FTF
02-12-2004, 03:39 PM
Posted by FTF on September 27, 2001 at 14:44:08:
Dear Family Travelers,
Like all of you, Family Travel Forum and its members have been deeply
affected by the events of September 11th, 2001. We offer our condolences
to those of you who have lost loved ones in the terrorist attacks sustained
by New York City, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, and want to share our
concerns for the safety of traveling families during the coming months.
Still unsure of what awful means will be required to halt terrorism in our
world, we know now that being away from home – whether by plane, boat,
train or automobile – will never be the same again. Yet, as families draw
closer together to celebrate the upcoming holidays, moving across America
and the world will remain a necessity for most of us.
Family Travel Forum has been struggling to weather the economic downturn
that had already diminished travel opportunities for many families. In the
aftermath of this recent tragedy, it is apparent that many will reject the
notion of travel altogether. However, during this very trying time, we have
been comforted by an astonishing outpouring of grief from families around
the world, reminding us it is our friends and neighbors and fellow
passengers on Earth who have always motivated our travels. So we must
continue to travel, to meet them on their own soil, to learn from them, and to
teach them about us.
“I am not getting on a plane ever again,” Libby Tholmaf, age 17 of Florida,
told a CNN reporter the day after terrorists used four commercial aircraft as
weapons. Your children, many of them frequent flyers, may be feeling the
same way.
How can we, as parents and trusted adults in their lives, help our children
overcome their fears?
The first and most important step for adults in the wake of disaster,
according to Professor Jean Baker of the Michigan State University’s Dept.
of Counseling, is “to take care of your own thoughts and feelings.”
Are you, as caregivers, prepared to fly again?
Here are the facts; you’ll have to be the judge: Several safety measures
have been implemented on U.S. airlines (read more about them here); most
will be familiar to those who have traveled in Europe. According to the
Federal Aviation Administration website at www.faa.gov, Federal Air
Marshals, armed and trained for deployment on anti-hijacking missions, will
be flying anonymously on select domestic flights.
The FAA website maintains a list of all North American airports and air
carriers which have certified they can meet the strengthened FAA security
standards. For information about foreign airports and foreign air carriers,
click here. Two separate federal task forces, one looking at aircraft security
and one examining airport security, will make their recommendations to U.
S. Secretary of Transportation Mineta on October 1st. Regardless of further
security measures implemented, air travel is likely to be more
time-consuming and more stressful than ever before. However, statistically,
flying remains safer than travel by automobile.
Many of the coping strategies offered in the attack’s aftermath will be useful
tools in exploring your family’s interest in travel again, whether by air, land
or sea. Parents are urged to talk with children about their feelings and listen
to their concerns. Dr. Robert Needlman notes, “If you notice your child
looking sad, ask if she is thinking about the plane crashes... and let her know
that you have been thinking about the same thing.” Just as adults react
differently to stress, children may express no reaction, or strong emotions
of anger or fear, which should be acknowledged and accepted.
“Talking to children about terrorism can be particularly problematic since
providing them with safety guidelines to protect themselves from terrorism is
difficult,” note the experts at FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management
Agency. Security consultant Mayer Nudell’s list of critical travel safety tips
should be mandatory reading for anyone in your family who is traveling away
from home.
Trauma specialists suggest parents help children, particularly older ones,
maintain perspective on the situation. Advises Laura Jana, M.D., F.A.A.P.
“Reassure your child that almost all planes and buildings are still
completely safe. These bad events only happened in a very few, specific
places.”
“I think it’s important to say a terrible thing happened, but life is going to go
on and we’re going to do what we can do to keep you safe and to keep the
family safe, and do those sorts of things that keep the family together,”
adds Dr. Jeffrey Mitchell, head of the International Critical Stress
Foundation. “Children need reassurances that the world will continue to
function, there will be a tomorrow. That there will be a world for them.”
Because the world, however changed, is still there for our children, most of
us will choose to travel again.
Family Travel Forum remains grateful for your support and for the many kind
thoughts sent our way during this difficult time. We will endeavor to provide
our families the resources they need to explore the world and will devote the
next print issue to Exploring America. Please feel free to contact our office
at 212-665-6124 from 9am-6pm EST in New York City, or to email us at
members@familytravelforum.com with your questions.
We will continue to post safety updates, travel news, and global destination
features on the FTF website. We also urge you to take advantage of a
professional travel agent or family travel specialist (several are listed at the
Family Travel Specialists page), both to help smooth your travel plans, and
to keep you up to date with the latest travel and security information.
Let us hope together that our skies will soon seem friendly again and that
we will emerge from this dark period better informed and better prepared to
cope with our new world.
