something along the lines of: "we've provided 'n' number of charter flights" so we've met the expectation of the Australian public. It's up to Australians stuck at Cairo to make their way to the airport and if they don't it's unfortunate for them etc."

Totally agree Nigel, our foreign influence is not as high as Rudd would like to think, especially in that part of the region. If its the US or China etc. it may be a different story.. and then there's this: http://www.smh.com.au/world/australians-harassed-on-way-to-airport-20110204-1aguq.html

Also it is interesting that the initial news stories indicated there were some 3000 Australians stuck in Cairo, I wonder how accurate this number is

[Montague S]

How many times have we all heard the phrase "I/We call on the Iraqi/Fijian/Zimbabwean/Chinese etc Government to blah, blah, blah, blah....". Like they give a toss what Rudd has to say about their internal matters.:rolleyes:
Most of them just tell our Govt to mind their own business, but if we do something they don't like........:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

perhaps our friends from Israel can provide safe passage? seriously though, who the hell else is supposed to do it?

[Moderator]

Please try keep the posts aviation-themed rather than political. Thankyou.

[Fred C]

Looks like OJB's having a trip to Cairo too.:D

[Justin L]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ash W
I think that the expectation of what the government can do are a tad too high. People traveling must at some point take some kind of responsibility for their own actions and not always rely on governments warning them about places or doing anything above what could be considered reasonable if problems arise.

Totally agree, sure put on the flights, charge for them, and then insurance claims can be made. First sign of this type of trouble, people should be already organising to leave, and not leave it until someone else organises and pays for it for them.

I'm bringing back an old thread, but reading this article on the US Government's responses in crises in the WSJ was interesting. Particularly this sentence.

U.S. embassies encourage citizens to evacuate on commercial airline flights, but when airlines shut down, as they do anytime they believe they can't get planes and crews into and out of an area safely, the government does try to arrange charter flights.

Evacuees, regardless whether they're tourists or Americans living abroad, pay for the transportation. U.S. citizens sign promissory notes saying they will reimburse the government for a commercial airline full-coach fare.

Crisis Abroad: Tips for International Travelers
U.S. Program Sends Detailed Alerts on Civil Unrest, Health Hazards and Natural Disasters; Knowing When to Evacuate

Going abroad this summer? Prepare yourself, and plan on packing more than your cargo shorts and money belt. Civil uprisings, earthquakes, ash clouds, terrorism warnings and violence have all disrupted travel in the past year.

"There seem to be a lot more events than I remember in the past," says Chris Russo, president of the American Society of Travel Agents.

In response to rising threats, the U.S. State Department has revamped its program to better inform Americans traveling aboard of potential dangers. Under the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), travelers enter their itinerary, with hotel and contact information, using the STEP registration link at http://travel.state.gov. STEP enrollments averaged 4,000 a day in May, an all-time high for the seven-year-old program. Information is subject to Privacy Act protections, so the government says it won't be disclosed without your permission and will be destroyed after your trip ends.

The program sends out relevant "warden messages"—local email alerts for U.S. citizens abroad. These are more detailed and timely than the travel advisories issued by the State Department. Messages include updates on the time and location of protests in a country, for example, whether commercial flights are still running in a crisis or updates on flooding after a disaster, says John Echard, public affairs officer for the Bureau of Consular Affairs.

Enrollment in STEP can also help embassy officials track down travelers if there's a family emergency back home or if the government is arranging chartered evacuation flights from a hot spot. "It also helps us if you lose a passport because we know your information already," Mr. Echard says.

U.S. embassies encourage citizens to evacuate on commercial airline flights, but when airlines shut down, as they do anytime they believe they can't get planes and crews into and out of an area safely, the government does try to arrange charter flights. However, the State Department says it's "almost impossible" for the government to provide ground transportation, such as to and from the airport, during a foreign crisis.

This year, the government evacuated 2,350 people from Egypt, Mr. Echard says. Seventeen were evacuated from Tunisia and 200 from Libya. In Japan, buses were sent to Sendai for U.S. citizens. Evacuees, regardless whether they're tourists or Americans living abroad, pay for the transportation. U.S. citizens sign promissory notes saying they will reimburse the government for a commercial airline full-coach fare.

If email services shut down during a crisis, text messages are sent to phones. In many crises around the world, text messaging has worked even when email, Internet and cellular voice service didn't.

The top three sources of trouble for travelers are the weather, health and petty crime, says Bruce McIndoe, president of iJET Intelligent Risk Systems, which provides security services for business travelers.

Mr. McIndoe says leisure travelers often don't plan properly for extreme heat or cold, or rapid temperature shifts from changes in altitude.

Food and water safety often contribute to health problems in underdeveloped countries. Vacationers tend to be more exposed to street vendors with weak food preparation practices than business travelers. Vacationers are also more prone to accidents, such as walking or biking injuries amid unfamiliar traffic patterns.

A key preparation these days: Call your health-insurance provider and see what coverage you have overseas, including for evacuation back home. Also, get telephone numbers for support overseas. If you don't have good coverage, consider purchasing a travel medical-insurance policy. It is relatively inexpensive protection, but check policies carefully for clauses on pre-existing conditions, sports-related injuries and other exclusions.

Vacationers can easily stumble into high-crime areas in any city—consult with locals and hotel concierges before heading out. Pickpockets often focus on tourist areas. Mr. McIndoe says he now carries a credit card solely used for overseas trips, leaving his regular personal and business cards at home. That way if the card is stolen or compromised, none of his automatic billings to regular cards need to be reset when the card gets replaced.

Separate credit cards for travel make sense, too, if you get one that doesn't charge currency exchange fees on top of the usually weak exchange rate you get. Extra fees can add up quickly.

Far down on the list of dangers is terrorism, Mr. McIndoe says. Statistically, the chance of dying in a terrorist attack is slightly less than the likelihood of dying on a commercial airliner, he says. "There's effectively nothing you can do about it, so go about your life," he says.

Civil uprisings, however, have grown more common and aren't limited to Arab countries. The important rule to remember: Don't gawk and get caught up in it. Get back to your hotel, Mr. McIndoe says. He also suggests avoiding the temptation to head to the U.S. embassy or consulate—that could be exactly where an anti-American mob is protesting.

"These issues do propagate into communities in other cities, including London or Paris," he says. "Just be sensitive to it. As much as you want to tune out when you're on travel, keep one eye abreast of events."

Dan Johnson, senior chief of special projects and consulting at Air Security International Group, which specializes in travel security for corporations and wealthy individuals, says travelers need to pack a small "go bag" with essentials like your passport, or a copy of your passport, plus necessary medications, energy bars, a first-aid kit and a flashlight.

"That's a lesson we learned from folks debriefed from Mumbai," says Mr. Johnson. In 2008, Islamic terrorists attacked 10 locations in India's largest city, including two five-star hotels, killing at least 163 people.

Having someone track your trip from home also helps. Check in regularly, Mr. Johnson suggests. Mr. Echard of the State Department says in many recent uprisings, friends and family in the U.S. were able to send important information to Americans abroad faster than they got it through local media or hotels.

Natural disasters present very difficult challenges to travelers, especially with major catastrophes such as earthquakes in Haiti, Chile, New Zealand and Japan.

Some basic first-aid skills are important to deal with cuts, broken bones and shock when medical professionals may not be available. But the most crucial issue for many travelers often is safe drinking water—far more critical to the human body than food.

Mr. McIndoe suggests carrying small water-purification tablets in your luggage. After a hurricane, for example, water may not be safe, and facilities to boil water may not be an option for tourists. Drop the proper amount of tablets in a water bottle and shake it up—you're good to go.