How to fly under the radar when traveling

Last Updated: July 29, 2018

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A good trip is one in which nothing untoward, dangerous, or harassing happens to you. “Flying under the radar” when traveling simply means that you do your best to avoid attracting unwanted attention and make your experience as smooth and trouble-free as possible. It’s all about having the right combination of demeanor, attitude, appearance, and patience. The following steps will help you to “fly under the radar” when traveling.

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fly under (the/someone’s) radar

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• ▲
• fly low
• fly mink
• fly off
• fly off at a tangent
• fly off the handle
• fly off the handle, to
• fly off with
• fly off with (someone or something)
• fly on the wall
• fly out
• fly out of
• fly out of (some place)
• fly out of the traps
• fly over
• fly over (someone or something)
• fly past
• fly past (someone or something)
• fly the coop
• fly the coop, to
• fly the flag
• fly the nest
• fly to
• fly to (someone or something)
• fly trap
• fly under (the/someone’s) radar
• fly under radar
• fly up to
• fly up to (some place)
• fly/show/wave the flag
• flyboy
• fly-by-night
• flyer
• flying
• flying blind
• flying colors, come off with
• Flying Dutchman
• flying fish
• flying fuck
• flying high
• flying start
• flying visit
• flying-fuck
• Flynn
• flyover
• flyover country
• flyover states
• FML
• FO
• fo shizzle
• Fo shizzle, ma nizzle!
• fo shizzle, my nizzle
• ▼

• ▲
• fly the nest
• fly their freak flags
• fly them in
• fly them into
• fly them out
• fly them out of
• Fly tipping
• fly to
• fly to (someone or something)
• Fly to Cash
• fly to her
• fly to him
• fly to it
• fly to me
• fly to one
• fly to somebody
• fly to someone
• fly to something
• Fly to the Sky
• fly to them
• fly to us
• fly to you
• fly trap
• fly traps
• Fly tying
• fly under (the/someone’s) radar
• fly under her radar
• fly under his radar
• fly under my radar
• fly under our radar
• fly under radar
• fly under someone’s radar
• fly under the radar
• fly under their radar
• fly under your radar
• fly up to
• fly up to (some place)
• fly us in
• fly us into
• fly us out
• fly us out of
• fly way
• Fly wheel
• Fly wheel
• Fly whisk
• Fly whisk
• fly whisks
• fly whisks
• fly wire screening
• Fly with Christ
• Fly woodbine
• fly worry
• fly worry
• fly worry
• fly you in
• fly you into
• fly you out
• fly you out of
• fly your freak flag
• fly your kite
• Fly’s eye lens
• ▼

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Copyright © 2003-2020 Farlex, Inc

All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional.

It is quite a common phrase, usually without having anything to do with radar or aviation. But. Is there such a thing as ‘flying under the radar’? If so, why is this (and how low is that)?

11 Answers 11

In many cases, yes you can fly under the radar because typical civilian radar is line of sight, meaning that it has to have a straight unobstructed path to an object in order to “see” it.

This is because it works by sending a radar signal out and waiting for it to reflect off of something. If it reflects off of another object, like the ground, a mountain, a building, a thunderstorm, etc. then it won’t see what is behind it.

Since the earth is round, flying “under” the radar is flying beneath the coverage area that the radar can “see” directly from where it is, and the height of radar coverage depends on the distance from the site as well as the terrain.

An example is here:

The top half shows how the curvature of the earth affects it and the bottom half shows how other objects can shadow radar (even though is is using aircraft radar, the same principle applies).

That being said, there are other types of radar and other ways of utilizing radar that minimize this problem and make it nearly impossible to fly under it.

One common type in use is the Tethered Aerostat Radar System:

This is downward looking radar attached to a 25,000 ft. tether. From 15,000 ft. it can detect aircraft and even vessels all of the way down to the surface of the ocean out to 200 miles.

Another type is Over-The-Horizon Radar which can see further by reflecting radar off of the ionisphere like this:

It is certainly possible to fly “under the radar.” Military pilots practice a type of flying called nap-of-the-earth for exactly this purpose. This tactic is primarily used by smaller fighters and attack aircraft, but larger planes like the B-1 are also capable of this. Here is why this tactic may be useful:

In civil aviation, mountains or other terrain can block radar signals. Going too low in a mountainous area will take you out of their radar coverage. For this reason, controllers have Minimum Vectoring Altitudes. These are based both on the radar coverage and terrain so that ATC can ensure aircraft will be at a safe altitude.

Here is a cross section of how radar coverage may look. Obstructions can block lower portions of the coverage as it radiates outward from the radar facility. The red indicates the normal radar used by ATC (the green is called “over the horizon” radar, generally used for military early warning radar).

Even military radars have a limit of the lowest altitude at which they can track aircraft. This is because the radar signal will also reflect off of the ground and objects on the ground, causing interference. This is called clutter and can be avoided by Doppler radars that detect velocity. The concept of the radar horizon determines the point at which clutter will no longer affect the radar.

The SA-6 air defense system can engage targets using radar down to 100m, and the SA-8 can engage down to 10m. These are both short range systems, though (less than 30km).

This report has some references about areas on ATC radar that are difficult to cover because of obstacles such as wind farms. Because the radar doesn’t distinguish altitude, controllers may not be able to distinguish an aircraft within these areas of interference.

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How to Support Great Employees Who Fly Under the Radar

Your best employees might not be the ones who always show off. Here’s how to spot and support the talent that’s flying under your radar.

Are you unintentionally neglecting great employees because they don’t work hard to be noticed?

Some employees are just quiet. They might be great at their jobs, even have potential for promotion. But if they aren’t comfortable speaking up or showing off, they might fly under your radar and miss out on opportunities in favor of more boisterous, if less qualified, co-workers.

Employees can’t totally abdicate responsibility for getting their good work noticed, but as their boss, you can help them out.

Keep an eye out for the introverts on your team, so they don’t get lost in the noise. Pay attention to why they don’t feel comfortable speaking up, what you can do to encourage them to get noticed and how you might detect the skills they don’t flaunt.

Why are they so quiet?

Your employees might not speak up because:

They’re shy. They might simply hate being noticed, and it’s not your job to change that personality trait but, instead, to learn to work with it.

The environment doesn’t encourage them. This one falls squarely on you — the boss — and your company. Your best employees can’t shine if the culture squashes participation through strict hierarchies and closed-door decision-making.

Louder employees suck all the air from the room. A few extroverted employees might make the rest feel unneeded or unwelcome.

They feel unqualified. Strong employees might not speak up because they’re intimidated by other talent in the room.

How to help them be seen

Depending on the reasons, here are a few ways to encourage your quietest employees to participate and showcase their skills so others on the team can appreciate them:

Offer a variety of ways to be heard. You’ll probably never hear from quiet employees if the only way to speak up at your company is to lead a meeting or ask a question in front of a group. Set up spaces, like Slack channels and one-on-one meetings, that support introverts so they can get involved without pretending to be extroverted.

Prepare them to be in the spotlight. Your efforts to help a quiet employee show off will likely fall flat if you put them on the spot. Instead, prep them; for example, let them know before a meeting you’re going to call on them to provide their expertise.

Give them opportunities to be helpful. Before large meetings at The Penny Hoarder, my bosses often ask a few employees to ask questions to set the tone of participation for the rest of the staff, especially our newest employees. Pinging your quiet employees to do this lets them showcase their usefulness to a large group with sufficient preparation.

Ways to spot talent that’s flying under your radar

Not sure which of your quiet employees might have unearthed potential? Here are a few ways to find out:

Pay attention to internal communication and project management tools. Where do your employees collaborate? Pop in once in a while to see how the conversations go. Look for people asking clarifying questions, following up with the team, making smart suggestions and hitting all their deadlines.

Sit in on meetings. Pop into meetings you don’t normally attend. If you come in unannounced, you could catch employees who are more comfortable speaking up in smaller groups of people they work closely with.

Chat them up one-on-one (and pay attention). Outside of a formal meeting, check-in or review, just chat with your employees; it doesn’t have to be about work. Quiet folks who don’t speak up in meetings might have smart things to say when the pressure’s off.

Develop a variety of check-in methods. At The Penny Hoarder, we have manager-employee one on ones, team meetings, Slack, written weekly updates and all-hands meetings. The variety gives ample opportunity for employees to showcase their performance regardless of their communication style.

Give them challenging tasks. Don’t be afraid to test them! Don’t be a jerk about it, but give your employees a challenge if you think you haven’t seen the best of them. How (or whether) they tackle it will give you a lot of information about their potential.

Ask them tough questions. This could be one on one or (if they’re prepared) in a group. Ask for their input on something a little outside their comfort zone, and see how they handle it.

Your best employees aren’t always the ones you notice the most. Don’t leave it entirely to them to get your attention. Instead, keep your finger on the pulse to spot great talent in shy employees.

In the travel industry, new fees and restrictions tend to have one thing in common: they are introduced without fanfare and easily overlooked.

Travel companies apparently hope that you won’t notice them until you’re at the front desk or the final checkout screen.

You probably aren’t aware of these recent changes. But you should be.

In the past year, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and JetBlue Airways have quietly upped their baggage fees. For domestic flights, many U.S. airlines charge $30 for a piece of luggage that is 62 linear inches (that is, total inches high, wide and deep) and 50 pounds or less. On international flights, travelers can expect higher fees, up to $60 for a 50-pound bag.

This year, MGM Resorts increased its mandatory resort fees by $2, to $37, at seven of its properties, including MGM Grand and the Mirage. Resort insiders report another fee increase is coming Aug. 1 at some MGM hotels. In November, Royal Caribbean will begin charging passengers between $8 and $29 for signature attractions on the Quantum of the Seas.

For years when she went scalloping, Nikola Webster stayed at the same hotel in Crystal River, Fla., always booking months in advance to secure the lowest rate.

“The last time we stayed, we prepaid, and they sent me my confirmation with all the terms and conditions,” she says. But when they checked in last summer, they discovered that the hotel had added a mandatory $17-a-day resort fee without telling her.

“They demanded that I pay,” she says. Webster, an experienced traveler who also writes a travel blog called Brit on the Move, produced her terms and conditions, which made no mention of a resort fee. She stayed without paying the junk fee.

“We’ve never been back — ever,” she adds.

Hotel guests aren’t the only ones blindsided by fees. Jason Epperson, co-host of the “America’s National Parks” podcast, says he was stunned when he recently discovered campgrounds implementing fees for additional people at the campsite, “and they aren’t always upfront about it.” These unscrupulous operators charge $5 per day per person for more than two people, which can add up to more than $100 a week for his family of five, he says.

“We’re also seeing daily resort fees like those that you see at Vegas hotels implemented more and more at campgrounds that have lots of activities,” he adds.