Dear Family Travelers,
Like all of you, Family Travel Forum and its members have been deeply
affected by the events of September 11th, 2001. We offer our condolences
to those of you who have lost loved ones in the terrorist attacks sustained
by New York City, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, and want to share our
concerns for the safety of traveling families during the coming months.
Still unsure of what awful means will be required to halt terrorism in our
world, we know now that being away from home – whether by plane, boat,
train or automobile – will never be the same again. Yet, as families draw
closer together to celebrate the upcoming holidays, moving across America
and the world will remain a necessity for most of us.
Family Travel Forum has been struggling to weather the economic downturn
that had already diminished travel opportunities for many families. In the
aftermath of this recent tragedy, it is apparent that many will reject the
notion of travel altogether. However, during this very trying time, we have
been comforted by an astonishing outpouring of grief from families around
the world, reminding us it is our friends and neighbors and fellow
passengers on Earth who have always motivated our travels. So we must
continue to travel, to meet them on their own soil, to learn from them, and to
teach them about us.
“I am not getting on a plane ever again,” Libby Tholmaf, age 17 of Florida,
told a CNN reporter the day after terrorists used four commercial aircraft as
weapons. Your children, many of them frequent flyers, may be feeling the
same way.
How can we, as parents and trusted adults in their lives, help our children
overcome their fears?
The first and most important step for adults in the wake of disaster,
according to Professor Jean Baker of the Michigan State University’s Dept.
of Counseling, is “to take care of your own thoughts and feelings.”
Are you, as caregivers, prepared to fly again?
Here are the facts; you’ll have to be the judge: Several safety measures
have been implemented on U.S. airlines (read more about them here); most
will be familiar to those who have traveled in Europe. According to the
Federal Aviation Administration website at www.faa.gov, Federal Air
Marshals, armed and trained for deployment on anti-hijacking missions, will
be flying anonymously on select domestic flights.
The FAA website maintains a list of all North American airports and air
carriers which have certified they can meet the strengthened FAA security
standards. For information about foreign airports and foreign air carriers,
click here. Two separate federal task forces, one looking at aircraft security
and one examining airport security, will make their recommendations to U.
S. Secretary of Transportation Mineta on October 1st. Regardless of further
security measures implemented, air travel is likely to be more
time-consuming and more stressful than ever before. However, statistically,
flying remains safer than travel by automobile.
Many of the coping strategies offered in the attack’s aftermath will be useful
tools in exploring your family’s interest in travel again, whether by air, land
or sea. Parents are urged to talk with children about their feelings and listen
to their concerns. Dr. Robert Needlman notes, “If you notice your child
looking sad, ask if she is thinking about the plane crashes... and let her know
that you have been thinking about the same thing.” Just as adults react
differently to stress, children may express no reaction, or strong emotions
of anger or fear, which should be acknowledged and accepted.
“Talking to children about terrorism can be particularly problematic since
providing them with safety guidelines to protect themselves from terrorism is
difficult,” note the experts at FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management
Agency. Security consultant Mayer Nudell’s list of critical travel safety tips
should be mandatory reading for anyone in your family who is traveling away
from home.
Trauma specialists suggest parents help children, particularly older ones,
maintain perspective on the situation. Advises Laura Jana, M.D., F.A.A.P.
“Reassure your child that almost all planes and buildings are still
completely safe. These bad events only happened in a very few, specific
places.”
“I think it’s important to say a terrible thing happened, but life is going to go
on and we’re going to do what we can do to keep you safe and to keep the
family safe, and do those sorts of things that keep the family together,”
adds Dr. Jeffrey Mitchell, head of the International Critical Stress
Foundation. “Children need reassurances that the world will continue to
function, there will be a tomorrow. That there will be a world for them.”
Because the world, however changed, is still there for our children, most of
us will choose to travel again.
Family Travel Forum remains grateful for your support and for the many kind
thoughts sent our way during this difficult time. We will endeavor to provide
our families the resources they need to explore the world and will devote the
next print issue to Exploring America. Please feel free to contact our office
at 212-665-6124 from 9am-6pm EST in New York City, or to email us at
members@familytravelforum.com with your questions.
We will continue to post safety updates, travel news, and global destination
features on the FTF website. We also urge you to take advantage of a
professional travel agent or family travel specialist (several are listed at the
Family Travel Specialists page), both to help smooth your travel plans, and
to keep you up to date with the latest travel and security information.
Let us hope together that our skies will soon seem friendly again and that
we will emerge from this dark period better informed and better prepared to
cope with our new world.