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Covid-19 Statement

4/8/2020

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​Group Travel Directors and Accolades Tours recognize the deep impact of the Covid-19 virus on those associated with our company and the world as a whole. We earnestly look forward to a time when we can all greet life in a more normal way.

We are working diligently to address matters on a chronological, group-by-group basis whether it pertains to cancellations, refunds, rebookings, existing tours, or new tours.

​As our Mission Statement says: “We conduct business with uncompromising honesty and integrity. Our philosophy is that of respect and appreciation toward those associated with our company.”

If you have questions, please contact us at info@gtd.org.
​
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Best Above the Rest? We Agree

5/28/2019

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Thank you, Elizabeth:

"From the very beginning it was clear that Accolades Tours for the Arts stood out among the rest. 

Their desire for accuracy in every detail was outstanding from the start. It was clear that the staff is all experienced in providing each client a wonderful, unique, and life-changing tour. 

​And the onsite staff was exceptional, kind, and knowledgeable in every way. Accolades is willing to jump hurdles to make a trip the way it should be and to make it as easy as possible for the client and all attendees. I wholeheartedly recommend Accolades Tours for the Arts far above the rest!"
Thank you, again!
Elizabeth Bennett
Director of Orchestras, 
Buffalo Grove High School ​
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60th Anniversary of the 1st U.S. Commercial Jet

10/17/2018

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The Boeing 707 was the first commercial jet used in the United States. 

​The inaugural flight. 60 years ago today (10/17/1958), came after years of testing that included this incredible barrel roll of a prototype by Tex Johnson caught on film.

Only after manufacturing 865 units did it ceased production in 1979.
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Winning Choir Selected

8/15/2018

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Champlin Park High School Choir wins Cash Award

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Tenor, singer Connor
At last week's ACDA Summer Dialog Conference. Accolades invited All-State choir attendees to "Sing Accolades"  -- that is to sing our new theme:
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With such talented singers choosing a winner was difficult -- especially since the primary goal was to have fun.  In the end, we selected an ensemble made up of members from the Champlin Park High School Choir. Congratulations!
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In Flight Games

3/30/2018

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Today, there are lots of options beyond solitaire.  Smartphones and pads are by far the largest source of options.  The important consideration is internet availability.  Even if there is WiFi available on your flight, do they allow what you want to do?  Streaming videos, for example, is typically prohibited.  This can be overcome by pre-downloading the movies and streaming audio you want to use.

You may also want to see if the in flight WiFi providers have promotional deals (e.g GoGo has had promotions with T-Mobile, US Banks, and American Express).
​NON Computer
  • Scavenger Hunt (out the window)
  • MADLIBS

Computer
  • Netflix's offline 
  • Apple Music / Spotify
  • Google Play Books / Kindle
  • Podcasts
    (e.g. Pocket Casts, Audible, ...)
  • Podcasts and audiobooks are a fantastic way to tune out over a longer period. If you subscribe to Audible for $14.99 a month, you'll get one audiobook -- which tend to be in the 15- to 20-hour range -- per month. If you're travelling over a longer period, that's a great go-to.
FREE GAMES
IOS & Android
  • Mr. Square
  • Fallout Shelter
  • Sim City Built It
  • Despicable Me: Minion Rush
  • Whirl!
  • 94 Percent
  • Word Trek
  • Pop the Lock
  • Neko Atsume
  • Candy Crush Soda Saga
IOS only:
  • Let’s Go Run Around
  • Hex Crush
more news here 

Inflight WIFI services
  • JetBlue: propriatary “Fly-Fi” (15Mbps) on all Airbus 321 and 80% of A320 aircraft.
  • Virgin America: Gogo (fast ATG-4 service)
  • Delta: Gogo (ATG and ATG-4)
  • Southwest: proprietary
  • Alaska Airlines: Gogo (ATG and ATG-4)
  • American Airlines: Gogo 
  • US Airways: Gogo 
  • United: (Gogo or proprietary wifi service)
  • Air Canada: Gogo on some flights
How do airplanes get a signal?
​Find out in this Gizmodo article 
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more news here 
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When Pigs Don't Fly

2/9/2018

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You may have to leave that Service Pig at home

Delta Airlines transports over 700 service & support animals each day and they have seen it all. Because of policy-abuse, starting March 1 they will be changing their service & support animal  policy. 
“Customers have attempted to fly with comfort turkeys, gliding possums known as sugar gliders, snakes, spiders and more,” an airline spokesman explained. “Ignoring the true intent of existing rules governing the transport of service and support animals can be a disservice to customers who have real and documented needs.” 
Here's a primer:
TRAINED SERVICE ANIMALS VS EMOTIONAL SUPPORT/PSYCHIATRIC SERVICE ANIMALS 
  • Trained service animals receive training to assist those with visual impairment, deafness or hard of hearing, diabetes, seizures, mobility limitations or other needs.
  • Emotional support and psychiatric service animals assist those with emotional, psychiatric, cognitive or psychological disabilities.
On Delta Airlines, to travel with an emotional support animal, passengers must: 
  1. Download the official PDF.  You may submit a copy of vaccination records in lieu of the Veterinary Health Form as long as the vaccination dates and veterinary office information are included.
  2. Upload it to My Trips through the Accessibility Service Request Form
  3. Keep completed paperwork with you while traveling