When travel companies introduce new rules, they seldom issue news releases. Several years ago, for example, many hotels overhauled their reservation policies, setting stricter deadlines for cancellations. They started charging a penalty for cancellations less than 48 or 72 hours before scheduled arrival, instead of 24 hours. And most customers found out about it the hard way — when they tried to cancel and were denied refunds.

Why isn’t there more outcry from travelers about restrictive rules and added fees?

Sometimes, it’s because they aren’t aware of the restrictions until after the fact.

Case in point: The recent wave of cancellations for Dominican Republic vacations. Many passengers didn’t know that their airline tickets were nonrefundable and not changeable until they had second thoughts about visiting the Caribbean island.

“Travelers don’t know how restrictive the terms of their tickets are — until they check,” says Henrik Zillmer, the CEO of AirHelp, a company that helps consumers get refunds for flight delays. “The ignorance benefits the travel industry now more than ever.”

Other times, travelers just don’t care about the added fees or restrictions.

“My clients are willing to pay the additional fees if it means one less thing to worry about when they are traveling,” says Amina Dearmon, founder of Perspectives Travel, a New Orleans travel agency. “I find this especially true when working with families and baby boomers. They are comfortable paying the additional fee on an airplane to guarantee that they can sit together or be closer to the front of the plane.”

Maybe this isn’t apathy, but fatigue. Travel policies started to become more restrictive a decade ago when airlines were delighted to discover that passengers would pay extra for their first checked bag. The enthusiasm was infectious, leaving no part of the travel industry untouched.

But every day, I hear from many travelers who do care. When travel companies add new fees without clearly disclosing them, it makes customers feel that the companies are acting in bad faith.

There’s a responsible way to handle a new policy. Travel companies should disclose the change well in advance through every booking channel, explain the reason for the change and remind customers of the new policy every step of the way.

Sofia Shershunovich, who owns several Airbnb rentals near Los Angeles International Airport, just added a few new fees, including $10 per day to store luggage, $20 per hour for late check-ins and checkouts, $20 per stay for extra guests and $80 per stay for pets. She says that she disclosed the fees through Airbnb and that they reflect her expenses, which she used to absorb as a cost of doing business.

“When people don’t understand why should they be charged more, they will get annoyed, naturally,” she says.

So far, she says, no one has complained.

DISCLAIMER: This article expresses my own ideas and opinions. Any information I have shared are from sources that I believe to be reliable and accurate. I did not receive any financial compensation for writing this post, nor do I own any shares in any company I’ve mentioned. I encourage any reader to do their own diligent research first before making any investment decisions.

From sandy beaches to crystal clear waters, you may think you’ve seen it all when it comes to island life — but it turns out many of the world’s best islands fly under the radar despite their spectacular beauty. Insider asked some of the most influential travel bloggers and experts from the likes of HotelTonight, Secret Escapes, Topdeck Travel, PK’s List, and Travel Supermarket for the most breathtaking and memorable lesser-known islands they’ve ever visited.

Frequent travellers in our own office also contributed, and some tips were taken from digital journalists and TripAdvisor users. From a secret, sparkling spot in Sicily to a car-free Mexican retreat, scroll down for photos of 100 under-the-radar islands around the world.

Reunion Island

“Reunion Island is a French Island territory located in the Indian Ocean, and is a fantastic alternative to the popular Maldives,” according to holiday rental site HomeToGo.

“Surrounded by beautiful beaches, the island also hosts lush tropical rainforests and is the perfect destination for nature lovers. Reunion Island is a photographer’s paradise with many impressive trails for trekking, glorious volcanoes, and turquoise blue waters. Perfect to practice your rusty French skills, the friendly local population makes the experience all the more enjoyable.”

Michel Karam, CEO of müvTravel, called Reunion Island “one of the most unusual island paradises on the planet.”

“The island is known for its volcanic, rain-forested interior, coral reefs and beaches,” he added.

fly under (the/someone’s) radar

Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, or visit the webmaster’s page for free fun content.

Link to this page:

• ▲
• fly low
• fly mink
• fly off
• fly off at a tangent
• fly off the handle
• fly off the handle, to
• fly off with
• fly off with (someone or something)
• fly on the wall
• fly out
• fly out of
• fly out of (some place)
• fly out of the traps
• fly over
• fly over (someone or something)
• fly past
• fly past (someone or something)
• fly the coop
• fly the coop, to
• fly the flag
• fly the nest
• fly to
• fly to (someone or something)
• fly trap
• fly under (the/someone’s) radar
• fly under the radar
• fly up to
• fly up to (some place)
• fly/show/wave the flag
• flyboy
• fly-by-night
• flyer
• flying
• flying blind
• flying colors, come off with
• Flying Dutchman
• flying fish
• flying fuck
• flying high
• flying start
• flying visit
• flying-fuck
• Flynn
• flyover
• flyover country
• flyover states
• FML
• FO
• fo shizzle
• Fo shizzle, ma nizzle!
• fo shizzle, my nizzle
• ▼

• ▲
• fly them in
• fly them into
• fly them out
• fly them out of
• Fly tipping
• fly to
• fly to (someone or something)
• Fly to Cash
• fly to her
• fly to him
• fly to it
• fly to me
• fly to one
• fly to somebody
• fly to someone
• fly to something
• Fly to the Sky
• fly to them
• fly to us
• fly to you
• fly trap
• fly traps
• Fly tying
• fly under (the/someone’s) radar
• fly under her radar
• fly under his radar
• fly under my radar
• fly under our radar
• fly under radar
• fly under someone’s radar
• fly under the radar
• fly under their radar
• fly under your radar
• fly up to
• fly up to (some place)
• fly us in
• fly us into
• fly us out
• fly us out of
• fly way
• Fly wheel
• Fly wheel
• Fly whisk
• Fly whisk
• fly whisks
• fly whisks
• fly wire screening
• Fly with Christ
• Fly woodbine
• fly worry
• fly worry
• fly worry
• fly you in
• fly you into
• fly you out
• fly you out of
• fly your freak flag
• fly your kite
• Fly’s eye lens
• Fly’s eye lens
• Fly’s eye lens
• ▼

• Terms of Use
• Privacy policy
• Feedback
• Advertise with Us

Copyright © 2003-2020 Farlex, Inc

All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional.

By CHRISTOPHER ELLIOTT | Special To The Washington Post | Published: July 25, 2019

In the travel industry, new fees and restrictions tend to have one thing in common: They are introduced without fanfare and easily overlooked. Travel companies apparently hope that you won’t notice them until you’re at the front desk or the final checkout screen.

You probably aren’t aware of these recent changes. But you should be.

In the past year, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and JetBlue Airways have quietly upped their baggage fees. For domestic flights, many U.S. airlines charge $30 for a piece of luggage that is 62 linear inches (that is, total inches high, wide and deep) and 50 pounds or less. On international flights, travelers can expect higher fees, up to $60 for a 50-pound bag.

This year, MGM Resorts increased its mandatory resort fees by $2, to $37, at seven of its properties, including MGM Grand and the Mirage. Resort insiders report another fee increase is coming Aug. 1 at some MGM hotels. In November, Royal Caribbean will begin charging passengers between $8 and $29 for signature attractions on the Quantum of the Seas.

For years when she went scalloping, Nikola Webster stayed at the same hotel in Crystal River, Florida, always booking months in advance to secure the lowest rate.

“The last time we stayed, we prepaid, and they sent me my confirmation with all the terms and conditions,” she says. But when they checked in last summer, they discovered that the hotel had added a mandatory $17-a-day resort fee without telling her.

“They demanded that I pay,” she says. Webster, an experienced traveler who also writes a travel blog called Brit on the Move, produced her terms and conditions, which made no mention of a resort fee. She stayed without paying the junk fee.

“We’ve never been back — ever,” she adds.

Hotel guests aren’t the only ones blindsided by fees. Jason Epperson, co-host of the “America’s National Parks” podcast, says he was stunned when he recently discovered campgrounds implementing fees for additional people at the campsite, “and they aren’t always upfront about it.” These unscrupulous operators charge $5 per day per person for more than two people, which can add up to more than $100 a week for his family of five, he says.

“We’re also seeing daily resort fees like those that you see at Vegas hotels implemented more and more at campgrounds that have lots of activities,” he adds.

When travel companies introduce new rules, they seldom issue news releases. Several years ago, for example, many hotels overhauled their reservation policies, setting stricter deadlines for cancellations. They started charging a penalty for cancellations less than 48 or 72 hours before scheduled arrival, instead of 24 hours. And most customers found out about it the hard way — when they tried to cancel and were denied refunds.

Why isn’t there more outcry from travelers about restrictive rules and added fees?

Sometimes, it’s because they aren’t aware of the restrictions until after the fact.

Case in point: The recent wave of cancellations for Dominican Republic vacations. Many passengers didn’t know that their airline tickets were nonrefundable and not changeable until they had second thoughts about visiting the Caribbean island.

“Travelers don’t know how restrictive the terms of their tickets are — until they check,” says Henrik Zillmer, the CEO of AirHelp, a company that helps consumers get refunds for flight delays. “The ignorance benefits the travel industry now more than ever.”

Other times, the travelers just don’t care about the added fees or restrictions.

“My clients are willing to pay the additional fees if it means one less thing to worry about when they are traveling,” says Amina Dearmon, founder of Perspectives Travel, a New Orleans travel agency. “I find this especially true when working with families and baby boomers. They are comfortable paying the additional fee on an airplane to guarantee that they can sit together or be closer to the front of the plane.”

Maybe this isn’t apathy, but fatigue. Travel policies started to become more restrictive a decade ago when airlines were delighted to discover that passengers would pay extra for their first checked bag. The enthusiasm was infectious, leaving no part of the travel industry untouched.

But every day, I hear from many travelers who do care. When travel companies add new fees without clearly disclosing them, it makes customers feel that the companies are acting in bad faith.

There’s a responsible way to handle a new policy. Travel companies should disclose the change well in advance through every booking channel, explain the reason for the change and remind customers of the new policy every step of the way.

Sofia Shershunovich, who owns several Airbnb rentals near Los Angeles International Airport, just added a few new fees, including $10 per day to store luggage, $20 per hour for late check-ins and checkouts, $20 per stay for extra guests and $80 per stay for pets. She says that she disclosed the fees through Airbnb and that they reflect her expenses, which she used to absorb as a cost of doing business.

“When people don’t understand why should they be charged more, they will get annoyed, naturally,” she says.

So far, she says, no one has complained.

When new travel fees fly under the radar

In the travel industry, new fees and restrictions tend to have one thing in common: They are introduced without fanfare and easily overlooked. Travel companies apparently hope that you won’t notice them until you’re at the front desk or the final checkout screen.

You probably aren’t aware of these recent changes. But you should be.

In the past year, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and JetBlue Airways have quietly upped their baggage fees. For domestic flights, many U.S. airlines charge $30 for a piece of luggage that is 62 linear inches (that is, total inches high, wide and deep) and 50 pounds or less. On international flights, travelers can expect higher fees, up to $60 for a 50-pound bag.

This year, MGM Resorts increased its mandatory resort fees by $2, to $37, at seven of its properties, including MGM Grand and the Mirage. Resort insiders report another fee increase is coming Aug. 1 at some MGM hotels. In November, Royal Caribbean will begin charging passengers between $8 and $29 for signature attractions on the Quantum of the Seas.

For years when she went scalloping, Nikola Webster stayed at the same hotel in Crystal River, Florida, always booking months in advance to secure the lowest rate.

“The last time we stayed, we prepaid, and they sent me my confirmation with all the terms and conditions,” she says. But when they checked in last summer, they discovered that the hotel had added a mandatory $17-a-day resort fee without telling her.

“They demanded that I pay,” she says. Webster, an experienced traveler who also writes a travel blog called Brit on the Move, produced her terms and conditions, which made no mention of a resort fee. She stayed without paying the junk fee.

“We’ve never been back – ever,” she adds.

Hotel guests aren’t the only ones blindsided by fees. Jason Epperson, co-host of the “America’s National Parks” podcast, says he was stunned when he recently discovered campgrounds implementing fees for additional people at the campsite, “and they aren’t always upfront about it.” These unscrupulous operators charge $5 per day per person for more than two people, which can add up to more than $100 a week for his family of five, he says.

“We’re also seeing daily resort fees like those that you see at Vegas hotels implemented more and more at campgrounds that have lots of activities,” he adds.

When travel companies introduce new rules, they seldom issue news releases. Several years ago, for example, many hotels overhauled their reservation policies, setting stricter deadlines for cancellations. They started charging a penalty for cancellations less than 48 or 72 hours before scheduled arrival, instead of 24 hours. And most customers found out about it the hard way – when they tried to cancel and were denied refunds.

Why isn’t there more outcry from travelers about restrictive rules and added fees?

Sometimes, it’s because they aren’t aware of the restrictions until after the fact.

Case in point: The recent wave of cancellations for Dominican Republic vacations. Many passengers didn’t know that their airline tickets were nonrefundable and not changeable until they had second thoughts about visiting the Caribbean island.

“Travelers don’t know how restrictive the terms of their tickets are – until they check,” says Henrik Zillmer, the CEO of AirHelp, a company that helps consumers get refunds for flight delays. “The ignorance benefits the travel industry now more than ever.”

Other times, the travelers just don’t care about the added fees or restrictions.

“My clients are willing to pay the additional fees if it means one less thing to worry about when they are traveling,” says Amina Dearmon, founder of Perspectives Travel, a New Orleans travel agency. “I find this especially true when working with families and baby boomers. They are comfortable paying the additional fee on an airplane to guarantee that they can sit together or be closer to the front of the plane.”

Maybe this isn’t apathy, but fatigue. Travel policies started to become more restrictive a decade ago when airlines were delighted to discover that passengers would pay extra for their first checked bag. The enthusiasm was infectious, leaving no part of the travel industry untouched.

But every day, I hear from many travelers who do care. When travel companies add new fees without clearly disclosing them, it makes customers feel that the companies are acting in bad faith.

There’s a responsible way to handle a new policy. Travel companies should disclose the change well in advance through every booking channel, explain the reason for the change and remind customers of the new policy every step of the way.

Sofia Shershunovich, who owns several Airbnb rentals near Los Angeles International Airport, just added a few new fees, including $10 per day to store luggage, $20 per hour for late check-ins and checkouts, $20 per stay for extra guests and $80 per stay for pets. She says that she disclosed the fees through Airbnb and that they reflect her expenses, which she used to absorb as a cost of doing business.

“When people don’t understand why should they be charged more, they will get annoyed, naturally,” she says.

In recent years, Buick has managed to consistently pump out some of the most impressive SUV offerings in the entire industry. However, their offerings continue to fly under the radar, and this is especially true when it comes to the 2019 Buick Encore.

To prove our point, think of one thing you know about the nameplate. We’ll wait right here…

…we’re still waiting. Can’t think of anything? This certainly isn’t due to a lack of promotion, as Buick commercials are seemingly everywhere. For some reason, car buyers tend to ignore the brand and their offerings entirely.

Well, it’s time to change this mindset. The 2019 Buick Encore is one of the top SUV offerings in the segment, and for very good reason. Below, we’ve detailed four reasons why the nameplate should no longer be flying under the radar, and this information will prove to be invaluable as you’re shopping around for a new SUV.

Performance

Prospective car buyers probably don’t expect a whole lot of power emanating from the engine of a small SUV. However, Buick’s engineers figured out a way to include a small and powerful system under the hood of the 2019 Encore.

The 1.4-liter Turbo engine may not look all that intimidating, but it manages to pack quite the punch. The system is capable of delivering 138 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque, meaning drivers will be more than ready to overcome their fellow drivers on the highway.

Meanwhile, thanks to an array of mechanical features, the Encore is actually incredibly easy to drive. The available intelligent all-wheel-drive system will optimize handling, meaning you’ll never have issues overcoming any sudden obstacles that appear on the road. The StabiliTrak electronic stability control system assures that drivers always have control of their luxury SUV, while the “compact” design leads to the best possible maneuverability.

We wouldn’t necessarily say that the 2019 Buick Encore is known for its power or performance, and this is just another major reason why the nameplate continues to fly under the radar.

Technology

In their pursuit of providing buyers with the best possible driving experience, Buick’s engineers decided to include a number of technological features that will help to boost entertainment and convenience.

The Buick Infotainment System is the natural star of the interior, serving as the driver’s personal concierge. Whether you want to take advantage of the brand’s intuitive navigation system or the available SiriusXM Satellite Radio, it’s all accessible via the high-res eight-inch diagonal color touch-screen. Plus, the system is also compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, meaning you won’t have any issues matching your smartphone to the infotainment unit.

That only skims the surface of the technological amenities included in the 2019 Buick Encore. The SUV can also be equipped with an available built-in 4G LTE Wi-FI hotspot. With the ability to connect up to seven devices, you and your passengers will never be struggling to find a strong wireless internet connection. This will be an especially useful inclusion if you’re forced to complete work while you’re on the road, as you won’t have to make constant pitstops in pursuit of internet.

The brand even offers the myBuick app and the Buick Connected Services, which help owners stay connected with their SUVs at all times. The application allows drivers to remotely start their engine or lock their doors, and they can even view important vehicle information (like tire pressure). Meanwhile, the Buick Connected Services come with the brand’s Buick Smart Drive and Vehicle Diagnostics technologies, meaning you’ll always have the ability to optimize your ride’s mechanics.

Nowadays, seemingly every vehicle includes a number of technological features. The 2019 Buick Encore has seemingly taken that to a whole new level, which is just another reason why this SUV continues to fly under the radar.

Comfort

Speaking of the vehicle’s interior, Buick’s engineers included a number of amenities that will boost the comfort of both the driver and passengers. These amenities may be ignored during your car search, but they’ll certainly be appreciated once you get behind the wheel of the ride.

Specifically, inclusions like the heated steering wheel and the heated front seats will allow occupants to escape those cold winter mornings. Instead of having to tolerate a freezing-cold interior, you can travel comfortably thanks to these two inclusions. Meanwhile, the Climate Control system (which includes an in-vehicle air ionizer) allows the driver and passengers to each set their ideal temperature setting. In other words, there will be no more arguments over the air conditioner.

Perhaps one of the more innovative comfort amenities is the QuietTuning technology, which includes Active Noise Cancellation. Thanks to this feature, occupants won’t be distracted by the howling wind or the roaring engine. Instead, they can continue to travel in peace.

Comfort amenities tend to always fly under the radar, regardless of the nameplate. We’d argue that these features should be appreciated by owners, and this is especially true when it comes to those included in the 2019 Buick Encore.

Safety

The 2019 Buick Encore won’t only keep occupants safe and secure in the event of a collision. Rather, the vehicle will play an important role in preventing those accidents from ever occurring.

When it comes to the host of preventative safety features, drivers will find that these inclusions are especially useful when they’re traveling at high speeds. For instance, the Side Blind Zone Alert will use visual notifications to warn the driver of a vehicle that may have suddenly driven beside their SUV, thus preventing any major lane-change accidents. The Lane Departure Warning plays a similar role, alerting the driver when they’re drifting a bit too much.

If a collision appears to be imminent, you won’t have to brace yourself for impact. Rather, the Forward Collision Alert will have your back. Using built-in sensors, the system can determine when your SUV is approaching another vehicle at too great of a speed. This allows the driver to have enough time to react and avoid the impending danger.

There are even amenities that will help drivers when they’re in the parking lot, thus reducing the chance of a fender bender. The Rear Cross Traffic Alert can detect when something is about to cross behind your vehicle, while the Rear Vision Camera will allow you to monitor those happenings at all times. There’s even the Rear Park Assist, which can help guide drivers into a tight parking space.

In the unlikely event that you do end up in an accident, the Encore will do everything in its power to keep you and your passengers safe. The 10 standard airbags will provide occupants with the necessary amount of cushion, while the rugged stature should absorb the majority of a collision’s energy. If help is needed, you can turn to the OnStar Automatic Crash Response system, which will summon emergency personnel to the site of the crash (the technology is also equipped with Emergency Services and Roadside Assistance features).

We’re sure you were expecting the 2019 Buick Encore to include some kind of safety functions. However, when you consider how the nameplate continues to fly under the radar, we’re sure you weren’t anticipating such a wide array of features.

Related

We all have workdays where we just don’t want any hassles from managers and colleagues. How big of a dot you make on the work radar, however, depends entirely on you. You may have gossiping co-workers or a micromanaging boss, but the trick is to sway their expectations of you over time. Staying off the radar allows you to work without interference and unnecessary reminders about tasks you’ve already started. If you’re off the radar at work, your colleagues and managers likely realize you’re an ideal worker and they don’t have to interfere with you constantly.

Be Professional

Always show a professional demeanor at work. Dress the part and stay out of office gossip that might make others talk about you. Do the job you’re paid to do and carry out the instructions of your superiors to the best of your ability. Avoid judging your colleagues or management. Show up to work on time and avoid missing deadlines. Be respectful of your colleagues and always have a positive attitude about work. An exemplary employee will avoid getting the third degree from management or other co-workers.