BEHAVIOR
We know that service and support animals are highly-trained working animals. We will only refuse transportation of the animal if it engages in disruptive behavior such as: 
  • Growling 
  • Jumping on passengers 
  • Relieving themselves in the gate area or cabin
  • Barking excessively, not in response to a handler’s need or distress
  • Eating off seatback tray tables

​Other airlines are following suit.

* statistically, you'd have to fly 200 flights to have a service/support animal on board
more news here 
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November 7, 2017: The last flight of the 747

11/7/2017

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For the last flight of the infamous 747, United plans to recreate its own 1970 inaugural San Francisco-Honolulu flight*. Since then, over 1,530 have been manufactured.
The 4-engine 747 saw passenger load shrink as competing 2-engine aircraft have become available. The Airbus A340 (1993) can fly longer trips. The Boeing 777 (1995) is more fuel efficient. The A380 (2007) carries more passenger.

More recently, even more efficient aircraft: the Boeing 787 (2011) and the Airbus A350 (2015) signified the beginning of the end for the 747,
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“The 747 is, was and always will be an iconic aircraft. It ushered in the wide-body era, it became prestigious to operate, it was prestigious to fly in it, and state-owned airlines that often had no business buying it did so anyway for the prestige.” commented aviation consultant Scott Hamilton.

* the first flight was by Pan Am, January 22, 1970

more news here 
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The highest human note?

10/30/2017

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That would be G10 by Georgia Brown -- the highest note ever sung by a woman, giving her the Guinness World Record for the highest note for a female.
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more news here ​
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Lowest Human Note?

10/27/2017

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In 2012, Tim Storms reclaimed the record for the Lowest Note Produced by a Human. The new record is G−7, or 0.189 Hz, eight octaves below the lowest G on the piano, or just over seven octaves below the piano.

Hear the NPR interview:
And an encore:
more news here ​
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​The Biggest Passport Mistakes

8/16/2017

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You’ve booked your next trip abroad! No matter how experienced of a traveler you are, sometimes mistakes happen. Here are some of the most common passport mistakes you should be sure to avoid before you leave.

Waiting too long to apply.
If you do not have a passport yet, be sure you give yourself enough time to apply and to receive it in the mail. Regular passport service can take an average of six to eight weeks after the application is submitted. If you are in a rush, expedited service takes about three weeks, and also costs an extra $60.
Not checking the expiration date.
Before you go, always look at the year your passport was issued. According to Travel State.gov, add 10 years to the date of issuance if you were over 16 when you got the passport, or five years if you were 15 or younger. You can also head to Travel State.gov to find the expiration date of your passport by entering the year your passport was issued and how old you were at the time of issue.
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Location of Expiration Date
Not researching passport laws.
Check the passport laws for the countries you plan on visiting. Some countries including Brazil, Singapore, Ecuador, Indonesia, Romania, Israel, Paraguay and Malaysia will not allow you to visit within six months of your passport expiration date. Countries including Denmark, Cambodia, Switzerland, Fiji and Greenland will not allow people with passports within three months of expiring. We determine and advise you for your destination(s).

Not having enough blank pages.
If you travel abroad frequently, you may be running low on space for stamps in your passport. In most countries, you will need at least two blank pages to be granted entry. Once it is full, you will need to apply for a new one. There is also an option to apply for a Frequent Travelers Passport which is a bit more expensive but will save you money in the long run.

Not renewing after a name change.
Have you recently gotten married and changed your name?  It’s important not to forget to also change it on your passport. If it has been less than a year since your current passport was issued, you are eligible for a free change with a DS-5504 form. If it has been over a year, you will need to provide a renewal form along with a new photo and documents proving your new name.

Traveling with a damaged passport.
Significantly damaged passports are completely ineligible for travel, according to State Department guidelines. This includes water damage, substantial tears, missing visa pages and either damage,  and rips or markings on your bio page in the front. You may think its fine if your passport has any sign of damage,  but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Apply for a new one online or by mail.
Additional Passport Tips from Accolades
Use your smartphone to snap a picture of your passport info-pages or carry a photocopy of the first two pages of your passport.  When authorities only need data from your passport, your photo/photocopy allow you to leave your real passport in a safer (often harder to reach) place.
-ERIN WEILAND for travel Insured

The State Department made videos to answer many common questions
more news here ​
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