Anticipate Your Boss’s Needs

Even if you’re completing your tasks on time, your boss might think a micromanaging technique of constantly reminding you about work is the cause. To stop this, anticipate the expectations of your manager and satisfy them before you pop up on the radar. It might take a few times, but eventually your boss will get the hint that you don’t require daily reminders to complete work on time.

Avoid Social Networks

Avoid social networks if you have any colleagues on your friends’ list. If you post on Facebook at work, a co-worker might see it and tell your boss. Then you can expect to become more than a blip on the radar for the rest of the day. If you absolutely have to use a social network at work, try SpreadTweet. It presents your Twitter feed in spreadsheet form, so it looks as if you’re working when you’re actually reading up on what one of your followers had for lunch.

Avoid Confrontation

If your manager or co-workers criticize your work, don’t argue with them. Take the criticism and agree with their points. Suggest changes you’ll make to improve in certain areas. Even apologize if you have to. If the criticism is incessant, explain that you feel mistrusted to handle the simplest of tasks, which is affecting your productivity and self-esteem. This should help to gently point out your boss’s own missteps and perhaps encourage your boss to reward your professionalism and tact in speaking honestly about how you can improve as an employee.

Contributor Jennifer Jolly offers tips on keep your Web browsing private.

There are simple ways to keep your Web browsing more private. (Photo: Thinkstock)

Story Highlights

• DuckDuckGo search engine doesn’t keep track of browsing history
• Hotspot Shield sets up a VPN free from ads
• Prism Break website recommends secure alternatives to popular websites

If the recent news about the government’s ability to peek into your private data worries you, you aren’t alone. According to pro-privacy search engine DuckDuckGo, site traffic has surged some 44% since news of the NSA’s Prism program broke. Even if you aren’t concerned , a bit of security is never a bad idea: It can help keep your information private and out of the hands of hackers, marketers and anyone else who might want to make use of it in a way you might not like. Here are some simple, privacy-friendly ideas to help you keep ahold on your personal information.

KEEP SEARCHES TO YOURSELF

As much as we love Google products, the company keeps tabs on a lot of your data, including what you search for. It uses this information to serve you tailored advertisements and will even give it to other sites so they can do the same. If you want to keep what you’re searching for to yourself, try DuckDuckGo, which doesn’t track any of your information or pass it on to others. But more than that, it’s also a really good, highly customizable search engine.

Every website you visit picks pieces of information about you from your browser — what kind of computer you’re using, where you’re located, and more. The fix? Browser add-ons and settings can help you tell these websites to buzz off and stop keeping tabs on you. DuckDuckGo has compiled a great list of apps and settings, such as Ghostery, DoNotTrackMe, and Disconnect to help keep your browsing experience secure.

Disconnect is a browser add-on that not only prevents you from being tracked by websites, but also adds speed when you’re zipping around the Web, by getting rid of tracking and other clutter. Win-win.

There are simple ways to keep your Web browsing more private. (Photo: Thinkstock)

If you’re less concerned about websites tracking you and more concerned about people tracking your activity on websites, you’ll want to install HTTPS Everywhere. This browser add-on for Chrome and Firefox forces your browser to connect to websites securely over HTTPS (if it’s supported), which encrypts you

r Web traffic to keep prying eyes away.

If you want to go a step further, check out Tor. Tor is an Internet browser that is designed to keep your browsing private, both by blocking privacy risks and by directing your Internet traffic in a way that makes it difficult for sites you visit and anyone peeking in to identify you. And in case you’re concerned about Tor’s own security, it comes recommended by the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

KEEP YOUR DATA PRIVATE WITH A VPN

“Virtual private network,” or VPN, may sound like scary tech jargon, but it’s really just a fancy way of saying you’re using a secure, encrypted Internet connection. This means that everything you send is encrypted — unlike HTTPS Everywhere, which only encrypts traffic to and from websites that happen to support it.

Hotspot Shield is a VPN service for your computer or mobile device that’s free with advertisements or available ad-free for a small fee. With a price like that, it’s easy enough to give it a try.

DON’T BE YOUR OWN WORST ENEMY

If you’re serious about online privacy, though, these steps are just the beginning. There’s no privacy app that will prevent you from posting your own personal information on social networks like Twitter and Facebook, so be mindful of the sites you use and what you post on them. And, of course: Always read a site’s privacy policy before you give it your information. If a site seems fishy, or its privacy policy says it may sell or give away your personal data, it may be best to avoid it.

If you want to take the next steps toward online privacy, check out the Prism Break website, which recommends a number of more secure alternatives to the websites and services most of us use every day. Be warned, though — while it lists a lot of handy apps, not all of them will be straightforward to those who aren’t terribly tech-savvy.

These days it is becoming harder and harder to live your life without some kind of interference from the government. Individual sovereignty has become virtually lost. There are, however, some things you can do to fly under the radar of government and become independent. This is a list of tips and tricks for living your life without the burden of government, or to help you if you simply wish to disappear.

This means pay in cash – always (unless you own an anonymous credit card), shred any documentation you do not need (use a decent shredder that turns your paper in to dust – authorities can piece together the basic type of shredded documents). Don’t use your real name if possible, and definitely don’t apply for credit. Your credit report is like a big map pointing right to you.

If you are going to be using the internet in your secret lifestyle, you should do everything you can to secure yourself online. This means using PGP (encryption software) when emailing people (and using an email account that can not be traced to you directly), and, most importantly, it means saying nothing online that you would not be prepared to see on the front page of the newspaper.

Most countries allow you to buy prepaid mobile phones that do not need to be registered to a name or address. Once you get your prepaid sim card, only top it up with cash and do not give anyone the number. Use the number exclusively for making outgoing calls. If you are planning to contact someone that may be looking for you, you should discard the prepaid sim once a month and try to buy prepaid sims online that will let you call from a foreign number.

In order to reduce the chances of someone finding you when you don’t want to be found, you need to stop using things like frequent flier points, ATMs (unless you have an anonymous card – see item 2), cable, video store memberships, etc. For entertainment there is always the internet – and if you are wanting to avoid having an internet account linked to you, just download the latest music and movies from a free internet cafe.

The best way to remain anonymous (and therefore to be ignored by the powers that be) is to live a simple lifestyle. If you lead a flashy lifestyle, live in the best house, drive the latest Bentley, throw world famous parties, people are going to start paying attention and the taxman is going to wonder how you can afford it. In the case of tax evasion, some governments can even order you to give detailed evidence of how you have paid for your high price consumer goods if they are unable to find a taxable source of income in your life. This can then be used as evidence of tax fraud.

For 75,000 Euros, you can become an official diplomatic of one of two stable Southern African (but not South Africa) nations. The result is that you are exempt from tax in your country of residence from all income earned outside of the nation. Your home becomes an officially registered consulate and you receive immunity from the governmental forces. While this won’t help you with anonymity, it does help you with avoidance of the law.

A mail drop enables you to receive mail from anywhere without your real address becoming known. It can act as a complete barrier between you and companies on the internet that you buy goods from, and can help protect you from people who are seeking information on your wealth based on your home’s location and public records. Coupled with a false name and false documentation, you can virtually become a new person.

This is perhaps the best method of becoming a sovereign individual. A perpetual tourist keeps his finances in tax havens and then travels the world spending as much time as is necessary to avoid becoming official resident anywhere. Tourists are often treated better than residents and you can choose to live in nations that are closer to your way of thinking.

Anonymous credit cards are quite easy to come by on the internet. You simply provide upfront funds and an email address and you are emailed your card number and expiry date. When you use the card online you can give any name and address and security code as the clearing house will only take in to account the number and expiry date. This means that you have less security as it is easier for someone to steal your card number and use it – but you have 100% total anonymity. Combined with a mail drop, you can purchase any goods you want and they can never be traced to you.

Believe it nor you can actually legally have a false passport made. They are called camouflage passports and are usually passports from a country that no longer exists, such as the USSR and Rhodesia. Groups who make and supply these passports say: “a camouflage passport is designed to look realistic enough to allow a person to conceal his nationality in event of a hijacking, riot or some similar situation where his identity may single him out as a crime victim”. Additionally, you often also receive (free of charge) an accompanying drivers license and other forms of ID from the same nation as the passport – to help substantiate your false identity. Purchasing information can be found here.

In the travel industry, new fees and restrictions tend to have one thing in common: They are introduced without fanfare and easily overlooked. Travel companies apparently hope that you won’t notice them until you’re at the front desk or the final checkout screen.

You probably aren’t aware of these recent changes. But you should be.

In the past year, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and JetBlue Airways have quietly upped their baggage fees. For domestic flights, many U.S. airlines charge $30 for a piece of luggage that is 62 linear inches (that is, total inches high, wide and deep) and 50 pounds or less. On international flights, travelers can expect higher fees, up to $60 for a 50-pound bag.

This year, MGM Resorts increased its mandatory resort fees by $2, to $37, at seven of its properties, including MGM Grand and the Mirage. Resort insiders report another fee increase is coming Aug. 1 at some MGM hotels. In November, Royal Caribbean will begin charging passengers between $8 and $29 for signature attractions on the Quantum of the Seas.

For years when she went scalloping, Nikola Webster stayed at the same hotel in Crystal River, Fla., always booking months in advance to secure the lowest rate.

“The last time we stayed, we prepaid, and they sent me my confirmation with all the terms and conditions,” she says. But when they checked in last summer, they discovered that the hotel had added a mandatory $17-a-day resort fee without telling her.

“They demanded that I pay,” she says. Webster, an experienced traveler who also writes a travel blog called Brit on the Move, produced her terms and conditions, which made no mention of a resort fee. She stayed without paying the junk fee.

“We’ve never been back — ever,” she adds.

Hotel guests aren’t the only ones blindsided by fees. Jason Epperson, co-host of the “America’s National Parks” podcast, says he was stunned when he recently discovered campgrounds implementing fees for additional people at the campsite, “and they aren’t always upfront about it.” These unscrupulous operators charge $5 per day per person for more than two people, which can add up to more than $100 a week for his family of five, he says.

“We’re also seeing daily resort fees like those that you see at Vegas hotels implemented more and more at campgrounds that have lots of activities,” he adds.

When travel companies introduce new rules, they seldom issue news releases. Several years ago, for example, many hotels overhauled their reservation policies, setting stricter deadlines for cancellations. They started charging a penalty for cancellations less than 48 or 72 hours before scheduled arrival, instead of 24 hours. And most customers found out about it the hard way — when they tried to cancel and were denied refunds.

Why isn’t there more outcry from travelers about restrictive rules and added fees?

Sometimes, it’s because they aren’t aware of the restrictions until after the fact.

Case in point: The recent wave of cancellations for Dominican Republic vacations. Many passengers didn’t know that their airline tickets were nonrefundable and not changeable until they had second thoughts about visiting the Caribbean island.

“Travelers don’t know how restrictive the terms of their tickets are — until they check,” says Henrik Zillmer, the CEO of AirHelp, a company that helps consumers get refunds for flight delays. “The ignorance benefits the travel industry now more than ever.”

Other times, the travelers just don’t care about the added fees or restrictions.

“My clients are willing to pay the additional fees if it means one less thing to worry about when they are traveling,” says Amina Dearmon, founder of Perspectives Travel, a New Orleans travel agency. “I find this especially true when working with families and baby boomers. They are comfortable paying the additional fee on an airplane to guarantee that they can sit together or be closer to the front of the plane.”

Maybe this isn’t apathy, but fatigue. Travel policies started to become more restrictive a decade ago when airlines were delighted to discover that passengers would pay extra for their first checked bag. The enthusiasm was infectious, leaving no part of the travel industry untouched.

But every day, I hear from many travelers who do care. When travel companies add new fees without clearly disclosing them, it makes customers feel that the companies are acting in bad faith.

There’s a responsible way to handle a new policy. Travel companies should disclose the change well in advance through every booking channel, explain the reason for the change and remind customers of the new policy every step of the way.

Sofia Shershunovich, who owns several Airbnb rentals near Los Angeles International Airport, just added a few new fees, including $10 per day to store luggage, $20 per hour for late check-ins and checkouts, $20 per stay for extra guests and $80 per stay for pets. She says that she disclosed the fees through Airbnb and that they reflect her expenses, which she used to absorb as a cost of doing business.

“When people don’t understand why should they be charged more, they will get annoyed, naturally,” she says.

By The Quiet Leadership Institute

The month’s Field Notes contributor, Dorothy Tannahill-Moran, is a speaker, leadership coach, and bestselling author of Career Mapping: Planning Your Career on Purpose and Personal Branding. Her company, The Introvert Whisperer, focuses on providing career advice for the ambitious introvert.

As a quiet kid, I consistently tried to fly under the radar. It wasn’t hard—I grew up in the country surrounded by fields of wheat and very few people.

In school, my goal was to not be called on in class. I aimed to do the least possible amount of interaction with others, but at the same time, I wanted to have friends. Such is the inner conflict and the life of an introvert as I have since learned.

The older I got, the more my involvement and interests in life increased and the harder it became to avoid the attention of others. Strangely enough, I loved public speaking, which for many seemed very incongruent with my general desire to disappear while in the company of others.

When I entered the professional world, my ambitions collided with my personality. I didn’t want to “just” supervise; I wanted to be at the top of the heap and control my direction (such a modest goal!).

For a person with a history bent on invisibility, the shift to seeking promotions, higher levels, and more people to be responsible for was a huge leap. I had to change my behavior in order to achieve my goals. There were no books to help me tackle my challenges, and no one talked about how to overcome my own proclivities.

I was left to figure out a path to the top on my own. I also could tell that many of the behaviors I saw in others simply wouldn’t be ones I could emulate. Merely observing them in others made me cringe. Being the first person to start a discussion during meetings, talking about my accomplishments, and flitting around a party like a butterfly were not the types of things I wanted to do to get ahead.

Instead, being a process goddess, I reverse-engineered my way through many of the things I needed to do to achieve recognition and the subsequent rewards that went with it. For example, I broke down the process of networking and meeting new people into tiny, discrete steps. By approaching what had previously been a mysterious and tortuous activity into a much easier to execute process, I took a different path but arrived at the same destination.

I didn’t realize what I was doing until one day my mentor told me about a conversation he’d had with my current boss. I guess my boss was underestimating my ability to get a pesky group of executives sold on an idea of mine. My mentor said he had told my boss: “Never underestimate Dorothy’s ability to influence anyone. She may be quiet, but while everyone else is blowing a bunch of hot air, Dorothy gets things done and brings people along gladly to her proposals.” That was my first realization that my stealth-like ways of getting results was uncommon. I liked getting noticed without having to stand on a table and wave my arms (my metaphor for being gregarious).

I was onto something that eventually became the cornerstone of my current coaching business. While I was going through my 21 years of management at Intel, I didn’t realize I was figuring out adaptation approaches for introverts. I had discovered alternative ways of doing things that solved common problems for introverts in the workplace.

As a career & leadership coach, I focus on helping my clients accelerate their careers with faster promotions and achievement of their career goals. I started noticing that more and more of my clients were introverts and the approaches I suggested that had worked for me worked for them as well. For example, one of the more troubling issues is not speaking up in business meetings. Introverts tend to be silent in these settings, but not contributing to a discussion can give the wrong impression to others (which isn’t good if you have professional aspirations). A solution to this challenge was to set a goal for how often they would contribute remarks.

My clients would return to me shocked at how quickly and effectively my suggestions worked. The most astonishing thing to them was not only how fast they got results but how easy it was for them to implement my suggestions—the process didn’t make them cringe. Like many of my clients, I was tired of hearing classic networking advice such as “Go work the room” or “Just get out there and meet people.” Seriously? That type of advice not only doesn’t work for us introverts, it’s the last thing we would do.

As I was going through my Myers-Briggs Type Indicator teaching certification, I came to understand that throughout their lives, many people, based on the situation, start taking on behaviors not commonly consistent with their personality types. Some adapt in this way quickly, and others never do. It was a confirmation to me I was indeed onto something. After learning this skill myself, I was helping my clients to accelerate situational adaptation to accomplish their goals.

It felt good to close the loop of my understanding—not only about the introvert personality but about how we introverts can effectively address some of our most career-limiting behaviors. We can effectively move to the top of any success ladder we choose.

QLI‘s Field Notes brings you first-hand workplace experiences written by contributors who share their own stories, the lessons they’ve learned, and the unique benefits of a quiet approach to life in the office. Submit your own story to [email protected] and watch this space for more perspectives from your colleagues.

Being cooped up inside is only making us yearn more intensely for the days when we’ll be able to feel the sun on our faces and sand beneath our toes. And while famous islands like Capri and Santorini will always retain a certain appeal, the idea of exploring some lesser-known islands is even more appealing right now. From the Mediterranean to the Caribbean, these under-the-radar islands offer alluring alternatives to the more crowded islands that usually pop up on our Instagram feeds.

Paros, Greece

Photo: Via Getty Images

Forget Mykonos and Santorini—Paros has all the white-washed charm you want from an idyllic Greek island and none of the selfie-stick-wielding crowds. The main port town of Naoussa comes alive in summer with open-air restaurants like Mario and the family-run Statheros Restaurant and plenty of shops selling white linen and other chic clothes, leather sandals, and accessories. Rent one of the luxurious homes available through White Key Villas and bring the whole family. All the villas feature gorgeous decor and a pool, and many have beach access too.

Koh Yao Noi, Thailand

Cape Kudu Hotel on Koh Yao Noi, Thailand.

Photo: Courtesy of Small Luxury Hotels of the World

A 20-minute speedboat ride from bustling Phuket lies the much quieter Thai island of Koh Yao Noi. What it lacks in nightlife it makes up for in gorgeous beaches, amazing sunsets, and local charm. You’ll want to stay at the Cape Kudu Hotel, a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World with a breezy seaside design, a lovely restaurant that serves delicious Thai food, and a fantastic staff that can arrange anything from cooking lessons to and island-hopping excursion aboard a traditional longtail boat.

Elaphiti Islands, Croatia

Sipan, one of the Elaphiti Islands, Croatia.

Photo: Simon Montgomery/LOOP IMAGES/Via Getty Images

Off the coast of Dubrovnik lies this archipelago of six small islands worth exploring on your next visit to Croatia. Though there is ferry service available, the best way to discover them is to charter a catamaran for a day trip from Dubrovnik. You’ll set sail on the turquoise Adriatic Sea, stopping to swim and snorkel in the cool water. Drop anchor at the island of Sipan for lunch at Bowa, a restaurant comprising a series of treehouse-like pavilions on stilts above the water. After a day at sea, you’ll want to retreat to the comfort of your suite at the ultra-chic Hotel Excelsior, the recently renovated Hotel Bellevue, or the intimate Villa Orsula, all of which are part of Adriatic Luxury Hotels, which runs 12 hotels in Croatia.

Parrot Cay, Turks and Caicos Islands

Parrot Cay, Turks and Caicos Islands.

Photo: Martin Morrell / COMO Parrot Cay

If Providenciales has become too crowded for you, consider retreating to Parrot Cay. The private island is home to celebrities like Keith Richards, Christie Brinkley, and Donna Karan, who called her Balinese-inspired home there “a sanctuary where I go to create awareness.” You’ll never have to worry about overcrowding, since there’s only one resort on the island: COMO Parrot Cay, a haven for wellness-obsessed travelers. In addition to rustic-chic accommodations and three beautiful restaurants and bars, guests have access to bikes, a fantastic spa, and ample wellness programming that includes everything from yoga classes to ayurvedic consultations.

Malta

Photo: Tu xa Ha Noi / Via Getty Images

This island nation stole the spotlight in 2018 when it was designated a European Capital of Culture. The country actually comprises three inhabited islands: the main island of Malta, Gozo, and Comino. Visit Malta for its historic palaces and churches and spend some time wandering the well-preserved streets of Valletta lined with restaurants, bars, and shops. Gozo boasts hidden swimming holes, beautiful beaches, and salt pans. On Comino, you’ll find the Blue Lagoon, where the eye-popping turquoise water glistens in the sun. You can day trip to the latter two islands while staying on Malta, at the Phoenicia Malta—a member of Leading Hotels of the World favored by Queen Elizabeth II—or at the Corinthia Palace Malta, which will soon unveil its elegantly renovated spa.

Phu Quoc, Vietnam

Phu Quoc, Vietnam.

Photo: Dmitry Kushch / Via Getty Images

Travelers to Vietnam typically visit cities like Hanoi and Hoi An, and perhaps the famous Ha Long Bay, but it might be worth adding the island of Phu Quoc to your itinerary. Off the country’s southern coast, the island boasts pristine beaches, authentic local culture, and a destination resort designed by Bangkok-based Bill Bensley. For the ambitious JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay Resort & Spa, Bensley invented the story of a French colonial-era university that was dusted off and renovated to become the beachfront resort. Every building adheres to the theme, from the Department of Chemistry—where creative cocktails are served—to the Department of Architecture, where rooms are adorned with black-and-white photographs of columns and pilasters.

It’s time to start planning your next trip. But where should you go? Maybe Hawaii is your next travel destination? Australia? Jamaica? Italy? With the hundreds of places to choose from, it’s hard to narrow it down and choose just one.

But when it comes time to make your decision and choose that one place, ask yourself this question — Do I want to go to a popular travel hub that’s typically filled with tourists and where everyone I know has already been to? If you think like we do, your answer is not this time.

Traveling is all about exploring, and what better way to explore and really get to know the world you live in than by traveling to some of its hidden and undiscovered places? You don’t have to take another cookie-cutter vacation. Travel under the radar and book a hotel room in one of these lesser-known destinations and experience a vacation unlike any other.

Malta

Lying in the Mediterranean Sea is the southern European island of Malta. It may be small — it only takes about an hour to drive from one side of the island to the other — but it’s full of things to do. A big list of the activities offered on Malta get you outside enjoying the warm sun and salty sea. Swimming, scuba diving and wind surfing are popular activities, but so are hiking, mountain biking and rock climbing. Gozo, Malta’s sister island, is loved by rock climbers and mountain bikers thanks to its steep cliffs and exceptional hill climbs.

Malta Coast – Photo by Berit Watkin

Malta’s lively nightlife even has you enjoying the fresh Maltese air. Many of its clubs are open-air clubs, where you get the unique club experience of partying your night away under the stars and the open night skies. Another famous Malta attraction is Popeye Village in Mellieha. Be greeted by Popeye the Sailor Man and then have your moment in the spotlight as you become a movie star for the day.

The Popeye Village – Photo by Robert Pittman

Slovenia

Slovenia has remained an undiscovered land partially because of the major parties that border and surround it (Austria, Hungary, Italy and Croatia). But with its beautiful mountains, vineyards, castles and caves, we’re not sure why it hasn’t made a big name for itself yet in the travel landscape. Slovenia is great for water sports like river rafting since there are several rivers to ride down, as well as for sampling delicious wine with its more than 28,000 wineries scattered about.

Bled lake, Slovenia – Photo by Mirci

The neatest quality Slovenia might have though is the fact that it sits on top of nearly 8,000 caves. Hire yourself a tour guide and have them lead you on an underworld exploration, or visit Postojna Cave and see all its rocky tunnels and passages by train.

Postojna Cave Park – Photo by Michael R Perry

Estonia

Situated atop Europe in the Baltic region is Estonia. The western part of this country borders the Baltic Sea, so you don’t want to miss your chance to take a dip. Parnu Beach is a great spot for families with small children with its shallow, warm waters and fun attractions and a park nearby. It’s also perfect for couples on vacation, as the beach promenade is romantic to walk along.

Tallinn, Estonia – Photo by Kyle Taylor

When you’re not on the coast, Estonia is covered in forests. Close to 50% of the country is forested, meaning you have plenty of trails to hike, wildlife to see and national parks to visit. Lahemaa National Park was the first and is the largest national park in Estonia, and it’s also an important conservation area that acts as a home to many moose, brown bears and foxes, which you might see during your visit.

Lahemaa National Park – Photo by Jean-Pierre Dalbéra

Andorra

Andorra, tucked away in the Pyrenees Mountains, is covered with rugged landscapes and slender valleys. With all the white snow that falls every year and more than 300 km of slopes, Andorra is where you want to spend your next winter vacation. There are various winter sports that get you out on the mountains, but this microstate is best known for its optimum skiing conditions.

Vall d’Incles, Andorra – Photo by Ferran Llorens

And when you aren’t skiing in Andorra, you’re shopping. Andorra is known internationally for its low taxation rates, and while it’s smaller in size, there’s nothing small about the shopping here. Take your pick from more than 1,000 shops selling the latest fashion in clothes and accessories, electronic devices, sporting equipment and more at extremely low prices.

Principe Benlloch, Andorra – Photo by alfonsobenayas

Bequia

Besides Malta, another low-lying island is Bequia. This very easy-going Grenadines island is everything you want in an island getaway. It has gorgeous turquoise waters, golden-sand beaches and bright coral reefs. Appreciate the waters and coral reefs underwater through snorkeling and scuba diving or above the water lying on a boat or tanning on the beach.

Bequia also has some great laid-back bars and local restaurants, where you can try a common Caribbean soup, goat water soup. When you get tired of relaxing in the warm waters (which may never happen), learn more about Bequia, its culture and what makes this island so special on an island tour by a Bequia taxi driver.

There’s so much of the world out there that you’ve never heard of — and maybe can’t even pronounce — that’s waiting for you to come explore what makes it such a fascinating place. There’s no better time than the present to travel to one of these lesser-known destinations for a unique vacation experience you’ll be talking about for years to come.

So what are you waiting for? Head to one of these lesser-known destinations before the rest of the world discovers them!

When new travel fees fly under the radar

In the travel industry, new fees and restrictions tend to have one thing in common: They are introduced without fanfare and easily overlooked. Travel companies apparently hope that you won’t notice them until you’re at the front desk or the final checkout screen.

You probably aren’t aware of these recent changes. But you should be.

In the past year, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and JetBlue Airways have quietly upped their baggage fees. For domestic flights, many U.S. airlines charge $30 for a piece of luggage that is 62 linear inches (that is, total inches high, wide and deep) and 50 pounds or less. On international flights, travelers can expect higher fees, up to $60 for a 50-pound bag.

This year, MGM Resorts increased its mandatory resort fees by $2, to $37, at seven of its properties, including MGM Grand and the Mirage. Resort insiders report another fee increase is coming Aug. 1 at some MGM hotels. In November, Royal Caribbean will begin charging passengers between $8 and $29 for signature attractions on the Quantum of the Seas.

For years when she went scalloping, Nikola Webster stayed at the same hotel in Crystal River, Florida, always booking months in advance to secure the lowest rate.

“The last time we stayed, we prepaid, and they sent me my confirmation with all the terms and conditions,” she says. But when they checked in last summer, they discovered that the hotel had added a mandatory $17-a-day resort fee without telling her.

“They demanded that I pay,” she says. Webster, an experienced traveler who also writes a travel blog called Brit on the Move, produced her terms and conditions, which made no mention of a resort fee. She stayed without paying the junk fee.

“We’ve never been back – ever,” she adds.

Hotel guests aren’t the only ones blindsided by fees. Jason Epperson, co-host of the “America’s National Parks” podcast, says he was stunned when he recently discovered campgrounds implementing fees for additional people at the campsite, “and they aren’t always upfront about it.” These unscrupulous operators charge $5 per day per person for more than two people, which can add up to more than $100 a week for his family of five, he says.

“We’re also seeing daily resort fees like those that you see at Vegas hotels implemented more and more at campgrounds that have lots of activities,” he adds.

When travel companies introduce new rules, they seldom issue news releases. Several years ago, for example, many hotels overhauled their reservation policies, setting stricter deadlines for cancellations. They started charging a penalty for cancellations less than 48 or 72 hours before scheduled arrival, instead of 24 hours. And most customers found out about it the hard way – when they tried to cancel and were denied refunds.

Why isn’t there more outcry from travelers about restrictive rules and added fees?

Sometimes, it’s because they aren’t aware of the restrictions until after the fact.

Case in point: The recent wave of cancellations for Dominican Republic vacations. Many passengers didn’t know that their airline tickets were nonrefundable and not changeable until they had second thoughts about visiting the Caribbean island.

“Travelers don’t know how restrictive the terms of their tickets are – until they check,” says Henrik Zillmer, the CEO of AirHelp, a company that helps consumers get refunds for flight delays. “The ignorance benefits the travel industry now more than ever.”

Other times, the travelers just don’t care about the added fees or restrictions.

“My clients are willing to pay the additional fees if it means one less thing to worry about when they are traveling,” says Amina Dearmon, founder of Perspectives Travel, a New Orleans travel agency. “I find this especially true when working with families and baby boomers. They are comfortable paying the additional fee on an airplane to guarantee that they can sit together or be closer to the front of the plane.”

Maybe this isn’t apathy, but fatigue. Travel policies started to become more restrictive a decade ago when airlines were delighted to discover that passengers would pay extra for their first checked bag. The enthusiasm was infectious, leaving no part of the travel industry untouched.

But every day, I hear from many travelers who do care. When travel companies add new fees without clearly disclosing them, it makes customers feel that the companies are acting in bad faith.

There’s a responsible way to handle a new policy. Travel companies should disclose the change well in advance through every booking channel, explain the reason for the change and remind customers of the new policy every step of the way.

Sofia Shershunovich, who owns several Airbnb rentals near Los Angeles International Airport, just added a few new fees, including $10 per day to store luggage, $20 per hour for late check-ins and checkouts, $20 per stay for extra guests and $80 per stay for pets. She says that she disclosed the fees through Airbnb and that they reflect her expenses, which she used to absorb as a cost of doing business.

“When people don’t understand why should they be charged more, they will get annoyed, naturally,” she says.

Airlines and online travel agencies (OTAs) invest considerable funds and go to great lengths in an effort to prevent online fraud. But while trying to avoid chargebacks, many travel merchants impose strict rules and filters that block not only fraud attempts, but also good customers. In the highly competitive online travel market, wrongly declining a good order and failing to provide a great online experience can mean losing not only the deal, but also all of the customer’s future business.

International backpackers are a key consumer segment that airlines and OTAs falsely decline on a regular basis. In this article, I explain why online purchases by global travelers between the ages of 18-25 tend to set off red flags in fraud detection systems, and share stats showing how safe these customers actually are.

Backpackers fly solo, seek last minute deals

Online travel merchants know that both last minute bookings and single ticket purchases are high-risk. But high-risk is relative: over 95% of last minute, single ticket orders are valid. And when we dug deeper into these orders, we discovered that those which matched the profile of international backpackers are an even safer subcategory.

First, irrespective of time to flight, if the solo traveler’s age is 18-25, the likelihood of her order being fraudulent is just under one percent, compared to 2.13% for solo travelers of all other ages.

Furthermore, when we envision a young adult traveler, it isn’t a stretch to imagine her buying travel tickets last minute – due either to spontaneity or simply because students are more sensitive to price fluctuations and only travel when they can find good prices. The data bears this out: less than 3% of last minute ticket purchases by customers between the ages of 18 and 25 are fraudulent, a significantly lower rate of fraud than in last minute tickets purchases by travelers of other age groups.

International is… safer?

While fraudsters tend to target expensive goods that can be resold for steep prices, this is not the case in online travel. Riskified’s data shows that despite being more expensive, international flights tickets are actually far less risky than domestic flight tickets.

But the story doesn’t end there. Drilling down by passenger age, we discovered that among international travelers, tickets purchased by 18-25 year olds are nearly twice as safe as international tickets purchased by travelers in other age groups.

Backpackers are booking flights on-the-go

What other behaviors would we expect from an 18-25 year old booking a single seat at the last minute to a different country? It certainly seems likely that this customer is buying tickets while already on the move, most probably on her phone . It’s not surprising that backpackers who are ordering from outside their country of residence are 44% more likely to be buying on their phone than backpackers traveling domestically. But the key insight is that backpackers’ mobile orders are actually 53% safer when they’re making the purchase from abroad vs tickets booked through mobile devices at home.

Most legacy fraud detection systems are programmed to identify a mismatch between the credit card issuing country and the location of the device from which the order was placed (i.e. the IP address) as indicative of a higher risk of fraud. But this is exactly the type of data mismatch that occurs when travelers book tickets while abroad, which in the case of backpackers characterizes a safe shopping pattern. In other words, the more closely the data fits a realistic customer profile, the more likely the order is to be legitimate.

Don’t forget there’s a person behind every order
Judging the validity of online travel orders by discrete data points is like viewing a novel as a set of independent pages bound together. It’s one thing for fraudsters to fool AVS filters or use a proxy to show an IP close to the billing address – it’s much more difficult for them to accurately emulate the entire shopping patterns of legitimate travelers. To avoid alienating backpackers and other key consumer segments, airlines and OTAs must ensure their fraud review systems go beyond flagging mismatches, and work to identify the legitimate shopping behaviors and patterns behind the order data.

Take your best friend on a well-deserved vacation with these handy tips.

If you are interested in flying with your pet, the process can be costly and complicated. Here’s how to sort through the options, from cabin to cargo.

You can put your dog, cat, or other animal “under the plane.” Some types of aircraft have a pressurized cargo hold that maintains the same conditions as the cabin, where you’ll be sitting. This involves booking in advance, as there are limited spaces, and paying a fee determined by the airline.

How to travel with your pet in the cargo hold

Depending on the airline, you can either bring your pet to the check-in counter to be taken away like a regular bag (this is an option on American and Alaska, among others), or take them to a separate cargo drop-off in a location separate from the airport, which you have to do if flying with your pet on United or Delta.

For each airline, you will need a health certificate from your vet from within 10 days of departure (for each flight—so if your trip is longer than 10 days, you’ll need to get another certificate at your destination).

Here are some additional fees and restrictions on the major airlines.

Alaska: You can either check or ship your pet as cargo. The airline claims they may refuse an animal if there are “extreme outdoor temperatures,” though no hard limits are listed.

American: You can fly with your pet as checked baggage on certain non-Airbus planes for $200 each way. The ground temperature cannot be below 45 degrees Fahrenheit (except with a letter from your vet), or above 85 degrees.

Delta: You can ship your dog or cat as cargo. The ground temperature cannot be below 20 or above 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

United: You can ship your dog or cat as cargo by taking them to a separate cargo location. It costs $338 per trip. Your pet and its crate must meet certain requirements. There are also location restrictions during certain months due to outdoor temperatures.

Be sure to check with your airline before flying for further restrictions that may apply to your specific flight.

The benefit of going through this process is that there is no weight limit–you can fly with your Great Dane as long as he’s in a crate he can sit, stand, and turn around. There are no support requirements, meaning your animal does not have to be working in a service capacity to fly with you. You can also check any type of pet (except snub-nosed dogs like French bulldogs).

The obvious downside is the cost and convenience factor, especially if you have to go to an entirely separate location, away from the airport, to ship your animal.

Pets in the cabin

The second option is to take your pet on the plane, under the seat in front of you. On some major airlines, such as Southwest and JetBlue, this is your only option—these airlines don’t allow pets in the cargo hold at all. As long as your pet can stand up and turn around in a plane-approved carrier that fits under the seat in front of you, your buddy can travel with you. In some cases, pet and carrier must weigh a combined 20 pounds. Some airlines have restrictions for first and business class seats on particular types of planes, so check with your airline first before booking your ticket.

Note that you will usually need to schedule your pet’s travel with the airline 14 days in advance, as there are only a certain number of pet slots per plane. Most airlines charge between a hundred to two hundred dollars to carry your pet on the plane.

The clear downside to this option is that the animal must be very small; many full-grown cats and even some small dogs are too large to fit under the seat.

There are also risks involved with flying with your pet. In one recent high-profile case, a snub-nosed dog died in the overhead bin when it was placed there instead of underneath the seat. Many carriers already restrict the breed of dog that can be checked in the cargo hold; now some are adding restrictions to dogs that can be carried on the plane because of safety concerns.

Service animals

Individuals with service animals, such as blind passengers who need a service dog to walk and find their seats, are generally welcome to bring their animals on the plane as they perform a life-saving function.

Emotional Support Animals (ESAs)

To avoid the fee and inconvenience of checking an animal, airline passengers will often register their pets as “emotional support animals,” or ESAs. To do this, passengers need a letter from a mental health professional saying the pet performs a necessary function for its owner, though many companies have emerged that claim to simply sell ESA letters online.

As ESAs become more common, issues have arisen with their behavior. Until recently, no formal training was required and no species restrictions were in place for ESAs, so many animals, from ducks to pigs, have boarded with their owners, and in some cases have caused disruptions.

In some cases, untrained “emotional support” animals have caused issues by attacking service animals who are performing a life-saving function, leading advocates for people with disabilities to call for restrictions on untrained animals. Consequently, some airlines now ask patrons to sign a training verification, including Delta. Legislation was also introduced in 2018 that would require airlines to align their definition of a service animal more closely with that of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Species restrictions for in-cabin animals

In January 2018, United announced they would be restricting Emotional Support Animals to dogs and cats above four months of age, and banned ESAs from flights longer than eight hours, citing a rise in incidents.

United joins Delta, Spirit, and Alaska in announcing these restrictions. The three airlines also require three forms (the vet certificate, a letter from a mental health professional, and a liability waiver from the passenger) and 48 hours’ notice before an ESA can be brought on the plane.

If your pet does not perform a life-saving function or weighs more than 20 pounds, your best best is to check your pet or ship it via cargo. Be sure to travel outside of times (or airports) where extreme temperatures are expected, and get a vet’s letter right before you travel. And if you are ever in doubt, call your airline before booking tickets to make sure you can bring your pet on your flight with you.

Delaney Ross works at National Geographic and loves to travel with her two dogs. Follow her adventures on Twitter @delaneychambers.

I was just wondering if any of you know how low a plane has to fly to be flying under the radar, as in, not visible on radars?
The plane I have in mind is the Swedish JAS Gripen/phoenix.

All day I have seen these fly over our house like really low, and they usually fly at what I would think is “standard” altitude. My guess would be that today they have been flying about 70-150 meter above ground. Flying low is not something I have never ever seen before, but I have never seen them make so many flybys over our house this low.

Im not speculating why they have been doing this all day.

As mentioned, the radar horizon (slightly farther than the visual horizon) and terrain masking both play big roles. In general, the lower the better. Unless you hiccup and plow a new field.
With tensions rising, I suspect most of Europe will be hearing “the sound of freedom” more often for awhile.

So from the answers, I’m gathering it’s generally very low and essentially following the terrain?

JimTSpock: I often wondered if there were aircraft with that capability.

As mentioned, the radar horizon (slightly farther than the visual horizon) and terrain masking both play big roles. In general, the lower the better. Unless you hiccup and plow a new field.
With tensions rising, I suspect most of Europe will be hearing “the sound of freedom” more often for awhile.

This is most likely the reason.
Though I’m jealous of you. for getting to see these baby’s.
It would seem that the current situations are a draw back.

Thank you all for the replies, I can now say that I know what the altitude for flying under the radar is. Thank you.

And to those who think I am lucky to see them every day, well, it is pretty cool but it can also be a bit irritating from time to time.

No, I dont get to see them tax out on the highway or anything like that. I live on a small Island with no highway. It just happens to be that my village is right under their “air highway”.

I will try to catch them on a videocamera if I can and post it here for you.

Take care/ Robert

It depends on the system, the topography and the local regulations which in times of heightened tension may be lifted.
Typically a Naval radar system which spot’s ships or even a civil maritime system is down to a few feet with wave’s causing the main interference and that is the point a radar system is looking for return signals and waves at sea cause sporadic returns that can cause interferrance, a real problem for human operators but no so much for computerised systems that can process the bulk of that data and look for regular sustained returns, so in that case 1 to six feet is the probably basement of the system.
On land a whole other range of problems occure and topography, construction limit the range of military radar at lower altitude’s and other natural deviation in the natural horizon also limit that lowest altitude, this is why the old Tomohawk cruise missiles which was designed to exploit this weakness used a down facing topographic radar to navigate an internal satelite obtained topographical map to there target, even if they were detected they would be lost just as quickly as they followed natural ravines etc to there target.
Typically though civil aviation radar has a much higher starting altitude
During WW2 both sides tried to exploit this weakness in there adversaries radar systems and after the war the new antagonists of the east and west tried to developt this flaw out of there systems, military radar really is a different beast to civil radar and that is why.

I would imagine that was a Tornado pilot, great for putting a part in the hair.

How about an airborne radar systems?

How about an airborne radar systems?

Holy smokes I just read to the end of the thread and was about to say that

Very good point, they are suseptible to other problems but overall have several major advantage’s such as altitude allowing ground reflecton of near by terrain recesses taht are normally blocked entirely to surface radar systems, you are right this can pick up rapid moving low altitude target’s so though there footprint tend’s to be smaller when they are operated tandem with other airborne radar systems, overlapping and maximising coverage the overall data coverage would easily allow detection of such target’s and partially at least closes this window of oportunity, you know I completely forgot about this a very well thought out and astute question.

Of course traditionally this would be prohibitively expensive with scores of Awacs covering a relatively small area of rugged terrain and topographical constraints put on how many you would need for an area but with the advent of drone systems this and Lidar can perform the same task at a fraction of the overall cost though the initial overlay is still huge.

Think of Radar like light (which Lidar actually is) and taking a torch in a dark room shine it around, what you can not see it what is beyond the power of your torch or is obstructed from the direct source of the light and this actually pertains exactly to Radar and Lidar and it the best analogy I can draw, that is all Sonar is as well though it uses sound waves instead, in the case of the torch your eye’s are the reciever recieving the light bounced off the objects and your torch is the transmittler procucing the signal that you are reading the bounce back reflection of, this best describe’s an active system, in sonar passibe sonar can work as well and in light passive light detection is also possible but radar is a little harder though there are passive radar systems.

So the radius of the earth squared, plus the distance squared equals whatever the radius of the earth plus the observers height is as a sum squared.
d^2+R^2= (R+h)^2
So d^2+R^2=R^2+2Rh+h^2
or d^2=2Rh+h^2
So d = the square root of [h(2R + h)].

So for an airborne radar, we would complete the equation for both the airborne radar’s height and horizon and the sneaky plane’s height and horizon separately. Then we would we would add the distances to the horizon together and find the detection level. A few hundred feet on either end can really make a difference.

Try being out and about in Scotland up on the hills, was coming up the A9 and something caught my eye in the gully at the side of the road and here are a pair of Tornado’s flat out at about 25′ 30′ off the deck.

I have seen them practice the missile attack against the US navy off the coast, one aircraft flat out at less than 50′ another tucked up underneath it, pretending to be the missile, they fly like that until release, one aircraft rolls out and away as the attacker escaping and the other runs at the target as the missile. have heard they put the wind up some of the deck crew onboard a US carrier. flying over the flight deck at a decent rate of knots

How To Fly Under The Radar in USCG Boot Camp

I want to begin this by making it very clear that while this lesson will teach you how to fly under the radar in USCG Boot Camp, there is no way to create a 100% full-proof “forcefield” that will keep the company commanders off your back and out of your face. It doesn’t exist because it’s against their job description to leave you alone. A large part of their function is to create an environment of artificial stress so that you become accustomed to functioning in a high-stress environment. The idea is that if you can do it for 8 weeks straight, then presumably you’ll be able to do it when you’re on a real world mission.

Think of your company commanders like expert boxers or martial artists who can spot an opening in an instant. Once they see that opening they go in for the kill and from there it can be very hard to recover. Metaphorically speaking, this is exactly what every interaction with your company commanders is like. They are looking for those weaknesses, but as long as you have your layers of protection fully up, they will almost always target your shipmates who don’t. The only exception to this is the first week and a half or so when everyone gets their butt kicked. Let me explain:

When you first get to Coast Guard Boot Camp it’s like an unfriendly, stressful meet-n-greet. You don’t know your company commanders and they don’t know you. This is also one of the most crucial times to have your layers of protection up, because this is the time when your company commanders are forming their opinions on you and all your shipmates. They are deciding who showed up to Coast Guard Boot Camp motivated to train hard. Those who they think aren’t motivated enough, will be getting the majority of that “special attention”. This is when you turn on your secret weapon – your layers of protection.

So what exactly are these layers?

Your most outer layer is paying attention to detail, particularly to your shave and your uniform. Female recruits, the equivalent of a clean shave for you, is making sure that your hair is gelled and slicked back so that you have the helmet head look. Paying attention to detail is important in all areas of Coast Guard Boot Camp life, but on a minute by minute basis, your shave (hair for females) and your uniform serve as your most outer layer of protection. The reason is because these are 2 things that are always visible to your company commanders without them even having to address you. If you aren’t clean shaved (your hair isn’t completely slicked back for females) or your uniform looks like a cow chewed on it before you put it on then you are making yourself a target.

Tired of being spied on?

It seems apparent that our government, and even our global community has no qualms about the data they collect on you and if they could they’d love to listen in on every thought in your head.

Since the NSA scandal it’s been made aware to many people that there isn’t anything our government won’t do to keep tabs on it’s citizens.

Individual sovereignty has been taking a beating since someone first decided that we needed leaders. We’re trying hard to take our freedoms back with our vote and voice but it’s probably to late. We’ve created an uber-huge mega global government and it’s virtually impossible to turn back the clock.

To avoid our overly intrusive government, utilize these ten tips I found that can help you stay under the radar.

10. Don’t Leave a Trail

To do this you’d need to primarily deal in cash. Shred any documents that aren’t vital to keep, but make sure they’re crosscut and random. Many computer programs can piece shredded paper back together digitally. I like to shred and then burn sensitive documents.

Avoiding the use of your real name is helpful and definitely don’t apply for credit. Your credit reports are like a compass pointing in your direction.

9. Avoid the Internet

Since you’re reading this then you’re probably online often. Be careful of email, it can all be intercepted. Don’t say anything online that you wouldn’t mind being on the front page of the newspaper.

Since I work from home, this isn’t an option for me. ☹

There are many programs to encrypt your email content, and even providers that focus on privacy. Try and check out their email options.

8. Ditch the Big Company Cell Phone

I’ve considered this more than once, and actually keep a pre-paid phone aside incase I ever need one. A prepaid phone that doesn’t require registration with a name or address is a great way to make sure your conversations don’t lead back to you.

This isn’t an untraceable phone. It’s not a spy tool that can’t be hacked. You still need to be careful what you say. It’s just harder to trace it back to you.

7. Stop Using “Program” Perks

Credit cards, bank cards and a host of memberships all give you perks to use their service. They’re getting something out of it – your data. This data is like gold to large companies because it helps them market to you, and sell more products.

Ditch the reward cards and bank cards. Also ditch the cable, video store, and other memberships. They’re all compiling your data. Want entertainment? Go to the movies and pay cash, or enjoy the park.

6. Live a simple life

The most effective way to stay under the radar is to live a simple life. Giving no reason for scrutiny. The more things and property you own the more that you should have been responsible for taxes. Big expensive things are a huge red flag to the IRS. They’re obsessed with getting your money and are always looking.

If you appear to have very little or nothing then you aren’t worth a second look to the government.

5. You Can Become a Diplomat

This may sound crazy but for just 75,000 Euros (98,332 U.S. Dollars) you can become a diplomat of a South African nation. Your home becomes a registered consulate and you receive immunity from government regulations. You’re also free from any taxes for money earned outside the US.

This won’t help much with anonymity; it’ll actually get you on the radar. What it will do is help you avoid silly laws and regulations.

4. Utilize a Mail Drop

There are some mail services that you can forward you mail to and they will provide a secret and secure mailbox for you. This way you don’t have to use your home address or a PO Box that is registered to you.

You may have to look around for a really secret and secure one but there are plenty of these services. Check out this service

3. Stay On The Move

Becoming a constant traveler/tourist can be one of the best ways to stay off the radar. You can keep your finances in tax havens around the world and only stay in one place long enough to keep from becoming an official resident of any one place.

2. Use Anonymous Credit Cards

You can use an email address and prepaid funds to buy an anonymous credit card online. They just add funds to the account and email you the card number and expiration.

There is much less security with one of these cards since anyone that gets the number can use it and there’s no recourse because there is no ID assigned to the card. Whoever has the card number owns the money. Just don’t share the number and keep the funds low.

1. Get a Camouflage Passport

Yes, you can actually legally own a fake passport. These camouflage passports are usually from a country that no longer exists.

Their made realistic enough to help a person conceal their identity in the case of a hijacking, riot or similar situation. Often supporting documents like drivers license and other documents are available to supplement your camo passport. Here’s some more info about these covert IDs.

As an online e-prenuer it is difficult if not impossible for me to stay under the radar.

I do work hard to secure my sensitive information and use services that help monitor my risks online. I suggest taking your online privacy seriously.

If you have any tips and tricks to stay under the radar we’d love to hear from you. Comment below and let us know how you stay out of the eye of the establishment.

under the radar

Variants | Synonyms

• off the radar
• below the radar
• beneath the radar
• above the radar

Meaning

• going unnoticed, avoiding unnecessary attention
• another way to say underground, often alluding to something that is yet to be found
• to do something secretly
• without drawing attention
• in an secretive or undetected way

Example Sentences

1. They managed to stay under the radar for years, after stealing all that money from their friends.
2. Prior to the album Trilogy, songs by the TheWeeknd, was pretty much under the radar.
3. Jackson didn’t want his boss to find out he was searching for another job, so, he did everything under the radar.
4. After the successful carrier of a decade – why the band is staying under the radar now?
5. He is very intelligent officer – criminals can’t fly above his radar.
6. How such a serious error can be slipped under the radar of the inspectors?
7. We finally married last month after going many years off the radar.
8. I haven’t seen my close friend since 3 months – he is going off the radar.
9. The Taliban is still trying to run terrorism beneath the radar.
10. The intelligence agencies revealed the place where criminals stayed below the radar.

Origin

The actual origin of this phrase is from after World War II. In the war, radar was first used to detect incoming fighter and bomber jets. Due to interference with radio waves by the ground, planes that flew low could not be detected by radar. So those planes that could not be detected were said to have flown under the radar. This expression was used in telling tales of the fighter jets used during the war. Even subsequent wars, soldiers who camouflaged by blending in with the trees, grasses, rocks and other such objects in their environment where said to have been under the radar. Over the years, the expression then caught on, and can be seen in literary pieces and music.

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Owing back taxes is not uncommon. There are a variety of reasons taxes become delinquent: neglect, no money, tax evasion. Some taxpayers fly under the radar of the IRS, but only for so long. The IRS soon catches wind and takes aim.

The First Bill

If a taxpayer owes back taxes, the IRS begins the collection process by sending a bill. If he or she doesn’t pay the first bill, the IRS will send at least one more bill. The IRS will start to enforce collection actions if necessary. Collection actions can range from taking future tax refunds to seizing your property.

IRS Next Steps

After a battery of attempts to collect what is owed, the IRS may need to resort to more extreme measures. The IRS will automatically impose a tax lien if the taxpayer does not pay taxes due after receiving the first bill. In some cases, the IRS may place a tax levy on property and/or assets. Yes, it’s as bad as it sounds. Think of it as your back against a wall.

What is the Difference Between a Tax Levy and Tax Lien?

A tax levy is different than a tax lien in that a tax lien is an actual claim against your property. The IRS uses a tax lien as security for tax debt. It protects the government’s interest in taxpayer debt.

A tax levy refers to a legal seizure of property to satisfy a tax debt. With a tax levy, the IRS actually takes property in order to satisfy tax debt.

Before the IRS places a tax levy on assets, they do the following:

The IRS first sends a “Notice and Demand for Payment” after their tax assessment has been made. If the taxpayer neglects or refuses to pay the tax balance shown on the notice, the IRS then sends a “Final Notice of Intent to Levy and Notice of Your Right to A Hearing,” a levy notice. The taxpayer may receive this notice at home, work, or in person.

Still No Response?

If the taxpayer makes no response within 30 days of sending the levy notice, the IRS will not assume it’s been lost in the mail. They place a tax levy on property/assets.

How Does the IRS Levy?

The IRS may seize and sell any type of real or personal property the taxpayer owns or has an interest in. A wage garnishment is the most common form of IRS levy. The IRS will order an employer to subtract a certain amount of money from each pay period to go toward paying the tax liability.

They don’t drag it out or stop to think of how much the taxpayer will need to survive on. They want their money and having been ignored in past attempts, usually, only a small portion is left for him or her to keep. Other forms of levy can include real estate (even a home,) a car, bank accounts, retirement funds, rental income, and more.

While tax levies and tax liens seem harsh, they are typically the IRS’s last resort. It’s best to face a tax bill head-on as the IRS values attempts. How can you support your tax-delinquent clients in IRS dealings?

HOW WE CAN HELP:

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By making sure your clients understand the importance of responding to IRS letters and new laws you’ll both avoid a big surprise when you least need it next tax season.

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